MΛЯK ӨF ΛƬΉΣПΛ

LUCIA QUICKLY GOT DRESSED AS SHE HEARD FOOTSTEPS APPROACHING PERCYS DOOR.

She refused to fall asleep for long that night despite being pretty exhausted. Luckily for her, the Argo stayed in the air for quite a lot longer than she expected.

She was able to get a good amount of sleep after...well you know. And she was able to get dressed before Jason knocked on the door. Which she called progress from last time.

She should have probably warned Percy. But there was no time. Jason swung the door open and she yelped lowly as she willed herself to become invisible.

The blonde started knocking at Percy's open doorway.

"We've finally set down in the water. The sea current was wild for so long, I thought we'd never land", He complained, looking utterly exhausted. "Your turn."

Percy stirred in his sleep. He rubbed at his eyes and scratched his head in confusion once he woke up. He looked around before turning back to Jason.

"Okay." His croaky voice hummed. "Going."

"Are—" Jason tilted his head. A bewildered look formed on his face. He looked at Percy's boxers that were across the room. Lucia winced at having missed such an obvious detail. "Actually, I don't want to know. Get on out there man. Hope you-slept well?" He shook his head, looking baffled. When he closed the door behind him she heard him muttering to himself about Greek demigod habits before she heard his door shut.

Lucia appeared, she fell onto Percy's bed in a fit of laughter. "Oh my gods."

Percy jumped when Lucia landed in front of him. "I'm still not used to that."

"He thinks you sleep naked." She laughed into his pillow, the snickers caused her chest to vibrate and her eyes to tear up. "I can't breathe right now."

"Luz." He whined. When she didn't stop her giggling, he stole the pillow away from her and gently hit her legs with it. His cheeks and the tips of his ears burned red. "Why does this keep happening."

"Aw come on." She fluttered her eyelashes. "Don't be mad at me."

"Well, that's not fair." He grumbled.

Lucia started laughing even harder. She tried to muffle her laughter in her hands.

When she saw Percy wasn't smiling with her, she stopped.

"Wait, are you actually mad?"

"Huh." Percy broke out of his trance. He looked at his girlfriend's worried violet eyes before he blinked. "No. No. That's whatever. I could totally take Grace and I have my smoking hot girlfriend in my bed. I'm not thinking about that..."

Lucia snorted at his competitiveness. She knew him enough to know that he was probably feeling insecure around Jason. Like he had with Thalia. Deep down Percy wanted to try and one-up him in every way. But to her, he was already the best of the best. No matter what... "So?"

"Before you got here. I kind of had a nightmare..."

She frowned, "Why didn't you tell me..."

Percy scratched the back of his head. "We didn't get the chance to talk a lot... and well I, I couldn't say no?."

"Yes, you could've ." She deadpanned.

"I didn't want to." He admitted.

Lucia's face softened. She couldn't be mad at him for wanting a moment of peace.

He scratched the back of his neck as he tried to recall his dream. "I saw, these giant twins..and they said Gaea wanted our blood to be spilled for a task. That you were preferred. There was something about snakes or a-a snake, and that something was written about you—No, for you. And since the other attempts failed, it's guaranteed she'd have you...I don't get it, Do you?"

Lucia stared blankly at Percy. Despite the sirens ringing in her head, she had no idea what his dream could have meant. All she knew was that she clearly was going to have to prepare herself.

"No. I don't." She whispered,

Percy's face dropped in disappointment.

"That's not all." He said, "Annabeth..."

Lucia frowned. "Annabeth what." She demanded

"The Giants had silver drachmas in their hair...Like.."

"Like the mark of Athena." She inhaled sharply,

"I'll never let Gaea spill my blood for any task—and there is no way I'll let anyone hurt you or Annabeth."

Lucia smiled but it hardly reached her eyes. She knew he meant those words. But Percy could not guarantee anything with just words.

"Get dressed. I'm going to wake up Beth so you can tell us more in detail." She reassured. She kissed him softly on the cheek.

He refused that. He cradled her closer and kissed her deeply. As if he was trying to ingrain in his head how it felt to kiss her.

"I won't let us get separated from each other again." He said, "No matter what."

Lucia nodded with resolve, but her heart started beating a little faster. For some reason, she couldn't fully believe those words...

༄

LUCIA DIDN'T WANT TO BOTHER HER, but she woke Annabeth up. She knew the blonde had enough on her plate and hated having to disturb her sleep. But if it meant giving her information that might save her life. Lucia would bother her until she hated her. She loved Annabeth's friendship, but her life, her well-being, meant more to her.

The trio stood on deck, alone except for Leo, who was still manning the helm.

The guy must have been shattered, but he refused to go to sleep.

"I don't want any more Shrimpzilla surprises," he insisted.

They'd all tried to convince Leo that the Skolopendra attack hadn't been entirely his fault, but he wouldn't listen. Lucia felt bad for the kid. Sure she was upset about what happened. But he was being way too hard on himself. Which was something she could understand...

It was about four in the morning. The weather was miserable. The fog was so thick, Lucia couldn't see Festus at the end of the prow, and warm drizzle hung in the air like a bead curtain. As they sailed into twenty-foot swells, the sea heaved.

They stood with Annabeth at the forward rail while Percy told her about his dream.

Her reaction was even more troubling than Lucia anticipated: she didn't seem surprised.

She peered into the fog. "Percy, Lucy, you have to promise me something. Don't tell the others about this dream."

Percy looked dumbfounded. "Don't what? Annie-"

"What you saw was about the Mark of Athena," she said. "It won't help the others to know. It'll only make them worry, and it'll make it harder for me to go off on my own."

"Annabeth, you can't be serious. That thing in the dark, the big chamber with the crumbling floor-"

"I know." Her face became paler. "But I have to do this alone."

"She's right about not telling anyone." She sighed. "And you won't tell them about me either. Not yet."

"Luz you can't be serious—" Percy hissed. He looked like he was trying to swallow back his anger. She wasn't sure if he was mad at her, or Annabeth, or his dream, or the entire Greek/Roman world that had endured and shaped human history for five thousand years.

"You know what's in that cavern," Lucia guessed. "Does it have to do with spiders?"

"Yes," she said in a small voice.

"Then how can you even...?" Percy began, His face still pinched in frustration. "And Luz—How are you so calm! As if you're not being targeted again—"He stopped himself from raging on. Running a rough hand through his hair.

Lucia gave him a sad smile. She squeezed his hand. "I know you're worried. But there's no point in us arguing about this. Annabeth won't change her mind once she sets it on something. And I won't let myself be paralyzed in fear when nothing has happened yet. We have to face whatever comes Percy. That's the only thing we can do..."

The three of them stood in silence after Lucia spoke. At that time, her mind drifted off to what she was shown under the water. Nothing the unknown voice told her seemed to make sense to her.

Despite Lucia's calm demeanor, she felt the nerves getting to her. Why were the Giants so sure that she was going to be served to Gaea on a silver platter? Why did she survive the fall? And what did those visions mean? If they were prophecy then surely she should be dead? Who the hell showed her them? And what the fuck was written for her?

Nothing made sense. She wished she had a more direct prophecy like Annabeth's. But it seemed that Lucia had to endure the emotional turmoil of figuring it all out by herself. There was no ancient legend. No straightforward way for her to figure out what the hell she had to do to save the fate of the world, her friends, her love, and herself.

Only the summer flower can resuscitate.

She decided to organize her issues later. Which in a way was her trying to escape from them...

Her mind went back to Annabeth. Lucia knew she could barely handle her shit and she understood that her best friend had to face this quest by herself.

But when it came time to let Annabeth go off alone, how could Lucia possibly let her leave? When there was a possibility she might not come back. Lucia thought back to her dream where Annabeth screamed out for her. She thought back to the vision she saw in the sea. She didn't know what was certain. But she knew that Annabeth's life was going to be in danger.

How could she stand idly by? How could she when one of the most important individuals in her life, lives was at risk? Lucia had already lost Percy for six months. She couldn't lose Annabeth too.

The sea below her feet stirred with ancient history. Lucia couldn't even imagine all it held.

All the Greek/Roman heroes and their tragedies and adventures were trapped within these waters.

Someone could have been standing in her exact place eons ago, thinking of their own dangerous prophecies and turbulent lives.

She couldn't help but wonder what that meant for her own life...

name one hero who was happy.

"We're not far from the Italian coast," Percy announced, breaking the silence. "Maybe a hundred nautical miles to the mouth of the Tiber."

"Good," Annabeth responded. "By daybreak, we should-"

Percy suddenly froze. "Stop. We have to stop."

Lucia became alert. She gazed at her boyfriend. "Percy, what is it?"

"Leo, stop!" he yelled.

Too late. Another boat appeared out of the fog and rammed them head-on.

It was another trireme; black sails painted with a gorgon's head; hulking warriors, not quite human, crowded at the front of the boat in Greek armor, swords, and spears ready.

Annabeth, Percy, Leo, and Lucia were almost thrown overboard as they rammed the Argo again.

Festus blew fire, sending a dozen very surprised warriors screaming and diving into the sea, but more swarmed aboard the Argo II.  Grappling lines wrapped around the rails and the mast, digging iron claws into the hull's planks.

The three of them drew their weapons. Lucia notched an arrow in an instant and drew her hand back. She felt her bow graze against her lip as she sneered at the growing enemies.

She made herself brighter so they could all see better through the fog and the dark, the invaders seemed to be humanlike dolphins, or dolphinlike humans. Some had gray snouts. Others held their swords in stunted flippers. Some waddled on legs partially fused together, while others had flippers for feet.

Leo sounded the alarm bell. He dashed to the nearest ballista but went down under a pile of chattering dolphin warriors.

Annabeth, Lucia, and Percy gathered in a circle. Facing their backs to each other.

Several dozen warriors lowered their spears and made a ring around them, wisely keeping out of striking distance of Percy's sword, Annabeth's knife, and Lucia's ready arrow.

The dolphin-men opened their snouts and made whistling, popping noises. Lucia had never considered just how vicious dolphin teeth looked.

She tried to think. Maybe she could notch a few more arrows and destroy a few invaders in one go, but not without the others skewering Percy and Annabeth. They were simply too outnumbered...

At least the warriors didn't seem interested in killing them immediately. They kept Percy Annabeth and Lucia contained while more of their comrades flooded belowdecks and secured the hull.

Lucia could hear them breaking down the cabin doors, scuffling with her friends. Her blood particularly began to boil when she heard how scared Hazel got.

Even if the other demigods hadn't been fast asleep, they wouldn't have stood a chance against so many.

Leo was dragged across the deck, half-conscious and groaning, and dumped on a pile of ropes.

Lucia scowled. Below, the sounds of fighting tapered off. Either the others had been subdued or...or no, she refused to think about it.

On one side of the ring of spears, the dolphin warriors parted to let someone through. He appeared to be fully human, but from the way the dolphins fell back before him, he was clearly the leader.

He was dressed in Greek combat armor-sandals, kilt, and greaves, a breastplate decorated with elaborate sea monster designs and everything he wore was gold. Even his sword, a Greek blade like Riptide, was gold instead of bronze.

Lucia already hated him.

His visor was a full face mask fashioned like a gorgon's head with curved tusks, horrible features pinched into a snarl, and golden snake hair curling around the face. Lucia was never really afraid of snakes, but something about them now made a shiver run up her spine.

Lucia turned so she was shoulder to shoulder with Percy. She signaled to Annabeth to move closer and she complied, standing to the other side of Lucia.

Percy subtly inched forward. Moving his body to be positioned ahead of hers. She grimaced, Lucia knew he simply wanted to protect her but she did not appreciate the gesture. Plus it only worked as leverage against their enemy if they found out they were together.

"Who are you?" Percy demanded. "What do you want?"

The golden warrior chuckled. With a flick of his blade, faster than Percy could follow, he smacked Riptide out of Percy's hand and sent it flying into the sea.

Lucia's grip on her bow tightened. She had never seen Percy get disarmed so easily...

"Hello, brother." The golden warrior's voice was rich and velvety, with an exotic accent—Middle Eastern, maybe that seemed vaguely familiar. "Always happy to rob a fellow son of Poseidon. I am Chrysaor, the Golden Sword. As for what I want..." 

He turned his metal mask toward Lucia. She held a fiery glare against him. "Well, that's easy. I want everything you have."