SAFE || percy jackson

0.8

Percy stared at her. "Are you a naiad?"

She rolled her eyes. "Of course!"

"B-but you speak English. And you're out of the water."

"What, you don't think we can act human if we want to?"

Percy had never thought about it. When he was at Camp Half-Blood, he had only seen naiads giggle and wave at him from the canoe lake. He felt really stupid.

"Look," Percy sighed. "I just came to ask—"

"I know who you are," she stated. "And I know what you want. And the answer is no! I'm not going to have my river used again to clean that filthy stable."

'Again?' Percy thought.

"But—"

"Oh, save it, sea boy. You ocean-god types always think you're soooo much more important than some little river, don't you? Well let me tell you, this naiad is not going to be pushed around just because your daddy is Poseidon. This is freshwater territory, mister. The last guy who asked me this favor—oh, he was way better-looking than you, by the way—he convinced me, and that was the worst mistake I've ever made! Do you have any idea what all that horse manure does to my ecosystem? Do I look like a sewage treatment plant to you? My fish will die. I'll never get the much out of my plants. I'll be sick for years. NO THANK YOU!"

The way she talked reminded Percy of his mortal friend, Rachel Elizabeth Dare—kind of like she was punching him with words. Percy couldn't blame the naiad. If this was his land, he wouldn't want someone to dump manure in his home.

"My friends are in danger," Percy tried to reason.

"Well, that's too bad! But it's not my problem. And you're not going to ruin my river."

She looked like she was ready for a fight. Her fists were balled, but Percy thought he heard a little quiver in her voice. Despite her angry attitude, she was trying to make a brave face and not seem afraid of Percy. He seemed to realize this and he didn't want to seem like a bully by taking over someone's land. Percy sat down on a tree stump.

"Okay, you win." The naiad looked surprised. "Really?"

"I'm not going to fight you. It's your river." She relaxed her shoulders. "Oh. Oh, good. I mean--good thing for you!"

"But my friends and I are going to get sold to the Titans if I don't clean those stables by sunset. And I don't know how."

The river gurgled along cheerfully. A snake slid through the water and ducked its head under.

Finally the naiad sighed."I'll tell you a secret, son of the sea god. Scoop up some dirt."

"What?" Percy asked.

"You heard me." Percy crouched down and scooped up a handful of Texas dirt. It was dry and black and spotted with tiny clumps of white rock.

'Wait, this aren't rocks.' thought Percy.

"Those are shells," the naiad said. "Petrified seashells. Millions of years ago, even before the time of the gods, when only Gaea and Ouranos reigned, this land was under the water. It was part of the sea."

Suddenly, Percy saw what she meant. There were little pieces of ancient sea urchins in his hand, mollusk shells. Even the limestone rocks had impressions of seashells embedded in them.

"Okay," Percy said. "What good does that do me?"

"You're not so different from me, demigod. Even when I'm out of the water, the water is within me. It is my life source." She stepped back, put her feet in the river, and smiled. "I hope you find a way to rescue your frie-."

At the last minute, Percy shouted, "Wait! Do you know that girl in the cage?"

"All I know is that her name is Elise. Good luck son of Poseidon." With that she turned to liquid and melted into the river.

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