Horizon's Point: The Rise of the Lyre (Jason Grace)

Chapter 8: Off we go

The next morning, as soon as the sun started to rise, Percy and I met Jason at Thalia's tree on the hill. We each had our rides: Jason on his storm spirit horse Tempest, Percy on his loyal, doughnut-obsessed black Pegasus Blackjack, and I was on my chestnut brown with a white streak down her nose Pegasus, Ember.

The morning dew on the grass clung to my ankles as the sweet aroma of pine leaves and strawberries filled my nose, it was an odd combination but, strangely, it worked. I think it was Eos who painted the sky those lovely shades of pink, she was the Goddess of the sunset and sunrise. However, she may have vanished with her brother and sister - Selena, the Moon and Helios, the Sun - because they disappeared one day due to the Romans not having enough sacrifices for them, so Artemis and her younger twin brother Apollo took on the roles as the Moon and Sun.

Whoever it was, they were doing a fantastic job of creating a breathtaking sight. Then I spotted the Satyr who brought me to camp running over to us, flailing his arms around in the air as if trying to tell us to wait. He was running at top speed (which was very fast) up the hill. Now that was the Satyr I knew and loved. He was there with me when my mother died and went to the same home-schooling lessons as me in the days before I knew about being a demigod. Then I was a Greek-Mythology-Nerd, and still am knowing that it's actually really useful.

"Who is that?" Jason asked looking at my friend weirdly, which I took to be quite offensive on his behalf.

I just patted Ember's nose and called "Eric! Hey dude, how're you doin'?"

He beamed at me when he reached the top, which only took a few seconds, and gave me a tight hug. "Yeah, yeah, I'm fine. But you're the one going on some deadly quest. Didn't you read the fine print of going to Poseidon's Kingdom, girl? You have to go underwater are you sure that you're up to that?"

I appreciated his concern, as the only one who knew, he did a good job at keeping me mentally safe. But before I could answer, Percy blabbered out, "Are you doubting her? She can breathe underwater, she's a child of Poseidon. Of course, she's going to be alright." There was a stern note in his tone as he said it, a very defensive one.

"Oh, Gods. Have you not told them about -" Eric started but I hastily cut him off with,

"No, no I haven't. But I will soon, I promise, when I'm ready." My response seemed too quick for the boys' liking.

"Tell us what, exactly?" Jason narrowed his eyes at me, I couldn't tell them. I couldn't look too weak to go on this quest, I didn't want to be the overprotected baby here. I knew that it they knew, they would be too fussed about me to concentrate on the quest itself. I couldn't have that.

"Like I just said, I 'll tell you when I'm ready." I kept my tone level and not stern.

"O-ok." Eric agreed "Just, you two. Look after her for me. You don't know what happened that day." Then he gave me one last hug before trotting off back into camp.

Hey, boss, boss. I could hear Blackjack say in my mind Erm, are we gonna go or what? Also, I'm starving, can we get some doughnuts on the way to wherever we're going?

Percy and I laughed at this and everything seemed easy again. "Sure, Blackjack," Percy told the Pegasus, "And, we're going to meet up with the hunters for this first night. Then, we're off to Dad's Kingdom. If Thal - they have any doughnuts, I'm sure they'll give them to you."

This seemed to satisfy him, but one glance at Jason's mystified expression told me that he still didn't know why Blackjack liked doughnuts so much. Also, I had noticed that Percy had almost said Thalia, the one who was going to die in four days. Jason's older sister.

"Ok, so let's get going." I announced while getting onto Ember. The others followed suit and soon we were up in the sky.

So, are you a daughter of Poseidon, dear? Ember asked in my mind.

"Yes, I am" I whispered back.

What was the Satyr talking about? Going underwater should be fine for you, dear.

"Yes, but my mum - something happened."

These boys seem nice enough, why don't you talk to them, dear?

"Could you stop calling me dear? I'll try telling them tonight. Maybe."

That's good enough for me, honey.

I sighed, why was this Pegasus calling me names that couples call each other? It was worse than 'boss' which I kinda liked, though Percy didn't.

"What? That was a loud sigh Abi, are you ok?" Jason steered Tempest to come up next to me who started to flirt with Ember. She whinnied in complaint but was too polite to reject him, it was like she was asking me for support.

"Tempest, stop flirting with Ember. She's not interested."

Jason tried to hold in his laughter, but patted his horse on the neck and asked me "Was he really flirting with Ember? That's kind of funny!" I giggled and asked Percy - who was on my other side, the right-hand one - to confirm it for me, which he did. Only before asking if Ember had called me dear and honey.

"I'm not complaining about being called boss anymore."

"Just gonna suggest that" I laughed. The air felt lovely, it was cool and refreshing. But it also made me feel free, in the same way the sea used to make me feel safe. Used to...

Oh, Gods of Olympus, I'm doing it again! I can't keep thinking about her! It's not going to help; she can't help me. Nevertheless, her words rung in my ears clear as day. In her soothing, non-judgemental voice that always made me feel like it wasn't me against the world, that I wasn't alone. "The sea gives joy and freedom and takes lives, respect it and it will respect you. Your father knew that, he was the closest person to the sea that I ever met." Now I knew what she meant by that last line.

I didn't dare look at the others in case there were tears in my eyes, did she know about Poseidon? Had she expected him to save her? I ran my hand through the clouds as I let these questions sink in, why would he let her go like that?

"How far down are we going to have to go?" I queried. 'Please not one hundred and fifteen meters, please not 115 meters,' I silently begged.

"I dunno," he admitted "but really deep, Jason, are you gonna be alright with that? Pup and I can create an air bubble for you."

"Yes, please" he responded gratefully ."And, Pup?"

"Yeah, that's what you call a baby seal. Also, what I call Abigail." Percy explained.

"Jason, after the thirty-meter mark, your lungs shrink to the size of a fist. So, you will sink naturally, it's nothing to be worried about." I explained, reassuringly.

Percy and Jason looked at me with a newly-found respect, "How do you know this?" Jason wondered.

I looked down shyly, I never liked spewing out facts, but then I considered it important. "I-my mum..." I trailed off looking dead-ahead now. They understood and didn't press the question.

After what seemed like a few hours, Percy called a break because the horses were tiring.

Again, thank you, dear. Ember spoke, which startled me so much I looked around to try and find who could have said it before remembering that I could speak to horses now.

"Hey, it's fine. Just remember to not be super polite to the ones that are making you feel uncomfortable." Gods, I needed some of my own advice for when Drew comes over, why am I like this?

Yes, I will try, dear.

"Besides, you're carrying me without complaint. I should be the one thanking you."

Jason arched his eyebrows at me, overhearing my side of my conversation with my lovely Pegasus. I could only imagine how weird it sounded, but I didn't really care who heard and who didn't at this point. Yet, I gave him an apologetic smile.

We landed in a wood and cracked open our lunch rations, while the horses were resting under a grand oak tree by the lake. Well, Blackjack was explaining what a doughnut was to the other two who seemed very intrigued.

"Um, who's that?" Percy pointed to a silhouette some thirty feet away from us, they seemed to be watching, but darted away before I could get a good look at them.

"Do we follow?" I asked, but before either of them had opened their mouths a voice spoke from the trees; a low, bossy voice that said: "Yes, come demigods. You need me."