Chapter 12: Varius- The Sea Creature
Sunday March 16
Varius had no idea what to even look for and had absolutely no intentions of admitting it.
"Why'd you drag me out here anyway?" Varius muffled through another yawn.
Frank scanned what looked like an empty harbor as the fog edged in. "Minor mission really but I wanted to be here in case it gets messy."
Varius walked faster until his stride matched Frank's. "Messy?"
"Don't sound too excited. But if anything happens we'll see if that fancy sword play does you any good in the real world."
"Those swords are damn real in the arena."
"Sure, but the person holding them isn't trying to kill you."
"You'd be surprised. So what are we going to do?" Varius sighed.
"Just help a group with supplies and touch bases with Jason."
Varius groaned in disapproval.
Frank let out a small laugh. "Hey, you'll get to meet some Greeks out of it."
"I heard Percy was around here with someone else."
"Uh huh, Percy was on a mission with the group to stop whoever's been skinning centaurs and attacking young demigods. He got separated from the crew when they got attacked by Laelaps, some ancient dog that always catches its prey. Apparently he's huge and nearly tore apart the Argo. They were able to shake him by splitting up but the dog is still out there. The other one with him … she is the one they've been arguing about, Arete. I didn't want her name getting out but she was on a relief team sent after them."
Varius turned toward him trying to judge his face. "Is she dangerous?"
Frank scratched his face uncomfortably. "You're really obsessed aren't you? No, not exactly she's just got a full plate and doesn't need a bunch of Romans on her case. Varius, go patrol the area while I set up the supplies."
He grunted in response and dug his hands in his pockets of his jacket to escape the wet chill settling around him. He wanted to know more but he learned the hard way that once Frank wanted to keep a secret there was no way of getting it out of him. Pulling the brother card only worked so much.
He walked along the wooden harbor scanning the area lazily letting his mind wander. He would have much rather been training or trying to flirt with some cute girls. Pestering Reyna and making passes at her seemed like a good idea for when he got back.
He made his way to the docks where the boats rocked steadily. He stopped and looked back as one hit the nearby post it was tied to. He shrugged lazily and kept walking.
He paused at an old phone booth that caught his eyes, with so many people having cell phones most had been taken apart. He peeked over to where Frank would be realizing he had walking too far out unable to exactly pin point him through the grey mist that hung in the air. He gingerly picked up the phone his hands hovering over the dial pad itching to press the numbers that would call his father. He held his breath before slamming the phone back on its cradle as he grinded his teeth.
Suddenly the floor shook under him as the snaps of wood splintering sounded some where in the distance. The boats rocked and bumped louder. The water turned under the dock splashing. He racked his brain wondering when high tide started.
He started jogging back hoping that Frank wouldn't notice how far he'd gone out. He stopped mid-step as something under the dock smashed against the wood causing the wood to buckle upward under the pressure.
He took a step back trying to keep his movements as silent as possible as he drew his sword. The boats lifted higher as the water started to flood the dock but then just as quickly began to recede rapidly taking the most of the fog with it. Varius blinked dumfounded as this strange phenomena as he watched the boats drop down making ropes snap as they landed on the soft sand underneath.
He looked out to the haze and saw the water buckled and turned upward as glistening metal shot out from the water and smashed onto the sand clawing into the ground. Varius turned and ran as a loud roar of crashing waves rumbled forward.
He huffed as he reached the shore and peered back uncertainly. It looked as if something was keeping the water from forming into a tsunami farcing the water away from the shore. A loud clash and the sound of a horse neighing caught his attention. Further down the dock bursting through the mist was a girl on a flying horse fighting off a metal tentacle. Under her a boy shot out of the water and used the rushing water as a platform to strike the metal beast. A gush of black oil sprung out as one of the tentacles splashed into the water. More shot out knocking the flying horse on its side.
Varius started running as the girl fell off the horse. His eyes kept steady on her as she fell into the water where the tentacles all seemed to be coming from. Varius could hear her partner calling out to her in desperation. He had called her Arete.
Varius dove into the water without a second thought feeling the sharp needle like pricks strike his body in the cold waters encased his body. Once under he could see that there was a whole lot more going on. A monstrous metal octopus thrashed as blue and green merpeople fought to keep it from climbing ashore. Through the battle ground he saw a girl with flowing black hair fall steadily down ward in the middle of the chaos. The glowing eyed, shark teeth merpeople dashed forward to her aid but they were met with resistance.
Varius swam forward. As each merperson fought their own coiling tentacle he saw an opening and took it. He thanked Neptune that they caught on to what he was doing as they quickly blocked an attack as he grabbed her arm. He ignored the shutters that racked his body reminding him that unlike the merpeople, he did need air. He kicked wildly as she stirred in his arms regaining consciousness.
He kept his eyes up but he could feel her kicking as they swam upward. He took a large gulp of air as they broke the surface. The first thing he saw was two bright pale green eyes. She coughed as they treaded water. He hauled her to shore just as Frank dove into the water turning into an insanely huge shark half way down. Varius coughed out the water that landed in is mouth when his jaw dropped. He had heard that Frank could mutate is body into any animal but he had never actually seen it in action.
The black Pegasus dove down toward them and kicked at a stray tentacle that was hurling towards them knocking it off course. It landed with a huge thump tossing sand everywhere. Varius let go of the girl and sprang into action. He stabbed at already damaged limb aiming at some exposed wires.
It creaked and groaned spilling out hydraulic fluid as the wires sparked. The limb thrashed and laid dead on the beach. Another sprang out of the water lifting high into the air and started hurling downward. An arrow shot past him hitting the middle of the exposed gashes. The limb twitched as he leaped out of the way as it came crashing down creaking and groaning.
Out in the water the limb reared up twitching spraying hydraulic fluid and oil. The water rippled with black slick oil. It reached the sand and clung on to it. The more advantage they all gained the worse the damage around them grew.
Varius leapt onto the Pegasus as it tried to buck him off. "Arete, use your arrows to hit the exposed wires. Come on horse we'll get the ones over the water." Varius kicked the horse's side with his heels when it didn't fly up. "Do you want to help or not. You're not exactly my first choice either."
Varius flew into the sky with a very reluctant pegasus, who he was sure was trying to knock him off mid-air, charging at the tentacles that broke through the water. Arrows streamed by and he could see the water turn and foam up where he knew the merpeople were fighting the beast along with Percy and Frank.
Another limb broke through the water with shark-Frank holding on. He let go landing back in the water with a loud splash. Varius urged the horse forward and slashed with his sword at the gaping wound Frank had left. Slowly, the chaos died down. Until the last bit of the metal octopus gave one last shutter and the last of the tentacles crashed into the water.
Blackjack landed next to Arete rearing high into the air throwing himself backwards forcing Varius to fall off. Varius rolled in the sand nearly stabbing himself with the sword he was holding to avoid being crushed to death the damn horse. He refused to allow Octavian to have such a wonderful opportunity in giving such an interesting eulogy centering on his unfortunate death.
"You ungrateful shit!" Varius kicked sand at Blackjack as he galloped away down the stretch of beach where Percy and Frank were.
"Are you okay?"
Varius looked back and once again saw two sea green eyes. He couldn't help but notice that the color had specks of blue as it reached the pupil. It reminded him of sea near shallow shores. He stood staring at her not saying a word. Her worried face changed to annoyance.
"I'm alright." Varius croaked.
Arete nodded and ran out toward Percy and Frank. Varius scowled as he watched her run towards them. Of course he didn't get a thank you, which was typical. A few merpeople were talking to Percy but leapt back into the water before Arete could reach them.
He tore off his wet jacket, now slick with oil, and slammed it into the sand. He looked at it disdainfully and made a mental note to buy another one. He walked toward them annoyed and feeling left out. When he reached them, the one he guess is the legendary Percy Jackson himself, was apologizing to Arete. He watched as she looked out to the ocean longingly. The merpeople were dragging the octopus away as sirens screamed around them.
Frank and Percy led them away hiding behind nosy people and avoiding the cops. They made it back to a black SUV with only a few wary glances and pointed fingers. This 'Mist' thing didn't seem to work as well as it probably should.
Frank started the engine before closing the door. "I don't think I can get you guys out to the boat until later. They defiantly saw that thing."
Percy and Arete were still breathing hard as they crawled into the back. As they had made their way through they heard the crowd muttering about a sea monster but they didn't hear anything about kids fight it or a flying demented horse trying to kill some idiot kid so Varius thought they were still good.
"Alright. Once things settle down we'll make another go for it." Percy said as his eyes drooped and relaxed into the seat.
Varius looked through the rearview mirror. "Am I the only one wondering what the hell just happened and not about some damn boat?"
Varius could see Percy's eyebrows raise and Arete give a sideways glance at Percy.
"Percy this is my half -brother Varius. And I'm guessing you're Arete?" Frank interrupted.
She simply nodded as she turned to look back at the harbor as the fog began to lift. Varius narrowed his eyes as through the rearview mirror as Percy reach out to Arete's shoulder.
"After the quest we'll find them again, I promise. We just have to regroup first." Percy reassured Arete.
She only nodded again staying quiet. Varius grew annoyed.
"What happened to everyone else? Have you heard from them?" Frank asked with worry evident in his voice.
Percy rubbed his face as if trying to wipe away the memories. "Annabeth and I got separated from the Argo and everyone else just a few hours out. Someone defiantly sent that dog out for us. By the time we reached Lake Tahoe I got separated from Annabeth when it decided to come after us. The Laelaps doesn't seem to have one target, it's seems happy enough to try to snatch up any of us. We were able to regroup with Jason but that damn dog found us again. He lured it away and told us he'll catch up with us out at sea where hopefully it won't doggy paddle all the way to Hawaii."
"You're lousy at story telling, I thought Greeks were good at that." Varius slumped in his seat.
"Varius … shut up will ya?" Frank snorted as he shot him a warning look. "Don't mind him he just hates not knowing every tiny little detail."
The drive back to New Rome was silent as Percy and Arete fell asleep in the back. Varius kept glancing back to look at Arete wondering what made her special and if she really had escaped from the Underworld. Would that make her a zombie? If so he was totally unprepared, the Walking Dead defiantly didn't cover something like this.
As they arrived back at New Rome everything remained painfully uneventful. Percy and Arete were given rooms to rest and Varius was ordered back to work. He went about his day until he was called into the praetor's tent. Reyna sat on her chair staring coldly at him as she usually did just daring him to try something out of line again.
"Frank told me about what you did at the beach." Reyna said calmly with an air of boredom.
He did his best to keep his poker face and said nothing. He wasn't sure if this was about not keeping proper patrol or fighting the metal octopus. No need to incriminate oneself.
"Frank recommended that your act of valor be considered for promotion to full legionnaire. However, being that the person you rescued was Greek and not Roman Octavian believes that it shouldn't qualify."
Varius momentary grin faltered. Not wanting to hurt his chances he kept silent. She looked down stroking her two metal dogs. She had taken a liking to indirectly threatening Varius with them as if daring him to twist the truth, again.
"However, you did step in without hesitating to stop that monster. That is something that even Octavian had trouble disregarding. So as of now I promote you too full legionnaire. Leave before I change my mind." Reyna waved her hand at Varius as if trying to swat him away like a fly.
He raised his eyebrows as a wide grin spread across his face "So I'll pick you up at 7? You know, to celebrate?"
Her glare hardened as she clenched her hand as if wonder how his neck would feel between her fingers as she strangled him. Her two metallic dogs gave off a low humming growl in response.
Varius' face lit up keeping his wide plastered grin as he saluted and ran off before she could change her mind about not killing him. He felt light on his feet as he walked through New Rome.
