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chapter thirteen ˏˋ°•*⁀➷
013. A Brutal Battle Between Three Brothers

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CASSIE WAS SO DONE WITH THE WORLD. They could never catch a break, could they?

"You'd think he'd run out of rocks," Percy quipped.

The younger daughter of Ares bit back a laugh.

"Swim for it!" Grover yelled.

The satyr and Clarisse dove into the water. Cassie followed suite but took more time, balancing Annabeth and the fleece.

The daughter of Athena tried to help by paddling with one of her hands, but it was only splashing Cassie with water.

"Hey Chase, I appreciate the gesture but could you please stop. I got this."

Annabeth rolled her eyes but listened, clinging tighter to Cassie and the fleece.

Surprisingly enough, Polyphemus wasn't paying attention to the fleece.

"You, young Cyclops! Traitor to your kind!" The mean cyclops called.

Tyson paused in his step.

"Don't listen to him! Come on." Percy begged as he tugged on Tyson's arm.

The young cyclops didn't budge and turned to face his brethren.

"I am not a traitor."

"You serve mortals! Thieving humans!"

Polyphemus aimed the boulder right at Tyson, but the baby cyclops hit it aside.

"Not a traitor. And you are not my kind." Tyson grumbled.

"Death or victory!" Polyphemus surged forward but due to the leg injuries, curtesy of Cassie, he tripped and fell flat on his face.

The brunette couldn't hold back her laughter, inhaling sea water as a result.

She started coughing and Annabeth sighed in exasperation. Cassie was such an idiot at times.

Polyphemus was getting up when Clarisse looked back.

"Percy! Come on! Cass start swimming and stop laughing!"

Grover and her sister were pretty close to the ship, Cassie not to far behind.

Percy just had to keep the big cyclops occupied.

"Go. I will hold Big Ugly." Tyson urged.

"No! He'll kill you. We'll fight him together." Percy had learned from his mistake and didn't plan on losing Tyson any time soon.

"Together," Tyson nodded.

Percy pulled out Riptide as Polyphemus closed in, cautiously.

He threw his other boulder and Percy dove out of the way. Tyson smashed the boulder anyways.

The half-blood son of Poseidon rose the sea. A huge wave formed, lifting Percy.

He rode it and kicked Polyphemus in the eye. Then Percy jumped off just as the wave hit the cyclops' face, sending him backwards.

"Destroy you! Fleece stealer!"

"You stole the Fleece! You've been using it to lure satyrs to their deaths!" Percy accused.

"So? Satyrs good eating!" Polyphemus didn't see the problem.

"The Fleece should be used to heal! It belongs to the children of the gods!"

"I am a child of the gods! Father Poseidon, curse this thief!"

Wow, this big guy sure was stupid. Then again he couldn't see well but still.

Percy had just ridden a wave and blasted him in the face.

"Poseidon won't curse me. I'm his son, too. He won't play favorites." Percy backed away as Polyphemus made grabby hands in the thin air.

(Except for me ofc i'm his favorite 😉)

The cyclops roared with anger and ripped a tree off its roots. He smashed it right where Percy had been standing not even a minute ago.

"Humans not the same! Nasty, tricky, lying!"

The son of Poseidon (Percy) glanced back at Queen Anne's Revenge.

Cassie was handing Annabeth over to Grover and shouting something to Clarisse.

Clarisse sighed but turned to Percy waving for him to hurry up.

Meanwhile, Tyson was creeping up from behind Polyphemus.

"Young one! Where are you? Help me!" The older cyclops called.

Tyson froze.

"You weren't raised right! Poor orphaned brother! Help me!"

Everyone went silent. Only the sound of the waves could be heard.

Tyson frowned, coming forward. "Don't fight, Cyclops brother. Put down the—"

Polyphemus whipped around.

"Tyson!" Percy warned.

Too late.

The bigger cyclops had hit Tyson with a tree, throwing him backward.

A trench was left where Tyson had skid. Polyphemus went towards him.

"No!" Percy exclaimed, jabbing his hand with Riptide in it, forward.

He was aiming for the cyclops' thigh but got a little higher than intended.

"Blaaaaah!" Polyphemus yelped, grabbing his behind and jumping a few feet in the air.

He swung wildly and Percy dove, getting attack by tree branches instead.

The half-blood son of Poseidon was exhausted and deep down, the scared little animal wanted to hide.

But he didn't. Percy pushed the fear away.

When Polyphemus swung again, Percy latched onto the tree and was thrown into the air.

He timed it perfectly and let go, falling down feet-first right onto the giant's eye.

Polyphemus howled, holding his eye and Tyson took that as the time to tackle him.

Percy landed beside them, easily able to stab the cyclops' heart and end this, but he couldn't do it. Especially not after meeting Tyson's gaze.

"Let him go. Run." Percy ordered.

Tyson shoved Polyphemus back and they brother darted for the ocean.

"I will smash you!" Polyphemus threatened, but he sat with his hands still covering his eye.

The sons of Poseidon ducked under water.

"Where are you?" Polyphemus grunted in frustration, throwing the tree into the water.

It splashed, barely missing them and Percy willed the water to help them pick up speed.

Percy finally had hope that they'd make it to the ship when Clarisse couldn't help herself.

"Yeah, Jackson! In your face, Cyclops!" Cassie nudged her sister, but Clarisse didn't get the memo.

"Rarrr!" Polyphemus shouted in anger and threw a boulder in the direction of Clarisse's voice.

He missed but it almost hit Percy and Tyson.

"Yeah, yeah! You throw like a wimp! Teach you to try marrying me, you idiot!" She smirked and Cassie huffed. "Risse! Shut up!"

Cassie didn't get irritated by Clarisse very often, but right now was one of those special occasions.

Because now, Polyphemus had grabbed another rock and this time he didn't miss.

The boulder broke the hull. The ship lurched forward with a creak and began to sink.

Percy mumbled some curses, trying to get there faster but the masts were already under.

"Dive!" Percy shouted as a rock flew over them.

The four on the ship were sinking, being pulled down by the force of the water.

Clarisse was a really good swimmer, but the ocean didn't spare anyone.

Grover was splashing around and trying to stay afloat.

Cassie was complaining about her flannel possibly washing away and her sunglasses getting watermarks.

She was trying to reach Annabeth who was holding onto the Fleece which shimmered in the waves.

Percy swam in their direction, but he didn't know if he had the strength to save them.

Also pieces of spare wood were whirling around, so if Percy got a hit to the head, his water powers wouldn't be any help.

'We need help,' Percy thought to himself.

He was shocked when he heard Tyson reply back. 'Yes.'

Well he didn't really hear Tyson but at the same time he did, just in his head.

Percy had spoken to Nereids and other water spirits but talking with Tyson underwater had never crossed his mine.

It made sense though with them both being sons of Poseidon.

'Rainbow,' Tyson suggested.

Percy agreed, closing his eyes to concentrate.

Together the two called, 'RAINBOW! We need you!'

The water shimmered and in the blink of an eye, four hippocampi appeared.

Rainbow had brought his friends and they were ready to help.

They shot out of the water and in a blast of bubbles, Cassie, Grover, Annabeth, and Clarisse were on their backs.

Rainbow carried Clarisse and let Tyson get on. He was the biggest of his hippocampi friends.

Cassie and Annabeth were already sharing a fish pony and Grover had his own. That left the fourth one for Percy.

The ponies resurfaced and galloped away, leaving Polyphemus to his false celebration.

"I did it! I finally sank Nobody!"

Percy crossed his fingers that the cyclops never learned he was wrong.

The farther they got the smaller the island grew until it disappeared completely.

"Did it," Annabeth mumbled, "We . . ."

She never finished her sentence, slumping against the hippocampus' neck.

Cassie smiled fondly. Annabeth deserved the rest.

The daughter of Ares looked to her friends riding beside her and just grinned.

She had no clue where they were going or how far they could get, but she knew she wasn't alone and that was enough for Cassie.

The brunette whispered a silent thanks to the gods. They had kept Annabeth alive after all.

"You know Brainiac? You're the smartest and bravest person I know."

Cassie rested her head on Annabeth's back which was covered by the fleece.

She fell asleep too, connecting her and Annabeth's hands before she did.

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ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ author's note

Hey guys! How are you all doing?

If you couldn't tell i wasn't coming up with a title for this one either so alliteration for the win lol 😅

But gods do i hate sibling chapters! I love writing the sibling bonds but the amount of times i want to put "daughter of ares" or "son of poseidon" but can't because it would be two confusing 😭

Anyways sorry for the short chapter! It's short in the book too and you know i follow those chapters.

But we're getting close! Only 4 more chapters and we've arrived at the glorious Act 3!!! 😁

I can't wait! As always, thanks for reading, commenting and voting! It means the world to me.

Bye till next time!

— Just Another Overthinker