Started With A Dare - A POTHENA STORY ✔

We Hide From 6-inch Heels

POSEIDON'S POV

  Athena had barely held on to the gilder as we soared into the air. I still refused to let go of her hand, knowing that the chance of her plummeting to her death wasn't small and I wouldn't be there to control the waves to save her because I couldn't. I wasn't even sure that I once could.

  I suddenly remembered something. "Athena, did you take the Golden Fleece?"

  She looked momentarily shocked but came back to earth and dug into the small bag around her waist that I just realised. Pulling the zipper, she revealed the shiny golden cloth rolled up and steadily stowed inside. I didn't resist my sigh of relief. 

  She suddenly laughed. "What, you think I'd be frantic enough to leave this baby behind?"

  I shook my head, suddenly feeling embarrassed. "Don't talk like that."

  "Does it intrigue you?"

  "It...intimidates me."

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  Our glider didn't hang on for long as the winds started dying, but Athena, being the smart one, decided to take out two inflatable life jackets she took from our abandoned ship and save our lives.

  "Athena, there's...there's land! We need some shelter...and rest. We need drinks. Oh, and food...I really need food right now." I rambled as I tried to swim with the random squeals my stomach was making. If we weren't swimming, Athena would tease me about it until the end of my life, no doubt about that.

  She looked annoyed, but not to the point of wasting her breath by arguing. I could see the heavy bags under her eyes that indicated her exhaustion. She wasn't even paddling properly anymore. "I guess you're right. Let's head to the island."

  As we started closing in, the island became clearer in the distance. There was a small mountain in the centre surrounded by several buildings that had such a bright white it felt blinding. A cluster of palm trees decorated a beautiful sandy beach on the side of the island next to a harbour with some interesting looking boats that I swear I had never seen before in my life.

  I didn't want to copy my son's amazing description for this place, but I immediately recognised it as some spa place he was talking about. I didn't remember much, though, I was too busy testing out swords. He said it was a tropical paradise.

  I'm usually an original person. This time, I thought it was a tropical paradise just as he did.

  Athena suddenly started sinking. "Poseidon, I don't think-" I looked over and realised that her life jacket had somehow started deflating.

  Click, click, click.

  I looked back frantically. "Athena!" Her life jacket had somehow started deflating as she slowly sunk down.

  Click, click, click. Someone was walking over, and it didn't feel like someone who was on our side.

  I abandoned my own life jacket and dove under the surface as I heard the clicking noises again. They somehow sounded like a woman's high heels, but I wasn't ready to judge or think about it. I was underwater and couldn't breathe, but relieved that I could see through the murky sea that looked more like a chunk of dark blue metal from the top.

  Grabbing Athena's hand, I tried to pull her up. She was barely conscious, but her red cheeks and weak grip on my hand told me that she wasn't going to survive for long.

  I decided to take a risk and grab the dock with my other hand, pulling us up to the surface.

  Unlike the time Percy told me about, there wasn't a flight attendant with too much makeup on to welcome us in. Instead, the entire place felt empty. We saw the swimming pools connected to underground water tunnels and more swimming pools that had water slides and so many float-things on top of the crystal clear water that came in all shapes and sizes that I didn't know what to call them anymore.

  We sat down on the floor by the dock near a trusty bush that looked like a good hiding place just in case because I'd never felt so tired in my life (if I even had one before) and Athena looked the same.

  Click, click, click.

  We didn't need a second to tell ourselves what to do. In half a second tops, we were already carefully concealed in the bush, Athena gripping her mini spear that she took out from her necklace pendant while I traced my fingers along on the cap of my pen.

  There was the flight attendant service lady.

  It was just like how Percy described them - a blue business suit that fitted as much as the dresses of barbie toys fitted the dolls, hair in a perfect golden blond colour with those annoying 6-inch heels.

  She looked around and frowned. "Strange, C.C. swore that she heard new customers here..."

  Athena and I eyed each other nervously. I suppose there wasn't much harm in being discovered, but I doubted that we had strong pirates to distract a powerful sorcerer like Circe for us as we made a grand escape. In our current shape, we weren't capable of running another 5m.

  "Never mind, I'll just go ahead and tell her that her ears are playing tricks on her...again. Better get back to standing guard for the new pigs she's gotten herself."

  Her high heels clicked away. Athena and I slowly crawled out of the bush, still as alert as two grouchy, sweaty and tired teenagers could be.

  "Did you hear her? Pigs! I swear she's talking about some other men who came before us. C.C. is Circe the sorcerer. Annabeth told me all about it - Percy almost got turned into a guinea pig for the rest of his life...and you would have that danger as well if they find...us." Athena's hand on my arm got sweatier...or maybe that was the neat work of my arm itself. I slowly put my arm away to avoid further humiliation.

  "Let's get deeper inside. I mean we could just grab a ship in the harbour right there and leave, but we have no clue where to start looking for the prophecy thief so staying might be a good idea. Besides, food..." I replied with a low voice, trying to not sound tempted when I spoke the last word. Athena just rolled her eyes, got up cautiously and beckoned me to follow her.