The lead soldier examined them, making the same clicking sounds with his mouth. Without warning, he swung his sword in front of him and stopped it in the air, blocking the way down the docks. "Don't try to get away, girl," he said to the air. "I'd pay more attention to us." He twirled his sword in his hand fancifully, cocking his head as if he was listening to something. He advanced, constantly clicking with his tongue.

From behind him, the other soldier approached Percy, holding his sword more practically in front of him. His fins twitched as he wordlessly took stock of Percy, who had brought out Riptide at the first sign of hostilities. He apparently found Percy lacking, swiping his sword quickly at his chest. Percy blocked it with impressive speed, catching the fish man off guard. Percy himself was surprised, feeling a sudden burst of strength in his arms as he raised Riptide.

Pressing his advantage, Percy attacked the man, scoring a deep cut on his arm. A light red, watery substance flowed out of the wound, staining the man's uniform. Percy lunged forward again, cutting the man's midsection. He stepped back, clicking wildly in alarm.

Percy followed the man as he backed up towards the edge of the dock, eyes wide. Just as he reached the edge and it looked like he had nowhere to go, the soldier turned and jumped off of the dock, landing with a splash into the water below.

Percy ran over to the edge and looked down, but he couldn't see the man anywhere. A faint dark figure was swimming quickly away from him, wiggling under the water.

Percy turned around and saw that the head soldier was currently swinging his sword all over the place, slashing at seemingly empty air as he clicked incessantly. The other soldier, a man significantly larger and more impressive than the one Percy had fought, was walking menacingly towards Grover, who was frantically pulling out his pipes as he backed up. He was quickly approaching the end of the docks, about to unknowingly walk backwards into the water. Just as Percy started to go help him, Grover brought his pipes to his mouth and made the most high-pitched and painful sound Percy had ever heard. Percy held his hands over his ears instinctively, stopping in place. All around them, the sailors, dock workers, and passersby, who had seemed ignorant of their fight, cried out in pain and surprise, holding their ears as well.

The two fish people, however, seemed especially affected by Grover's noise. They shouted in pain, stumbling around drunkenly as they held their heads in agony. Their fins flapped wildly, and the large man appeared to be trying to tear his hair out. After a few seconds, the two of them collapsed onto the floor, unconscious. The same watery blood was leaking out of their ears.

Tentatively, Percy took his hands off of his ears, eyes wide. The people around them did the same, continuing about their day while grumbling about the loud noise.

"What did you do?" Percy asked.

Grover looked as surprised as he was. "I-" He cleared his throat. "The Atlanteans, they have really good hearing. So I thought a loud noise would…" He put a finger in his ear, opening and closing his mouth experimentally. "I may have gone a bit overboard, though."

Suddenly, Annabeth appeared in front of them, holding her hat. "That was…impressive."

Grover chuckled nervously. "I told you I'd handle the next one," he reminded Percy.

"And I will never doubt you again." Percy patted him on the shoulder. "So, what should we do with them?" He gestured to the unconscious men on the floor.

Annabeth kneeled over the leader, frowning. She examined him for a second before reaching back and slapping him on the face with a loud crack. He woke up instantly, gasping. Blood continued to leak from his ears as he looked around himself, confused. His confusion visibly increased when Annabeth held her dagger to his throat.

The man looked at her with unfocused eyes. "G'morning," he said loudly. He blinked quickly, seemingly coming to. He pulled his head back slightly in surprise. "Oh, that's how you look."

Annabeth's frown deepened. "Where is the sword?"

"Sorry? You're gonna have to speak up, love!" he yelled back. "Hearing's not what it used to be, I'm afraid!"

Annabeth pressed the dagger further into his skin. She spoke slowly and loudly. "How do we get on board the boat?"

"I don't know anything about a coat," he shouted. "Also, you lot can go to Tartarus: I don't deal with traitors." He grinned up at Annabeth, fins wriggling. "I'll save you a seat."

From the distance, they heard a loud clanging noise as a large bell was rung. As they looked, they saw that the ship that had been being loaded by the cyclops had finished its preparations and was now sailing out of port, its sails filled with wind.

The fish man let out a loud laugh. "You shouldn't have let Dave escape. So long, boys!" he called out to the ship. "I'll catch up later." He started to make a loud bubbling noise that almost resembled singing, until Annabeth shouted in frustration and slit his throat. He dissolved into seawater, trickling between the planks of the dock into the water below.

Annabeth stayed on the ground for a while, breathing heavily. "Damn!" she suddenly exploded, jumping to her feet. She stabbed the other unconscious man in her anger, killing him as well. She cursed for a solid two minutes, pacing back and forth along the dock. "What do we do?" she muttered to herself, thinking. "What do we do?"

"Annabeth," Percy said hesitantly. She ignored him, lost in thought. "Annabeth!"

She stopped, looking at him. "What?"

He sighed, shaking his head. "It's over. We lost."

Annabeth stared at him uncomprehendingly. "No, that's impossible. We just have to-"

"The sword's gone," he asserted. "It left on that ship."

She crossed her arms defiantly. "Then…" She frowned, thinking. "Then we follow it. We have to get to America, anyway."

"We don't know where it's going! How are we-"

"We can't just drop out of a quest: we have to see it through until the end." Annabeth glared at him, eyes narrowed. "Why are you ready to give up so quickly?"

Percy paused, mouth open to reply. He knew he was being unreasonable, but in truth he wanted to be done with this business with the sword as quickly as possible. He shook his head resignedly. "Fine. What's your plan to get us across the Atlantic?"

"That's what I'm trying to figure out." She sighed. "Don't you have anything from your father that could help us?"

"I don't…think so," he said unsurely. He didn't know if being the son of Poseidon granted him free transport across the ocean, or if all it did was attract people who want to murder him.

She nodded. "Of course. Then we'll have to take a regular ship. Let's ask around."

They wandered around the docks for a while, looking for any space on a ship heading for the Colonies. Most of the captains brushed them off without a word, grumbling to themselves through their pipes.

"I don't take passengers," one of the few people that would talk to them said gruffly. "It's a war zone, you know."

"We'll work for our passage," Percy offered. Having been offered a place on Navy ships many times, he knew that extra deckhands were often needed.

"We really have to get to America," Annabeth added. "Whatever you have is enough."

The man huffed, eyeing Annabeth meanly. "I don't take women on my ship. Bad luck, and all that. Also," He lowered his voice, leaning forward slightly. "We're gonna be out on the water for months, with nothing to occupy my crew. Even if I wanted, I can't guarantee your safety."

"I can handle myself," Annabeth responded tersely.

He laughed loudly. "Perhaps you can. I doubt it, but perhaps. Either way, you'll have to handle yourself somewhere else." He shook his head firmly. "Now get going, the lot of you. I don't have time for this." He turned his back to them and started barking at his crew, seeming to forget that they were even there.

After going through what felt like all of the ships in the harbor, they still could not find anyone that would take them. Eventually they ended up wandering aimlessly around the town dejectedly. Annabeth was specifically not looking at him, brows furrowed as she walked. He and Grover walked a few steps behind her, silent as the sun began to lower in the sky.

They were heading back to the docks at Annabeth's insistence when Percy noticed something strange. Despite the fact that there was no breeze, Annabeth's hair was flying around her face as if she was standing in the middle of a windstorm. She noticed this as well, stopping in the middle of the road.

From next to Annabeth, a pile of leaves, small twigs, and other debris was picked up by the wind and coalesced into a roughly human shape. She jumped away from it, understandably surprised.

The wind being looked at her silently for a while, as if thinking. Suddenly it bent into a deep bow towards her, staying in that position.

Annabeth, who was already holding her dagger defensively towards the creature, took another step back in confusion. "What do you want?" she asked hesitantly.

The being straightened, its body shifting and moving with the wind. It raised one particularly large branch and pointed it towards the docks, gesturing as if to say over there.

Percy gave Annabeth a concerned look, and she replied with one of her own. Grover, who looked startled but not confused, took a step towards the creature. "It's a wind spirit," he explained. "They're good, I think: we should do as it says."

The spirit's wind picked up happily, throwing leaves and small stones outside of itself. It began to drift towards the port, picking up new material as quickly as they flew out of it.

They followed the spirit, more out of curiosity than anything. It led them down the docks, past the rows of ships and crowds of people as they started to go home for the night. Unable to find more leaves or rocks on the wooden surface, the wind spirit picked up bits of rope, nails, and even some tendrils of water from puddles to keep its form. Finally, it stopped at a smaller ship docked separately from all of the others. The vessel appeared to be for transport rather than warfare, though it boasted a pair of cannons on each side of the deck for minimal protection. On the front was mounted an ornamental figurehead of a large painted owl cresting a frothing wave.

The wind spirit gestured to the ship presentingly, its two stick arms wide open. Satisfied that it had done its job, the spirit gave another low bow to Annabeth before disappearing, leaving a pile of trash on the floor.

Annabeth eyed the ship's figurehead warily, then cast her gaze to the gilded lettering beneath it. "The HMS Athena," she muttered. "Very creative, mother."

She turned to face Percy and Grover. "It looks like Athena has decided to help us." She sounded embarrassed that her mother had to step in to save them. "This ship will take us to America."

"Just us?" Percy said doubtfully. "How can we pilot an entire ship by ourselves?"

In response, the gangplank of the ship landed on the dock with a loud crash. Percy looked to see who had sent it, but couldn't see anyone.

"Well, we might as well see." He hesitantly stepped onto the plank and walked onto the deck of the ship. Around him, the ropes and sails of the ship appeared to be setting themselves, getting ready to sail.

Behind him, Grover and Annabeth walked onto the deck, examining the ship as well. Percy soon realized that the ship was not running itself, but that it was staffed by a crew of invisible sailors as they carried supplies back and forth. They stood in confusion for a while until a floating piece of parchment approached Annabeth, presented by one of the invisible men. Annabeth took the parchment and read it, frowning.

"'This is the last time I will help you,'" she read. "'You are going outside of my influence; from now on, you are on your own. As I said, don't…'" She trailed off, reading that part to herself. "'…And tell him to watch himself. Do not fail me again. Much love, Athena.'" She folded the paper, sighing. "You better watch yourself, Percy."

"I'm getting the feeling your mother doesn't like me," Percy said.

"Actually, I think she's warming up to you: she was nicer this time." She put the parchment away. "Well, it looks like this is ours for now. We should be able to make it to America in good time."

Percy wandered around as the ship was readied, examining the rooms underneath the deck and helping out with the preparations. The crew, while dutiful, didn't appear to be very skilled, and Percy discovered his knack for tying knots while fixing the rigging. He seemed to have a large amount of sailing knowledge that he didn't know he possessed, having the names of various parts of the ship already in his mind. The crew seemed to welcome his assistance, though he wasn't able to tell for sure. Despite the fact that they were invisible, Percy never walked into any of the crew accidentally, which he found strange.

Eventually he ended up near the large wooden steering wheel of the ship, looking over the water. In front of the wheel was one of the invisible men wearing a captain's hat, complete with a large gray feather sticking out of the side.

"Are you the captain?" Percy asked.

The hat turned to face him, then nodded quickly. The captain seemed to be taller than the rest of the crew, and Percy could just see the barest suggestion of a form underneath the hat as it held onto the wheel. The captain turned away from him, tilted as if he was listening to something. After some thought, he stepped back, jutting his hat towards the wheel.

"You want…me to hold the wheel?"

The hat nodded again, then turned towards the deck. All of the motion on the deck stopped, leaving a confused Grover near one of the cannons. From the balcony, the hat moved up and down, and Percy could see the motion of the captain if he squinted. The captain appeared to be giving a speech to the crew, though it remained silent on the ship. Percy grabbed the wheel as the captain did this, surprised at how difficult it was to turn.

After a few minutes, the captain pulled off his hat and waved it, and Percy heard the faintest sound of cheering as the ship suddenly lurched into motion, gliding away from the dock into the open ocean. Percy held onto the wheel as best he could, grimacing slightly at the weight of it. As soon as the ship entered the open water, Percy felt a sudden shock of surprise as he gained what felt like a new sense. He could tell that they were moving five knots northwest, though he had no idea how he knew this.

Percy successfully navigated them away from Devonport, his confidence steadily increasing. From below, Grover and Annabeth held onto the railings of the deck, looking out into the water as they moved. Soon they lost view of the land, and Percy relied on his intuitive sense of direction to keep them going.

After a while, Percy gave control of the ship back to captain, who had been patiently waiting behind him. He nodded respectfully to the floating hat and joined his friends on the deck.

There was a strong wind, and Percy had to put more thought into his steps to avoid being blown over. Lanterns had been lit around the ship, illuminating the area while swinging wildly on their hooks.

Percy found Annabeth near the bow of the ship, hands on the railing as she looked at the ocean in front of them. Her hair was flying around her face crazily, but she didn't seem to mind.

He sidled up next to her, holding onto the railing as well. She moved over to make space, still looking out.

"I'd forgotten how it felt to be on the water," she said over the wind.

"You've been on a ship before?"

"Once. I was young, though. Younger, at least."

Percy sighed, bending forward and putting his forearms on the railing. "It's a nice feeling, being out on the ocean." He looked around. "Where's Grover?"

"Belowdecks," she replied. "He said he was seasick."

He nodded, then jutted his chin towards the figurehead. "You know, I reckon, since this is our ship for now, we should give it a new name. Not to be ungrateful, but the Athena doesn't really do it for me."

Annabeth gave him a sideways look. "What should we call it, then?"

He shrugged. "Let's see. I like the Poseidon, personally. That's a strong name."

Annabeth snorted. "My mother would sink the ship herself if we named it that."

"The Percy."

"You're not very good at this, are you?"

"You come up with one, then."

She paused, thinking. "Rosebud."

"Why Rosebud?"

"It's a nice name."

Percy shook his head. "No, it's got to have a meaning. You can't just name it like it's a child."

"You would name your child Rosebud?"

He pointed a finger at her disparagingly. "That's not the question."

She thought again, then looked at the figurehead. She gave a small snort of laughter. "The Big Bloody Owl."

Percy grinned. "That's more like it!" He smacked the side of the ship loudly. "The HMS Big Bloody Owl. Terror of the seven seas, pride of the Royal Navy!" He was leaning over the railing, shouting into the air.

Annabeth laughed. "You're ridiculous. We're not naming it that."

He shook his head. "Too late, she's already been re-christened; we can't call her anything else."

"I doubt Athena would be pleased about the new name."

"I'll just tell her it was your idea."

She smiled, shaking her head. "Fine. It's the Big Bloody Owl."

Percy raised his arms in mock triumph. "And she's the best damn ship to ever float!"