Indigo Eyes

Chapter 29

"You're welcome," Cressida replied.

"Clarisse, was there anyone else on board your lifeboat?" Percy asked and she looked surprised.

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

Clarisse and Grover were both surprised when Cressida moved over to squeeze Percy's hand, a silent message passing between the two before Percy pulled his hand away and said, "Ok. Come on, then. We have to help-"

An explosion echoed through the cave, followed by a scream. It was Annabeth crying out in fear.

"Move!" Cressida ordered and they broke into a sprint as Percy led them out of the cave.

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"I got Nobody!" Polyphemus gloated. They crept to the cave entrance and saw the Cyclops, grinning wickedly, holding up empty air. The monster shook his fist, and a baseball cap fluttered to the ground. There was Annabeth, hanging upside down by her legs.

"Hah!" the Cyclops said. "Nasty invisible girl! Already got feisty one for wife. Means you gotta be roasted with mango chutney!" 

Annabeth struggled, but she looked dazed. She had a nasty cut on her forehead. Her eyes were glassy.

"I'll rush him," Percy whispered to Clarisse. "Our ship is around the back of the island. You and Grover –"

Percy was cut off both by Grover and Clarisse shouting, "No way!" and by Cressida not waiting for anyone as she ran at the Cyclops. She'd drawn her spear and sent it flying into the cyclops' knee.

"Hey, Ugly!" she called. "I'm the one who insulted you. I'm Nobody!" she said and Percy's eyes widened in shock.

"Shit," Percy swore before looking at his friends. "Attack plan Macedonia," he said and they nodded before they got to work, Clarisse armed with a rams-horn spear and Grover with a sheep's thigh bone. He was grateful that they'd all taken the same training courses at camp so they knew exactly what he was talking about. 

"You are Nobody?" the Cyclops asked after pulling her spear out of his leg like a toothpick and throwing it away.

"That's right, dumbass!" she shouted back. "Now put her down and get over here so I can blind you again!"

"RAAR!" he bellowed as he dropped Annabeth but he dropped her head first onto the rocks where she lay motionless, the gash on her forehead making her look scarily dead.

Now it was Cressida's turn to get angry. No one hurt her friends.

Percy had only just made it to her side as she drew her spear again but this time it was in thyrsus form with a sharpened end. She let out a battle cry before bringing it down into the earth that began to crack as the fissure raced for the cyclops that was barrelling towards them and vines sprouted from the crack.

The thick plants wrapped around the giant's ankles as they began to move upwards, holding his entire body like a cast.

"I can't hold it long!" Cressida yelled and Percy looked to Grover.

"Get Annabeth!" he ordered as the satyr grabbed her invisibility cap before picking her up and navigating his way out of the rocks with ease.

Clarisse, however, took the opportunity to whale on the cyclops through the gaps in the vines Cressida summoned, but the problem with that meant that Polyphemus was writhing in pain and that meant more moving which made Cressida's job harder. Percy also joined in the fray as Cressida took deep breaths, keeping her focus as she thought about Annabeth being hurt and keeping the person that hurt her immobile.