Chapter Twenty-Two

Thalia felt like she was about to throw up. She hated ships, and now she had to fight a frickin' battle on one for the amusement of a mob. Hope they're amused when I puke over the side of the ship, she thought bitterly.

She turned her head to see Percy standing erect at the bow of the ship as about 30 other gladiators along with Nico and Luke milled about the ship.

Across the arena, Thalia could see another 30 gladiators walking about another ship. They were their opponents. Who would Thalia and her friends be today? Ethiopians, Carthaginians? It was rare that they were Romans as Percy wasn't exactly on the best side of Caesar.

The oars on the side of the ship floated limply over the waves as the ship sat. She knew that below decks on each ship there were about 30 slaves manning the oars.

The blue-eyed girl lifted her head slightly to see the stands of the arena slowly filling up with people. She wondered whose idea it was to give the mob a mock-naval battle.

Whoever it is I will personally gut, Thalia said, glaring at the water that rocked the boat.

Triton smiled. A naval battle. A splendid way to please the mob of Rome. He remembered what Alabaster had once said. The beating heart of Rome is not the Senate, it's the sand of the Colosseum.

Or in this case, the water, Triton thought.

From his throne in the royal box he could see the gladiators walking about their ships. He had chosen a battle where the Romans lost. Who were the Romans? Why, Perseus' crew of course.

His thoughts turned stormy at the mere name of his enemy, the man who humiliated him multiple times in front of the whole populace of the Colosseum. The former general would pay. He thought back to yesterday morning, as his thoughts ran wild.

Flashback

Triton had a pounding headache as he lifted himself on the floor. His hands were sticky and covered with a dried red. His eyebrows knit in confusion, wondering if he had bled. Then he heard a clank and he looked to see an empty wine cup rolling across the floor. That's when he remembered. He had gotten drunk and had wanted to see Annabeth. He remembered opening the door to find the bedroom empty. Where had she gone? Why was her bed empty?

Angered at the missed chance to be with the one he 'loved', he stormed out of the room to the palace baths.

End of flashback

The Emperor turned his head to see the two chairs normally occupied by Piper and Annabeth empty. He snarled and turned his attention back to the gladiators below and the stands of the Colosseum that were slowly filling up with the mob. They would arrive soon. Who would miss a battle with the great Spaniard?

Percy grinned. He truly was an unusual Roman. Not only had he gone from general to gladiator but he was extremely happy to be on a ship. Why? Like always had, he felt at home on the water. He couldn't say the same for his friends. Out of the corner of his eye he could see Thalia with her head craning over the side of the ship as Luke awkwardly stood there, not needing to hold her hair out her face as it was so short. Occasionally the blonde would pat her on the back. Had he not felt so bad for his half-sister, Percy would have laughed at Luke's expression.

The stadium now buzzed with murmurs of the crowd. The Colosseum was full to the brim. No one would miss a naval battle. They were quickly silenced by the booming voice of the announcer. "Citizens of Rome! Today, Caesar has a special battle today. In the First Punic War, Carthage and Rome struggled for power, several battles on the seas. Today, Caesar presents the battle of the Lipari Islands!"

The crowd roared in approval as each ship hoisted their flags. Percy's eyes widened as one of the gladiator's on his ship hoisted the flag of Rome. At the sound of the horn, Percy snapped into actions, barking orders. "Line us up with them! Ready your pila!"

With nothing better to do, the gladiators scurried into actions. Meanwhile, Luke ran to the wheel and Nico and Thalia stood ready at starboard side. "Thalia!" he shouted to his sister.

The spiky haired girl whirled to face the green eyed leader. Percy pointed to the top of the mast.

Thalia instantly paled and shook her head vigorously. Percy knit his eyebrows in confusion.

Nico rolled his eyes and immediately hoisted himself on a rope and climbed. He stopped at the top, perched on top of the thick wooden pole, holding a rope for balance.

Thalia glanced up at her half-brother and almost threw up. At least I'm not up there, she thought. Her fear of heights was disorienting and she was glad Nico had stepped up for the job. Then she shook her head. She looked weak, and she needed to prove herself. She turned to face the enemy ship and her eyes widened as she saw it come straight at them at ramming speed. "Percy!" she shouted.

But Percy was already way ahead of her. He shouted up to Luke and the blonde steered the ship as another gladiator ran downstairs to command the slaves. Percy's ship shot forward, just missing the ram of the enemy. Luke spun the wheel to coast along the bend of the Colosseum, while Percy flew up and down the rigging, adjusting the ropes to match their speed and what little wind the could get in the arena.

"Turn us about," he ordered and Luke obediently turned the ship. Percy yelled to a gladiator standing by the stairs. "Tell your men, ramming speed!" The man nodded and raced down the steps and soon, the ship was speeding towards the Carthaginians. Unfortunately, the other ship was too fast and the Romans only scraped the stern, yet, it was enough to interlock the ships. Immediately a cry was heard from above as Nico and others swung on ropes to the other ship as spears arced through the air. Percy ducked and rolled out of the way and grabbed a stray spear out of the air. He turned and launched it at its owner. One down, a whole shipful to go.

A wooden plank was lowered onto their ship and Carthaginians swarmed onto Percy's ship. Percy unsheathed his sword and charged, knocking gladiators off the plank and into the waters below. Back on his ship, Thalia and Luke fought off gladiators who had swung onto their ship by rope, slashing and hacking back to back. Soon, Percy had reached the other ship and was immediately at his brother's side, killing gladiators left and right.

"Fun day for sailing don't you think?" Percy remarked.

"Simply splendid," Nico said as he stabbed a gladiator in the gut.

Percy was vaguely aware of his fellow Romans boarding the Carthaginian ship and joining the bloodshed. He decapitated a gladiator before spinning and kicking a barrel, sending it rolling and knocking over Carthaginians. He laughed as he leaped about the ship, swinging on ropes, and hacking off limbs.

On the Roman ship, Thalia moved swiftly and precisely, spearing anyone who tried to come across the plank. At one point she had picked up a fallen shield and now was fighting, holding her shield close with her spear position just above it. A large Carthaginian managed to get across the plank and Thalia readied herself to face him. The gladiator charged at her as he drew closer Thalia smirked. As the giant man came upon her, sword raised, Thalia gave him the one-two, bashing his face with her shield following up with a spear in the gut. The man fell with a thud.

"Thalia!"

She turned to see Luke next to another other gladiator, surrounded by five Carthaginians. Thalia threw her spear at a Carthaginian coming up behind the gladiator and bashed her shield into the head of another. She leaped into the circle to join her comrades and retrieved her spear from the fallen body of a Carthaginian. She cursed. The tip was broken. She threw it away in disgust and unsheathed her sword. She stood in between Luke and the gladiator and their swords bristled at the Carthaginians.

She gave her sword to Luke and charged and at the last moment ducked as she knocked out the knees of a Carthaginian with her shield as Luke stabbed the face of the opponent as they fell forward. Meanwhile, the other gladiator had kept the Carthaginian on Thalia's left at bay which left one more. Thalia was about to stab them when a spear came out of nowhere, piercing through the Carthaginian's neck as blood spurted.

Thalia whirled around to see Jason. Thalia's eyes widened. She hadn't thought that Jason was in this battle. Then she realized why. He was in the armor of the Carthaginians yet he fought for them. She narrowed her eyes. "You idiot! Take off that armor now before you get yourself killed!"

Jason smiled sheepishly and fled below decks to change his armor with a dead Romans. A moment later, he came out, proudly displaying the Roman armor as he charged at the swarming Carthaginians.

On the Carthaginian ship, Percy and Nico were monsters, ruthlessly hacking and slashing at anyone who came near them, but soon they were surrounded. The Carthaginians advanced slowly on the two and Percy surveyed his surrounding to check for anything that might help him. Then he saw it. Above him was weight on a rope, dangling from the rigging. The rope led down to the deck where it was coiled near his foot. He smirked. This was too easy. He mentally prayed to Apollo for accuracy and launched his sword at the rope, slitting it and quickly grabbed Nico. The weight dropped down on the Carthaginians and the two were lifted into the air. The crowd cheered at the wit and Percy sent a wink to a certain blonde in the royal box as he shot into the air, landing at the top of the ship next to the flag.

He whistled and the crews of both ships turned to look up at him. He grinned and ripped the Carthaginian flag in half and the Roman gladiators cheered as the crowd roared in a frenzy. Percy grabbed a rope and swung himself down, kicking over a few Carthaginians in the process. Soon the battle was over and Percy stood triumphantly at the bow, waving at the populace with his friends at his side.

Annabeth shook her head. He never ceased to amaze her. She turned to her sister who was cheering as she cheered at the friends, Jason and Percy's side.

Meanwhile, a certain Caesar seethed in his throne. The Romans lost the battle of the Lipari Islands but yet again, Percy had rewrote history. The proof? Perseus Romulus Jackson stood in glory upon his ship, the crowd cheering his name.

Author's Note: Huzzah! Percy fought in a naval battle! Thanks for reading and reviewing guys. PLEASE review. I appreciate all of your opinions.