𝑯𝒐𝒓𝒏𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑺𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒅𝒔－ 𝐏𝐞𝐫𝐜𝐲 𝐉𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐬𝐨𝐧

𝑻𝒉𝒊𝒓𝒕𝒚.

I 030. I

𝑯𝒐𝒓𝒏𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑺𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒅𝒔

❝ sheep ❞

SHEEP THE SIZE OF HIPPOS. That was all she saw. Fluffy white animals who looked pretty peaceful, despite their giant size. They looked like walking clouds, and a small part of her wanted to know what their wool felt like.

Around them was not what she expected the Polyphemus's island to look like, with its green pastures, tropical fruit trees and white beaches— it looked like a Caribbean postcard.

But her head knew what was hiding behind the pretty exterior. It was hiding a deadly beast who was practically blind from what she had heard. The only thing creepy about it was the rope bridge, which hung over a chasm.

Annabeth took in the smell of the sweet air. "The Fleece," she said.

"If we take it away," Percy frowned, "will the island die?"

She shook her head. "It'll fade. Go back to what it would be normally, whatever that is."

Ariadne gazed at the meadow which was towards the base of the ravine, a dozen or so sheep milled around. A path led behind and into the hills, which were near the edge of the canyon. Sitting there, was a massive oak tree with something glittering between its branches.

"This is too easy," Percy said. "We could hike up there and take it."

Annabeth's eyes narrowed. "There's supposed to be a guardian. A dragon or..."

From the bushes emerges an innocent dear who trotted into the meadow, most likely looking for something to eat, when all the shell bleated simultaneously before rushing towards the small creature. The deer was surprised and stumbled around before it was lost in the mass of wool and hooves.

A few seconds passed before the sheep moved away and went back to walking around aimlessly, leaving behind a pile of bones which were squeaky clean— it was the deer.

Ariadne, Percy and Annabeth shared looks.

"They're like piranhas," Annabeth said.

"Piranhas with wool," Percy told them before crossing his arms across his chest. Ariadne let her eyes drift and noticed a lifeboat below the sheep meadow... "How will we—"

"Perc!" Ariadne gasped, grabbing his arm. "Look." She pointed towards the lifeboat and both of her friends looked over, and there it sat— the other lifeboat from the CSS BIRMINGHAM.

Percy let his eyes close tightly, and she decided to let him be.

Since they couldn't get past the man-eating sheep, Annabeth suggested she sneak up the path invisibly and grab the Fleece, but Percy talked her out of it, convincing her that something would go wrong.