Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or Percy Jackson.
I just thought of something… the original Golden Fleece quest featured Jason as the hero, and at the end of the second book Thalia is healed using the Fleece. So could it have been foreshadowing a link between Thalia and a Jason?
Edited by Mellie Erdmann.
Chapter Seven: I Accept Gifts from a Stranger
The way Tantalus saw it, the Stymphalian birds had been perfectly fine until Clarisse and Annabeth had disturbed them with their bad chariot driving and Harry had gotten onto the track without permission. And of course their bad influence had clearly irreversibly corrupted Sadie. This was so blatantly unfair Clarisse told Tantalus to go moon over a cupcake, which did not help his mood. The activities director sentenced the quartet to kitchen patrol for the entire afternoon.
That meant scrubbing pots and pans in the underground kitchen with the cleaning harpies. The dishes were washed with lava instead of water to get everything extra clean so that they had to wear asbestos gloves and aprons. Back at the track, a rematch was being done with a special banquet featuring fried Stymphalian pigeon being prepared for the winner, which meant lots of extra dishes.
"Fess up, bird brain. What's this thing that could save the camp?" asked Clarisse.
"I'll give you two a hint: what do you get when you skin a ram?"
"Um, a mess?" tried Harry, Sadie nodding her agreement as she made toy boats out of cups and utensils.
Annabeth rolled her eyes. "A fleece."
"The Golden Fleece?" went Clarisse before whistling in awe.
Annabeth nodded. "Remember how the Gray Sisters mentioned Jason and knowing the location of the thing we seek. Three thousand years ago, they told him how to find the Golden Fleece. You do know the story of Jason and the Argonauts?"
"I haven't gotten there yet," admitted Harry, scrubbing a pot. Annabeth rolled her eyes at him, "Oh my gods, Hairball! You are so hopeless."
"I know," he mumbled, flushing.
"I didn't mean it like- never mind, just listen to me. The story of the Golden Fleece goes like this: there were these two children of Zeus, Cadmus and Europa, who were about to get offered up as human sacrifices. They prayed to Zeus to save them, so he sent this magical flying ram with golden wool which picked them up in Greece and carried them all the way to Colchis in Asia Minor. Well, it carried Cadmus anyway. Europa fell off and died along the way, but that's not important."
"Wimp," agreed Clarisse.
"Blood brat, behave," sighed Annabeth. "What matters is that when Cadmus got to Colchis he sacrificed the golden ram to the gods and hung the Fleece from a tree in the middle of the kingdom. The Fleece brought prosperity to the land: animals stopped getting sick, farmers had bumper crops, plants grew better in general, plagues never visited, and so on. That's why Jason wanted the Fleece. It can revitalize any land where it's placed. It cures sickness, strengthens nature, cleans up pollution-"
"So it could cure Thalia's tree," Harry commented for clarification.
"And strengthen the borders of Camp Half-Blood," Annabeth agreed.
Clarisse snorted. "But it's been missing for centuries- dozens of heroes have searched for it with no luck."
"But Grover found it because it radiates nature magic like Pan does. We can save him and camp at the same time," Annabeth insisted. Then she bit her lower lip. "It's just a little too perfect…"
"It's probably a trap set by Kronos, just like last summer," Clarisse conceded. "Now, who exactly has the Fleece?"
"Polyphemus, the worst of the Cyclops. The only place his island can be is the Sea of Monsters."
The other three looked at her in confusion.
"Please tell me you're just messing with me. The Sea of Monsters is the same sea that Odysseus, Jason, Aeneas, and all the others sailed through."
"So… the Mediterranean? I'll have to go back to Europe?" Harry groaned.
"No. Well, yes, but no."
"That answer made no sense," Clarisse observed, Harry nodding his agreement. Sadie was playing with her faux toy boats instead of listening to them talk.
Annabeth rubbed her temples before going into lecture mode. "Look, the Sea of Monsters is the sea all heroes sail through on their adventures. It used to be in the Mediterranean, yes. But like everything else in the Greek myths, it shifts locations as the West's center of power shifts."
"Like the entrance to the Underworld being in Los Angeles, and Mount Olympus being above the Empire State Building," Harry guessed.
"Right."
"Okay… but how can even the Mist hide a whole sea full of monsters?" snorted Clarisse. Annabeth glared at her. "You at least should know better. But yes, the mortals do notice even if they don't understand. Now the Sea of Monsters is off the East Coast of the US, just northeast of Florida. They even have a name for it."
"The Bermuda Triangle," realized Clarisse. Harry racked his brain. "I think I've heard of that…"
"Your relatives made you lead a really sheltered life," noted Clarisse.
"Sheltered?" went Harry in shock.
"You don't know Disney movies or about the Bermuda Triangle. You're totally sheltered."
"Back on track, please," sighed Annabeth. "However, it's still a huge area, searching for one tiny island in monster-infested waters-"
"Hey, I'm in the body of a son of the sea god. That should make things easier, right?"
Her eyebrows drawing together Annabeth pointed out, "We'd have to talk to Tantalus, get approval for a quest. He'll say no."
"Then let's just go," suggested Harry. "Clarisse can visit the Oracle. I went last summer, and Annabeth, you visited once, right?"
"Um, not yet, but I think Clarisse can have this one."
"So we want you to lead this unofficial quest- you up for it, blood brat?" Harry asked. Clarisse thought it over before nodding, a smirk widening across her face. "Sure. Sounds like fun."
HPJHPJHPJ
That night, Harry packed his backpack while everyone else was down at the campfire. His heart was pounding- sure he had snuck out of his locked cupboard on occasion back on Privet Drive but that was usually for food after being locked up without dinner. This was something else entirely, and he wasn't sure why he was so excited about sneaking out of camp to go on an adventure.
"Can Muffin and I come?" asked Sadie hopefully, her hair still in the two braids Harry had done the previous night. He wasn't sure how they had survived the bird attack but he was glad his hard work would last for longer than a day.
"I'm not sure… we'll be in a sea, so it's unlikely Muffin would enjoy it."
"I'd just get in trouble with Tantalus if I stayed behind," Sadie noted, pouting slightly. That convinced Harry. "Okay, Sadie, if you want to come along, pack up."
"Already did so," beamed Sadie, picking up her full backpack. Grabbing a six pack of Coke the Stoll brothers had given him, Harry and Sadie went down to the beach to wait for Annabeth and Clarisse shortly before midnight. Sadie and Muffin settled down for a brief nap while Harry sipped the soda, looking out at the sea lit by a waxing moon.
Remembering longitude and latitude from his elementary school days back when he was just Harry instead of Harry-in-Percy, Harry wondered if those numbers could apply to that and the island's location. He'd have to ask the girls. Sadie shifted in her sleep, making Harry look down at her. He didn't like taking her along, but she had correctly pointed out that she would be subjected to Tantalus' rage if she stayed. Bugger. Harry exhaled heavily as he stared up at the starry constellations- Leo, Canis Major, Sagittarius, and countless more.
Muffin's long ears perked up, which alerted Harry to something being amiss seconds before a male voice broke the midnight silence. "Beautiful, aren't they?"
The speaker was a slender man in a NYC Marathon T-short and orange running shots with black hair sprinkled with grey. His smile was kind of sneaky, reminding Harry of someone. But more importantly Harry had no idea how he had arrived at camp- mortals couldn't get in.
"May I join you? I haven't sat down in ages," he continued as if everything was utterly normal. Harry shrugged. "I guess. It's not my beach."
"Thank you," he smiled. "Oh, and Coca-Cola! May I?"
Sitting down a few feet away from Harry, the man took a can and opened it. Once he took a sip he sighed, "Ah, that hits the spot. Peace and quiet at-"
Then his cell phone rang, making one of Muffin's ears twitch. With a world-weary sigh the jogger took out the cell phone, which was glowing blue to Harry's bemusement. As the man extended the antenna, a pair of tiny green snakes writhed around it. Checking the LCD display, the jogger cursed under his breath before saying out loud, "I have to take this. Just a second…"
Then he went into the phone: "Hello?"
After listening for a minute, the jogger spoke to the person on the other end, telling him/her, "Listen, I know, but- I don't care if he is chained to a rock with vultures pecking at his liver, if he doesn't have a tracking number we can't locate his package… A gift to humanity, great… You know how many of those we deliver? … Oh never mind. Listen, just refer him to Eris in customer service. I gotta go."
Hanging up, he told Harry, "Sorry. The overnight express business is just booming. Now, as I was saying, peace and quiet at last."
"Excuse me, but why are there snakes on your phone?" Harry asked curiously.
"Huh? Oh, don't worry, they don't bite. Say hello, George and Martha."
"Hello, George and Martha," came a raspy male voice.
"Don't be sarcastic," a female voice reprimanded the male one.
"Hello," Harry greeted them.
That action made the jogger raise his eyebrows as he put away the cell phone as the snakes began arguing. After that he crossed his ankles and stared up at the stars. Reflectively he observed, "Been a long time since I've gotten to relax. Ever since the telegraph- rush, rush, rush. Do you have a favorite constellation?"
"Canis Major," Harry replied promptly, pointing up at the brightest star in the sky. "It has the star Sirius in it, which is my favorite."
"Huh, an unusual choice for an unusual hero- can't say I'm surprised," noted the jogger. "And so, what now?"
Harry froze up, desperately wondering how the jogger knew about his plans to go on a quest for the Golden Fleece. Before he could come up with a reply, Martha's muffled voice was heard: "I have Demeter on line two."
The jogger rolled his eyes. "Not now. Tell her to leave a message."
"She's not going to like that," Martha warned him. "The last time you put her off, all the flowers in the floral delivery division wilted."
"Just tell her I'm in a meeting!" he sighed. "Now, Harry, where were we?"
Muffin meowed bemusedly. The jogger looked down at the cat. "Oh, right, I haven't introduced myself, have I?"
Eagerly Martha chimed in with, "Show, don't tell! I haven't been full-size for months!"
"Don't listen to her!" griped George. "She just wants to show off!"
Taking out his cell phone, the jogger stated, "Original form, please."
Glowing a bright blue, the phone stretched out into a three-foot-long wooden staff with dove wings sprouting out the top. George and Martha, now full-sized green serpents, coiled together around the middle. It was a caduceus, the symbol of Cabin Eleven.
"Oh, you're Hermes," got out Harry, feeling quite silly for having not seen the resemblance to the Stoll brothers and the traitor Luke as well as the rest of their half-siblings before. They all had the same elfin features and mischievous smiles.
"Yes: god of thieves, messengers, and travelers. Now, Harry, you still haven't answered my question. What do you intend to do about Thalia's tree?"
"To break the rules and go find the Golden Fleece with my friends," Harry confessed. "That'll save camp and Grover."
"I had thought as much… you have prankster blood in you, Harry. That much I can tell about your 'real' self. Sometimes young people don't do what they're told, but if they can pull it off and do something wonderful, sometimes they escape punishment. How's that for good advice?"
"You forgot to add that rats are delicious," pointed out George.
"What does that have to do with the story?" sniffed Martha.
"Nothing. I'm hungry."
"Don't make me put you two on vibrate again," Hermes warned them. "Martha, the first package."
Opening her mouth until it was nearly a two-foot wide hole, Martha belched out a stainless steel canister. It was an old-fashioned lunch box thermos with a black plastic top whose sides were decorated with red and yellow ancient Greek scenes of Hercules' tasks.
"This is a collector's item from Hercules Busts Heads, the first season," Hermes told him. Seeing Harry's disbelieving look, he elaborated, "A great show from back before Hephaestus-TV was all reality programming. Of course- the thermos would be worth much more if I had the whole lunch box-"
"Or if it hadn't been in Martha's mouth," George snidely inserted.
"I'll get you for that!" Martha started to chase George around the caduceus.
"Is this for me?" Harry asked incredulously. He had gotten some gifts last Christmas, all the cabin counselors had to get the other ones gifts. And last year's birthday gifts were on the tail of him stopping an inter-god war, so of course he was at the front of everyone's minds.
"One of two," Hermes nodded. "Go on, pick it up."
Harry was surprised that it was freezing cold on one side and burning hot on the other side. Fiddling with it, Harry realized the cold side always was the side facing north. "It's a compass!"
Startled, Hermes commented, "Very clever. I never thought of that. But its intended use is a bit more dramatic. Uncap it, and you will release the winds from the four corners of the earth to speed you on your way. When the time comes, only unscrew the lid a tiny bit. The winds are always restless- a bit like me, really. Should all four escape at once… ah, but I'm sure you'll be careful. And now for my second gift. George?"
"She's touching me," George complained as Martha continued to chase after him.
Hermes looked as if this was not the first time he had heard this sort of thing. "She's always touching you. You're intertwined after all. And if you don't stop that, you'll get knotted again."
The snakes immediately stopped their slithering. George unhinged his jaw to cough up a little plastic bottle filled with chewable vitamins.
Harry tilted his head at the container in the god's hands. "Vitamins?"
"Yes. The lemon flavored ones are Minotaur-shaped, the grape ones are Furies- or are they Hydras? Anyway, these are potent. Don't take one unless you really, really, really need it."
"How will I know that?"
"You'll know, believe me," Hermes snorted. "Nine essential vitamins, minerals, amino acids… basically everything you need to feel like yourself again."
The god tossed Harry the bottle, who barely caught it. Shaking the bottle to hear the vitamins bounce off one another Harry said, "Thank you, Hermes. But why the gifts?"
With a rueful, wistful smile the god told Harry, "Perhaps it's because I hope that you can save many people on this quest, Harry. Not just the campers and Grover."
"Luke?" realized Harry in bewilderment. The god's silence was answer enough. Biting his lower lip, Harry informed him, "He doesn't want saving, Hermes. He betrayed everyone and tried to destroy Western Civilization. I think he hates everyone here and on Mount Olympus."
He showed Hermes the asterisk-shaped faded white scar on his arm. "He tried to kill me multiple times last summer, and by extension the whole of Western Civilization."
Hermes turned his gaze back onto the stars. "Hero, if there's one thing I've learned over the eons, it's that you can't give up on your family, no matter how tempting they make it. It doesn't matter if they hate you, or embarrass you, or simply don't appreciate your genius for inventing the Internet-"
"Wait, what's that again? A computer thing, right?" Harry's brief encounter with futuristic (to him) technology at Yancy Academy had faded after a year at the nearly technology-less Camp Half-Blood.
"That was my idea," grumbled Martha. George repeated, "Rats are delicious!"
Muffin purred her agreement with George's statement. Harry glanced over at the sleeping Sadie, who looked like she would be waking up soon.
"It was MY idea," Hermes retorted to the caduceus. "I mean the Internet, not the rats. But that's not the point. The point is about family, do you understand?"
"I don't have much experience with family," Harry admitted.
"I'm sure you will someday, and then you'll understand," Hermes told him. Getting up, he brushed the sand off the lower half of his body. "In the meantime I must be going."
"You have one thousand thirty-eight e-mails to return," George spoke up. "Not counting the offers for online discount ambrosia."
"Plus sixty calls," added Martha.
"And you, Harry, have a shorter deadline than you realize to complete your quest. Your friends should be coming right about… now."
Sure enough, in the distance Harry could hear Clarisse and Annabeth's voices. And Sadie emitted a yawn as she began to wake up. Muffin licked her paw calmly.
With a snap of his fingers, Hermes caused four waterproof yellow duffel bags to materialize. He said, "These will make your voyage a little easier, I hope. And if you ask nicely, I'm sure my uncle with the barnacle beard should be able to help you reach the ship."
"What ship?" went Harry, at a loss.
Hermes pointed out at Long Island Sound. Looking, Harry saw a big cruise ship sailing by, its white and gold lights reflecting against the dark waves. Harry bowed his head a little. "Thank you, Lord Hermes."
"Good night, hero, and dare I say it? May the gods go with you."
The god opened his hand, the caduceus flying into it.
"Good luck," Martha told Harry. But George had the final word with: "Bring me back a rat."
Then the caduceus shrank back into a cell phone, Hermes slipping it into his pocket. The god jogged off down the beach, quickly disappearing in a shimmer of light. Harry squished his backpack and Hermes' other gifts into one of the duffel bags, his heart pounding in excitement. It was time to go questing.
