ATLOP: Lessons in Water

There Once Was A Ship That Put To Sea

WARNING
There are references to Confederates in this chapter. There is racism, though no slurs.

We don't like the shippers, but alas, they're the only ride they have. Don't worry, they won't live to see the end of the quest.

Come yell at me on my tumblr: Percabeth4Life
Come chat with me on discord: https://discord.gg/3tGNJhu

OO OO OO OO

The docks were busy.

A forklift passed by, beeping constantly. Dozens more scattered the docks, most in use.

Ropes lay in coils all over the docks, chains with them, and there were all kind of sea faring tools I didn't know with them.

It was a riot of color, flags and containers and every ship imaginable docked before us. The air was filled with salt and water and spices and fuel. My skin sparked, and I knew there was magic here. Blood chased my tongue as I curled a hand around Annabeth's wrist.

We needed to reach Clarisse, but the water was filled with ships, small and large, and we couldn't get to her safely. Nevermind try to climb the dock where she was. We needed to go around.

Around and through the docks, filled with every kind of person imaginable. Workers crawled through the boxes and boxes filling the port, moving them, lifting them, pushing them, checking them.

Shouts filled my ears, every language under the sun. Words I knew and words I didn't shouting to get their points across, accents melodic, rough, sharp, and soothing.

Boats of every make and model blocked our sight, hiding Clarisse from us. A forklift passed by, adding beeping to the cacophony of moving ships and shouts. A worker's eyes landed on us and they frowned.

"We need to move," Annabeth hissed, tugging me by the hand holding her wrist.

Martha hissed agreement and Tyson took my other hand.

Warmth danced over my skin, paper crinkled, I let Annabeth lead the way.

I should've been a guide, this was a sea based domain, but the docks were a chaotic mess and I couldn't begin to imagine what to do, where to go.

Money changed hands, people argued with workers in uniform, a line to get onto a cruise ship stood on a velvet carpet.

It was loud, it was

Someone waved a sign around, others seemed to be chanting. A police officer was arguing with them.

Annabeth guided us far around that, ducking behind some large metal shipping containers.

"Hang on a second," she told me, slipping her hand from mine.

I watched her scurry up the side of the container like a monkey, disappearing from sight.

I tried to track it, searching for that touch of herb filled olive oil and crinkling pages, but she was too far for my senses to find.

Just being a few steps away was too far, so it wasn't too surprising.

I wondered if the enhanced senses would remain or if they would fade once more as time passed. Did it matter that I hadn't exercised sensing presence's much? Was it just that everything felt more since I hadn't felt it for a year?

I wasn't sure. I would have to ask someone when I had the chance.

I wondered if Tethys-ran would tell me.

Annabeth dropped down next to us, falling all the way to a crouch before she rose.

"Clarisse's ship is that way—" she pointed past the shipping containers "—and they seem to be nearly done refueling so we'll need to hurry."