(Ella's POV)
When you think “monster island”, you think craggy rocks & bones scattered on the beach like the island of the Sirens.
The Cyclops’s island was nothing like that.
I mean, okay, it had a rope bridge across a chasm, which was not a good sign. You might as well put up a billboard that said, SOMETHING EVIL LIVES HERE.
But except for that, the place looked like a Caribbean postcard. It had green fields, tropical fruit trees & white beaches.
As we sailed toward the shore, Annie breathed in the sweet air & said. “The Fleece.”
I nodded. I couldn’t see the Fleece yet, but I could feel its power. I could believe it would heal anything, even Thalia’s poisoned tree.
“If we take it away, will the island die?” Percy asked.
Annie shook her head. “It’ll fade. Go back to what it would be normally, whatever it is.”
I felt a little guilty about ruining this paradise, but I reminded myself that we had no choice. Camp Half-Blood was in trouble.
Even Tyson...Tyson would still be with us if it wasn’t for this quest.
In the meadow at the base of the ravine, several dozen sheep were milling around. They looked peaceful enough, but they were huge-the size of hippos.
Just past them was a path that led up into the hills.
At the top of the path, near the edge of the canyon, was a massive oak tree.
Something gold glittered in its branches.
“This is too easy,” Percy said. “We could just hike up there & take it?”
“There’s supposed be a guardian. A dragon or...” I said.
That’s when a deer emerged from the bushes. It trotted into the meadow, looking for grass to eat, when the sheep all bleated at once & rushed the animal.
It happened so fast that the deer stumbled & was lost in a sea of wool & trampling hooves.
Grass & tufts of fur flew into the air.
A second later the sheep all moved away, back to their regular peaceful wanderings.
Where the deer had been was a pile of clean white bones.
Percy, Annie & I exchanged looks.
“They’re like piranhas,” she said.
“Piranhas with wool. How will we-“ Percy started to say.
“Guys!” Annie gasped, grabbing my arm. “Look.”
She pointed down the beach, to just below the sheep meadow, where a small boat had been run aground...the other lifeboat from the CSS Birmingham.
We decided there was no way we could get past the man-eating sheep.
Annie wanted to sneak up the path invisibly & grab the Fleece, but in the end Percy & I convinced her that something would go wrong.
The sheep would definitely smell her.
Another guardian would appear.
Something. And if that happened, we’d be too far away to help her.
Besides, our first job was to find Grover & whoever had come ashore in that lifeboat-assuming they’d gotten past the sheep. I was secretly hoping...that Tyson might still be alive.
I could tell that it was affecting Percy a lot even though he was trying really hard not to let it show...
We moored the Queen Anne’s Revenge on the back side of the island where the cliffs rose straight up a good two hundred feet.
Because the ship was less likely to be seen there. The cliffs looked climbable, barely-about as difficult as the lava wall back at camp. At least it was free of sheep.
I hoped that Polyphemus did not also keep carnivorous mountain goats.
We rowed a lifeboat to the edge of the rocks & made our way up, very slowly.
I went first because Percy & Annie decided that I was the better climber.
We only came close to dying six or seven times, which I thought was pretty good.
Once, I lost my grip & found myself dangling by one hand from a ledge fifty feet above the rocky surf. But I found another handhold & kept climbing.
A minute later Annie hit a slippery patch of moss & her foot slipped.
Fortunately, she found something else to put it against. Unfortunately, that something was Percy's face.
“Sorry,” she murmured.
“S’okay,” He grunted, & I was secretly glad that I wasn't the one to find out what Annie’s sneaker tasted like.
Finally, when my fingers felt like molten lead & my arm muscles were shaking from exhaustion, we hauled ourselves over the top of the cliff & collapsed.
“Ugh,” I said.
"Oof," Percy said.
“Ouch,” moaned Annabeth.
“Garrr!” bellowed another voice.
If I hadn’t been so tired, I would’ve leaped another two hundred feet.
I whirled around, but I couldn’t see who’d spoken.
Annie clamped her hand over my mouth. She pointed.
The ledge we were sitting on was narrower than I’d realized.
It dropped off on the opposite side, & that’s where the voice was coming from-right below us.
“You’re a feisty one!” the deep voice bellowed.
“Challenge me!” It was Clarisse’s voice, no doubt about it. “Give me back my sword & I’ll fight you!”
The monster roared with laughter.
Percy, Annie & I shared a look before creeping to the edge which was right above the entrance of the cyclops cave.
😩🫣....
Plsss don't kill meee!!
Anyways..hope u enjoy the chapter😌
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Take care my lovely readers.❤️
Alice signing off.
XOXO.
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