You know, sometimes I hate being right. Remember that bad feeling I said I had? Well turns out, it was because we were going to be attacked by what I could only describe as killer pigeons. I was totally defenceless because I couldn't see them and in the mass whistling of their wings, could only try and protect my face from their sharp beaks and claws but soon I was burning with cuts all over, tearing at my shirt as some kids screamed near to where I had been sitting in the stands. I somehow managed to pick my way over to them and yelled for them to get their heads down, covering them with my body in order to try and protect them the best I could as people shouted for shields and to fight back. I had no idea where these creatures had come from, but it would really have sucked to have been killed by crazy birds. Thankfully Annabeth and Percy seemed to know what to do, having disappeared for a bit before returning with some of Chiron's music and blasting it as much as possible so that birds screeched and flew off, allowing the Apollo cabin to shoot them down with their expert marksmanship. I listened as the bodies of the birds struck the ground like a hammering drum, everyone holding their breath until the last one had fallen and everything was deadly silent. Slowly I let go of the younger campers and asked them if they were okay, rubbing their shoulders before shouting for medics.
If I was anything to go by then I assumed pretty much everyone was hurt. I had a nasty split on my lip and several cuts on my cheeks and neck as I searched around, yelling for Percy and Tyson until the latter called my name in return. I turned a one eighty and steered myself towards them as Snowstorm came thundering onto the chariot pitch in order to find me, frantic to see that I was bleeding. Tantalus must have been blind, because he didn't even bother to see if the campers were alright but rather, announced Clarisse was the winner like nothing had even happened. He then turned on Annabeth, Percy and Tyson, blaming them for the attack with their bad chariot racing, and when I'd shouted at Tantalus and called him a putrid corpse-breathed imbecile with prune juice for brains, he'd lumped me in their punishment. Totally worth it though. Anyway things weren't getting any better, and so whilst we were elbow deep in lava whilst scrubbing cooking pots and dinner plates, Percy told Annabeth and me about the dreams he'd been having about Grover, now with more details which led to the idea that could possibly save Thalia's tree and the entire camp to boot.
The Golden Fleece, the one thing that could probably heal Thalia's tree. More to the point, Grover was in danger of being forced to marry Polyphemus, the worst Cyclopes of them all, and then probably being eaten once he was found out to not be a lady Cyclopes in a wedding dress. I still felt bad about last year when I'd threatened him and blamed him for what happened to mom, so I was totally up for rescuing poor Grover who seemed to be having a rather rough time of things. I was better trained now, which meant I was determined to help Percy and Annabeth save their friend. However when we posed the plan to Tantalus, even though he was forced to bow under the pressure of the campers' demand for a quest since we'd made the request public in front of everyone, he elected Clarisse to go and not us. Percy was furious but I clamped my hand over his mouth to shut him up, because unless he kept quiet then there was no way Tantalus would give us the chance to sneak out. Fine. If Tantalus wouldn't give us permission, we'll go ourselves. Clarisse can have the Fleece, but we want Grover. After the sing-along ended I dragged Percy away, though Tyson soon got upset because he thought Percy was mad at him.
All things considered, Tyson was pretty clued in about how people felt about him, sniffling as he said that Annabeth hated him even as Percy and I tried to console him and reassure him that this wasn't the case. I managed to get Tyson into bed and he soon fell asleep. I on the other hand, stayed awake and planned in my head how we were going to get out of here. Listening to Percy, I heard him get up and head to the beach, probably to clear his head. I stayed awake for a long while, growing restless until I just couldn't lie still anymore so I got up in order to repack my bag with the things I'd need to take with me. I'll have to break into the armoury in order to borrow a weapon, but with the harpies around I wasn't too confident I'd be able to make it. The rules had become ironclad now, and tougher than ever to break. Feeling a little miserable, I dimly thought to myself that Luke would have been able to manage it as I felt through my pack and counting things off in my head one by one. Of course most important of all? My iPod, headphones and charger. They were practically glued to my body. Just as I was about to get myself a drink of water, dropping a spare purse of golden drachmas and the money mom had given me into my bag, I heard a shout come from the beach which sounded like Percy saying that there was another attack. Tyson leaped up from his bed so suddenly that I squeaked when I heard his sudden rolling movement, clumsily tripping over the leg of his bed and I almost believed he had never been asleep in the first place, but then when I heard him sleepily mumble, I realised he was still in the process of waking up. Finally with a rather strong shout of 'Percy needs help!' Tyson took off towards the beach, with me vaulting out of the cabin in order to follow as Snowstorm stirred and cantered after me, waking up and moving quickly in order to follow from her private stables next to our cabin that Tyson had built her. I heard someone else join us, and judging from their breathing and the sound of their footsteps, I guessed it was Annabeth. "Annabeth?"
"You heard Percy?"
"Yeah, come on!" We ran to the beach together, ready to fight off whatever had attacked him, however when we got there I sensed no dark presences or smelled anything monster-ish, just Percy and a lingering scent in the air that made me stop and start all at once. "Percy? Was Hermes just here?"
"Yeah…wait, how did you know?" I didn't answer him, sighing with relief to know he was alright as I placed a hand on Snowstorm who yawned and told me that it was never good for one's complexion or their coat to be suddenly roused from sleep, worse still for no good reason at all. I agreed. Although we were confused about what was going on, Percy told us about the conversation he'd had with Hermes, who essentially had told my little brother that it was okay to steal stuff. Definitely the coolest god. However time was now of the essence, and apparently there was a ship out on the ocean that we needed to get to and I couldn't help but think about the dream Hermes had visited me in. Had he known that I would be going on a quest so soon? Was this a hint that we could very well be crossing paths with Luke at some point? And if so, how come and why? Also, why not just give me the details so I knew exactly what was happening and how I needed to deal with this situation? Seriously, gods were incredibly vague and it caused more than one or two issues. Well, I can't exactly refuse to go on the quest now, otherwise I'd be breaking my word and that would incur a very serious and most likely unfortunate fate. Shouldering the backpack that I had brought with me, I knew I didn't have time to go back to the armoury for a weapon, or much of a chance really considering the harpies were screeching behind us and sounding like they were hungry. I'd have to find something whilst I was out there.
"Well, sounds like it's obvious what we need to do." I announced as I cracked my knuckles and turned to Snowstorm, thinking that there was no way she'd be able to carry four of us all at once, especially considering one of us was Tyson. Annabeth had argued about taking him and even Percy lingered on his decision, but I put my foot down, reminding him that Tyson was extremely strong and impervious to fire, he could be very helpful fighting against another Cyclopes if he didn't mind pitching in, whereby I felt Tyson grin at me and promise he wanted to help, giving me a hug and nuzzling me until I patted his back because I couldn't reach his head as he'd trapped my arms. "Good boy Tyson, just be careful of my pack please because it has valuables in it." He swiftly let me go so I smiled to him as Snowstorm snorted with distaste and nuzzled at me, not wanting to be overshadowed by Tyson for my affections.
Percy made the final decision to let Tyson come and Annabeth had no choice but to agree, though now we were stuck as to how we were going to actually reach the boat. There's no way I'm touching the water. It's bad enough we have to cross the ocean itself to reach Grover. That satyr better appreciate me doing this. "Hermes said our dad would help." Percy said to me after Annabeth posed the question of how to reach the ship, though I immediately scowled. I hated where this was going. Urged to hurry up by Annabeth, Percy waded into the water where apparently he could breathe and never got wet unless he wanted to. I guess he accepted his heritage far more than I did. "Um, Dad? How's it going?" I groaned as Annabeth whispered rather frantically for Percy to get to the point. "We need your help. We need to get to that ship, like, before we get eaten and stuff, so…" Looking towards where I heard the harpies screech again, I swiftly mounted up on Snowstorm who pawed at the sand.
"There's no way I'm going in the sea. Not for anything." I announced as Snowstorm wheeled herself around, getting agitated at the threat of being devoured by harpies whilst Tyson must have mooned over her, whispering 'pretty chicken-pony' to himself. It was another reason Snowstorm didn't like Tyson. It was only when Tyson gasped something about fish-ponies I realised dear old dad had answered Percy at all, hearing some shapes cutting through the water until Annabeth recognised what they were.
"Hippocampi! They're beautiful!" I took her word for it, but I wasn't going to waste time asking for a description right now. Apparently there were four duffel bags on the sand, Percy tossing one to me though I didn't realise what he was doing so it hit me in the face with a heavy thud before I then caught it, my face now aching so I shot a glare towards my brother as he offered a guilty apology. Together Percy and I ushered Tyson onto one of the hippocampi before I then urged Snowstorm, giving a whistle to the flying hags so that they would chase after me instead as Snow took off, cantering down the beach before spreading her wings. There was one ride each for Annabeth, Tyson and Percy, so I assumed Poseidon had heard me when I'd said I had no intention of getting in the water. Anyway Snowstorm was as fast as ever, easily outstripping the harpies before she then rose up into the air before curling over the ocean where I could smell the salt breeze and mist, which admittedly was a rather comforting smell, though I kept this detail to myself as I gripped onto Snow's mane and let her carry me to the ship, not knowing what was going to happen next.