The Beginning of the End (J. Grace)

XIX: Tourists wake me up... why?

 Who the hell is blowing a horn so Gods damn early?

It was so loud, I practically jumped out of my skin and fell back down onto my cabin's floor with a thunk that shook the room. It wasn't even our ship's horn, either, so either we're about to be attacked, or something else is going on.

"Are you alright there, Lara?" Wise Girl's voice rang out from the other side of my door, her tone laced with concern.

The horn boomed again, sounding as though it was several hundred yards away, and I groaned.

"No!" I called back to my bestie after the second long horn had finished. "It's way too early!"

But I pulled myself up and got dressed anyway, knowing that if it is a monster attack, I'd rather fight in my clothes than in my pyjamas. With Potentia attached to my hip (my four-foot, curved celestial bronze sword) I teleported out of my room and up onto the deck where everyone was assembled.

That was when I realised, I'd forgotten to brush my hair.

It's not like it mattered too much though, because Teddy Bear's shirt was inside out and Guineapig's bronze chest plate was paired with pyjama bottoms. My daughter's hair was a mess, too, and Iron Man had managed to set himself on fire, leaving his shirt in tatters and his arms smoking.

Turning around, I spotted a massive cruise ship gliding past around a hundred meters away. Tourists waved to us from rows of balconies, some even taking pictures! Without my consent! Well, we must look like quite the spectacle. Tough, none looked surprised to see a giant Ancient Greek war ship. I am forever thankful for the Mist.

"You alright?" I asked my daughter and Dove, going over to the pair of them where they watched the cruise ship go by with incredulous looks, as though they couldn't believe the audacity these people have. I can't quite believe it either, if I'm being honest.

As if in response, the Arogo II blew her horn to the flashy cruise, causing the tourists to cheer. I rolled my eyes. It's too early for this.

Hazelnut wrinkled her nose slightly. "I can't be dealing with this at the moment." She admitted, sighing.

"Neither." Piper agreed, and I nodded along with them.

"Do they have to be so loud?" Coach bellowed from the other side of the ship, plugging his ears.

"They're just saying hi." Frank decided, looking away from them and over to Hedge, who wore a blank expression.

"WHAT?" He yelled so loudly the tourists may well have heard him.

The Argo II edged past the other ship, headed out to sea and Rome, to my son: Nico.

"Bye!" Leo raised a smoking hand to wave them off as the tourists smiled, completely unfazed that our ship is populated by eight half-asleep kids wearing a mix of pyjamas and armour and a goat man.

"Can I man the ballistae?" Speaking of, the goat man also has a taste for battle, just like me.

"No." Iron Man said through a plastic smile he put on for the tourists.

"Just smile and wave, Coach." I instructed jokingly.

Hazel rubbed her eyes and looked across the glittering green water that looked like a thousand gem stones which I hadn't appreciated since it's too early, but man does the sea look beautiful. "Where are – oh... Wow."

Dove followed her gaze and audibly gasped, so I looked that way too and... wow describes it pretty dam well now that the cruise isn't in the way of the view. A mountain jutted out of the ocean not even half a mile away. It was a fist of entirely white rock reflecting the sun, thrusted into the sky. On one side, sheer cliffs of limestone dropped into the sea over a thousand feet below and to the other side, the mountain sloped in tiers – like a cake – covered in lush green forest.