Camp Hermit-Blood - The Sea of Monsters

Grian

Another short Grian chapter, but oh well. Not much to narrate when the character is in the cruise ship equivalent of a prison cell with nobody to talk to and nothing to do. But short chapter or not, it is VERY important

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A couple of monsters shoved Grian back into his room and growled something about not trying again.

Grian hadn't meant to pick the lock... was it such a bad thing that he could open a door?

Honestly, though. He didn't know how he had done it. All he had done was stick a gross hairpin that someone before him had left into the door and then the lock clicked and the door opened.

There was really no point, anyway. They were in the middle of the ocean. Grian had no idea how to use one those lifeboat things.

But apparently, the monsters thought he needed to stay in his room and be bored. Didn't they know that wars tended to start when Grian was bored?

His thoughts were interrupted when Luke walked in. Again.

"You aren't going to leave me to sulk in peace, are you?" Grian asked.

"Sulk? I know you, Grian. You've tried to escape. Four times. And even now, you're probably plotting something."

He was right. Four times, Grian had picked that lock. And before he was caught again, he did the following things:
- start a food fight
- rob every gift shop on the boat
- flood the pool deck
- ride a hellhound as it relentlessly tried to eat him
- and of course, as he always was forced to by an unspoken rule that he made up, initiate an epic game of tag that was bound to cause a little bit of distrust on the ship.

Grian shook his head, somewhat unconvincingly. "Never!" he said. "Why would I ever want to get away when I'm living in these accomodations?"

Maybe that was taking it a little too far. Luke didn't look too impressed.

The son of Hermes sighed. "Have you thought about my offer? You've had more than enough time."

"I've been busy making escape plans," Grian said, probably stupidly.

Luke was visibly losing patience. "Your time is up," he said. "Their deadline is soon. If they come back, it'll be today."

"Okay," Grian said. "And what makes you think you'll be able to find them?"

"I have my ways."

Grian was quiet until Luke said, "Well?"

"No," he said. "I'm not going to steal the Fleece for you."

Luke took a seat. "I didn't want to do this," he said. "But I guess I'll have to. I have spies in Hermitcraft, like I mentioned last time."

"Mhm," Grian said, starting to zone out.

"I believe they're searching for you. But they don't know you're here yet."

"Yeah?"

Luke snapped his fingers in front of Grian's face. "Listen."

"No," Grian said, but listened.

"My friends in your world don't know who you are."

"Good," Grian said. "I'd rather they didn't."

"Well, they know who you are. They just haven't connected the dots yet. But they're always Watching, Grian."

Grian's eyes widened, his Monsters Inc. joke forgotten. "Not them," he said.

"Aha," Luke said. "Now you're listening."

Grian stared at his half brother, too stunned to speak. How was it possible?

"I know your secret," Luke said, seemingly for the millionth time. "And I can expose it. I'm assuming the other Hermits don't know?"

"I'm not going to answer that," Grian said, his voice wavering.

"They don't," Luke said. "Noted."

Grian stamped his foot in frustration.

"So," Luke said. "What will it be? You get the Fleece, you get it back after I'm done with it, you get to go back to camp and eventually home with your secret completely safe. It's a win-win-win-win, really. And of course, it would only happen if they refuse to negotiate."

He paused. "Or, we send a bunch of monsters, probably some demigods die, you don't get it back, my friends come after you, your friends never trust you again, and nobody wins."

"I'm not helping you," Grian insisted.

"You don't have a choice," Luke replied.

Yes, I do, Grian wanted to say, but he bit it back because it was a lie.

He really didn't have a choice, did he?

Just like the last time. Just like when they took everything.

Grian opened his mouth again and took a breath to answer.