Eleutheromania

18)

I WAS WITH PERCY at the deck when we see Jason flying holding Piper. Hercules did not look happy in the island.

      Jason touched down on the deck of the Argo II. Thankfully, Leo had done his part. The ship's oars were already in aerial mode. The anchor was up. Jason summoned a gale so strong, it pushed us into the sky, while Percy sent a ten-foot-tall wave against the shore, knocking Hercules down a second time, in a cascade of seawater and pineapples.

      By the time the god regained his feet and started lobbing coconuts at us from far below, the Argo II was already sailing through the clouds above the Mediterranean.

      After leaving the Pillars of Hercules—unscathed except for a few coconuts lodged in the hull's bronze plating—the ship traveled by air for a few hundred miles.

      I hoped the ancient lands wouldn't be as bad as we had heard. But it was almost like a commercial: You'll notice the difference immediately!

      Several times an hour, something attacked the ship. A flock of flesh-eating Stymphalian birds swooped out of the night sky, and Festus torched them. Storm spirits swirled around the mast, and Jason blasted them with lightning. While Coach Hedge was having dinner on the foredeck, a wild pegasus appeared from nowhere, stampeded over the coach's enchiladas, and flew off again, leaving cheesy hoof prints all across the deck.

      "What was that for?" the coach demanded.

      Percy, Jason and I were usually the ones fighting. I was angry on how much our ship had been attack. Jason and I have already fought storm sprits so it wasn't so bad, but Percy was not happy.

      You can see it in his face. He looked annoyed. The same look he had years ago when he wasn't able to go save Annabeth on that quest. Jason and I look at each other noticing his annoyance.

      Finally around midnight, after the ninth or tenth aerial attack, Jason turned to Percy. "How about you get some sleep? I'll keep blasting stuff out of the sky as long as I can. Then we can go by sea for a while, and you can take point."

      Percy went belowdecks and crashed on his bunk.

      "How do you feel?" Jason asked looking at me as I stared at the sky expecting another attack.

      "I hate the sky as much as I hate the sea. Too many monster in this world. Zeus needs to keep it in his pants."

      Jason stared at me with his mouth open not expecting that answer, then he laughed.

      I crossed my arms. "The first time I went on a plane, Percy was afraid Zeus was going to shoot us down. The second time was when you sister drove a bus of Apollo, here's some advice, never give her the wheel," I snort remembering that day. "The third time I was in the sky was when we played the chariot race, we got shot down by these birds, I forgot their name. The fourth was flying blackjack to Percy during the battle. Then the fifth was riding Festus."

      "You've had your experience," Jason said tilting his head.

      "I've been through a lot. I know a lot because if it."

      "And your experience in the sea?"

     I made a face. "Well, first time was when we went on a quest for the golden fleece. We had to go through the sea of monster, we fought a cyclops that was blind. We went through the sea with all the sirens. We met Circe. Ohh, that's also when I first met Reyna and Hylla—"

      "Wait, you've met them before?" Jason was shocked again.

      I nod. "Wasn't the best first meeting. Percy and I were turned into guinea pigs. Annabeth had to save us."