Chapter 27
Percy
The ride to San Francisco was agony. Julia seemed to be intentionally drawing out the time by going slower than the surrounding traffic. There was an unspoken agreement to remain quiet as the miles slowly rolled by outside the window of the SUV. But despite the stifling atmosphere and boring tedium of silence Percy, and the other reigned in there anxiety as the mountainous green vista slowly gave way to a more open backdrop in the late morning sun.
After about thirty minutes of driving the walls of rock and earth parted and off in the distance the cities of San Francisco and Oakland came into view. And looming large just ahead was the city's most famous landmark…the Golden Gate Bridge.
Crossing the bridge seemed to lift some of the tension from everyone's shoulders. Finally Reyna and John began a muted conversation. Percy wanted to talk to Gwen and ask her about the "Sea of Monsters" and the Cyan whatever, but Julia's scowl in the rearview mirror subdued his curiosity. He couldn't remember a situation over the past week where he felt so uncertain in the presence of a threat.
If he thought the first thirty minutes were tough the proceeding hour weaving through pre-lunch traffic was pure torture…literally. Something about the "Sea of Monsters" kept striking a chord deep in the recesses of his mind. And while he couldn't remember anything specific the inkling was enough to bring on a headache. It was odd though because the headache hadn't begun in earnest until the car had passed a mountain in the distance. Something about the mountain had been familiar, and when he nudged Gwen and motioned towards it.
She had mouthed, "Mt. Tam."
Percy was momentarily grateful when at last they finally reached their destination. Then he got out of the car and realized that their transport was an ocean liner…a cruise ship named "Parcae". The headache came storming back.
"Percy…" said a garbled voice, "Percy are you okay?"
The words though almost inaudible gave his conscious mind something to latch onto. And the salty water that hung loosely in the air as humidity fortified his strength. It took a moment but he managed to fight down the paralyzing pain.
From a kneeled position he lifted his hand in a placating gesture, "I'm fine…" he took a deep breath, "just a lost memory trying to crawl its way to the surface."
Gwen dropped to a knee and lifted his chin. Gazing into his eyes. What she saw there he couldn't guess, but found the concern in her deep blue eyes comforting.
"You sure?"
Behind her Percy saw Reyna and John staring at him uncertainly, and standing behind them glaring contemptuously was Julia. As is usual in a public area, like the parking lot adjoining the dock for a cruise ship, there were gawking strangers some standing and openly staring, while others merely glanced out of the corner of their eyes as they skirted the scene.
"Suck it up…" belittled Julia, "they're already boarding."
Gwen shot the elder demigod a heated look that seemed too match the intensity of the sun. Julia however just drew herself up taller as her aura of challenge returned…almost daring Gwen to do anything.
"Julia this isn't the time for personal vendettas," spoke John "but she's right Gwen." He turned to his senior, "Julia will you please help these two young ladies with their bags…Perseus and I will be along shortly."
Julia didn't look happy but seemed to acquiesce, followed by an all too quiet Reyna, and a reluctant Gwen.
As the girls were leaving, John turned and offered Percy his hand. Taking it Percy was suddenly hauled up by greater strength than he thought the man's tall thin frame possessed. He now looked at the former member of the Legion, and to stock of him for the first time.
John unlike most of Minerva's children had dark brown hair. It was still cropped short in the fashion of the Legion. The older demigod was marginally taller, but Percy felt he himself still had room to grow so wasn't concerned. The most striking feature were those azure-gray eyes that all of Minerva's kids seemed to have…all but Reyna he reminded himself. The color wasn't important, however; it was the intelligence those eyes exuded that made them so penetrating. And it was obvious that while Percy was sizing up John…John had been doing the same thing to Percy.
John nodded and broke the silence first, "Good…I was worried for a minute there."
Percy raised an eyebrow, "Worried about?"
"Whether you were the type of man that I could trust to look after my baby sister."
Percy didn't know how to respond. It was the most outrageous comment he thought he had ever heard.
"Reyna needing someone to look after her!" Percy could hardly process the thought.
John as if reading Percy's thoughts just chuckled softly to himself. "Percy Reyna is strong, cunning, and absolutely ruthless in battle. She has a focus and drive that often allows her to bring others around to her point-of-view, but those strengths are also her greatest weaknesses. When she focuses on something she will do so to the exclusion of all else. Its these qualities that make her a top-notch Prefect but a poor Praetor."
"What is he talking about?"
John continued, "A Praetor has to be able to stand apart from everything, view the world from all sides at once, and then make the decision that's best for the majority with no thought given to personal desire. That kind of action is nearly impossible for Reyna…always has been."
Percy looked down as he rolled, "Ok, but why are you asking me to look after her?"
John exhaled and looked slightly ashamed, "She's desperate. She would hate it if she knew what I was telling you, but there it is. She is determined to get Jason back at all costs. If that comes down to a fight she'll be your teams strongest asset."
"But?" questioned Percy.
"But if she is forced to decide between the success of the mission or retrieving Jason...she'll be your greatest liability."
"I see…and how do you know all this? You seemed pretty confident back at the station?"
John smiled dryly, "I'm her big brother its my job to understand her. As for the confidence…it was bravado…nothing more. Rey and Gwen were right…quests are dangerous business, and something about this one seems off."
All ears Percy motioned for him to continue, "Explain…what do you mean...off?"
"Prophecies are tricky…confusing…the words are often straight-forward, but usually have little bearing on the actual outcome. This prophecy seems even more obvious than those I have studied in the past…it just doesn't feel right."
Percy was beginning to feel even more uneasy, "And what makes you such an expert? Are you a prophet?"
John shook his head, "Nothing so dramatic, but learning is what we children of Minerva love to do. Most of us study various sciences and philosophies, but I have always been interested in history...especially prophecy. After all if not for a cursed prophetess Troy might not have fallen and Rome would never have existed."
Percy couldn't argue with that. In fact he was impressed by John's insight into the whole situation…not just the knowledge of his sister. The young man had clearly been through situations like this before…if not exactly the same.
"Been through this before?" asked Percy.
John genuinely smiled then walked to the open SUV trunk and retrieved Percy's backpack. After closing the back and locking the doors he walked over to Percy and threw one arm around the hero's shoulder, and proceeded to escort him to the boarding ramp.
"Actually I have…" John supplied, "I was a Praetor for three years before I graduated and became one of the camp's rangers."
"Really?"
"Yup…Julia too." John leaned in a conspiratorial gesture, "That's why she's been so upset, and was flaunting her battle rage. Julia was hoping to goad you into a fight so she could put a kibosh on the whole quest...preventing you from breaking camp protocol…thereby stopping a potentially dangerous precedent from being set."
Bewildered Percy said, "But you're not?"
"No I'm not." John went on, "After living on the edge of Lupa's sheltered but harsh world I've come to appreciate the need to side-step tradition in order to preserve the camp's safety. Don't get me wrong regulations are important, but the world and especially monsters seldom follow the rules once you step over that invisible boundary."
The ship's horn sounded muffling Percy's next question.
"Well that's the boarding call better get going."
Percy found his gaze drifting back to the ship's name, "Do you know what Parcae means?"
John looked at the name and nodded, "It's the Roman name for the three Fates…why?"
Percy didn't know the word, but had somehow known what it meant, "That's what I thought…" Percy shrugged, "I've kind of had trouble with Latin ever since I got here."
"Okay…" John said, "safe journey, and please look after those two for me."
The Parcae's horn sounded again so Percy just nodded in response as he started up the gang plank. Bravely walking toward whatever "The Fates" had in store for him.
