Wildflowers, Percy Jackson ₁

010, bro does NOT fw sheep

CHAPTER TEN

₊˚࿐࿔ 𖥧‧₊⚘ ❀༉. 𓏲｡

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. Well—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.

Sylvie nodded. She couldn't see the Fleece yet, but she could feel its power. She could believe it would heal anything, even Thalia's poisoned tree. "If we take it away, will the island die?"

Look, Sylvie was very aware this was a monster's island, but she was still a Demeter kid at heart. She was very worried about the forestry here.

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

Sylvie felt guilty about ruining this paradise, but she remembered 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. Sylvie's breath caught in her throat at the sight of them—she tended to steer clear away from sheep due to that fateful night in August so long ago.

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 a massive oak tree. Something glittered in its branches.

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

"Don't say it's too easy," scolded Sylvie. "What's wrong with it being easy? For once, let's go with easy."

Annabeth's eyes narrowed. "No, 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 peace wanderings. Sylvie gasped, eyes tearing up when there was a pile of clean white bones where the deer had been.

"This is your fault for saying something," she hissed to Percy. Sylvie sounded choked up, the death of innocent animals always being a tear-jerker for her.

Percy's eyes were wide on the scene that just played out before him. "Uh. My bad," he mumbled.

"They're like piranhas," Annabeth said.