DISCLAIMER: IDNOPJ(BIWID)
So here I am, with two more Science mocks and a geography test in the next few days, writing fanfic, having managed to drag myself away from Tumblr.
As Ron would say, I need to sort my priorities out.
So lack of sleep and weird choice of music (well...not weird, just very out of date) are to blame if you don't particularly like this chapter. If you do like it, great! Unfortunately there is a small Star Trek quote. And a Gladiator one.
Also Frank is not a whale.
Chapter VII
Frank
An awkward silence filled the cabin.
"Well that's cheerful." said Leo sarcastically after a few minutes. "Thanks for that Piper. That makes me feel so much better."
Jason groaned. "This is hopeless. We can't just sit here speculating and waiting for something to happen. We need to do something."
Frank glanced around the table, wracking his brains for something to do that would still give them the time to recover.
"Supplies." broke in Hazel. Everyone looked at her puzzledly. "Erm...supplies," she explained sheepishly, "we need them. We're running short on quite a few things."
"We need more water." agreed Piper. The two girls hadn't known each other for long, but they were already firm friends. Frank smiled. Greek life was so much easier than the regimented format of the cohorts. Seeming as they were now outcasts, maybe he could persuade this Chiron or whoever to let him and Hazel stay.
Leo pulled out a roll of maps from underneath the table. "Right," he said, spreading them out, "there's a small town here." He said, pointing. "It's small, so we shouldn't get too much hassle. Gaia's more likely to be concentrating on the big cities, like Rome and Athens."
Frank nodded. "It makes sense. All in favour?"
The Greeks stared at him wordlessly. Jason coughed sheepishly. "It's a, um, Roman thing. Rome was a republic - we vote on every decision."
"Jeez," snickered Leo, "how do you manage to get anything done? It's so much easier if you just go do it."
Frank glared at him. "Rome was one of the greatest civilisations. It was built on sound principals - truth, justice, and democracy."
"Yeah," countered Leo sarcastically, "bet all the people they killed died thinking 'Wow. Maybe if we'd been so OCD, we might have survived."
Frank stood. "Hey, you lit-"
"Woah." Cut in Jason. "Calm down guys. Frank" he said, turning to the asian, " - Leo's not Roman. He doesn't get it. Leo - some respect please. Rome was built on good, solid principals. That doesn't mean it was kept that way. There was a dream that was Rome. You could only whisper it. Anything more than a whisper and it would vanish, it was so fragile."
"Basically like communism." explained Nico. "It's the perfect system of government, but it can never work. As soon as you put someone in charge, the whole system is undermined."
Frank sat back down, glaring at Leo. He knew he'd overreacted, but he was fed up. Ever since his mum had died, things had gone from bad to worse. He'd had to endure torture at camp, he'd been insulted by a horse, his grandmother had died, he'd used up almost all of his life, he'd been pretty much banished from aforementioned camp, and now some little greek who looked exactly like his girlfriend's dead ex was trying to insult Rome. Frank was not a happy bunny.
They ended up dropping anchor on a small hilltop just outside the town. Frank could see the red tiled roofs spread out in front of him, like some kind of giant crazy paving. The sun beat down on them, bringing out the green of the trees and the blueness of the waves.
The buildings in the village were traditional greek, with whitewashed walls and wooden shutters. A door creaked in the wind, startling the demigods.
"Where is everybody?" asked Piper, fear in her voice.
Jason smiled at her reassuringly. "Don't worry. I'm sure they're just...busy, that's all."
They rounded the corner and entered the main square. Water trickled from a large fountain in the centre. Stalls sat, abandoned, wares left untended. A container of oranges had been knocked over, the bright colour in stark contrast with the pale floor.
A bike lay, wheel still ticking, abandoned on the floor.
"Hello?" Hazel called. "Anyone?"
"It's useless." said Nico. "There's no one here. I'd know if there was. I can't sense anyone living...or dead."
Frank let out a breath that he hadn't realised he'd been holding. Where ever everybody was, at least they were still alive.
"Umm...guys?" called Piper, "I think you need to see this."
She was stood in the middle of the square, peering at the fountain. Which, Frank realised with a sick feeling, was decorated with carvings and statues of the gods. Or at least, it had been. Jupiter's head had been torn off and replaced with an apple, a smiley faced crudely carved into it. The engraving of Ceres holding out grapes for Bacchus to turn into wine had been drawn over, with Bacchus' face blacked out, and two giant horns protruding from his skull.
Leo snickered in the background. "You've got to admit - it's an improvement to Mr. D."
Piper shot him a look. "I don't like it." she whispered. "This place is creepy."
A shutter banged in the rising wind. A gust blew through the square, whipping Piper and Hazel's hair about.
"I've got a bad feeling about this!" Yelled Frank.
What?" shouted Hazel over the whistling wind. "I can't hear you!"
The wind was reaching gale force now, whipping up rubbish and litter and sending it swirling.
Frank narrowed his eyes against the vicious weather. He could hardly see the others. Somewhere to his left he heard a cry.
"Storm Spirits!"
Crap, he cursed. Just when he thought this day could get no worse.
"We can't fight!" he yelled, "There's too many of them. We have to pull back!"
He saw Jason nod and repeat the command. Soon the group was sprinting back up the hillside.
"Why did we have to park at the top?" he heard Nico grumble.
He vaulted aboard, turning into a giant eagle as he did so, buy with nothing clear to target, it was useless. Their only chance of escape now was to run.
Jason seemed to have the same idea. "Get us out of here, Leo!"
"I'm giving all she's got!" The curly-haired latino yelled back.
"All she's got isn't enough!" countered the roman as the ship bucked and strained, trying to lift off, but being repelled by the chaotic storm spirits.
"Wait a minute! Maybe if I eject the energy core and detonate it mid-air? The blast might be enough to push us away!"
"Do it, do it, do it!"
The ship buckled before rising into the air, shaking and stuttering. Leo's voice came over the intercom system. "Hello passengers, this is your captain speaking. We are expecting slight turbulence so please stay in your seats until the captain has turned off the fasten seatbelt sign ."
"Quit joking and fly this damn thing!" yelled Hazel furiously as a storm spirit scraped her arm, leaving three huge gashes. Out of the corner of his eye, Frank could've sworn he saw Percy wielding Riptide like a maniac, defeating spirit after spirit with his own private hurricane.
Frank concentrated before turning and taking off into the sky. He slashed through a row of mini hurricanes with his beak. He turned and twisted, performing somersaults and loop the loops, leading the spirits in a warped game of tag across the open sky.
Lightening crackled as Jason raised his sword. Electricity sparked as a giant bolt crashed down, leaving Jason stood in the centre of a circle of ash, looking exhausted but proud.
Thunder boomed, deafening Frank as he transformed back.
"That's not thunder..." Hazel said quietly.
She was right. Hidden by the crackles and pops, a voice was booming.
"Mistress calls!" cackled one of the spirits, flying past the boat. "You had a close escape, demigods - you might not be so lucky next time."
As the last of the venti disappeared into the clouds which gradually dispersed to show the baby blue sky, Frank surveyed the damage.
Nico reached behind a tapestry and pulled out a first aid kit. "Come on," he said, "I'm sure we all need it."
The demigods sat down, some on broken planks of wood, some on cabinets that had been torn off and thrown down. Frank could see Percy wedged in a corner, a glum look on his face.
"Oh crap." cursed Leo suddenly.
"What?" asked Frank as he bandaged Hazel's hand tenderly.
"We never got those damn supplies."
As the laughter rang out from the battered ship, only one demigod didn't join in the merriment, but instead slunk away, back to their cabin, and the darkness of seclusion.
Like? Review?! Talking of reviews, thanks to Parkman, redlox2, GloryRainbow and Guest for reviewing :)
Next chapter'll either be Percy, Nico or Jason POV. Which do you want?
