Artie was doing his best not to complain, out loud anyway.
The ten foot drop onto a solid iron deck and his magic quiver had left him sore. Not so sore he couldn't move, but just enough he had be careful how he moved and bent. It also left him with several bruises in addition to the cuts he sustained from the flying shrapnel when the CSS Birminingham exploded. The lack of supplies was also becoming apparent. Annabeth had managed to salvage only a few things from the wreckage, most of which they agreed not use unless absolutely necessary.
"Ugh." He grunted as he adjusted himself so nothing poked over the edge of the lifeboat. The last thing he needed was for something to take a piece of him for a light snack.
"Are you sure you don't want the ambrosia?" Annabeth asked.
Artie stared at the bag with ambrosia squares with temptation, but shook his head. "Rather not waste it."
"But you're - - -"
Artie cut her off with a wave, "Battered, bruised, and bushed. But nothing is broken. I'll just need to sleep for a little while to clear my head."
"Good idea." she said. "Probably best we all do in shifts. We're no use to anyone tired."
"Mãos cansadas são melhores do que sem as mãos em todos os." said Artie.
"I don't know how Apollonia puts up with that." she sighed. "Not everyone speaks Portuguese."
Artie chuckled as he folded his arms behind his head and closed his eyes. "Well, Portuguese is very similar to Spanish. Anyway, it means 'tired hands are better than no hands at all.' "
Annabeth said nothing as tied and folded several Confederate solider uniforms into a makeshift sail. Artie did his best to fall asleep, but with hunger clawing his stomach and thirst drying his throat, Percy was lucky Artie didn't through him overboard when he sat straight up just as Artie was beginning to doze off. Holding back his annoyance, Artie simply pretended to sleep as Annabeth brought Percy up to speed. Though he couldn't see Percy's face, he could hear sadness in his voice when Annabeth told him how Tyson didn't make it off the ship. Artie could understand, not a day went by where he didn't think about his brother and his mother. The only thing that kept him from brooding on it, was keeping his mind on more important things. The problem was, sooner or later it would catch up with you and you had better be ready for it.
Hours went by and Artie continued trying to sleep. Though focused on other things, he couldn't help listen to Percy and Annabeth talking about the Great Prophecy and how Percy could be the one. Now that Annabeth had brought it up, Artie gave it some thought. When he first learned about it himself, Artie thought it could about him. He never voiced it though and when he finally went on his quest and discovered his Olympian parent, he never did. In that regard, he didn't envy Percy at all. The last thing he wanted was to decide the fate of Olympus. That combined with the fact some of the gods would just kill him to be on the safe side, he was really glad that for once he was the son of Artemis. Suddenly a branch with some leaves landed on Artie's ankles. He cracked an eye to see Tobias, picking at something under his wings.
Percy looked at Annabeth, "What does that mean?"
Artie sat up as he answered, "It means land. There's land nearby.
"Where?" Annabeth asked Tobias.
Tobias opened a wing and pointed east to a line of blue and brown in the distance. After a minute or so, it became clear that it was an island. As the current began pulling them towards the island, they could see it had a small mountain and a small collection of bright white buildings. There was even a beach that was dotted with palm trees and harbor filled with a weird collection of boats and ships.
"Welcome!" greeted the lady with a clipboard.
"Let me guess," said Artie. "Fantasy Island?"
The lady, Annabeth, and Percy all stared at him like he was crazy.
Artie slipped into a slight accent. "The plane boss! The plane! The plane!"
They continued staring.
"Fantasy island! Come on!" he complained. "Welcome to Fantasy island, where all your dreams come true. Anyone? Anyone at all?"
Annabeth turned to the lady with the clipboard, "Never mind him. He's been in the sun too long."
The lady nodded, as if this happened often. "Is this your first time with us?" When they didn't answer, she made note on her clipboard. "First - time - at - spa." She eyed them critically up and down. "Hmm . . . An herbal wrap for the young lady. And of course a complete makeover for the young gentlemen."
"A what?" Percy and Artie asked together.
She was too busy making notes to answer. "Right!" she said with a breezy smile. "Well, I'm sure CC will want to see you personally before the luau. Come please."
They all looked to each other, clearly thinking the same thing. They have all learned over time to be weary of traps, and traps tended to look good before they were sprung. If it wasn't for her scent, Artie would have suspected the clipboard lady to be some sort of monster, but she smelled human. And when she mentioned a luau, Artie practically forgot his suspicions. Still at the very least, they could manage to steal some supplies before they set out to sea again.
Artie was amazed with the spa. And judging from the looks on his friend's faces, so were they. There was bright white marble and clear blue water wherever you looked. Terraces climbed up the mountain, with swimming pools on each and every level, connected by water slides and waterfalls one could swim through. Fountains sprayed water into the air, forming impossible shapes like eagles and horses with incredible detail. There were also real animals around them. Artie saw a few sea turtles swimming in a pool while other napped in a bed of beach towels. There were even a few tamed leopards stretched out in the sun that opened their eyes slightly as they passed by. Artie could have sworn they all were watching him, before them closed their eyes and went back to sleep. Artie couldn't shake the feeling that the leopards were still watching him as they climbed a flight stairs, so much he failed to notice that not single man was to been seen. Not even one that worked at the spa.
The eyes of the leopards left his mind as soon as heard a woman singing. It was sweet and gentle, like a lullaby one would sing to soothe a crying infant. As they got closer, they realized she was singing in another language. Thought not in Ancient Greek, they understood what the voice was singing of. She sang of olive groves in the moonlight. The beauty of the rising and setting of the sun over the ocean. And magic. It was impossible to ignore the influence and power of magic subtlety mixed in the rest of imagery. They soon came into a large room where all one wall was all windows. The back wall was covered in mirrors that created the illusion that the room went on forever. Scattered around the room were several pieces of expensive looking furniture. And one, a table in the far corner, held a small wire cage where several squeaks echoed from inside. Artie guessed the animals to be rodents of some sort, guinea pigs or hamsters perhaps, when he finally saw the source of the wonderful voice. She sat a very large loom, almost the size of small bed, and weaved colored thread back and forth with amazing skill. The tapestry she wove shimmered like it was three dimensional, a waterfall scene so real you could see the water moving and the clouds drifted across the fabric sky.
Annabeth caught her breath. "It's beautiful."
The woman turned, both Artie and Percy caught their breaths. They thought impossible that anything could be more beautiful than the fabric, but there she was. Her dark black hair was braided with gold and deep green emeralds that matched her piercing green eyes. She wore a silky black dress that seemed to have shapes moving in the fabric. Like dark furred animal shadows or deer running through the forest at night. And if anyone could confirm that, it was Artie.
"You appreciate weaving, my dear?" asked the woman.
"Oh yes ma'am." said Annabeth. "My mother is - - - " She stopped herself. One could not say your mother was Athena, the goddess who invented the loom. People would have you locked you in a rubber room before you could say just kidding.
"Quite the weaver herself." Artie cut in.
Their hostess just smiled at Annabeth. "You have good taste my dear. My name is CC. I'm so glad you came."
They introduced themselves to CC. She looked over Percy and Artie each with a slight twinge of disapproval, like they had failed some sort of test. They instantly felt sorry, for some reason they both wanted to please CC.
" Oh dear," she sighed. "You two really need help." She looked at Percy. "You need my own personal touch."
"Ma'am?" Percy asked.
"Hold that thought dear." CC said.
CC grabbed a bell from a pocket and rang it loudly. Less than a minute later a small girl, no more than thirteen years old, entered the room. She wore a white uniform like many of the attendants that worked at the spa. She looked like a normal little girl, except for the perfect make up and gold threads that braided her hair.
"Reyna, be a dear and give Annabeth here a tour of the spa." CC asked nicely. "The clothing will have to change. And the hair, my goodness. We will do a full image consultation after Hylla and I have finished with these young gentlemen."
"But . . . " Annabeth sounded hurt. "What's wrong with my hair?"
CC smiled apologetically. "My dear, you're lovely. Really! But you're not showing off yourself or your talents at all. So much wasted potential!"
"Wasted?"
"Well, surely you're not happy the way you are! My goodness, there's not a single person who is. But don't worry. We can improve anyone here at the spa. Reyna will show you what I mean. you, my dear, need to unlock your true self."
Annabeth's eyes glowed with longing. "But . . . what about Percy? And Artie?"
"Oh definitely," CC said, giving the two a sad look. "Percy requires my personal attention. And Hylla here," she motioned the woman with the clipboard. "will take care of Artie. They need much more work than you."
Normally if someone had said that, Percy would have gotten angry, but when CC said it, he felt angry with himself. He had disappointed her and he had to figure out how to do better. Artie was of the similar mind. With the exception of Apollonia, he couldn't care less whether he had disappointed anyone. Though considering he wasn't wearing anything but cuts, bruises, and tattered jean shorts, he could let it slide this once for a beautiful lady.
"Well . . ." said Annabeth. "I suppose . . ."
Annabeth allowed herself to be lead out by Reyna, towards the waterfall laced gardens of the spa.
CC took Percy by the arm, and guided him to the wall of mirrors. "Come with me Percy. And when we;re done you'll unlock your true potential."
Hylla then took Artie by the arm and lead him out of the room. "Right this way and we'll do the same. CC works best when she's alone."
Artie looked back, but the doors closed before he could see anymore of Percy or the beautiful CC. Hylla lead him down the hall, only three doors from CC's room. The hall was richly decorated, with various statues and paintings. It was then when Artie noticed that each of paintings and statues had something in common. No matter where you looked, Hecate, the Greek goddess of magic was present. She might be a corner of a painting, giggling like a child as she hid from the view of mortals. Or she was standing tall and proud as a statue with a small bowl at her feet filled with incense and several kinds of dried herbs. Artie was about to ask Hylla about all the depictions of Hecate when she stopped at the fourth door and gestured for him to step inside. As he did, Artie saw the room was slightly smaller than CC's but decorated almost exactly in the same way. Hylla lead him the wall of mirrors in the back.
She gestured for Artie to stand in front of the mirror. "If you'll just stand here, we can begin immediately."
"Begin what?"
"Why your makeover silly," she giggled.
Artie obliged and stood in front of the mirror. He saw Hylla look disapprovingly at his reflection. When he did himself, he couldn't blame her. There was a barefoot kid, wearing nothing but a pair of tattered jean shorts. Even his sunglasses were dirty and cracked from when they barely escaped Charybdis and Scylla. His hair was a mass of split ends and knots, some it still with red hair dye in it from his time on the Princess Andromeda. The mirrors even revealed the mass collection of scars all over his body from his time in the wild. He guessed the mirrors to be magic, since his scars were only visible under direct moonlight.
As he stared at his reflection, Hylla spoke. "Now CC says, like the first in AA, is admitting. In this this case, it means admitting you're not happy the way you are."
Artie fidgeted under the mirror. There was plenty he wanted to change about himself. Though no one ever had said it out loud, Artie thought himself as scrawny. He hated how his ribs and other bones were incredibly visible from under his skin. He didn't look malnourished by any means, but he always thought he could do with a little more muscle. He definitely wanted the scars gone. He was sick of being reminded of his ordeal in the wild whenever the moon was out. He also wanted the silver in his hair gone. Ever since arriving at Camp Half Blood, Artie had begun to notice strands of his hair were turning silver in color. At first he thought it was a trick of the light, but after returning from the Underworld, he had come to discover it wasn't. Little by little, his patches of his hair was turning from night black to bright silver that sparkled dimly in the moonlight. He was sure if he lived long enough, his hair would resemble that of an old man. But all of the things he wanted changed, it was his eyes. He wanted his old eyes back. He was tired of hiding behind sunglasses so not to scare people around him. And though Apollonia would never admit to him, Artie knew it she was put off by them. And if losing his sharp night vision was the price, he would gladly pay it without the slightest hesitation.
Hylla saw the look on Artie's face. "There, there." she consoled. "How about we try . . . this?"
Hylla threw a blue curtain from behind the curtain in front of his reflection. The fabric shimmered and Artie stood there mouth agape at what he saw. It was still him, just more improved him. It was everything he wanted to be.
His scars were gone. Not a single one, not even the ones on his right shoulder and below his left knee that were always were visible. His skin was smooth and unmarked like a new born baby. Only his tan had been left. In addition to the missing scars, he had put on several pounds of muscle. It was the perfect amount. He would never be mistaken for a body builder, but neither would he mistaken for a starving child. His hair was also perfect. it sparkled, but not from the silver streaks. Those had been erased from existence. It was as if his hair had gone through its own makeover. It was clean, conditioned, and brushed to a high sheen. He then removed his sunglasses and chuckled to himself. His eyes were back to thier normal selves. He could see his pupils, and even his irises were back to thier normal color. Not a dark nut brown like his mother or deep emerald green like his brother, but a simple light hazel.
"Você pode? . . ." he asked before remembering to switch to English. "Can you really . . .?"
"Here at the spa, we can give you a full makeover." she explained.
"What's the catch?" he asked. "Special food? Training program?"
"Oh it's quite easy." Hylla assured. "You look like you eat pretty healthy and active to start with. So just a mild exercise program and . . . "
Hylla walked to the wet bar and poured a glass of water. She reached for something from an empty box. "Oh, out of strawberry. Oh well."
Hylla then plucked out a drink mix packet from a box next to the empty one. She poured a white powder into the glass. Instantly it began to glow, like someone had lit a light bulb in the glass. Once it faded, the glass resembled a vanilla milkshake with a creamy foam just over the edge of the glass.
"So just a mild exercise program," she repeated, holding out the glass to Artie. "And one of these, substituted for a regular meal. We can guarantee results immediately."
"How so?"
Hylla giggled. "Why question it? Don't you want change right away?"
Artie reached for the glass, but hesitated. "Why aren't there any men at the spa?"
"Oh there here," Hylla assured. "You'll meet them at the luau. Just try the mixture and I'll take you to gym where you can get started right away."
Artie glanced back at the reflection with temptation, but something echoed in the back of his head, I never cared about my looks before. Why do I care now?
Hylla sensed his hesitation, "Someone like you must have someone special. A girlfriend maybe?"
Artie thought about Apollonia, "Hmm . . ."
"Think of it this way," Hylla offered. "Would you change for her?"
Artie flashed back when Apollonia caught him without his sunglasses for the first time. The panicked look in her eyes as she fought the urge to scream was still fresh in his mind.
Artie took the glass and held it up, " To health and fortune!"
He drained the glass in seconds.
It tasted exactly like it looked, a vanilla milkshake. Almost instantly a warm sensation began to spread through his gut. It was pleasant at first, like tanning on the beach. Then searing hot, like his very insides were boiling. The pain was so sudden, he crushed the glass in his hand.
Artie stepped back, " what was . . . What did you . . . "
Hylla gave a look of false sympathy, "Oh don't worry the pain will pass. Look! immediate results, just like I promised."
Artie did not want to see. He guessed he had been poisoned, which meant he had seconds as darkness began to creep along the edges of his vision. The pain was growing now, it took almost all of his will power not scream. He began taking deep breaths thinking calming thoughts.
By yourself a few seconds, he told himself. Slow your heartbeat and you slow the poison's spread. You've done it before.
Hylla saw what Artie was trying to do, "You can fight it all you want, it won't make a difference. Stronger than you have succumbed. Look, its already taking effect."
Artie looked down and saw his claws had extended. He probably would have been forced to explain he had had them for a few years now, but the boiling lava in his stomach was makign it difficult to speak, except wails of agony. He had moments left now, so he did the only thing he could do. In burst of desperate strength, he grabbed Hylla by the throat with one hand and held the other back, ready to strike.
"Antidote!" he managed to get out. "Now! or . . . "
Hylla responded with swift kick between his legs. He was prepared and blocked with the inside of his knee. But it gave Hylla the distraction she needed to deliver a hard headbutt to his face. He stumbled back and Hylla followed through by pushing him to the floor. He rolled to his side and curled up to into fetal position, the pain was almost unbearable now. His breathing came in short bursts as he fought to stay conscious.
"Not . . . like . . . this. . . ." he pleaded, though he knew not to who. "Still . . . out . . . there . . . Its . . . still . . . . . . . out . . . . . . . . . . . . . . there . . ."
Artie finally went limp as he passed out. Hylla watched for a moment at the limp body of a demigod, puzzled by what she saw. As far as she was concerned, something had yet to happen.
She poked Artie with her foot, "What's taking so long? He should have changed right away. Who is this kid?" she shrugged. "Not like it matters anymore. Still I wonder what he'll be, I used the last of those guinea pig packets a while ago. Maybe a kitten or puppy? I always wanted a puppy."
She continued watching the body for a moment. Minutes passed and Artie began to shake as silver fur began to sprout and his face grew whiskers. His hands began to curl into paws and claws sprouted between his fingers.
"Oooo, a kitten!" Hylla exclaimed. "Reyna will love it!"
A/N - Sorry for such a long wait between updates. My landlord had "conveniently" forgot to tell me that the house was going to be foreclosed on and continued collecting my rent. I won't go into detail but suffice it to say, I just found a place to stay permanently. The next chapter should be up within a few days since I still managed to keep writing in my little spare time.