Jason could never get a break. For ten days they had been chasing pirates. Of course, there were some victories, but he could tell that Captain Chase wasn't satisfied.
Jason sometimes worried about Annabeth. She seemed so stressed–no, hellbent–to catch one particular pirate: Percy Jackson. Now, Jason had never seen Jackson in person, but he'd heard stories of him. Jason had only seen drawings of Percy Jackson, done by Annabeth herself. Captain Chase was a good architect, so drawing was one of her skills.
The call for duty was something Jason could understand. He had once been a captain himself until the incident happened…
But Jason didn't want to think of the incident, so he decided to focus on something else.
He had been leaning against the stone brick walls Port Royale, staring at the long cobbled streets that snaked through the town. Each little road divided a space between the buildings, like some sort of invisible wall.
Jason appreciated being back in town, even if it was just for a short time. He knew he needed rest, but he always seemed to push himself beyond his limits. Sure, he wasn't Captain anymore, but being a Lieutenant still meant hard work. He was the son of the king, after all.
His fellow crew members needed some rest, especially the Captain. She had been far too worried in capturing Percy Jackson, that she'd probably forgotten to eat in days. Jason couldn't blame here. He'd probably feel the same way if he were in her position.
They would be departing soon, again chasing after the infamous pirate. Apparently, they had a knew lead about his location. Something about a clash with a smaller ship.
Jason fell out of his trance as he saw his friend approach: The Master of the ship. Frank Zhang had been the best navigator Jason had ever seen. He had a good eye, he had an awesome sense of direction, and he would never get lost. That's because Frank was a shapeshifter. All he had to do was turn into an albatross and they were set to go. The guy was a walking compass.
"You heading in yet?" Frank had asked him.
Jason shook his head, smiling at his friend. They were nearly the same height, except Frank had a bulkier build, like a brute. His chest was more expanded and his arms were larger. At first eye, Frank seemed like a vicious bear that could tear you apart (which he could), but Frank had been one of the nicest guys Jason had ever met.
"I'm waiting for Thalia. I wonder what's taking her so long."
"She could be busy or something."
"Maybe she's arguing with someone. Who knows?" Jason's joke made Frank crack a smile, something he appreciated very much. Still, there was truth to his joke, as his sister tended to argue a lot with people.
With a pat on the shoulder, Frank walked towards the docks, heading on board The Wisdom Owl.
Jason examined the large galleon–particularly the white sails and the graceful Union Jack on the foremast. Jason usually tended the sails, as it was the winds who guided them. Most of the time, usually when they were docked, he needed to shift the winds to begin course. He was sure that he would be needed for the job soon enough.
"Hey, little brother." Thalia had suddenly appeared, a scowl on her freckled face.
At first glance, no one would believe that Thalia and him were siblings, but if you looked closely, you could see the slight similarities. Their eyes were the same shade of electric blue, same round shape as well. Their lips were both pink and thin too, but besides that, there was nothing else. Thalia looked older than Jason, a lot fiercer. The fact made Jason wonder why she'd never been Captain, but he was sure that she was fine being a Purser for her crew. Even so, Jason looked up to Thalia–not just because she was his older sister, but because she was definitely the strongest girl he knew.
Thalia's hair was different from Jason's too. Her hair was black as a crow and a lot spikier. His hair was blond, a trait he'd inherited from his mother.
In fact, Jason was starting to believe that the only things he had in common with his sister were their eyes and the blue navy coat and uniform they wore.
"You seem upset. Is something wrong?" Jason asked with concern, noticing her semi-aggressive tone of voice.
At that moment, Thalia's face relaxed. "I was talking with Hermes. Something about dad…"
Jason nodded. He knew that their father was a touchy subject. He probably shouldn't have asked anything else, but still he tried.

"What about dad?"
Thalia shook her head slowly, her spiky curtains framing her face with every move. "I'll tell you later. Promise."
They had begun walking to the ship, a comfortable silence between them. Once in a while, fellow Seamen would halt and salute in their direction, but Jason would just smile in their direction.
"He's such a problem," Thalia had finally said as they were boarding The Wisdom Owl. Jason could only listen intently as his sister rambled. "It's always what he wants or it's eternal hell for not putting with his shi–" Thalia stopped herself abruptly. Jason looked over at her, feeling interested, only to notice that her face had melted back into a scowl. Only this time her eyes showed a different emotion than anger. Something Jason was familiar with himself: pain.
It was as if a flintlock had shot scorching bullet in his heart. He hated seeing his sister upset.
"Thalia," He suddenly said. "Thalia what's wrong?" But Thalia wouldn't answer him. Instead, she stood still, staring at the other side of the deck.
Jason's eyes drifted in the same direction, and the sight confused him. He didn't know why this would upset Thalia, but he felt as if it wasn't the correct time to bother her about it.
What he saw was Annabeth Chase,–her curly blond hair showering on her shoulders–in deep conversation with a man who had the same amount of buttons as her on his coat, a Captain, Jason thought. She had a look on her face that he'd never seen before. She looked like she was in a trance, something that was caused by the man she was talking to, Jason figured.
Annabeth and the man looked over at them, a frown appearing as her gray eyes would land on Thalia. She told the man something like "Wait here" and walked over to them.
"What is he doing here?" Thalia demanded desperately as Annabeth approached.
"Look, Thalia, I'm so sorry. We need him. If we want to catch Jackson, he's our man."
Thalia sighed in defeat. Jason wasn't sure if it was out of respect for Annabeth–they had been friends since Annabeth was a little girl, afterall–or if it was because she was in no mood for arguing.
"Fine," Thalia said, "but if he gets anywhere near me, I'm throwing him off board."
Annabeth gave her friend an appreciating smile, nodding as she understood Thalia.
Jason began noticing how the man had been glaring in their direction. The look he gave them sent chills down his spine. It wasn't because there was a long scar trailing down the left side of his face. It was because they looked so much alike. Except this man looked colder, taller, more muscular. He reminded Jason of an old crew mate of his.
"Who is he?" Jason finally blurted out.
Annabeth turned her attention towards Jason, a straight and serious look on her face. "Jason, I want you to meet Captain Castellan."