There Was No Moving On (Heroes Of Olympus Fanfiction)

XXVIII

Dying at school. Sorry for the LOOONG update lately. Hope you enjoy the chapter!

Nico Di Angelo

I lost count of days.

The last time that happened was years ago, when me and my sister Bianca got trapped in a hotel for decades.

I went my way up to the deck, the others behind me, except Leo who was being scolded by Piper for almost dying.

The moonlight engulfing me as I went my way up and to the railing. The sea crashed calmingly to each other, the light of the bronze metals and torches lit the ship, the soft creaking of Festus somewhere on my right.

It would be nice to watch the view, with the soft breeze brushing through your face, the crashing of waves calming to your ears and all.

No monsters attacked. Yet.

Annabeth was holding on to the railing for support. I could tell her body still ached from the recent accident, but she did a good job hiding it.

I looked around the ship. Everyone, except Leo, did a good job with fixing the ship without Leo. You can tell nothing happened to it.

Good as new, I thought.

But the crew knew that the ship was still fragile. Sure it may be stable from the outside, but from the inside? The engine, the missing ballista, the aviator controllers from a Learjet. Broken.

I could say the same for the son of Hephaestus.

From all the times that I've been keeping watch on top of the foremast. I had some times to think. I have been good at studying people. I could tell Annabeth was too, from the intense staring of each and one of us, the silence.

Anyway, back to Leo.

I could say the same to Leo. Happy and giddy outside, but inside was a war zone, chaos, heartbreak. But since she brought Calypso, the gorgeous Titan who the gods forgot to release last Titan war, he's been almost happy inside and out. I couldn't help but feeling happy.

Annabeth stared far out the Ocean of the Sea of Monsters, a huge thump of rock coming into view.

Her stormy grey eyes looked almost as white as the moon, her brows creased in concentration, as if the pain in her body was nothing but a tiny cut.

Hazel appeared beside me and the rest of the crew that followed.

Frank squinted his eyes, and shuddered, "Is that where we're heading?" He pointed, "not very inviting"

"Sirens." Jason said.

Everyone stared at him.

Annabeth nodded.

"Sirens? As in the horns or loud sounds made by an-" Frank said

"No, Frank. Not that kind of sirens."

"Oh." He blushed.

"The sirens are the sea nymphs who lure sailors in with a bewitching song" I explained.

"Song? A lullaby or something?"

I shook my head.

"Sirens don't sing just any song. They speak about the-" Annabeth said.

"Truth" Jason said. Annabeth nodded with agreement "They tell you things about yourself you don't even realize," she continued, "If you survive, you became wiser"

"Have you met one of them before?" Hazel asked.

Oh no. Bad question.

You see, Annabeth met one of these before on their way to get the Golden Fleece to save Thalia and Grover. Who was with her you may ask? Percy.

Annabeth paled. I feared she might start breaking down again, but for a second she stiffened and regained her composure. She stood with confidence, the pain on her side, once again, didn't matter.

"Yes." She told us, "with Percy. If you ask if I became wiser," she paused, "I have no idea."

Silence filled the deck. The calming waves crashing to each other, the sound of the the torches, the reflections of the dim light of the bronze metals, and Festus creaking as if he was humming.

As if on que, Leo ran up to the deck panting and on fire. Piper following keeping a safe distance behind him.

"He...wouldn't.. Stop" Piper said between breaths. "Turned...his self..on fire!"

I would have laughed about how Leo turned his self on fire just to ran up to the deck without Piper pulling his hair out, but the silence on the deck was so intense no one cracked a smile.

Frank glanced worriedly at his burned hand, which I haven't noticed earlier and winced.

The guy had feared fire. I don't blame him. His life depended on a piece of wood.

"Leo!" Hazel exclaimed.

She ran up towards him, completely unaware that the son of Hephaestus was on fire.

Me and Frank jerked her back as Leo extinguished his self with a quick Swoosh!

His legs wobbled as he landed in front of Frank faced first.

Frank didn't bother helping him up.

"Frank!"

Jason took Leo's arm and placed it over his shoulder.

"That's not..the way" he said as if he run a marathon from Los Angeles to San Francisco.

Everyone stared at him.

He looked at Annabeth, "Annabeth...how did you..and Percy ma-managed to find...find..your way to the Sea of Monsters?"

Annabeth paused and stared blankly at the horizon. Jason hunched his back on Leo's height. Hazel gagged and hugged her stomach. Piper and Frank waited for Annabeth.

I counted.

One pomegranate seed.

Two pomegranate seeds.

Three promeganate se-

"Coordinates." Annabeth said.

She walked up to Leo as Frank stumbled out of the way.

I cracked a smile.

Not because by the way his legs wobbled back.

Well, maybe a little. But that's besides the point.

But because he was the still same old Frank, behind the tall and muscular Frank.

In other words.

He was still a klutz.

"How'd you know?" Annabeth asked.

Leo winced at how Annabeth said it murderously.

He struggled, as if Jason was the one leaning his weight towards him.

He quickly replaced it with a playful smile and a laugh, which sounded more like a whimper.

Leo, pointed at the other side of where they assumed they were going.

From a distance it looked nothing, but you could see the waves rocking rapidly around it. Thunder boomed in a distance.

"Well, Missy." He huffed, clearly against the idea, "that's where we're going"