A/N: Shortest chapter I've had in a while, and I apologize ahead of time. The next chapter will be much longer, and be full of action! Thank you for all of the reviews and alerts, and I hope you enjoy reading (even though it's shorter than usual).
Warning: Contains enraged Clarisse, shifting points of view, a poorly written flashback, and hippocampi.
Disclaimer: I don't own the characters, the Sea of Monsters, or any other PJO book.
Silena Starts a War
"You think maybe it's like in Lord of the Rings?" Percy asked suddenly, shocking Thalia out of her reverie. She shot him a look of confusion, and he rolled his eyes. "The ring. Do you think it could be, like, the One Ring to rule them all?"
"You're such a dork," Thalia replied, cautiously sliding the ring onto her finger. She smirked. "Damn, my father might just be a dweeb."
"Like you aren't?" Percy snorted. "Anyway, what I meant by that was, do you think it turns you invisible? I mean, Lord Zeus mentioned Annabeth, and she has the cap of invisibility. So, maybe you'll need to be invisible for something?"
"Let's throw it in Mount Doom and find out," she joked, ignoring his scowl. "We'll find out when we use it, Percy. We have to get going. You heard Eros back there. The harpies will be here any minute."
"Hurry!" Tyson urged, nodding.
The three of them rushed to the shore, spotting a large cruise ship in the distance. "How in Hades are we supposed to get all the way to that ship?" Thalia asked, squinting to get a better look.
"Remember? Eros said I might need to ask my father for help," Percy supplied.
"What are you waiting for?" she inquired, rolling her eyes.
"Right," he said, clearing his throat. He stepped into the water. "Hey, Dad. Long time, no talk—"
"Percy," Thalia whispered harshly. "Get on with it! It's not that hard to do."
"We need your help," the son of Poseidon said, raising his voice. "We have no way to get to that ship, and we need to get there before the harpies come."
Waves crashed against the shore, and crickets sounded loudly around them. Tyson was joyfully swatting at a bug, giggling every time it wiggled through his mighty hands. The cries of the harpies rang through the air, and the young Cyclops instantly ceased playing. Percy frowned in confusion, glancing out towards the ship.
"Maybe we could try again?" Thalia suggested.
Percy shook his head, opening his mouth to speak. Before he could get a word out, he noticed three broad white lines surface approximately one hundred yards from the shore. The lines traveled impressively fast through the waves, rushing towards the three. When in viewing distance, the heads of three white stallions burst through the water.
"Fish ponies!" Tyson cried gleefully, clapping his hands together in excitement.
The three creatures had the upper bodies of horses, but from the waist down they were all glimmering scales.
Thalia raised a dark brow. "Fish ponies," she remarked dryly. "Right. Well, I'm pretty sure they're called hippocampi, buddy."
"Hippocampi," Tyson repeated slowly, smiling over at her innocently. "Fish ponies!"
Thalia couldn't fend off a small, amused smile. "Yeah, yeah. Fish ponies."
Percy released a breath of air. He held tightly onto the shoulder strap of his duffel bag. "So much for Annabeth keeping us from doing something stupid. Let's get out of here."
Zeus tightened his grip on the armrest of his throne, glancing around at the solemn faces of his Olympian family. Hera sat nearly motionless next to him, the only expression on her face one of devious intention. His brother Poseidon stared blankly, although his frown betrayed his indifference. He was concerned for his demigod son, the King of the Gods noted.
Suddenly, he felt incredibly selfish. Whenever a god attempted to visit any of their demigod children, Zeus was the first to jump down their throat. But, he was the one that constantly drifted down to consult his daughter Thalia. He couldn't help it that he cared greatly for her. He frowned, realizing that Poseidon cared for his son just as much, but he had tried his best to abide by the ancient laws.
He wished there were a possible way for him to ease up on the rest of them, but he had to enforce the law—even if he failed to abide by it himself. He glanced over at his wife. She didn't like that he often broke the law to tend to his daughter's needs. The young girl was far too reliant on him, she had claimed coldly. Hera believed his demigod daughter would only use him time and time again, before turning her back on him.
He didn't believe all mortals were so selfish. At least, he didn't wish to say so. Seraphina—he cleared his throat consciously at the thought of the young, tall and gorgeous blonde—hadn't even been that selfish, either. She had only grown slightly dependent, and eventually she ceased to care about anything whatsoever—including her own children.
Everything in him screamed that he should visit her soon, but he rejected each of his wistful thoughts. Hera would be absolutely livid with him if she were to discover what he had done for Seraphina. For Thalia. For Jason. Swallowing hard, he removed his hands from his armrests.
He knew he had no other choice. Even though it absolutely killed him to do so, he had to back up. He was supporting his demigod daughter too much, and he would soon be threatened by the others if he kept it up any longer.
Zeus recalled his earlier interaction with her. They had gotten into somewhat of a spat, and he knew that she had yet to simmer down. He had always loathed arguing with his daughter, just as he had hated getting into disputes with her hard-headed mother.
He wanted a chance to apologize, which was most unusual for him. But, before that time arrived, he would be required to wait. He would not be permitted, under any circumstances, to interfere in the quest. Hera had been keeping an even closer eye on him, now that she knew of his intentions to assist his daughter whenever she needed him.
"All of you have been called here to Olympus today to discuss the recent tragedy at Camp Half-Blood," Zeus announced, clearing his throat. "As you all know, my daughter Thalia's tree has been poisoned. By who, well…that is the question, isn't it?"
Demeter turned her nose up. "Hasn't Chiron already admitted to damaging such a beautiful plant?"
Dionysus sulked in his throne. "Demeter, you know as well as I that he had nothing to do with the poisoning. He did not deserve to be sent off."
"You just miss your pinochle buddy. What more could we have done?" Hephaestus grunted. "He admitted to it, and he must face to consequences. It doesn't matter if he is to blame or not."
"Oh, but it does!" Dionysus argued, suddenly sitting up straight in his throne. "Is this what has become of Olympian justice?"
Zeus pondered the thought, while his brother Poseidon glanced at him grimly. "Chiron has served us for centuries," the god of the sea stated. "It is only fair that he be given the benefit of all doubts—"
"No," the King of the Gods suddenly cut him off. His previously shaken nerves had been steeled. He knew that he must say what is best. "Until proven otherwise, Chiron is guilty of his alleged crimes."
"I presume you only wish for someone to blame?" Hera taunted him, effectively challenging him in front of everyone. He fixed his cold gaze on her, and she only smirked wider.
"Council dismissed. There is no more discussion."
Annabeth tossed and turned in her bed, finding it damn near impossible to succumb to sleep. She was worried, which wasn't anything too unusual for her. She wanted to go on the quest to retrieve the Golden Fleece, but the circumstances weren't exactly the ones she had in mind. She desired to go with Percy and Thalia, her two best friends.
Okay, so she and Thalia hadn't really gotten the chance to reconnect, but they were and always would be best friends. She wondered to herself when she would actually get the opportunity to spend some time with the daughter of Zeus. She definitely wanted to, and not out of obligation. She had missed her friend, and she and Percy were all that Annabeth had left.
On any note, she didn't want to go with Clarisse. She didn't even like the daughter of Ares, with her crude gestures and rough attitude. Annabeth was used to hanging around people with tough, head-bitch-in-charge exteriors—Thalia, for example—but Clarisse took that to a whole new level. The girl had made it her priority to bully Percy and his friends, and for no particular reason at all.
Percy did defeat Ares, the blonde demigoddess noted thoughtfully. Greek demigods held their parents in a large light, for the most part, and they always got super offended whenever someone bashed their godly parent.
And, Silena Beaugard. Silena had never really bothered Annabeth, but they weren't close. Clarisse wasn't close with either of the two, and it made the daughter of Athena wonder why on earth she would choose them for the quest. Annabeth for her brains, obviously, but what did the daughter of Ares expect from Silena? Charm-speaking was always a valuable ally, but who would they need to sweet-talk? Polyphemus?
Chiron's words still lingered in the forefront of her mind. Swear you will do your very best to keep these children out of danger, he had commanded.
How could she keep them safe when she was forced to go on a quest? She had sworn on the River Styx, and there were dire consequences for breaking such a pact.
Thalia and Percy. Boy, were they a handful or what? The two of them were always getting in trouble for something or another, whether it was jointly or separately. Recently, they had gotten punished for Thalia scaring the birds or something, just days after being reprimanded for skipping a meal. The two children of the Big Three had horrible luck.
It was strange for them to be punished for skipping a meal, though, she noticed. Mr. D and Chiron had always allowed them to choose whether or not they wanted to attend a meal. Obviously, there would be a time where a camper wouldn't feel like eating. It was stupid to punish someone for something that they should be permitted to do freely.
…What if that hadn't been the true reason? Annabeth rolled onto her back, staring up at her ceiling. She was only being paranoid, she thought, trying to will away any suspicions. She failed. Thalia had apparently run off to follow Percy to his cabin, which meant they were alone together in there. Tantalus had donned a coy smirk as he announced the situation to the campers, which only served to further Annabeth's doubts. Percy and Thalia had been growing rather close to one another, hadn't they?
They had done something in his cabin, she knew it. What other explanation could there possibly be? Tantalus had fed them all some bullshit about skipping, but even Clarisse could manage to see the ridiculousness in that. It wouldn't be long before rumors spread, the daughter of Athena was sure of it. She was honestly surprised that they hadn't started already. Perhaps the children of Aphrodite were feeling like procrastinators.
You shall sail the iron ship with warriors of bone,
You shall find what you seek and make it your own,
But despair for lives entombed within stone.
After picking two other demigods for the quest, Clarisse had been given her prophecy. A large part of Annabeth—no, wait, scratch that—all of Annabeth had hoped the Oracle wouldn't speak to the daughter of Ares. Unfortunately, Clarisse had received a prophecy. She had only told her companions three of the lines, and Annabeth knew there was definitely something vital missing from what she had uttered to them. Clarisse was hiding something from them, and the blonde demigoddess was absolutely determined to find out what it was.
All right, so they would navigate their way through the Sea of Monsters on an iron ship full of skeletons. Nothing too strange. It was already obvious that they would find the Gold Fleece. The third line and apparently last line was what really worried her. Despair for unknown lives would be "entombed in stone." It didn't make any sense to Annabeth. Try as she might, she couldn't think of anything the line could possibly entail.
Clarisse would be trapped, perhaps, along with others. By what, she had no earthly idea. It was plausible that she and Silena would be captured as well. Or, maybe the lives had always been entombed and they were meant to release them. But, what entombed souls were there in mythology, besides those in the Underworld?
The daughter of Athena groaned aloud, not at all deterred when her sister, Claire, lifted her head from the soft pillows to scowl. She could only hope that her inherited wisdom would ensure her safety in the quest, along with the heath of her companions.
Giving up completely on sleeping, Annabeth crawled out of her comfy bed. She slowly crept her way towards her designated desk, carefully sitting down on her chair. After glancing around to assure herself that none of her siblings were watching her, she quietly opened the top left drawer. Her gray eyes scanned the contents of the compartment, before they landed on an old blue book.
She slipped it from its drawer, silently placing it down on the desktop in front of her. She opened its pages, flipping through several sections before she found what she had been searching for. The page was stressed more than any of the others, it seemed, and its edges were nearly withering away. She can't remember the last time she had looked through the novel—it had been given to her by Thalia and Luke.
Annabeth smiled wistfully, remembering whenever the daughter of Zeus had handed it to her.
Annabeth sat at seven years of age, shivering beneath a wool blanket. Luke's teeth were chattering alongside her, and he managed to send her a goofy, unstable smile that soothed her discomfort. Thalia smirked at the two of them, the crisp wind tousling her short black hair.
Thalia wasn't shivering like the blondes were. She wasn't cold. She never got cold. Annabeth wasn't complaining, of course—it left more blankets available. Luke had always been hesitant about allowing the daughter of Zeus to go coverless, but the punk demigoddess had insisted. And—as Annabeth was beginning to discover—whatever Thalia said was automatically law.
Thalia began rifling through her worn backpack, searching for a few scraps of food. Her hands seemed to stop in their quest, and her eyes were drawn in concentration. It was a look she wore often, the young blonde had noted. A small smile that Thalia failed to hide slipped through her tough visage, but it was gone quickly. The punk turned around suddenly, beginning to walk towards where Annabeth was sitting, huddled around the impressively tall campfire.
Annabeth frowned in confusion, noticing that the other girl had her hand behind her back. It was no secret that Thalia didn't show her feelings very often, if at all; naturally, Annabeth wasn't sure what to make of her expression and stance. The tall demigoddess had always sort of frightened her, in a way. While the blonde felt safe and secure standing behind the punk, she couldn't help but feel intimidated while staring into those cold, electric blue eyes. Part of her thought that Thalia may strike her, if her tense posture was anything to go by.
Surprising her, as usual, Thalia pulled her hand back around to reveal that she was holding a book. Annabeth wasn't able to decipher the title of it, courtesy of her dyslexia. It was a dusky brown, and it certainly didn't look like anything special. Thalia held it out to Annabeth for a long moment before a black eyebrow was raised.
"What?" Thalia had asked, her voice low and almost gravelly—she had been coughing earlier on. "Don't you know how to accept a gift, kid?"
A gift.
Annabeth reached out with shaky hands, unwilling to smile in fear of risking showing any emotion to this stolid girl. Her small, unsure palms touched either side of the book, and her fingers curled protectively around its spine. Thalia released it quickly, before she peered unwaveringly into Annabeth's face. It was what the daughter of Zeus had always done. She stared directly at someone, and was never unconfident about anything she did.
"I thought that, since Luke and I don't give a shit about reading, you might like it," Thalia said, her mouth drawn tight. "In case you can't make out the words, it's called Aema Arete. It isn't translated at all. Once you learn more Greek, I'm sure you'll be through it within a day."
"Aema Arete," Annabeth murmured.
She was conflicted. Never, in the fortnight she had been spending with the other two, had Thalia made her feel so wanted and so loved. While it wouldn't normally mean much, it was significant coming from the occasionally distant daughter of Zeus.
"Thank you...Lia."
Thalia inhaled, as if suddenly on-guard. Had Annabeth said something wrong? Did she not like the nickname? Oh gods, what had she done? Now the girl wasn't ever going to want anything to do with her. All of Annabeth's worries rushed from her brain when the other girl braved a bright smile, the most joyous expression she had ever seen on Thalia's face.
"Don't mention it, kiddo."
Annabeth exhaled tiredly, her eyes drooping at the sight of the chapter name. Polemos.
She lost count of how much time she had spent staring at the beginning page of the chapter before she passed out. The next thing she was aware of was a pencil prodding the sensitive skin of the back of her neck. She grunted, lifting her head from the book. Drool covered the page, and she outwardly cringed.
Malcolm laughed from behind her, his gray eyes brighter than the sun blinding her from the open windows. "You have a quest!" he reminded, wagging his finger playfully at her. "Even if your friends sleep in, that doesn't mean you can. Go, go, go!"
Annabeth quickly changed into a pair of jeans, tank top and a flannel shirt. With untied laces, she stumbled out of her cabin. As she adjusted the strap of her travel pack on Half-Blood Hill, Clarisse angrily bumped into her.
"Hey, what's up with you?" the daughter of Athena heatedly challenged.
Clarisse scoffed. "Like you don't know."
"…I kind of don't. That's why I asked you."
"Oh, come on! You probably helped them," the daughter of Ares snapped, her face a glowing crimson. "Don't act like you don't know what I'm talking about, Ms. Priss."
Silena sighed, glancing over at Annabeth in slight sympathy. "Percy, Thalia, and Tyson went missing last night."
"Went missing my ass!" Clarisse roared. "They went to retrieve the Golden Fleece. They just can't stand to share the fucking spotlight for once, can they?"
Annabeth's mind felt numb. "What?"
Clarisse rolled her eyes. "They up and escaped camp in the middle of the night. What about that did you not understand?"
The blonde demigoddess looked to the daughter of Aphrodite for confirmation. Silena looked to the ground, giving a simple nod of her head. "I don't get it," Annabeth argued. "Why would they do that?"
"Clarisse thinks they want the glory," Silena commented, shrugging.
The daughter of Aphrodite had her raven-colored hair tied up in a high ponytail, and the only makeup she wore was only mascara to frame her baby blue eyes. Annabeth thought it was odd seeing her dressed in sweatpants and a long-sleeve varsity shirt, but she chose not to comment.
"Of course they do!" the daughter of Ares retorted. "Why else would they do something so incredibly stupid?"
"They aren't stupid," the daughter of Athena argued.
"I never said that," Clarisse claimed, glaring. "I said what they did was stupid. There's a difference. But, yes, they're pretty damn stupid."
"And you're one to talk?" Annabeth countered, sneering.
"Watch it, Wise Girl. I'm not your fucking friend. I'll knock your teeth down your throat."
"Girls!" Silena yelled. "Stop this, right now." The arguing demigoddesses were shushed immediately. "Now, apologize to one another."
Annabeth didn't want to, but she found herself relenting anyway. "Sorry, Clarisse," she muttered.
"I'm sorry, too," the buff girl nearly whispered.
Silena smiled wide, clapping her hands together. "Wonderful. Now, we should get going, yes? Clarisse, dear, carry my bag?"
"What?" the daughter of Ares screeched. "I'm not your pack mule, Silena."
"You sure? You kind of look like one."
"Shut up, Annabeth!" Clarisse screamed.
"No, you shut up!"
Silena face-palmed. "Mother, what on earth did I start?"
Thalia climbed up the ladder of the boat, turning to check and make sure Percy was following. Reaching the highest rung, she slung herself onto the boat. He followed soon after her, and they watched as Tyson laughed hysterically on his fish pony.
"Tyson, hush!" Percy whisper-yelled. "Get up here!"
"Can Rainbow come, too?" the Cyclops asked innocently.
"Rainbow?" Thalia repeated, incredulously. Boy he really wasn't like any other monster, was he? Tyson nodded eagerly at her, smiling. It was difficult for her to find him threatening. He truly was harmless. What was she so afraid of?
"We have to go," Percy answered. "Tyson, I'm sorry, but Rainbow can't really climb ladders."
The hippocampus whined pitifully, obviously growing fond of the Cyclops. Tyson buried his head in its mane, sniffling and holding back a sob. "I will miss you, Rainbow," he said sorrowfully. "I will see you again. Soon!"
"Soon," the son of Poseidon repeated, smiling to reassure his half-brother.
"Tomorrow!" Tyson perkily demanded. "Oh, please."
Tyson climbed up onto the ship, his loud feet thumping against the maintenance deck. Yellow lifeboats surrounded them, and there was a pair of double doors behind them. After tugging on them experimentally, Thalia arrived to the conclusion that they were tightly sealed.
"Locked?" Percy asked, raising his eyebrows. She nodded, crossing her arms over her chest and leaning slightly back. "We can get them open, come on."
"Ooh, let me help, brother," Tyson urged, making his way to the doors. With a grunt of effort and a few long moments, the doors began to fold away and crumple like aluminum.
"Staples," Thalia remarked.
"That was easy," Percy finished.
"Let's scout," Thalia suggested, brushing off their little commercial moment. "Tyson, buddy, try and stick behind us, okay? Percy and I will lead us through."
"Okay, Zeus girl," Tyson chirped brightly.
Zeus girl? Thalia flashed Percy a look, but he merely shrugged in her direction.
The demigods and Cyclops squeezed through the space (well, Tyson had to anyway), and began stealthily making their way through the ship. After scanning decks and areas from above and pressing their ears against every cabin door they encountered, they came to realize that the entire ship appeared to be empty.
"Ghost ship?" Thalia asked, turning to consult her male counterpart.
Percy frowned. "That's what I was thinking."
Tyson shook his head earnestly. "No," he said, appearing jittery. "Bad smell."
"Hate to break it to you, but you probably just smell Percy." The son of Poseidon nudged Thalia roughly, causing her to wince and laugh all at once. "Wow. Just kidding."
"Cyclopes are like satyrs," Percy informed, ignoring Thalia's comment. "They are able to smell when monsters are near. Isn't that right, Tyson?" He nodded anxiously in response, beginning to glance around. "What exactly do you smell?"
"Something bad," the young Cyclops answered.
"Wow, okay, so that's like seven million things off the top of my head," Thalia replied.
The three traveled to the swimming pool level. The food and drink bar was closed off, and the many tables and chairs were unoccupied. They explored other sections of the ship—the climbing wall (reminding Thalia of camp), a nifty putt-putt golf course, a revolving restaurant, and a small bowling alley. Yet, there was still no sign of anyone else on the boat.
"We need a hideout. Somewhere safe to sleep," Percy said.
Thalia tilted her head to the side, resembling a curious puppy. "Hideout? Hell, I say we take one of those cabins. There's obviously no one else on the Princess Andromeda. Why not enjoy ourselves?"
Percy flashed an amused grin. "You know for someone with such a paranoid father, you're not very afraid to take risks."
Thunder crackled above.
Thalia raised a brow. "Your point being?"
"Nothing," the son of Poseidon said, still grinning. "Let's find somewhere to sleep."
They eventually found an empty suite on the ninth floor, with two separated rooms, a bathroom, and a small kitchen area. Even though it wasn't very large, it was exquisitely decorated in themes of silver and gold. On the table in the kitchen, chocolates and other treats littered the tablecloth. A bottle of red wine that sat on the nightstand caught Thalia's attention.
"Tyson and I will take this room," Percy said, pointing to the closest, "and you can take the one with the door closed."
Thalia started to move towards the room to set her things down, but Tyson began to whine. "Brother, I want a room by myself."
The daughter of Zeus blushed. He couldn't exactly expect Percy and her to sleep in the same bed as one another. Her frantic blue eyes scanned Percy's face cautiously, instantly noting the almost excited look on his features.
Percy sighed, obviously pretending to seem set off. "Fine, Tyson…I guess."
"Yay!" Tyson cheered, wasting no time in rushing off to his designated room.
"So, uh…" the son of Poseidon began, but Thalia marched off towards the bed.
She flung her duffel bag on the comforter, quickly zipping it open. Eros and Hermes had thought of everything they could possibly need—clothes that suited them in both fashion and size, miniature bottles of shampoo and conditioner, camp rations, a plastic bag full of cash, a brown leather sack full of drachmas. Thalia smiled when she noticed that the gods had been kind enough to pack her Drakon-enchanted flight jacket.
Percy, after rifling through his own bag, locked all of the doors in the room. "Just in case," he replied to Thalia's amused look. "There's something strange about this ship."
"We can find a way off of it tomorrow," she said. "We can use one of those lifeboats. We're only staying for the night, Kelp Head."
He nodded. "I know."
"It's probably best if we try and rest now," the daughter of Zeus remarked, kicking off her shoes and burrowing beneath the soft satin sheets. She made sure to distance herself from Percy's half of the bed.
"Yeah," he said eventually, turning off the lights. Her eyes drooped, and she slowly closed them completely. She felt him settle in beside her, hesitant to scoot too close. "Yeah," he repeated. "We probably should. Goodnight, Thalia."
"Night," she mumbled, allowing sleep to overtake her.