Children of The Big Three Book 2: The Sea of Monsters

Chapter Nineteen: Reunited and it feels-

The sea creature had done what it was told, and that was about it. It had been in no small hurry to get out of there as soon as it could, which Percy didn't quite understand. The island it had led them to was beautiful. It had lush, green landscapes, soft looking grass, and a blinding shade of white for sand. That part seemed a bit off to him, but eh. He hadn't been to a lot of beaches, what did he know? As the duo set foot upon said ground, the Son of Poseidon couldn't help but notice, "It's.. Chalky?" Silena nodded; and clutched onto her knife harder.

Percy was armed with Thalia's spear; this time wrapped in left over bandages as to not zap him, and of course, Riptide. The both of them felt as if they were being looked at, observed; and in Percy's case, admired. As they headed more main land, even he could feel the pure life.. Energy? Magic? He didn't know, but he could feel it alright. It was odd though, the closer he got to it, the more barren the surrounding area looked. The grasslands remained luscious and breathtaking, but large chunks of rock started appearing every now and then. They weren't brown like land with fertile ground should be, it was grey, and in some cases, white. Percy didn't stop to admire the scenery, but he could have sworn some of them had indents of muscles or eyes, as if they were made from some sort of mold. Eventually the stroll down pretty yet creepy lane led to a cave. He wasn't quite sure what he had been expecting: A Hydra, Chimera maybe. What he had not been expecting was a human sized door. Percy held up his hand in a familiar 'stop' signal. He turned his head to face Silena. "I'll take point in the cave, you stay out here in case it's off getting lunch or something. Give me a heads up, and we'll fight whatever's guarding this thing together."

"What if it's in the cave?"

"Then I'll give you a heads up.. Duh." Percy finished, and entered the cave, closing the door behind him. Which he almost immediately regretted. It was almost pitch black, and he mentally face palmed. What had he expected, LED lights? The only sort of light to be found was Thalia's spear. He wasn't sure if it itself was illuminated, or if it merely clung onto light more then other weapons. He was about to turn around to open the door when he heard a very distinct, reptilian voice speak.

"I can smell him.."

He didn't recognize the voice in the slightest, yet he could have sworn he'd heard it before. It was as if there was a history between the two, that had begun long before he'd even been born. There was a deep seeded hate in her tone, yet jealousy. With and underline happiness that made no sense to him. It was as if she hated him for merely existing; but was happy for every moment he took a breath.

"Are you.. Referring to me?" He asked, already knowing the answer was going to be,

"No." The voice sounded disappointed, like it was hoping that Percy was the one it smelt.

He took a deep breath. "Poseidon?"

He heard a shuffling noise, and he could tell the creature had moved closer. "Yes. I loved your father once. What we had was special. He had promised me the riches of the ocean; for they paled in comparison to my beauty."

Percy began to get an inkling of an idea of who this was, and he considered calling in Silena now, but he still didn't know its location. Bringing her in now could end in her death. He wasn't about to risk that. So, he simply tried to keep the conversation going. "I'm sensing a but coming along."

"But..? Of course there is a but." It's tone got more aggressive, as if even thinking of the past events got it heated. "Athena, jealous of my very being, cursed me for eternity. I was once the lover a God, boy. Now, me and my sisters are monsters. Me the worst of them all."