Percy Jackson's Sister

Dude! Watch Out for That Paintball, Dude!

I don't know how the party ponies did it. The streets blurred as they raced at an incredible speed. In no time, we slowed down in a grassy field.

Around us, trailers surrounded every part of the park, each one big enough for a centaur. They had taken us to their homes.

The centaur set us down on a picnic blanket.

"Dude!" He said to one of his friends. "Did you see that bear guy? He was all like: 'Whoa, I have an arrow in my mouth!'"

A centaur with googly eyes on springs on glasses nodded. "That was awesome! Head slam!"

They both charged at each other and knocked their heads together so hard, they stumbled in opposite directions, laughing hysterically.

I looked at Percy. He looked just as confused as I did.

Chiron trotted up to us, setting Grover and Annabeth down on the blanket. "I really wish my cousins wouldn't slam their heads together. They don't have the brain cells to spare."

"Chiron," Percy said in disbelief. "You saved us."

He smiled. "Well now, I couldn't very well let you die, especially since you've cleared my name."

"But how did you know where we were?" Annabeth asked.

"Advanced planning, my dear. I figured you would wash up near Miami if you made it out of the Sea of Monsters alive. Almost everything strange washes up near Miami."

"Gee, thanks," Grover mumbled.

"Dude," I said, the word now sounding weird from the countless times I heard it from Chiron's cousins. "You're literally half goat, that's a little strange."

"No, no," Chiron said. "I didn't mean... Oh, never mind. I am glad to see you, my young satyr. The point is, I was able to eavesdrop on Percy's Iris-message and trace the signal. Iris and I have been friends for centuries. I asked her to alert me to any important communications in this area. It then took no effort to convince my cousins to ride to your aid. As you see, centaurs can travel quite fast when we wish to. Distance for us is not the same as distance for humans."

Percy looked tired. I had momentarily forgotten he was injured. "So now what? We just let Luke sail away? He's got Kronos aboard that ship. Or parts of him, anyway."

Chiron sunk to our level on the grass. He pulled out bottles and bandages out of his pouch. He looked at the makeshift bandages I made.

"You did this?" Chiron asked.

Percy shook his head. "Cassie."

Chiron looked at me sympathetically. "You may just have saved your brother from bleeding out."

I smiled, not really sure what to respond to that. I've had to treat my own injuries at times, it was no big deal. Chiron made it seemed like I had just performed a miraculous surgery.

"I'm afraid, Percy," he said, going back to Percy's question, "that today has been something of a draw. We didn't have the strength of numbers to take that ship. Luke was not organized enough to pursue us. Nobody won."

"But we got the Fleece!" I reminded him.

"Clarisse is on her way back to camp with it right now," Annabeth added.

Chiron nodded, "You are all true heroes. And as soon as we get Percy fixed up, you must return to Half-Blood Hill. The centaurs shall carry you."

"You're coming, too?" Percy asked.

"Oh yes, Percy. I'll be relieved to get home. My brethren here simply do not appreciate Dean Martin's music. Besides, I must have some words with Mr. D. There's the rest of the summer to plan. So much training to do. And I want to see... I'm curious about the Fleece."

The centaurs had started a campfire and were now teaching Tyson how to shoot a paintball gun. Tyson shot a blue blur at one of the centaurs, sending him flying into the lake.

The centaur came up, happy that Tyson had learned to shoot. He gave Tyson two thumbs up. At least, I hoped they were thumbs, his hand was covered in swamp murk and blu paint so I couldn't really tell.

"Annabeth," Chiron said, "perhaps you, Grover, and Cassidy would go supervise Tyson and my cousins before they, ah, teach each other too many bad habits?"

Chiron and Annabeth had a silent discussion, their eyes speaking in code only they understood.

"Sure, Chiron," Annabeth said. "Come on, kelp head, goat boy."

"But I don't like paintball," Grover complained.

"Yes, you do," Annabeth and I each grabbed one of his arms and pulled him up. We walked over to the paintball lesson.