Nothing is mine.

Percy battles his great nemesis upon the lake.

Flamingo Hunting

'You're doing it all wrong,' Clarisse drawled, leaning against one of the dock posts. 'Like, all of it is wrong.'

'Shut up,' Katie hissed. 'It just takes practice.'

'I have been practising, though. I try to do some every day and I'm not getting any better.' Percy sighed and lowered the bow, watching the inflatable pink flamingo as it floated in circles on the lake. 'Maybe Dionysus cursed me to not be able to hit the flamingo inflatable for stealing it from his party supplies cupboard.'

Clarisse snorted. 'Did he curse you to not be able to stay still?'

'No, that's just ADHD.' Percy lined his feet up with the dock planks and nocked another arrow, closing one eye and squinting along the arrow at the giant pink flamingo bobbing on the water. 'I swear, you just aim the arrow at the thing and let go, and then it should hit, right?'

'Yes.' Clarisse's steps thudded across the dock behind him. 'But you're all over the place with your feet and your balance, so it doesn't matter what you aim it at.' She snatched the bow from him and held it out in her left hand. 'You need to stay still, so the arrow goes where you want.'

Percy took it back. 'I thought I was still.'

'You're moving,' Katie said. 'Like, all the time.'

'Okay, one last shot and then I give up for this evening.' He nocked the arrow, drawing back the string. 'Am I still?'

Clarisse cackled.

'Not really,' Katie murmured. 'Sorry.'

More still. How do I do still, Zoë? The tide's not still; it's never still. Percy took a deep breath, holding it captive like a drop of water cupped in his hands, and let its stillness settle into him like a smooth, clear woodland pond.

He let the arrow fly.

It flashed across the lake and pierced the flamingo's side.

'I hit it!' Percy waved the bow in the air, bright triumph flooding through him like the rush of white crested waves over warm summer sands. 'Take that, foul flamingo.'

Katie giggled.

'Let's hope you aren't attacked by more than one at a time,' Clarisse said. 'They'd overwhelm you.'

'Don't ruin my victory,' Percy retorted. 'That was harder to beat than you were.'

The flamingo sagged, flopping onto its side and sinking into the lake.

'I should get that or Metea will be mad at me.' He reached out and scooped the lake up in his grip, tugging the flamingo across to the foot of the dock in a low wave and fishing it out. 'There.'

'Try hitting a moving target next,' Clarisse said. 'Monsters aren't going to just stand there like an inflatable pool toy and let you shoot them.'

'That could be true.' Percy balled the flamingo up and tossed it at his cabin door. 'Maybe I should practise at the actual archery range now I can hit a giant flamingo.'

'You need a new target first.' Katie picked goosegrass seeds off her hoodie one by one one with a small frown. 'The flamingo is defeated.'

'I do.' Percy retrieved his damp arrow. 'Time to raid Dionysus's spare party supplies cupboard again.'

'You know he can hear you, right?' Katie whispered.

'Yeah.' He grinned. 'I don't think he minds. It's not like we have any parties and he can just snap his fingers and fix it all anyway.'

'We should.' Clarisse waved a hand at the lake. 'Would be fun. Could get some music, and some drinks, and all sorts.'

'It could be fun in summer.' Katie scrunched up her face. 'No way am I going in that water now. Not for at least four more months.'

'Yeah.' Percy tucked the bow and arrow under his arm. 'Not sure Metea would like that anyways.'

'What's the lake girl going to do?' Clarisse cracked her knuckles. 'Pick a fight?'

'We shouldn't disturb her for no good reason,' he said. 'Anyone who messes with them is going to have to explain why they thought it was okay to me.'

'Fine. You keep the naiads all to yourself if you love them so much. Just don't let this treehugger catch you kissing them or anything.'

Katie growled. 'Shut up, Clarisse.'

'You gonna make me?' Clarisse grinned. 'Bring it, Flower Power.'

Percy rolled his eyes. 'I'm done with archery for today; I'm going to find Chiron and Dionysus. I've been sitting around here for long enough, there's more important stuff I need to be doing.'

I can't stop and just stay here. He leant the bow just inside the door to his cabin, kicking the deflated flamingo across into the corner. If I stop, I fall, right, Zoë?

Clarisse nodded. 'Alright. Let us know if you're going away anywhere.' She gave him a sharp grin. 'I could use a workout, you know.'

Katie's soft green gaze followed Percy across the dock. He could feel the weight of her eyes between his shoulder blades as he wandered up through the cabins; it dragged his heart down beneath the weight of all the waves, a single grain of sand sinking into that bottomless black.

Drifting past the crackling fire, Percy trudged up the steps of the Big House and knocked on the door. Chiron's hooves clopped along the floorboards and the knob rattled; the door cracked open.

'Percy.' His face sobered. 'What do you need?'

'I want to know what I can do to help,' Percy said. 'I think what's left of Kronos's army is being tracked down by people a lot better at tracking than I am, but there must be something else, right?'

Chiron's forehead creased. 'Come in, Percy.'

A small ripple of unease swept through him. 'Okay.' Closing the door, he followed Chiron through into the cabin council room.

Dionysus glanced up from his cards, a pyramid of diet coke cans rising from the floor beside. 'Don't tell me he came back for the oracle again.'

'No,' Percy replied. 'I don't need to ask her. I know what I'm meant to be doing, I just need to know how I can do it.'

Dionysus placed his cards down on the table; the purple of his eyes glowed like neon lights, burning bright as he drained the silver can beside him. 'And what are you trying to do?'

'Help.'

'Haven't you got an amphitheatre to rebuild?' Dionysus stacked the can atop the rest. 'Or some of Casey's strawberries to weed?'

'I mean, I do, but I'm pretty sure that that's not the most useful thing I could be doing. There are always demi-gods in trouble and monsters after them.'

'Every child of the gods must face their own trials, Percy.' Chiron circled the table, side-stepping the pyramid of empty cans. 'You can't fight their battles for them.'

Dionysus rolled a diet coke down the table. 'Here, have a drink while we talk, Percy.'

Percy caught the can as it dropped off the table and set it down beside Chiron's cards. 'No, I know, Chiron. They have to make their own choices. To choose well or… fall; I can't take that away, but I can show them the right thing to do, can't I?'

Dionysus snorted. 'The right thing to do for you is to take a nice long break, and host a lake party with those naiads and Casey and Clara. You keep stealing from the party supplies anyway, so you might as well use them as they were intended to be used.' The bright neon purple of his eyes bored into Percy. 'You never know, this might be the only chance to take a break that you'll get.'

Chiron coughed. 'Yes, well, either way, I cannot give you a quest. Quests are performed for the Oracle of Apollo, for the Gods, or a god or goddess, of which I am none.'

'Dionysus is.' Percy squinted at the silver can. 'You know if you actually gave me diet coke, I'd probably drink it.'

'Brat. Do you know how much I hate summoning that stuff? It's nice to be able to create something with a little life in it instead.' Dionysus picked his cards back up. 'But as it happens, I do have a quest for you. In the cupboard by the fridge—'

Chiron sighed.

'I hadn't even finished, you old horse.'

'Percy is not going to be fooled into getting you that bottle of rum. It wouldn't even work, as you well know, having convinced at least twenty demi-gods to do this already.'

'A pity.' Dionysus laid his cards down. 'But a full house will make up for an empty bottle.'

'So you can't give me a quest?' Percy asked. 'Nothing?'

'I can't.' Chiron glanced at Dionysus. 'It might be wise to listen to Dionysus's advice, Percy. The satyrs out in the world continue to report monster sightings with the same frequency as the last few years.'

'Didn't that manticore say something about a great stirring?' Percy frowned. 'Shouldn't that have stopped with Kronos defeated?'

Chiron opened his mouth.

'Yes. It should. And there are a great many still rising to menace you all.' Dionysus's neon purple eyes held a strange bright flicker, like wild distant strobe lights flashing in the night and smoke. 'But the chasing of beasts is not mine.'

No, it's not. Percy's heart trembled. The hunting of all wild beasts is her domain.

He stared down at the gleaming silver can, a strange sweet yearning yanking away beneath his ribs like the tide tugging a small white seashell down the sand.

'Ah,' Dionysus murmured. 'Will you drink this time? I am ever so curious. You tiptoe at the fringes of my domain, so close that were your thoughts not veiled to me, I could surely taste the bouquet of madness. Bound to mortality by it, but somehow ever free...'

Starsworn.

Percy snapped the can open and took a sniff of the fruity, alcoholic fragrance. 'No, that's still raki, so not for me, thanks. Mom would ground me for so long I'd be able to buy it myself before I was ungrounded.'

Dionysus laughed and the wild flicker on his eyes faded away. 'Go away if you're not going to get me that bottle then. Old horse, you need to pay up, you lost.'

Chiron folded his arms. 'Percy?'

'I'm fine. I know what I have to do.'

'The last time a demi-god said those words to me, it was Luke, leaving to ascend the spire of Mount Tamalpais.'

To try and take an apple, gain immortality, and change the nature of the world without hurting anyone. The bright blossom clouds above Ladon's dark scales and staring yellow eyes floated through Percy's thoughts. But it's impossible to take an apple from the tree and live. And I don't want to be part of the nature of the world. I just want to choose well.

Dionysus's purple eyes glowed hot and bright over the diet coke can as he took a long sip. 'Why are you still here?'

'I was contemplating a long and drawn-out plan to steal fruit,' Percy replied, mustering a grin. 'But then I realised I didn't want to be eaten by an extremely venomous, hundred-headed dragon and would rather just choose to help people where I can.'

Chiron relaxed. 'Stay safe, Percy. And with so many monsters stirring, it would be wise to keep a careful watch should you stray beyond the borders of camp. Over the coming month or so, our campers will begin to return to us; the mortal world cannot keep them from destiny for long, and so the monsters will begin to appear here, seeking them out.'

'I will.' Percy strode out into the early evening, pulling the door shut behind him.

The fire danced between the empty tables, throwing faint shadows across the cabins as the sun dipped toward the horizon.

They can't give me a quest to help, but she can, can't she, Zoë? The hunting of all wild beasts is her domain. And so is the protection of children. He drifted to the flames, pouring the raki into the orange fire and tossing the can into the bin. And she said I should pray to her.

'Artemis,' Percy whispered, staring up into the clouded winter sky as the raki burnt away. 'Help me not to disappoint.'

AN: You know this bit, the linktree will take you many exciting places!

linktr . ee / mjbradley