AN: Sorry about the delay in updates so this marathon update is my way of making it up to you.
Son of the Moon
Chapter 16
-Percy-
They had only been into the sea of monsters for a few moments when he smelled the acrid smoke. Looking around wildly he saw the places where Scylla's blood had landed were slowly beginning to smoke; the older spots had traces of flames dancing across their surface merrily.
Reacting quickly he willed some of the sea water to rise up and douse the flames but the damage had been done. The surface of their ship was pockmarked with holes from where the acidic blood had eaten through the wooden panels of the ship. "What's the damage?" he called out to Beckendorf who had rushed over to inspect the holes.
"For now it's not too bad but I'll need to replace the damaged areas as soon as possible," Beckendorf winced "but even that will only be temporary, Scylla's blood has weakened the structure of the entire ship. It won't last much longer beyond the quest.".
"NOOOOOOO!" Nico dropped to the deck of the ship and began to sob "Not the ship! It's too awesome to lose!".
Sighing he turned to his girlfriend "Bianca!" he called out exasperated.
"I got it!" she said with a roll of her eyes before she walked up to her brother and hit him upside the head until he stopped crying.
Looking at Will he pulled a spyglass out of his pack and threw it to the son of Apollo, "Will, go up to the crow's nest and search for an island where we can make port so Beckendorf can repair the deck.".
"Aye, aye captain!" the son of Apollo said before rushing up the mast.
Pinching the bridge of his nose he muttered "Smart ass." before continuing on sailing.".
After another two hours of sailing, and Nico bemoaning the loss of the ship, Will called down "I seen an island! It's another five degrees east.".
Making the appropriate adjustments they sailed on and eventually the island came within sight. Looking at the island he frowned, "I have a bad feeling about this place," he muttered softly before looking back up "Will! Get your ass down here!".
When the son of Apollo had gotten down he turned to the group, "I have a bad feeling about this island guys," he said once they were assembled "so I'm going to go ashore with Bianca, Nico, and Will. Clarisse, I want you and Amanda to stay here and protect Beckendorf from anything that might come while me makes repairs.".
"There were some ships and planes at the island Percy," Will threw in "one of them was even a pirate ship replica.".
He gave the son of Apollo a hard look, "This is the Sea of Monsters Will," he said "there are no replicas. Hand me the spyglass.". Will quickly handed it over and, without hesitation, he turned the glass towards the island and looked at the ship that will mentioned but cursed when he saw the name of the vessel.
"What's wrong Percy?" Nico asked, realizing the seriousness of the situation.
"That's Circe's Isle," he growled "and the ship you saw is known as 'the Queen Anne's Revenge', which was owned by Edward Teach, a son of Ares.".
"Who was this Teach guy?" Will asked confused.
"It was Black-Beard you idiot!" Clarisse snapped, "One of my father's shamed children. I say we take their ship for our own and use it to make our escape, loading the weapons and armor from this ship onto the Anne.".
"Alright," he said as he came up with a new plan "I'll go ashore with Bianca, Nico, and Will as before but this time we'll be causing a distraction to give you guys some time. Amanda, I want you Clarisse, and Beckendorf to take all the useful items on the ship and load them onto the Anne without getting caught, alright?".
"Alright Perce." Amanda said with a nod before leading Clarisse and Beckendorf below deck.
Turning to the others he said softly "Be on your guard, Circe likely hasn't changed her ways in the past few millennia so she's likely to offer you a feast with some wine before turning you into a pig. Bianca on the other hand she is probably going to ask to become her apprentice or something similar.".
"Blegh!" Bianca looked disgusted at the thought making him chuckle.
Finally they pulled into port at the isle of Circe and were met by a girl who was around their age, perhaps a little bit older, who had black hair and eyes, wore a blue business suit, and held a clipboard. "Welcome!" the girl said happily but he could see the falseness of her words, how she was happy to see new people but wished that they hadn't come, he could see the fear for their lives in her eyes. "Is this your first time with us?" the girl inquired.
"Ummm." Will said, clearly confused at what was going on.
"First-time-at-spa," the girl said, although he could tell she had already known the answer, before she began looking them up and down "Let's see then….Yes, a herbal wrap to start with for the young lady and complete makeovers for the young gentlemen.".
"We know this is Circe's Isle…Hylla," he said as he looked at her nametag causing the girl's jaw to drop "and I also know that you don't like Circe's little habit of transforming men into animals. You want to leave this place.".
"Yes," the girl said softly "but I can't, and she won't allow you to escape now that she knows you're here.".
Rolling his eyes he looked at the girl, "You're a demigod right?" the girl nodded "I'm guessing you have a relative on the island?".
"My little sister." Hylla said sadly.
"Do you swear on the river Styx that you want to escape Circe and do not agree with her ways?" he asked and Hylla quickly gave her oath as a small rumble of thunder sounded, Lady Styx clearly knowing that discression was important here. "Then we can help you," he said with a grin "I have a couple of my companions removing our cargo from our ship onto the Anne over there while we cause a distraction. You help us, and grab your sister on the way out, and we'll take you with us during our escape.".
"How can you be sure you'll escape?" Hylla asked softly, a note of hope coming through her voice.
"Because he's the son of Aretmis," Bianca said proudly as she clasped his hand "the greatest hero to ever live.".
"I don't' know about that," he said with a blush only for Nico and Will to protest his protest.
"Alright," Hylla agreed "I'm in. Even out here we hear tales about the Son of Artemis.".
They were quickly led through the resort and he had to admit, the place was amazing, flowing white marble and shimmering blue water everywhere he looked. Terraces climbed up the side of the mountain with swimming pools on every level, connected by waterslides and waterfalls and underwater tubes that women swam through. Fountains sprayed water into the air where the liquid took fantastic shapes like soaring eagles, galloping stallions, and diving dolphins.
As they walked he saw that all the 'guests' of the resort were young women who wore white clothes and swimsuits and were surrounded by animals of all kinds, he could even see a sea turtle taking a nap on a stack of white towels while a leopard lay sprawled out on a diving board.
Hylla led them into the main building where she quickly pulled another girl who looked like her into their party and whispered what was happening into her ear. The group made their way into the main room where he saw a woman who he assumed to be Circe sitting at a loom singing. Her hair was a dark black and woven with spun gold while her dress was black with a darker black, like the shadows of animals, flitted across its surface in fleeting movements, like a deer running through the forests, if you blinked you would miss it.
When she turned around he saw that she had green eyes that seemed to burn like Greek fire with the unholy light they gave off. "Ah, Hylla," the woman said in a cold voice that reeked with false warmth "you've brought guests. How quaint.".
"Not the best opening pitch there," he said tonelessly as the woman's cold eyes turned to him "if you're going to try and at least appear like a friendly host you should at least put up a better act. The false warmth in your voice doesn't mix well with its natural chill.".
"Is that so child?" Circe asked as she slowly strode down from the dais on which she sat, prowling forward in a way that he wasn't sure if it was meant to be seductive or dangerous, whichever it was meant to be I didn't work.
"Are you trying to seduce Percy, or intimidate him?" Will asked, voicing what he had been thinking out loud "Because if either of those are true then it won't work.".
"And why is that?" Circe demanded angrily.
"For one," Nico began as if talking to a toddler "you aren't nearly as scary as some of the other shit that he's faced. He killed Scylla not six five hours ago so intimidation, not your best bet. And as for your possible 'seduction attempt', he's dating my sister and I highly doubt he'd leave her for you…or anyone else for that matter.".
As will finished speaking he felt a pot in his pocket vibrate, signaling that the cargo had been moved to the other ship, "He's right Circe," he spoke, both to startle the sorceress and to let the others know they had to run soon "you aren't exactly a man's dream date. The whole 'turning men into pigs' thing, not the most attractive hobby.".
"Is that so?" Circe asks, all traces of her previous fake demeanor gone, "Hylla! Dispose of them.".
"Not gonna happen you old hag!" Hylla snarled as she drew a dagger from somewhere in her business suit "I'm with them.".
"Traitorous scum!" Circe screamed at them, her hair beginning to come lose and frame her face in all its madness. "I'll see you all dead for this!".
"No," he stated in a tone so cold that it put Circe's to shame, ice even began to form around the walls "you won't." before he brought his foot up and slammed it back down, causing an earthquake to shake the building making Circe stumble and fall before being pinned by her giant loom. "RUN!" he yelled when the sorceress was pinned, he knew they could take her but didn't have a chance if every sorceress on the island fought against them.
They quickly made their way back to the docks, the other women on the island clearly not knowing what had happened as all they did was stare at them in confusion. Reaching the docks they stormed up the gangplank and he leapt behind the wheel before summoning his power and screaming "Mizenmast!". The others on the ship looked confused at first before ropes sprang taught and the sails unfurled, the ship prepared itself for departure as if the ghostly, unseen, hands of its crew controlled it still. Quickly, through the ship's actions and the water that he willed to push them off, they escaped the island's shore and, once again, sailed off into the sea.