I seem to have this habit of occasionally rising from the grave to produce another chapter. Must be powers passed on to me from Hades or something lol. Anyway, I do have reasons for not uploading but I'm sure you don't want to hear them. Here's a chapter, please enjoy!

"Hey, Percy, wait a second," Jason ran up to Percy and slung his arm over his shoulders lazily.

Percy smiled at his cousin. "What do you need, Grace?"

"Well, there's someone at the tavern wanting to speak with you." Jason wiggled his eyebrows and Percy couldn't help his ears going red.

"Annabeth? Why? What does she want? I better go." Percy turned to leave but Jason tightened his grip on him.

"Why are you in such a hurry?"

"Uh, well, you know Annabeth. If I keep her waiting all hell will break loose."

"Oh, are you sure it's not because you're in love?"

"Shut up, Grace, I got to go." Taking his chance, Percy bolted from Jason's grip and headed down the streets to where Annabeth worked. The tavern, The Spotless Olive, was, ironically, right next to a convent where Jason's sister Thalia was in training to become a nun. She was one of Annabeth's best friends, even if they did live very different lives.

When Percy entered the tavern he noticed that it was mostly empty, not unnatural for an afternoon, and he noticed Annabeth. She was standing behind the counter, wiping it down tiredly. Her blond hair was pulled back loosely with strands of it falling in her face. Her exposure was stiff and rigid, not at all relaxed. Percy wondered what could possibly be wrong.

"Hello, Annabeth," Percy smiled at her.

"Where's the money Jackson?" Annabeth stopped wiping the counter and glared at Percy.

Oh, that's what's wrong, Percy thought. "Look, Annabeth I don't exactly have the funds right now, it has been a hard month and-"

"I am sick of your excuses, Percy! You know how Dionysus is and since I am the one who vouched for you I am starting to look like an idiot!"

"I know, Annabeth, I completely understand but manning the lighthouse doesn't pay much."

"You should have thought of that before you got a loan, now I might lose my job." Annabeth scrubbed at the counter furiously.

"What!? Dionysus can't just fire you!"

"Yes he can and he says he will if you do not pay him back within a fortnight."

"A fortnight!? It'll take months to pay off that debt!"

"Then you better think of something fast, Jackson. I can not lose my job." Annabeth slapped her cloth onto the counter and moved to help a customer.

"Shit, Jason, what do I do?" Percy asked his blond friend.

"Your guess is as good as mine. Maybe try finding another job? Ships are constantly coming and going from here, there has got to be something."


"For the last time, I said no!" the grumpy old sea captain yelled at Percy.

"Just for this one voyage, please!" Percy pleaded. "The trip to Spain and back will take two weeks which is just what I need! I'm not a free loader, you know I'll work hard."

The sea captain sighed and looked into Percy's green eyes. "I know, Percy. It's just that you haven't been on a ship since that unfortunate incident with the di Angelo girl, and that was five years ago. You'll be out of practice and you will have lost your sea legs. I truly am sorry."

The sea captain boarded the ship leaving behind a disappointed Percy, who had already asked every other captain at the docks for a job. He kicked at a post in anger then cursed as he realized his toe would blister. "Bloody hell, Annabeth, I'm sorry," he whispered.

"Hey, kid, come here." Percy turned around to see a man in shabby sailor's clothes gesturing to him.

"Yes?" Percy asked.

"I hear you're wanting to sail the seas." The man looked to be in his thirties, although his hair was already thinning out and his teeth were a dark yellow.

"Well yes, but I need to be back within a fortnight, you see I owe-"

"Don't care about your backstory. You ever sailed?"

"Why yes, my last voyage was five years ago."

"Think you still got what it takes?"

Percy smiled and began to bounce up and down. "Yes, sir!"

"Now I'm not your sir, but you can tell Captain Luke Castellan that Buford sent ya. He's at the other end of the docks, his ship is the one with green sails."

"Thank you!" Percy raced off to the other end of the docks, not bothering to answer when his friend Leo asked where he was going. When arriving he immediately saw the ship with the green sails, tall and proud Percy knew it would hold against the strongest of waves.

Seeing one of the crew members Percy asked, "Where might I find Captain Luke Castellan?"

"He's on the ship, speaking with his first mate."

Percy ran up the plank and boarded the ship where he found the captain and what appeared to be his first mate in a shouting match.

"I told you to make sure that the rigging was set!" the captain shouted.

"And I told Arnold to do it!" the first mate shouted back.

"I gave you a direct order, Rodriguez!"

"I am the first mate, I can pass the orders to someone else if I wish!"

"Correction, you were the first mate and you are currently out of a job. Get the bloody hell off my ship." Face red and fists clenched Rodriguez stomped across the deck and off the ship.

"Ah, my apologies, I did not see you there," the captain took notice of Percy, standing awkwardly on the ship. "What can I do for you?"

"Are you Captain Luke Castellan?" Percy asked.

"That I am, and you are?"

"Percy, sir, Percy Jackson. Buford sent me, told me you might be hiring. See I need to pay off a debt within a fortnight or a friend is going to lose her job."

"Yes, well, do you have experience?"

"Yes, sir, although my last voyage was five years ago."

"I see. And are you good at obeying orders?"

Percy's mind flashed to three weeks previously when he had been told by his friend Leo to not touch the contraption he had been working on. One little touch from Percy and the whole thing collapsed. "If the order makes sense, then yes."

Luke chuckled. "Welcome aboard, Percy Jackson, first mate."

"Wait wha-" Percy tried to protest but the captain was already walking off.

"We leave in two hours!"


"Annabeth! Annabeth! You'll never believe it!" Percy shouted as he burst into The Spotless Olive.

"What won't I believe? You saw a flying pig?" Annabeth said, arching a displeased eyebrow at the person who interrupted her work.

"No, better yet. I got a job with a ship, I'll have that debt paid off within two weeks!"

"Oh, Percy, that's wonderful!" Annabeth gave him a quick hug. "But what about the lighthouse?"

"I already talked to Jason about that, he can take care of it in my absence."

"When do you set sail?"

"In a couple of minutes. In fact, I should probably head back to the ship right away."

"Good luck, Percy."

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