Bride of the Sea God

Chapter 3

The boat sailed on for what seemed like ages. Her stomach growled but there was nothing she could do. Large waves began to form, bobbing the boat up and down. Perhaps it was fortunate that Annabeth did not have much in her stomach for she soon grew seasick.

Suddenly, the boat crashed against some sort of invisible barrier. throwing Annabeth backwards. Annabeth clutched at the sides of the boat, fearful that she was going to tip over. The waves were still pushing the boat in a forward direction, but the boat was staying in place.

Annabeth stretched her hand forward and felt some sort of resistance. Even the waves did not pass through freely. On the other side of the barrier was smooth ocean, with light ripples instead of the quaking waves on her side of the stormy ocean. To her, this clearly must was some sort of magical boundary to keep intruders out. But there was nothing but the tumultuous sea beyond the boundary that she could see.

How long did this boundary go for? Annabeth took a broken plank that she had picked up and tried to row against the barrier, hoping to either find an opening or go around. The waves continued to crash against the boat, making it hard for her to move around.

"My oar!"

A particularly large wave swamped over the boat, and Annabeth lost grip of the plank. The sky decided to pour down at that moment.

Annabeth scowled at the sky. Were the gods so determined to have her die?

Thinking her situation was unbelievable, Annabeth couldn't help but laugh. Perhaps, she was going crazy. At least, her death would be somewhat spectacular, dying while being sent as a bride to the gods.

She wiped away the rain from her face just in time to feel her boat begin to float backwards. Annabeth whirled around, spotting a whirlpool beginning to form.

"No, this cannot be happening."

To her horror, the whirlpool grew bigger, drawing in the boat. If it were not for the waves crashing against the boat, the vessel would have long drifted in. Annabeth quickly adjusted the makeshift mast, trying to maximize the wind's strength as much as possible to get away from the whirlpool. The boat shuddered as it slammed against the barrier. Sea water began damping Annabeth's feet as cracks appeared in the boat floor.

But the swirling mass of sea only grew bigger. As if angry that the boat was managing to stay away, the churning waters rushed up.

Frustrated, Annabeth slammed on the invisible barrier that was between death and freedom. Suddenly, the barrier vanished as though it had never been there. Simultaneously, the makeshift mast collapsed. Annabeth made a split-second decision.

She abandoned the boat and threw herself into the side of the sea where the barrier had been blocking her. The ocean was shockingly cold, freezing her senses. Annabeth's face stung as one rough wave knocked over her, knocking the breath out of her lungs. Then her body sank towards the sea floor.

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Percy thought that when he became a god, at least he would lose the ability to dream. That was not so. Sometimes, the dreams were even more vivid than they were when he was but a mere demigod.

He was running towards the monsters instead of away, fury coursing through his veins. They had taken everything from him.

Everything. His home. The people he loved.

Even if he was a demigod, even if the monsters hated him, then go for him, not his family.

Percy screamed in rage as water burst from the ground, immediately flooding the horde of water serpents. Being freshwater creatures, the serpents could not stand the salinity of the seawater and thrashed in panic as the water assaulted their senses.