Chapter 6: We enter Zeus' territory.
I reached Cabin Three within a few minutes. I stepped across the threshold into my summer home. The smell of sea spray and clean air filled my nostrils and I felt re-energized and cheery as I almost always did when I entered my cabin. I pulled a yellow duffel bag from underneath my bunk and started throwing clothes and belongings into it. Once I thought that I'd packed a sufficient amount of clothing I zipped up the bag and placed it on the floor next to the door.
"Seaweed Brain," I heard Annabeth call. "You should really fold your clothes. They'll get all creased." Her voice seemed to be coming from one of the other bunks. I noticed the silk sheets moving slightly in the bed furthest away. I walked over to where Annabeth lay invisibly and felt for her face, pulling her cap away from her head.
"If you don't like the way I pack, maybe you shouldn't spy on me." I'd never in a million years be angry at her for sneaking up on me, it made her more fun, interesting. Like finding her was a game. I should've known she'd be there. Her arms wrapped around my shoulders, hugging me from behind.
"I'm just observing you." She whispered in my ear. She pushed me off the bed and I landed on my butt with a thud.
Annabeth stared down at me with a look of superiority etched on her face.
"You, Wise Girl, are brutal to me." I said as I pulled myself up onto another bed.
"If I thought that you could pack a case properly I wouldn't have to
creep." She'd already retrieved my bag from the door and started un-
packing everything, re-folding and putting them back. She pulled out a
shirt that was already in the case since I'd last used it last summer.
"Oh my gods Percy, this is disgusting." She groaned as she flung it
into the hamper at the end of the bed. "How long was that in there?" I
shrugged my shoulders, Annabeth was better off not knowing.
"So if you're done packing my case..." I walked over and wrapped my
arms around her waist. "We can continue." She turned and placed her
hand on the small of my back my Achilles spot. Sending shivers up my
spine.
"No chance Sea Monkey, I gotta sleep." I hoped that my new nickname
wouldn't stick. Annabeth stood on her tip toes to give me a quick kiss
and left.
I undressed and got into bed, a wave if paranoia sweeping over me.
I didn't sleep well, as I walked into the dining area; probably
looking like I'd been pulled through a hedge backwards and punched
repeatedly in the face the whole Athena table gave me a look of pity.
Great, I thought, Annabeth told them about my phobia of flying no
doubt. If only we could go on the pegasi. But they couldn't fly that
far in one go and they hated Nico, like most other animals.
I sat down at my table and was greeted by a familiar face, Juniper
the tree nymph stood in front of me holding a plate of toast and a bowl
of cereal.
"Are you alright Percy? I heard you were back." She sat and pushed the food
towards me. Before I could answer the sound of hooves pounding against
the marble floor came towards us. A brown haired, freckled satyr with
a grin too big to fit his face placed his hands on Juniper's shoulders.
"Grover!" My anxiety left me for a split second as I took in the
face of my best friend. "What are you doing here?" I saw out of the
corner of my eye that Mr. D was giving us a strange look.
"Juniper IM'd me as soon as she was certain you were back. Speaking of
which, why are you back? Bet you missed a certain goat." He turned to
Juniper. "I told you." They reminded me so much of Beckendorf and
Silena it was starting to make me wonder who Annabeth and I looked like.
"I got a quest, man. I'm off to Greece." I told the pair of them about
Ares and the prophecy.
"Maybe it's a gift for Aphrodite? Or Hera?" Juniper squeaked.
"Or maybe it's a weapon of mass destruction? It better not hurt any
wild creatures." Grover's darkened expression made him look like one
evil goat.
"Doesn't matter what it is guys." I reasoned. "If I don't get it for
him, Ares will probably hit me with every evil curse he's got."
At that moment Annabeth came running over telling me that we had to
get a move on, or we'd miss our flight. Ten minutes later Chiron, Annabeth, Nico and I stood next to Thalia's pine.
Silently cursing and dreading the moment that I got on that plane.
Chiron handed me a plastic card with the symbol of Olympus on it.
"A credit card, the money never has to be paid back." He handed Nico and Annabeth one too. "You have access to every type of currency and no need for chip and pin." We each said our good byes and walked down the hill to the van that was waiting for us.
At the airport, I reached my wits end.
"Could we not just get a lift with Apollo or something?" Annabeth punched me in the arm.
"No we could not. Apollo's a god remember, he's got better things to do than ferry us around." She snapped back, gaining a few uncertain looks from the people around us.
"He managed it before." I managed to mutter under my breath without her hearing me. I could see Nico giggling. I gave him my best death glare. It obviously didn't have the same affect as it used to, because Zombie Boy wasn't even fazed.
Ten hours later, I emerged off the plane white knuckled and ready to puke and pass out at the same time. Annabeth gave my hand a soft squeeze as we stepped onto the tarmac. As soon as my feet touched the warm ground I had to resist every urge in my body to get down on my knees and kiss it.
An hour later, the three of us stood in front of our hotel, wondering what we were to do next.
"I think food, then sleep." Nico suggested. I nodded in agreement. It must've been gone midnight in USA, but it was very early in the morning in Athens.
"We really should get started as soon as possible." I groaned along with Nico. I tried the only thing I could think of. Strategy.
"Look," I said to Annabeth, holding both her hands. "If we don't get much sleep, we won't be very good against whatever we may come up against. It wouldn't be a smart move if we were deprived of sleep." She nodded in defeat. "And other than that, Nico looks like he's about to drop dead. No pun intended." He chuckled lightly as a led the pair of them back into the foyer of the hotel.
In our hotel room we helped ourselves to the snacks and sandwiches from the mini fridge in our conjoint room.
"So, err, where's everyone sleeping?" Nico pointed out a situation even Annabeth had over looked.
"Maybe I should sleep next door." Annabeth said. It wasn't a question. Nico immediately started moaning.
"I don't want to sleep next to Percy." He said my name with a tone of disgust he obviously inherited from his dad. I wasn't too fond of the idea of sleeping in the same bed as him either.
"Yeah well, I'm a girl. And it's my birthday tomorrow. So what I say goes." Her face set in a scowl directed at the son of Hades.
"Pleeeeeeeaseee" He whined, trying to melt Annabeth's heart with a pair of puppy dog eyes. She shook her head defiantly; there was no way that she was backing down. Nico stood and backed into a wall.
"Fine then, I'm going to get a sleeping bag so that I can sleep on the floor." And he melted into the shadow, leaving Annabeth and I with a plate full of sandwiches.
Nico came back while Annabeth was having a shower. Carrying a large bedroll under one arm and with his sword in the other he tumbled backwards out of the closed door.
"You weren't gone long." I commented from our bed as he huffed and puffed, regaining his breath. After a few more seconds of panting he acknowledged my statement.
"An emposai." He rolled out the sleeping bag at the base of the bed. "Walked into an alley way after I got this thing, and there she was, sucking some poor mortal's blood." He shuddered, which surprised me, because he rarely allowed anyone to see him, disgruntled.
"I'm guessing she saw you? Or you sliced her up or something?" Nico sat next to me, and looked at the blade of his sword.
"Yeah man. Didn't even know I was there." He sheathed his sword, which I had always wondered about. I figured if I was going to ask him, now would be as good a time as any.
"Nico, what's the deal with your sword?" He looked at me out of the corner of his eye and shrugged.
"It's stygian iron. Minos led me to it after I ran away from camp." I nodded, knowing exactly what he was on about. "It was in this grave yard in Boston. It just seemed to fit me, you know?"
"Yeah." I nodded again. "You don't know anything else about it?" Nico shook his head.
"Nah, and I don't want to. I'm happy-ish without any more complications like who used to own my sword." I thought about telling him that my sword used to belong to Hercules, but thought better of it. A yawn shook through him as he stood up again and walked to the door of the bathroom between the two rooms. He was about to knock when Annabeth poked her head around the door.
"Bathroom's free." She said with wet curls and a grin on her face. And then she was gone.
"Finally." Nico groaned as he turned the handle and walked in.
A/N: Hey guys. Hope you had a good new years and didn't get too wrecked. I hope you like the story so far. Not sure what's going to happen next. Any ideas would be gratefully accepted.