Chapter 7: Pine NOT Fine
Madison's POV
I had a dreamless sleep. It was the best sleep I had in a long time. I was woken up by someone shaking me.
"Five more minutes," I grumbled. I heard someone laugh.
"You better get up or I'll dump Ice water all over you Hothead!"
"I'm UP, I'm UP!" I shot out of bed and Percy was laughing. "Wow Seaweed Brain, two nicknames now. That almost beats out my 3,000 that I have for you." I said with a smirk.
"Oh, shut it. You're even harder to get up than I am."
"I was never a morning person. I was always trained early in the mornings. I guess I'm still exhausted from yesterday with everyone hammering me with questions, but today I feel refreshed and we can start your training today."
He groaned. "Oh, by the way, you better hurry and get ready. Breakfast is in ten minutes."
I groaned and staggered to get ready. I walked outside the cabin. Percy was there leaning against one of the pillars with his arms crossed.
"What are you doing?"
"Waiting for you, so we can go to breakfast."
I rolled my eyes. "Well then let's go Seaweed Brain."
"Right behind you, Hothead."
"What happened to Firefly?"
"It just didn't have the same ring to it."
I rolled my eyes and we walked into the mess hall. Everyone was still curios about me, but they stopped asking questions. They haven't got past the staring at me part. I just held my head high and kept walking. Percy gave everybody death glares that kept looking. They looked away until we sat down then it was back to the staring.
Then someone came running in yelling 'My Lady'. I turned to see Carol, the top Naiad of the sea.
"What is it Carol?" I asked bolting up out of my seat.
She motioned for me to follow her. We both ran out of the mess hall.
"Something is terribly wrong," Carol started to say, slightly out of breath.
"Lord Poseidon told me to come tell you that the ocean is in a panic."
"How so?"
"Oceanus is rising. Alone with the Crooked One, I'm sure you know who that is. Most of the campers are still oblivious as to the war that is to come, but they are aware of the prophecy that involves Percy and the fate of Olympus."
"I see, so I should come back?"
"Oh, no, we need you here, but if you find out anything further more into this matter, you need to notify us immediately."
"Is that all you came to tell me?"
"No, also there will be an emergency council meeting in half an hour and you are needed there to discuss this matter further."
"Thank you Carol. If that is all Carol, then you may go back and inform Poseidon that I will be there."
"Of course, My Lady."
I sighed and sat down on the ground and curled my arms around my legs.
"You okay?" Someone asked.
Percy came out of the shadows.
"Ya, I'm fine. It's just… there is a lot of pressure with the Titans stirring. It is becoming more and more chaotic."
He sat down next to me and pulled me into a hug. "You'll work everything out. I know you will."
I smiled at him. Then I frowned. "What's wrong?" He asked.
I sensed something was off.
"Something's wrong."
"What?" He asked looking confused.
"I don't know, but I can feel it in the pit of my stomach that something is off."
I got up and made my way back towards the cabins. Then, an Aphrodite girl screamed. She was surrounded by 7 Dracaenae. I pulled my necklace off my neck and it turned into a full length sword. 'Diarroí enégeias' (Power Drain). Whoever I touch with its tip, it drains power from inside anything and I can use it as my own. It was forged by the same Cyclops' that created the Big Three's weapons. Poseidon and Hestia thought I deserved a symbol of power as well. The blade was a midnight purple color from the power I drained from a daughter of Hecate that hates the gods. I pressed the hinge of my sword and it turned into two daggers. I'm going to need more of my sword to take 7 Dracaenae.
More campers came and were pulling out their weapons. Percy came up behind me and saw everyone.
"STOP!" Everyone turned to him. He gestured at me.
I spoke up. "There mine." I growled.
I charged and Chiron told everyone to fall back and that I can handle it. I realized the Aphrodite girl was Silena, the head counselor and she was being held by one of the Dracaenae while I fought off six to get to her.
I began striking and moving swiftly through the Dracaenae. I slashed up about three of them in less than two minutes. The others looked stunned, but then they growled with anger and charged again. I stabbed to my left and right with force, and then I used my strength and agility. I grabbed on Dracaenae by the neck and snapped her head off. Her body turned to dust and I smashed her head in-between my hands getting dust all over me, but I didn't care. I was in the zone and focused on the last two Dracaenae.
One was still holding Silena, but now by the hair. She was crying hard and struggling to break free. I saw Charles Beckendorf stiffen out of the corner of my eye and his brother Jake Mason was holding him back. I decided to put up my sword so I shrunk it down and put it against my chest and it formed back to a necklace.
I decided to use my one-on-one combat skills. The Dracaenae hissed with amusement.
"You believe you can deffffeat me wittttthh out your weaponssssss. You may have been lucky with my sisssstersss, but you will not deffffeat me."
"We'll see about that. You know NOTHING about ME!"
I charged and did a flip kick in the air and double punch her. I did a spin kick and tripped her then I picked her up and threw her towards the archery range and a straw arrow was lying around. I decided to manipulate the water in the air to hold the arrow straight up in the air right where the Dracaenae landed. The arrow pierced her and she turned to dust.
I turned the last remaining Dracaenae. She had Silena still in her grasp. She threw her towards the big house and she landed with a thud on the stairs. Beckendorf and a few from the Apollo cabin ran to where she landed. She was unconscious and they were tending to her wounds.
I decided to use my powers for this one. I taught myself this technique I'm about to use. I figured it out from science class when I use to go to school. There is water in everything, including the air, plants, and… blood. I concentrated on the blood of monsters that runs through the Dracaenae veins. Monster blood is really hard to control and it requires a LOT of concentration. I focused all my energy and lifted the Dracaenae off the ground.
Everyone gasped and the Dracaenae looked confused. I began to compact her veins. She began to squirm and hiss with pain. I compacted it even more and she busted into yellow dust. I fell to my knees exhausted.
I felt a hand on my shoulder and looked up to see Percy smiling at me. I returned the smile and took his hand while he helped me up.
I knew something was wrong and I was right. The borders were fading, but why? I took off towards Half-Blood Hill and Thalia's Pine. When I came to the tree I placed a hand on it and searched the water inside the tree.
I gasped. "I KNEW IT!"
"Knew what?"
I turned to see a confused camp looking at me. Percy stepped forward. "What's going on?"
I sighed. "The borders are fading and someone poisoned Thalia's Pine."
Murmuring went about everyone. "ALSO," Everyone hushed. "There has been an emergency council meeting going on for the past 20 minutes that I have missed. As you can see, Chiron is not here. He has been blamed for poisoning the tree. I know we all know that Chiron would never do that, but until the real culprit is found, Tantalus will be replacing Chiron for now. Now, I must head to the meeting. I am already late enough."
I walked back down to the hearth and jumped in. I came out of the hearth on Olympus to find 12 angry gods shouting at each other.
Percy's POV
I can't believe Tantalus is letting Clarisse go on this quest. My friend Grover is missing and I need to go and save him! Tantalus is such a jerk! I miss Chiron. If Madison were here, he would be burned alive! That council meeting has been going on for a while now.
I decided I'm going to sneak off. I packed my stuff and quickly headed for the beach. I felt like I was being followed. I turned around and faced Annabeth.
"What are you doing here?" I whisper-yelled.
"Same as you. I knew you were going to sneak off to help Grover so I decided to tag along. Now let's hurry before the Harpies get here."
I quickly called two Hippocampi for us to set off on towards the Sea of Monsters to get the Golden Fleece.
They took us pretty far out before we spotted a cruise ship. I looked at Annabeth and she apparently had the same idea. We jumped aboard and I thanked the Hippocampi. We found an empty cabin and decided to rest for the night. We woke up to banging outside. Annabeth and I crept outside and peeked around the corner. There were two older looking Cyclopes picking on a smaller looking one. We readied our weapons and snuck up behind the two eldest. Mine put up a decent fight, but Annabeth had no problem. She had her invisibility cap so it didn't see her coming. The smaller Cyclops was cowering in the corner. We both held our weapons to it.
"P… Please don't hurt me." It coward.
I looked at Annabeth and her eyebrow was raised with curiosity.
"And why shouldn't we?" I asked.
"I don't want to hurt people and be mean like they tried to make me!" I could see the sadness in his eye.
I lowered riptide.
"Are you CRAZY?" Annabeth asked.
"Ya, maybe, but he looks harmless and he could be helpful." I turned to the Cyclops. "What is your name?"
"Tyson."
Right then, a green trident was floating above his head. Mine and Annabeth eyes widened.
"Uh… Well… Tyson, you're a Cyclops son of Poseidon and my um… half-brother I guess."
I was still shocked.
We needed to continue on to the Sea of Monsters so we made our way to the top deck and found a small motor boat hooked to the side of the boat. It would fit all of us in it easily. All the way up here, I had to convince Annabeth to let Tyson come along.
Flashback
"Not all monsters are bad," I said. "Plus, he is my half-brother. I kind of like the Big Guy."
"Percy, I just don't trust Cyclopes and I'm not going to just start trusting him now."
"Fine, you don't have to, but he can still come and you can keep an eye on him to make sure nothing happens."
End of Flashback
We made it to the motor boat unseen. This boat is apparently full of monsters and is working for the Titans. A few monsters thought they smelt something, but Tyson pretended to be on their side and convinced them that he took care of the pest and that the other thing they were smelling was the other demigods working for them.
We got on the motor boat and I looked back at the 'Princess Andromeda'. We headed out towards the Sea of Monsters. It was weird that Both Tyson and I knew where we were exactly, but I guess it is a part of being sons of Poseidon. We sailed for hours and I had a dream that I hope I never have again.
Luke was standing above a deep pit.
"My Lord, this girl that has befriended Jackson seems to be very powerful and is holding back a big secret."
This deep dark voice that I assume is Kronos spoke. "I see, everything you have told me seems so familiar. It reminds me of something from when the time I ruled this world and I will do it again. Keep an eye on her. I want to know exactly what she is and how she can help us in this war. Convince her to join us, if she refuses, then find another way for her to help us."
"Yes My Lord."
"Also, get your senses straight. It seems we have an eavesdropper." Luke turned and looked directly at me.
"Jackson," He spat out, then slashed a sword through me.
I woke with a start. I was panting and breathing hard.
"Percy, wake up QUICK!" Annabeth yelled.
I looked up and saw a huge ship with… SKELETONS on it!
That is when I heard someone yell 'Prissy'. I knew who it was.
We were hoisted aboard. Looks like Clarisse has extra company on this quest of hers.
