Hey, guys.

I'm just wondering if anyone's still reading this, coz I haven't gotten a review in a while. Has anyone giving up on reading my story? Do I take too long to update? Are my chapters to short? Coz I have an entire series planned with 5 stories and it's gonna be awesome, so I hope I still have readers to read them.

They're gonna be great, hang in there guys.

Disclaimer: *raises eyebrow*

...

Chapter Fourteen: Monique Calls in a Favour

Dinner on the Princess Andromeda was very calm and peaceful; one would think nothing bad would ever happen. The waters were sweet and tranquil, with the occasional ripple from dolphins that came to say 'hi'. The sun was setting on the horizon, sending a fiery glow over the quiet cruise ship.

Can you see what's wrong with that picture?

If you answered 'because it's us', then you'd be correct.

So there I was, chasing a lone pea around my plate with a food crusted fork, when the boat lurched to the side with a sickening CRUNCH! I was sent flying, and hit the wall just below a porthole. Pain shot up my back as I quickly stood up, keeping low so if the boat lurched again I wouldn't go flying (*ahem* again.) I heard Josh groan from somewhere to my left, and Alex's colourful language from the right, but I ran out of the dining hall as fast as I could and to get back on deck.

You may be wondering why I was so worried. Well, last time the Princess Andromeda lurched like that we fell into a whirlpool! So I was kinda worried.

I ran through halls, the sunset making the walls glow red and the carpet look like it was on fire. Said carpet muffled my heavy footfalls and of those of the others quickly following behind me.

I burst through the door and onto the flooded deck. The sky was fiery red and the water was a pristine blue. Nothing seemed to be wrong except that there was a layer of water on the bottom deck. The others joined me as I walked further out onto the ship.

Nothing.

WHAM!

The boat was smashed to the side and we were all sent flying. I landed in a clump of deck chairs. Blagh! I kicked the stupid chair off me and I rolled to my feet, ignoring the searing pain in my neck from colliding with a very comfortable rail.

I got up and drew Thalassa and saw the others doing the same. Josh was climbing out of a new hole in the planks, Monique was moving away from the rail where she hit and Alex was running out of one of the doors leading to the gods know where.

Nothing was happening, which worried me more than getting attacked. The other three came cautiously closer, not making a sound as if the slightest noise would set something off.

"Andy," Josh whispered. "What happened?"

I shrugged my shoulders, I had no idea what had just happened. Was it just a strange change in the wave patterns? Or something more sinister?

"Stay on your guard," Monique advised. "But don't get too jumpy. It's annoying."

Alex snorted as his spear compressed into a small cylinder, "I'm gonna check the top decks."

Monique nodded approvingly, "I'll come too. Andy, Josh, check the lower decks and engine rooms. Rendezvous back here and try not ripping doors of their hinges." Monique glared pointedly at Alex, who whistled innocently, lifting the mood.

Josh and I started down the stairs and out onto the lowest deck which was just below our shoulders in water. I dived straight in, but Josh hesitated before putting his bow on his shoulders and stepping in.

He caught my look and grimaced, "Water makes the wood expand."

"Ahh..." I smiled, and dived down into the water.

The wash that was used on the wood of the Princess Andromeda deck had saved the floorboards from getting soaked, but it hadn't saved the chairs and tables that had usually dotted the scape. I swatted a run-away chair leg out of my way and continued on, accidently shooting a current at Josh, so he got freaked out. I smirked when he jumped out of the water and onto a floating chair like a two-year old. I rose from the cool water and smirked at him, to which he pouted and slid back in.

...

Two and a half hours later, the entire boat had been searched thrice. Every inch of it had been investigated, I had even taken (was ordered by Monique) to search a 5 mile radius of water around the boat, and the four of us were exhausted. Personally, I didn't see what searching the boat did, but it kept the boys quiet so I wasn't complaining.

Now, after draining, like, a gazillion litres of sea water from the decks we were nearing the Catania port. We were sailing so close to Sicily that we could make out the individual people walking along the paths, and (in the boys' case) drool over the odd Italian sports car.

We were sitting in the way-to-white-to-be-a-normal-lounge-room lounge room, watching land come closer and closer. Now I couldn't ignore the butterflies in my stomach, it was pointless to tell myself that I wasn't nervous, because I sure as hades was.

Monique was meditating again. Admittedly, it did make her less stressed out, but it was really freaky sitting next to her while she was still as a rock. Alex and Josh were playing a very competitive game of 8-Ball, so I gave them no mind. I was fingering the rock Monique had haggled off the Spanish vendor in Tarifa. Why had I bought it? It was just a rock.

Well, a rock with cool carvings.

The outside edge (which was about an inch wide) had a laurel tree design on it, branches springing from a centre point on the other side. One side was decorated with an ornate snow-capped mountain, with little houses teetering on the edge; and on the other was the face of a man, but the rock was so old and worn out that I couldn't work out any special features. On the rim of both sides were square holes, all the same size and shape; save the disfigurement that time had implicated.

"Andy?" Monique asked, out of her meditation pose.

"We're here."

...

Braiseos turned to Triton, who had just appeared at the edge of Etna's summit, covered in dirt, sweat, blood and ash, among other things. He was holding his sword as if he'd just gotten out of a fight and his hair was tangled and his clothes dishevelled.

"They're here."

...

Riley knelt in front of the golden throne of Kronos, his head bowed in respect while he gave his report to his father, who sat upon the throne, a smug smile plastered across his face.

"They've arrived."

...

We docked in the Catantia Port, next to small fishing boats and private boats. The Princess Andromeda looked completely out of place, but if anyone noticed us, they didn't bring the matter up.

After a week at sea the others were understandably still a bit wobbly on solid ground, so progress was slow as they regained their land-legs.

I was a bit shocked with Catania. True, I never really did ponder what the Sicilian city would look like, but it was fairly modern compared to Tarifa and Hamilton. The streets were relatively clean and there were some small skyscrapers dotted along in the middle of the city. Older buildings were more common, though, like the University which was 15th century at the least. Mount Etna dominated the skyline, smoke billowing from the summit, Mist clinging to the entire mountain, and I don't mean natural mist, I mean the Mist of the magical kind.

"Monique?" I asked as we stood on the docks. "What was your 'grand plan'?"

Monique smiled and pulled out a map of Catania which we had gotten from an information stand. Her finger followed a street and she apparently found something on the map.

"Is there a pay phone around here?" she asked.

Josh pointed to a booth behind Monique, "Yeah, behind you. Why d'you need a phone booth?"

"To call someone."

"Who?"

"You'll see," she smirked evilly as she slid into the yellow phone booth and inserted the correct number of coins and started to dial a number.

We waited impatiently as Monique called whoever she was calling, tapping my foot in a rhythm against the gritty cement. She came out of the phone booth, a very un-Monique smile on her face as she hailed a taxi.

"Well?" she asked. "Come on then."

All three of us stayed still, looking uncertainly at Monique.

"She's way too happy."

"Uh huh."

"Let's go."

"Aw, Andy!"

SMACK, "Zip it, Air Head."

"Make me, Feather Brains."

"Okay," SMACK.

"I—didn't—mean—it!"

Monique and Josh turned around as they were about to get into the taxi, "Well?" Josh called. "Are you two coming or not?"

I smiled and called back: "Coming!"

We ran to the taxi and slid into the air conditioned car. Josh had taken the front, so I was squished in the middle between Monique and Alex. Only as I sat down did I realise how tired I really was, and how sore my ankle was, which was weird. I rested my head back on the soft seat and closed my eyes and before I knew it, the car stopped.

I opened my eyes and then immediately squinted them again against the harsh sunlight. As soon as I got used to the light Alex pulled me out of the car. We had stopped outside a villa.

A nice villa.

A very, very nice villa.

"Monique? What are we doing here?" Josh asked, as Monique led us up the pure white steps and to the French doors (which was kinda' weird 'coz we were in Italy.) She pressed the doorbell which gave off a high ringing. I heard footsteps coming to open the door as Monique stood expectantly, and us in impatient boredom.

A man opened the door. He looked like he was in his mid-forties, with salt'n'pepper hair and misty brown eyes. He would have looked smart in his dress jacket and trousers if they weren't dirty and the long rip on the hem of his pants. The red and yellow badge he wore on his breast pocket read Rbtoer Arsoennd, Seonir Vooisgncollot, Cianttaa Cllaoge. His face lit up when he saw Monique and I made the connection.

Monique smile matched the man's as she flew into his embrace, "Hey, Uncle Rob."

...

We were sitting in Mr Anderson's kitchen while sipping on the BEST homemade lemonade I had ever tasted.

Robert Anderson was leaning on the kitchen island, a smile still on his face. He was so happy it was frightening.

"So, what are you doing here in Sicily?" Alex asked, finishing his drink.

"I study here. I'm a Volcanologist and I keep track of Mederterainious Etnaphorus here. Mount Etna." he added, noting both Alex and Josh's confused faces at the scientific term.

"Uh, I'm probably gonna sound stupid asking this, but-" I asked, but Mr Anderson answered before I finished.

"A Volcanologist studies Volcanoes, Andy. Specifically the lava flows and the seismic activity."

"Uh-huh."

Mr Anderson laughed, "Yes, now. I want to know why you're here. Nique didn't explain it over the phone."

"Yes I did!"

Mr Anderson made a 'phone' with his fingers, "'Hi, U.R. I'm in Sicily with my friends. Do you mind if we come over? No? Okay then, see you!' I don't call that explaining."

Monique pouted, "Fine, Al-"

"I'm not explaining!"

"Okay, Jo-"

"No way!"

"An-"

"No."

"Please?"

"No."

"Pretty please?"

"No!"

"Pretty please with a cherry on top!"

"Fine then."

Monique smirked in triumph and Josh and Alex his snickers. Mr Anderson shook his head in a bemused way at his niece and her friend's antics. I scowled and started to explain.

Mr Anderson was a great audience.

He gasped and laughed and whispered in all the right places, finally ending with a worried sort of smile, shooting apologetic looks at me every so often. He offered us a place to stay, but surprisingly Monique rejected the offer.

"Sorry, Uncle Rob, but you and I both know how dangerous it could be. You wouldn't believe how many monsters we've had to dodge. I couldn't bear it if anything hurt you because of me."

Mr Anderson agreed, if rather grudgingly, to Monique's statement. He told us about a good camping spot close to the base of Etna, and he supplied us with heaps of gear that we could need, including hiking clothes/boots, extra food and water, ropes and lots more.

"Usually," he said. "You would need oxygen tanks for going up that high, but Alex should be able to keep enough oxygen in the atmosphere for you."

So we set out to the site. It was over two hours away, so I had plenty of time to question Monique.

"Why did you say that to your dad?" I asked. "We haven't seen a single monster in Sicily."

Monique lowered her head, "I-I...I don't want to be close to my family for long. I-It's too hard."

I gave Monique a sympathetic look, "Nique. Annabeth had a horrible relationship with her dad. Then he died 5 years ago. D'you know how bad my mum felt after that? She'd spent most of her life avoiding him, his wife and kids. Then Bobby and grand-dad were killed."

Monique seemed to evaporate into the taxi seat in shame, "Yeah, Andy, I know. You probably don't remember, but I was at the funeral."

And the subject was dropped.

When we got to the camp site, Monique and my moods were improved greatly by the fact that both Josh and Alex had never, ever been camping. Can you imagine those two trying to put up a tent?

It. Was. Hilarious.

While both Monique and I got both of our one-man tent set up in 2 minutes flat, the boys got tangled in the fly, and the poles were wrong, and the pegs kept coming out, and there was sand in the tent, and then they put the tent inside out so they had to do it all again, while us girls were sitting by a nice, cosy fire with hot mugs of Hot Chocolate as the temperature began to drop.

Two hours later (yes, it took them two hours) we were all sitting 'round the campfire.

"Y'know. If we were back at Camp, the bonfire would be over by now." Josh pointed out, roasting s'mores.

"Meh, we've gewt ouw owrn," I said through a mouthful of s'mores, receiving a hit on the shoulder via Monique. We all laughed.

Soon after we all migrated to be, I was the last one to leave the dying flames. But as I stood up to douse the fire, it burned brighter, a deep, fiery red; the flames flickering taller than me. Somewhere close by a twig snapped and I draw Thalassa in record time. But when the intruder entered the clearing I sheathed the sword.

Rhea was smiling at me (well, down at me seeing as she was, like, two heads taller than me,) her rusty hair knotted with twigs and leaves, like she'd been out of it for a while. Her dress was torn at the bottom, a big long tare by what looked like a spear.

"Lady Rhea," I nodded in respect as the Queen of the Titans came closer into the fire light, and Rhea looked twice as bad. "May I ask you something?"

Rhea nodded, already knowing what the question would be.

"What in hades happened to you?"

A sad sort of smile appeared on Rhea's lips as she sat down.

Okay then. Make yourself at home, I thought sarcastically as I joined the Titaness on the log in front of the fire. Rhea stared long and hard into the dancing flames, so silent and unmoving that I was worried about her; when she spoke.

"Well, Riley is not very happy with me. He is furious that I have been helping you and your friends. I told him that this war is not necessary-"

"Whoa! What?"

Rhea looked at me and sighed, "You will know soon enough. It is coming, very soon I am afraid. The capture of Perseus and Annabeth is just the start, and the start is one of the most, if not the most important part of a war. Athena, even Ares, will tell you that. And this beginning, I fear, Riley has crafted it very well. He had covered every hole that is possible to break, and every loose string has been straighter and stuck back in place with steel."

"What's this beginning gonna be like?"

"I have no idea, child. And that is what worries me. Now I must take my leave of you, before anyone finds me, and you need to sleep, my dear." Rhea stood up and started to glow. "Oh, and good luck, Andromeda. I fear you will need it."

And on that cheery note, the Mother of the Gods vanished in a blast of gold light, leaving me alone in the clearing, the fire slowly flickering out into embers.