{1} 𝐁𝐔𝐋𝐋𝐒𝐄𝐘𝐄 | p.jackson

𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘧𝘰𝘶𝘳

| chapter four |
in which a horrifying ghost story gets told

THE WAY TANTALUS SAW IT, the Stymphalian birds had simply been minding their own damn business in the woods and would not have attacked if Annabeth, Tyson, and Percy hadn't provoked them with their bad chariot driving. Nia had just been roped in with them because she was close by.

Nia almost took a swing at him; it was so unfair.

Percy even told Tantalus to go chase a donut and Nia had stifled a laugh ( she didn't do a very good job of it ), which didn't help Tantalus's mood. He sentenced the four of them to kitchen patrol — scrubbing pots and platters all afternoon in the underground kitchen with the cleaning harpies.

The harpies washed with lava instead of water, to get that extra-clean sparkle and kill ninety-nine point nine percent of all germs, so Annabeth, Percy, and Nia had to wear asbestos gloves and aprons.

Tyson, on the other hand, didn't mind. He plunged his bare hands right in and started scrubbing happily, but the three half-bloods had to suffer through hours of hot, dangerous work, especially since there were tons of extra plates. Tantalus had ordered a special luncheon banquet to celebrate Clarisse's 'incredible chariot victory' — a full-course meal featuring country-fried Stymphalian death-bird.

For some reason, Nia hadn't had a big appetite.

At least Naomi didn't have to deal with it. She wouldn't have been able to handle the grueling work.

The only good thing about the entire punishment was that it gave Nia, Percy, and Annabeth a common enemy, so they were all talking again. Nia was more glad than she let off.

Percy told them about the dream that he'd had with Grover, where he was trapped with a Cyclops.

"If he's really found it," Annabeth murmured, "and if we could retrieve it—"

"Hold on," said Percy. "You act like this. . . whatever-it-is Grover found is the only thing in the world that could save the camp. What is it?"

"I'll give you both a hint. What do you get when you skin a ram?"

"Messy?"

"Annabeth, just tell us," Nia sighed. "My hands are scorching and my hair is as big as a hot air balloon."

Annabeth and Percy both looked at her and, sure enough, her curly hair was all poofed out.

"Fine," Annabeth rolled her eyes. "A fleece. The coat of a ram is called a fleece. And if that ram happens to have golden wool—"

"The Golden Fleece. Are you serious?" Percy looked at her in disbelief.

Nia blew a few strands of hair out of her face. "I've learned never to ask that. She's always serious about myths."