The Afterlife (HoO Fanfiction)

Istanbul

~Annabeth~

The ship was sailing at full speed towards Istanbul. I could feel the floor shake under my feet and the floorboards cracking. I wondered if the ship would still be in one piece once arrived at the destination. Percy and Jason were using their powers to push the boat faster. Hazel was manipulating the Mist to allow us to go unnoticed. If the Coast Guard saw us going this fast, they would go after us and we definitely did not have the time to fight off Coast guards again. As for me, I was biting my nails, anxious. If the gods had used their last bits of power to give Leo's phone number to Rachel, something bad was bound to happen.

We had decided to take a plane. The gods seemed to have very little power left and we hoped that Zeus would be too busy keeping his forces to think about zapping Percy out of the sky. This was our best option. We had only a few hours left and we could not go by boat. And Nico could not transport 6 adults with him without risking to end up in Australia.

I was looking at the scenery moving fast before me as we crossed the Dardanelles strait. On both sides, I could see fields rolling out and little country houses. Soft green hills highlighted the view. Leo was controlling the ship with skill, dodging other boats on the strait. I went closer to him. He looked in his element, hair in the wind, singing softly a song.

Every gal in Constantinople

Lives in Istanbul, not Constantinople

So if you've a date in Constantinople

She'll be waiting in Istanbul

I threw his a desperate look, but I had to admit that he had made me smile. Suddenly, the landscape changed when we reached the Sea of Marmara. I could see small islands in the distance. Then, I decided to go below deck to pack my bag. We had to move quickly upon our arrival in Istanbul.

I packed the few clothes I had thrown in randomly in my bag a few weeks back. I tried to place the best I could all the items. Two shirts, one of them with a hole in it from our last battle, a few spare socks, two toothbrushes, my laptop and two water bottles. I placed on top my wallet containing a few Euros, drachmas, my credit card, and two ambrosia squares. Taking the bags back on deck, I saw Will doing the same thing. I could see that he was worried. I squeezed his hand in mine, trying to give him a bit of hope through this brief contact.

On deck, I could see Istanbul as a small, hazy silhouette. Calypso was also working hard, trying to contain the waves. We were approaching the city rapidly. Percy and Jason stopped progressively to push the boat with wind and current. We only had to find a place to dock.

We entered the Bosphorus strait. To our left, we could see the Topkapı Palace, built in 1465, a mix of Byzantine and Ottoman architecture. We passed the Maiden's Tower, guarding the entrance of the strait. Father, higher in the city, I could see the Camlica mosque. So many architectural masterpieces. I bit my lip. I realized how much far from home I was and how much was left to discover if only we had the time to visit.

The boat docked near a little public square. Tourists were enjoying the afternoon sun and the magnificent view. But we didn't have the time to do the same, so we barely noticed the sun on our skin and the marine smell. We each took our small backpack and rushed to the streets at random. Quickly, I spotted two taxis waiting, parked at the side of a street. Percy, Will, Nico, Jason and I sat in the first one as Leo, Calypso, Frank and Hazel sat in the second one.

"The airport, please."

The driver seemed to understand and I was relieved. I had no idea if Turkish people spoke English. Apparently, yes.

The taxi zigzagged in the small streets of Istanbul where were architecture passed from modern to medieval, displaying the richness of the city's history. After a half-hour ride, spent in total silence, we finally arrived at the airport. I was blown away by the control tower stretching towards the sky. I remembered what I had read about architecture. The airport had been finished 3 years prior and was the world's largest. Andrew Thomas, the architect responsible for this masterpiece, was inspired by XVIth century mosques. Despite my desire to spend hours enjoying the view, I kept myself from commenting, aware of the urgency of the situation. We scrambled into the airport, looking for any way possible to reach New York. Leo was still singing.