The Nature of a Demigod

Breaking the Rules

"Just listen. The real story of the Fleece: there were these two children of Zeus, Cadmus and Europa, okay? They were about to get offered up as human sacrifices, when they prayed to Zeus to save them. So Zeus sent this magical flying ram with golden wool, which picked them up in Greece and carried them all the way to Colchis in Asia Minor. Well, actually it carried Cadmus. Europa fell off and died along the way, but that's not important." Annabeth explained

"It was probably important to her." Percy replied

"The point is, Percy," I said. "That when Cadmus got there, he sacrificed the ram to the gods, and then he hung the fleece in a tree in the kingdom, It made the kingdom prosper. People and animals stopped getting sick, crops grew better, plagues never showed up. That's why Jason wanted it. It can cure sickness, makes nature stronger, and decontaminates areas of pollution. It-"

"It could cure Thalia's tree." he said, stunned.

"Bingo, Perce." I said, tossing a now clean plate to the side.

Annabeth nodded. "And it would totally strengthen the borders of Camp Half-Blood. But Percy, the Fleece has been missing for centuries. Tons of heroes have searched for it with no luck."

"But Grover found it," he said. "He went looking for Pan and he found the Fleece instead because they both radiate nature magic. It makes sense, Annabeth. We can rescue him and save the camp at the same time. It's perfect!"

"It's a little too convenient, isn't it Percy?" I said, wiping a bead of sweat with my upper arm.

Annabeth hesitated. "What if it's a trap?"

It was a solid idea, in theory, but remembering last summer, there's always more than meets the eye. I mean, we just went out west to get Zeus' symbol of power back from Hades, oh wait! Turns out, Kronos was behind it, and a guy who I thought of as a close friend was actually a traitorous bastard that was going to start a war that ended western civilization as we knew it.

So yeah, normal summer for a twelve year old. Now I was thirteen though, so maybe it would be different.

"What choice do we have?" Percy asked. "Are you going to help me rescue Grover or not?"

I looked at Tyson who was making toy boats in the lava. Annabeth had a similar idea.

"Percy," she said under her breath, "we'll have to fight a Cyclops. Polyphemus, the worst of the Cyclops. And there's only one place his island could be. The Sea of Monsters."

"Where's that?"

Sometimes it's hard to tell if Percy is actually dumb or if he's just joking.

"The Sea of Monsters." she scoffed. "The same sea Odysseus sailed through, and Jason, and Aeneas, and all the others."

"You mean the Mediterranean?"

"Sort of... " I muttered.

"Another straight answer. Thanks."

"Look, Percy, the Sea of Monsters is the sea all heroes sail through on their adventures. It used to be in the Mediterranean, yes. But like everything else, it shifts locations as the West's center of power shifts." Annabeth explained.

"Like how Mount Olympus is in New York and Hades is in L.A." I added. Percy nodded in understanding.

"But a whole sea full of monsters, how could you hide something like that? Wouldn't the mortals notice weird things happening... like, ships getting eaten and stuff ?"