Struck by Lightning

XIX

Percy sighed as he picked up his pack, looking around the small room that he had stayed in for the past few days. He left his room, tip-toeing through the small, still-quiet house. Opening the front door, he felt the warm summer morning air blow onto him as he stepped into the already-bustling roads of the town of Serifos. The town was, truthfully, little more than a village by his modern standards, with there only being a resident population of a few hundred people across the entire island. Still, most of the people inhabiting the island were concentrated in the small port area that Percy had originally arrived in, so he had taken to calling the town 'Serifos' and simply referred to everything else as 'the island'.

Greeting the passersby as he had normally did for the past week, Percy soon arrived at the small pier. Even though the sun was barely rising, the pier was busy with fishermen setting out for the day, as well as small-scale construction of boats. At the very end of the pier, Alexis stood alone, smiling and waving when he finally saw Percy approach him.

"Ah, you're up already," Alexis greeted. "I was just about to head back to tell you that I had secured a boat for you."

Percy nodded. "I woke up early today – I should be off, and I don't want to intrude on your hospitality." He paused. "Alexis, I cannot thank you enough for your warm generosity these past few days and for finding a boat for me."

"Nonsense," Alexis grinned, waving the appreciation off. "You worked for the money to buy this boat yourself – I simply made the purchase for you. As for lodging, that is no more than a common courtesy around these parts."

Smiling at the older man, Percy slung his pack into the small boat and then climbed into it himself.

"I have stored some rations and supplies onboard for you," Alexis continued. "Should you find yourself lost, there is a map with notable landmarks written down to guide you back to Serifos. Also, remember this one piece of advice that I can give – you must avoid the open waters around Myrtoan. They are infested with pirates these days."

Percy sat in the boat, one hand on an oar, as he looked at Alexis, lost for words at the other man's thoughtfulness.

"There's no need to thank me," Alexis said, seeing the expression on Percy's face. "You would do me honor by completing what it is you need to do, what you and Elder Chares discussed." He began backing away from the pier. "And if it's possible, I would appreciate it if you could stop by here once more before you return home."

Percy swung both of the oars on either side of the ship. "I will, Alexis." Nodding his good-bye, Percy began rowing, starting slowly as he began to move his arms in synchrony. Percy saw Alexis wave at him but concentrated on rowing. Soon, Alexis became hard to see on the pier, and eventually the whole pier became hard to see on the island of Serifos. Before Percy knew it, even the island was gone. He was well on his way now – on his way to the King of Mycenae, Perseus.

His namesake.

Modern rowers generally topped out around eleven miles an hour while rowing in a high-tech boat designed for maximum speed. Percy was neither a modern Olympian athlete, nor did he have access to the finest boats modern technology had to offer.

However, he was a child of Poseidon, and in the case of rowing on open water, that counted for more than both of the previous factors combined.

In the past, he had sailed Blackbeard's – that is, the son of Ares, Edward Teach's – Queen Anne's Revenge at a brisk ten knots, which was an amply impressive result for an early-seventeenth century sailing vessel. However, with his current small rowing boat, he bested that feat with a far grander sixteen knots – some eighteen miles an hour.