| chapter five |
in which they leave camp ( on a death-defying quest! )

NIA SAT ON HER DESK CHAIR IN CABIN EIGHT, fiddling with the Rubix Cube that her mother had given her as a gift a few weeks before she had run away. She was worried about Grover, about what would happen to the camp. It seemed like all Nia's life consisted of was worries.

Sighing, Nia placed the solved cube on her desk and looked out the window, moonlight shining down on her face. She instantly felt stronger, more powerful. Nia assumed that it was because of the moonlight — her mother was the goddess of the moon.

Suddenly, Nia heard Percy yell, "Help! Attack! Monster attack!"

Nia immediately raced out of her cabin and ran towards Percy's voice. Suddenly, she saw Annabeth, Naomi, and Tyson outside of their respective cabins too.

"Did you hear Percy?" Naomi asked, frantic.

"Yeah, he was shouting for help," Annabeth said, looking around the camp. "Where is he, though?"

"Where is Percy?" Tyson asked, clearly worried. "Percy!"

"Help!" Percy's voice shouted again.

Nia snapped her head towards the sand dunes and made her way there, the other three following. "I think he's over at the beach! Come on! Percy!"

Finally, they all made it to Percy, who was staring at the waves with two items by side — a thermos and a bottle of what looked like. . . gummy vitamins? There were also three yellow dufflebags at his feet, and a black hunting bag — Nia's black hunting bag, Moonbeam. She hadn't even realized that it was missing from her cabin. A giant cruise ship was sailing way off in the distance.

"What happened?" Naomi asked him. "You woke us up!"

"What's going on?" asked Annabeth. "I heard you calling for help!"

"Me too!" Tyson said. "Heard you yell, 'Bad things are attacking!'"

"I didn't call you guys," Percy said. "I'm fine."

"But then who. . ." Annabeth seemed to notice the things that were next to Percy. "What—"

"We just heard you yelling for help, Jackson," Nia said, crossing her arms. "What the fuck happened?"

"Just listen," Percy said. "We don't have much time." He quickly told the four of them about his conversation with the god Hermes.

Nia had just about a million questions, but she figured that they could wait until later.

By the time that Percy was finished, they could all hear the screeching in distance — the patrol harpies picking up their scent. Within minutes, they'd be lunch.

"Percy," Annabeth said, "we have to do the quest."

"We'll get expelled, you know," Percy said. "Trust me, I'm an expert at getting expelled."

"Oh, believe me, Jackson, we know," Nia muttered. Percy, Annabeth, Naomi all stared at her. "Right, sorry," she winced, "not the time. But we still have to go."

Annabeth sighed and turned to Percy. "Besides, if we fail, there won't be any camp to come back to."

"She's right," Naomi nodded, setting her jaw.

"Yeah, but you both promised Chiron—"

"We promised we'd keep you from danger. We can only do that by coming with you! Tyson and Naomi can stay behind and tell them—"

Naomi immediately started protesting. "What? No, Annabeth!"

"I also want to go," said Tyson.

Nia took a sharp intake of breath. Traveling with a Cyclops to retrieve a magical object to save Thalia? A cruelly ironic twist. She wondered if the Fates were having a good time watching the show.

"No!" Annabeth said, voice close to panic. "I mean. . . Percy, come on. You know that's impossible."

Everyone stared at Percy, waiting for his verdict. After what seemed like a long time, he said decidedly, "We can't leave him. Tantalus will punish him for us being gone."

"Percy," Annabeth was obviously trying to keep her cool, "we're going to Polyphemus's island! Polyphemus is a S-i-k. . . a C-y-k. . ." She stamped her foot in frustration. She was about the smartest person that Nia knew, but she was still dyslexic, like most half-bloods were.

"Tyson can go," Percy insisted, "if he wants to."

"Want to!" Tyson clapped his hands together.

"Wait, what about me?" Naomi said, crossing her arms. "I want to come!"

The three older demigods looked at Naomi with hesitation. It was obvious — Naomi was too young. Finally, Naomi sighed and deflated, recognizing defeat. "Fine. I'll stay and cover for you guys as long as I can. Maybe I can even convince Tantalus to let you guys back into camp. . . if you survive, that is."

Nia hugged Naomi tightly, choosing to ignore the 'if you survive' part. "Thanks, Nomi."

"We'll be back as soon as we can," Annabeth smiled.

"Bye, kid," Percy grinned. "Thanks."

"Bye-bye, Nomi!" Tyson waved his hands.

"You're welcome. Now get out of here," Naomi said. "The harpies will be hungry if they catch you!" She raced off back to the cabins.

"All right," Annabeth said after Naomi was gone. "How do we get to that ship?"

"Hermes said my father would help," Percy said.

"Well then, Jackson?" Nia prompted. "We don't exactly have a lot of time here! What are you waiting for — a fucking invitation?"

Percy glared at Nia before stepping into the water: "Um, Dad? How's it going?"

"Percy?" Annabeth whispered to him. "We're in a hurry!"

"We need your help," Percy called a little louder. "We need to get to that ship, like, before we get eaten and stuff, so. . ."

At first, nothing. Waves crashed against the shore like normal and the harpies were getting even closer. Then, about a hundred yards out to sea, four white lines appeared on the surface and moved fast toward the shore, like claws ripping through the ocean.

As they neared the beach, the surf burst apart and the heads of three white stallions reared out of the waves.

Tyson caught his breath and exclaimed, "Fish ponies!"

Nia smiled slightly at Tyson's assessment and stared in awe at the creatures that had just pulled themselves onto the sand. They were only horses in the front; their back halves were silvery fish bodies, with glistening scales and rainbow tail fins.

"Hippocampi!" said Annabeth. "They're beautiful." The nearest one whinnied in appreciation and nuzzled Annabeth.

"They really are," Nia smiled, also going towards one. "Better not let Naomi see them — she'd want one for a pet."

"I bet she would, but we'll admire them later," Percy said. "Come on!"

"There!" a voice screeched behind them. "Bad children out of cabins! Snack time for lucky harpies!"

Five of them were fluttering over the top of the dunes — plump little hags with pinched faces and talons and feathery wings too small for their bodies. They weren't very fast, but they were absolutely vicious if they caught you.

"Tyson!" Percy said. "Grab a duffel bag!"

He was still staring at the hippocampi with his mouth hanging open.

"Tyson!"

"Uh?"

"Come on!"

Between Percy, Annabeth, and Nia, they got him moving. They all gathered the bags and mounted their steeds. One of the hippocampi was much larger than the other three, obviously meant for Tyson.

As soon as they were all seated, Percy's hippocampus turned and plunged into the waves. After prompting her own hippocampi, Nia's followed, including Annabeth's and Tyson's.

The harpies cursed at the four of them, wailing for their snacks to come back, but the hippocampi raced over the water. The harpies fell behind, and soon the shore of camp was nothing but a dark smudge.

Looking back, Nia sighed, feeling a small bit of melancholy at the disappearing camp. Then she set her jaw and looked back to the front.

The cruise ship was now looming in front of them — their ride towards Florida and the Sea of Monsters.

THEY RODE THE HIPPOCAMP SO SMOOTHLY that Nia hardly needed to hold on to her hippocampus at all.

Nia looked closely at the cruise ship, realizing just how huge it was. The white hull was at least ten stories tall, topped with another dozen levels of decks with brightly lit balconies and portholes.

The ship's name was painted just above the bowline in black letters, lit with a spotlight. Nia studied it for a moment, squinting. She finally made it out to be:

PRINCESS ANDROMEDA

Attached to the bow was a huge masthead — a three-story-tall woman wearing a white Greek chiton, sculpted to look like she was chained to the front of the ship. She looked young and beautiful, with flowing black hair, but her expression was one of absolute terror.

Nia was closest to the ship and raised an eyebrow at the mast, mildly intrigued. She tried to remember what story that she was from. Princess Andromeda. . . something about a sea monster. . .

Oh! It suddenly came to her. Princess Andromeda was the daughter of King Cepheus and Queen Cassiope. Andromeda's mother had boasted that Andromeda was more beautiful than the Nereids — companions of Poseidon — and she committed hubris, so Percy's dad had decided to send a sea monster after her.

After consulting with an oracle, Andromeda's parents chained their daughter to a rock to sacrifice her to the sea monster. Why they did this, Nia had no clue.

But luckily, the demigod son of Zeus, Perseus, was nearby, slayed the monster, and saved Andromeda from certain death. Perseus, Nia knew, was Percy's namesake and one of the only heroes in the old Greek myths that ever got a happy ending. Percy's mother had hoped that her son would inherit his luck.

Nia thought that it was just about the sweetest thing ever. ( She didn't tell Percy that, though. ) It also made her a little sad that she didn't have that kind of relationship with her mortal mother.

"How do we get aboard?" Annabeth shouted over the noise of the waves, bringing Nia out of her thoughts.

But the hippocampi seemed to know what they needed, skimming along the starboard side of the ship, riding easily through its huge wake and pulling up next to a service ladder riveted to the side of the hull.

Percy turned to Nia. "You first."

Nia nodded, slung Moonbeam over her shoulder, and grabbed the bottom rung of the ladder. Once she'd hoisted herself onto the ladder, her hippocampus whinnied a good-bye and dove underwater. Smiling at the sight, Nia began to climb.

Once they all got up, they saw that the ladder led to a maintenance deck stacked with yellow lifeboats. There was a set of locked double doors in front of them.

"Shit," Nia muttered, stepping forward and attempting to open them and failing. She threw up her hands. "Won't budge."

Annabeth stepped forward, took out her knife, and managed to pry them open, admittedly with a good amount of cursing in both English and Ancient Greek. "Fucking finally."

After a few minutes of checking corridors and peering over a balcony into a huge central promenade lined with closed shops, they began to realize that there was nobody to hide from.

"It's a ghost ship," Percy murmured.

"No," said Tyson, fiddling with the strap of his duffel bag. "Bad smell."

Annabeth frowned. "I don't smell anything."

"Me either," Nia said, furrowing her brows. "Are you sure?"

Tyson nodded profusely.

"Cyclops are like satyrs," said Percy. "They can smell monsters. Isn't that right, Tyson?"

Tyson nodded again, this time nervously. Now that they were away from camp, the Mist had distorted his face again, making it seem like he had two eyes instead of one. Nia would be lying if she said that she wasn't happy about it.

"Okay," Annabeth said. "So what exactly do you smell?"

"Something bad," Tyson answered her.

"Great," grumbled Annabeth. "That clears it up."

Nia sighed. "Let's hope that we can get off this ship before we find whatever 'bad thing' Tyson smells. . . or it finds us."

No one really knew how to answer Nia's rather pessimistic comment, so they decided to head outside to the swimming pool level. There were rows of empty deck chairs and a bar closed off with a chain curtain. The water in the pool glowed eerily, sloshing back and forth from the motion of the cruise.

Above were more levels: a climbing wall, a putt-putt golf course, a revolving restaurant, but no signs of any actual life — human or otherwise.

Nia bit her lip, her hair standing up. Something was wrong, but the long day was starting to get to her. Her eyes were heavy, she could barely move, and she yawned every ten minutes. They needed rest.

Luckily, five minutes later, Percy said, "We need a hiding place. Somewhere safe to sleep."

"Sleep," Annabeth agreed wearily.

Nia could've cried with joy as she yawned. "Sleep is good."

They explored a few more corridors until they found an empty suite on the ninth level. The door was open and there was a basket of chocolate goodies on the table, an iced-down bottle of sparkling cider on the nightstand, and a mint on the pillow with a handwritten note that read: Enjoy your cruise!

They all decided to open their duffle bags and found that Hermes had really thought of everything for the dufflebags — extra clothes, toiletries, camp rations, a Ziploc bag full of cash, and a leather pouch full of golden drachmas. He'd even managed to pack Tyson's oilcloth with tools and metal pieces and Annabeth's cap of invisibility, which cheered them both up a little bit.

"We'll be next door," Annabeth said, gesturing to her and Nia. "You guys don't drink or eat anything."

"You think this place is enchanted?" Percy asked her.

Annabeth frowned. "I don't know. Something isn't right. Just. . . be careful."

Nia nodded in agreement, taking Moonbeam. "We'll see you in the morning." They all locked their doors.

After changing, both Annabeth and Nia slid into their beds. Before they could drift off, Annabeth said softly, "Nia?"

"Hmm?" Nia said in response.

"Do you think we can save the camp?"

It took a few moments for Nia to respond. "I don't know. I hope so. But if anyone can, it's Percy."

". . .I'm gonna tell him you said that," Annabeth grinned.

"Annabeth Chase, don't you dare."

"Diana Kamaria, believing in Percy Jackson? Oh, it's definitely the end times."

"Okay, now you took it too far."

Annabeth laughed. "Good night, Nia."

NIA WOKE UP TO A SHIP'S WHISTLE and a loud voice on the intercom — some guy with a really annoying Australian accent who sounded way too happy for a morning.

"Good morning, passengers!" the chirpy Australian voice said. "We'll be at sea all day today. Excellent weather for the poolside mambo party! Don't forget million-dollar bingo in the Kraken Lounge at one o'clock, and for our special guests, disemboweling practice on the Promenade!"

Because of the voice, Nia was startled awake and accidentally rolled over off the edge of the mattress and hit the floor. She hit the floor hard and groaned, still half-asleep. "Ugh. . ."

Annabeth sat up in bed and rubbed her eyes, her hair a rat's nest. "What? What did he just say? Who was that?"

"I don't know," Nia muttered darkly. "But whoever he is, he's going to pay dearly for waking me up."

Annabeth stumbled out of her bed, urgently knocked on Percy and Tyson's door, and poked her head in. "Disemboweling practice?"

Once they were all dressed, they ventured out into the ship where actual human people were all milling about. A dozen senior citizens were heading to breakfast. A dad was taking his kids to the pool for a morning swim. Crew members in crisp white uniforms strolled the deck, tipping their hats to the passengers.

Nobody asked who they were. Nobody paid them any attention at all. Nia raised her eyebrows in surprise and fear. Something was wrong.

As the family of swimmers passed them, the dad told his kids: "We are on a cruise. We are having fun."

"Yes. We are having a blast. We will swim in the pool," his three kids said in unison, their expressions blank. They all wandered off.

Suddenly, a crew member walked towards the four of them with his eye glazed. "Good morning. We are all enjoying ourselves aboard the Princess Andromeda. Have a nice day." And with that, he drifted away.

"This is weird," Annabeth whispered. "They're all in some kind of trance."

Nia's skin crawled. "I don't like this. I think we should go."

Then they passed a cafeteria and saw their first monster: a hellhound — a black mastiff with its front paws up on the buffet line and its muzzle buried in the scrambled eggs. Nia's blood turned cold and she immediately froze.

"Run, Nia!" Thalia yelled to her.

Luke tried racing back for her, but they all knew that he wouldn't get there in time. "Run!"

Nia clutched her ankle and cried back, "I can't!"

"Nia!" Annabeth screamed.

Then the hellhound pounced—

"Nia?"

Nia blinked, coming back to reality. She turned her head where Annabeth, Percy, and Tyson were looking at her with worry.

"You okay?" Percy asked her.

Nia took a deep breath, then nodded, running her fingers through her hair. "Yeah. Yeah, of course. What's happening?"

Looking at the breakfast line, a middle-aged couple was standing in the buffet line right behind the devil incarnate hellhound, patiently waiting for their turn for the eggs.

Nia knit her eyebrows together. What the fuck—

"Not hungry anymore," murmured Tyson.

Nia almost gagged at the sight. "Me either."

A reptilian voice came from down the corridor. "Sssssix more joined yesterday."

Annabeth gestured frantically toward the nearest hiding place that they could find — the women's restroom — and all four of them ducked inside.

Two beings slithered past the bathroom door, making sounds like sandpaper. The second reptilian voice said, "Yesss. He drawsss them. Sssoon we will be sssstrong."

Both of them laughed snake-like and slithered into the cafeteria.

Annabeth swallowed hard, "We have to get out of here."

"That's what I've been saying this entire time!" Nia whisper-yelled.

"Besides," Percy said, "you think I want to be in the girls' restroom?"

Nia looked at him in disbelief. Annabeth rolled her eyes, "I mean the ship, Percy! We have to get off the ship."

"Smells bad," agreed Tyson. "And dogs eat all the eggs. Annabeth and Nia are right. We must leave the restroom and ship."

Percy started to say something, until then they heard another voice outside — one that made Nia curl her fists and shake with anger.

"—only a matter of time. Don't push me, Agrius!" Luke Castellan, otherwise known as 'Douchebag'. Nia saw red.

"I'm not pushing you!" another guy growled. His voice was deeper in and even angrier than Luke's. "I'm just saying, if this gamble doesn't pay off—"

"It'll pay off," snapped Luke. "They'll take the bait. Now, come, we've got to get to the admiralty suite and check on the casket."

Their voices receded down the corridor. Tyson whimpered. "Leave now?"

Annabeth, Percy, and Nia all exchanged looks, coming to a silent agreement.

"We can't," Percy told Tyson decidedly.

Nia set her jaw. "We've got to take that son of a bitch down."

"We have to find out what Luke is up to," Annabeth agreed. "And if possible, we're going to beat him up, bind him in chains, and drag him to Mount Olympus."

well, here i am again. not much to say: like always, i hope you enjoyed, come back soon, yada yada, love y'all so much! talk soon!

—icedcoffeemug

EDIT: damn. i can be a bit of an asshole sometimes, huh? so vague in this author's note. . . maybe i was having a long day or something ( i genuinely cannot remember )