Indigo Eyes

Chapter 58

And while Percy dealt with that, Thalia had something to ask the daughter of wine.

"Before, back with the boar, you called me Trees," she pointed out and Cressida blinked as if she was only now just registering what she'd done.

"Oh, sorry. I didn't even realise," she replied, her fingers already fidgeting with her charm bracelet.

"No, it, uh, it's fine. But if you're going to give me a nickname, do I get to give you one?" Thalia questioned and Cressida's smile was small.

"Annabeth and I," she started, "we gave each other names based on our parents."

"I know," Thalia spoke. "She's Books and you're Grapes."

"And now, you're Trees."

Thalia seemed moved to be included in the little circle that Cressida and Annabeth had before Grover broke the silence.

"So, now what do we do?"

And the answer was the most intense game of rock, paper, scissors ever. Grover was eliminated after the first round, all three women shooting paper to cover Grover's rock because they all knew that he always plays the only nature-related gesture every time. However, the rest of them were still locked in a stalemate, the three girls not being able to break the tie until Grover stopped the game.

The satyr then led them towards a set of stairs that led to the land under the pier where Percy stood before a fallen Nereus and boy did he smell. Zoë really hadn't been kidding about it.

'You got him!' Zoë said.

"You don't have to sound so amazed," Percy replied, clearly offended.

Nereus moaned. "Oh, wonderful. An audience for my humiliation! The normal deal, I suppose? You'll let me go if I answer your question?"

"I've got more than one question," Percy said.

"Only one question per capture! That's the rule."

Percy glanced at his friends, specifically Cressida who wasn't looking at him but was simply staring at Nereus as if she was trying to come up with a plan, but Percy spoke before she could come up with anything.

"Alright, Nereus," he said. "Tell me where to find this terrible monster that could bring an end to the gods. The one Artemis was hunting."

The Old Man of the Sea smiled, showing off his mossy green teeth.

"Oh, that's too easy," he said evilly. "He's right there." Nereus pointed to the water at Percy's feet.

"Where?" he asked. 

"The deal is complete!" Nereus gloated. With a pop, he turned into a goldfish and did a backflip into the sea.

Cressida threw out her arms, vines sprouting from the sea floor as she tried to catch the goldfish, her plants already struggling to grow against the sea god's power, but she kept at it until Percy pulled her hands down, her vines sinking back into the sea and he gripped her hands.

"Stop! He's already gone. You're wasting your energy for nothing," Percy scolded as she jerked her hands from his grip.

"He still tricked us. He got away and we still have no idea where Artemis or Annabeth are and we have no idea what the -'

"MOOOOOOO!"

"What was that?" Thalia asked with wide eyes.

Percy looked down and swimming near his feet was a cow serpent, nudging his shoe with sad brown eyes.

"Ah, Bessie," Percy said. "Not now."

The creature mooed again and Grover gasped. "He says his name isn't Bessie."