Percy Jackson's Last Wish

I

Percy stood at the stern of the warship. They were approaching the island. It was visible, distantly in the mist. As they neared the island, he could see the clouds hanging over it, threatening to fall in torrential downpour, and the mountain. It was swathed in a dark impenetrable mist so thick and dark, that there was no telling what could be behind it. The ship began to descend slowly and everyone got ready with their weapons at hand. Annabeth was looking determined and calm, quite unlike how he felt. He knew that it was at this island he would meet his end. He hadn't told the others of the prophecy. Why take away any hope that they had by saying that their leader was doomed to die? Also, he couldn't face Annabeth with such a truth. She would be crushed. But he held on to the hope that maybe the Oracle lied, or there were some other meaning to"the son of Poseidon, who fell Kronos, shall meet his end on the island of woes." Just like the last Great Prophecy, in which he thought he was destined to die, but it turned out he was not the hero but Luke, maybe this one has a loophole too. But he willed himself to focus on their quest.

"Get ready to land!" shouted Leo, the ship's repair boy or as he like to call himself, "the Supreme Commander of Argo II". Everyone braced themselves against the hull as the landed with a bump, on the island's sandy beach. Everyone filed out in order from the Roman Camp, while the Camp Half-Blood demigods loitered down the steps taking their own time. They knew from the prophecy that whatever they had to face was inside the mountain. Percy felt quite nervous looking at the mountain. Percy and mountains didn't go together. The last time, he had blown up a volcanic mountain, displaced half a million people and unleashed Typhon. He looked at Annabeth. He could tell from her face that she was thinking of the same thing. She looked at him, her startling grey eyes filled with mixed emotions. He had gotten pretty good at reading her face. He could see that she was afraid for them, yet determined to get this quest over with. They trudged towards the mountain path, no one talking, which was strange, especially for Leo. Percy didn't think that kid could go more than five seconds without making some annoying comment. It just showed him how nervous everyone was.

They saw a path winding towards the heart of the mountain. "Well, that looks inviting," remarked Jason. "I still think that we need a plan on entering the mountain."

Jason's plan involved several of the male demigods disguising as girls, so it was not an option, for Percy at least. Percy voted to them just sneaking up inside the mountain without making much noise. They all knew what they had to do after they got in. The mountain was the lair of the giant Polyphemus. He had risen by sapping Hera's strength, but now, he grew stronger from the life force of the mountain. Their plan was to destroy the mountain and at least try to slow down the rise of Polyphemus to complete power. They decided to send Annabeth who had the invisibility cap to scout ahead.

"Annabeth, I still don't think you should go alone. If there is anything in there, I don't want it hurting you," said Percy, looking worried.

"There is only one invisibility cap, and I am not going to let anyone else handle it," she states, glaring at Percy.

"Hey, that was one time, and I used it to help you, remember," said Percy, sheepishly bowing his head.

Annabeth waved her hand dismissively "Details, details."

She then proceeded to go up the slope towards the entrance.

"Annabeth, be careful," he told her as she put on her invisibility cap.

"As always," she replied.

Percy paces up and down the beach waiting for her to come back.

"Calm down, Percy," chided Piper. "Annabeth is very careful. She won't let herself be scared by monsters."

"Yeah, but still..." Percy knew he was whining, but he didn't care.