Jason Grace and the Lightning thief

Chapter 11- Sea's reign

WE WENT THROUGH THE VAST TRACTS OF LAND, DODGED PAST THE OCCASIONAL SEA HORDE AND STARTED SCALING THE BOUNDARY OF THE PALACE LOOKING FOR A SURFACE WITH ENOUGH RIDGES.... to climb up and into the palace. As for why didn't we just swam over, one word- stealth.

Mark said "If Neptune really wants to help us, why didn't he grant us a search warrant or something?"

Ashley said "Maybe he doesn't want to show that he let the son of Jupiter search his home, he doesn't want to look inferior."

I nodded, still not sure.

Mark went first then Ashley and me.

I said "What if it's a trap? Let us in and then kill us."

Mark said "No man, then it would show that he's a coward."

I said "I am not saying that he's going to kill us ourselves, maybe his guards..."

Ashley said "Neptune is not that cruel, he won't kill, could imprison us but not kill-"

Something struck him...us...

I woke up in a cellar, thank god no dreams this time...

Mark said "Hey! You're up."

I said "Imprisoned?"

Mark said "You got that right."

I heard some weird noise and turned back to see two... sea creatures. Fortunately they were shackled

"What brings you here?" said one of the creatures

I stared "Did that just speak to me?"

"Uh... You noticed!" replied the other creature

Mark said to me "These are ichthyocentaurs, they can speak our tongue. You should pay more attentions to the sessions at camp."

Ashley woke up "Are those mermaids?"

Mark said "Never mind."

I said "Underwater centaurs those are."

Ashley said grinning "Oh! The mighty Itchy-o-centaurs!"

"You all are behaving as if you haven't seen a centaur your entire life" said one of the centaurs

"I haven't" said I

"I have seen pictures" said Mark

"I have seen one" said Ashley

Of course he has seen one, he's the praetor.

"How is that possible? You haven't seen Chiron-"said Centaur 1

The name buzzed a beep in my brain, as if I was in hostile territory and I could also see Mark and Ashley have some effect.

Centaur 2 whispered something to Centaur 1

Centaur 1 asked "Which Camp- I mean, are you from San Francisco or New York?"

We all said at once "San Francisco."

Centaur 2 asked "And what are you doing here?"

I said "We are here on a ques-"

Ashley said "What my friend is trying to tell you is that we are here to see the magnificent empire of the sea god. What are you two doing down here?"

Centaur 1 said "We were here to meet Neptune; the guards said that he can't meet anyone today so we tried to enter the vicinity without permission and... here we are."