All rights to Mister Richard Russell Riordan Jr.

Chapter 5: In Motion

Nothing much happened that night. After a quick dinner (you guessed it, seafood), Trent made me a bed from spare sheets, and slept at the far end of the room. The next morning, I woke up to find him gone. However, I wasn't alone.

"You drool in your sleep."

I looked around to find a girl working in the small kitchenette. Her brunette hair was tied loosely in a bun, and her clothes were faded. She worked with her back towards me. There was an aroma of cooked salmon about the house.

"I'm…sorry?" I nervously got up and began folding the sheets. "Who are you?"

"Trent asked me to look after you," she replied. She turned towards me with a plate in her hands and smiled. She put the plate in front of me. Salmon sandwich. Huh.

"Sorry about that. I'd have made something more elaborate if it weren't on such short notice." She sat in front of me and looked at me apologetically.

"Oh no no this is great. Thank you very much." Without wasting a moment, I began stuffing my mouth with the food.

"Your name is Jo, isn't it?" she asked. I nodded.

"You're from?"

"Delos, I come from a small village there." What? The best lies are closest to the truth.

"I see…" she mused. "Well, I have a chore to run. Freshen up at the bathhouse and meet me in the courtyard outside in an hour."

Saying that, she got up and walked towards the door. "Wait, what is your name?" I called after her, just as she was about to close the door. She held it ajar for a moment.

"Phoebe."

Line Break

The possibility that Phoebe was close to Trent raised suspicion in my mind. After all, I hadn't considered that he may have female admirers. If that was the case, my coming here was doomed. Men are easily trapped by Aphrodite's magic. But I had no choice. I could leave right away and save myself some precious time, but I was tired and clueless. No good weapons, or sense of direction. I needed help as much as I hated to admit it.

That too from a male, the voice reminded me. Yes, the cherry on top.

I took my sweet time in the bathhouse and then hurried back to the courtyard. Phoebe was sitting there, reading a book. Interesting, I thought.

"You're late," she sighed. I smiled at her apologetically. "Ma will have my head for this."

She got up and asked me to follow her. We wove through the streets of Chania. It was almost afternoon, and there was a hustle. People went about their business, carrying baskets full of food and flowers. Cattle roamed free in the fields, guards stood around and laughed, occasionally trying to woo a passerby. If I had my powers, I'd turn them into the most hideous of creatures, and have someone skin them alive.

At the same time, I observed my companion. Phoebe was talking with people as we passed by and waving at the others. She wore a simple blue dress, but she looked pretty in it. It was a miracle that she hadn't been married off yet. Most women at her age had seven children, and were on their way to have more.

"A penny for your thoughts?" she looked over her shoulder.

"How do you know Trent?" I asked.

"Long story. I've known him since I was ten, when he first arrived on Crete. My father was to look after him until he was old enough. We pretty much grew up in the same house." Her eyes seemed distant. I was clearly stirring up a memory that she didn't want to revisit.

"What about you? What brings you to Crete?" she questioned. "I always thought that the children of the Big Three didn't get along very well."

"You're a half-blood?" I asked, rather loudly.

"I'm not sure," she responded. "Trent seems to think that I have clear sight because no monster ever attacked me. And dear old dad took the secrets to his grave."

"I...see" I was at a loss for words. "Any monsters in the vicinity?"

"A couple of old Cyclopes that own the stables. They usually keep to themselves. You're dodging the question."

"It's complicated. I'd rather not talk about it in the open."

We stopped outside a small flower shop. A petite woman sat inside, sprinkling water on some of the flowers. She looked at Phoebe crossly.

Phoebe sighed and entered the shop. She and the woman had a quick heated conversation that involved a lot of hand-waving. At one point the woman grabbed the book in Phoebe's hand and threw it in the water bucket. Phoebe made no attempts to stop her. Giving me one last glare, she exited the shop and disappeared in the street.

"That actually went better than I'd've expected," Phoebe admitted. She picked up the book from the bucket. "Come on, lots of work to do. Trent won't be back until late afternoon."

I did as she asked. She tasked me to cut the thorns from the rose stems. While we were at it, we continued our conversation from before. I told her about my quest and my plan.

She shook her head and laughed. "Out of all the people the gods could have sent, they sent you? I mean, no offense but you don't look like a warrior. Guess they must be really desperate."

She isn't rude at all, is she? The voice asked.

"All the good ones are either dead or busy cleaning stables." I replied.

"What?"

"Nothing," I said quickly. "Tell me this, how does a person go from being the son of Poseidon to a fisherman?"

"It's…complicated. To put it bluntly, Trent cut himself off from the sea. I don't remember what he said, but it was something along the lines, 'not responding when it calls out to him'."

A few customers arrived, and Phoebe looked after their needs. I sat doing my chore, wondering if it was a good idea to tell Phoebe so much about my plan. But I couldn't help it, she had been nothing but nice to me so far. I had a feeling that I could trust her.

"Well, the plan is batshit crazy," she admitted, turning to me. "But it might actually work."

"Yes, it all depends on his decision." Poseidon had made it sound like Trent was the key to my quest's success. It was natural that my plan centered around him.

"You should know," she said in a somber voice. "Trent's life has been full of tragedies. He has worked hard to carve a place for himself here. The sea god abandoned him when he was in need, so he does not hold favor for most gods. You might think that I'm being demotivating, but he's my best friend and I care for him very much. And I do not want him to risk his life."

"I know. I won't hold it against you or him." I promised her. She nodded in acknowledgement and turned to pot some flowers.

Line Break

"Hello there!" greeted a cheerful Trent, standing at the door. "Is that mushroom I smell?"

After the conversation at the shop, Phoebe and I didn't talk much. A few hours later when it was clear that there were going to be no more customers for the day, Phoebe closed the shop. On our way back, we hit the bathhouse and stopped for some Cretan delicacies. Phoebe picked up mushrooms when I told her that my appetite for seafood was non-existent for my entire life ahead.

Sirius barked and jumped through the door. He ran right past me and began circling Phoebe in the kitchenette. Trent followed suit and tried to taste the curry being cooked, before Phoebe slapped his hand away.

"Ouch!"

"Both of you dogs, settle down. Dinner will be ready, when it'll be ready."

I laughed. Trent looked at me as if saying, 'See what I have to deal with everyday?' Sirius understood her and came to sit beside me. He sniffed me curiously, before tugging at my hand with his snout. I smiled and stroked his head. My area of expertise after all.

Trent helped Phoebe with the food. He cut the loaf of bread into slices and brought out plates. He crushed some nuts and handed them to Phoebe, who put them in the curry. They worked together seamlessly. Maybe it was the fact that Trent was not like other men. Maybe that he didn't mind doing a woman's job. Or he loved Phoebe. For the first time in my life, I was feeling jealous. I already knew Trent's answer.

And it was confirmed after dinner was over and Phoebe had left.

"I…can't do it," he said, pinching his nose. My insides hollowed out and my mind went blank.

"I've left the life of a half-blood behind me. Hades, it's been a decade since I even held a sword. Where you're going, what you're about to do, it's fifty shades of dangerous. Not to mention insanely crazy."

"I see." was all I could manage. My stomach really felt heavy.

"I've tempted fate once, I can't do it again. I'll help in any other way I can," he began. "You can stay here as long as you want and-"

"No," I replied flatly. "I'll leave tomorrow morning."

"Reconsider this Jo," he warned. "I want to help you, I really do."

"I have," I croaked. "Just show me the way tomorrow."

It had been long since I felt so powerless, and the feeling was not lost on me. A part of me had known all along that he would say no, right from the start. But it didn't hurt any less. He was a coward. A traitor, to his own kind! If I ever survived, I vowed to-

No, you promised her. I silently cried myself to sleep, the possibility of doom suddenly weighing me down.

Line Break

In the middle of the night, there was knocking at the door.

Knock knock.

I was sure at first that I had dreamed it. The night was quiet and there was no sound, except the crickets and the distant sea. But then there it was, again.

Knock knock.

I tried to ignore it, but it grew louder.

KNOCK KNOCK

And frantic.

KNOCK knock KNOCK

Now Sirius was whimpering outside too.

"Trent" I shook Trent from his bed. "Trent!"

Trent woke up, foggy-eyed. "There's someone at the-"

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK

Trent's eyes grew wide. He stood up and gestured to me to stay behind him. He grabbed a stick that was lying nearby. I grabbed the celestial bronze cutlass from my bag.

Trent took a deep breath and opened the door. Standing outside was the boy from the docks. The one who I had asked for directions. His expression was that of panic.

"Brother Trent, the ship she came in," he whispered, breathing heavily and pointing to me, "the crew!"

"What about them?"

"They were all murdered!"

Been busy. Next chapter is half finished and will be aired as soon as I'm happy with it.

In Motion by Atticus Ross and Trent Reznor