Andromeda
"The campers will hear it and pressure him into giving us a quest," Percy said to Annabeth and me as we washed the dishes with lava.
"You think so?" I asked.
"It might work," Annabeth said with a touch of hope in her voice.
"Then it's settled. We'll ask for the quest at the singalong tonight." Percy grinned.
"Yes, please give us a death sentence. We're begging you!" I laughed.
"You know, if we word it like that, I think he might." Annabeth laughed with me until Tyson started laughing too, probably not knowing what he was laughing at.
***
That night at the campfire, Apollo's cabin led the singalong, and to say it was bla, would be a total understatement. It was worse. Everyone was singing half-heartedly while watching the 5-foot lint-colored flames.
Dionysus had the right idea with leaving early. I almost wanted to leave as well, but we needed to get this quest. Ha! Just watch; he'll give it to Clarisse. I thought bitterly as Percy stood up and looked over at me. I stood up with Annabeth following not even a second later. I zoned out until the campers started chanting.
"We need a quest! We need a quest!"
The flames rose higher.
"It isn't necessary!" Tantalus tried.
"WE NEED A QUEST! WE NEED A QUEST!" We all yelled louder.
"Fine!" He shouted, his eyes blazing with anger. "You brats want me to assign a quest?"
"YES!"
"Very well." He said as he glared at me. I was ready. I glared back at him with confidence shining through my eyes as my dark blue hair swished in the wind. "CLARISSE!"
My jaw dropped. I was joking! I was joking! My mind panicked as everyone started picking sides with either us or the Ares cabin.
"Silence, you brats!" Tantalus's voice shook everyone. He told a story about how, I'm guessing, he cooked his children and fed them to the gods. It was weird and creepy and had everyone terrified. Once he finished, he sent everyone off to bed, but I snuck off towards the water. I knew I wouldn't be able to sleep, and the harpies wouldn't dare to even snarl at me, so I sat there by the water playing with the waves.
"What are you doing?" A voice asked as my body involuntarily scrunched up.
"Nothing." I slowly turned around just to let out a sigh of relief once the son of the sea came into my sight. "What are you doing? The harpies will eat you, you know." I smiled up at him as he laid down a beach blanket and popped open a coke, handing one to me.
"I know, but you'll pardon me, right?" He grinned.
"We'll see." I rolled my eyes before I took a sip of the sweet drink, letting it dance over my taste buds before swallowing. A soft sigh escaped my lips as I leaned back, admiring the full moon and the stars.
"Beautiful, aren't they?"
"Don't scare him, Hermes." I laughed as Percy just about choked on his soda, and a phone rang.
"Just a moment," Hermes said before he answered it. I patted Percy's back, trying to help him get some air back into his lungs.
"There, there." I tried as he rolled his eyes at me.
"Sorry." Hermes started.
"You have snakes on your phone." Percy pointed out.
"Oh, they don't bite. Say hello, George and Martha."
Hello, George and Martha. A raspy male's voice sounded.
Don't be sarcastic. Especially in front of her Highness. Said a female voice.
Why not? George demanded. I do all the real work.
"Oh, let's not get into that again!" Hermes slipped his phone back into his pocket. I just watched the sky as I zoned in and out of the conversation.
I came back once Hermes snapped himself out of sight and saw the vitamins, thermos, and the four yellow duffel bags.
"So, you guys ready?" I asked as I shouldered one of the bags.
"Ready for what?" Tyson asked.
"A quest." I smiled softly at him as Percy asked his father for help, and three hippocampi raced over to us.
"They're gorgeous." I touched one on the nose as it nuzzled my hand. Percy mounted one and held his hand out to me.
"Ready?" He asked as he pulled me on.
"Always." I grinned as we started moving quickly but with such grace.
Princess Andromeda
That was the name on the side of the yacht. It was white and gold and just absolutely dazzling. Attached to the bow was a colossal masthead that looks almost exactly like me when Aphrodite dressed me when Percy and I went to Olympus last year.
She was three stories tall, wearing a white Greek chiton, sculpted to look as if she was chained to the front of the ship. She was young and beautiful, with flowing black hair, but her expression was of absolute terror.
I remembered the myth about my namesake, Andromeda. Her parents told Poseidon that she was prettier then, I think his daughters or whatever. He sent a sea monster to terrorize her kingdom, so her parents chained her to a rock as a sacrifice until the brave Perseus came to save her, just in time to turn the sea monster to stone using the decapitated head of Medusa.
"How do we get aboard?" Annabeth asked as we skimmed along the starboard side of the ship and pulled up next to a service ladder riveted to the side of the hull.
"You first," Percy told Annabeth before she climbed up. "Now, you, Ann." He said as he lifted me up to the ladder because I was just a little too short.
"Thanks," I whispered, following Annabeth, as Percy came up too, with Tyson in his wake.
The ladder led up to a maintenance deck stacked with yellow lifeboats.
"Bad smell," Tyson mumbled as I rubbed his arm gently, trying to soothe him.
"We need a hiding place." Percy sighed. "Somewhere safe to sleep."
"Sleep." Annabeth agreed wearily.
We found an empty suite on the ninth level and decided to stay there for the night.
"We'll be next door," Annabeth said. "Don't drink or eat anything." I nodded tiredly before following her into the next room and flopping down on the soft mattress, and quickly falling asleep.
