Chapter 7: Andy goes Swimming

Luke and his merry band of monsters led us through a maze of passages until we came to the point of the deck, he wanted us at. Robyn winced as soon as we stepped into the sunlight.

Fynch tensed.

"Over there," Luke gestured to the wall. We lined up. Robyn was released to join Fynch, Noa, and me. For some reason, Andromache was gone. As well as the little kid. My stomach twisted. Hopefully, the kid was alright, and Andy had a plan. At the current moment, I was probably less helpful than a tree.

"Can we eat them yet?" the monster with flame hair and two mismatched legs asked. I vaguely recall Luke calling her Kellie during the whole 'recapture'.

"Not yet, when it comes to this batch our master wanted them alive. He'd much rather use them than lose them."

Kellie pouted but didn't try to eat us. That was a nice enough turn of events.

"So, Nora," Luke turned towards me, arms behind his back. "How your visit been so far?"

I jumped and sputtered. "Uh… math!"

Great, my communication skills had decided to fail me. Perfect timing. Luke raised an eyebrow.

"By that response, I think I can safely assume, you wouldn't be open to sharing how many more of you I still have loose on my ship?"

Fortunately, I didn't have to even try responding to that. A nervous boy about our age ran towards Luke. He appeared to be covered in runes.

"We couldn't find anyone…" he spotted us, "else. The hellhounds appear to have lost the scent."

The boy our age jumped as Luke growled.

"Then send them on the chase again. They couldn't have gone far. We're down at least one. Please count the cells as well."

Luke turned back towards us.

"For someone as gullible and naïve as you are, you have certainly led the most irritating breakout we've ever had. It's unfortunately much simpler when our master doesn't insist on the escapees keeping their lives. Sparing your lives was something I had to fight for. A privilege your friends will lose if they surrender soon."

"Thanks?" Noa squeaked.

Luke turned towards him. "Who are you and where did you come from?"

Noa gulped. He glanced at us nervously like he was thinking help, I'm just trying to exist here.

Luke finally turned towards Robyn and Fynch.

"You're the one who hit me with a pinecone? Weren't you?"

Robyn gave a nervous grin.

"I might have a fondness of pinecones..."

"That was quite the throw. You're quite the marksman. We could use someone like you."

"Unfortunately for you, we don't work with monsters," Fynch interrupted. "We know how stories like that always end. We'd much prefer if you let us go."

"Unfortunately for you, that currently isn't an option. However, once we finish rounding up the rest of your tag alongs, an alternative to escape can always be arranged. We simply don't have the lifeboats to spare."

"Unfortunately for you, Lady Artemis trained me to fight, so I think you'll find me a much harder opponent than you expect."

Kellie scoffed. "If you're going to make up a lie, make up a better one. Everyone knows Artemis gave up on men centuries ago. You would have aged and died by now if you'd part of her ancient brood, male. You're not scaring us mortal."

Fynch blushed.

"But even if you somehow met her without being turned into a deer, you might still like what we have planned-"

"Kellie," Luke interrupted her. "You're sharing too much."

Kellie laughed. "It's not like they're going anywhere to share it."

Robyn grabbed Fynch's arm. Then steadily she lifted her pinky. Then her ring finger.

"There are precautions in place for a reason."

Then there was just her pointer and thumb.

Fynch nodded.

Two

One

Fynch whipped out a pair of silver daggers.

Robyn pulled out her slingshot while gesturing for Noa and me to duck.

Fynch charged.

Kellie hissed, pushed Luke out of the way, and a wave of something spread from her. She was gorgeous. My heart thumped just looking at her. She had dark skin and beautiful hair that curled around her head. How could Fynch continue an attack on someone so-

My wrist buzzed...

I scratched at it, and she returned back to her horrible monstrous form.

She dodged another attack from Fynch before vanishing and reappearing behind him. Fynch spun back with a smile.

"Easiest trick in the book, empousa."

She growled.

"You might not be half as bad as I thought a braggart like you would be. Let's see how you measure up to the heroes of old."

"Duck!" Robyn yelled.

I jerked to the side before ducking. Luke's hand had missed my arm by inches.

"Really, Nora," he drawled. "What's it going to take for you to accept help?"

His voice was laced with the icy coolness of his master.

My heart was doing a darn fine job of trying to jump ship from my chest as I tried to scoot backward. Luke's sword swung in an almost hypnotic pattern.

"Don't tell me we're back to where we started."

I needed a way to escape. Some direction, other than backward.

I need your help, Nora.

I was trapped. My back was against the wall. All it would take was...

There was a blur and suddenly Luke was pushed back. He looked bewildered by the sudden attack but quickly his form solidified before his opponent could utilize any openings.

"Don't you dare!"

Andromache was here.

Her shoulder-length hair flew behind her. Spear pointed straight in front of her. Her eyes glittered like emeralds with swirls of turquoise with glints of gold.

"I was wondering when you would show yourself," Luke calmly approached, pulling out his sword. "Can I assume that you're the one called Andromache. Nora told me all about you."

"Doubtful, if she had you'd have come in with a very different opening. Can I assume you're the jerk who figured kidnapping me was a smart idea?" Andromache glared. "Because if so, I have a few complaints I'd like to lodge."

"You'd have to hit me first," Luke laughed. "And unfortunately for you, I happen to be the best swordsman of this generation."

"Good," Andromache grinned. "I've been itching for a real challenge."

They charged.

Andromache swung first. Luke dodged and tried slashing at her.

Andromache summer salted out of the way.

I took a deep unsteady breath unable to even think about looking for escape roots when Andy was fighting for her life right there.

Andromache might be talented against monsters, but I could easily tell her style lacked focus. She was just a bunch of mad stabbing and swinging. Luke was the more experienced fighter, deflecting or dodging her blows with ease. The only thing going for Andromache was that she was smaller and really, really good at leaping out of the way of Luke's blade. She was also sort of picking up on Luke's skills but nowhere near quickly enough and what she picked up from him didn't always transfer well to a spear.

"Do you think we should help?" Noa asked nervously. He was using a mop he'd somehow found to make sure monsters didn't get too close before Robyn or Fynch had a chance to finish them off.

"I..."

It was so hard to think. My head felt like it was stuck in a vice. Like my brain wanted to break free... no...

It was more like...

Something trying to break in.

Luke steadily backed Andromache back up to the edge of the ship. The monsters constantly made way for the two of them.

Andromache's eyes glared as she was forced back. Finally, Luke had her literally up against the railing.

Andromache barely blocked his next swing, but Luke did some weird maneuver and Andromache's spear clattered on the ground. A sort of quick twist behind her weapon that forced it out of her hands.

"Lesson in fighting," Luke told her. "If you have the longer weapon, you want your opponent far away. Never let your opponent get in close."

Then he swung and there was a gash on Andromache's chest. There was screaming in the distance. It sounded like me.

"You know, the way Nora spoke of you I was worried about you being another Perseus Jackson. But no... that couldn't be. If you were a child of the sea, you would have fought way harder than someone who picked up the spear two weeks prior. Its fortunate that you're no spawn of the sea. In some ways it's even better. It's fitting that where the sea's spawn would be wild as a son, but gentle and calm as a daughter. Thank you for bringing her to us."

"You think you know so much."

"Can you swim?" Luke asked her coldly.

Andromache finally glanced towards the ocean and her face paled. She looked terrified.

"I've never tried."

Luke's eyes glinted coldly.

"Then you'll serve as an excellent example as to why no one should challenge us."

Then he tossed her overboard.

"ANDY!" I shrieked.

My head pounded. I wanted to throw up.

He thought…

They thought…

Andy was…

Swinging…

Fear…

Andy…

She wasn't…

I hadn't…

Luke was pointing his sword.

Noa was shaking.

Luke was smiling!

My head wanted to split in two.

"No one else needs to be harmed-"

The sea exploded.

A sea tentacle wrapped around Luke and threw him into a wall like a rag doll. He stumbled to his feet mostly unharmed because of the golden glow that had wrapped to protect him.

Holding him there and strangling him was a water tentacle. I followed it back to its owner to discover a perfectly fine, except for the blood staining her clothes and absolute fury in her eyes, Andy.

"Andy!" I shouted at her. It felt like my heart had suddenly started working again. She wasn't dead. She wasn't gone. She hadn't…

Kronia, A cold voice called towards her. It was a declaration more than a name. It felt like recognition. Like a claim on property.

Andy didn't seem to notice or care. Her eyes blazed with self-righteous anger and power. She was filled to the brim with energy and the sea boiled around her. The wind picked up and the waves grew. The water lashed out blindly. The rune-covered demigod was thrown backward into a wall as well.

Noa stumbled but I somehow managed to grab him.

My head pounded at me. It felt like something was trying to tear my mind to pieces.

Meanwhile, Andy manifested the destructiveness of a monsoon. She darted from location to location, tossing and killing monsters as she went. For a brief moment, she dropped by to off a few monsters by me. She pulled her spear off her wrist; apparently, the bracelet returned to her wrist automatically. Andy whirled between the monsters stabbing them and disintegrating them. Somehow, she always was exactly one step ahead of them and even if they somehow managed to scratch her, the water rose around her almost instantly healing her injuries until she was better.

Finally, she made it to Luke. The water holding him dropped and he picked up his sword. This time Andy was his superior. Luke's face was terrified. He'd just been proven wrong and was now hopelessly outclassed.

I looked away from them and then a chillingly familiar cold voice flooded my mind.

You will stop them.

I shuddered.

They will destroy each other.

My head was ready to split in two.

Images forcibly swept through me.

A mother who said the strangest things. A friend dying in front of his eyes. A flash of lightning and a tree growing rapidly. Longing to be claimed only for it to happen three years too late. A ridiculous rerun quest. Failure and so much hurt and frustration.

Do you really think you're in the right? To pretend that this isn't occurring? This is what he is fighting for? Is that any less pure than your 'Andy' and her 'quest' to find her family?

I didn't know. I couldn't think. I was pressed in by all sides. I didn't want to feel it anymore. I didn't want there to be fighting. I didn't want anyone to die. I didn't want there to be pain. I wanted to be left alone. I didn't want to feel like I was splitting in two.

Finally, it became too much. I let out the scream that had slowly been building in my throat. I hoped for peace for as much as good as it would do me. For some reason, unless all the times before, it seemed like my frustration actually came through.

One second the sea threatened to capsize and tear the boat apart, the next minute everyone froze looking guilty and uncomfortable. The sea was calm again. The pressure on my mind was gone, though I thought I could distinctly feel a smirk.

Andy and Luke awkwardly pointed their weapons down. They both had looks of intense concentration as if trying to figure out how to get past whatever was stopping them from trying to murder each other.

Everyone else stared at me and then alternatively at their feet. Considering I had less of an idea of what was going on, it felt really awkward.

"We're going," Robyn announced and grabbed my hand. "We're going to take a lifeboat, and no one is going to stop us. Or Andromache- is that her name? -" she mouthed to me "will chop you into little pieces. We don't want anything to do with whatever it is you people are doing."

She gestured. "Let's go, before I lose my nerve." she whispered to me.

We headed over to lifeboats and climbed in. Fynch reluctantly followed her. Noa joined in. Andy got in last, constantly looking for some sign of betrayal. She gritted her teeth, and the boat began to move. Andy was apparently moving the boat through sheer will or something because I hadn't seen her touch any levers. The entire ship was quiet as we left.

Somehow, we'd actually managed a successful breakout.

I started to laugh. It wasn't a healthy laugh. It was kind of a crazy laugh. The sort of laugh that exists only because you have no other options left to deal with your emotions and so now, you're laughing and crying, and oh gods- I needed the bathroom. My stomach twisted and turned in a desperate attempt to get rid of the remains of the churning anxious mess that had been taking up my stomach for the past who knows how long.

"You, okay?" Robyn asked. She grabbed a blanket and wrapped it around me.

I nodded then shook my head then nodded again. In the distance, I saw Fynch give another blanket to Noa who looked almost blue and visibly shaking.

"The shock will pass," he promised. "It always does."

Andy stood arms outstretched. I could feel her focusing, trying to move us faster than the cruise ship that was slowly turning to chase us.

"Just a little further..." she gritted her teeth.

"There's a way easier way to do things," a chipper voice called from the back of the boat. "You do know these things come with a motor?"

There was the sound of metal clunking. Then a soft purr started.

"No need to waste your energy fighting ancient for control when a simple fix will work better, eh?"

Andy blinked and promptly collapsed.

"Classic demigod overburn symptom," the chipper voice noted. "She'll be fine assuming she gets the chance to sleep it off."

We turned.

In the back of the boat, smiling was a friendly-looking man holding a staff and wearing a straw hat, khaki shorts, and a white shirt with a pair of sandals.

"So now, what's so important that your distress signal reached Olympus herself?"

Distress signal? And more importantly, what was a god doing here?

A/N: To those who made it this far! Thank you! This chapter is chockful of hints to answers and more questions. It's almost time for the worldbuilding and the plot to begin. Please let me know what if anything y'all have picked up. Any more sense of the new characters? Thoughts on who they are?

As always, thank you for reading! Let me know what you think! Comments, concerns, and conjectures of what's to come are always welcome!