The Black Coral (Percico/Pernico)

Chapter Ten: The Legend of Skull Cove

All of the crew were nestled into their barracks, fast asleep. However, Nico could not sleep, despite how hard he had tried. He was yet to find that one comfortable position to lie in, so he had been constantly changing his position in which he lied in. Piper snored loudly in her cot, which made sleeping even more difficult for the prince.

He tossed and turned in his resting area, continuing to try and find the most comfortable position to lie in without falling onto the floor.

The parchment he had stolen from the man suddenly reappeared in his thoughts. Was it even important? Nico had no clue.

He was going to investigate it. He didn't have to worry about waking everyone up to go and look at it; if the prince knew anything, he knew that sailors were all heavy sleepers.

He crept out of his barrack quietly; he knew he should not have been cautious about waking anyone up, but it was common knowledge that nothing was more angry than boys and girls his age being woken in the middle of the night or very early in the morning by someone else.

He pulled the parchment out of his belt and snuck up to the main deck so that he could try to decipher it in the silvery light the moon emitted.

The night breeze was as comforting as always; it only chilled his skin a little, but Nico convinced himself that he did not need a blanket or extra clothing. He was only trying to see what was written on the sheet of tattered parchment, which made crinkling noises in the slight breeze. He shivered slightly, directing the piece of paper into the light so the words and pictures were slightly eligible.

"It is late, Little King," said a voice from behind him, which startled the prince.

He jolted with a small noise of surprise.

"Oh, my apologies," Percy said apologetically. "I did not mean to startle you, Nico. Why are you awake so late? And what are you holding?"

"I am not sure, honestly," Nico replied. "I found it in the Devil's Port, and I was curious to what it was. I had forgotten about it until a few moments ago, actually, so I am trying to see what it is."

"Oh, alright," Percy told the prince. "If you find anything interesting on it, tell me about it."

"Aye, captain." Nico changed the angle of the paper, squinting at the words and pictures, which were almost eligible enough to read, lit up by the pale moonlight.

Nico squinted at the parchment in the dim lighting, questioning if trying too hard would ruin his eyesight. However, just as he was beginning to give up, Percy came behind him with a lit lantern, a golden light emanating from it. He held the thin wire handle and positioned it in an angle that the prince could finally see what adorned the tattered parchment he found.

It looked like a map, with a compass rose in the bottom right-hand corner of the parchment. The words on it were in strange markings, ones that neither of the two boys could understand. However, what stood out most to Percy was a rock formation on the map that closely resembled a skull, surrounded by trees and a cove full of sunken ships that peaked out of the water. Under the formation in neat, cursive handwriting, read Skull Cove. A wide smile found its way onto the captain's face, happy laughter escaping from between his lips.

"What is Skull Cove?" asked Nico, looking at the captain in curiosity. "Is it important?"

"Important?" Percy's tone was lined with incredulity. "This is one of the most renowned lost fortunes in the world. The lost treasure of Skull Cove. Where in the Devil's Port did you get this?"