Chapter 2: Percy
It had been a while since Percy had spoken to Carter. Carter had grown; he was no longer a skinny teenager. He stood at the same height as Percy; his face covered in stubble and his posture much more confidant. The two embraced.
"Carter! How are you?" asked Annabeth has she gave him a hug.
"Better than you it seems." Carter responded. He turned to Leo and Jason. "And who are you?"
"I'm Leo, and this is Jason." Carter shook their hands. He turned back to face Percy.
"Demigods?"
"Yeah. We need your help Carter." Percy and Annabeth explained to Carter what the group were doing in Alexandria. After a brief conversation he was brought up to speed.
"So we need your help with the staff from the Lighthouse of Alexandria." Finished Annabeth.
"Well luckily for you I have also been researching the staffs. A few days ago I felt a spike in magical energy coming from the Great Pyramid of Giza. When I arrived the Pyramid had been sealed." Carter responded.
"Ah." Jason chimed in. "That would have been us."
"Well I have been locating the source of that magic and it seems that there is another in Egypt. As a result I re-established this disused safe house that my father built." Carter continued. Percy looked around the room. For only a few days work the workspace was impressive. Charts and diagrams covered the walls. A desk in the corner was sprawled with books and scrolls. A blackboard was decorated with Carter's notes. In the corner was a small hammock. Beams of sunlight penetrating a dusty window lit the room.
"I placed magical shields over Alexandria to protect the other power source, which seems to be the staff you seek." Said Carter.
"So that's why the tracker didn't work!" Exclaimed Leo.
"We need to get the staff." Said Percy. "I know you want to protect it but the best way to do that is rehouse it."
"I disagree. The staff is safe in Alexandria." Carter said, rebuffing Percy.
"Carter please. We trusted you in New York with Setne. You have to trust us now." Pleaded Annabeth. Percy was grateful that she had been there with him when he'd met Carter, otherwise the magician would have never even considered helping. It was fair to say Percy and Carter's first encounter was fractious. Carter's face was scrunched as he made his decision.
"Fine. But you follow my lead." He said. Percy thanked the gods. Carter walked over to the desk. "The staff is still at the site of the Lighthouse, in the bay."
"Isn't there something else there now?" asked Percy. Carter turned to the Son of Poseidon.
"Yes. Now it's the Citadel of Qaitbay, an Ottoman fortress. The crystal is likely in the ruins of the lighthouse itself, under the harbour." Percy smiled. He hadn't been in the ocean since he'd returned to the land of the living. The Mediterranean didn't seem a bad place to begin.