Camp Hermit-Blood - The Sea of Monsters

Percy

Percy had a bad night's sleep, partly from a dream of Grover on Polyphemus' island. The Golden Fleece had been in it, and Polyphemus had mentioned that nobody would be able to get past his "pets." Percy had only seen sheep peacefully grazing in the fields, but it wasn't like he didn't believe the Cyclops.

He was woken by Annabeth throwing a pillow at his face.

"Wake up, Seaweed Brain," she said. "We're approaching the entrance."

"To where?" Percy groaned.

Another face popped into his view - Ren. "To the Sea of Monsters, of course."

Percy rolled out of bed, stuffed what little he had into a canvas knapsack, and went upstairs with Ren and Annabeth close behind.

On the way up, Percy paused in the hall. He felt angry... he wanted to pick a fight.

"Stop," he whispered.

Both the son of Ares and the daughter of Athena froze.

Percy peered down into the boiler deck to see a figure in the steam. Clarisse stood with her back to them, so Percy could only see the the top of her head and her back, but she seemed a little bit scared.

Clarisse? Scared? What?

"If you let that Jackson punk steal this-" the figure said, shaking his fist, and it suddenly clicked: this was Ares.

Percy couldn't see Clarisse's expression as she said, "But the Oracle said-"

"I don't care what the Oracle said!" Ares roared. "I should have let one of my sons lead this quest."

"And who am I?" Ren whispered to Annabeth and Percy.

"No!" Clarisse said. "I will succeed."

"You'd better," Ares growled, and the steam figure disappeared.

The three demigods at the door slipped away before she came out, hoping to discuss what had happened, but stopping as she went the same way they were going.

Percy tried not to look at her. That had been almost as disturbing as his dream.

She immediately took a pair of binoculars from a skeleton and looked ahead. "Finally," she said. "Full steam ahead!"

Percy squinted in the direction she was looking.

All he saw were two blotches on the horizon. The engine groaned as they increased speed.

"Too much strain on the pistons," Tyson said nervously.

"I don't think it's meant for deep water," Tango agreed, looking over the side of the boat at the ocean below.

Percy didn't know what they meant but he didn't like it.

As they got closer, Percy started to see what looked like a storm. "Hurricane?" he asked, afraid of the answer.

"Married in a hurriCANE," Bdubs sang.

"No," Clarisse said.

"Charybdis," Ren said, and it would have dramatic except he pronounced it wrong.

"ARE YOU CRAZY?" Annabeth shrieked, her face going pale.

"Yes, they are," Tango replied, right as Clarisse said, "It's the only way in."

"What do you mean, it's the only way in?" Percy said. "The sea is wide open! Just go around them!"

"They'll just appear in our path again!" Clarisse argued.

"Wasn't there another way, that Jason used?" Annabeth asked. "The Clashing Rocks?"

"Yeah."

"Go that way!"