Percy's POV:
I hit Morpheus's realm with a bang.
I recognized this place. It wasn't where Grover was being held but, I was here recently. I was in the same room as that creepy sarcophagus aboard the Princess Andromeda. This time I was free to look around and I saw the clever little exit Triton and I made. Except the monsters did a very poor job in patching it up. There were holes all over it which let the light of night into the otherwise dark room.
The next thing that happened was a shift in the atmosphere. The shadows swirled with voices constantly melting into each other. It would change from a man, to to a girl, to a grandma. The sounds wouldn't stay the same. These were the spirits of the dead who were left behind. 'Beware. Ploys, deceit, traps... Don't fall... Like we did...' They whispered as the shadows stroked against my bare skin. They just kept repeating it over and over and over. It felt cold.
Other than the bad patch job, the golden sarcophagus was the only source of light in the room. It had a faint golden glow. The whispers fell silent as a shrill laugh cut through the room. A laugh that, sadly, I was all too familiar with. It crept up from below like He, himself was crawling back out of Tartarus. 'What a pity that you can't stop me.'
Damnit, I should've done this when I had the chance. I stalked the golden sarcophagus uncapping Riptide. The light from my blade battled the rich glow for dominance. The ghosts stormed through the stateroom whispering warnings. Just a couple more feet.
I could feel my heart pounding in my chest as I inched closer. I must destroy the contents of that box. I must destroy Kronos. I must... I was a foot away but, my feet wouldn't budge anymore. My arms began to feel heavier with each passing moment... "Well Seaweed Brain?" I wasn't sure who I was expecting but, it definitely wasn't her. She wore punk-style clothes with silver chains on her wrists that lightly clinked. She had short spiky black hair, dark eyeliner around her stormy blue eyes, and a spray a freckles across the bridge of her nose. She stood a few feet behind me.
"Thalia?" I barely managed to say. I thought she was a pine.
"Well? This isn't the time to get cold feet now, is it?" She rolled her eyes. I shook my head and agreed with her. I formed another sword in my left hand. Thalia tapped her wrist and her chains transformed; flattening and expanding into a grand shield. It was silver and bronze, with the devilish face of Medusa protruding from the center. If I didn't know any better, I'd say Medusa was here. It held a very special power. Any one with even a speck of sanity would turn away and flee at the sight of it. I however, am not a sane person.
Thalia drew her sword and began to advance. The shadows parted from the vicious aura of her shield but, wouldn't stop pestering with warnings. She stood next to me and we removed the lid. It fell to the floor with a loud thud and for a moment nothing happened. My eyes were glued to the contents. "No... It can't be." Thalia's voice trembled and her lipped quivered. From beyond the depths of the ocean Kronos's laughed so loudly I thought we hit an earthquake. "NOOO!" She screamed at the top of her lungs. Her voice broke and small droplets of tears cascaded down her face. In an explosion of shimmering golden light, we were engulfed.
My eyes snapped open and I was still lightly swinging in my hammock. "What in the hell?" I don't even know what to make of what I just saw. It doesn't make any sense. There is no way that that is what's gonna happen. It just can't be. Maybe it is a trap like the spirits kept warning?
The creakiness of the stairs alerted me to someone approaching. I waited a second before Annabeth's head popped from the level above, "Oh good you're awake. Triton wanted me to call you up. Says that we are getting closer and that you should hear this." I had no idea what she was talking about it but, it seems important. And when Triton wants some one to see something it usually means that you should.
I unconventionally rolled out of the hammock and flopped onto the ground with a solid thud. It didn't hurt so; making my way above deck; Immediately I was swamped by a mass of fog. It was pretty damn thick and, made the our vessel look more like a ghost ship. However, I could still make out what's going on around me. It's not much but, still.
The girls were sitting around the mast and whispered amongst themselves only to stop when they caught sight of me. They could gossip all they want for all I cared. It doesn't matter because there are a lot more important things to worry about right now. Like saving Grover from a hungry cyclops and saving camp as soon as possible. Which is basically one and the same at this point.
I stepped up the stairs and saw Triton focusing on past the ship and further into the mist. "Don't you hear it?" Triton asked with a hint of concern but, mostly glee. At first I didn't, then I shut my eyes and tried to target the sound. Past the creakiness of the wood. Past the slapping of the waves. Past the murmurs of our friends. And further into the mist that swallowed presumably swallowed us whole, it smothered the browns of the deck, and the white of the sail. It leached out their color, turning everything the same stony grey as a rock.
"Yea... The Sirens are calling." I smirked when I heard their lovely voices. Their music was something truly to die for. Literally. But, at this distance the enchantment has little to no affect on us. Especially because one of us is a god and the other isn't stupid. And I'm not a god. "So? What's the plan?"
"We're going straight through. We can't afford to waste anymore time taking the long way around." I couldn't agree more.
"Alrighty then. I'll go warn the others. Don't want any mishaps now do we?" Triton nodded and I walked back down the stairs towards Annabeth, Clarisse, and Jessica. They still sat around and didn't do much. I honestly didn't expect anything else from them. I mean, not to put a damper on their abilities but, I still don't understand why they even came. I guess I should be glad that I'm not doing this alone. "Hey! I just came to give you guys a heads up. We're getting pretty close to-"
"The sirens. We know. It's wasn't that hard to figure out." Annabeth cut me off.
"So you know the drill. Get ready and plug your ears with anything you got. I can't have you guys going insane on me, now can I?" I joked a little but, they didn't even smile. I sighed and turned around.
"Actually, we had a different plan in mind." Annabeth again spoke and gained my attention.
"And what would that be?" I asked as nicely as possible. I had a faint idea though.
"We want to hear them..." Jessica mumbled only loud enough for me to hear.
"Excuse me?" I asked thinking I didn't hear them right.
"It is said that they sing the truth about what you desire. Things that are so deep within your subconscious that you yourself don't realize. That's what makes them so enchanting and deadly. And it makes you wiser. It'll make all of us wiser. We can't pass this opportunity." Annabeth reasoned even though I gave up caring about half way through.
"Oh yeah, who wouldn't want to hear a song that turns anyone crazy and deranged. Sounds like a blast." I told then with heavy sarcasm, "Just don't blame me when things go awry."
"What? You don't want to know your deepest desire?" Clarisse butted in very quickly.
"There's a reason why it's buried deep... It may show something that hurts a lot more than than you realize." Not only that but, I'm worried about what they are gonna show me.
"So you aren't going to help us?" Jessica asked.
"I could do many things to try and stop you but, there is no doubt in my mind that you have something you know that I don't. Like a secret knife or a trick that gets you out of knots. You know, something that I have no control over." I told them plainly while shrugging.
"Is there anything you can do? I want to know but, I don't feel like dying over something like this." Jessica asked. I don't know what they want yet, they clearly are willing to stake something in order to find out themselves. Or maybe it's just a girl's thing.
"I can try something..." I was trying to be mysterious but, they weren't having it.
"And that would be?" Clarisse asked getting more and more irritated the more I was in their company.
"Throw you overboard of course!"
"Uhm you may have missed this but, we don't want to DIE!" Jessica shouted while giving her attempt at a glare.
"Nah you misunderstand. I can put you in a dome of sorts as we mosey on by. I also control the thickness of the water to only let a certain volume get in to make sure you don't actually go completely deranged. That way you don't escape and get impaled like the so many other's before you." It wasn't that hard to come up with. Also in this way, I can actively keep an eye on them.
"That can theoretically work... What's the catch?" Annabeth thought long and hard about it. No doubt trying to find other options. Also with her being a daughter of Athena she will definitely have a plan better than mine. Sadly considering the time we have, I don't think any think else would work as well as my option.
"Ahh the catch... Since I'll basically be controlling everything, I may or may not get a glimpse at what your deepest desire is." Not even a second passed at they grew flustered. I don't blame them, I wouldn't want some one snooping around my mind either. Last time wasn't pleasant...
"Alright. But if you tell anyone what you saw, I swear that you will never see the light of day again. Understood?" Annabeth tried to threaten me. It was more adorable than frightening but, I agreed. I can actually see where she is coming from. She still kept eye contact with me. Was it out of fear?
"Actually I'm out. I don't feel comfortable doing this anymore." Jessica spoke up.
"Same and I don't want Prissy over here any where near my mind. I'd rather die." Clarisse was a bit over dramatic. However, Annabeth still wouldn't look away from my face. I guess this is really important to her. More so than I gave her credit for.
"Well let's go then. We should be getting pretty close now." I told the only person who was now willing to stake their lives. In my opinion it's foolish. Yet, she is still willing to go through with it. I'm gonna give her props for that.
I guided Annabeth to the rear of the The Queen Anne's Revenge while I plugged my ears with some wax from below deck. I doubt it is very sanitary. I really shouldn't be talking because I've lived outdoors nearly my entire life. Anyway without any warning I picked up Annabeth bridal style and I swear just before I threw her over she had a splash of a blush across her cheeks. She screamed all the way down. I think. I didn't actually hear her because of the plugged ears and all.
Before we were too far away I used my powers over the sea and forced a current to follow us with Annabeth in the center of it. Next I guided the sea water to form a dome around her partially sunken body. I swear she is gonna be fine. I'm not gonna let her drown and I doubt she'll have the power to fight off a sea current. Soooo there is nothing to worry about. There shouldn't be anything to worry about.
That is until I saw the coast line of the Siren's island. It held shattered pieces of glass, rotting wood from older ships, torn up seats from airplanes, and fiberglass just floating around. I couldn't actually see the coast cause of the thick mist. This actually made me grow a little nervous... No. I have complete control over the situation so there is nothing to worry about.
From within the bubble I could feel Annabeth trying desperately to swim and fight her way out. She tried and failed to do anything within her power to get free from me.
I remember hearing a saying that curiosity killed the cat but, people always forget the second half. It's just as important. Curiosity killed the cat but, satisfaction brought it back. I understood that Annabeth wants to know. She's a daughter of Athena after all. It's basically engraved into her DNA to seek out wisdom. She wants knowledge and as a daughter of the wisdom goddess it can lead her down a dangerous path. The least I can do is make sure she doesn't walk down that path alone.
Not only her but, Grover, Jessica, and the others from camp.
Triton was controlling the ship and we were flying by the Isle of The Sirens. For a split second the mist cleared and I caught a glimpse of the Sirens. They were basically vultures with the heads of humans that constantly shifted. I saw my moms, Triton, and Poseidon before they vanished into the fog.
A shock went through my system and I no longer was standing on the deck of The Queen Anne's Revenge. I saw exactly what Annabeth saw. Clear as day. Three people were having a perfect picnic. I don't recognize the place but, it was a forest surrounded by skyscrapers. Maybe New York? I don't know. I saw Mr. Chase and Athena casually having a conversation while getting ingredients for a sandwich. Next to them was a young... younger Luke.
It's exactly what you'd expect from a perfect dream. A beautiful sunny day, warm, and... just perfect. They were laughing and having the time of their lives. It was great until they saw Annabeth Then it got even better. Their features grew in delight and called her over. Hugs and kisses all around. One big happy family. Like Luke was never an enemy. Like he was still her friend.
Yet, that wasn't all. The city was the city but, it wasn't. It was grander and better in every aspect. And right then I knew Annabeth redesigned all of it in her image.
She did everything she wanted. Savior. Reunited. Happy. Redesigned. A perfect world. And she was the center of all of it. It revolved around her.
I somehow snapped out of it and saw that we cleared the island. That was interesting to say the least. I jumped into the water and jetted towards Annabeth in a hurry. I dropped the dome and saw streaks of tears running down her face. I grabbed her and pulled her into a comforting hug. "I didn't- I didn't-" She stammered.
"Shhhhh, it's okay... It's okay." I tried to comfort her. Annabeth buried her head into my shoulder continued to sob. That vision must've really hit her hard.
I willed the current to take us back to the ship and willed it to rise. Once we were level to the ship I stepped onto the wooden hull with Annabeth and put her down. I unplugged my ears and didn't even catch a faint sound of the Siren's song. I felt that Annabeth needed some privacy but, before I left, "I saw... I just wanted to let you know." I told her and slowly turned to make my way to the front of the ship. By now the fog was nothing more than a distant tickle. I felt relieved. I hate watching my friends go through something like.
"I was wrong..." She said.
"What?"
"I was wrong. I don't believe the Sirens show you your deepest desire... They showed me my fatal flaw." This got my attention, "My fatal flaw is hubris. You saw that too, didn't you?" She asked feeling slightly embarrassed I bet. I did notice how everything was done by her; how she was in the center of it all. I waited a moment and she continued, "Do you ever wonder what the world would be like if we started over? If it wasn't so messed up? Perfect. I wonder about that all the time. I wonder if I could do better. Better than anyone. Better than the gods." She went on to say while hugging her knees.
"If I ran the world... Man that would just be awful." I said in an attempt to lighten the mood. Which worked because I got a small chuckle from her.
"Then you're lucky. Hubris isn't your fatal flaw." She scoffed slightly.
"Trust me, you're the lucky one between you and me," I mentioned while turning around and pointing towards my back with my flute, "This is what I got because of it." I gestured towards a jagged scar that ran from my right shoulder to my the middle of my back. It was about an inch wide and was rough to the touch. It was pretty old but, you wouldn't be able to tell from just looking at it.
"What happened?" Annabeth asked surprised. I could say something ridiculous to get out of this. Or say something that is vague and be done with it. But, after basically trespassing into her mind I feel as though I owe her.
"~Sigh~ Personal loyalty. That's my fatal flaw." I can trust her. I know that much.
"Oh..." She whispered. Yep, I misplaced my loyalty and now, I have a permanent reminder of that. It isn't anybody else's fault other than my own. I know that and will live with that until the day I die. Maybe when I'm up for it I'll tell someone about it. It still hurts though.
"Percy!" I heard a shout from my brother Triton.
"Sorry. I should probably see this what's up." I didn't want to pass off as rude. Yet, this part of the world is no place to get caught off guard. Something was up and I needed to see it. Otherwise Triton wouldn't sound so urgent.
"It's okay... Thanks." Annabeth responded and I could feel she was being genuine. Not like when you ask someone about their day and they say fine when it's really not fine. I raced across the deck startling Jessica and Clarisse who just so happened to throw a boatload of insults at me as I passed. Get it? Boatload? Ha! Classic. Anyway, as I scampered across the starboard side of the ship I caught a glimpse of the path ahead of us.
You'd expect the lair of a notorious Cyclops to be a destroyed piece of land with bones and carcasses. But, that wasn't even close to the case. Even from my dreams I imagined a horrid smell inside a cavern that of rotting meat. And don't get me started on the place Polyphemus goes in order to dispose of his bodily waste. I don't want to believe that Grover was stuck in a gods awful place.
Dear gods, Grover! It's been days since the last time I heard from him. Even the empathy link Grover placed between us has done nothing to reassure me. It was like a constant nagging in the back of my head of anxiousness and fear. My dreams were of no help to find him.
Now the island in front of me was saddle shaped. The hills were forested in a lush canopy of many different hues of green. The beaches were white sanded and were refined to perfection. There were flowery meadows that roamed the beauty of the island. In between the saddle was a chasm with a rickety bridge. This was the only sign of anything monster related. Animals happily grazed in the lush environment. That was until a flock of sheep caught wind of an animal to close to pass up. Like piranha they gorged themselves of the helpless creature.
Next to the chasm was giant oak tree that rustled to the passing winds. Singing it's song to the heavens. The oak showed it's beauty with a golden earring fluttering in its branches. Even from this distance I could feel power radiating from the Golden Fleece. It almost felt shameful to take away the beauty from this island as it faded back it what it once was. Almost. But, my friend is stuck their and I need to save him. I can't let anymore of my friends die.
"Woah." I heard behind me and noticed the gathered crowd of five. "So what's the plan?" I was asked from someone. I didn't need to turn around to know that it was Jessica who asked.
"You guys are going to find Grover and save him. I don't care how it's done but, once you do I want you to return to the ship... and set sail as soon as you arrive." I cut off any argument because they weren't supposed to be here in the first place. Add to the fact that the quest was to get the Fleece. If my brother and I could make a big enough distraction to have them sneak in and save one of our own, it wouldn't get them involved with the quest. That way the quest is still only the two of us. Anymore and they would surely die. That is NOT going to happen. Not if I can help it.
Triton and I are going to go for a different approach. One that won't be so subtle.
"What about you and Triton?" Annabeth finally asked after a moment of silence.
"Us? We're going through the front door." Triton spoke up and smirked at the task ahead of us.
Sorry that there is no fight seen but, I promise that the next chapter will have one. Hope you enjoy.