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ALL TOO WELL

THE SEA OF MONSTERS
[ P O L Y P H E M U S '   C A V E ]

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NATALIA FLYNN THOUGHT she was sailing towards a monster's island. It didn't look like one. There weren't any rocks and bones scattered on the beach like it was with the Sirens. The Cyclops' island was in fact the opposite, except for the rope bridge stretching across a chasm. It had green fields, tropical fruit, and white sand beaches. Natalia breathed in the sweet air of the island as they sailed toward shore.

"The Fleece," Annabeth announced.

She was right. Natalia couldn't see the Fleece, but like the Sirens, she could sense it's power. It definitely had the ability to heal anything, even Thalia's poisoned tree back at Camp.

"If we take it away, will the island die?" Percy asked.

Annabeth shook her head. "It'll fade. Go back to what it would be normally, whatever that is."

Polyphemus was in paradise. Natalia didn't want to take it away, but Camp Half-Blood needed this. It was the only way to save it.

At the base of the ravine, several dozen sheep were milling around in a meadow. They looked peaceful except for their huge size. Past the giant sheep was a path that led up into the hill. At the very top of the path, near the edge of a canyon, was a massive oak tree. Something gold glittered in its branches.

The Golden Fleece.

"This is too easy," Percy commented. "We could just hike up there and take it?"

Annabeth's eyes narrowed. "There's supposed be a guardian. A dragon or . . ."

A deer suddenly emerged from a bushes. It trotted into the meadow of sheep, probably looking for some grass to graze on, when the sheep bleated all at once and rushed to the deer. Natalia's hands flew to her mouth as the sheep completely devoured the deer, leaving only a pile of clean white bones behind. The sheep went back to their regular peaceful wanderings as if nothing happened.

Natalia blinked. "The deer is one of Artemis' sacred animals. They . . . they just destroyed it!"

"They're like piranhas," Annabeth said.

"Piranhas with wool," Percy added. "How will we—"

Natalia's eyes locked on something in the distance and pointed to it. "Uh, guys . . ."

Down the beach, just below the sheep meadow, a small boat had been run aground. It was the lifeboat from the CSS Birmingham.

There was no way to get past the carnivorous sheep. Annabeth suggested using her cap of invisibility to go grab the Fleece, but knowing their luck, something would definitely go wrong. Besides, their first job was to find Grover in his wedding dress and whoever had arrived in that boat, assuming they had gotten past the sheep. Natalia secretly wished Tyson was alive since Percy seemed a little distraught without the Cyclops.

They moored the Queen Anne's Revenge on the back of the island, where the cliffs rose in the upwards direction about two hundred feet. Hopefully, the ship was less likely to be seen. The cliffs looked like they could be climbable, but barely. Natalia was suddenly grateful for her training on the lava wall back at Camp.

Percy, Annabeth, and Natalia rowed a lifeboat to the edge of the rocks and began to make their way up very, very slowly. Annabeth went first, then Natalia, then Percy. They only came close to dying about six or seven times, which was pretty good in Natalia's mind.

One time, Percy lost his grip and was dangling by one hand, but found another handhold and kept climbing. Only a minute later, Annabeth hit a slippery piece of moss and kicked Percy in the face. Natalia almost fell by her hand slipping off the handhold but she caught herself.

Finally, after a long time of climbing, they hauled themselves over the top of the cliff and collapsed. Natalia tried to catch her breath as her arm muscles shook from exhaustion.

"Ugh," Percy voiced.

"Ouch," Annabeth groaned.

"Is it nap time?" Natalia questioned.

"Garrr!" bellowed another voice.

Natalia whirled around in alarm. Annabeth clamped her hand over Percy's mouth and pointed. She followed her finger to see that the noise was coming from the opposite side of the narrow ledge they were on.

"You're a feisty one!" the deep voice continued.

"Challenge me!" Clarisse La Rue's distinct voice yelled. "Give me back my sword and I'll fight you!"

The monster roared with laughter.

Natalia, Percy, and Annabeth crept to the edge. Right below them was the entrance of the Cyclops' cave. Grover was still in his wedding dress (she really tried her best not to laugh at him). Clarisse was tied upside down, hanging over a pot of boiling water.

"Hmm," Polyphemus pondered. "Eat loudmouth girl now or wait for wedding feast? What does my bride think?"

He turned to face Grover, who backed up and almost tripped over his completed bridal train. "Oh, um, I'm not hungry right now, dear. Perhaps-"

"Did you say bride?" Clarisse demanded. "Who — Grover?"

"Shut up," Natalia muttered. "For once in your life, Clarisse, please shut up."

Polyphemus glowered at her. "What Grover?"

"The Satyr!" Clarisse yelled.

"Oh!" Grover yelped. "The poor thing's brain is boiling from that hot water. Pull her down, dear!"

Polyphemus' eyelids narrowed over his single milky eye that Odysseus had blinded all those years ago. He was even worse than she had pictured. His smell was extremely rancid and he was wearing a wedding outfit that included a kilt and a shoulder wrap stitched together with baby blue tuxedoes.

"What Satyr?" Polyphemus demanded. "Satyrs are good eating. You bring me a Satyr?"

"No, you big idiot!" Clarisse yelled. "That Satyr! Grover! The one in the wedding dress!"

Natalia's eyes widened. She tapped her bracelet and notched an arrow, but it was too late. Polyphemus turned and ripped off Grover's wedding veil, revealing his curly hair, scruffy adolescent Satyr beard, and tiny horns.

Polyphemus breathed heavily in anger. "I don't see very well. Not since many years ago when the other hero stabbed me in eye. But YOU'RE — NO — LADY — CYCLOPS!"

He grabbed Grover's wedding dress and tore it away. The Grover Natalia knew and loved appeared in his jeans and t-shirt. Grover yelped and ducked as the Cyclops went to smack him.

"Stop!" Grover pleaded. "Don't eat me raw! I — I have a good recipe!"

Natalia went to shoot her arrow right at the Cyclops, but Annabeth put her hand on the one Natalia had drawn her bowstring back with. The two shared a glance and Natalia lowered her bow, putting the Celestial Bronze arrow back in her quiver.

Polyphemus hesitated with a boulder that would no doubt smash Grover. "Recipe?"

"Oh y-yes! You don't want to eat me raw. You'll get E coli and botulism and all sorts of horrible things. I'll taste much better grilled over a slow fire. With mango chutney! You could go get some mangos right now, down there in the woods. I'll just wait here."

He pondered this. Natalia felt her heart hammering against her ribs. It would be so easy to take this Cyclops down with a single shot, but if Polyphemus fell, he was could potentially crush Grover and Clarisse.

"Grilled Satyr with mango chutney," Polyphemus mused. He looked back to Clarisse. "You a Satyr, too?"

"No, you overgrown pile of dung!" she shouted at him. "I'm a girl! The daughter of Ares! Now untie me so I can rip your arms off!"

"Rip my arms off," Polyphemus repeated.

"And stuff them down your throat!"

"You got spunk."

"Let me down!"

Polyphemus picked up Grover in his meaty fist. "Have to graze sheep now. Wedding postponed until tonight. Then we'll eat Satyr for the main course!"

"But . . . you're still getting married?" Grover sounded strangely hurt. "Who's the bride?"

The Cyclops looked toward the boiling pot. Natalia slapped a hand over her mouth to stop herself from bursting into more laughter. This whole situation was so ridiculous.

Clarisse made a strangled sound. "Oh, no! You can't be serious. I'm not—"

Before any of them could do anything, Polyphemus plucked her off the rope like she was an apple on a tree and threw her and Grover deep into the cave.

"Make yourself comfortable!" he called. "I come back at sundown for big event!"

The Cyclops whistled. A mixed flock of goats and sheep — smaller than the ones who ate the deer — flooded out of the cave and passed their master. As they went to pasture, Polyphemus patted them on the back and said their names, which included Beltbusyer, Tammany, and Lockhart. When the final sheep waddled out of the cave, Polyphemus rolled a boulder in front of the doorway, shutting in the sounds of Clarisse and Grover screaming.

"Mangos," Polyphemus muttered to himself. "What are mangos?"

He strolled off down the mountain, leaving Natalia, Percy, and Annabeth with a pot of boiling water and an extremely heavy boulder.

They tried to signal Grover, they really did. But if he heard them, they couldn't be able to tell. Plus, if they managed to kill Polyphemus, Grover and Clarisse would still be trapped inside the sealed cave. They needed the Cyclops to move the boulder. Percy stabbed Riptide against the rock in frustration, making sparks fly.

The three sat on the ridge in despair and watched Polyphemus move among his flocks in the distance. Wisely, he had divided his regular animals from the carnivorous sheep. He then visited those said carnivorous sheep and fed them chunks of mystery meat from a great wicker basket. Natalia felt sick to her stomach. As a daughter of the Goddess of wild animals, this was so not cool.

"Trickery," Annabeth finally decided. "We can't beat him by force, so we'll have to use trickery."

"Okay," Percy responded. "What trick?'

"I haven't figured that part out yet."

"Great."

Natalia tilted her head. "Well, Polyphemus will have to move his rock again to let his sheep inside."

"At sunset," Percy confirmed. "Which is when he'll marry Clarisse and have Grover for dinner. I'm not sure which is grosser."

"Definitely the marriage."

"I could get inside," Annabeth told them. "Invisibly."

"What about Nat and me?"

"The sheep," Annabeth voiced, giving them a sly look that made Natalia wary. "How much do you like sheep?"

Natalia looked between the sheep and Annabeth for a moment before finally getting what she was insinuating. Her eyes went wide and she scoffed. "You've got to be kidding me. I'm not getting underneath a sheep."

She, unfortunately, got underneath a sheep. Her bow and quiver were turned back into her silver bracelet so they wouldn't get lost. The sheep didn't really care that Percy and her were underneath them. They had thick wool and were big enough to support their weight. Natalia and Percy twirled the wool into handles for their hands and hooked their feet against the sheep's thigh bones.

Once again, Natalia wasn't having a very good time.

The sun began to set. They had just got into position when Polyphemus began yelling again.

"Oy! Goaties! Sheepies!"

The flock trudged back up the slopes toward the cave.

"This is it!" Annabeth whispered. "I'll be close by. Don't worry."

Annabeth was an absolute genius. Natalia would make sure to tell her once they got off this island.

The sheep she was holding onto started plodding up the hill with Percy's right behind her. Natalia's hands and feet began to hurt from holding on, but she merely gripped the wool tighter.

"Hasenpfeffer!" the Cyclops named, patting the sheep in front of her. "Einstein! Widget — eh there, you two!" Polyphemus patted their sheep, nearly knocking Natalia and Percy to the ground. "Putting on some extra mutton there?"

Natalia was sure she was about to die right then and there. However, Polyphemus just laughed and swatted both of the sheeps' rear ends, propelling them forward.

"Go on, fatties! Soon Polyphemus will eat you for breakfast!"

They were finally in the cave. Natalia spotted the last sheep coming in. It was Annabeth's time to shine.

The Cyclops was just about to roll the stone back into place when Annabeth shouted from outside, "Hello, ugly!"

Polyphemus stiffened. "Who said that?"

"Nobody!"

Natalia smirked. She was using the same trick Odysseus had.

His face turned red with rage. "Nobody! I remember you!"

"You're too stupid to remember anybody, much less Nobody."

Polyphemus let out a bellow of anger. He grabbed the nearest boulder, which was his front door, and threw it towards the sound of Annabeth's voice. The rock smashed into a thousand fragments. Natalia was worried her best friend had just been crushed when it went silent.

"You haven't learned to throw any better, either!" Annabeth finally exclaimed.

The Cyclops howled. "Come here! Let me kill you, Nobody!"

"You can't kill Nobody, you stupid oaf. Come find me!"

Polyphemus barreled down the hill toward the blonde's voice. Natalia hoped Annabeth would stay alive long enough for her and Percy to save Grover and Clarisse. She dropped off of Einstein, giving it a pat on the head and an apology, before searching around the main room with Percy. They both pushed through the crowd of sheep and goats to explore the rest of the cavern.

They ran down corridors that were littered with bones and past rooms that were filled with sheepskin rugs and life-size cement sheep that was obviously the work of Medusa. Natalia shuddered. Their encounter with her had not been pleasant. There were also collections of sheep t-shirts, large tubes of lanolin cream, and wooly winter gear.

Finally, they found the spinning room, where Grover was huddled in a corner, attempting to cut Clarisse's bonds with some safety scissors. It obviously wasn't going so well.

"It's no good," Clarisse said. "This rope is like iron!"

"Just a few more minutes!" Grover protested.

"Grover," she cried, clearly exasperated. "You've been working at it for hours!"

And then they saw them.

"Percy? Natalia?" Clarisse said. "You're supposed to be blown up!"

"I'm so glad you were worried about us, Clarisse," Natalia said sarcastically. "Percy will—"

"Perrrrrcy!" Grover bleated and tackled him with a giant hug. "You heard me! You came!"

"Yeah, buddy," Percy replied. "Of course I came."

Grover then wrapped Natalia in a tight hug. "I'm glad you're here too, Nat." He pulled away and looked at them. "Where's Annabeth?"

"Outside, but there's no time to talk. Clarisse, hold still."

He uncapped Riptide and cut her ropes. She stood up stiffly and rubbed her wrists. Clarisse glared at the two Demigods for a moment and mumbled a thanks while looking at the ground.

"It was no big deal," Natalia responded. "Was there anybody else on your lifeboat?"

She looked surprised. "No. Just me. Everybody else aboard the Birmingham . . . well, I didn't even know you guys made it out."

Natalia frowned momentarily and glanced at Percy's crestfallen expression. "That's all right. We should probably go help—"

An explosion echoed throughout the cave along with a scream that told Natalia they might've been too late. It was Annabeth crying out in fear.

As rash as she had been at the island of the Sirens, Natalia ran out of the room towards the scream of Annabeth without a thought in her mind except saving her best friend. She tapped her silver bracelet on the way and was just about to grab a Celestial Bronze arrow from her quiver when arms grabbed her by the waist and pulled her back. Natalia fought against them and tried to get free.

"No!" Percy whispered in her ear. "Tals, we have to be careful or else Annabeth could die!"

That was enough to snap her out of it. She stopped fighting against him and Percy released her from his hold. Natalia slung her bow across her shoulder.

"I got Nobody!" Polyphemus bragged.

Natalia gritted her teeth. The group crept up to the cave entrance and saw the Cyclops holding up empty air with a wicked grin on his face. He shook his fist and a baseball cap fluttered onto the ground. Annabeth, hanging upside by her legs, was in his fist.

"Hah!" Polyphemus exclaimed. "Nasty invisible girl! Already got feisty one for wife. Means you gotta be grilled with mango chutney!"

Annabeth struggled against him. However, she looked dazed. There was a nasty cut on her forehead and her eyes were glassy.

"Nat and I will rush him," Percy whispered to Clarisse. "Our ship is around the back of the island. You and Grover—"

"No way," Clarisse and Grover said in unison.

Clarisse had armed herself with a ram's horn spear from the cave. Grover had found the thigh bone of a sheep, which he didn't look very happy about, but he gripped it like a club, ready to attack.

"We'll take him together," Clarisse growled.

"Yeah," Grover agreed. Then he blinked, like he couldn't believe he had just agreed with Clarisse about something.

Natalia nodded vigorously. "Okay. Engage in attack plan Macedonia."

All of them knew what she was talking about, since they all took the same training courses at Camp. While Grover and Clarisse would sneak around and attack the Cyclops from the flanks, Natalia and Percy would hold his attention from the front.

Either they would succeed or they would all die. Natalia hoped it wasn't the latter.

Percy lifted his sword. "Hey, Ugly!"

Polyphemus whirled towards them. "Another one? Who are you?"

"Put down my friend. I'm the one who insulted you."

"You are Nobody?"

"That's right, you smelly bucket of nose drool! I'm Nobody and I'm proud of it! Now, put her down and get over here. I want to stab your eye out again."

"RAAAR!" he bellowed.

Polyphemus dropped Annabeth headfirst onto the rocks. Natalia gasped and went to run towards the blonde, but the Cyclops was already barreling towards them.

"For Pan!"

Grover rushed in from the right. He threw his sheep bone which only bounced harmlessly off Polyphemus' forehead. Clarisse ran in from the left and put her spear on the ground just in time for the Cyclops to step on it. He wailed in pain, and Clarisse dived out of the way to avoid being trampled. However, the Cyclops just pulled it out like a giant splinter and continued advancing on Natalia and Percy.

Natalia ran out of the way just in time. She made it to Annabeth who was as limp as a rag doll on the ground. Natalia stuck her invisibility cap in her quiver and tried to pick Annabeth up by herself.

"Grover!" she yelled.

The Satyr ran over to her and helped her pick up Annabeth. While Clarisse and Percy fought Polyphemus, Natalia and Grover began to carry Annabeth across the rope bridge. It wasn't really Natalia's first choice to go back to the carnivorous sheep, but she guessed it was better than nothing. She could hear Clarisse, Percy, and Polyphemus following them, but her entire focus was on getting across.

Finally, they made it to the other side of the bridge. When she turned around, Polyphemus was dangerously close to Percy and Clarisse.

"Natalia!" Percy shouted. "Your arrows!"

She made the connection. Natalia grabbed her bow from her shoulder and notched an arrow. She shot it at the ropes, the speed and the sharpness immediately sawing it half with a snap! Natalia continued to cut through all of the ropes until Clarisse and Percy were on solid ground again. Percy slashed his sword, cutting the remaining ropes.

The Cyclops fell, but now he was standing next to them. "Failed! Nobody failed!"

Clarisse and Grover went to charge at him, but swatted them to the side like flies. Anger bubbled inside of Natalia. She did not travel through the entire Sea of Monsters to get beaten by a stupid Cyclops. Her eyes glowing dangerously silver, she rose her bow and attacked with Percy by her side.

She didn't really know how it had happened. Natalia shot an arrow right into Polyphemus' shoulder while Percy stabbed his stomach. He doubled over and Percy smacked him in the nose with Riptide's hilt while Natalia shot an arrow right in his neck. They continued with this routine, Percy slashing with his sword and Natalia shooting her arrows, until Polyphemus was sprawled on his back. He was groaning in a daze. Percy stood over him, the tip of his sword hovering over his eye. Natalia aimed her arrow at it as well.

"Uhhhhhhhh," Polyphemus groaned.

"Percy! Natalia!" Grover gasped in shock. "How did you-"

"Please, noooo!" the Cyclops moaned, pitifully staring up at the two Demigods. A tear welled in the corner of his milky eye. "M-M-My sheepies need me. Only trying to protect my sheep!"

He began to sob.

They had won. It would only take a quick strike and a well-aimed arrow to end it.

"Kill him!" Clarisse shouted. "What are you waiting for?"

"He's a Cyclops!" Grover warned. "Don't trust him!"

Natalia glanced over at Percy worryingly, noticing the expression on his face. "Percy . . ."

"We only want the Fleece," he announced. "Will you agree to let us take it?"

"No!" Clarisse yelled. "Kill him!"

Polyphemus. "My beautiful Fleece. Prize of my collection. Take it, cruel human. Take it and go in peace."

"We're going to step back slowly," Percy told him. "One false move . . ."

Polyphemus nodded. Hesitantly, Natalia stepped back, but as soon as she did, Polyphemus smacked the two of them to the edge of the cliff.

"Foolish mortal!" he bellowed, standing up on his feet. "Take my Fleece? Ha! I eat you first."

He opened his enormous mouth. Natalia believed seeing his rotten molars was probably the worst last thing to see before someone died, and here she was, about to die.

She didn't die, however. A rock the size of a basketball sailed over Natalia and Percy's head and landed itself into Polyphemus' throat. Natalia's eyes widened as she watched him choke and stagger backwards. His heel slipped, and the edge of the cliff crumbled, sending Polyphemus the Cyclops tumbling into the chasm.

Natalia turned. Halfway down the path to the beach, standing completely unharmed in the flock of carnivorous sheep, was a friend she recognized. She smiled widely.

"Bad Polyphemus," Tyson said. "Not all Cyclopes as nice as we look."

Tyson gave them the lowdown. Rainbow the Hippocampus — who had followed them from the Long Island Sound to wait for Tyson to play with him — had found Tyson sinking underneath the wreckage of the CSS Birmingham and brought him to safety. Rainbow and Tyson had searched the Sea of Monsters in effort to find them until Tyson smelled sheep and found this island.

"Tyson, thank the Gods," Percy praised him. "Annabeth is hurt!"

"You thank the Gods she is hurt?" he asked, extremely puzzled.

"No!"

Natalia dropped to her knees beside Annabeth. The cut on her forehead was even worse than she had realized. Her blonde hair was sticky with blood. Natalia shared a nervous look with Percy before she got an idea.

"Hey, Tyson, could you do me a favor?" she questioned. "Can you get the Fleece for me?"

He looked around at the hundreds of sheep. "Which one?"

Natalia drew in a breath, trying to keep her patience. "The gold one in the tree."

"Oh. Pretty. Yes."

Tyson lumbered over time the tree, careful not to step on any sheep. Natalia guessed that Tyson smelled like Polyphemus because the flock didn't bother him at all. They even cuddled up to him and bleated affectionately. Tyson finally arrived at the tree and lifted the Fleece from the branch. Immediately the leaves on the tree turned yellow. He began walking back towards them.

"No time!" Percy yelled. "Throw it!"

The Golden Fleece sailed through the air like a frisbee. Percy caught it with a grunt and Natalia helped him spread it over Annabeth, noticing how heavy it was. They covered everything but her face, and Natalia prayed to Apollo, God of healing and twin brother of Artemis, that this would work.

Thank the Gods, the color returned to her face, the cut on her forehead began to close, and her eyelids fluttered open.

"You're not . . . married?" Annabeth asked Grover weakly.

Grover grinned at her. "No. My friends talked me out of it."

"Hey," Natalia coaxed, trying to get Annabeth to relax. "Just lay still for a while."

Despite their protests, she sat up. Natalia noticed the cut on her forehead was pretty much completely healed. She looked a lot better and even shimmered with health like she had been injected with glitter. Meanwhile, Tyson was having some trouble with the sheep.

"Down!" he told them as they tried to climb him. A few began to sniff in their direction. "No, sheepies. This way! Come here!"

They heeded him, but it was completely obvious they were hungry. The sheep couldn't resist fresh meat nearby for much longer.

"We have to go," Percy announced. "Our ship is. . ."

He trailed off. The Queen Anne's Revenge was pretty far from where they were. The shortest route would be across the chasm, but they had just destroyed the only bridge leading across it. That left them with no other option than going through the sheep.

"Tyson, can you lead the flock as far away as possible?" Percy inquired.

"The sheep want food."

"I know! They want people food! Just lead them away from the path. Give us time to get to the beach. Then join us there."

Tyson looked doubtful, but he whistled nevertheless. "Come, sheepies! Um, people food this way!"

He jogged off into the meadow with the sheep following him.

Natalia turned back to Annabeth. "Just keep the Fleece around you in case you haven't been fully healed. Are you able to stand?"

She tried, but her face turned pale. "Ohh. Not fully healed."

Clarisse dropped next to her and put a hand on her chest, making Annabeth gasp. "Ribs broken. They're mending, but definitely broken."

"How can you tell?" Percy questioned.

She glared at him. "Because I've broken a few, runt! I'll have to carry her."

Clarisse picked up Annabeth like a sack of flour and lugged her down to the beach. Natalia shrugged at Percy and followed after Clarisse, Percy and Grover right behind her. They got to the water's edge, and after a few anxious minutes, the ship rounded the top of the island thanks to Percy calling upon it.

"Incoming!" Tyson shouted.

Natalia turned to look. He was bounding down the path to join them, but the sheep were running behind him while bleating in anger about how he didn't feed them.

"They probably won't follow us into the water," Percy told them. "All we have to do is swim for the ship."

"With Annabeth like this?" Clarisse protested.

"We can do it," he insisted. "Once we get to the ship, we're home free."

They had almost made it. The group was just wading past the entrance to the ravine when they heard a tremendous roar. Polyphemus, scraped up, bruised, and impaled with arrows, but very much alive, was splashing towards them with a boulder in each hand.

Natalia groaned. "Of course. Of course." She sighed. "Why can't I just have a normal life?"

"Swim for it!" Grover yelled.

Him, Clarisse, and Natalia plunged into the surf. Annabeth hung onto Clarisse's neck and tried to paddle with one hand, but the wet Fleece was weighing her down like a ton of bricks. Natalia turned and saw Polyphemus interacting with Tyson.

"You, young Cyclops!" Polyphemus roared. "Traitor to your kind!"

Tyson froze.

"Don't listen to him!" Percy pleaded. "Come on."

He tried to pull in Tyson's arm, but he didn't budge and instead looked at the older Cyclops.

"I am not a traitor."

"You serve mortals! Thieving humans!"

Polyphemus threw one of his boulders. Tyson swatted it aside with his fist like it was nothing.

"Not a traitor," Tyson said strongly. "And you are not my kind."

"Death or victory!"

Polyphemus charged into the surf, but he stumbled and fell on his face due to his injured foot. He got up again, spitting salt water and growling.

"Percy! Tyson!" Natalia called out once they were almost near the ship. "Come on, let's go!"

Him and Tyson shared a short interaction she couldn't hear. Percy then drew his sword. Polyphemus advanced on them carefully and threw his other boulder. Tyson's fist blasted the rock to rubble while Percy dived out of the way. Percy then willed the sea to rise, lifting him on a crest of a twenty-foot wave. He rode towards Polyphemus and kicked him in the eye, leaping over his head as the water blasted him onto the beach.

"Destroy you!" Polyphemus spluttered. "Fleece stealer!"

"You stole the Fleece!" Percy argued. "You've been using it to lure Satyrs to their deaths!"

"So? Satyrs good eating!"

"The Fleece should be used to heal! It belongs to the children of the Gods!"

"I am a child of the Gods!" Polyphemus swiped at Percy, but he sidestepped. "Father Poseidon, curse this thief!"

Polyphemus was blinking hard now.

"Poseidon won't curse me," Percy said, backing up as the Cyclops grabbed air. "I'm his son, too. He won't play favorites."

Polyphemus roared and ripped an olive tree out of the side of the cliff, smashing it where Percy had been standing a moment before. "Humans not the same! Nasty, tricky, lying!"

Natalia was now on board the ship. She had climbed up first and was helping Grover pull Annabeth up. Her hair and clothes were dripping, but that was the least of her concerns. She had just pulled Annabeth on board when she turned to look at what was going on at the island. Tyson was working his way around the other Cyclops in effort to get behind him.

"Young one!" Polyphemus called. "Where are you? Help me!"

Tyson stopped.

"You weren't raised right!" Polyphemus wailed, shaking the olive tree. "Poor orphaned brother! Help me!"

No one moved. It was completely silent except for the ocean waves crashing.

Tyson then stepped forwards, raising his hands defensively. "Don't fight, Cyclops brother. Put down the—"

Polyphemus spun toward his voice.

"Tyson!" Percy shouted.

Natalia gasped as the tree struck him with a ton of force. Polyphemus charged after him, but Percy let out a No! and lunged as far as he could with Riptide. Percy stabbed him in the butt.

"Blaaaaah!" Polyphemus bleated just like his sheep and swung at Percy with the olive tree.

Percy dove, but Natalia saw him get raked across the back by a dozen jagged branches. Polyphemus swung the tree again, but this time, Percy grabbed a branch as it passed him. He was jerked skyward and let go at the top of the arc, landing on the Cyclops' eye.

Polyphemus howled in pain. Tyson tackled him and sent them both crashing down. Percy was able to strike the monster's heart, but Natalia saw him lock eyes with Tyson, and she knew he wouldn't do it.

"Let him go," Percy ordered. "Run."

Tyson pushed the older Cyclops away, and him and Percy ran for the surf.

"I will smash you!" Polyphemus exclaimed while doubling over in pain. His enormous hands were cupped over his eye.

Tyson and Percy plunged into the waves.

"Where are you?" Polyphemus screamed.

He picked up his tree club and threw it into the water. Natalia tapped her foot anxiously as she waited for Percy and Tyson to appear.

Clarisse then began to shout again. "Yeah, Jackson! In your face, Cyclops!"

"Clarisse," Natalia warned. "Stop. You're going to make him mad."

"Rarrr!" Polyphemus picked up another boulder and threw it towards Clarisse's voice but it never made it close to them.

"Yeah, yeah!" Clarisse taunted. "You throw like a wimp! Teach you to try marrying me, you idiot!"

"Clarisse!" Natalia exclaimed. "Oh my Gods, just be quiet!"

Polyphemus threw another boulder. This time, it crashed into the hull of the Queen Anne's Revenge. The ship sank quickly, acting like a sinkhole. Natalia tried her best to keep herself afloat, but she wasn't having very much luck.

Suddenly, shapes shimmered in the dark water below — three horses with fish tails were galloping upwards faster than dolphins. Natalia recognized one of them as Rainbow and guessed the others were his Hippocampi friends. They whisked into the wreckage and Natalia frantically grabbed onto one. When they surfaced, she realized she was clinging onto the same Hippocampus as Grover. Annabeth and Clarisse were clinging to the others.

Rainbow, the largest Hippocampus who had Clarisse, raced over to Tyson and allowed him to grab hold of his mane. The one who had Annabeth did the same for Percy. They broke the surface of the water and began to race away from Polyphemus' island. Behind them, the Cyclops was screaming, I did it! I finally sank Nobody!

Natalia wished he never found out he was wrong. At least Polyphemus would be happy about something.

They skimmed across the sea as the island shrank to small dot and then disappeared.

"Did it," Annabeth muttered, completely exhausted. "We . . ."

She slumped against the neck of the Hippocampus and instantly fell asleep. Natalia watched as Percy propped Annabeth up so she wouldn't fall and covered her in the Golden Fleece.

"You're a genius," Natalia heard him say to her from here.

He then put his head against the Golden Fleece and fell asleep as well. Natalia momentarily frowned at them, trying to ignore the envy surging through her veins. Sighing, she rested her head on Grover's shoulder and let herself doze off. She hoped that when they awoke that they were able to get the Fleece back to Camp.

★彡

my god I love natalia