FLOWER POWER ─ percy jackson

xxiv. rainbow the hippocampus

Annabeth and Tyson were both looking at Percy, waiting for an answer. Aster glanced over her shoulder, and the cruise ship was getting farther and farther away. They had to make a decision, and fast. Aster knew that Percy was mulling it over, but he would have to speed it up if they were going to catch their god-given ride.

The sound of harpies was getting closer, and Aster's heart pounded faster.

"We can't leave him," Percy decided. "Tantalus will punish him for us being gone."

"Percy," Annabeth said, trying to keep her cool, "we're going to Polyphemus's island! Polyphemus is an S-i-k... a C-y-k..." She stamped her foot in frustration. As smart as she was, Annabeth was dyslexic, too. They could've been there all night while she tried to spell Cyclops. "You know what I mean!"

"Tyson can go," Percy insisted, crossing his arms across his chest, "if he wants to."

Tyson clapped his hands. "Want to!"

Annabeth gave Percy a death stare, and he glanced over to Aster, who was just staring at her own feet drawing patterns in the sand. He bumped his shoulder against hers, and Aster met his eyes. There was something earnest in them, something that Aster knew that he couldn't be argued with. She took a deep breath, and tried to push her memories out of her mind, for the sake of the quest and the camp.

"Well, what are we waiting for?" Aster asked, plastering a fake grin on her face. "How do we get to that ship?"

"Hermes said my father would help."

"Well then, Seaweed Brain? What are you waiting for?"

Percy rolled his eyes at her, but turned to the surf nonetheless, stepping into the waves.

"Um, Dad?" he called. "How's it going?"

"Hurry up, Barnacle Boy!" Aster whispered.

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

At first, nothing happened. Waves crashed against the shore like normal. The harpies sounded like they were right behind the sand dunes. Then, about a hundred yards out to sea, four white lines appeared on the surface. They moved fast toward the shore, like claws ripping through the ocean.

As they neared the beach, the surf burst apart and the heads of four white stallions reared out of the waves. Well, not exactly horses.

Tyson caught his breath. "Fish ponies!"

He was right. As the creatures pulled themselves onto the sand, Aster saw that they were only horses in the front; their back halves were silvery fish bodies, with glistening scales and rainbow tail fins.

"Hippocampi!" Annabeth said. "They're beautiful."

The nearest one whinnied in appreciation and nuzzled Annabeth. Aster raised her hand out to one, which allowed her to pat it gratefully.

"We'll admire them later," Percy said. "Come on!"

"There!" a voice screeched behind us. "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 sort of looked like miniature cafeteria ladies who'd been crossbred with dodo birds. They weren't very fast, thank the gods, but they were vicious if they caught a camper. Aster had been terrified of them when she was a kid (she still was), considering they would strip their bones if they wanted to.

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

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