𝐃𝐄𝐉𝐀 𝐕𝐔 • Percy Jackson.

II-09

        RIDING ON THE WIND ITSELF WAS EVEN WORSE THAN THE WATER HORSES. The flasks provided by Hermes was scary as shit. Ocean water sprayed on his face as they whizzed past with the wail of outrage echoing behind them.  The Princess Andromeda faded to the size of a white toy boat in the distance, and then it was gone.

"Let's send an iris-message to Chiron!" Annabeth shouted over the stream, but the connection was quite poor.

When Annabeth threw a gold drachma into the mist and prayed for the rainbow goddess to show them Chiron, his face appeared, but lights flashed in the background and rock music blared.

Didn't know Chiron was into this type of stuff, Amani thought as Annabeth told their adventures. She told him about sneaking away from camp, and Luke and the Princess Andromeda and the golden box for Kronos’s remains, but between the noise on his end and the rushing wind and water on their end, nobody was sure if Chiron could hear.

"Percy," Chiron yelled, "You have to watch out for –" His voice was drowned out by loud shouting behind him – a bunch of voices whooping it up like Comanche warriors. "What?" Percy yelled. "Curse my relatives!" Chiron ducked as a plate flew over his head and shattered somewhere out of sight.

"You two shouldn’t have let Percy leave camp! But if you do get the Fleece –"

"Yeah, baby!" somebody behind Chiron yelled. "Woo-hoooooo!" The music got cranked up, subwoofers so loud it made their boat vibrate. "-- Miami," Chiron was yelling. "I’ll try to keep watch –" Their misty screen smashed apart like someone on the other side had thrown a bottle at it, and Chiron was gone.

An hour later they spotted land – a long stretch of beach lined with high-rise hotels. The water became crowded with fishing boats and tankers. A coastguard cruiser passed on their starboard side, then turned like it wanted a second look. Amani wasn't surprised, wasn't everyday you'd see a lifeboat going hundreds with four kids.

"That’s Virginia Beach!" Annabeth exclaimed as they approached the shoreline. The initial surprise turned to dread, "Oh my gods, how did the Princess Andromeda travel so far overnight? That’s like –"

"Five hundred and thirty nautical miles," Percy interrupted. Everyone turned to stare at him. "How the hell do you know that?" Amani asked. "I – I’m not sure." Percy muttered. Annabeth thought for a moment. "Percy, what’s our position?" Without a moment of hesitation, "thirty-six degrees, forty-four minutes north, seventy-six degrees, two minutes west, " Percy said immediately. He shook his head, "whoa. How did I know that?" Percy asked himself.

"Because of your dad," Annabeth guessed. "When you’re at sea, you have perfect bearings. That is so cool." She praised and Amani nodded. "I guess we have a human GPS now, nice going toilet boy." Amani said with a grin. It looked like Percy wanted to say something, but Tyson suddenly tapped his shoulder. "Other boat is coming." Amani looked back.  The coastguard vessel was definitely on their tail now. Its lights were flashing and it was gaining speed.

"We can’t let them catch us," Percy said. Amani nodded, "They’ll ask too many questions." Annabeth thought for a moment before saying, "keep going into Chesapeake Bay, I know a place we can hide." Percy nodded and loosened the flask cap a little more and not long after a fresh burst of wind set them rocketing around the northern tip of Virginia Beach on Chesapeake Bay.  The coastguard boat fell further and further behind. They didn’t slow down until the shores of the bay narrowed on either side, entering the mouth of a river.

"You okay?" Amani, who sat behind Percy, asked, a weight on his chest. Percy was leaning against him. He looked sluggish.  He feels his body grow warm with the addition of someone else. "Just let me lay here for a little bit…" Percy muttered. "It's probably the switch between salt and freshwater. He's worn out." Annabeth explained, but still directed Percy to steer the boat. "There," She said. "Past that sandbar." They veered into a swampy area choked with marsh grass. Percy beached the lifeboat at the foot of a giant cypress.