Woo! A lovely long chapter this time! I am satisfied that I wrote a lovely long chapter. Next chapter will be better though because Harley will be contributing even more!
Two days later I had come up with a plan.
I would sneak out and join the next quest.
It wasn't like I had anything better to do.
I followed them to the library where they asked for directions. One lady was insisting she drive them herself. I couldn't follow them if they were in the car…
Well the problem was solved when Coach Hedge caught me anyway.
We all piled into the black car and took off into traffic.
The lady chattered on and on about Atlanta and everything about it from sports stars to Coca-cola founders. Percy eventually asked;
"Uh, so, Esther," he said, "here's a hard question for you. Salt water in Atlanta. What's the first thing that comes to mind?"
Esther chuckled. "Oh, sugar. That's easy. Whale sharks!"
"Whale sharks?" Frank asked nervously. "You have those in Atlanta?"
"At the aquarium, sugar," Esther said. "Very famous! Right downtown. Is that where you wanted to go?"
"Yes," Percy said after a moment. "That's where we're going."
When we piled out of the car at the aquarium it was majorly busy. I wished that Mandy was here so she could jabber on about what was about this place. Maybe I could Iris-message her.
I poked Coach on the arm.
"Yeah kid?"
"Could we call my friend? I bet she knows all about this place."
"Sure kid, it'll have to wait a bit though."
"Okay," I say smiling.
Frank spoke up after the lady left leaving us with everything including a jar of peach preserves. "Are all people in Atlanta that nice?" I pulled the top off and tasted it. It was quite nice actually.
Hedge grunted. "Hope not. I can't fight them if they're nice. Let's go beat up some whale sharks. They sound dangerous!" I giggled while putting the top back on the jar.
Percy sighed. "Well, I guess we wait in line. Anybody have money?"
"Three denarii from Camp Jupiter and five dollars Canadian," Frank said after searching his pockets.
Hedge patted his gym shorts and pulled out what he found. "Three quarters, two dimes, a rubber band and—score! A piece of celery," he commented before munching on the celery.
"Just Susie and two Drachma," I say pulling the sleeping snake out gently before wrapping her around my neck.
"Great," Percy said.
"Ah, VIP visitors!" a lady said walking over. She had thick-framed glasses, braces, and frizzy black hair pulled to the sides in pigtails. She wore the aquarium t-shirt and a name tag that read 'KATE'.
"You have your payment, I see," she said. "Excellent!"
"What?" Percy asked as Kate scooped the three denarii out of Frank's hand. "Yes, that's fine. Right this way!"
She spun and trotted off toward the main entrance.
Percy looked at Coach Hedge and Frank. "A trap?"
"Probably," Frank said.
"She's not mortal," Hedge said, sniffing the air. "Probably some sort of goat-eating, demigod-destroying fiend from Tartarus."
"No doubt," Percy agreed.
"Awesome." Hedge grinned. "Let's go."
Kate got us past all of the people waiting to enter and into the aquarium with no problem.
"Right this way," Kate said grinning, "It's a wonderful exhibit. You won't be disappointed. So rare we get VIPs."
"Uh, you mean demigods?" Frank asked.
Kate winked at him and put a finger to her mouth. "So over here is the cold-water experience, with your penguins and beluga whales and whatnot. And over there…well, those are some fish, obviously."
I wonder why she was working in an aquarium if that was all she knew.
We passed the gift shop. Frank slowed down to check out a clearance table with clothes and toys.
"Take what you want," Kate told him. I spotted a bathroom off to the side. I poked Coach in the arm and pointed and he nodded before trudging over. I duck into the parents room and Hedge locks the door. Holding out a hand I concentrate before a rainbow appears above my hand. Just a little trick I picked up from Hecate cabin.
Pulling a Drachma from my pocket and message Mandy. An image of Hecate clearing pops into view and I see Mandy sitting on one of the colour changing bean bags reading a book.
"Mandy!" I call out and she jumps.
"Harley! How did you manage to aparate? What's going on?"
"I dunno I just thought really hard about it, it's sort of like Shadow travelling and I do that all the time with Nico. Nico was kidnapped by the giants and now I'm in Atlanta at an aquarium."
"Aquarium in Atlanta? You mean the one with the whale sharks? What out that's where Phorcys and Keto as supposed to be. They teamed up with Kronos is the war and Keto is not someone you want as an enemy, she controls all sea monsters and if you're with the seven then you're also going to be at sea."
"Well that's not good."
"No, not really, no."
"I should go out and warn Percy and Frank then."
"Sounds like a good plan, but remember to show me how to aparate when you get back."
I laughed, "Naturally Mandy, See you later!"
Mandy slashes her hand through the message with a smile and I let the rainbow drop.
"Let's go find the boys then."
As we left the room we saw the boys following what must have been Keto down a tunnel across the far hall. We hurried to catch up not going overly fast so that Hedge lost his shoes.
"Whale sharks," Coach Hedge growled as we caught up. "Now we shall battle to the death!" He moved forward to the tank when Keto giggled.
"Silly satyr," she said. "Whale sharks are peaceful. They only eat plankton."
"Peaceful sharks?" the coach said with disgust. "What's the point of that?"
"The only whale sharks in captivity in the world," Frank said reading the sign next to the tank. "That's kind of amazing."
"Yes, and these are small," Keto said. "You should see some of my other babies out in the wild."
"Your babies?" Frank asked.
"So, Kate," Percy said, "we're looking for a guy…I mean a god, named Phorcys. Would you happen to know him?"
Keto snorted. "Know him? He's my brother. That's where we're going, sillies. The real exhibits are right through here."
She gestured at the far wall. The solid black surface rippled, and another tunnel appeared, leading through a luminous purple tank.
Kate strolled inside and I tugged on Percy's sleeve.
"Careful Percy, that's Keto," I say to him and Frank.
Percy didn't look excited to follow after the identified goddess.
As soon as they entered, Coach Hedge whistled. "Now that's interesting."
Gliding above us were jellyfish the size of trash cans, each with hundreds of tentacles. One jellyfish had a ten-foot-long swordfish tangled in its grasp.
Keto beamed at Coach Hedge. "You see? Forget the whale sharks! And there's much more."
Keto led them into an even larger chamber, lined with more aquariums. On one wall, a glowing red sign proclaimed: DEATH IN THE DEEP SEAS! Sponsored by Monster Donut.
"Monster Donut?" Percy asked.
"Oh, yes," Keto said. "One of our corporate sponsors."
I looked around to see tanks of various monsters recognising a dozen hippocampi and a pair of Nereids.
"This isn't right," Percy muttered angrily. "How can you keep them here?"
"I know." Keto sighed. "They aren't very interesting. We tried to teach them some tricks, but with no luck, I'm afraid. I think you'll like this tank over here much better."
Percy started to protest, but Keto had already skipped ahead.
"Holy mother of goats!" cried Coach Hedge. "Look at these beauties!"
Swimming above us were two large sea serpents with glowing blue scale asn a giant squid tucked away in a cave. Over to the other side were a dozen dog-seel-human hybrids that I recognised as telkhines playing with Lego.
"Are those—?" Percy struggled to form the question.
"Telkhines?" Keto said. "Yes! The only ones in captivity."
"But they fought for Kronos in the last war!" Percy said. "They're dangerous!"
Kate rolled her eyes. "Well, we couldn't call it 'Death in the Deep Seas' if these exhibits weren't dangerous. Don't worry. We keep them well sedated."
"Sedated?" Frank asked. "Is that legal?"
Kate ignored the boys as she kept walking, pointing out other exhibits.
"And these sea monsters," Kate narrated up ahead, "can grow five hundred feet long in the deep ocean. They have over a thousand teeth. And these? Their favorite food is demigod—"
"Demigod?" Frank yelped.
"But they will eat whales or small boats, too." Keto turned to Percy and blushed. "Sorry…I'm such a monster nerd! I'm sure you know all this, being the son of Poseidon, and all."
"Hello!" said a new voice, booming through the aquarium successfully interrupting the conversation.
A small man scuttled out of the darkness. He walked sideways on bowed legs like a crab, hunched over with arms curving like pincers. He wore a horrible green wetsuit with the silver words 'PORKY'S FOLLIES' written down the side.
Phorcys was ugly. Not that anyone would probably ever tell that to him.
I wonder why it said 'Porky' though.
Yay! Don't forget to enter the competition if you haven't already, details in Chapter 18!
Reviews and Ideas are Appreciated and Adored!
~Jessica