Hey, Everyone!

I'm really kind of annoyed today because I've been trying out for soccer this week, and the results finally came in. I admit, I sucked at most of the tryouts, but...I made the practice team. WTF? All my friends are telling me it's "such an accomplishment!" and "It'll make you more likely to make the team next year!" and all that other stuff, but what am I doing in the mean time? That's right: watching.

Sorry to bother you guys with that, I just had to get it off my chest.

Enjoy!

Chapter 21

Annabeth

Annabeth had been walking for what felt like years.

Who knows? It could have been years, for all she knew.

She'd only stopped to rest a few times, and usually only to get water.

She was too afraid to sleep without him. She just kept moving.

Nothing she could do would take her mind off him. But, then again, she didn't want to stop thinking about him.

He was her whole world; who wants to forget his or her entire world?

Annabeth hobbled along, following the distant sound of thundering footsteps.

After a while, they just stopped.

What? Annabeth thought, angry and scared. How can they just stop? NOW?

And that's when Annabeth realized the horses must have just stopped moving. Maybe they were resting. Maybe they were relaxing, taking a quick break, like she had many times.

Or maybe they were sleeping.

Either way, Annabeth needed to use this opportunity to catch up as much as she could before they started going again.

I'm coming for you, Seaweed Brain, she thought. I promise I am.

When she finally felt like she could almost be close, the footsteps started again.

Her knees were jelly and her brain was barely functioning properly; the only thing she could remember was Percy and how to put one foot in front of a cane and a cane in front of a foot to keep moving.

But when she heard the footsteps, Annabeth was filled with a renewed vigor.

They seemed to be so close by.

And then, up ahead, she could see them.

Just barely, she could see the backs of gold, silver, and bronze horses.

She started to jog/hobble. She didn't care if her knees were jelly; they could melt for all she cared, as long as they didn't stop her from getting to Percy.

She realized that she was approaching them quickly. It was almost like they were taking their time to get to wherever they were going. They must not have known Annabeth was pursuing them.

Good, she thought, let them be surprised. Let them be scared. Let them be defenseless. I want Percy.

After what felt like maybe days, Annabeth was much closer to the horses, but not close enough to attack.

The beasts of bronze, silver, and gold made an unexpected turn, and Annabeth raced as quickly as she could after them.

She realized they were traveling to some sort of cave. Annabeth could see the opening in the rock of the huge wall the horses were speeding toward.

There were many holes, actually, so it looked less like a cave and more like a hive.

Annabeth approached as quietly and as quickly as she could to the opening that the horses ran through minutes before.

She tried not to let her cane hit the rocky ground too hard; it tended to make a lot of noise.

She hobbled as lightly as possible, and as she peered into the cave, she saw two things.

A mass of silver, gold, and bronze.

And Percy, tied to a small tree growing out of the ground in the middle of the cave, asleep.

She was angry. Very angry. He had to be asleep. He wasn't dead.

Or unconscious. Unconscious was better than dead.

I can't fight them now, Annabeth thought angrily. I'll sleep out here, and get them tomorrow. I'll kill them all. I swear, I will.

She dug for about a foot before finding more water, and Annabeth drank greedily. She decided to leave this hole open, just incase Percy needed something to drink afterward.

Annabeth tried not to image how they could have been treating him as she laid down next to the watering hole to fall asleep.

She hadn't known how tired she truly was until she closed her eyes.

In her dream, Annabeth was standing in a cave made of clay.

It looked a lot like the one with Percy in it, only empty and without a tree.

"Miss Chase," a voice boomed as if over a loud speaker. "I've been meaning to speak to you for a couple hours now, but you haven't been resting."

It's only been hours, Annabeth thought, relieved. He can't be that hurt.

"Who are you?" Annabeth shouted back.

"I'm sorry," the voice cooed, "how awfully rude of me. Allow me to introduce myself."

There was a loud popping sound behind her, and Annabeth turned around to see a tall man, maybe seven or eight feet tall. He had a long beard made of wavy black hair, and long locks of wavy black hair to go with it. He mad a small mustache that connected to his beard along the corners of his mouth, and when he smiled at her, his teeth were yellow, and two were rotten.

"Alas," he sighed, "this is as short as I may go."

Annabeth gave him a frustrated look. "Who are you?"

He chuckled. "An eager one, are you? Good. Well, if you must know, my name is Clytius, one of the sons of Gaea. A giant, if that may help."

Annabeth's expression turned grim. He's a giant. Naturally.

"What do you want?" When it came to giants, Annabeth's questions were straight forward and simple.

"Well, Gaea was hoping-" Clytius started, but Annabeth turned away from him. "No."

"No?" Clytius's tone sounded suspicious and amused. "But you didn't even let me finish my proposition."

"Alright," Annabeth turned back around. "But I'm going to keep in mind that it's not actually your proposition. It's her's."

Clytius nodded. "Of course."

"Gaea was wondering if you wanted to help her with a little deed she needed done," Clytius explained. "She assures you a reward."

"There is nothing I want from her," Annabeth said stubbornly. "So there's nothing she can give that would be worth anything to me."

"Even the safety of Mr. Jackson?" he asked suspiciously, but his tone of amusement never faded.

"'Mr. Jackson,'" Annabeth mocked slightly, "doesn't need her to protect him, and I don't need her to help me get him back."

"But that tree is a very special tree, Miss Chase," Clytius reprimanded. "I would suggest you take this offer now, and save the trouble for later."

"How special?" Annabeth asked. She always liked to know what she was up against when the time came for a fight.

"This tree sucks the life out of any mortal who touches it," Clytius explained. "And if touching it too long, the life will be drained out of the mortal completely, and the body will be absorbed and made part of the tree."

"I can save him on my own, Clytius," Annabeth snapped. "I don't need Gaea for this."

"As you wish, Miss Chase," Clytius replied, "but you just made your job a lot more difficult."

"Nothing I can't handle," Annabeth smiled at him, then she said, "I think I'm going to wake up now."

Her eyes flew open and she sat up.

She crept back over to the opened and saw, in horror, that Percy's cheeks were caving in and his skin was thing and his eyes looked like they were bulging out of their sockets.

It made Annabeth want to cry.

She didn't want to admit it, but the only reason why she hadn't dissed that giant in her dream was because he had seemed so friendly.

I'm going to save you now, Percy, she thought to him. I'm going to have you right now.

NOT PERCY NO! Why is he the one always getting into trouble?

Because it wouldn't be very fun if the narrator was unable to narate. XP!

Okay, so I bet you guys are wondering: "What's with this author? Doesn't she know Percabeth is our favorite? MORE PERCABETH NOW BEFORE WE GO ON STRIKE!"

I'm going to be straight-up honest with you guys...I'm stuck.

I'm having severe writer's block, and I can't think of anything interesting to do with them while I'm writing about the guys on the Argo II.

I know that you love them, and I'm sorry, but if there's something serious you guys want me to see, then PLEASE drop an idea or suggestion in my PM inbox or in any other form that you can think of...;)

Thanks for Reading!