Disclaimer: I don't own PJO
Recap: He was pacing outside some sort of room. I couldn't tell if he was keeping watch over Oceanus or over Annabeth, but I knew she was imprisoned somewhere. I also knew that she wasn't scared, weak maybe but she was confidant that they wouldn't kill her. She was sure that she was bait for us. Oceanus wanted bait so we would come back.
Payton's POV
Molly walked over to Percy early the next morning. "Have you heard any news from Poseidon, about Annabeth I mean?"
"No," he replied.
"Don't worry, she will be found. Maybe we should get off this beach and head back to camp for awhile."
"I'm not leaving without her."
I was feeling much better, but I silently moaned to myself. The moan wasn't from pain but from frustration. Don't get me wrong, I loved Molly with my whole heart, but she was always the kind of person who moved on from the past and continued into the future. Most of the time this trait comes in handy, in fact, it was the thing that I needed most in a mother when I was young. A mother I didn't have so Molly would supply that trait for me, but here and now her motivation to move forward wasn't needed.
We had pretty much completed our quest. We found out what Oceanus was up to and Percy had already informed Poseidon. Well anyway there was no rush to get back to camp. I was on Percy's side; we wouldn't leave till we found Annabeth.
"Molly, we have to stay," I told her, "If Poseidon doesn't give us news of her whereabouts in one day I'm going in to look for her. I'm sure Percy will come too. She's my friend and we can't just leave her."
Molly knelt down to my level and stroked my cheek just like she used to. "Honey, I admire your determination and bravery, but Poseidon is a god. He can look for her and we can all go back to safety.
I didn't want to answer. I had never told Molly 'no' before so I just shook my head. I walked slowly over to Percy's side. Nico came and joined us. Molly saw our point.
"You can go let camp know that we are safe and that we've helped Poseidon get information on Oceanus. Tell them that we'll be home soon," I instructed Molly.
She nodded, "But first," she told me, "Hold out your sword, I didn't get a good look at it while we were battling."
I pulled out my blue sword. I had become very found of it. I was a good conductor of fire and it didn't burn up like other swords did when I used them. I never knew why that was, but it was one of the many things about the sword that I adored.
When Molly saw the sword she smiled. "What is it?" I asked her.
"That sword was meant to be mine you know."
"Really? What do you mean? I got the sword at the camp forgery. Jake Mason told me he was save —," it all made sense. "You were the one he was saving it for?"
"Well, I didn't really need a new sword, but Hestia told me that you would be going to camp soon and she didn't want anyone to know you were her child yet. You may have thought that she didn't care about you in the beginning, Payton, but she was helping you all along. I went to camp early one morning and made my way down to the forgery. I told the kid working there that I needed a fire proof sword and I told him how to balance it. I told him that I would come back for it, but that it may be months or even years it I came back. I'm sure the order confused him, but I tipped him well. If I hadn't told him that it would take me a long time to come and get the sword he wouldn't have given it to you, but hey, it works pretty well doesn't it?"
"It's amazing Molly! So that's why it doesn't burn up when I shoot my fire through it."
"Uh huh. And please don't ever think that I don't love you because I do, but I need to get back to camp and inform them of our journey, but I think that all of you have a friend to save."
Percy came up and put a hand on Molly's shoulder, "Thanks," he said.
She left into the thick palm trees. I knew it would be while before I saw her again.
"C'mon guys. I think it would be a good time for me to summon some hippocampus, don't you?"
"Those things are awesome!" Nico shouted. I laughed to myself; sometimes I could see a young child underneath his skin just waiting to burst out.
"Yay, underwater again!" I shouted sarcastically.
"You know you love it!" Percy replied and the hippocampus instantly emerged from the water. He seemed a lot better knowing that we'd be able to look for Annabeth. Then I realized I forgot to tell them about my dream.
"Percy, wait!" I said before he dove in, but I was too late. He was gone and I was forced to follow. I wondered if his eagerness to save a friend blinded him from seeing that we were falling straight back into the clutches of our enemy.
Once we were underwater I got Percy and Nico to slow down.
"Where do we look first?" Nico asked, but I cut him off.
"Before we look anywhere I have to talk to you guys. I had a dream about Annabeth." That got them listening, "She was locked up somewhere. I couldn't make out any surroundings, but she wasn't too scared. They aren't going to kill her. She is out bait. Don't you see it? He wants us to come and save her so he can try to kill us. We are Poseidon's main helpers, especially you Percy! Oceanus can't hope to defeat Poseidon if he's got someone who bathed in the River Styx on his side. He has to defeat you now. And, who knows how long this prophecy will be dragged out. What if the fiery battle it talks about hasn't happened yet? What if it's still coming? He'll want to kill Molly and me as well."
I took a deep breath. Percy looked very serious, but I could have sworn I saw the corner of his mouth twitch up.
"What?" I demanded, if he was smiling.
"You're right."
"I am?"
"Don't get me wrong, we are still going to save Annabeth, but my fatal flaw has always been loyalty. Obviously it's not Molly's fatal flaw. She saw past the trap right away and knew we should get to safety, but I couldn't leave. The scary thing is, is that I can see that I'm doing my fatal flaw right now by going to save Annabeth, but I'm not going to fix that. We have to go anyway."
"You know," I paused, "You are right too. It may be a trap, but we have to go anyway."
"Shhhh!" Nico interrupted, "I heard something."
We dove behind a coral reef. It took awhile, but I heard it too. I was some sort of sea creatures. They were talking to each other.
"He's crazy," the first one said.
"I agree. Oceanus thinks he knows those half-bloods, but if you ask me, they aren't coming back for the girl."
"I know what you mean. They've already lost so many half-bloods I'm sure they are thinking that she is just another one down. They wouldn't risk a Styx bathed half-blood for a regular one."
"Ha! You are so right brother!"
They swam away.
"We're letting them get away," Nico stated. "If they're on Oceanus's side down we want to kill them."
"We shouldn't fight more than necessary, I might drain too much of my power."
"What do you mean?" Nico asked, and I was wondering the same question.
"How else do you think you are breathing underwater?" he questioned.
I can't believe I hadn't thought about it. I guess I was just so used to it from the days before that I hadn't even noticed. There was a clear air bubble around my head and not a single drop of water was touching my skin.
"Good point," I commented though the moment had passed.
We swum on into the distance even though I pretty much had no idea where we were going. One thought circled my mind 'we have to save Annabeth'.