[EDITING]Aria Jackson and the Cure of the Deep(Percy Jackson Fanfic)

18~I Dine On America's Wobbliest Surfboard

Pholus brought us into a room, that really wasn't suitable of being called a room at all really; more like...a massive surf board with rope attached.

"Um," I said, stepping on it precariously "Is this safe?"

Pholus waved away my question away with his hand "Of course! I trot around on it all the time,"

To prove his point, he trotted confidently onto it, and the whole thing swayed to the side, causing me, Percy and Robyn to lurch to the opposite side, saved by the varying sizes of ropes that were holding the whole structure up. When he noticed our rash attempts to hold on, he laughed heartily and came to our side, causing the whole thing to sway again.

"Of course, I've had more than a century of getting used to it, so I guess it's safe for me. You, on the other hand..."

Robyn slowly edged herself towards the wooden dining table and chairs at the centre of the platform, and quickly grabbed hold of a chair and sat down, sighing with relief. Percy watched with interest, then jumped for the nearest chair. He reached it, but that was the good part. The not so good part is how his little jump caused the whole thing to lurch once again, making me feel rather...seasick. And for a daughter of Poseidon, that is not a good feeling.

"Gods Percy!" I yelled, before edging towards the nearest chair, Robyn style, and sitting down with a satisfied huff "You couldn't have just copied Robyn, couldn't you?"

"No," He said promptly, smiling cheekily at me, which I replied with a glare. Pholus cleared his throat, and we all turned to him.

"Now, as we've all gotten our seats, would you all care to explain why you're all here over food?" The centaur clicked his fingers, and a plate of delicious-looking pasta appeared in front of each of us, as well as bronze goblets that looked like the ones from camp. Pholus caught sight of Percy looking at the goblet curiously, and he took his own goblet, and spoke clearly to it;"Ginger beer," The goblet filled up with bubbling copper-color liquid, and Percy smiled, and said something to is goblet, causing it to fill up with a bright blue liquid.

"What's that?" I asked incredulously, and he smirked.

"Blue Cherry Coke, of course," He informed me, as if that was a totally normal drink that everyone was accustomed to. I sighed, then went to my own goblet, and thought for a moment. Drinks drinks drinks. 

 A little memory flitted into my mind, of the day after my first monster encounter, when I actually had a day out with Poseidon, and he took me to a place and ordered me an amazing warm drink to calm me down. What was it called again? 

"Ah!" I exclaimed "Lemon and Honey tea," The goblet filled up with the warm liquid, and I sipped it earnestly. Delicious. I looked over to what Robyn had to drink, and I saw it for a moment, before she quickly moved it away from my sight. Strange. The drink looked just like...

"So!" Said Pholus, interrupting my thoughts almost deliberately "What are you young...demigods doing here again?"

"We're going to Atlantis," Answered Percy, his mouth full of the pasta. Robyn cast him a glare, and he swallowed "What?" I noticed that Robyn wasn't as trustful of Pholus as Percy and I were, and I looked at her questioningly. She shook her head gently.

"Atlantis?" Pholus boomed "Why, that's a fool Quest! No one has even considered going there since...oh, I don't know, a very long time ago."

"We need to save the demigods back at Camp Half-Blood. They're being affected by this disease and we believe it's caused by the Atlanticans," Explained Percy, causing a downcast look to appear on Pholus' face. He didn't speak for a moment; just stirred his pasta around and stared at it, like there was some answer to a great puzzle concealed in the tomato and cheese sauce.

"Hmm... How much sleep have you had since leaving for your Quest?"

I nearly said 'We just left this morning', but Percy yawned loudly, an answer in itself. Pholus chuckled, and looked out through a small square opening in the sides of the room, where you could see the dark, midnight blue sky, and a few stars already out and shining. I didn't realise it was that late, and suddenly my tiredness from the day piled on top of me like a house(string or no string, I don't really think it made a difference).

"You can stay here for the night. I promise no monsters will enter; these boundaries of mine are well protected, so I ensure you you'll have a comfortable sleep," He pointed out to a door next to the one we came in from "Through that door is several guest bedrooms. They all have stable floors, but you'll have to sleep on hammocks, I'm afraid,"

"That will be fine," I said, already making my way cautiously towards it "Thank you, Pholus, for the dinner and lodging,"

"My pleasure. It isn't often I have questing demigods around here, so you're free to request anything. Good night,"

I barely caught the last of his words, as I was through the door in no time, and, as I flopped onto a hammock, I thought to myself; hey, maybe this Quest will go alright after all.

Boy was I wrong.