chapter fourty-two

─── i am somehow considered to be sane; big mistake

          𝔚ho'd have ever thought that the amnesiac who was wielding a sword was somehow the most sane adult around? I know, even I'm confused about that sentiment.

Our jackets were on, all three of us bundled up against the cold rain as we walked for a few blocks through mostly deserted streets.

We'd brought everything from the boat, and I'd had the forethought to put some snacks in my pocket so that I wasn't hangry when we met this old man.

The majority of Portland seemed to be staying indoors, which I think was probably a good idea. Still, I wistfully stared at people in cafes and restaurants, chatting and laughing in the warmth, enjoying their food and drink. 

"Maybe we should have-" I was cut off from suggesting breakfast at the sound of loud screaming from down the street. All three of us paused.

"Take that stupid chicken!" Something revved up, followed by a load of squawking.

"What the-?"

"I think that's what we're looking for." Frank cut me off before I could curse something.

We ran towards the sounds, all of us on edge as we skidded around a corner. We came out in a large group of food trucks. I don't think I'd ever seen so many in one place.

Some were simple, others were painted in various loud colours, huge banners and colourful menu boards. There were tables surrounding them, like a sort of make shift food court in the rain. There was food from a range of cuisines, or a fusion of two, filling the area around us with this amazing smell that had my stomach rumbling in an embarrassing way.

In the centre of the lot, behind all of the food trucks, an old man in a bathroom was running around with a weed whacker, screaming at a flock of bird-ladies who were trying to steal food from a picnic table.

"Jeez, I thought I was nuts." I muttered as Frank turned to me.

"This is how I see you most of the time."

"As the bird-ladies or the crazy man in the bathrobe with a weed whacker?" He cocked an eyebrow that made me scowl.

"Harpies." Hazel was ignoring us. "Which means-"

"That's Phineas." Frank guessed. We crossed the street, squeezing between two of the trucks  as we headed into the parking lot.

The guy in the bathrobe was old. He was mostly bald, with scars across his forehead, and the rest of his white hair looked like it has been shocked with an electric current. His bathrobe was covered in ketchup and he kept tripping over his pink bunny slippers, swinging the weed whacker around like he was trying to take someone's eye out. He was doing a pretty good job at keeping the harpies away though, despite the fact that he was blind.

"Back, dirty chickens!" The man bellowed, as I turned to the harpies. They looked like they were starving, their feathers moulting and drooping pathetically as they dived for the food desperately. One seemed to get too close to the man, who almost took part of her wing off when he clipped it with the weed whacker. There was another one circling slightly further up, younger and smaller than the others, her feathers not as dull. She was watching carefully for an opening and once she found one, she made a wild dive for the table. 

I almost cheered her on when she grabbed a burrito in her clawed feet, but the man swung his weed whacker with scary accuracy, hitting her in the middle of the back so hard that I stepped forward. The younger harpy yelped, flying off and whimpering in pain.

"Hey!" I ground out as the harpies turned towards us. One look at us three demigods and they bolted, flying away to a tree across the square, staring dejectedly at the picnic table. The red-feathered one, flew further away, unsteady in the air.

"Ha!" The blind man yelled in triumph, finally killing the power on his weed whacker. He grinned vacantly in my direction. "Thank you, strangers! Your help is much appreciated!"

I tried not to spit out a couple of insults, reminding myself that we needed his help. 

"Sure." I ground out, approaching the old guy. "I'm Andromeda Jackson. This is-"

"Demigods!" That wasn't Frank or Hazel's name. "I can always smell demigods."

"Do we smell that bad?" Hazel frowned, as both her and Frank looked at each other.

"Of course not, my dear. But you'd be surprised how sharp my other senses became once I was blinded. I'm Phineas. And you, wait don't tell me..." He reached for me, poking me in the eyes as I yelped, jumping backwards.

"Wha-"

"Daughter of Neptune!" I tried not to curse the old man out. "I thought I smelled the ocean on you, Andromeda Jackson. I am a son of Neptune, you know."

Was this my fate? To turn into a blind crazy person, running around in a bathrobe and bunny slippers, chasing chickens with a weed whacker? Gods, why couldn't I have a normal dad.

"And here...Oh my, the smell of gold and deep earth. Hazel Levesque, daughter of Pluto and next to you, the son of Mars. But there's more to your story, Frank Zhang-" Phineas began.

"Ancient blood." Frank did a little cheering motion, though he looked a little annoyed. "Prince of Pylos. Blah, blah, blah."

"Periclymenus, exactly." All three of us shared a blank look. "He was a nice fellow. I loved the argonauts!"

"Perry who?"

Phineas went to pat his cheeks but instead smacked Frank around the face as Hazel and I winced.

"I know about your family. That story about your great-grandfather? He didn't really destory the camp." Frank looked a little stunned, but I wasn't sure whether that was from the slap or Phineas' story. "What an interesting group. Are you hungry?"

The harpies shrieked miserably, as Hazel checked on Frank, who was nursing his cheek with a scowl.

"Look, I'm confused." Despite the fact that I was hungry, I couldn't eat but that wasn't what I was confused about. "We need some information. We were told-"

"-That the harpies were keeping my food away from me." Phineas finished as I tried not to tell him to shut up. I could finish sentences, "and, if you helped me, I'd help you."

"Something like that."

"That's old news." Phineas laughed. "Do I look like I'm missing any meals?"

Did he want me to call him fat because that felt slightly rude.

"No?" Phineas waved his weed whacker around, causing all of us to duck, before he grinned.

"Things have changed, my friends!" Oh gods, he'd upgraded us to friends. "When I firstgot the gift of prophecy, aeons ago, it's true Jupiter cursedme. He sent the harpies to steal my food. You see, I had abit of a big mouth. I gave away too many secrets that thegods wanted kept. For instance, you, Hazel, are supposed to be dead and you, Frank, have a stick that is in charge of your life."

I blinked a few times as Hazel and Frank both paled.

"And you." Oh great, it was my turn. "You don't even know who you are. I could tell you, of course, but what fun would that be?"

"Quite good fun actually, for me." I pointed out as Hazel and Frank both tried to regain themselves. "So, you chat lots of shit and the gods don't like it. Why did they stop?"

"They didn't." The old man grinned. "I had to make a dealwith the Argonauts. They wanted information, too, you see.I told them to kill the harpies, and I'd cooperate. Well, theydrove those nasty creatures away, but Iris wouldn't letthem kill the harpies. An outrage! So this time, when mypatron brought me back to life..."

Now, that sounded ominous.

"Your patron?" Frank questioned as Phineas shot us a wicked grin.

"You're all still in the dark, are you not? They're trying to pretend it's not like last time, not like the earth is moving against you. Why, your little friend understands? She's your patron too, is she not?"

"No one is my patron." Hazel stood to draw her sword as Frank and I yanked her back down. I didn't really want to see her going against a weed whacker and we needed more information.

"The earth is waking. The rules of life and death are being rewritten as we speak." Phineas beamed. "I am alive again and in exchange for my help, a prophecy here or there and I get my fondest wish. Those who tried to starve me now starve in my place." 

He revved the weed whacker, scaring the harpies as my brain began to connect dots.

"They're cursed!" The old man cackled. "They may only ever eat the food from my table and they cannot leave, nor can they die. It's beautiful."

"Beautiful?" Frank looked horrified. "These are living creatures. You're torturing them."

"They're monsters, boy!" Phineas growled. "Those demons tormented me for years."

"It was their duty." I ground out, grabbing onto Hazel to stop myself from slicing this man down. "They were ordered to, by Jupiter. Why punish the messenger?"

"No, I am angry at Jupiter, but in time, the gods will be properly punished." Phineas agreed. "What have they done for this world? Ruined it. Drove it to a mere image of it's former self. Destroyed every last, natural bit and overconsumed it like I now do with food. Tell me, girl, who is truly the awful one? I have heard of you, of the fear they hold for you. They think your mind is too dangerous."

"You're a horrible person." Hazel spat, standing up as she pointed at Phineas. "You should have stayed dead."

"Girlie, I wouldn't be talking. You started this whole thing!" Phineas sneered. "If it weren't for you, Alcyoneus wouldn't be alive."

Hazel stumbled backwards, horror plastered across her features.

"Hazel?" Frank reached for her. "What's he talking about?"

"You'll find out soon enough, Frank Zhang." Phineas grinned. "But this isn't what you're here about, is it? You want to find Thanatos. He's being kept at Alcyoneus' lair. I can tell you where that is. Of course I can, but you'll have to do me a favour."

"Forget it!" Hazel snapped. "You're working for the-"

"Hazel, Frank, walk." I turned to them, pointing. "Wait for me over there."

"But, Romy, he's the enemy!" Hazel protested.

"Precisely why you don't need to make a deal with him. We need that location, and I won't let the two of you take the blame for this, walk away." They both tried to protest, as I narrowed my eyes. "Now."

"Yes ma'am." They both sighed, shooting me puppy dog eyes as they walked off. Phineas was laughing behind me as I turned back to him.

"You might be a shadow of your former self, Andromeda Jackson, but a powerful shadow all the same. My patron would have great use of you." Phineas smiled, as the final dots connected.

"I know who your patron is. You talk of the earth, of a woman, there can only be one." I looked down at him as he nodded. "But I have a feeling that your patron rising means the destruction of human kind, of demigods and Camp Jupiter so, what's the favour?"

Phineas licked his lips greedily.

"There's one harpy who's quicker than the rest."

"I know it." I agreed.

"She's the only one I have trouble with. She's wily that one." Phineas scowled. "Always does her own thing, never roosts with the others. She scarred me. Capture that harpy. Bring her to me. I want her tied up where I can keep an eye on her, so to speak. I'll enjoy that. You remember, Andromeda Jackson, that without my help, your quest will fail and everyone you love in the world will die. Wouldn't you do anything to be back with, what was he called again, Luke?"

I froze, spitting to the side at the poor excuse for a man ahead of me.

"Bring me back the harpy."

∘☽༓☾∘

Hiya,

So, in this house, we don't like Phineas, he's worse than before and a bit psychotic. Andi's having a slight mental break, Hazel and Frank are about to attack the elderly and it's all fun and games. I'm so excited to meet Ella, anyway, this was a quick break from the four lectures I've got to prep for tomorrow.

Let me know what you think,

Love Li xx