not even the gods [1]// percy jackson

XXXII.Reunited With Our Friend

Cassie's pov

When you think 'monster island', you think craggy rocks and bones scattered on the beach like the island of the Sirens.

The Cyclops's island was nothing like that. I mean, okay, it had a rope bridge across a chasm, which was not 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 and tropical fruit trees and white beaches. As we sailed towards the shore, Annabeth breathed in the sweet air. "The Fleece," she said.

I nodded. I couldn't see the Fleece yet, but I could feel its power. I could believe it would heal anything, even Thalia's poisoned tree. 

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

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

It felt wrong ruining this island but we had no choice.Camp Half-Blood was in trouble.And Luke was the reason and because of him Percy had lost a brother.

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. Just past them was a path that led up into the hills. At the top of the path, near the edge of the canyon, was the massive oak tree I'd seen in my dreams. Something gold glittered in its branches.

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

Annabeth's eyes narrowed. "There's supposed to be a guardian. 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 and 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 three of us exchanged looks.

"They're like piranhas," she said.
"Piranhas with wool. How will we –"

"Percy!" I gasped, grabbing his arm. "Look."

I pointed down the beach, to just below the sheep meadow, where a small boat had been run aground ... the other lifeboat from the CSS Birmingham.

"Do you think they made it?"Annabeth asked

"I don't know."I answered 

___________________

We decided there was no way we could get past the man-eating sheep. Annabeth wanted to sneak up the path invisibly and grab the Fleece, but in the end we convinced her that something would go wrong. The sheep would smell her. Another guardian would appear. Something. And if that happened, we'd be too far away to help.

Besides, our first job was to find Grover and whoever had come ashore in that lifeboat – assuming they'd got past the sheep. I know me and Clarisse don't get along but a part of me wanted it to be her, but the other part wanted it to Tyson.

We moored the Queen Anne's Revenge on the back side of the island where the cliffs rose straight up a good sixty metres feet. Percy figured the ship was 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. I hoped that Polyphemus did not also keep carnivorous mountain goats.