Annabeth / December 4th
We found ourselves back at the Mediterranean. It wasn't our plan to be back here so soon, but here we were. Out south was Africa - a stretch of red and ochre hills - meaning we were at the very mouth of the sea.
"So do we just sail straight in?" Piper asked
"I don't see why not. Boats must go in and out here all of the time" Leo replied
"They use to call this area the pillars of Hercules" I informed. "The rock was suppose to be one pillar, and the other an African mountain, though no one knows which one"
"Are they... dangerous?" Piper questioned
"Well, for Greeks, the pillars meant the end of the world. Romans said they were inscribed with a Latin warning" I explained
"Non plus ultra" Percy added
I looked at my boyfriend in confusion, considering he knew that somehow. "Yeah... it means Nothing Further Beyond. How'd you know?"
"We're looking at it" He pointed
Directly up ahead, an island suddenly appeared into existence, as if it had always been there. It was a small mass of land, covered with forests and white beaches. A hundred yards offshore, two white Grecian columns about as tall as our ship's mast laid.
Between the columns, nonplus ultra was written underwater with a silver glitter.
"Do we turn around? Or..." Leo said
On the beach was a dark-haired man in purple robes, his arms crossed and staring at us intensely, as if he had been expecting our arrival.
Frank inhaled. "That wouldn't be..."
"Hercules" Jason finished and paused for a second. "The most powerful demigod of all time"
"I need an answer fast. We can either turn or take off" Leo said
"We need to keep going" I insisted. "He must be guarding the straits. If that really is Hercule, then sailing or flying won't do us any good"
"Shouldn't he be on our side?" Piper pointed out. "I mean, he is one of us after all"
"He was a son of Zeus, but after he died, he became a god. And you can never really be sure with gods" Jason said
"So seven of us against Hercules, if it comes down to that" Percy said
"We could just send a small group - maybe one or two people - to try to talk to him" I suggested
"I can go, we're half brothers after all" Jason volunteered
"Or he might hate you" Percy argued. "Half-brothers don't always get along perfectly"
"Thanks Mr. Optimism" Jason rolled his eyes
"It's our best bet" I said. "We'll also want someone good with words"
We all looked at Piper and she looked hesitant at first but eventually agreed to it.
Percy
I was so bored I almost considered hiring Layton to try and kill me just so I could get some entertainment around here. Then again, I didn't know how to do that and it would be an embarrassing way to die.
And just to make things worse, Annabeth was being really distance ever since we had left Charleston. She stayed situated in her cabin, studying the bronze map she had gotten from Fort Sumter.
Whenever I stopped to see her, she so lost in thought that our conversation didn't even make any sense, and anyone who heard it might've thought we were insane.
"Hey Annabeth, what're you up to?"
"Cool"
"Uh okay, do you need anything?"
"I don't know where he is"
"The ship is being attacked"
"In a bit"
It wasn't unlike her to be like this one times. It was just one of the few challenges that came with dating a daughter of Athena. Then again, I had signed up for it.
But I did want to know what it would take to get her attention. I had been seriously worried about her ever since Fort Sumter and the encounter with the spiders, and I was stuck with no idea on how to help her.
After departing from the Pillars of Hercules, only having taken a few coconuts to the hull's bronze plating, we were up in the air and heading off. And then, a couple of times every hour, we could get attacked by storm spirits or wild creatures.
Jason offered to keep watch while I got some sleep, and of course, I fell into a nightmare.
I was standing In a dark cavern, only being able to see a few feet in front of me. Water dripped somewhere off to my right, and the ceiling must have been far above guessing at the way the air moved.
Heavy footsteps boomed, and the twin giants Ephilates and Otis made their way out of the darkness. The two were dressed identical but Ephilates had green Lockes that were braided with shiny coins, and Otis had a purple ponytail braided with what I thought was firecrackers.
"We're here" Ephilates announced.
"I can see that" answered a voice from above
The voice was definitely female, but it wasn't Gaea's. It couldn't have been.
"Ladyship, we bring news of the ship. It's approaching" Ephilates said
"How much longer?" She asked
"They will land in Rome a short while after daybreak" Ephilates answered. "However, the dark one is already in Rome searching for our ally, and the group on the ship will need to get past the golden boy"
"I'm hoping they arrive safely. I wouldn't want to ruin our fun" She said. "Are the preparations made?"
"Yes, Your Ladyship" Otis confirmed, stepping forward which made the cavern tremble and rocks fall from wherever the ceiling was.
"Careful!" Her Ladyship snarled. "Do you really want to return to Tartarus so soon?"
Otis scrambled back in fear. The floor which was made of solid stone, was solid in some places and in others... not so much.
"There is little left holding the place together... except of course, my own skill..." Her Ladyship explained. "Centuries of Athena's rage can only be contained so well, and the great Earth Mother still churns below us. We must hope the child of Athena proves to be a worthy victim, because she may be my last plaything"
"Soon it will not matter" Ephilates assured. "Gaea will rise, and we will all be rewarded greatly. You will no longer be stuck guarding this place, and you and Xander may have your shared revenge"
Annabeth had said that in each generation, a few children of Athena were sent on a quest to retrieve to the missing Parthenon statute, but no one had ever succeeded. In Ephilates's hair, a centuries' worth of coins were in his braids.
"Your Ladyship, I must remind you that Gaea wishes the girl to be taken alive" Ephilates reminded nervously. "You may torment her, but we need her blood to be split on the ancient stones"
The voice hissed. "But others can be used for that"
"Yes, but the girl is preferred. And the boy, the son of Poseidon... you can see why those two would be most welcomed" Ephilates replied
"Very well" Her Ladyship said. "Now leave me be. Tend to your preparations with the demon. I will work in the darkness"
My dream dissolved to a knock on my door.
"We've set down in the water" Jason said. "Your turn"
I sighed and got up. As much as I didn't want to, I woke Annabeth. We stood on the deck, mostly alone except for Leo whose presence was barely noticeable.
I told her about my dream and her reaction ended up being more worrisome then I thought it was going to be - not surprised.
"You can't tell the others about the dream" Annabeth requested
"Why not?"
"What you saw... it was about the Mark of Athena. If you tell them, it'll only make it harder for me to leave on my own. They'll only worry" Annabeth said
"You can't be serious Annabeth" I replied. "That thing in the dark, the big chamber with the crumbling floor, the giants, Xander and-"
"I know" Annabeth turned away. "But I need to do this alone. There's no other way"
I had to hold back my anger. I wasn't sure if I was mad at Annabeth, my dream, the Greeks and Romans history, or Xander.
"You know what's in that cavern" I guessed
"Yeah" She said quietly
"And it has to do with spiders"
She gritted her teeth. "Right..."
"But then how..." I stopped.
Annabeth was hard-headed in the nicest way possible. Once she made up her mind, arguing with her wouldn't do anything. Three and half years ago, she had been captured by the Titan Atlas, and for a while, I wasn't sure if she was alive or not. I traveled across the country to find her, and to be honest, it had been some of the hardest days of my life.
And not just the monsters, but the pure worry. How was I suppose to just let her go and head towards something even more dangerous? But, the way Annabeth must've felt for two months while I was gone... it made me feel kind of guilty, and even kind of selfish.
Wether we liked it or not, she had to go on this quest. If she didn't succeed, then stopping Xander might be the least of our worries, and that was a world-threatening danger. The fate of the world depended on the seven of us, but I just wanted to forget the world and stay with Annabeth.
"We're not too far from the Italian coast. Maybe a hundred miles out of the Tiber" I said
"Good. We should be there by daybreak"
Suddenly, something came over me. "We have to stop"
"Why?" Annabeth inquired
"Leo, stop!" I shouted to him
It was too late. The other boat appeared out of the bog and rammed straight into us. We were almost thrown overboard as I made out the details of the other ship - another trireme with black sails painted with a gorgon's head.
Festus shot fire that sent warriors screaming and diving straight for the sea, but more swarmed aboard the Argo II. Grappling lines wrapped around the rails and dug into the hull's planks.
By the time I had recovered, the enemies were all around us. I couldn't see them that well with all the fog, but they seemed to be humanlike dolphins.
Leo sounded the alarm and dashed for the closest ballista, but was tackled by a pile of dolphin warriors. I stood back-to-back with Annabeth, just like we had done many times. I tried to summon waves to assist us, but nothing happened. It was like something stronger than me was resisting my will.
I raised Riptide and got ready to fight, but we were outnumbered severely. Several dozen of the warriors lowered their spears and surrounded us in a ring.
On the side of the ring, someone who was full human stepped through - dressed in Greek combat armor, sandals, kilt, greaves, and a breastplate decorated with elaborate designs. His sword was similar to Riptide, but gold instead of bronze.
They'll have to get past the golden boy
"Who are you and what do you want?" I demanded
The golden warrior chuckled, and with a single flick, disarmed me of Riptide which was sent flying into the sea.
"Hello brother" The golden warrior said. "Always nice to rob a fellow son of Poseidon. My name is Chrysaor, the Golden Sword. As for what I want... well, everything you got"
Chrysaor walked back and further, inspecting the ship like a newfound prize.
"What a fine ship" He said
"You sound familiar... have we met before?" I asked
"I was yet to have the pleasure" Chrysaor said. "But I have heard much about you, Percy Jackson. Yes... the young man who saved Olympus, and his faithful sidekick, Annabeth Chase"
"I'm not a sidekick" Annabeth growled. "And Percy, he sounds familiar because he sounds like his mom. The one we killed in New Jersey"
"Medusa" I muttered, putting the clues together. "Must suck to have her as your mom"
"You're just as arrogant as the first Perseus" Chrysaor shook his head. "But yes, Poseidon was my father, and Medusa my mother. After she was changed into a monster by the so-called goddess of wisdom... her children were trapped inside her, unable to her born. But when she was decapitated-"
"Two children came out" Annabeth finished
"My brother is Pegasus, so I'm use to being forgotten. But don't underestimate me. I got my title for a reason"
"Imperial Gold?" I said
"Enchanted gold, yes. Only the Romans call it that. I was the first to ever wield such a blade... I should have been the most famous hero of all time! Yet the legend-tellers decided to ignore me, and I became a villain instead.
I decided to put my heritage to use, and inspire terror as a son of Medusa, and rule the seas as a son of Poseidon!"
"So you're a pirate" Annabeth looked unimpressed
"The best one" Chrysaor said. "I have sailed these waters for centuries, laying waste to any foolish demigods who wish to explore the Mare Nostrum. This is my territory, and all you have is now mine"
More dolphin warriors climbed up the stairs, hauling the rest of our friends. Jason and Frank were unconscious and Hazel and Piper were bounded and gagged.
"Excellent" Chrysaor nodded his head, directing his warriors to dump Jason over by the crossbows. "The boy is no use to me, but we do know that Circe will buy these lovely women either as slaves or trainees... but not you, Annabeth"
"You're not talking me anywhere" Annabeth said
My hand crept over to my back pocket as soon as I felt my pen return to my jeans. I would only need a momentary distraction to draw my sword and take Chrysaor down quickly.
"Sadly, you will not be staying with me Annabeth. I would like that, but you and your friend Percy have been spoken for. A certain goddess is paying a high bounty for your capture. Alive, but not unharmed" Chrysaor explained
Then, I got my distraction. Piper fainted against the guard next to her, knocking him over like a domino. Hazel crumpled to the deck and thrashed against her bounds.
I drew Riptide and lunged forward. The blade should have gone straight through the enemies' neck, but he was quick and dodged. The last time I had crossed swords with an opponent like this was Layton and Ares, the literal god of war.
Our swords continued to clash but I ended up disarmed with Riptide back in the sea again. Chrysaor laughed and kicked me back to my original position.
"Fine! Take us away, but only if our captain will let you" I said
"What captain? My men searched the entire ship, and there is no one else" Chrysaor replied
"He only appeared when he wants to. But he is our leader, and he runs our camp for Demigods. Right Annabeth?"
"Yup! The great Dionysus!" Annabeth backed up
A wave of uneasiness and intimidation passed through the dolphin-men, and some even dropped their weapons.
"Stand fast!" Chrysaor ordered. "There is no god on this ship. They are trying to scare you"
"But there is a god" A deep voice boomed, originating from the sky
Thunderclouds rolled in and lightning crackled in the distance, and a beam of rainbow-colored light shot down from the clouds and onto the ship.
"That's... not what I was going for"