Forbidden Quests

Chapter 51

Percy

It was dark and silent as Blackjack flew over Athena's temple. His wings glided smoothly, slicing through the air as my eyes strained to find details of Athena's city that would help me and Leo. The moon was bright, and it left an ethereal shine on the ebony wings of Blackjack. Down beneath me, I could see the bustle of Athens: people moving around, even at this hour, venders shouting out to passing pedestrians, horses randomly around the town, and the sparring duos in small arenas placed about. I could see it all, but I couldn't hear anything. Up in the sky I was shielded from the view of the mortals underneath me, and I myself was shielded from the sounds. All I could hear was the whooshing of Blackjack's great wings as he lifted himself and I higher.

It would have been peaceful, just gliding about on the quiet night, but I was beyond nervous. To tell the truth, I had no plan whatsoever to distract everybody in Athena's temple. Annabeth, Hazel, Piper and Thalia needed me and Leo, who was on another pegasus not twenty feet behind me, to empty out the temple. When I told her that we would create the distraction, I had felt like Annabeth had a lot weighing down her shoulders, so I wanted to take some of her burden. Unfortunately, I did that without registering very thoroughly through what that would mean. I know, right. You're mind is saying, Percy? Not thinking all the way through something? Pssh. I know. Doesn't sound like me, huh?

Anyways. I had no plan. Correction: I have no plan. So I'm trying to come up with one. But still, I can't think of anything.

"Come on, come on," I muttered, racking my brains for something.

"Percy!"

I heard Leo call from behind me, and I whirled in my position to shut him up. We probably were out of hearing range to the people walking below us, but I didn't want to take my chances. I saw Leo on Guido, waving to get my attention. I rolled my eyes, but told Blackjack to slow down. If he had any sort of plan, I was welcome to hear it. Even though Leo's plans did tend to be even more risky than my own.

Once I next to Leo and his pegasus, I signaled for him to follow me, and then Blackjack dropped down towards the beach, the line of other pegasi following. We would be safe talking there. It was a rocky beach, and the horses had a tough time finding a place to land, but soon they all touched the ground and Leo was telling me what he had found.

"Nothing," he said. I sighed, biting my lip. We had very little time. Actually, we could only have about ten minutes to think of something. As far as I knew, Annabeth and Hazel were going to meet Thalia and Piper outside of the temple, sneak in, get the weapons, and get back out. When we had split, Annabeth and Hazel didn't have to go too far to get to the spot where they would meet the other two girls.

"Leo, we have to think of something!" I said desperately.

I was pacing back and forth on the sand when Leo piped up, "Hey, isn't Poseidon the earth shaker?" I nodded distractedly, still trying to think. "So... can I take a wild guess and say maybe you can create an earthquake?"

I paused. Then I turned and stared at him. "First, I've never tried to create an earthquake. Second, don't earthquakes, like, destroy cities? I don't think that'd be very safe, Leo."

"Well, then make a small one," Leo said simply. "I was overhearing some mortals from Athens the last time we were here, they were saying that they never had earthquakes. Athena always protected them. But just in case something like an earthquake or tidal wave happened, they had an olive grove, sacred to Athena, just outside the city. If any hazard like that happened, they were to all go there."

"So if I made a small one, they'd probably freak out," I said, my sunken hopes at finding a plan rising slowly.

"Exactly. Who ever said I couldn't make a decent plan?"