Altered Destinies

A Day in the Life of a Demigod

Ch. 20

Percy smirked internally. Beckendorf had fooled them. When he'd realized he was going to be captured, he turned to make it look like he was going the other way. He'd convinced them he hadn't made it to the engine room yet.

"Open his bag," Kronos ordered.

One of the giants ripped the explosives satchel from Beckendorf's shoulders. He peered inside, grunted, and turned it upside down. Panicked monsters surged backwards, but what fell out were a dozen cans of peaches.

Percy could hear Kronos breathing, trying to control his anger. "Did you, perhaps," he said, "capture this demigod near the galley?"

Ethan turned pale.

"Check the engine room you fool!" Kronos growled.

Percy looked at Beckendorf again.

Beckendorf mouthed one word: GO!

Beckendorf raised his free hand slowly bringing it towards the watch on his right wrist.

Percy waited until Beckendorf pressed the button on his watch before he thrust his hand forward pointing at Beckendorf before the ship shook violently and Percy knew things had just gone from bad to worse.

Beckendorf closed his eyes when he pressed the button on his watch, sad he was leaving behind Silena and his friends but happy he could die giving his friends and family a fighting chance by eliminating a good-sized portion of the Titan Army. He hoped Percy had listened to him and gotten off the ship in time.

Beckendorf waited for the pain, he hoped it would be quick. He hoped he had done enough good in his life to be granted passage into Elysium. He knew Percy would put a good word in for him. He was a good friend and Beckendorf prayed he didn't die with him.

As Beckendorf waited for the pain, he suddenly felt the sensation of free-falling making him panic, thinking he was falling into Tartarus or something. His eyes shot open just in time to recognize the surface of the ocean in front of him before he painfully belly-flopped into it. He sank into the sea before frantically swimming back up to the surface gasping for breath.

He couldn't help but grin, Percy managed to save him. He looked around for Percy as he floated in the sea but couldn't find him anywhere. In the distance, he could see the smoke from the ship exploding. His smiled slowly vanished as he continued to look for his friend everywhere but couldn't see anything. Beckendorf soon started to panic, calling out for Percy but when he heard nothing, he felt a sharp jab of guilt when he realized Percy had managed to save him but not himself.

A shadow appeared over Beckendorf's head as Blackjack slowly circled above him. The Pegasus managed to hover just inches above the water so Beckendorf could pull himself up before the Pegasus took off again.

"We have to look for Percy; head for the ship." Beckendorf said pleadingly.

Blackjack whinnied and seemed to understand as he took off towards the ship. When they arrived, Beckendorf paled. There was little left of the ship other than pieces. Beckendorf still spent the next hour fly around the wreckage searching for Percy before he broke down and told Blackjack to head back to camp.

The Pegasus gave what Beckendorf could only assume was a depressed neigh before taking off for camp. After thirty minutes of flying, camp could be seen in the distance as Blackjack turned in that direction. As they made their descent towards camp, people began to gather near the dining pavilion as Blackjack landed. Everyone smiled when they saw Beckendorf dismount but their looks of happiness quickly morphed into ones of confusion.

Annabeth looked at Beckendorf strangely, "Where's Percy?"

Beckendorf could only close his eyes and shake his head to her question.