The Battle for Olympus

Percy

Clarisse pulled the car over as far as she could, the darkness so suffocating Percy could barely see the dirt road. "Now what? We blow an elk bugle or some shit?"

Percy opened the car door and stepped out, the cool night air refreshing on his skin. "No, but they have a connection to every wild place. We just need to find stream or river or something."

"In New Mexico? Maybe you should try a cactus."

Percy rolled his eyes. "I can sense there's water around here somewhere. We just have to find it."

Clarisse sighed and turned the car off. "If we get murdered out here, I'm blaming you."

"Aww. Scared of the dark, Clarisse?"

"Of course not." Her voice was unnaturally loud in the silence of the woods. "But I am scared of mountain lions. What's a sword against one of those?"

Percy eyed riptide. "Fair point. I kinda thought those were a myth."

"I keep forgetting you're actually from New York City. How'd you survive Alaska?"

"I have Hazel and Frank to thank for that," Percy said. "Hazel used to live there and Frank is one of the bravest people I know."

"Good to know." Clarisse leaned against the car and gazed into the woods. "Do you at least have a flashlight?"

"You don't?"

"I didn't realize this was going to be an expidition, Jackson."

"Whatever," Percy said. "We have Riptide's glow. All we have to do is find water."

"Then lead on, water boy. Let's make this quick."

Percy led the way through the woods, dominated by scraggly pines and cacti. He felt better with Clarisse behind him, but something about these woods was unsettling. Or maybe it was just everything that happened in the last couple days. Percy pushed a branch aside and thought about the last time he'd trekked through the woods like this. Five years ago in New Jersey with Annabeth and Grover after their bus blew up and they were stuck at Aunty Em's. It's just a photo, Annabeth, what's the harm? Percy smiled in spite of himself. When the world was crumbling in on itself, thinking about Annabeth made everything better.

"We're close," he called to Clarisse, "I can sense water up ahead." It was like a large cool ribbon cutting through the night. Even being near it energized Percy, he was buzzing from his head to his fingertips.

Percy hopped down the embankment and held riptide up to catch the moonlight. Its faint bronze glow illuminated the dark water creeping over rocks. A small stream, but a stream nonetheless.

"Huh," Clarisse said behind him. "I had my doubts."

Percy knelt and set his hand just on the surface, holding the tension at bay. He reached out with his thoughts, vibrating to the same frequency the stream was. Thalia, Percy thought, I need you. Annabeth is in trouble. He figured mentioning Annabeth would guarantee Thalia's arrival.

Clarisse tossed a pine cone in the water. "Now what? How do you know it worked?"

"I won't know." Percy stood and brushed his pants off. "Now we wait and hope she shows up. Time and distance aren't the same for hunters."

"Are we talking minutes? Hours? Days?"

"I dunno. But Annabeth is right, we will need Thalia's help. And the hunters too if at all possible."

Clarisse sat on a log and tossed a stone, landing with a gentle sploosh in the stream. "You really think we can win this? From what you've told me New Rome is near impenetrable. Are you willing to risk the lives of all those campers for Annabeth?"