Blood Of Poseidon

X. Mizzenmast

In the dreamful state concocted by the sorceress Circe, Percy found himself lost in a realm of darkness. He wandered through shadows until he stumbled upon a comforting sight – his mother, Sally Jackson, alive and well. For a moment, the two shared a blissful reunion in the dream world, forgetting the perils that awaited them. However, the tranquility shattered when strange monsters emerged from the darkness. Percy's heart raced as he witnessed his mother being torn away from him, her joyful laughter replaced by the screams of agony. Paralyzed, Percy could only watch in horror as the monsters attacked, his limbs feeling like they were turned to stone. As the nightmare unfolded, the scene shifted abruptly. Gabe Ugliano, the abusive stepfather from Percy's past, approached with a beer bottle in hand. The atmosphere grew suffocating as Gabe subjected Percy to a relentless barrage of insults and degradation. Percy became nothing more than an object, a vessel for Gabe's sadistic pleasures. The echoes of Percy's gruesome childhood reverberated through the dream. The nightmare escalated when Gabe, now armed with a knife, advanced with a sinister glint in his eyes clouded by liquor, gambling, anger, and lust. Percy's screams echoed in the void, a desperate plea for escape from the recurring nightmare. His mother's voice accused him of being a bad son, intensifying Percy's guilt and despair. In the real world, Circe reveled in Percy's torment. Annabeth, witnessing Percy's agony, felt a pang of helplessness. She pleaded with Circe to release her friend, but the sorceress merely smiled. Circe ordered her disciples to separate Annabeth from Percy, unleashing magical forces that Annabeth struggled against. The ground shook with a thunderous scream that pierced through the air, causing storms to rage and waves to rise. The once-clear sky darkened as Percy's power surged uncontrollably. Annabeth, still fighting against Circe's disciples, could sense a shift in the magical currents. Suddenly, Percy broke free from the dream world, his eyes reflecting a dangerous intensity. Circe, feeling a chill of fear, realized she had lost control. Annabeth, along with everyone on the island, was paralyzed by the sheer force emanating from Percy. The destructive power of Percy's wrath shattered Circe's magical influence. The sorceress attempted to regain control, but Percy's relentless power overwhelmed her. The entire island trembled as if in fear of the demigod's rage. Just in the nick of time, Annabeth intervened, dragging Percy away from the crumbling ruins of Circe's lair. His eyes, still clouded with darkness, held a hint of danger. If not for Annabeth's quick thinking, the island and its inhabitants would have fallen victim to Percy's uncontrollable fury. As the chaos subsided, Percy gasped for breath on the beach, his mind slowly returning to reality. "What happened?" He asked as he looked around and saw the magnificent island destroyed. "Nothing. We need to escape." Annabeth said. Percy knew from the urgency and fear in Annabeth's voice that there was no time to waste. "There" Percy said and dragged Annabeth to a three mast old ship. Annabeth looked the old vessel and felt like the 'Black Pearl' from Pirates of Caribbean was in front of her. But it wasn't 'Black Pearl' but 'Queen Anne's Revenge' of the old Black Beard. "Come On" Percy said and climbed aboard. "But-" "I can make it work." Percy intervened. Annabeth looked around and saw Circe's disciples coming after them. Reluctantly she climbed aboard and saw Percy concentrating with eyes closed. "Mizzenmast" He yelled. And next second, the air was filled with whistling sounds of ropes being snapped taut, canvases unfurling, and wooden pulleys creaking. Annabeth ducked as a cable flew over her head and wrapped itself around the bowsprit. "How?" "Son of Poseidon." Percy reminded her. She smiled sheepishly like she was caught in act.

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As the night unfolded, the ship sailed steadily through the darkness, Percy and Annabeth at its helm. Despite Annabeth's attempt to share the lookout duty, the unsettling motion of the boat turned her face the color of guacamole, prompting her to retreat below deck. Percy, on the other hand, stood vigilant, watching the horizon for signs of danger. More than once, monstrous creatures appeared on the edges of the moonlit waves. Towering plumes of water and serpentine green spines hinted at the formidable challenges that lurked in the sea. Nereids, the glowing spirits of the sea, flickered briefly on the surface before vanishing into the depths. Annabeth, after a bout of seasickness, rejoined Percy on deck in the midnight hours. Passing by a smoking volcano island, Annabeth shared insights about the forges of Hephaestus, where the god crafted his metal monsters. Percy, recalling the bronze bulls they had encountered at the camp, expressed concern. Annabeth advised steering clear of the island, revealing the dangers posed by the metal monsters crafted in Hephaestus's forges. Amid the vastness of the sea, Percy couldn't help but inquire about Annabeth's intense aversion to Cyclopes. "The reason you hate Cyclopes so much ... the story about how Thalia really died. What happened?" He asked. Darkness covered her expression. "I guess you deserve to know," she said finally. "The night Grover was escorting us to camp, he got confused, took some wrong turns. You remember he told you that once?" Percy nodded. "Well, the worst wrong turn was into a Cyclops's lair in Brooklyn." "They've got Cyclopes in Brooklyn?" He asked. "You wouldn't believe how many, but that's not the point. This Cyclops, he tricked us. He managed to split us up inside this maze of corridors in an old house in Flatbush. And he could sound like anyone, Percy. Just the way Tyson did aboard the Princess Andromeda. He lured us, one at a time. Thalia thought she was running to save Luke. Luke thought he heard me scream for help. And me ... I was alone in the dark. I was seven years old. I couldn't even find the exit." Annabeth brushed the hair out of her face. "I remember finding the main room. There were bones all over the floor. And there were Thalia and Luke and Grover, tied up and gagged, hanging from the ceiling like smoked hams. The Cyclops was starting a fire in the middle of the floor. I drew my knife, but he heard me. He turned and smiled. He spoke, and somehow he knew my dad's voice. I guess he just plucked it out of my mind. He said, 'Now, Annabeth, don't you worry. I love you. You can stay here with me. You can stay forever.'" Percy shivered at the crookedness of the monster. He felt like to cut the Cyclops's tongue and carve its brain out and feed it to some hound. "What did you do?" "I stabbed him in the foot." Percy stared at her. "Are you kidding? You were seven years old and you stabbed a grown Cyclops in the foot?" "Oh, he would've killed me. But I surprised him. It gave me just enough time to run to Thalia and cut the ropes on her hands. She took it from there." "Yeah, but still ... that was pretty brave, Annabeth." She shook her head. "We barely got out alive. I still have nightmares, Percy. The way that Cyclops talked in my father's voice. It was his fault we took so long getting to camp. All the monsters who'd been chasing us had time to catch up. That's really why Thalia died. If it hadn't been for that Cyclops, she'd still be alive today."