Hello :)
I'm hoping to get a lot moving for the other characters soon. There's a lot going on besides Percy's hopes of being human.
Enjoy :)
Chapter 8
The sun seemed to reach further into the sea the next morning. The training arena at the palace was bathed in a light it hadn't seen in months.
Chiron took advantage of the calm waters. He ordered his students to wake up early to swim to a clearing away from the palace. They would spend the day training in nature and strengthening their skills, far from distractions and worries.
King Poseidon hovered at the side, discussing the day's agenda with the crab. Tyson, Ella, and Mellie floated by the exit, waiting to see the warriors off. Jason, Nico, and Frank had come into the open area after putting their armor on in the mermen's changing room. They started gathering supplies and weapons to ready for transport.
Thalia emerged from the mermaid's changing room and picked up her spear.
She looked around. "Where's Percy?"
"He's still 'changing'" Nico used his fingers to make quotes. "I don't know why it takes so long to put armor on."
"And Calypso? She came out early- I didn't see where she went."
Frank shrugged. "She said something like, 'I need to clear my head before we start training. I need to be at my top game.' Left to go to her thinking spot."
Thalia nodded before sending another skeptical look at the mermen's changing room entrance.
"Percy, bro," Jason called through the kelp curtain. "It's time to come out. You've been in there all morning!"
Percy swam out with a blissful smile on his face, humming to himself. He swam past a polished shield on his way to the exit, stopping briefly to check his reflection, straightening his armor and adjusting the sword on his hip.
"What is with him lately?" Mellie muttered to Tyson and Ella. The two shrugged.
The warriors exchanged worried glances.
Percy turned to leave and swam right into his father. "Oh!" He gave his father a pat on the shoulder. "Morning, Dad."
"Well- er, morning, Percy."
Percy continued his merry tune as he left the arena with a bag full of training equipment, swimming ahead of the group to the clearing.
"He has got it bad," Ella said as she watched the merman swim away.
"What?" The King grew confused. "What has he got?"
"Isn't it obvious, Daddy?" Tyson grinned at his disappearing brother. "Percy's in love."
Poseidon looked at the kelp curtain his eldest son had come through. "Percy? In love?"
The sun was bright. The sea was calm.
And Leo was aggravated.
It had been two weeks since his last idea had struck him, and the fact that he couldn't currently think of anything to create was driving him crazy. (Well, crazier than he normally was.) The shipwreck that happened two nights before wasn't helping.
There was always the Archimedes sphere that he liked to tinker with. He could test the new hammer his sister, Nyssa, had gotten him. Or he could go into the village and talk to the local blacksmiths.
But none of his options seemed exciting.
He wanted something different to work on. Something that would test his brain in new ways.
He let out an annoyed groan as he walked along the beach with Festus. The only thing he could fathom doing was sitting in his thinking spot- a large, flat rock that stuck out of the water a few yards offshore. It was where he'd come up with some of the greatest inventions he'd ever created: the enhanced spyglass, Festus, those clear things that you could put over your eyes to help you see better… he was still thinking of a name for those.
He'd gotten up early and followed the back pathways of the palace to a stretch of private beach. It was rare when he found others around to bother him- the others knew where his spot was, of course. (Between Reyna and Gleeson Hedge, he was lucky to bathe without being harassed about his whereabouts.) But mornings like this, with the sun on his face and the sea breeze wrapping around his body, there was no place he'd rather be. Even if it was a palace with overbearing security.
Festus gave a sudden bark and sprinted ahead of the boy. "There's no hurry, buddy," Leo said. "We got a few hours before we have to get back… and you can't rush perfec-" He looked ahead, out toward the sea, a noise cutting through his words, "-tion."
It was soft, melodic. It filled him with a warm sensation that made his heart throb. Like warm soup on a cold winter day.
Someone was singing. And it was definitely not a guy.
Leo jogged to catch up with Festus, his head turning in every direction to spot the source of the music. And after a few minutes, in which he probably looked like a confused zombie running around in circles, his eyes finally landed on a figure sitting on a rock. His thinking rock.
Annoyance flooded back into him. He had come all the way out here, back through the dirt roads and rough beaches, only to have someone else take his spot. Which he really needed to get his creative juices flowing.
Festus jumped into the water and splashed around, attempting to wade towards the boulder. "C'mon, Festus! Don't do that!" Leo scolded. "You'll get all rusty again." He stormed up to the edge of the surf, almost faltering as he notice the girl who had taken his place.
Her caramel hair was draped over one of her shoulders. From what he could see, she held a strange instrument in her hands- an altered version of the lyre, maybe. Leo tried very hard to ignore the fact that her back was practically bare, which was not standard dress code at the palace.
He balled his fists, anger still rising inside of him. "Hey, lady!" he yelled. She stopped and turned to look at him. "Get off my rock!"
The girl just rolled her eyes and continued messing with the instrument. Leo scoffed and waded into the water.
"Did you hear me?"
Nothing.
"Look, I don't know how you got all the way out here behind the castle, but this is my thinking spot, okay? Now, if you would kindly just leave, it would be much appreciated."
Still nothing.
"Okay, fine. Will you please get off my rock? I'm having a rough morning, and I…" This time Leo did falter.
The girl turned around. Her eyes were like almonds- curved and brown. Her milky skin seemed to glow in the sun. And the bottom part of her body, from the waist down, was a fishtail, with bright scarlet-colored scales. A giant fin protruded where her feet should have been. A pair of seashells of matching red covered her chest.
Leo's eyes widened as he tried to take in the fact that this girl was not human. His mouth hung open, and he found himself unable to close it. He looked at Festus, who merely looked back, giving a happy bark.
The mechanic's brain slowly started working again. "Uh… um… you…" he struggled to get the words out. "You're a mermaid."
"Well… yes." She may as well have said, You're the dumbest person on the planet. "And you're a human."
Leo tried to get his brain working faster. "I… yes I am. But…" he shook his head. Everything Annabeth had told him the day before came flooding back. He felt as if he'd received a slap in the face. "You're real," he breathed.
The girl smiled. She seemed to be about the same age as him, fifteen or so. Just, you know, a different species. "Does that surprise you?"
"Well, yeah, I guess… But, aren't you supposed to stay in the water?" As much as curiosity held him, a part of Leo hoped that bringing up the question would make the mermaid leave.
She only laughed. "I thought the description your kind gives us is 'being half human and half fish.' Is it not?"
"Uh…"
"So therefore, no, I don't have to stay in the water." She said it like she'd just won an argument. Arrogant and superior.
Leo's eye twitched. Who does this girl think she is, making me sound like an idiot? Leo fumed. "Okay. Then… why my rock?"
She set her instrument down and crossed her arms. "I do not see a name carved on it, claiming that it is yours."
Leo scoffed again. He moved closer to the rock, his emotions building. "You don't have to have your name on it! Look, you seem like a very… well, I don't know if nice is the word. But, if you could find any kindness in your weird little mermaid heart to leave me in peace and carry on with," he motioned toward the instrument, "whatever this is, then that would be lovely. And if you don't, well, let's just say that I know people. Big people. And-"
In a flash, the mermaid pulled something out from behind her and pressed it against his neck. It took him a second to realize that it was a dagger. "Is that a threat, human?" Her tone reminded him of Reyna- deadly serious.
He hesitated before answering. "... Maybe."
Her eyes narrowed. "Do you know what this is?" She gestured toward the blade with her eyes. Leo shook his head as much as room would allow. "This dagger is made of celestial bronze, mined from the depths of the ocean and forged by the heat of an undersea volcano. Only the royal army has access to such power, and you do not want to pick a fight with this soldier."
Leo was speechless. Celestial bronze…
It was rumored that the metal had magical properties. It was rare to find on land nowadays. So much of it had been dug out centuries ago that only the forges had access to it now. That's how he'd made Festus. (With the help of a few other metals, which caused his irritating rusting abilities.) If he could get more of that celestial bronze…
He held his hands up. "Okay, I'm sorry to have angered you, miss, um…"
"Calypso."
"Calypso. But I have come up with a peace offering. I let you do whatever you want here, keep this whole thing a secret, as long as you get me some more of that celestial bronze. I'm sure you have plenty of it down there, don't you?"
Calypso slowly lowered her dagger. She obviously didn't want word getting around that a mermaid was on palace grounds. "Is that another threat?"
Leo smiled. "Like I said. Peace offering."
She scowled. Reluctantly, she held her hand out. "Fine. You have yourself a deal, mister…"
"Valdez. Leo Valdez."
She lifted her head up, as if trying to look down on him. "You have a deal, Leo Valdez." He shook her hand. She quickly let go. "But do not think that I've forgiven you for disturbing my peace. This is my thinking spot, too, after all."
And just like that, she dove down into the waves and disappeared.
Yesss- the start of Caleo is so precious :D
You guys better get ready- Under the Sea is up next, and I think certain teenagers are ready to stretch their vocal cords.
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~Reader4ever1
