Warriors || Leo Valdez [2]

5

Behind them, the stairs creaked. Percy and Annabeth climbed up, their faces grim. Alex almost didn't want to ask.

"Is Jason-?" Leo asked instead, the same panic filled expression on his features.

"He's resting," Annabeth said. "Piper's keeping an eye on him, but he should be fine."

Percy gave him a hard look. "Annabeth says you did fire the ballista?"

"Man, I-I don't understand how it happened. I'm so sorry-"

"Sorry?" Percy growled.

"He didn't do it on purpose Percy" Alex took a step forward.

"He really didn't" Violet confirmed. 

"Who's side are you on?" Percy asked them. 

"There is no side here, Leo's not lying as far as I can tell... there was something controlling... i dunno" Violet shrugged, just as stumped as the rest of them.

Annabeth put a hand on her boyfriend's chest. "We'll figure it out later. Right now, we have to regroup and make a plan. What's the situation with the ship?"

Leo told Annabeth about the damage and the supplies they needed. Alex knew he felt better talking about something fixable.

He was bemoaning the shortage of Celestial bronze when Festus began to whir and squeak.
"Perfect." Leo sighed with relief.

"What's perfect?" Annabeth said. "I could use some perfect about now."

Leo managed a smile. "Everything we need in one place. Frank, why don't you turn into a bird or something? Fly down and tell your girlfriend to meet us at the Great Salt Lake in Utah."

Once they got there, it wasn't a pretty landing. With the oars damaged and the foresail torn, Leo could barely manage a controlled descent. The others strapped themselves in below-except for Coach Hedge, who insisted on clinging to the forward rail, yelling, "YEAH! Bring it on, lake!" Leo stood astern, alone at the helm, and aimed as best he could.

Festus creaked and whirred warning signals, which were relayed through the intercom to the quarterdeck.

"I know, I know," Leo said, gritting his teeth.

Alex didn't have much time to take in the scenery. To the southeast, a city was nestled in the foothills of a mountain range, blue and purple in the afternoon shadows. A flat desert landscape spread to the south. Directly beneath them the Great Salt Lake glittered like aluminum foil, the shoreline etched with white salt marshes that reminded Leo of aerial photos of Mars.

"Hang on, Coach!" he shouted. "This is going to hurt."

"I was born for hurt!"

WHOOM! A swell of salt water washed over the bow, dousing Coach Hedge. The Argo II listed dangerously to starboard, then righted itself and rocked on the surface of the lake. Machinery hummed as the aerial blades that were still working changed to nautical form.

Three banks of robotic oars dipped into the water and began moving them forward.

"Good job, Festus," Leo said. "Take us toward the south shore."

"Yeah!" Coach Hedge pumped his fists in the air. He was drenched from his horns to hooves, but grinning like a crazy goat. "Do it again!"

"Uh... maybe later," Leo said. "Just stay above deck, okay? You can keep watch, in case-you know, the lake decides to attack us or something."

"On it," Hedge promised.

Leo rang the All clear bell and headed for the stairs. Before he got there, a loud clump-clump-clump shook the hull. A tan stallion appeared on deck with Hazel Levesque on his back.