Sea of Monsters [Book Two]

Clarisse Is Getting Married.

     The island looked like something from a vacation pamphlet. The green meadows, beautiful ocean and vibrant trees were all very positive aspects of the island, but the large gaping chasm was definitely a turn off. In the meadow were herds of sheep casually grazing, and Reagan found herself narrowing her eyes suspiciously. It was all too good to be true, too easy compared to this whole quest up until now. Her suspicions were quickly confirmed when a deer bounded from some bushes near the forest line and into the meadow. In seconds the sheep overcame the deer, and all they could see was tuffs of wool fly up as the sheep ravaged the poor animal. When they finished, nothing was left.

"We need to find a different way," Reagan said as she stared at the meadow with wide eyes.

     They all all agreed and Percy navigated The Queen Ann's Revenge to a side of the island where the cliffs rose high enough to conceal their ship. Using a lifeboat, they sailed to land.

"Percy, look!" Annabeth exclaimed as she pointed to a shoreline on the other side of a small river that poured from the deep chasm in the cliffs. There was one lifeboat there, and in faded letters on the side was 'C.S.S. Birmingham.'

Percy looked at the lifeboat hopefully as he stepped out of their lifeboat and then up at the intimidating cliff side. "It's just like rock climbing back at camp."

Reagan nodded in agreement and stepped forward and hesitantly put her foot in a deep enough wedge to give her leverage, then rose her hands to grasp the jagged rock to pull up on. "It could be worse. Lava could be pouring out now."

     Annabeth rolled her eyes as they all slowly began to scale the cliff. On the way up there were several close calls with losing their lives. The hand that Annabeth had sliced was beginning to burn terribly bad, making it difficult to keep a good hold on any of the rocks. She had wrapped it in some gauze, but not in a good job. It was loose and shifted constantly, which Reagan had to irritably tighten again constantly, but not now when she was hanging off the side of a cliff. The wounded hand slipped, and Reagan almost fell backwards if it wasn't for both Percy and Annabeth grabbing her by her shirt and slowly pulling her back. Glancing behind her, Reagan watched as the tattered gauze drifted all the way to the ground way below them now. There was another moment when Annabeth lost her grip on the rocks and slipped, but Reagan reached out and grasped the blonde's wrist tightly until her own knuckles turned white. They were both panting as they stared at each other, than quickly let go and grabbed the cliff quickly and kept climbing. Annabeth took notice of the way Reagan's bare arms shook with the physical exertion of rock climbing, the way that sweat coated her face. She didn't say anything, but she obviously noticed the cut on Reagan's uncovered hand.

A new new voice growled out from somewhere that they couldn't see, and Reagan was too tired to react any better than to just turn around once they reached the top. The cliff dropped off right on the other side, and right on the other side was Polyphemus standing in the opening of his cave home. And hanging upside down over a boiling pot of water was Clarisse.

"Challenge me!" Clarisse growled, her face turning red as blood rushed to her head. "Give me back my sword and fight me!"

Polyphemus roared with laughter. "Eat loudmouth girl now or wait for wedding feast? What does my bride think?"

"Bride?" Clarisse demanded. "You mean Grover?"

The three Demigods on the ledge had crouched down to stay hidden. While Annabeth muttered under her breath about Clarisse needing to shut up, Reagan was trying to hold back her laughter the best she could. Unaware of Percy's dreams about Grover, seeing the shaggy goat boy in a wedding dress was hysterical.

"'Grover?'" the Cyclops repeated and turned on Grover, who whimpered and took a careful step back and almost tripped on his finished wedding train.

"The Satyr!"

"T-The hot water must be boiling her brain. Take her down, dear," Grover stuttered out nervously.

     Polyphemus' lips curled, and he angrily lashed out. His large arm swung out, tearing the dress off of Grover to reveal a torn orange camp shirt with jeans. The Cyclops pulled the veil off, and he could plainly see horns poking out and a scruffy beard. Polyphemus howled with anger, chest heaving.

"I don't see very well. Not since the last hero stabbed me in the eye, BUT YOU ARE NO LADY CYCLOPS!"

He swiped at Grover again, who yelped and ducked while backing away again.

"Don't e-eat me! I taste terrible when eaten raw! You can cook me with mango chutney!"

     This seemed to make Polyphemus pause. He was hideous, his milky white eye swept over Clarisse thoughtfully. The light blue kilt suit shifted as he stepped over to the boiling pot.

"You a Satyr?"

"No you big pile of dung! I'm a girl, a daughter of Ares! Now let me down so I can rip your arms off!" Clarisse growled, swinging more fiercely than before.

"Rip my arms off?"

"Yeah. And stuff them down your throat!"

"You've got spunk," the Cyclops praised thoughtfully. After a few moments of silence, he snatched up Grover off the ground. "Have to graze sheep now. Wedding postponed until tonight. Satyr for the main course!"

"You're still getting married?" Grover asked, almost sounding actually hurt.

Polyphemus nodded and looked towards Clarisse hanging upside down still.

She turned even darker, if that was even possible. "What?! Oh, no way-"

     Before they could react or do anything, laughter bellowed. Reagan was laughing hysterically at what just transpired, unfortunately attracting the attention of the Cyclops below.