𝒎𝒊𝒓𝒓𝒐𝒓𝒃𝒂𝒍𝒍 - 𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒄𝒚 𝒋𝒂𝒄𝒌𝒔𝒐𝒏 𝒙 𝒐𝒄

✯¸.•'*¨'*• 𝑻𝑯𝑰𝑹𝑻𝑬𝑬𝑵 •*'¨*'•.¸✯

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. 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 they sailed toward the shore, Annabeth breathed in the sweet air. 

"The Fleece," she said.

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

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

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

Percy felt a little guilty about ruining this paradise, but he reminded himself they had no choice. Camp Half-Blood was in trouble. And Tyson ... Tyson would still be with them 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. 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 Percy'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?"

Annabeth's eyes narrowed. "There's supposed 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.

Phoenix, Annabeth and Percy exchanged looks.

"They're like piranhas," Phoenix said.

"Piranhas with wool. How will we-" Percy began

"Percy!" Annabeth gasped. "Look."

She 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. 

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 in the end Phoenix convinced her that something would go wrong. The sheep would smell her. Another guardian would appear. Something. And if that happened, Percy and Phoenix would be too far away to help.

Besides, their first job was to find Grover and whoever had come ashore in that lifeboat-assuming they'd gotten past the sheep. 

The three moored the Queen Anne's Revenge on the back side of the island where the cliffs rose straight up a good two hundred 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. Phoenix hoped that Polyphemus did not also keep carnivorous mountain goats.

They rowed a lifeboat to the edge of the rocks and made their way up, very slowly. Annabeth went first because she was the better climber. Phoenix went after her just to be in the middle. They only came close to dying six or seven times, which Phoenix and Percy thought was pretty good.