The Glory That Is Rome (a Percy Jackson AU)

Under Pressure

Jason was playing a game of dice with Piper when it happened. One second the dice were in his hand, but when he released them, they did not clatter on the small table before them, but instead they landed several feet away from them. Piper reached forward to grab the dice, but as she did, the ship tilted and the dice slid further out of reach.

Jason stood up. The floor beneath him was rocking and he felt unbalanced. Jason had been taking a break after several hours working on deck, but he realized that he may be needed again, though he had only rested for a short time.

"I'll go on deck and check out what's happening," Jason told Piper.

"Be careful," Piper said.

She grabbed his hand and squeezed it. The floor beneath them tilted and Jason was unbalanced by the sudden motion. He fell and when he opened his eyes, he realized that he was on the floor. He felt a bruise forming on his left knee, but he was more concerned by the fact that he had landed on Piper.

He rolled over and stood up.

"Sorry about that," he told Piper as he walked towards the ladder that led to the deck. He climbed it quickly and opened the hatch. It was heavy and when Jason opened it up, he almost wished that he had not.

He scrambled out quickly and then closed the hatch. The weather was terrible. Fierce gusts of winds tore at everything they could. Jason felt it whipping against his skin and playing with his hair. He took a step forward and as he walked, the wind seemed to fight him like a current fighting a fish swimming upriver.

Jason heard a crack and he looked up to see grey clouds crowding out the sun's light. The wind picked up and soon rain was lashing down at the ship, soaking the soldiers to their very bones and causing their teeth to chatter. Soon, the only light was dim except for flashes of lightning that Jason feared would hit one of them.

Gleeson was trying to shout orders, but the thunder, rain, and wind drowned out his voice. Frank was beside Gleeson and Jason saw the older man whisper into the ear of the younger man. Frank nodded and then strode near the mast. Jason followed him.

Frank tried to tell Jason something.

"I can't hear you!" Jason shouted, mouthing the words in an exaggerated fashion.

Frank nodded and said something back. Jason couldn't hear what he said, but from the way Frank's mouth moved, he thought he was saying something about the mast. Jason pointed at it and Frank nodded, pointed at the sail and then dropped his hands. We need to take down the sails, Jason realized. He nodded and he and Frank began the work.

The rain lashed at them and the wind made the work hard. Jason's muscles screamed in protest as they worked against the wind and struggled to take down the sail. They were halfway done when a huge wave crashed against the hull of the ship.

The deck beneath their feet rocked and they both fell on their backs. As they stood up, a bolt of lightning struck the mast. If anyone screamed, the sound of wind, thunder, and rain muffled them. Flames licked at the mast and crawled over the sail. Frank and Jason exchanged helpless glances, but before they could formulate a new plan, the fierce rain extinguished the fire.

Jason looked at the sail helplessly. It was peppered with gaping holes from fire. Frank tapped him on the shoulder and Jason looked to where Frank was looking. The breathe was snatched out of his lungs as he saw a huge wave tearing towards the ship. He heard a crash and felt everything go black.

****

Jason opened his eyes. His entire body ached. He saw the blue sky above him and saw sand beneath him. He wondered where he was and what had happened. The memories of the storm crashed upon him like the final, harsh wave and he despaired. So many questions churned through his mind. Was Piper alright? Where was everyone else? What happened to the ship? Only one thing was for sure: he wasn't dead.