Andy Jackson: Child of Land & Sea

Our Only Salvation

Act IV — To Stop The Tide

Part XI — Come run the hidden pine trails of the forest, come taste the sun-sweet berries of the earth. Come roll in all the riches all around you and for once never wonder what they're worth.

They ran until they were exhausted. Rachel steered them away from traps, but they had no destination in mind. They stopped in a tunnel of wet white rock, like part of a natural cave. "I can't go any farther," Rachel gasped, hugging her chest. She sat on the ground. Nico did, too.

Anthony had an empty stare in his gray eyes. He sat down and put his head between his knees. Andy stayed on her feet. She should be tired but she couldn't feel anything other than the terror and the shock from what she'd seen.

Anthony looked up. "What... That couldn't... Was that...?"

Andy nodded. "Yes. He gave himself to Kronos."

"But he's there!" Anthony muttered, talking to himself. "I saw him. When Rachel hit him, I saw him."

Andy turned to Rachel. "You hit the Lord of the Titans in the eye with a blue plastic hairbrush," she said with respect.

"Sucks right?" the red-headed said. "That was my favorite hairbrush."

"But you saw him, Andy," Anthony insisted. He seemed so desperate, so hurt, that she immediately forgave him for the way he'd been acting. "For a second, he was dazed. He is in there, too."

"But he's not in control anymore," she was forced to point out.

"You can't see it," he shook his head. "You didn't know him before. He—"

"You can't keep defending him," she said carefully. "He made his choice. No one made him do it."

"You can't know that."

"Guys," Rachel said. "Let's not fight."

Anthony turned to her. "Stay out of it, mortal girl. If it wasn't for you—" whatever he was going to say, his voice broke. He put his head down again. Andy wanted to comfort him but there was nothing she could say. It would only make him angrier.

"We need to go," she said instead. "They'll send monsters after us." The others struggled to their feet. "Back to New York, then. Rachel, can you—" Andy froze. A few feet in front of her was Grover's Rasta cap. Her hands shook as she picked it up. The tunnel was mushy and wet. "We need to follow them. They might need our help."

"What about Camp Half-Blood?" Nico asked. "There's no time."

"We have to find them!"

This time, no one argued. They forged ahead. The tunnel was treacherous, slippery. Finally they got to the bottom of a slope and found themselves in a large cave. Through the center of the room ran an underground river, and Tyson was sitting by the banks, cradling Grover in his lap. Grover's eyes were close and he wasn't moving.

Andy ran over to them. Grover's body was trembling like he was freezing to death, but at least he was alive. "What happened?"

"So many things," Tyson said. "Large snake. Large dogs. Men with swords. But then... we got close to here. Grover was excited. He ran. Then we reached this room, and he fell. Like this."

Andy knelt next to him. "Grover. Wake up."

Anthony also approached and splashed icy cold river water on Grover's face. His eyelids fluttered. "Andy. Tony. Where...?"