The decks, like Temple Hill, were covered with an early morning mist. Only, unlike Temple Hill, this mist was so thick I could barely see a few feet ahead of me.

"Percy, why is there so much…fog?" I heard Akua behind me. She was brushing her curls behind her ear while she squinted and tried to looked around. We could barely make out the posts marking the borders of the deck— which was a good thing. I wasn't looking forward to an early morning swim, even if I remained dry underwater, being a son of Neptune.

"Air and water temperature difference. But this should clear in around 5.15 minutes, considering the sea breeze movement and the rising of the sun along with the change in current directions."

Her mouth dropped.

"What?"

I shrugged. "Like I said. I'm not sure how I know it, but I just do."

"Okay," she smiled. "That's cool and all. But what you mean is, the fog will clear in about five, yeah?"

I shrugged. "Yeah. Give or take. There are a few variables—"

She laughed. "I didn't expect you to go all geeky on me."

My ears turned red. "What did you expect then?"

I couldn't help it. Just being near the ocean brought me to life. Every single breeze from the wind told me a different story. Where it had been, where it was going. How the waters were cool in the North, hot in the Caribbean. They all had their stories to tell. Stories of battles and raids and powerful monsters. Romances that the land never saw. Fights beyond anything I could imagine.

I could feel the powerful depth of the ocean, the currents moving around me. I could hear fish, sharks and other monsters I didn't recognize and I wished I couldn't hear.

The ocean was the most alive thing I'd ever known. It was an entire different world, where you could be met by the most familiar yet the strangest things.

"Well," Akua began carefully, like she was scared she'd offend me or something, "I thought, you know, you're the only child of the Big Three in Camp. So I thought you'd be, like, intimidating and stuff. With a bunch of cronies and—"

"You thought I was like that antagonist beauty queen in every teenage sitcom, didn't you?" I finished, dryly.

She flushed, but didn't deny it. "Yeah. Pretty much."

I spread my hands around my hip and twirled, almost tripping over a loose rope lying on the ports.

"Well, how about now?"

"You still seem like a diva—"

"Hey!"

"But a nice one," she added. "And definitely not what I expected."

I grinned. "I'll take it."

I heard footsteps running towards us, with a couple of curses as someone tripped on rigging lines, empty wrappers and a couple cans of coke scattered over the decks.

Although the mist was clearing, I still couldn't see clearly, beyond the fact that there were three figures there, and they were running towards us.

"Uhh…Percy? Who's that?"

I could feel Akua move closer to me, and my hand crept towards my pockets, towards riptide.

Then one of them twirled their hair and I immediately knew it was Reyna. She did that every time she was annoyed, like that time I threw my sword mid fight and tried to use my shield as a weapon instead. I relaxed.

"That's just our friends. The fellow questers."

She frowned. "You know that…how?"

My ears turned red. "No comment."

I could feel her grin. I tried to ignore her, but I could tell I was doing a bad job.

"Guys!"

The three figures burst through the mist, and I grinned at them. All three of them wore backpacks, and while Haniel and Anahita at least looked a little disgruntled as if they'd been woken up from sleep and had just made it here, Reyna looked like she'd already had a bath, completed a skin care routine and even had time to put on make up ( she didn't, but it looked like that).

Like, how?

"Hey," I greeted, as they took a moment to catch their breath. "You guys ready to save the world?"

Haniel groaned. Anahita lay down and began to pant— she wasn't the best at long distance running. Reyna simply raised a brow.

"Why invite me?" she demanded.

I rubbed the back of my neck. Her tone reminded me of Lupa, just before she was about to give me a long lecture if I didn't answer right. It was one of those questions you had to get right.

Everyone else went quiet, which didn't help either. Anahita looked down. Haniel picked his nails. Akua stiffened.

"Well, uh, we needed someone from the first cohort and I don't really know anyone else so—"

"I see. You just picked me cause I had to be here. For representation." She rolled her eyes. "Whatever. Let's go then."

She picked up her bag and walked down the docks, towards the lake.

"Good going, Percy," Haniel groaned.

I sighed. Somehow, I just couldn't say the right things when I was around Reyna. It was like my mind turned off and my mouth just began to speak the most random stuff ever.

Even Akua was giving me the side eye. "You need to catch up to her and apologize—"

"For what—?"

She shrugged. "Just do it. She is your friend, right?"

I nodded.

"Then you need to go ahead and do it. It's like my father told me—When you have a battle between friends, Percy, do you know who the winner is?"

I frowned. "No one?"

"Well, yeah. But in real life? The one who apologies first. Even if they don't feel like they did anything wrong. Because you need to decide if your friendship is worth more than your ego."

"Fine," I muttered.

Reyna was a good friend. And it also didn't help to be known as having a big ego.

So I continued down the docks, which lead outwards across the lake. The others told me they'd catch up in a bit.

The lake was bordered by hills, and beyond them I could just faintly see a haze of yellow as the sun came up. There was a fairly large channel that cut through the hills and directly connected the lake and the sea, which was why the water was salty and there were a lot of monsters in the water that you didn't ordinarily see in the lake this deep. Sea serpents and krakens and what not. They'd make for great sea battles though— if Camp ever had any.

But that wasn't what I was worried about.

I was more worried about the demigod in front of me, with black hair that moved with the breeze and eyes like fire.

Who also has a sword and can whoop your ass with it, I remembered.

She was looking out across the docks, like she was gazing across the horizon, trying to see where the next adventure was.

Only it was obvious she wasn't doing that, one, because the fog meant we couldn't see more than six feet ahead of us and two, well, I knew she was mad at me for some reason.

"Reyna, I—"

"Save it, Percy."

I rubbed my forehead. We hadn't even begun and quest and I'd already managed to piss Reyna off somehow.

Usually, when she was mad at me, I'd just sneak up behind her and wrap her up in a hug. The first, like, fifteen times I'd ended up on the floor because she'd judo flipped and then choked me, but after a while she just gave up and accepted it.

I think she secretly enjoyed them as well. But when I asked her, she said she would rather die. She was dramatic that way.

So that's what I did this time. I quickly went behind her and wrapped up in a hug. so she couldn't get away.

I could feel her stiffen and she seemed like she was trying not to lose her temper. I could tell, because she took deep breaths and counted to ten when she was about to. Like she was doing now.

"Give me," she said, her voice low and dangerous, "one reason why I shouldn't throw you over the docks right now."

"I'm a son of the sea god. You'd just give me infinite power."

"Argh!" she groaned. "You know what I mean."

I let go of her before she decided I'd hugged her for too long and decided to retaliate, and instead turned her around by pulling her shoulder. Her eyes looked dull, like she'd just found out she'd lost her favorite sword.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"I—well, nothing!" she snapped. Then she looked down. "I'm sorr—I apologize. That was unprofessional, especially considering we are on a quest. Can we put this behind us and just work on saving the world?"

That was the Reyna I knew. Ignoring her feelings until they all crashed down around her. She tended to put her work before everything else. Herself included.

I shook my head. "No. I want to know why you're mad. And don't apologize. I'm sorry— for being rude. I didn't mean it that way. I thought we couldn't pick members from the first cohort. If I knew we could— I'd have chosen you in a heartbeat."

"Why?"

I scratched my nose. "You know, because you're the first cohort. Romes best and brightest. You know us fifthies can't even think about getting firsties as our subordinates."

Reyna cringed at my horrible cohort nicknames, but sighed. "I've already told you what I think about those stupid divisions, Percy."

"I know, I know, but still…most of Camp still agrees with them."

She put her hands on her hips and looked at me. "So, your point?"

My ears turned red. "I'd honestly pick you in a heartbeat if you were in the fifth. You're the best warrior I know. Your skill with the sword— well, if we're ever in a fight, I know I can count on you to lead us to victory. You're amazing at controlling your emotions and being professional and diplomatic— better than I ever can be. I'm telling you, for real, I just—" I rubbed my eyes, "I was unsure whether you'll accept my invitation if I did ask. That was one of the reason I was, uh, afraid to ask you, I guess."

Her brown wrinkled as she frowned. "Why would I say no?"

I looked down. "Because you're you," I mumbled. "Half of the legion knows about you already, because you're amazing with weapons and—uh, yeah— and I'm just me. There are obviously going to be tons of better things you could be doing."

Honestly, I was relieved when Marcus had told me he would talk to Reyna. I didn't think she would say yes if I'd asked her to quest with me— mostly because her cohort friends wouldn't even let me get close to her. She was just that popular— there were even rumors about her being a potential praetor candidate, but they were few and far between. I'd think about that later. Right now, I was more worried about her reaction to what I'd just said.

I looked up, and she was smiling.

"Apology accepted. You know I'm never going to say no to you, right?"

I raised a brow. "Why's that?"

She turned red and muttered something about 'stupid boys', but I was just too glad we were on the same page to really care.

I quickly reached across and hugged her. She flinched— but then relaxed, wrapping her arms around me. She smelt like cinnamon, and I could feel her muscles relax as she sank into the hug.

"You're the best, Rey-rey."

"I'll beat you up if you call me that again. But yes, I agree."

We moved back and grinned at each other.

Then I heard Haniel clear his throat.

We quickly stepped away, but my entire face was red, like I'd just run a marathon.

"Do I want to know—" he began, but Reyna glared at him. He raised his hands up, "Geez. Just asking!"

Fortunately, the sun cleared the fog away dramatically just then, like a painter clearing a canvas. It was almost as if Apollo was watching and felt sorry for me, and suddenly our attention was taken by the massive shadow that towered over us in the docks.

You know how there are some things that you just know what they are? Like even though you've never seen them before, you just instinctively know what they are? Like there's something in some part of your brain that you just can't reach, that tells you everything you need to know?

Yeah? Well that's how I felt.

Because I knew that in front of me at the docks was a eighteenth century Spanish galleon.

The ship loomed like a sea monster at rest, the masts reaching towards the sky like the fingers of an ancient god. The smell of salt and adventure hung in the air, mingling with the subtle creaks of the wooden giant that awaited our exploration. I could see the ship's name— SORRY PERCY— engraved on the stern in elegant, swirly letters.

Akua tilted her head. "Creative name. Did Neptune come up with it?"

I rubbed the back of my neck. "I guess he's not much of a poet."

We boarded the ship, our footsteps echoing on the wooden planks like we were in an abandoned school. The port was huge, and lined with cannons ready to blast celestial cannonballs. Anahita thought they'd made a great percussion instrument, but I told her to wait to fire until we actually needed it.

I hoped we would never ever actually have to use them. But I was wrong, as usual.

The masts were adorned with inscriptions – ancient scripts that hinted at Poseidon's generosity and Neptune's favor. I ran my fingers over the carvings, feeling the history etched into the wood like a time-traveling museum on waves. The masts bore inscriptions, words of the sea etched into the wood by ancient sailors. "Sail with courage, weather all storms," one inscription read. Another simply said, "To the horizon and beyond."

The galley and cabins below deck reminded me of an oversized log cabin, complete with salty aromas and the distinct tang of adventure. The rooms below were like hidden caves, and each of them had a different secret. Some held books about ancient wars and battle strategies. Others were piled with musical instruments. There were a few that were even filled with weird bottles that read LARSON AND LARSON'S SQUID QUILL INK DISPENSERS; PATENTED 1924.

I decided that I'd explore enough, and decided to head back up. The others slowly followed.

When I got back to the deck though, I was met with a sword at my throat, held by a skeleton with a huge cocked hat. Behind him were a group of WWII sailors who looked like they'd just stepped off the set of a black-and-white movie. They were tough, with bones like ship masts and some had eyes that gleamed like moonlight on the water. Most were just skeletons with tattered clothing barely clinging to their frames. I braced myself for the customary demigod freak-out, but Anahita beat me to it.

"Zombies? Seriously, Percy?" she said, eyeing the ghosts with an arched eyebrow.

"They're not zombies," I replied, trying to keep the panic out of my voice. "More like, uh, ghost sailors. I think….my dad sent them."

The captain in front nodded. "That's right, young gun. We're here to assist ye demigods on yer quest! Though a word of warning— the moment y'all step off, we cease to exist."

I frowned. "What does that mean?"

I think the captain was rolling his eyes. But I couldn't tell— his eye sockets were empty.

"Our life essence is tied to the presence of ye demigods on this ship. If this ship doesn't have demigods on it anymore, POOF! We return to Hades. That clear enough for yer?"

I nodded. "So…if we leave the ship, you all die?"

"We're already dead, laddie. But yes, yer getting the gist."

"Ah…"

I felt bad for them. I honestly didn't know how I'd feel if I'd been forcefully pulled back from the Underworld and forced aboard a ship to fight. Probably not good.

The Captain must have read my thoughts though, because he chuckled— which sounded creepy, considering it was just his teeth clacking together. "Don't ye worry yer face about us lad! As long as we get a good fight, me and me crew are more than happy to go down guns ablazin' or my name isn't Captain Bones! Am I right lads?" he yelled.

"AYE!"

I drew in a long breath. As long as they were cool with it.

I could hear Haniel snort behind me. "Great, a crew that's already dead. What could go wrong?"

One of the ghost sailors, a burly guy (he had huge bones) with a bushy mustache made of a couple paint brushes taped to his face, must have heard him, because he spoke up. "Aye, you lot! We're here to sail, not to stand around chatting like schoolgirls."

Reyna crossed her arms, clearly unimpressed. "Schoolgirls? Really?"

The ghost sailor shrugged. "Can't keep up with the times. I've been dead since '44, missy."

Reyna arched an eyebrow and looked at me. "Are we sure these guys know how to sail in the twenty-first century?"

One of the ghost sailors nodded vigorously, "Sir, we've been keeping up with maritime trends in the afterlife. We even have a UNDERWORLD ULTRA EXPRESS FIBERNET Wi-Fi (Post-paid Infinite credit plan) connection for nautical updates!"

I admit, I was a bit spooked at first. These weren't the Casper-like ghosts I was used to encountering. Not even the Lares were this…well, raw. But as they introduced themselves – Captain Bones, Seaweed Pete, Peg Leg Joe and a bunch of other names I couldn't remember– it became clear they were just here to 'sail the seas and kick some booty'.

"We're here to sail, lads and lasses! Ain't no rest for the departed," Captain Bones declared, his skeletal hand gripping an invisible wheel.

Reyna shot me a sidelong glance, and I shrugged. Ghost sailors with a sense of humor – who knew?

As we set sail, the ghost sailors– who insisted on calling us whippersnappers– went about their business, hoisting sails and tying knots. I took the wheel, and the ship responded like an old friend, the wood groaning as it caught the wind. The sea stretched out before me, a vast expanse of blue that filled my senses with the promise of the unknown. As I concentrated, the ship groaned, and then slowly began to move along the water.

Lupa had told me once that the children of the sea had the incredible power to commandeer entire vessels by themselves. I'd never gotten to try it—until now.

The ghost sailor with the cap, who had introduced himself as Captain Bones, sidled up to me. "Not bad for a demigod, I suppose. Son of Neptune?"

I grinned and nodded. "Thanks, Captain. So, where are we headed?"

He gazed out at the horizon. "Into the abyss, young blood. But fear not, for the Sea Serpent will cut through the waves like a hot knife through butter."

I frowned. "So…straight ahead?"

The skeleton sighed. "Yes laddie. Straight ahead."

The laughter of the ghost sailors mixed with the creaking of the ship made it sound like a mixture of a heavy metal concert and a funeral. I felt like singing a sea shanty myself and turned around to look at my friends.

Anahita grinned, the morning sunlight catching the gleam in her eyes, making them glow. "Percy, this is incredible!"

I nodded, feeling the wind ruffle my hair. I cleared my throat and gave her my best pilot impression: "Hold on, folks. We're in for one heck of a ride."

As we sailed into the open sea, the ship creaking and the sails billowing, I couldn't help but marvel at the audacity of our quest. The whispers of the wind, the salty breeze, the laughter and banter of my friends – it all blended together. The Sorry Percy danced on the waves, and for a moment, I forgot about the impending danger and the Titan that awaited us. All that mattered was the thrill of the sea and the camaraderie of a motley crew, living and otherwise.

Captain Bones went down the deck after a while, to shout at the crew, and Reyna decided to join me at the helm. She looked like she was quite comfortable on a ship— even noting finer details like the rigging and the sway of the masts— but something about her was off. Like she couldn't wait to get off.

Her eyes scanned the horizon. "You sure about this, Percy? A ship this size, a secret quest… it's a lot."

I met her gaze with a grin. "You worry too much, Reyna. Besides, what could go wrong? Famous last words, right?"

She rolled her eyes, but a small smile tugged at the corner of her lips. Then her gaze darkened, as if she was remembering something. "I just…I hope we don't run into anyone. You know, like a godly ship or something."

I frowned. "There are other demigodly ships around?"

She gave me her patented are-you-stupid look and sighed. "Yeah. I've…well, I've been on a few of them."

My jaw dropped. Reyna was a sailor?

"Can you—"

"I'm not elaborating anymore. At least, not till we get off this ship. I don't want to jinx us."

I grunted. "Fine."

I went back to the helm and chose to gaze out at the sea, feeling its power pulse below me. After a while, Reyna sighed and walked off.

I guess she wasn't in the mood to talk. So I decided to see who was. The ship could pretty much direct itself for a bit, since most of the voyage was simply in one direction— straight.

I glanced down the deck to see where my friends were. To my right, near one of the cannons, I could see one of the ghost sailors, a gruff-looking guy with a pipe clenched between his teeth, talk to Haniel. "What's your business, son of the wind?"

He cleared his throat nervously. "We're… um, here on a quest. Just borrowing the ship. From Neptune. He said it was cool."

The ghost sailor grunted, giving Haniel a dubious look. "Quest, eh? Well, you better know how to steer a ship, boy. None of that GPS nonsense. We're traditional sailors here."

Anahita emerged from the galley, munching on a piece of hardtack. "Traditional? More like prehistoric. How are we supposed to survive on this stuff?"

The sailors chuckled, their skeletal laughter echoing across the deck. "You'll get used to it, lass," one of them said with a wink. "Adds character."

As we sailed into the unknown, the ghost sailors began to grow more and more alive. Skin slowly began to reform on their bones. Eyes, ears and noses regrew. Swords that stuck out of their sides. Spears through their chest. One even had a huge rubber chicken sticking out of him. I figured anything could be deadly if it was launched fast enough.

The sailors were becoming more and more like the last time they were alive. Flesh grew back. Sinews re-knit together. Their laughs and smiles became more real.

Just like me, the sea brought them to life.

They sang old sea shanties, their voices carried by the wind, and I couldn't help but join in. Anahita and Akua even tried to dance a little jig, earning amused looks from the sailors.

This was what it was like to be at home. This was probably the best I'd ever felt. In a long time.

I closed my eyes and enjoyed the wind rushing across my face, and smiled.

Maybe quests were alright after all.

It took a whole three hours for things to go wrong.

We sliced through the waters with the grace of a ghost ship on a silent quest. The wind carried the salty tang of the sea, and the creaking of the ship's timbers formed a rhythmic lullaby.

But then, as if the sea itself had taken a deep breath and forgotten to sneeze, a thick fog came around out of nowhere. We were in the clearest of day one second, and the next we were surrounded by a fog so dense it covered the Sorry Percy like a blanket, hiding the world beyond from our sight. The ghost sailors, who had been so lively moments ago, fell silent.

My initial excitement gave way to nervous tension as we sailed into an unexpected fog bank. It descended upon us like a damp shroud, swallowing the ship in a milky haze that left me disoriented and uneasy. The ghost sailors grumbled and began to walk around restlessly, some pulling the swords back out of their bodies and practicing a few strikes.

"Aye, a fog never bodes well for a ship. Especially one on a quest"

I jumped, and just barely stopped myself from screaming as Captain Bones materialized near me. Because of the fog, I hadn't even noticed the grinning sailor approach.

"What's wrong with a fog?" I asked.

The Captain shrugged. "Can't tell yer. Sometimes it's old ships. Sometimes its ghosts. Oftentimes its a mixture of both. But the worst," he lowered his voice, so I had to lean in to hear him. His voice was rough, like a true sailor and his breath smelt of rum and meat. "are the Pirates."

"Pirates—like the ones that kill you and rob your ship?" I breathed, afraid to speak up.

I hoped he'd say something like, Oh no! The good ones— like Cap'n Jack Sparrow! You know, great friendly pirates who go after cool treasure and all that, with cool jokes and funny walks!

But he didn't say anything, and just nodded.

I tried to look around me, to see if the others were panicking. The eerie thing was, it was a little hard to see everyone, especially if they were on the opposite side of the ship, but their voices carried through the fog, like ghostly voices without a body.

"What in Hades is going on?" Anahita looked around, drawing her gladius.

Haniel squinted into the fog. "Maybe Neptune forgot to pay his fog bill."

She snorted. "Yeah, those fog bills can be a real killer."

Reyna clutched her gladius, her eyes scanning the environment for any signs of danger. "Stay alert, everyone. This isn't just a weather phenomenon."

No sooner had the words left her lips than I saw apparitions of old ships and tattered sails that materialized around us, ghostly mariners frozen in the act of battle. The creaking of ancient timbers and the distant echoes of cannon fire sent shivers down my spine. A few ghost sailors muttered things like, "Well, this isn't on the itinerary," or "Guess the Bermuda Triangle's got nothing on us."

Haniel squinted into the murk. "I've heard stories of ghost ships in the Bermuda Triangle. This can't be good."

Reyna cracked her knuckles, a telltale sign that her anxiety was reaching critical levels. "Percy, you ever encounter something like this before?"

I shook my head, my grip tightening on the wheel. "Not exactly. But something doesn't feel right."

Anahita raised an eyebrow. "Should we, like, start singing 'My Heart Will Go On' or something?"

Before anyone could respond, a whisper echoed in the mist, barely audible over the lapping waves. "Brace yourselves!"

I jolted up.

I knew that voice.

It was my dad— Neptune.

All of a sudden, we were surrounded by a thunderstorm. Dark clouds formed up around the ship, and a violent rain pelted us so hard it made a couple of sailors lose their skin. Lightning and thunder flashed, and the sea began to grow rough— and I couldn't calm it, no matter how hard I tried.

Someone had created a storm.

And as if on cue, I saw the answer on my right.

Out of the darkness, a ship loomed before us. Its silhouette was barely discernible, but the gleam of the moon reflected on a fluttering flag. The lookout among the ghost sailors, with an eye patch and a bony grin, shouted, "Pirates!"

An audible gasp escaped Anahita, and Akua muttered something under her breath that sounded like a prayer. Haniel ran his fingers through his wind-tousled hair, his unease palpable. Even the ghost sailors seemed to straighten up, their spectral eyes narrowing.

Before we could react, the ship materialized out of the darkness, hurtling toward us with ghostly speed.

I turned towards Captain Bones.

"We're a lighter vessel. Can we outrun them?"

He shook his head. "Not in this weather and at such short notice. This bloody storm was the reason they'd got so close. No bulky ship like that would catch the wind of us under ordinary sea and sky. ARR!"

The crew was in a frenzy now, and I could hear them shout at each other over the waves.

"Man the cannons! Brace for impact!"

"Get the booty off!"

"Unload the set, dogs! And hoist the flag!"

"Lower the anchor port side and prepare for a turn or so help me it'll be you we're throwing overboard!"

The ship loomed closer, the suspense thickening with each heartbeat. My senses were on overdrive – the scent of sea spray, the taste of fear, the feeling of adrenaline coursing through my veins. Lightning illuminated the approaching vessel, revealing tattered sails and a flag fluttering ominously in the ghostly wind.

I knew that flag. Anyone who'd seen Peter Pan would. It was the skull and crossbones— the signature sign of a pirate.

"What's the plan, son o'the sea?" Captain Bones asked, his voice urgent.

I strained my eyes through the fog. "Prepare to defend the ship, but let's not start a fight if we don't have to."

With some help from the anchor weight, I turned the ship around. I knew that facing the threat head one would be better than running from the ship, especially considering the storm around us.

The Pirate ship showed no signs of stopping.

Our ships slowly headed towards each other, the silence louder than the wind and waves around us.

Neither of us were backing down. It was like a game of chicken— only with two ancient battleships filled with undead sailors.

Just as the tension reached its peak, the pirate ship veered to the side, narrowly avoiding a collision. I could hear a collective exhale echoed across the deck, but it was short-lived. The menacing ship turned, circling us like a shark sizing up its prey.

Akua muttered, "Not good. Not good at all."

Anahita drew her bow, her gaze never leaving the approaching ship. "Who are these guys?"

The ship closed in, the fog parting just enough to reveal another sinister black flag fluttering in the ghostly breeze. Everyone was on high alert. The smell of rotten flesh and gunpowder mixed with the acrid scent of fear now replaced the salty sea spray. It made me choke, and I felt tears in my eyes as I breathed in the polluted air.

As the ship loomed closer, a chorus of ghostly laughter echoed across the water. I saw the sailors look at each other, and mutter to themselves.

The ship finally got close enough for us to identify it. My stomach churned as I read the name painted in blood-red letters on the hull: The Queen Anne's Revenge.

Our last class in Camp had been on famous demigods of sea-related heritages. For obvious reasons, though the tutors had tried to deny it. And I'd read enough to know the ship opposite us wasn't any random ship.

It was the infamous pirate ship of the dreaded Pirate Blackbeard, son of Kympolemia, the goddess of storms.

As the realization set in, a hushed silence fell over the Sorry Percy. The ghost sailors stared at the approaching menace, and even Captain Bones face betrayed a hint of concern. We were about to face one of the deadliest pirates in history, and there was no turning back.

"P- Prepare for battle," Reyna ordered, her voice cutting through the tension like a sword through fog. She looked like she was on the verge of a panic attack, but I didn't have time to ask her about it.

Because, with a roar, the cannons fired.

Our battle had begun.

A/N: Special thanks to SandiaVida and reddevil47 for the amazing reviews

I've decided to just go ahead and post this chapter as well, though the sudden writing sprint has got me a little burnt out, so there might be a bit of a delay before I post the next chapter.

Let me know what you think!

Oh, and about the sailors- I'm just expanding on a possible power of children of Neptune. Because if children of Ares can command dead soldiers, it makes logical sense to me that children of Neptune can command sailors lost at sea.