The Eclipse, Percy Jackson

Chapter 6

In a way, it's nice to know there are Greek gods out there, because you have somebody to blame when things go wrong. For instance, when you're walking away from a bus that's just been attacked by monster hags and blown up by lightning, and it's raining on top of everything else, most people think that's just really bad luck; when you're half-blood, you understand that some divine force really is trying to mess up your day.

So there we were, Annabeth, Perseus, Grover and I walking through the woods on the New Jersey riverbank, the glow of the New York city making the night sky yellow behind us and the smell of the Hudson reeking in our noses.

Groover was shivering and braying,  his big goat eyes turned slit-pupiled  and full of terror. “Three kindly ones all three at once.”

I was pretty much in shock. The explosion of the bus window still rang in my ears. But Annabeth kept pulling Perseus and I along saying: “Come on the further we get, the better.”

“Almost all of our money was back there. We only have a little from Andromeda.” Perseus reminded. “We have few, small snacks for food and all of us but Andromeda don't have any change of clothes. Because she somehow fits everything in the tiny purse.”

“Well, maybe if you hadn't decided to jump into the fight–”
“What did you want me to do? Let you get killed?”
“You didn't need to protect me, Percy, I would've been fine.”
“Sliced like sandwich bread,” Grover put in, “but fine.”
“Shut up, goat boy,” said Annabeth. Sometimes she could get on my nerves.
Grover brayed mournfully. “Tin cans… a perfectly good bag of tin cans.”

We sloshed across mushy ground, through nasty twisted trees that smelled like sour laundry. Annabeth and Grover were ahead by about two metres so I said, “I think you did well back there.” “Really?”
“Yeah. You showed your bravery and loyalty. I admire that.”
“Am I becoming likeable now.”
I turned to face him, “yeah. You are.” I held my hand out, “friends?”
A grin broke out on his face and shook my hand, “friends.” As he did so, something had tingled through my body. Like what my sister, Sadie, described as butterflies.

“Can I ask you a question?”
“You just did but go on.” Perseus said and I rolled my eyes. “Why did you tell the Furies to take off your pants?”
“I what?”
“Yeah you said: Braccas meas vescimini that means take off my pants.”
Peeseus looked traumatised. “I thought it meant eat my pants.”
“No that's manducare meum braccas, Kelp Head.”

“... Kelp Head?” He grimaced.
“Yeah, you're a friend now. You have to have a nickname. If you don't like it there's always Ariel.”
“You can keep Kelp Head only if I'm allowed to call you a nickname.”
“What is it?”
“Haven't thought of one yet and you need to agree to the terms first.”
I gave him an exasperated look. “Fine. I agree.”

“Great. Now I think it's only fair if I ask you a question now.”
“Go ahead.” I said.
“Why do you call me Perseus?” He asked.
After a few long seconds, I answered,“Perseus is the name of a hero. Percy is a name of a commoner mortal who's oblivious to our world. You are a hero. Not a mortal.”

“Is that a compliment or…?”
“I suppose it is.”
“Then thanks. I don't think I could do this quest without you.”

“How so? You're brave. Grover will always back you up and sniffs out monsters. Annabeth is the most intelligent.”
“Yeah. But your skills are amazing. You’ve already saved my life by killing one of the Kindly Ones.”
I blushed. “Thank you Perseus.”
“Anytime, Starshine.”

I faulted in my steps, “Starshine?” I asked wearily.
“Yeah, you like the darkness even though you're a child of Apollo. So my guess is you like the glow of the moon and looking at the stars. And shine because it, well, fits.” He said. “And you're stuck with that because you agreed to my terms.”