SAFE || percy jackson

0.7

Nico drew his Stygian Iron sword out, but Eurytion knocked it out of his hand. Before Percy could even react, Orthus pounced on his chest and growled, his faces an inch away from his.

"I would stay in the car, all of you," Geryon warned. "Or Orthus here will tear Mr. Jackson's throat out. Now, Eurytion, if you would be so kind, secure Nico."

The cowherd wanted to groan, but instead spit into the grass. "Do I have to?"

"Yes, you fool!" Eurytion looked bored, but he wrapped one huge arm around Nico and lifted him up like a wrestler.

"Pick up the sword, too," Geryon said with distaste. "There's nothing I hate worse than Stygian Iron. It burns me every time." Eurytion picked up the jet black sword, careful not to touch the blade.

"Now," Geryon said cheerfully, "we've had the tour. Let's go back to the lodge, have some lunch, and send an Iris-message to our friends in the Titan army."

"You fiend!" Annabeth cried out. Geryon smiled at her, proud of something he could never do.

"Don't worry, my dear. Once I've delivered Mr. di Angelo, you and your party can go. I don't like to interfere with quests. Besides, I've been paid well to give you safe passage, which does not, I'm afraid, include Mr. di Angelo.

"Paid by whom?" Annabeth questioned. "What do you mean?"

"Never you mind, darlin'. Let's be off, shall we?"

"Wait!" Percy shouted, and Orthus growled. He stood perfectly still so Orthus wouldn't tear his vocal chords out.

"Geryon, you said you're a businessman. Make me a deal." Geryon narrowed his eyes in suspicion.

"What sort of deal? Do you have gold?" eagerly asked Geryon.

"I've got something better. Barter."

"But Mr. Jackson, you've got nothing."

"You could have him clean the stables," Eurytion suggested innocently.

"I'll do it!" Percy said. "If I fail, you get all of us. Trade us all to Luke for gold."

"Assuming the horses don't eat you...," Geryon observed.

"Either way, you get my friends, but if I succeed, you've got to let all of us go, including Nico." Percy thought carefully for a few seconds before saying, "You've gotta let the girl in the cage go to."

Annabeth went to jab him in the side and he let out a small grunt.

"No!" Nico screamed. "Don't do me any favors, Percy. I don't want your help!"

Geryon chuckled. "Percy Jackson, those stables haven't been cleaned in a thousand years... though it's true I might be able to sell more stable space if all that poop was cleared away."

"So what have you got to lose?" dared Percy.

The rancher hesitated. "All right, I'll accept your offer, but you have to get it done by sunset. The girl is a maybe though. If you fail, your friends get sold, and I get rich."

"Deal."

***

Percy lost hope when he saw the horses' teeth. From afar, they were a nasty shades of mustard yellow. As he got closer to the fence, he tried to block the smell by holding his shirt over his nose.

One stallion waded through the muck and whinnied angrily at Percy. He bared his teeth, which were pointed like a bear's. Percy tried to talk to him in his mind; he can do that with most horses.

Hi, Percy told him. I'm going to clean your stables. Won't that be great?

Yes! exclaimed the horse. Come inside! Eat you! Tasty half-blood!

But I'm Poseidon's son, Percy protested. He created horses. Usually, this would get Percy a special pass, but these horses wouldn't allow it.

Yes! The horse agreed enthusiastically. Poseidon can come in, too! We will eat you both! Seafood! Seafood!

The other horses chimed in as they waded through the muck covered field. Flies were buzzing everywhere, and the hot sun didn't make the smell any better. Percy had some idea that he could do this challenge because he remembered how Hercules had done it. He'd channeled a river into the stables and cleaned them out that way. 

Percy thought he could maybe control the water, but if he couldn't get close to the horses without getting eaten, that was a problem. The river was downhill from the stables, a lot farther away than he realized, almost half a mile. The problem of the poop looked a lot bigger up close and was bigger to Percy.

Percy picked up a rusted shovel and experimentally scooped some away from the fence line.

Great. Only four billion shovelfuls to go, thought the sea green eyed teen. The sun was already sinking and that means he has only a few more hours to go. As he sighed, Percy decided the river was his only hope. He walked off downhill to the river.

When Percy got to the river, he found a girl waiting for him. She was wearing jeans, a green T-shirt and her long brown hair was braided with river grass. She had a stern look on her face and her arms were crossed.

"Oh no you don't." she sassed.

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