Hey guys, another chapter! Yay! Also thanks to Sora Loves Rain for being my first favoriter, on my first day, too. :D Hope you guys enjoy.
Percy's POV
The ship flew over the waves at terrifying speeds, the wind ruffling the sails, and the sea creatures swimming next to me. After all, I am a son of Poseidon. I kept the ship going in a zigzag pattern, partly because that's how ships move, and I also didn't want to get killed by incoming missiles. I called on the power of the sea, and scanned ahead for enemy movements. My mind's eye flew around at high speeds, looking for anything other than the stone grey of the horizon and the deep, dark blue of the ocean. Suddenly, there! Two fiery red ships sailed in the water surrounded by the dark rough earth of the Gaea ships. In the sky there was the fearsome airship, the full metal frame to protect from below, and the layer upon layer of thick leather that protected the precious air from gushing out.
I signaled to a son of Hephaestus, who was a mechanic on my ship. "Yo, Jorge!" I called to him. He hurried over. "Alarm the rest of the crew. Enemy is on portboard side, nine o'clock. Get weapons armed and loaded!"
I knew I had to be conservative because I only had two ships with me, both of whom are not fully experienced naval captains. I had no idea when the air support would arrive, but it better soon, or we would be in some deep shit.
Thalia's POV
I stood on the bow of the grounded ship of Eagle One Seven. The ships were nearly ready for flight, and many supplies were being hauled aboard. I felt a stirring of butterflies in my stomach. I would never admit this, but, I, Thalia Grace was afraid of heights. A daughter of Zeus, lord of the skies, afraid of heights? Yup.
I readied my bow and arrow, and we lifted into the sky, the stormy wind billowing around us, and the captains steered the ship toward the enemy. My favorite part was the fighting. Nothing beats being able to call down lightning, and strike those stupid enough to attack the kingdom of Olympica.
"How far out?!" I shouted over the noisy, screaming winds. A woman appeared next to me, "Ten minutes!" she shouted.
"Too long! Get us moving! Those ships need our help!" The battle-hardened woman nodded, and went to tell the captain to hurry the hell up.
Percy's POV
We were sailing, all the soldiers in sight, when we caught sight of the enemy. They were fearsome, and the hideous monsters that sat on the ship, dracanae, hellhounds, telekhines, giant crabs, and even a drakon. Evil mud spirits held the boats of Gaea steady, and they advanced towards us, fearless in the dark sky.
To say I was scared was an understatement. I was nervous, anxious and terrified as all goddamn hell. What was I doing here, going up against worldly monsters. This wasn't who I was. I was just a young man. But then I shook myself out of those thoughts. It happened to everyone before battle. You get a huge feeling of giant butterflies in your stomach followed by your evil, scared thoughts, wondering how the hell did you get into a crazy war.
"Crossbows, at the ready!" I shouted, and my small crew manned their position.
"Are the medics ready?" I asked Tyson. He nodded.
I thought, and sent up a quick prayer to my dad, and all the other Olympic gods. May all go well, and may all be free.
Then, I gave the Poseidon navy war cry. "These boats hunt our food, kill our family, bleed in our waters! We will never bow down than those that stand bravely, next to us, ready to die fighting in our honor! We will not bow down to our enemies! We will kill all, and let the ocean raze their bodies! We are the Poseidon navy, our time is now! Sail, my brothers and sisters! Sail! Kill! And let all the enemy die!" I roared.
I was answered back by over a hundred voices, all frenzied up after my chant. And so was I.
Thalia's POV
As the ships screamed through the air going at top speed, I thought back over my battle practices in my mind. It always helped me when I was going straight into battle. And when I was high in the air. "Cut, slash, duck, shield," I muttered to myself. No danger of others overhearing their crazy commander talking to herself, as the wind shrieked out its voice.
"Ma'am!" A lookout shouted, "Eleven o'clock, repeat, targets are at eleven o'clock!" The deck of the two ships immediately buzzed with activity. Ballistas were wheeled into place, and hot barrels of black, sticky tar pushed to the side. Flaming torches were passed along, and the army of Thunder Four, my command base, waited on me for orders.
I sucked in a deep breath, and let loose, "It is time for war, ladies and gentlemen, so do not expect an easy, lazy day. Expect a day with lots of death, pain, and killing. But we are Thunder Four, and we will not stand by idly, as our comrades take the enemy. No, we will smash into their ranks, break them, and we will kill them in all our glory!" I raised my spear, and Aegis, my Medusa shield, with all of its ugliness gleaming in the sky. "Thunder Four!" I screamed. "Thunder Four!" screamed the rest of the voices in the sky.
As I was rallying our troops, the ships had gotten closer, and we could see the faces of our comrades, glaring steely at the hideous monsters that had dared stood in the way. When they saw us, they grinned and shouted in delight, banging weapons on shield, and shield on wood. We replied with our own noise, and the air was soon a mixture of banging weapons and loud war shouts.
The commander of the trio of ships, a young man who had raven hair, a sea-swept face, and handsome features, stood on the elegant bow of his ship, and raised his sword. He shouted, "Olympica!" Once. Twice. and then more adding ferocity after every chant. The defense of Olympica took up the cry, and the monsters looked at lot more grim at their chance at survival. Here was the fine Poseidon navy ships, unbeaten in its glorious years, experienced sea-goers who knew how to fight. And who could forget the dual threat of Thunder Four, as their airships were a gateway to certain pain, and almost certain death.
But the monsters knew they had no choice, and they sailed grimly to meet their fate. As the two armies, stood, a few hundred yards apart, staring down their foes.
Then the dracanae launched into flight, their huge, scaly wings flapping at the air, and the telekhines and mud spirits ordered their ships forward, and the soldiers withered and grasped, desperate to tear out demigod meat. The drakon roared a challenge, and along our lines, soldiers drew their swords and bows, Apollo's children drawing back their fearsome bows, Ares' sons and daughters making up a gigantic wall of wood and shield. It was time for war. It was time for vengeance, pain, suffering, victory, and losses.
Third Person POV
What Thalia didn't notice, though, was a dark and terrifying shape, morphing from the shadows, a vicious sword in its grip, jumping down straight towards her...