Spirit of the Panther (House of Hades/Frank Zhang Fanfic)

XIII. Leaving The Bay

I stood at the helm, trying to help fix the ship. My magic skills helped a lot with lifting things and finding anything broken. It was hard work since our mechanic was currently out of commission somewhere. I was really frustrated I couldn't sense him. I was supposed to have magical powers and help my friends.

Frank grabbed my arms and scared me. "Sorry, Ezzy. I didn't mean to scare you. Can you help us with something?"

I nodded. "Of course."

Frank led me over to where everyone else was gathered. I helped everyone with what they needed and I slumped onto the stairs afterward.

Frank sat beside me and took my hand. "Are you doing alright?"

I nodded. "Yeah. I just want to find Leo. He's gone and we can't do anything without him."

Frank wrapped an arm around me and pulled me in close. "We'll work it out, Ezzy. Don't worry."

I placed a hand on Frank's leg. "I know. What do you want to do?"

Frank shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe some card games?"

I shrugged. "I'm not really feeling card games. It's too hot."

Frank took my arm and pressed it against his. My skin was so much darker than his. I had always gotten so dark in the summer. I liked having dark skin. Frank's skin, however, was so much lighter than mine. He had gotten a little darker but not by much.

"You have such a dark tan," Frank stated.

"That's what happens when you're African, Frank," I said obviously. "You get tanned when the sun is out a lot."

Frank smirked, chuckling. "I love you, Ezzy. I love how sarcastic and witty you are."

I smiled. This was the first time Frank had ever said he loved me. "I love you too, Frank. You're really nice to me."

Frank kissed my temple. "I do it because I love you. You're one of the people that I love most."

I smiled. "I know. Let's go help the others. We've had enough of a break."

We got up and joined the others. After a while of working in the backing heat, I laid on the deck, staring at the bright sky. Hazel laid next to me and Piper soon joined me. We talked, cracking jokes and having fun.

"I hate this heat," Piper whined. "It's so suffocating."

"At least I have a tan," Hazel said. "I look much better."

I laughed. "Me too. I like my tan. It's so nice."

Piper lifted her arm. "I agree but I don't like how hot it is. It was to get over one hundred degrees Fahrenheit."

"From what I remember, it gets about twenty degrees Celsius in Germany," I said. "I think it's about seventy-two degrees Fahrenheit."

"Make way!" Jason yelled from above. "I'm coming in hot."

Jason came flying in from above. He had four venti with him. He barely had time to explain what was happening. He tied them to the prow of the ship and we shot out of the bay. I ran to the railing and I watched us fly. I smiled, cheering us on. We were finally leaving the bay.

I turned and wrapped my arms around Frank's neck. He picked me up and twirled me around. I laughed loudly as he set me down. I clung to Frank's neck giggling. Frank smiled too, holding me close.

After we had been sailing for a while, I went downstairs to get some food. Everyone except Jason and Nico were down there. I grabbed some food and sat beside Piper and Frank. We hung out like the best friends we were.

"So I know I've probably asked this question a lot," Hazel said, "but what's Camp Half-Blood like? Does it have a structured military like Camp Jupiter does?"

I shook my head. "No, we don't. We don't have a Roman military. We're Greek. We learn how to fight and use the skills our godly parent has. Like Ares kids are our military strategy people and the Apollo kids are our healers and musicians. Hecate kids are the Mist and magic wielders. No one is put into a cohort and are supposed to fight with other kids with different parents."

Hazel tilted her head to the side. "Sounds fun. I would like to go there sometime. I want to see how different it is to Camp Jupiter."

I smiled. "That'd be nice." We might not get that far. "I highly suggest swimming in the lake or the ocean. It's so much fun."

"Thanks for the suggestion, Ezzy."

Piper tapped the table. "I'm going upstairs to check on Jason. I'll see you around."

Piper got up and left. I rested my head on Frank's shoulder. He wrapped an arm around my shoulders and kissed my head. We hung out with the others until we decided to go upstairs. We had finally arrived at Malta.