Once a hero - Riordan_LeoGreyson

Chapter 5

Reunion and more questions - please stop asking me so many questions

Coldness hugged me as I came under the surface. I felt a surge of energy boost through me. I opened my eyes. At this point I was happy that I hadn't landed on the cold hard ground, but in the water instead. I felt myself get more energy. I began to swim for the surface, the light slowly got brighter. I resurfaced and looked around. I was in the middle of nowhere in the ocean. I sighed and held myself up with the water, so I didn't have to waste energy by holding myself up, even though the water gave me energy.

I couldn't see the shore. I glanced up and only saw clouds. Had the platform disappeared? Or was it just up so high that I couldn't see it? I couldn't tell. But then again, there had been a mist, so it must have been up higher than the clouds.

I slowly forced the waters to guide me to the nearest land. The shore came into view far away. No buildings were to be seen. No New York. My feet hit the ground and I walked up on the sand. I looked around, I had no idea where I was. This wasn't New York. For what I knew, I had never been here before. The land was filled with palm trees and birds were singing. I knew it wasn't Ogygia, there weren't a beautiful garden or invisible servants flying around. It didn't feel magical. I walked up to some trees and sat down and leaned against it.

If I didn't know where I was, then how was I going to come home? I couldn't just whistle after a cab, and it'd come. I stared out over the water. Whistle. Whistle for a cab. Whistle for an animal. Whistle for a pegasi. My eyes lit up; I could just call Blackjack! He should be able to come here since it wasn't Ogygia! Why hadn't I thought of that sooner? I took a deep breath, to make it as loud as possible; and whistled. I peeped up at the sky, looking for a black silhouette that looked like a bird, but was too big to even be a bird. But the sky remained blue. How did I even know that this wasn't Calypso's Island? Maybe the garden disappeared when she left, and the invisible servants too. I couldn't be sure of where I was. I tried to whistle again.

"Come on Jackie, you can do it." I mumbled and looked at the sky. For Zeus's sake! How long would this take? I begged to the Gods that Blackjack would come flying towards me, but the sky remained empty. Unsure of if it would help, I whistled again. I waited. I must have waited ten minutes. The ten minutes became twenty. Slowly they creeped onto an hour. He wasn't going to come. My beloved friend wasn't going to come to save me. Maybe this island was too far away for him? Or maybe it was out of reach? Maybe I should just have stayed on that platform with Bruce and Tony Stank. Then I at least wouldn't have stranded on this stupid island. I stood up. I turned around and began to walk into the woods, the least I could do was figure out where I was.

That's when I heard it. In the distance. A sound. A low sound, that sounded like a neighing. I stared forward into the woods. I recognized that sound, I could recognize it anywhere. A smile creeped onto my face and I turned around, to see a black stallion land on the ground, flapping its wings and folding them. The stallion lifted its head high and neighed.

I grinned. "It's been a long time, hasn't it?"

"Boss!" He nodded excitedly. "Where have you been?" He looked at me and walked over to me. I smiled and clapped him. "No one knew where you were! Even the wine dude was worried."

I nodded. "I've been taking a break. I wrote a letter for the campers and my family." I looked at him. "I spent hours on writing it because my dyslexia messed it all up. Haven't you heard of the letter?"

"Okay. No, I haven't. But what about Annabeth, Boss? She came every day out to me and talked to me, asking if I knew where you were. But I didn't, you were gone, Boss."

"I know, but I'm here now, or well, you're here now." I smiled.

"Where exactly are we Boss?" Blackjack asked curiously and looked around.