𝐖𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐊 𝐇𝐀𝐕𝐎𝐂! percy jackson

xxxviii. The Most Feared Weapon!

━━ chapter thirty-eight
the most feared weapon!
(diet coke?)

✿✼:*ﾟ:༅。.。༅:*·ﾟﾟ·⭑

    ━━Percy and Fiona were almost thrown off-board. 

    As Festus blew fire, sending a dozen very surprised warriors screaming and diving into the sea, Percy twisted his body right, grabbed Fiona and they hit the deck, narrowly missing a grappling line as many of them wrapped around the rails and the mast. 

    By the time he had recovered his wits, it was too late. The enemy was everywhere. He couldn't see well through the fog and the dark, but the invaders looked to be ... half-dolphin? Half-dolphin and half-pirate? Some had snouts, others had human faces, some had human legs ... it was very disturbing. 

    Leo sounded the alarm bell. He made a dash for the nearest ballista but went down under a pile of chattering dolphin warriors. 

    Percy pulled Fiona to her feet and they stood back to back with their weapons drawn. Percy tried to summon the waves, hoping he could push the ships apart or even capsize the enemy vessel, but nothing happened. It almost felt like something was pushing against his will, wrestling the sea from his control.

    Great.

    Fiona spun her pugio, lunging at a nearby dolphin and pushing through the pain on her knee, but they were surprisingly very agile, jumping out of her way. Percy raised Riptide, but he knew they were hopelessly outnumbered. The dolphin-warriors lowered their spears and made a ring around them, wisely keeping out of striking distance of Percy's sword.

    "Are they meant to be dead?" Percy whispered back to Fiona desperately, and she closed her eyes, concentrating. 

    She saw her hand twist and she tilted her head, as if searching for a sound or feeling to let her know whether she could take control. When she sighed, annoyed, Percy gritted his teeth. He didn't mean to sound annoyed, but he had just lost what he hoped to be an advantage. 

    He tried to think of something else, eyeing the dolphin-men as they opened their mouths and made whistling, popping noises. (To be honest, he never thought he'd find dolphin teeth vicious, but gods these were very vicious-looking). Maybe he could break out of the circle and destroy a few invaders, but not without the others skewering him and Fiona. Not to mention, Fiona couldn't fight as well as she would want to with her knee, nor could she run fast. Percy felt that bout of guilt again. (No, he can't be woeful right now. Focus, Jackson).

    There was something positive to focus on: so far, these dolphin-pirate-people didn't look they wanted to kill them, which gave them time. They kept Percy and Fiona contained while more of their comrades flooded belowdecks and secured the hull. Percy could hear them breaking down the cabin doors, and he suddenly felt sick. Even if their friends hadn't been fast asleep, they wouldn't have stood a chance against so many. 

    Leo was dragged across the deck, half-conscious and groaning, and dumped on a pile of ropes. Below, the sounds of fighting had tapered off ... either the others had been subsided, or ...

    (No, Percy couldn't think of that).

    On one side of the ring of spears, the dolphin warriors parted to let someone through. Percy narrowed his eyes, trying to look as menacing as he could. This guy━obviously their leader━was full human, dressed in Greek combat armour━sandles, kilt and greeves, you know, the whole look━and everything he wore was gold. Even his sword, a Greek blade like Riptide, was gold instead of bronze.