Chapter 11: Finding Medusa's Lair (Percy's POV)

I forced my eyes open. The sun was blinding. I covered my eyes with my left arm. My chest ached. I lifted my other hand and felt around my chest. I didn't feel my armor but I didn't feel a hole from Paul's blade there anymore.

As I tried to sit up, a hand pushed me back down, "Lay still. You're still healing."

I looked to my right to find Clarisse sitting by my side, looking very unhappy with the situation. I wondered if she had a permanent frown on her face all the time. "Why do you care? You don't seem to give a shit if I live or die in battle, so why care now?" I asked.

"If you die, I die too-along with all of humanity. So it's not you I care about. It's what you'll do. After that, I might decide to kill you myself," Clarisse told me.

"You're so nice to me," I scoffed.

Clarisse looked like she wanted to kill me but turned her head so she didn't have to look at me. I heard feet crunching the sand around me. "Percy, good, you're awake," Luke's voice said.

I turned my head. Luke was dressed in his battle armor and had his hand on his sword. "Poseidon said we need to find Medusa's lair," I told him.

"Well, we're not going anywhere right now. You're still weak even if that wound has healed. We'll talk about it later. Besides, it's almost nightfall," Luke said.

I grabbed Luke's ankle. "No. We have to find out where Medusa's lair is now."

"Percy, just-"

"Luke, why can't you go one day without telling me what the hell to do? We need to know now!"

Luke's face twisted and he pulled his foot back from me. He crouched down in front of me. "Listen to me now, son of Poseidon, just because you're special doesn't mean I'm going to take orders from a fisherman! You've been asleep for days. And now, tomorrow will be humanity's final day of freedom. Hades will unleash the Kraken and everyone will die."

I felt anger wash over me. "What? You let me sleep all this time-without even-dammit! Luke, you planned this didn't you? Didn't you? You wanted until just the right moment for us to wait it out until it was too late. Why would you do this? Answer me!"

"Because what respect did humanity ever give me-us-our kind? None! Pollux is a demigod himself and yet, if he finds a demigod they are torn limb from limb! Does that seem right to you, Percy? Because it sure as hell doesn't to me," Luke said.

"When the Kracken is unleashed it won't care about the demigods, Luke! It will just destroy anything in it's path! It doesn't feel like we do!" I yelled.

Luke raised his fist. As it came toward my face, a hand reached out and caught Luke's wrist. "Stop it, Luke, or I'll break your wrist myself," Thalia threatened.

I knew Thalia wasn't messing around. Anyone could see that in her eyes. Luke seemed shocked and completely taken back by what Thalia had just said. "Thalia..." Luke began.

"Just shut up for once, Luke. When I married you I knew you had a lot of hate in your heart for the gods and humanity, but I never thought you would...damn them," Thalia said bitterly.

I sat up despite Clarisse and Thalia's protests. "I don't have time to rest. Summon the others. We need to figure out where Medusa's lair is."

The sun set below the horizon. The sky darkened. Beckendorf and Clarisse had gone to the forest and brought some fire wood. It took them minutes to make a successful fire.

Annabeth sat down next to me. "How are you feeling?"

I took a deep breath. "Not great. But, hey, at least I'm alive."

She nodded and watched the fire. Everyone one sat crossed legged around the fire. Luke was leaning against a rock, glaring at me. Thalia sat next to Annabeth. She hissed something and nodded toward Luke. Annabeth just nodded in return and moved her attention back to the fire.

"Okay, so, Percy, what's up?" Nico said.

"While I was asleep, my father, Poseidon spoke to me. He showed what the world will become if this quest fails. If the Kraken lives, the gods, along with humanity, will failed. Hades will be the ruler of the world. We would have no chance," I told them.

"Alright, then how are we supposed to defeat the Kraken? We're not exactly gaints," Chris asked.

"Poseidon said the only way to kill the Kraken was Medusa," I said.

"Medusa? I can tell you now Medusa isn't going to help humanity or the gods for that matter," Clarisse noted.

"Then we take her head. We'll find her lair, go in, and cut her head off. Then we could use it to show the Kraken, it would turn to stone and humanity would be saved," I said.

Luke chuckled bitterly. "And what? You think Medusa is going to just let you cut her head off. I think not. She's going to put up a fight and all of us would die if we enter her lair."

"Fine, Luke. You can be a coward and I'll go in by myself if I half too," I growled.

"Hey, Perce, man, I'm with you." Beckendorf smiled.

"I-I'll go with you," Grover whispered.

"Me too!" Tyson said happily.

"I don't have anything else to live for." Nico shrugged. "And if my father is going to be an asshole, fine. I'm not going to fight with him."

I looked at Luke mockingly. He thought that I would be going in alone but I wouldn't. My friends were with me and he could stay outside and be a coward if he wanted. I didn't see any of the girls volunteer though. "Thalia, Annabeth, Clarisse...are you guys going to come?" I asked.

Annabeth kept her eyes down. Clarisse frowned and cross her arms and wouldn't look at me. Thalia spoke, "Women can't go into Medusa's lair. Only men."

"What? Why?" I asked.

"A curse prevents women from entering. It was Athena's one bit of solace to Medusa so that Medusa would never harm a woman. Only men are allowed in the temple. Though, no man has ever made it out," Annabeth explained.

I saw her glance at from the corner of her eye. "Percy, I'm sorry, but Connor and I aren't coming either," Travis said. "We're hunters not monster slayers."

I nodded. "That's okay, Travis."

"Does anyone know where Medusa's lair is anyway?" Thalia asked.

"The Underworld," Annabeth gulped.

"And how are we going to get there?" I asked Annabeth.

"I can take you there. There's a river and I have a coin that we can use to call a ride to Medusa's lair. Though, I've only got one coin. So I'm not sure how we're going to make it out," Annabeth said.

"We'll worry about it when we have Medusa's head," I said.

The next morning, we all said good-bye to Travis and Connor. We walked for hours to find this river Annabeth was talking about. We came to mountains and Annabeth let us deep into them. Then we followed a trail down. Annabeth was right. There was a river-like thing there.

Annabeth pulled out a gold coin. One side had nothing on it, the other side at Medusa on it. Annabeth filled the coin in the murky water. Soon, someone or something was coming down the river. A wooden boat floated toward us.

The thing rowing in the boat was a hellish creature. It didn't have any legs but it sat on a stump-like thing. The creature at one small on on the left side of it's face. The creature had long, skinny arms and rowed the boat very slowly. The thing almost reminded me of a tree. That's what it skin looked like anyway-treebark.

We boarded the boat. Everyone reamined warey of the strange creature taking us to Medusa's lair. Annabeth stood at the head of the boat and looked out over the water.

"Percy, there's like gold everywhere below deck," Beckendorf whispered in my ear. "I was just down there and no one else nos about it yet. I'd go take some stuff before everyone else figures it out."

"Beckendorf, you probably shouldn't have taken that stuff," I hissed.

He shrugged. "Just go look. It's really cool."

I sighed and walked over to the stairs. I followed them down. Beckendorf was right. Gold, rubies, jewels...they were every where. I wandered around and was about to pick something up, but something slammed into my back. Then someone's foot tripped me and I fell to the floor.

"Medusa has a tail and that's how she'll use it," Annabeth's voice warned.

I pushed myself up and turned around. Annabeth wasn't there. Footsteps were to my right. Was this some kind of game Annabeth was playing? Suddenly I was back on the floor. "Medusa has killed you twice now," Annabeth said.

I stood up. I could hear Annabeth's footsteps echoing in my ears. She was behind me. I whipped around. "You just looked into Medusa's eyes, you've been killed three times now," she said.

"When it's the real thing I'll be more careful," I promised.

Annabeth frowned. "You say that now. However, when you go in panick will over take you and you will make stupid mistakes. Mistakes that will probably end your life."

"You shouldn't be so concerned about me. It didn't good for you," I smiled.

"I'm not concerned about you, I'm concerned about the world," Annabeth lied.

I stepped closer to Annabeth. I took her hand. She didn't jerk back. "I'll come back, I'm a son of Poseidon after all," I said.

Our lips almost met but footsteps were coming down the stairs. Grover cleared his throat awkwardly. "We're nearing Medusa's lair," he blushed and ran back up.

Annabeth still let me hold her hand as we stood on the deck. We climbed off the boat. The area around us looked dead. Trees didn't have leaves and looked like if you touched them they fall apart. The ground was nothing but gravel.

We pushed through the dead trees until we came to a cave. I looked at all the people that would probably die in Medusa's lair.

"I know you're all scared, I am too. But if we don't finish this quest the world falls with us," I told them.

All the men coming with me unsheathed their swords. I saw Luke unsheathed Backbiter. I just starred at him. "What? I might as well be turned to stone then crushed by the Kraken," he said.

I smiled. I let go of Annabeth's hand. She looked pale. Annabeth wouldn't meet my eyes. I'd make it out for her. Before we entered the cave, I turned to my men and said, "And remember don't look this bitch in the eye."

With that said, we descended into darkness.

Author's note: Sorry I didn't update last weekend. I was really busy. And now I am sick because I was out in the cold for a Halloween party Saturday.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN EVERYBODY!

David El-I chose Paul because I really didn't like Gabe. Lets just say I could relate to Percy's situation with Gabe and his mom in The Lightning Thief.