𝙩𝙪 𝙢𝙚 𝙢𝙖𝙣𝙦𝙪𝙚𝙨 - p. jackson [₂]

𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒙𝒊𝒗.

"𝐘𝐄𝐀𝐇! 𝐁𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐈𝐓 𝐎𝐍, 𝐋𝐀𝐊𝐄!"

i groaned from my place in the control room on hearing coach's voice.

"that is the loudest man i've ever heard in my life," i muttered.

leo managed a weak grin.

the others had strapped themselves below deck, while leo and i stood at the controls. i felt horrible for not knowing any advanced controls, and the fact that i let leo go after feeling the chill. he was beating himself up for my mistake.

festus whirled out some warnings, which were relayed through the intercom.

"i know, i know," leo grit his teeth.

leo aimed the ship to the lake, bringing it right up.

"hang on, coach!" he called. "this is gonna hurt!"

"i was born for hurt!" coach called back.

"he's insane," i muttered.

a wave of salt water splashed over hedge as we landed, dousing him completely.

machinery began to hum as i flicked a few switches. the ship began to right itself, slowly but steadily.

"good job, festus," leo praised the dragon. "take us towards the south shore."

"yeah!" hedge jumped from his spot of the ship. "do it again!"

leo and i exchanged concerned glances. he stepped back as if to say, all yours.

"maybe another time," i told him. "when we're not in the middle of a quest to save our ship then the world."

"uh, why don't you keep an eye out on the lake?" leo asked. "make sure it doesn't attack us... or something."

"you got it," hedge grinned.

"we good?" i asked, making sure.

"we good," leo nodded.

i pressed the all clear alarm and followed leo to the stairs. before we even made it to the deck, we heard a clomp-clomp-clomp, and there stood a tan horse. hazel slid down.

"how—" leo's question died. "can that thing fly? we're in the middle of a lake!"

the horse whinnied angrily and i took a step back.