A Son From Lands Unknown (PJO x Male Reader)

Landfall on the Monster's Island

When one thinks of a 'monster island,' one might think of craggy rocks and bones scattered on the beach like the island of the Sirens. The Cyclops's island was nothing like that. Sure, it had a rope bridge across a chasm, which wasn't a good sign. You might as well put up a billboard that said, 'Something Evil Lives Here.' But except for that, the place looked like a Caribbean postcard. It had green fields, tropical fruit trees, and white beaches. As the group sailed toward the shore, Annabeth breathed in the sweet air.

"The Fleece," she said.

Percy nodded. They couldn't see the Fleece yet, but they could feel its power. Percy could believe it would heal anything, even Thalia's poisoned tree. (Y/N) wasn't so sure.

"If we take it away," Percy asked, "will the island die?"

Annabeth shook her head. "It'll fade. Go back to what it would normally be, whatever that is."

Percy felt a little guilty about ruining this paradise, but he reminded himself that they had no choice. Camp Half-Blood was in trouble. And Tyson... Tyson would still be there if it wasn't for this quest.

In the meadow at the base of the ravine, several dozen sheep were milling around. They looked peaceful enough, but they were huge, the size of hippos. At the top of the path, near the edge of the canyon, was the massive oak tree he'd seen in his dreams. Something gold glittered in its branches.

"This is too easy," Percy said. "We could just hike up there and take it."

"Sounds good to me," (Y/N) said, marching toward the Fleece. Before he could make it far, though, Annabeth grabbed the back of his shirt.

"There's supposed to be a guardian," she said. "A dragon, or..."

That's when a deer emerged from the bushes. It trotted into the meadow, probably looking for grass to eat, when the sheep all bleated at once and rushed the animal. It happened so fast that the deer stumbled and was lost in a sea of wool trampling hooves.

Grass and tufts of fur flew into the air.

A second later the sheep all moved away, back to their regular peaceful wanderings. Where the deer had been was a pile of clean white bones.

The group exchanged looks between themselves.

"They're like piranhas," Annabeth said.

"Piranhas with wool," Percy added. "How will we-"

"Guys!" (Y/N) said, tugging Percy's arm. "Look!" He pointed down to the beach, just below the sheep meadow, where a small boat had been run aground... the other lifeboat from the CSS Birmingham.

They decided there was no way they could get past the man-eating sheep. Annabeth wanted to sneak up the path invisibly and grab the Fleece, but (Y/N) pointed out they rely on smell as well, and if she had gotten any scented stuff on Circe's island, well.... That convinced her to wait.

Besides, their first job was finding Grover and whoever had come ashore in that lifeboat, assuming they'd gotten past the sheep. Percy was too nervous to say what he was secretly hoping, that Tyson might still be alive.

The group moored the Queen Anne's Revenge on the back side of the island where the cliffs rose straight up a good two hundred feet. They decided they'd be less likely to be seen there. The cliffs looked climbable, barely. About as difficult as the lava wall back at camp. At least it was free of sheep. Percy hoped that Polyphemus didn't also keep carnivorous mountain goats.

The group rowed a lifeboat to the edge of the rocks and made their way up, very slowly. Annabeth went first because she was the best climber, followed by Percy then (Y/N). They only came close to dying seven times, which Percy thought was pretty good. (Y/N) not so much, but being the worst climber left him little room to complain. Sure he had been at camp while Percy hadn't been, but that didn't mean he didn't struggle on the climbing wall. Once, Percy lost his grip and found himself dangling by one hand from a ledge fifty feet above the rocky surf. But he found another handhold and kept climbing. A minute later, Annabeth hit a slippery patch of moss and her foot slipped. Fortunately, she found something else to put it against. Unfortunately, that something was Percy's face.