Percy's POV

I opened my eyes. Bright light illuminated the room, casting dark shadows towering over the furniture like a cat crouching over the water, hungry eyes waiting to strike. I could see the remains of yesterday's capture the flag, the weapons taken out and considered only to be discarded. But what really stood out was the girl who stood in the doorway. Her blonde curls hung freely down her shoulders, her smile as luminous as the light in the room. But most of all, her stormy gray eyes pooled with lust and anticipation. I swept my eyes up and down her face, her body, feeding from the image she possessed, the image of everything I ever fought for. Her clothes were battered and dirty, her back hunched with weariness, but all I could see was how beautiful and strong and intelligent she was. All I could see was my Annabeth.

Annabeth ran towards me, her blonde curls flying in her wake. She swept her arms around me, and I kissed her with everything I was feeling at the moment, the love, the passion, the relief that she was alive. With the life of a demigod, that was never something you could take for granted. My hands trailed up and down her back, feeling every bone in her spine, every imprint from her muscles, burning it into my brain. I broke free from her lips and nuzzled her neck, feeling her soft skin graze my lips. I breathed in her scent, the tinge of lemon mixed with mud and grime. I let my hands roam free in her hair, parting the knots, my hand tingling from the feel of her soft hair in my fingers.

"Well, this is just embarrassing," My head snaps up in shock. Annabeth and I jump apart from each other, our cheeks burning self-consciously. In the doorway of the Poseidon Cabin stood a heavily muscled, sturdy man. A Hawaiian shirt and shorts covered his body, his feet laced with sandals. His wind-blown hair was swept to one side, as if he had spent the majority of his day at the beach, and his green eyes held the history of the sea in it's depths. Poseidon.

I groaned inwardly, forgetting my initial embarrassment . Whenever a god appeared in my room, it never meant good. Heck, whenever a god appeared anywhere near me, it never meant good. And the last thing I needed is to go do a god's dirty work. All I wanted to do is be with Annabeth, to cherish my time with her. Yes, I know, that sounds a little cliche, but in my defense, it's been awhile since I could spend time with Annabeth. Anyway, I braced myself for the anticipated quest to come crashing down on me.

"I know you are wondering why I am here," Poseidon began. "And let me inform you that it is for a reasonable cause. My Trident has been stolen."

Annabeth and I both stared at him in disbelief. His Trident was stolen? How in the world did that happen?

Poseidon sighed. "I was called to a very important Council meeting, and I left my Trident under the care of a servant. Five hours later, when I get back to the Kingdom, I hear that it was stolen. And the servant was nowhere to be found. Search parties went looking for him, and still are, but I can't find him myself without my Trident. Not as long as he stays in the ocean. You see-"

"The Trident is Poseidon's power source. It's the way he controls the seas. Without it, he still has his godly powers, but he can't control the oceans anymore. The waters are no longer his," Annabeth continued breathlessly, her eyes bright with knowledge. Poseidon narrowed his eyes, his face a mask of regretful respect. "Yes, as the girl said, I can no longer control the seas. The sea is a violent thing, and without some control over it, mortals on both land and sea could get killed. We need to retrieve it before nothing of the sort happens."

I sigh. There it was. The quest, now out in the open, was worse than he thought. Not only did they have to retrieve the source of Poseidon's sea powers, but they also had to do it without a clue of where it was. The sea is a vast thing, and the servant could be anywhere.

"So?" Poseidon prompted. "Will you help me?" I really did not want to do this quest, but Poseidon being a god and everything, it wasn't like I had a lot of choice. Reluctantly, I nodded.

Thanks for reading! I hoped you enjoyed. A quick shout out to annieherondalelightwood for editing this chapter. If you don't know her, she has some great fanfictions for books like The Mortal Instruments, PJO, and Maximum Ride. Keep your eyes open for the next chapters! Please R&R! Bye!

~Ashney