We were drifting into the island's shallows when I awoke from my power nap, the last of my dreams fading from my mind. Yellow morning light streamed through the windows, casting a bright glow across the living area. Rubbing the sleepiness from my eyes, I peeled myself off the couch and hopped into the shower, letting the water wash away the soreness from the past few days.

I was beginning to really despise our voyage through the Sea of Monsters. First we ran into Scylla, then some shady resort owner who may or may not have been a sorceress, and now most recently, a skyscraper sized leviathan. Not to mention, Polyphemus, supposedly the most powerful Cyclops in existence, was waiting for us at our island destination. He'd certainly make getting the Fleece and rescuing Grover that much more difficult. Oh, and once we did all that, there was another little problem. We'd still need to get out of the Sea of Monsters.

Thoughts of Zach and Tristian, the two demigods who perished during the battle with Scylla, sprung to my mind along with Cam and Mary, their fates hanging in the balance back on the sorceress's island. And we'd nearly lost yet another man yesterday when the sea monster attacked. Just how many lives would it take for us to get this Fleece?

I stared out the window into the rolling waters as I toweled myself off, so lost in thought that I forgot I could just will myself dry. Clarisse was out there somewhere, with Annabeth as a stowaway, and they were embarking on the same mission as us. I wasn't sure how they found out where the Fleece was, but I silently prayed they would turn back. There was no way they'd be able to navigate the Sea of Monsters in that dinky little ship.

A packet of Poptarts and a banana served as a quick breakfast as I made my way to the navigation room. Luke was bringing the ship to a halt as I entered. The thrum of the engines faded, and I felt the propeller, bent and damaged as it was, gradually slow its rotation to a standstill.

"You missed a real exciting three hours," Luke deadpanned. "We were sailing so slowly I thought we were moving backwards."

I informed him about my dream of Annabeth and Clarisse.

Frowning, he clasped his hands behind his back and glanced thoughtfully down at the deck.

"The repairs will take some time, but we still have a few day's lead on them. They'll be no trouble at all."

"That's not what I mean. They won't last a day in these waters," I said.

"Not our concern. We have enough on our plate as it is. Maybe we'll run into them on our way out."

I nodded, hoping that was the case. He was right. We needed to focus on getting the Fleece and saving Grover. Annabeth and Clarisse were more than capable of taking care of themselves. If we did our job and did it fast, we'd be able to intercept them before they'd have a chance to enter the Triangle. Clarisse wasn't my favorite person in the world, but even she didn't deserve to be gobbled up by a sea monster.

I joined Luke in observing the deck below, where everyone was going about their daily business. Chris had a crowd gathered around him on the Promenade, demonstrating sword fighting techniques to a mixture of demigods and monsters. On the other side of the deck was disemboweling practice. A host of various monsters were going to town on some dummies, ripping, clawing, biting, and shredding them into dust.

I saw Tyson carrying a large toolbox and leading a posse of giants and telkhines towards the rear of the ship, where I figured they'd get to work on repairing the propeller. Agrius and Oreius stood guard on the flanks of the ship, keeping a watchful eye on the sea and sending nervous glances towards the island.

I couldn't blame them. The island seemed deserted, which normally would have been a relief. Sandy beaches and lush forests stretched all the way around the coastal bend, with not a building or monster in sight. And yet, there was something… ancient about the island that made me anxious. I couldn't shake the feeling that someone or something was watching us.

"Finish the repairs quickly," Kronos's voice grated in my head. Luke must've heard it, too, judging by the grimace marring his features. The titan king's guttural rasping wasn't exactly pleasant to listen to, and it only became louder as his army grew and his presence strengthened. "We must leave this place at once."

"Repairs have only just begun, my lord," Luke said. "We may be here for the better part of the day."

A dissatisfied growl was all he received in response. I glanced back towards the island, my worry renewed. If even Kronos was getting the creeps, I figured nothing good would come from lingering here too long.

Tyson knew what he was doing, and was a great mechanic, even better than some of the kids in the Hephaestus cabin. We'd be out of here in no time.

"Where did you see him?" Luke demanded.

Agrius pointed a massive paw down towards the beach where the sand met the shaded treeline, making it hard to see what he was talking about. "He was over there, just inside the forest."

Oreius leaned over the railing, trying to get a better look, but whoever was there was gone.

Luke scowled. "What was he doing? What did he look like?"

The elder bear twin shrugged. "I couldn't really see. But it looked like he was just watching us. Should my brother and I go search for him?"

"No, probably just some unheard of indigenous population living on an uncharted island. Let them be. But do let me know if he comes back."

"There he is!" Oreius cried out excitedly.

We all spun and followed Oreius's gaze. Sure enough, a man had emerged from some hidden path in the foliage and was making his way down the beach. He was tall, with a head full of long, dark green hair and a beard that reached his chest. He was dressed in a pair of Tommy Bahamas khakis and an Aloha T-shirt that was missing a few buttons at the top, but his casual appearance did nothing to reflect the stern expression plastered on his face. To his side, a beautiful woman accompanied him. She wore a straw hat and a blue sundress that seemed to shimmer like the waves in the sea.

They looked like a normal tourist couple, perhaps upset that we'd intruded on their vacation. As they got closer, however, I noticed a pair of strange growths on the man's head, and had to do a double-take. Horns. The guy had horns sprouting out of his head. Either this man was a satyr, or we'd just found the devil's vacation home.

Both of them walked with a stiffness to their gate, the woman looping an arm around the man's as they proceeded directly towards us. Though we were at least a couple hundred feet out at sea, so I wasn't sure what their plan was. Were they going to swim out to our ship?

Behind them, a huge mansion shimmered into existence at the edge of the beach and the forest. Green marble columns framed the entrance, with blue stained glass windows decorating the facade. Statues of dolphins and mermaids lined the path up the beach, and elegant gardens lay on either side.

The two of them made it to the edge of the water before Luke decided they were too close for comfort.

"Stop!" he shouted.

The couple paused and glanced up at us inquisitively, the man raising a hand to shield his eyes from the morning sun.

"Who are you?" Luke called down to them. By now, a group had gathered on the side of the deck to see what the commotion was about.

The man stepped forward, and the water seemed to swirl around him protectively. He must've been at least a football field away, but when he spoke, his deep voice sounded like he was right next to me.

"I was about to ask you the same question," he said. "How did you get past our cetus?"

Luke's eyes narrowed hesitantly. "Their cetus?" he repeated under his breath.

Several cries of alarm sounded behind us. "Captain! Look!"

We spun on our heels. One of the demigods Chris had been training with earlier was pointing off the opposite side of the ship out towards the sea, his hand trembling.

We rushed over to the other railing, and I felt my stomach drop. The sea monster from the previous night was back, and it looked quite upset that I'd chopped off his head-light thing, whatever they were called. Its immense body formed a semicircle around our ship, blockading us against the island. We were trapped. Even if we did manage to fix the propeller in a timely manner, we wouldn't be able to go anywhere with this thing on guard duty. Fortunately for us, the monster seemed content to keep its distance for now, but I knew we'd be easy pickings if it ever decided to attack.

I silently prayed Tyson and his fellow engineers had caught on to what was happening and had made it safely back into the ship. I didn't want them to be caught underneath the ship when this thing got hungry.

Luke grit his teeth and strode back to face the man. "Call off your cetus!" he yelled. "We're not looking for trouble, just passing through."

The man adopted a look of confusion. "You mean, you're not here for me?"

"No, of course not," Luke answered him. "We don't even know who you are."

The man scowled and turned to the woman beside him, conversing with her in hushed whispers. After a brief, but seemingly intense conversation, he turned back to us. "I see," he said. "Then it is the Fates who have brought us back together, Kronos."

I saw Luke visibly tense, hands tightening around the railing. His head whipped around and he cast a look of alarm my way, which I returned in kind. Just who were these people, and how could they have possibly known Kronos was aboard the ship? Murmurs broke out amongst the group of onlookers standing along the side of the deck.

A deep sigh rattled across the Princess Andromeda, as if the titan king had been holding his breath throughout the entire exchange, trying his best to avoid drawing the attention of the two strangers on the beach.

"I see time hasn't addled your senses, Oceanus," Kronos said, the displeasure evident in his voice.

My eyes widened. We were presently speaking with the oldest of the titans and previous ruler of the sea, Oceanus. The one C.C. had tasked us to find, and the one Kronos had explicitly ordered us to avoid. I glanced towards Luke nervously.

Kronos had called his brother a traitor. Did that mean he was working with the gods? I certainly hoped not. This man would make an exceedingly dangerous enemy. If he was anywhere near as powerful as my father, then he'd be capable of sending our ship on a one way trip to the bottom of the sea with ease.

"So the rumors are true…" the woman spoke up, shifting forward to stand by Oceanus's side, her expression guarded. Something told me she wasn't exactly happy we were here, either. "You really have returned from Tartarus."

"Ah, Tethys, how long it's been. No, I have not yet broken free of this hellscape, but progress is being made. No thanks to either of you, of course," Kronos said coldly.

Oceanus pursed his lips at the thinly veiled accusation. "As if we'd offer you our help after everything you've done. We'll have no part of… whatever it is you're plotting," he stated plainly. "If you ask me, it would be better for everyone if you were to remain in Tartarus."

That rhythmic metallic rasping I'd come to recognize as Kronos's laughter sounded throughout the ship. "Tell me, Oceanus, how it is that you can live with yourself after abandoning your brothers to endless torment?"

Immediately, I sensed a change in the air. The morning sun was quickly enshrouded in dark grey clouds, and the ocean waves chopped at the shore. The man's eyes narrowed at us, rage bubbling just underneath the surface, and for a moment, I thought we were fish food. But then Oceanus closed his eyes and exhaled, and the atmosphere became noticeably lighter.

"And how can you live with yourself knowing you were the one who led them there?" he replied calmly. "You're the last person who should be talking about family."

Thunder crackled across the sky, making me wonder just which of the three titans here had caused it. Behind us, the cetus lifted its head out of the water and roared to match it, seaweed and fish flopping from its chin down into the brine.

I shifted warily, getting the feeling we weren't welcome here, and from a quick glance around the deck, I could tell everyone else was just as uncomfortable. Each person here was acutely aware of what happened when immortals got into disputes. Wanton destruction and slaughter was the case more often than not. Who knows how many people would have perished if I hadn't returned Zeus's bolt in time to stop the war between him and my father?

Kronos had promised us the titans would be different. They wouldn't make the same mistakes as the gods. They wouldn't toy with their followers' lives so carelessly.

I had a feeling we were about to see whether he'd make good on his word or not.

Kronos sighed resignedly. "My subordinate is correct. We're indeed just passing through, and we'll be on our way once repairs are completed. Then the two of you may go back to swimming, or sunbathing, or whatever it is you've been doing while your brethren are being tortured."

"Fine by me," Oceanus agreed. "Don't let me find you here again, or there'll be nothing left of your ship to repair."

The two of them spun on their heels, heading back up the sandy path towards their home. Without even glancing back, Tethys held her hand out to the side and snapped her fingers. "Nemo!" she called.

Behind us, the sea monster bellowed in acknowledgement and dipped its head back into the water, the rest of its body retreating after it.

I felt the tension drain from the air. Luke let out a deep breath and ran a hand through his hair, color beginning to return to his face. "That was too close. Tell the engineers to work double time. I want to get away from this island as soon as possible."

I nodded, staring at the retreating figure of Oceanus, wondering just what had caused such a rift to form between him and Kronos.

Using a secret underwater welding technique taught to them by the Telkhines, Tyson and his engineers were able to get the propeller fixed in just under four hours, which allowed us to raise anchor around mid-day, much to everyone's relief. We kept a close eye on our surroundings just in case Oceanus decided to send "Nemo" after us anyways, but after an hour or so of sailing, it became apparent that we were in the clear.

Luke had me on navigation duty again, and instructed me to steer clear of any further obstructions to our journey. Every second we spent in the Sea of Monsters brought Thalia closer to death, and who even knew if time behaved the same way here? I remembered with a chill the precious time Annabeth, Grover, and I had lost in the Lotus Casino. We'd been there only a few hours, but had been shocked to find we'd actually shaved days off our quest once we'd escaped.

Thankfully, we had the Lord of Time aboard our vessel, so if we had any clock-related hiccups, I felt we'd have known about them by now.

My thoughts continued to ramble for the better part of the day as we closed in on the coordinates the Grey Sisters gave us.

I felt it before I saw it.

Before, the water in the Sea of Monsters had felt tainted and hazy. Extending my senses out into the surrounding waters, I'd been able to make out general shapes and contours of the sea bed, but the finer details had eluded me. But as we got closer and closer to the island, the ocean around the ship began to sharpen into focus.

It was like I'd put on a pair of glasses.

The water was teeming with life. I sensed schools of fish darting through coral reefs, making way for larger marine mammals as they wandered the waters. All sorts of plant life dotted the undersea landscape for miles ahead of us like a bustling city beneath the waves. The sheer diversity was astounding. There was a whole different world passing by right beneath the hull of our ship, and I was probably the only one on board who could sense it.

I was impressed that the influence of the Golden Fleece was able to extend all the way out into these waters. If it had been able to vitalize a place as inhospitable as the Sea of Monsters, I had no doubt that it would be able to save Thalia. Even the poison of the Elder Python wouldn't stand a chance against such invigorating magic. But when I thought about taking the Fleece away from here, it almost made me hesitate. It seemed cruel to steal away the one thing protecting this place from the taint of the Sea of Monsters. I doubted many of the creatures here would be able to survive the blighted waters very long. It felt wrong, like chopping down a rainforest to make way for a landfill.

But I reminded myself we had no choice. The camp was in danger, and the Fleece was the only thing that could protect it. Besides, if Grover was right, the Fleece was being used as a death trap for the Seekers of Pan. Maybe if Polyphemus had never gotten his hands on it, the lost god would've been found by now, and Pan could work his magic to keep coral reefs like this one from dying off to pollution.

The elevator behind me dinged, and Luke stepped out, tailed by his ever-present bodyguards.

"We're almost there," he said, more of a statement than a question. "I can feel its magic on the wind."

I nodded and pointed out the window towards a small lump on the horizon. "That island right there."

A small smile graced his lips. "Excellent. We made good time, despite all the setbacks." He approached the window and crossed his arms behind his back, staring out at the island. "Now all that's left to do is grab the Fleece, rescue that idiot satyr, and haul our asses back to C.C.'s island. Then we can leave behind the Sea of Monsters for good. Cruises are nice and all, but I'm itching to get back on dry land."

He made it sound so easy. Like we were just going for a walk in the park instead of invading the lair of the most feared Cyclops in history. Luke just had this aura of confidence around him in everything he did, a sort of charisma that inspired people. It was little wonder why, out of all of the capable men and women the gods had wronged, Kronos had chosen Luke as his lieutenant. His leadership is just what the titan king needed to gain a foothold on the surface. The son of Hermes would make a fearsome enemy towards the Olympians.

I returned my attention to the navigation console, focusing on keeping the ship from scraping up against any unexpected rocks in the shallow water as we approached the island.

"Have you sensed anything over your empathy link from Grover?" asked Luke.

I shook my head. I'd hoped to be able to talk to Grover in another dream last night, but my vision of Clarisse's ship taking off was all I'd been able to see. That, and the usual nightmares. So I didn't have any updates on Grover, but I figured no news was good news in this case. I wasn't a hundred percent sure how empathy links worked, but I was confident that if Grover's situation had changed, I would have felt it. Which meant he was probably still holed up in some cave on that island, sewing away at his bridal train and working on his best impressions of a lady cyclops.

'Hold on just a bit longer, Grover," I thought. 'We're almost there.'

"Here is fine," said Luke, raising the binoculars to his eyes.

The thrum of the engines faded as I shut them down and dropped anchor. We were just off of the island now, maybe half a mile out from the beach. I knew Polyphemus's eyesight wasn't great, but he'd have to have lost his eye completely to miss a ship of this size parked just outside of his home.

Luke scoffed, lowering the binoculars from his face. "I don't believe it," he said, chuckling. "It's too easy."

Seeing my confusion, he handed me the binoculars. I brought them up to my eyes and scanned the island. There was almost no indication that an evil monster lived here. The place was a tropical paradise, even more beautiful than the resort C.C. had etched out of her island. The island was shaped like a deer's hoof print, but inverted. It was essentially two raised plateaus with a ravine carved down the middle, a rickety wooden bridge spanning the gap.

Lush vegetation and green meadows covered much of the land, with various animals spending their time lazily grazing away. I turned my attention to the beach, and a flash of gold caught my eye. Just a little ways up the hill, hanging in plain view on the branch of a massive oak tree and surrounded by a flock of sheep, was the Golden Fleece. Seeing what Luke had meant, I laughed. The cyclops had basically placed it out as a welcome mat.

My laughter turned to stunned silence as a deer pranced out into the meadow, where it was promptly descended upon by the flock of sheep. The deer went down, and all I saw was a cloud of wool and tufts of fur. When the feeding frenzy dispersed, all that was left was a pile of freshly cleaned bones.

"Uh—" I began, but I was cut off by the sound of a sword unsheathing.

I turned to see Luke holding Backbiter in his hands, arcs of red energy crackling through it. He gave me a sly grin as he slashed it downwards, opening a rift in the middle of the navigation room. He reached one arm into it and felt around for a moment. When he pulled his arm back through, the Golden Fleece was draped around it.

My eyes widened. Now that it was right next to me, I could feel the restorative power rolling off of it in waves. "No way," I said, turning to take another look at the island. Sure enough, when I peered through the lenses again, the Fleece was gone. I didn't know if I was imagining it, but the immense tree it had been on seemed to droop a little, like it was having a hard time standing under its own weight.

The sheep were starting to notice their source of abundance had been stolen. They began to spread out, evidently looking for the missing Fleece, stampeding and devouring anything in their path. I sent a nervous glance toward the bridge, hoping the gaps between the wooden planks would keep the sheep from crossing. I didn't want them to find Grover in their frenzied state.

At the opposite end of the bridge, I saw Polyphemus appear, looking exactly as I'd seen him in my dreams. He lumbered over the wooden planks, likely having been distracted by the commotion among his flock.

"Polyphemus left the cave," I informed Luke. "This is our chance to get Grover."

Luke ran a hand along the flat of his blade, examining the rippling energy flowing through it. "I don't have enough juice in this thing to portal us there and back with Grover in tow. We'll have to take the pegasi."

I nodded in agreement, and then the two of us were on the move. Luke draped the Fleece over the captain's chair and ordered Agrius and Oreius, who had been standing guard by the doors, to protect it with their lives. They gave a gruff affirmative as we stepped into the elevator, descending down to the main deck.

As we stepped out, I already had my fingers cupped to my mouth, letting out a piercing whistle that pealed across the ship. Within seconds, the shadows of three pegasi flitted across the deck as Blackjack and his friends arrived.

"You got another mission for us, boss?"

"We do. It's a rescue operation."

"Sounds dangerous. I'm in."

As we were mounting up, a thought occurred to me.

"Wait," I said. Luke shot me a questioning look. "Polyphemus will have blocked his cave with a boulder. I saw him do it a couple times in my dreams. We won't be able to get in."

From atop the noble Guido, Luke frowned. "A boulder? How big are we talking? Can we move it?"

I shook my head. "Not by ourselves. We'll need someone stronger." I thought for a few seconds before an idea popped into my head. "We should bring Tyson."

A scowl appeared on the sandy-haired demigod's face. "No. No way," he said firmly. "We'll bring Agrius or Oreius. Surely they're strong enough to move it?"

I considered it for a moment, but after taking a glance at Porkpie, the one remaining pegasus we had, I decided against it. Sure, Porkpie was the beefiest of our steeds, but I doubted even he could carry one of the bear twins.

Also, I'd just about had it with Luke's attitude towards Tyson. Ever since the day I'd brought my half-brother onto the ship, it had seemed like Luke was going out of his way to treat him with disdain, or avoid him entirely. He acted like Tyson was some kind of monster, which infuriated me to no end, because there were literally dozens of much worse monsters on the ship that Luke didn't even blink at. So far, Tyson had done nothing but help our cause, improving parts of the ship and pushing it to its mechanical limits. He'd done nothing wrong.

"Tyson's the only one that's small enough to ride a pegasus and strong enough to move the boulder," I argued. "Why are you so against him joining us?"

The subsequent look of incredulity on Luke's face reminded me of the first time I'd gotten an answer right during one of Annabeth's Ancient Greek history quizzes.

"He's a Cyclops!" Luke said in exasperation. "And we're about to invade the home of the MacDaddy of Cyclopes. Do I really need to spell this out for you?"

Frustrated, I gritted my teeth. "What, you think that just because he's a cyclops too, he's going to suddenly switch sides and help Polyphemus?"

"I wouldn't put it out of the realm of possibility. Cyclopes are deceitful," he stated matter-of-factly. "It's just their nature."

Luke sounded so sure of himself, I almost faltered. Clearly, he'd had some kind of bad experience with a Cyclops in the past, something that made it difficult for him to trust their kind, but I wouldn't let that kind of prejudice be directed at my half-brother. He'd done nothing to deserve it.

"Tyson's not like that," I shot back. "Give him a chance to prove it."

Luke held my gaze for a moment, a silent battle of wills raging between us, before he rolled his eyes and let out a sigh. "Fine," he snapped. "We don't have time to argue about this. Bring him, then. But if he betrays us, Percy… I will kill him."

I sent him a glare and dropped off of Blackjack. Polyphemus had likely crossed the bridge by now and would be heading towards our end of the island. I had to hurry. Double timing it back to the elevator, I took it down to the lower levels and bolted toward the engine room, where I found Tyson tinkering with a round object at a workbench, though I didn't get a good look at it before he swiped it behind him.

"Percy!" he said, grinning toothily.

"Hey, big guy. We need your help with something."

He seemed to pick up on my urgency and immediately dropped what he was doing to follow me, no questions asked. Mentally, I scoffed. How could Luke believe Tyson would turn traitor? The guy was one of the most hardworking and eager-to-please members of our crew. Luke had to be even more blind than Polyphemus to not see that.

As we ascended to the deck, I explained to him what we were going to be doing. At the beginning of our voyage, Luke had announced our goal of obtaining the Fleece and delivering it to Camp Half-Blood, but he'd left the part about Grover and the empathy link out. The less people who knew about that potential weakness of mine, the better, he reasoned.

I told Tyson we'd already nabbed the Fleece. He nodded, saying he felt a 'warm, blankety feeling' over the ship. But he became absolutely giddy with excitement when I told him we were flying to the other side of the island to rescue my satyr friend.

"Fly?" he asked breathlessly. "I never flied before."

I wondered if any Cyclops ever had.

I smiled at his eagerness, but I quickly turned serious as the elevator doors parted to the main deck. "Listen big guy, there's something else you should know. On the island, there's another—"

"Wing ponies!"

He plodded towards the pegasi, who each took defensive stances as soon as they'd heard his excited outburst. Tyson extended his arms as if to give Blackjack a massive hug, sending the three pegasi into the air like a startled flock of oversized seagulls. Luke leaned against a nearby railing, unimpressed with the spectacle.

"Tyson!" I called. His big eye was turned skywards, watching the "wing ponies" circling overhead as I ran to catch up with him.

"Didn't mean to scare them," he said.

"It's alright. I'll call them back down. You just need to be gentle with them. They're our rides to the island. Don't squeeze them too hard, ok?"

He nodded, and I whistled for them to come back down. It took some cajoling ("What's wrong, Porkpie? You don't think you're strong enough?") and promises of treats upon our return, but I eventually convinced Porkpie to let Tyson ride him.

I boosted him up, and then mounted Blackjack again, and my eyes turned to Luke. He was still standing by the railing, arms crossed. Meanwhile, Guido glanced between the two of us awkwardly.

"Aren't you coming?" I asked.

Luke shook his head. "You need a getaway horse for Grover, don't you? Besides, I'll need to watch the ship in case Polyphemus notices us. I doubt he'll be able to do any real damage to it on his own, but…"

His eyebrows furrowed, and he rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Percy, can you whip up a storm around the ship when you leave?"

I shot him a confused look. "Um, I can. But what for?"

"To conceal our presence. Even with his poor eyesight, Polyphemus is bound to notice the Princess Andromeda when he realizes the Fleece is gone. I figure if you can make it rainy and windy enough to hide the ship and scatter our scent, he won't wise up to the fact that he has intruders on the island."

"Good point," I conceded, impressed with his craftiness.

"Now get going. I'll give you thirty minutes to get Grover and get out. If you're not back by then, I'll assume something's gone wrong and have our troops storm the island." His eyes narrowed at Tyson, who was busy steadying himself on top of Porkpie. "And they'll have orders to kill all monsters they come across," he growled. He'd lowered his voice low enough for Tyson to be out of earshot, but I could tell my half-brother still heard the sentiment by the way he tensed up. The guy had incredible hearing. "Is that understood?" Luke asked, this time louder.

Forget what I said about being impressed. Glowering at him, I urged Blackjack forward. "And if we are back by then, you will lay off of him. Got it?"

An easy smile grew on his face. "Deal."

I snorted. We certainly had no such deal. I'd be damned before I let anyone hurt Tyson. If anyone even so much as shook a stick at him, they'd be getting closely acquainted with Riptide.

Following Blackjack, Porkpie sauntered after us, Guido not far behind. I yelled behind me for Tyson to hold on tightly (but not too tightly, I hoped). When we got to the edge of the deck, the pegasi leapt the railing and dived over the side. We plunged towards the water, the sea wind blowing my hair back. Just when I thought we would crash, the pegasi extended their wings and shot forward, riding the gusts along the sea.

Just as Luke had asked, I lifted my gaze towards the sky, imagining the sunny blue expanse darkening into a stormy grey. My eyes closed, and a cauldron of emotions boiled together within me. My anger at the gods, the conflict I'd felt at Poseidon's offer to live with him, my worry over Grover, all coalescing into a chaotic amalgamation that pulled at my gut.

A clap of thunder signalled it had worked. I opened my eyes to find the sea had darkened. Wind whipped through my hair as a pouring rain began assaulting the ship and the surrounding waves. As we put some distance between ourselves and the ship, the rain began to cover it like a thick blanket, effectively concealing it from sight.

We kept low, the hooves of our steeds almost kicking into the waves as we flew towards the island.

"Woohoo!" Tyson cried loudly, so loudly I could hear it echo off the cliffs even over the roaring wind.

"Tyson, shh! We don't want Polyphemus to hear us."

His big eye widened in recognition. "Polyphemus?"

I urged Blackjack closer to Porkpie so we could talk face to face. "Yes, I meant to tell you in the elevator. He lives here on the island. He's a Cyclops, like you."

Tyson turned his head to look out over the island, maybe searching for a glimpse of our foe. In turn, I studied his face, trying to gauge his reaction. I wondered if he'd ever seen another Cyclops before. Would he want to meet his older kin? Or would he be afraid?

I scanned my eyes over the crest of the island. We were no longer in range of the storm I'd conjured, so visibility was quite a bit higher for us.

I caught the hulking figure of Polyphemus shambling down the hill from the rope bridge, heading towards the fields where his sheep were running amok. He came to a stop, likely taking notice of the storm just off the coast of his beach. Not thinking much of it, he continued on after a brief moment. If we were lucky, he'd think the storm was responsible for riling his flock and wouldn't notice his prized trophy was missing.

"All Cyclopes know about Polyphemus," Tyson said wistfully. "He is the biggest of our kind, strong as a mountain. But he is also the greediest and meanest."

"Then let's do our best to avoid him, okay?"

Tyson nodded. "Good plan."

I breathed a sigh of relief. It wasn't that I thought Tyson would betray me like Luke believed. I just wanted to avoid any encounters with giant angry monsters altogether.

"You're doing good for your first time flying," I told Tyson. He beamed at me.

I fidgeted with Blackjack's reins, my hands curling into fists around them. "Listen, about what Luke said back there…" I trailed off.

Tyson frowned. "He does not like me. Thinks I am bad."

"You aren't bad, Tyson," I asserted. "Don't listen to him. I don't know what his deal is, but I'm not going to let him hurt you."

He sent me a grateful smile.

I led us around the outskirts of the island, keeping our presence hidden behind the sheer cliffs that surrounded the ravine. After a while, I spotted the rope bridge again, indicating we'd made it about halfway down the island. When we reached the opposite end of the ravine, we pitched upwards, ascending up to the point where the bridge met land.

We continued onwards, following the upward slope of the hill until the cave I'd seen in my dreams came into view, complete with the six ton boulder blocking the entrance.

I steered Blackjack towards it and had him land in front of the massive barrier. Tyson touched down just behind me.

"Grover's in here," I informed him.

Porkpie gazed up at the boulder and snorted.

'This Polyphemus guy must be roided out of his mind,' he said.

I had to agree. It was easily five times the size of Tyson, definitely too heavy to move by human standards. Luckily, Cyclopes were much stronger than humans pound-for-pound. I met my half-brother's gaze.

"Think you can roll it out of the way?" I asked.

He looked at it uncertainly and gulped before stepping forward and putting his hands up against the side. His feet dug into the dirt as his muscles tensed, a strained look marring his features. He grunted in effort, and I could hear the boulder begin to shift, but after a moment, he let go, and it fell back into its original position. Tyson panted in exhaustion. I was about to tell him to take a breather when a panicked shriek sounded across the island.

"MY FLEECE! WHERE IS IT?! WHERE?!"

I cursed. Polyphemus was on to us. He'd be combing the island now, looking for his most prized possession. Not to mention, we only had a few minutes before Luke would order the army to start gearing up for a beach landing.

Tyson threw himself at the boulder again, straining against it with all his might. I managed to wedge myself in between the wall of the cave and the boulder, and pushed with my legs, though I wasn't sure how much good it would do. Porkpie plodded over and braced his neck against the boulder, digging his hooves into the ground and pushing. It was only when Blackjack and Guido joined in, bringing our total horsepower up to three, that the boulder finally dislodged from its position and rolled to the side.

I felt a rush of cool air breeze past me as the dark cave was exposed. My eyes weren't adjusted to the low lighting inside, so I nearly had a heart attack when a sea of white flooded out of the darkness towards us.

"Sheep!" Tyson trilled, and I prayed they weren't the man-eating kind. I took a step back, Riptide in my hands, but the wooly creatures paid us no mind. They brushed against our legs as they swept out into the sunlight, Tyson giggling and petting them as they passed.

I peered into the darkness, letting my eyes adjust as I searched for my cloven-footed friend. "Grover, are you in here?!" I called into the cave.

I frowned when the only response I got was the echo of my voice off the damp walls. A stab of trepidation ran through me. Polyphemus hadn't discovered the ruse, had he? Could he have already eaten Grover? But that couldn't be possible. I'd have felt it through the empathy link.

I wandered further into the chamber and realized the place was a lot bigger than I'd thought. There were multiple rooms and corridors stretching in opposing directions. We didn't have time to search them all. I turned to Tyson.

"Can you smell him?" I asked, figuring Grover probably hadn't bathed in at least two weeks.

Tyson's furrowed his brow. "What does he smell like?"

"Um, goat," I decided.

Tyson sniffed and shook his head. "Only smell sheep."

I bit back a curse. There had to be a faster way to find him. I didn't really know what the empathy link was supposed to feel like, but I tried to project my frantic thoughts as loudly as I could.

"Grover, I'm here! Where are you? Make a noise, or scream, or something!"

I waited for a moment, but it was completely silent except for the sounds of water dripping from the stalagmites. Tyson cocked his head to the side. "Hear something," he muttered, and began moving. I ran alongside him, letting Riptide illuminate the way.

After a minute or so, I began to hear the sound of hooves clopping against the stone ahead of us. I quickened my pace, causing Tyson to fall behind. "Grover?" I shouted.

"Perrrcy!"

I let out a sigh of relief as my friend came into view. He was still wearing the wedding dress, I noted, though it was tattered and dirty from sweeping against the cave floor. A cursory once-over told me he was unharmed, which was a huge relief. He nearly tackled me in a goat-hug.

"You look great, G-Man! I'm so happy for you!" I teased.

Grover bleated and glared down at the white wedding dress he was still wearing. "Sorry to make you come all this way, but the wedding's off," he informed me.

I laughed. "S'okay. You're too good for him anyways."

Grover's gaze caught on something above my shoulder, and I could see his face pale even in the dim light of my sword. "Percy, behind you!" he cried frantically, pulling me towards him.

I whirled around with my sword raised to see Tyson standing in the corridor, confusion written on his face. I let my shoulders slump, lowering Riptide. "It's okay. That's Tyson," I told Grover. "He's on our side. He came to help rescue you."

Grover looked at me incredulously before shifting his gaze back to Tyson. "He's a Cyclops," he stated.

"Yes, he is. Tyson, this is my friend Grover," I said, making formal introductions.

"Hello," he greeted him.

"...Hi," Grover responded hesitantly.

"We should get moving. Polyphemus won't stay distracted for long."

"Right," Grover agreed reluctantly, his fear of Polyphemus evidently overshadowing his discomfort around Tyson. "I don't want to see his reaction when he finds out I'm leaving him at the altar."

We ran back the way we came, though Grover made sure to stay a good distance away from Tyson. My half-brother, for his part, also looked a bit uncomfortable, sending occasional nervous glances at Grover's horns, which were really starting to grow in earnest. Oh well. They didn't need to be friends as long as they could cooperate with each other.

After a while, I began to see the light filtering in from the entrance to the cave. We just needed to round the corner and our pegasi would be there waiting for us, ready to take us back to the ship. But before we could, a massive shadow was cast over the cave wall. I slammed on the brakes, throwing my arms out to stop Tyson and Grover from going any further.

"My sheepies...," a deep voice grumbled. "Thought I sealed the cave. Someone must be sneaking around." I heard heavy footsteps and labored breathing as Polyphemus entered the cave, and then his shadow disappeared when he rolled the boulder across our only exit. The giant then sucked in a great breath and roared so loudly that I was forced to cover my ears.

"FLEECE THIEF, COME OUT AND SHOW YOURSELF!"

Tyson stumbled back in fear, nearly giving away our position with his footsteps. This was bad. Our only way out had been sealed. The monster couldn't see well, but it was only a matter of time before he caught our scent, or heard my heart hammering in my chest. Next to me, Grover winced, pulling the bridal veil over his head to cover his face.

An idea popped into my mind.

"Follow my lead and play along," I whispered to my companions.

I grabbed Grover by the shoulders and pulled him roughly towards me, using one arm to lock his hands behind his back and the other to raise Riptide to his neck. He let out a started yelp, and I pushed him forward into the main chamber of the cave.

There was the giant, standing so tall his head nearly scraped the roof of the cave. He was garbed in nothing but a loincloth made from sheep skin and carried with him a club the size of a tree trunk. Actually, I think it was a tree trunk. As soon as his milky eye spotted us, he hefted his weapon above his shoulder, prepared to strike, and I began to think this was a really bad idea.

"Polyphemus!" I challenged him. He stopped, the threat of imminent clubbing lingering in the air.

"Who are you?" he demanded.

"I'm…" I frowned. It wasn't often that I introduced myself to monsters. Usually, they somehow already knew my name. "Peter Johnson!"

"Peter Johnson?" he repeated, scratching his head.

"Yes, Peter Johnson. I've stolen your Fleece and taken your beautiful bride-to-be hostage. Let us go, or I'll cut her throat!"

Grover went slack in my arms. "You'll what?" he gasped under his breath. I shook him. "Oh, yes!" he sang in his best falsetto. "Please dear, do as he says. Don't let them hurt me!"

Polyphemus's milky white eye widened when he realized just what he was seeing. Slowly, he lowered his arm, letting the club rest against the ground. "Wifey…" he breathed. But then his eye fixed on Tyson and narrowed.

"You there!" he said, pointing the tree at Tyson like it was nothing more than a twig. "You are a Cyclops. Help me!"

I watched Tyson out of the corner of my eye. This was the moment of truth. I had no doubt in my mind that Tyson would never betray us, but I felt I had to at least give Luke the benefit of the doubt. I didn't know his reasoning, but he seemed certain that Cyclopes were nothing but liars and deceivers. Now I had a chance to finally lay his suspicions to rest. All I had to do was wait and see what Tyson would do.

Tyson raised his hands defensively. "Cyclops brother, please don't fight—"

"You are being tricked!" shouted Polyphemus. "Nasty, lying humans. Stab you in the eye first chance they get!"

"Don't listen to him, Tyson," I said, but that just turned Polyphemus's attention back to me.

He pointed a giant finger at me. "This human is a thief and a kidnapper. Stole my Fleece and now my wifey! Can't trust him!"

"You're the thief!" I lashed out. "You stole the Fleece from us humans first!"

First the lightning bolt, and now the Fleece? I was starting to get pretty sick of being unjustly accused of thievery. If there was one thing I hated more than anything, it was being blamed for something I didn't do.

"And you humans stole it from the ram. Thieves, all of you!" Polyphemus reasoned, taking on a gloating tone as if he'd just won the argument.

Which, I guess he did. I really tried to come up with a comeback to that, but my mind just couldn't overcome the sheer stupidity of what he'd just said.

The giant turned back to Tyson. "Help me get back the Fleece, young one. You weren't raised right! Me and my wifey will raise you here. You will have a good life. You get to play with sheep and eat satyrs!"

Grover shuddered in my grasp.

Tyson balled his fists and looked the older Cyclops in the eye. "No. I already have a good life. I have a brother, and an important job. First Engineer of the Princess Andromeda. No time to be fat and lazy like you."

Polyphemus's eye twitched, and his lips curled downwards into a snarl. He fixed his gaze on me and glared daggers. I could see his muscles tensed, like it was taking all his willpower not to strike. Uncertainty crept over me. He wouldn't attack me, right? Not with my sword at his bride's throat, surely?

A pained growl escaped his lips. "I'm sorry, wifey. Forgive me."

I had only half a second to wonder what he meant by that before he hefted his club once more and swung it at us. I might've been able to dodge the strike on my own, but with my arm still wrapped around Grover, there was no way I could move that fast. Frantically, I tried to use Kronos's blessing, but I didn't have enough time to channel the power to activate it. I could only watch as the tree trunk descended on our heads.

A force crashed into us from the side. It felt like I'd just been bowled over by the Minotaur. Grover and I hit the cave floor hard. Blinking away the stars from my eyes, I looked up to find Polyphemus standing over the prone form of Tyson, who looked like he'd just taken the brunt of the attack.

Polyphemus frowned. "So the traitor wants to die first. Very well."

Tyson glared at the older cyclops. "I am not a traitor."

Polyphemus brought his club up once again, and my half-brother raised his arms in defense.

"No, Tyson!" I cried. Adrenaline coursed through me. I shot to my feet, ready to hack the elder cyclops to pieces, but before I could start moving, a ray of sunlight entered the cave and blinded me.

I brought a hand up to shield my eyes and saw the boulder being pushed aside by a very familiar pair of bear twins. On the other side stood Luke, the Golden Fleece draped around his shoulders and a mocking smirk on his face.

"Looking for this?" he asked Polyphemus.

The cyclops stared at it in awe. "My… my Fleece! You brought it back!" He began walking towards Luke, hand outstretched. "Give it here."

With a final heave, the bear twins shoved the boulder to the wayside and moved to plant themselves in front of Luke.

Polyphemus stopped and frowned. Agrius and Oreius were large, but the cyclops still towered above them at around twice their height. "Move," he commanded irritably.

The twins remained firmly in place. "Been a while since we fought someone bigger than us, eh brother?" Agrius asked derisively.

A feral grin broke out across Oreius's face. "Let's show him how it's done. Can we, boss?"

"Hmph," Luke snorted, as if the most powerful Cyclops in the world standing before him was nothing more than a mere nuisance. "He's all yours."

AN: Whew, my longest chapter yet. It's been a while, hasn't it? I had some pretty severe writer's block, plus I moved a couple times over the past few months, so I haven't had much time to write. But now I'm working on wrapping up this story. There'll be about 3-4 more chapters, and then I'll begin the sequel which will coincide with The Titan's Curse, where things will really start to deviate from the books.