Chapter III:
It was Percy's turn to keep watch over the ship, exchanging positions with two crewmates, Murtog and Mullroy, who handled the first four hours of the night. Percy didn't mind the job at all, feeling the sea breeze blow across his face was arguably more energizing for him than actual sleep. And now that they had entered the heart of the Sea of Monsters, it was probably a good idea for him to be part of the night watch.
He joined Elizabeth, who was his partner for the shift, at the front of the ship. She had on a large brown coat that went down past her knees, and a pair of trousers that looked suspiciously like Will's. Elizabeth didn't notice Percy had arrived until he physically nudged her in the back and sat down next to her.
"Oh, hey there." She said while scooting over, her hair silhouetted against the moonlight. "Lovely day, isn't it?"
Percy scanned the dark horizon and breathed in the fresh air. It reminded him of the early morning walks that he used to share with his mom, every time they stayed in Montauk. A tradition that they hadn't revisited ever since that fateful night with the Camaro; the night that changed everything for him. The three beads hanging from his necklace represented the amount of time that had passed since then.
"Thinking about home?" Elizabeth asked softly, reading his mind correctly.
"Yeah, I guess." Percy said as he sighed a little. "Just worried what's going on without me there."
Elizabeth tucked some loose strands of hair behind her ear, and propped herself up against one of the banisters. "Well, what do you think is going on?"
"I guess I should explain some things first." Percy started. "You know about the Greek gods, right?"
Elizabeth nodded her head. "Twelve Olympians and then the minor gods."
"And because they exist, so does the rest of Greek mythology." Percy continued. "We are issued prophecies that decide the fate of our world, and we have to go on quests to complete them."
Explaining the way Greek mythology worked out loud made it sound like he was talking about a video game. And in a way, it really was a video game, a video game for the Fates.
"So you were on a quest, and then you ended up here?" Elizabeth concluded.
"Yeah, that's basically it." Percy laughed lightly at how easily his life could be summed up, then he leaned back and transitioned to a more serious tone. "But this quest that I was on, it affects everything that's important to me. And if it fails, without me being there to help… Well, I'm not sure what I would do with myself if anybody I cared about got hurt."
"The girl from before?" Elizabeth asked hesitantly.
"Annabeth." Percy answered. "That's her name. But it's not just her, the rest of my friends too. And my mom. What if I get back, and all of them are dead?"
His usual happy-go-lucky nature had been replaced with something far more worrisome. He had never been a Mr. Worst-case-scenario, but right now all he could think about was the infinite amount of terrible possibilities that might await him.
Elizabeth swung her legs over so that she was facing him, but Percy kept his eyes glued to the crashing waves. "I know how you feel. A little over a year ago, Will and I were set to be married, and on the day of the wedding, we were both arrested for helping Jack escape. We were separated, and when I was eventually freed, I spent countless nights without sleeping, searching for him, not stopping until we were reunited."
Percy saw Elizabeth in a different light; she was rather unassuming from the outside, not in a bad way, but now, as he was talking to her, it was clear that she too had experienced her own hardships. He could tell by her fidgety movements that she was sugarcoating a lot of what she said, then again, so was he.
"I'm sure the people that matter most to you, will be waiting at the other side." Elizabeth said, reassuringly. "No point in believing otherwise."
Percy felt the tension slowly begin to leave his system, and he gave her an appreciative glance. "Thanks. I needed that."
There was somewhat of a comfortable pause in their conversation after that; both of them were content to just stare out at the churning water. Percy entertained himself by creating little geysers that sprouted up and down, while Elizabeth idly braided her hair.
"I didn't actually see you get spit out by the whale." She blurted, breaking the silence.
Percy turned to look at her weirdly. "Huh?"
"When you first landed, you said a whale spat you out." Elizabeth repeated for him. "I didn't see it happen."
"You lied about that?" Percy asked quizzically, recalling that specific moment. "Why?"
Elizabeth shrugged her shoulders slightly. "Worked out, didn't it? You killed the Kraken, and saved our ship."
"I didn't kill it." Percy corrected with another sigh. "It got away, the sucker is still out there. Same with Cet—"
Elizabeth stared at Percy questioningly, as he abruptly stood up from where they were seated on the bow of the ship. "Is there something wrong?"
On the surface level, nothing was wrong. But it was what was going on underneath that had Percy freaked out. He felt a growing presence that was attaching itself to the bottom of the ship, multiple entities hidden just below the fluid wave-line.
"We're not alone." Percy whispered urgently as he quickly uncapped Riptide. "Get away from the railing."
Elizabeth silently acknowledged him and began to move towards the stairwell. Percy shifted backwards as well, keeping his head on a swivel as he began to make his way up the higher decks. His senses were in tune with what the ship was feeling, and the entire hull was being enveloped by the sensation of pins and needles.
As soon as Elizabeth disappeared below the deck, the first of their unwanted guests appeared. Percy was taken aback at first, being that the intruder looked like a normal human being, that was until he revealed his lower half, which resembled that of an octopus, with his blue and yellow tentacles.
More followed, and Percy took two steps back defensively as they began to flood the deck of the ship from all sides, slithering their way onto the refurbished wood. They were mermen, but the octopus-version, and based on the spears they held, not as friendly. In fact, they kind of reminded him of dracaenae.
"There he is!" One of them exclaimed in a deep, hollow voice that sounded more like an echo. "The Stormbreaker!"
Percy was tempted to give them a polite bow, to see if they had the same sense of dumb humor as the monsters he usually encountered, but for the sake of himself, he decided against it.
"What do you want?" Percy challenged back, flexing his elite swordsmanship by twirling Riptide around in a lighting fast pattern. His lone goal was to stall long enough for Elizabeth to wake and rally the crew, from there on it would be all improvisation.
There were now over thirty of the intruders, about half of the crew of the Black Pearl. They all looked identical, with their only unique features being the tattoos emblazoned on their human skin, and the weapons they held.
"We are the Cecaeliae." The same one from before proclaimed, his tentacles rising up in an eerie fashion as he pounded his muscular chest with his fist.
"That… didn't answer my question." Remarked Percy, giving them a loose smile in the process, which wasn't received all too well if their faces were any indication.
"You." The octo-man, which Percy by now assumed was their leader, snarled in response.
Percy snuck a quick peek behind him, and noticed the shadows of the pirates in the stairwell, hiding from the Cecaelia's sight. "Well, I'm here now. What can I do for you?"
The leader, getting slightly suspicious of Percy, took a step—or was it a slither, forward. "We are here to kill you."
Monsters priorities, whether in the past or the present, certainly hadn't changed. Percy considered jumping overboard, and drawing the Cecaeliae away from the ship, but it wasn't a guarantee that all of them would follow, and he wasn't going to risk leaving the pirates without him, even though they were more than capable of fighting on their own.
Percy thought that their standoff was never going to end, and it probably wouldn't have if it weren't for the untimely sound of a sword accidentally clattering onto the floor below them, making Percy cringe and the Cecaeliae light up.
"They're awake!" Their leader screeched. "Attack!"
With their element of surprise now gone, the pirates streamed out of the aft stairwell like a swarm of angry bees, led by Jack, who was brandishing both a pistol and cutlass. "Get em lads! I'm coming for you, Barnacle Boy!"
The insult seemed directed at the same octo-man that Percy had been dealing with, and going by both parties' reactions, there was without a doubt a history of bad blood.
"Sparrow." Barnacle Boy growled back as he brought the double-pronged point of his spear around. "Both of you are dead."
"You know these guys?" Percy asked Jack as they both engaged in their respective sword fights, fighting side-by-side. Jack with Barnacle Boy, and Percy with another that was just as imposing.
Jack grunted as he narrowly deflected a wayward blow, one that sent him sliding backwards. "Well yes, but actually no."
The confusing response almost caused Percy to get his head taken off by a nearby pirate's misguided sword. "What the hell does that mean?"
"A layover gone sour. Barnacle Boy's daddy and I have a… complicated past." Jack tried to explain as he steadied himself.
Barnacle Boy let out an angry yell, and using his tentacles lept at Jack. "Stop calling me that!"
Jack rolled out of the way, and Percy took the opportunity to gauge the rest of the situation, after he knocked his opponent out of the fight with a swift blow to the head. The Cecaeliae were no joke, and most were fighting more than one pirate at once. Their tentacles made their lateral movements unpredictable, allowing them to catch whoever they were battling off guard. It still being nighttime didn't help the visibility either.
Elizabeth was holding her own with her bronze short sword, dueling one octo-man with the help of another crewmate. Will was close by as well, aiding Murtog and Mullroy. There were some pirates that had been wounded, but none of the injuries seemed fatal.
"So what's with the Barnacle Boy name?" Percy questioned Jack as he took on another octo-man, this one wielding a sickly axe that had sharp heads on both ends.
"I called his daddy a Sea Shrimp, and then I cut some of his tentacles off. Still have 'em pinned on my wall." Jack shot Percy a wild-looking grin. "As for Barnacle Boy, I came up with that just now."
"My name is Akthore!" Barnacle Boy, now Akthore, asserted as he swung again at Jack.
Getting tangled in yet another web of family issues was not on the top of Percy's wish list. He already had more than his fair share, between the hemorrhage-inducing clusterfuck that was the godly side of his family, and their immortal enemies that spent every living moment praying for their downfall.
"How do you know that's his son?" Percy asked while simultaneously blocking the axe.
Jack carped as he parried another strike from Akthore, who was getting increasingly agitated and brash with his movements. "The necklace around his pretty neck."
Percy spared a brief glimpse at what Jack was talking about, and noticed the golden chain hanging around Akthore's neck. Even in the dim lighting, it gleamed with a fierce brightness that made him wonder how he didn't see it before.
Focusing all of his attention back on the octo-man in front of him, Percy started to push his attack. Using the skills that he had honed over the years, he initiated a devastating three-step combo that saw him sweeping Riptide in a zig-zag motion, culminating with the disarming of the octo-man. Recognizing that the fight and battle were lost, the octo-man moved quickly to the side of the ship and swung himself over the railing.
"Coward!" Akthore yelled at his bailing comrade.
That wasn't the last of them either; his numbers were starting to dwindle, as more and more began to abandon ship. Realizing this, Akthore desperately launched himself at Jack, who was not at all prepared for the sudden charge. Before Percy could finish exhaling, he had Jack wrapped in a vice hold, with the edge of his spear pressed against the pirate captain's pale neck. Jack's sword dropped to the floor out of surprise.
"If anybody moves, he dies!" Akthore shrieked, which sounded unnatural with his deep voice.
The entire ship immediately went still, humans and Cecaeliae alike. Percy's eyes trailed from he was standing, to Will and Elizabeth, who were now on the deck below.
Will made a small gesture as if to say, "What are we going to do?" And Percy responded with a slight shoulder shrug. Jack looked like he was either going to burst out in laughter, or throw up. Percy was positive this wasn't the first time that Jack had found himself in this type of situation.
Akthore then spoke in a strange tongue, one that sounded like he was gargling mouthwash through a tube, to his remaining brethren, who then proceeded to hurdle themselves back into the sea, leaving him as the only remaining Cecaelia.
"Stormbreaker." Akthore said, using his free hand to point at Percy and issue his ultimatum. "Your sword, or this sea rat's worthless life."
"Don't do it." Jack muttered out of the side of his mouth, motivating Akthore to press down harder. Stubborn as ever, the captain still shook his head, communicating the same message.
Percy glanced down at Riptide, the celestial bronze glowing in the twilight, and made a good effort to hide the smile that was threatening to appear on his face. There were only three people, other than Percy, currently standing on the Black Pearl that knew of Riptide's capabilities, and Akthore wasn't one of them. No matter what, Riptide would always find its way back to Percy's pocket, never once failing to do so.
A mischievous glint appeared in both Will and Elizabeth's eyes, when they realized it as well. Jack, on the other hand, hadn't caught on just yet, which was for the best.
"Why my sword?" Percy tried to ask Akthore, but the Cecaelia didn't humor him with an explanation.
"You have three seconds." The Cecaelia announced, pressing the blade even deeper, causing Jack's eyes to ogle out of their sockets. There was no bluffing with his threat. "Two seconds…"
On the last count, Percy tossed Riptide the short length across to the waiting arm of Akthore, who caught the sword in mid-air, while at the same time releasing Jack from his hold. But the Cecaelia didn't respect his end of the bargain, and impaled Jack in the stomach with his spear before escaping into the fleeting darkness.
"Argh!" Jack cried as he fell onto his side, clutching the point of entry, the spear still stuck inside.
Percy, along with everybody else, instantly rushed to Jack, who had begun coughing up blood. It took every ounce of Percy's willpower not to jump overboard, and hunt down the Cecaelia, but he knew he needed to stay to help Jack in any way possible.
"T—That bastard." Jack croaked.
Will got down on his knees and immediately began to try and dislodge the silver spear, but his hands were shaking too wildly, causing Jack even more pain. Percy felt helpless as he stood there watching it all unfold, he had no nectar or ambrosia on him, which were the only two remedies that he could think of. The rest of the crew hung their heads in silence, quietly whispering to one another in hushed voices as they tended to their own injuries.
There was a mess of bodies strewn all across the deck, a mixture of human and blue Cecaeliae blood staining the hardwood. The gruesome sight made Percy realize that the Cecaelia didn't explode into clouds of golden dust, unlike Greek monsters.
"Move out." Elizabeth ordered in a serious tone, as she got down next to Jack on the other side. "Let me handle this."
After a second of analyzing the wound, she grabbed the thick shaft of the spear and yanked it out cleanly, without any warning. It was a moment that made Percy believe that her and Annabeth would make good friends.
"This will only hurt a little." She stated after the fact, much to Jack's avid amusement.
"Dirty wench." Jack spat in agony, clutching his torn gut and shooting daggers at Elizabeth.
The spearhead was out, and thankfully it hadn't gone through both sides, but the wound was still quite large, and an unhealthy amount of blood was now gushing out of it. Elizabeth was trying to plug it with a balled up piece of cloth, but that wasn't going to solve the problem nearly enough.
Percy took one look at the water, and a genius, albeit crazy idea populated itself in his head. "I think I can heal him in the water."
Elizabeth, Will, and a handful of the other pirates gave him a slew of skeptical looks, but it was Jack who gave him the vote of confidence.
"Let him." Jack wheezed weakly, before another coughing fit induced itself.
"Help me get him to the edge." Percy said, taking initiative as he grabbed onto Jack's legs. Will assisted with the arms, and together they carefully dragged Jack the distance.
"Are you sure about this?" Will asked as he helped Jack into some semblance of a standing position.
Percy kept his eyes glued to Jack's wound, which only looked worse once his bloodied shirt was stripped off. "Yeah, I'm sure. And if it doesn't work, you can kill me."
The truth of the matter was, he wasn't sure, but it made sense in his head. The older water had made him more powerful, and he always had the ability to heal himself in it, so who was to say that he couldn't try and use the water to heal Jack?
Will pursed his lips, and let Percy wrap his arms around Jack's waist, like they were Rose and Jack from that one scene in the Titanic, just reversed.
Percy took one last glance behind him, and made eye contact with Elizabeth. It was obvious that she could tell that he had absolutely no idea what he was going to do, but she still gave him a supportive nod.
"Alright, are you ready?"
The inkling of a nudge that Jack gave him was all he needed, and Percy jumped off the ship, sending him and Jack into the cool morning water.
Percy made sure to encapsulate Jack in an oxygen bubble as soon as they submerged, but left the area around the wound exposed to the sea water. The pain from the salt knocked the already weakened Jack out of commission, and Percy was left alone to deal with the issue.
Slowly, Percy placed his hand on top of the gash, and closed his eyes. He felt the water moving around the two of them, and he directed all of his energy through his hand, not knowing what would happen, but hoping that it might work.
Through his eyelids, he registered a bright blue flash, and when he opened his eyes and lifted his hand, he found that there was no more wound. Miraculously, it had been healed, leaving nothing more than a thin white line. Percy felt exhausted for an instant, like he had just gotten the wind knocked out of him, but the feeling quickly went away.
Jack's eyes fluttered open a moment later, and Percy figured that he was stable enough to go back to the ship. When they both landed back on the deck, they were greeted by predictable shocked stares and hanging jaws.
"I have risen!" Jack announced comically, his voice still sounding loopy and his balance wobbly.
"How did you do it?" Elizabeth asked in awe, first checking to make sure that Jack was indeed conscious, before examining the faint scar line.
Percy didn't have a good way to explain what he had just done. "Um, I kind of just…" His voice trailed off as he truly didn't know how to put it in words. "Yeah."
"I hope you don't think I'm gonna kiss you or anything." Jack quipped, his witty personality still very much intact. "Only save stuff like that for the missus."
Jack said the last line towards Elizabeth, who gave him a disgusted look that made everybody around them chuckle—everybody except for Will, who appeared to be rather unamused with the snide remark.
"Say my boy," Jack said to Percy. "That play with the sword was smart."
"Yeah, he di—" Percy stopped talking when he patted his right pocket, and felt nothing there. He felt his heart drop as he reached inside, and turned it inside out, and then repeated the process with every other pocket on his pants and shirt, each and every one of them barren. He had totally forgotten about Riptide, he had just assumed that it had returned like normal.
"What's he doing?" A random pirate asked, to which Will explained. "His sword is magical, it's supposed to be able to come back to him no matter what."
How much time had passed since Akthore had left? Minutes? Hours? Percy frantically combed through every inch of his clothing again, as a rock began to form inside his throat, but came up empty.
Riptide was gone.
Author's Note:
Hi guys, hope everybody is doing splendid. I thought the crazy amounts of free time I know have would make me more productive, but it seems to have done the complete opposite. Nevertheless, super stoked with how this chapter turned out, really starting to fall in love with writing action scenes. Please let me know your thoughts and critiques.
Also, I've kind of been starting to plan out my next big story after I finish this one. How do you guys feel about a Frank-centered story, with an Ancient Chinese flair? Eh?
Peace and love.