𝐦𝐢𝐫𝐫𝐨𝐫𝐛𝐚𝐥𝐥 - 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐜𝐲 𝐣𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐱 𝐨𝐜

✯¸.•'*¨'*• 𝐬𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧 •*'¨*'•.¸✯

Percy was staring at the waves when Phoenix, Annabeth and Tyson found him.

"What's going on?" Phoenix asked. "We heard you calling for help!"

"Me, too!" Tyson said. "Heard you yell, 'Bad things are attacking!'"

"I didn't call you guys," Percy said. "I'm fine."

"But then who ..." Annabeth noticed the four yellow duffel bags, then the thermos and the bottle of vitamins Percy was holding. "What-"

"Just listen," Percy said. "We don't have much time."

Percy told them about his conversation with Hermes. By the time he was finished, they could hear screeching in the distance-patrol harpies picking up our scent.

"Percy," Annabeth said, "we have to do the quest."

"We'll get expelled, you know. Trust me, I'm an expert at getting expelled."

"So? If we fail, there won't be any camp to come back to."

"Yeah, but you promised Chiron-"

"I promised I'd keep you from danger. I can only do that by coming with you! Tyson can stay behind and tell them-"

"I want to go," Tyson said.

"No!" Annabeth's voice sounded close to panic. "I mean ... Percy, come on. You know that's impossible."

Percy wondered again why Annabeth had such a grudge against Cyclopes. There was something she wasn't telling him.

She, Phoenix and Tyson all looked at Percy, waiting for an answer. Meanwhile, the cruise ship was getting farther and farther away.

Eventually the sound of the harpies was getting closer....

"We can't leave him," Percy decided. "Tantalus will punish him for us being gone."

"Percy," Annabeth said, trying to keep her cool, "we're going to Polyphemus's island! Polyphemus is an S-i-k ... a C-y-k . .." She stamped her foot in frustration. As smart as she was, Annabeth was dyslexic, too. They could've been there all night while she tried to spell Cyclops. "You know what I mean!"

"Tyson can go," Phoenix insisted, "if he wants to."

Tyson clapped his hands. "Want to!"

Annabeth gave Phoenix the evil eye.

"All right," Annabeth sighed. "How do we get to that ship?"

"Hermes said my father would help."

"Well then, Seaweed Brain? What are you waiting for?"

Percy'd always had a hard time calling on his father, or praying, or whatever you want to call it, but he stepped into the waves.

"Urn, Dad?" Percy called. "How's it going?"

"Percy!" Annabeth whispered. "Hurry up!"

"Please!" Phoenix added.

"We need your help," Percy called a little louder. "We need to get to that ship, like, before we get eaten and stuff, so ..."

At first, nothing happened. Waves crashed against the shore like normal. The harpies sounded like they were right behind the sand dunes. Then, about a hundred yards out to sea, four white lines appeared on the surface. They moved fast toward the shore, like claws ripping through the ocean. As they neared the beach, the surf burst apart and the heads of four white stallions reared out of the waves.

Tyson caught his breath. "Fish ponies!"

He was right. As the creatures pulled themselves onto the sand, Phoenix saw that they were only horses in the front; their back halves were silvery fish bodies, with glistening scales and rainbow tail fins.