I got my bearings back with relative ease, unlike my previous dream where I was astral projected over Atticus I was Atticus. The dreams were absent of Andromeda's touch, that thin lifeline I could tug if it became to much. I needed to find out more about the war between Athens and Atlantis, some clues about how and why it happened. I walked over to one of the empty spots in the rowing section and watched sea water splash in, I tossed a coin in and it vanished in the light.
"Name. Address. Purpose." A woman's voice answered from the misted sea water.
"Athena, Twelve Olympians Highschool," I thought long and hard about what I should say for purpose. I could say a million different things, but I settled on one. "Goddess of Athens, I am Atticus Neptune."
A faint ringing sound came from the mist, what took seconds felt like hours. Time dragged on like a river making a canyon, the spaghettification carried on with each ring until eventually she answered the call. She wore her helmet as bright silver orbs shot through the helmet like high beams, braid-like snakes peaked out from under her helmet ready to attack.
"ATTICUS NEPTUNE, SON OF POSEIDON! FOR YOUR CRIMES AGAINST ATHENS— wait, Sara?" Athena lifted up her helmet showing owl feathers interwoven into her hair. "What are you doing Sara! I could've killed you!"
"Athena, Goddess of Athens, I am Atticus Neptune. I was cursed with the touch of Zagreus, ma'am," I said, bowing my head down.
"Show me, Sara Pearl," Athena's stance stiffened as she held her spear up.
I turned around and held my hair up, lifting my hair. "Can you see it, Athena?"
"Yes, Daughter of Poseidon, I can see the mark of the dead god. You are very brave, and you said you were which brother again?" Athena's voice carried a twinge of hate.
I turned around to face her once more, letting my hair drop again. "Atticus, Atticus Neptune, King of Atlantis. Athena, I need to ask what happened during the war between Atlantis and Athens. What causes it, and why did you tell Atticus that he was never betrayed?"
"You've seen into your past, no doubt it has something to do with Andromeda," she took a deep breath and tilted her head back. "If I had known then what I know now, I would've killed Zeon Neptune," Athena stated bluntly.
"Zeno? Not Lysander? Not Atticus?" I asked, watching as Athena's head snapped back towards me.
"No, Atticus and Lysander were unfortunate pawns in the game Zeno was planning. What do you know of Atlantis' last crowning ceremony?" Athena asked, her spear vanishing in thin air as she folded her hands.
"Poseidon asked the boys a question, Zeno who had trained his whole life to take the throne answered this one question wrong and lost a life's worth of training. After Atticus was crowned, Poseidon announced that no demigod would take the throne of Atlantis again, and Zeno was furious. He went to his room and didn't emerge for weeks, when he did something was off about him. People felt uncomfortable being in the same room as him, he had a dark energy that surrounded him. The people demanded we do something about him but I couldn't, he was my brother," I spilled out, recalling memories that weren't my own.
"Correct," Athena raised her eyebrows temporarily before relaxing again. "Zeno had made a deal with a dark entity for power and he got it, he made a small guard force and began burning any supplies from Athens in The Atlantean harbor. He then convinced Atticus to go to war with Athens to repay the blood debt of the Atlanteans who died of disease and starvation."
"Atticus believed he was betrayed," I said.
"Atticus was betrayed, he just accused the wrong person," Athena added. "Zeno painted Athens as the villain, then told Lysander that Atticus had gone mad and was on his way."
"But something went wrong, Atticus killed your son and Zeno didn't plan for that. His hope was that Atticus would die in Athens, and he could take the crown and apologize on Atlantis' behalf," I thought back to my vision. "When you let Atticus live, and when Lysander died, Zeno's plan was ruined."
"And then I marched on Atlantis, but Poseidon sent me off saying he would handle it. He killed Zeno and destroyed Athens, I only learned what transpired in there after the fact" Athena looked down, like she was ashamed.
"What happened! What happened to Zeno!" I yelled, frustrated once more that yet another god withheld the truth.
"I cannot say, I am bound by Olympus to not say. I know where you're headed Sara, ask the prophet for he is not bound by the same rules the gods are. Goodbye, Sara," Athena answered calmly, pity had filled her eyes as the mist message cut off.
I sat is disbelief, falling against the wall as I began recalling memories that were not my own. The burning pain I took to my heart as it began to race, I held my chest exactly where I had been stabbed all those years ago as my heart threatened to explode out of my chest. My ribcage bent unwillingly as I kept the bomb in my chest contained, I ran to the top deck and ran to the side clutching my chest tight. My vision flickered at the edges as the thudding of my heart beat against my ear drums with the force of the entire Roman army. My body jerked forward as I threw up over the side, my nails digging into the side.
I felt a hand on my back, I turned around and screamed with the fury of The Arctic Ocean, "Get away from me!"
Andromeda stood there as my knees buckled and I fell to the deck, she knelt infront of watching my body betray itself as I burned myself down. "Sara, what's wrong?" She asked carefully.
I couldn't speak, I pointed at the back of my neck as my chest rose and fell rapidly. Andromeda nodded and reached out to pull me close, I suffocated in the scent of hot sticky flesh and caffeine overdose but it was oddly comforting. I felt her hand on the back of my neck as my heart rate slowed and I was able to get control of my body again.
"Thank you," I whispered softly, leaning into Andromeda.
"Of course…..you've been experiencing slips haven't you?" Andromeda whispered sweetly, motherly.
"Back on Polyphemus' island, I was experiencing some slips when Atticus invaded Athens. Zeno caused the fall of Atlantis, Atticus' own brother," I explained, pulling away a bit.
"Sounds like you're close to figuring out the puzzle," Andromeda smiled.
"Close, anyway what's next on our adventure," I stood up slowly as Andromeda followed me carefully.
"Hopefully something Leonidas can handle, he's supposed to be the brave one," She said, leaning over the railing.
"Says the one who got drugged while I was passes out on the beach," I smiled. "Be nice to him, he's never been on an adventure and this is a hard one. We've slayed monsters, gone through caves and nests, hell we've taken on a Levithan together. Leonidas has trained all his life, but he's never been in the field with us."
"What you say has some truth in it, I guess even I froze a bit when we saw Scylla and Polyphemus," Andromeda laughed out a bit.
"Precisely, now what's next," I said aloud, opening the map.
"Watch out!" I heard a shout as I read the next words, The Laestrygonians.
A boulder was hurled at our ship as I ducked beneath the railing. It whizzed past our ship, almost striking the mast. As I peaked over I saw a ruined dock with wrecked ships, giants threw boulders at us as we moved past.
"I thought Aeolus was next!" Leonidas shouted from the helm.
"I did too! Some stuff must have shifted!" I shouted back.
"Ironclad! Full broadside! Spaniards follow suit!" Leonidas commanded as a boulder flew straight towards the helm. An explosion of wood followed as the sound of guns ripped through the air.
"LEO!" I shouted running towards the helm.
Jason was already near him, the scene I saw was more than my heart could take. Leonidas' chest and legs were filled with wood, the deck had already become stained with crimson as Leonidas struggled and tried to let out any noise as he flopped about. I fell to my knees as Andromeda ran past me, taking out some ambrosia.
"Sara, you need to go," Andromeda said, her hands moving faster than I could comprehend.
"…No….no I'm staying right here," I said, another boulder struck the last Spanish ship behind us as it started to slow.
"Dammit Sara! I don't have time to argue! I'm about rip the boy you have loved for seven years apart! If you don't get out of here, I'm having Jason escort you out!" Andromeda yelled, starting to take wood chunks out of Leonidas as he started to spasm.
My face ran hot as I went out onto the deck, some of the men on our ship turned to me for orders. I took a deep breath as another boulder struck the ship behind us, I flinched as screams erupted from behind as The Spanish guns fell silent. I looked over at the cliff and clenched my fists tight, rage filled my body as my whole arm tensed. A wave came from the ship that sunk and hit the cliffs, some of the giants were dragged off into the water. I felt them trying to swim up but I used my power to drag them down feeling my entire chest grow heavy, I only stopped when I felt them stop struggling. The rest of The Laestrygonians stopped, hesitantly, watching their comrades drown like rats in the ocean.
"Anyone else want to try?" I shouted, using all the power I could. "That's the problem with you monsters! You are here for the actions you have taken against many heroes, and what you have done today will sign your death warrants if you proceed any further!"
We sailed away as peacefully as we could, I stood ready to summon columns of water as silence stretched out in the standoff. The air was tense, the silence filled my lungs heavy as I shook in anger and fear. Ahead I heard shouting, I turned to the ironclad as an explosion ripped through the air. A boulder must have struck them in the chaos, and no one realized. I ducked as fragmented iron and wood flew over the deck, ripping through The Argo as well.
"Damn! Please don't sink my ship, I don't look forward to being crushed by my mast again!" Jason shouted.
"We need to find land! Screw the journey, we need land and rest!" I shouted back.
"Give me command, Sara," Jason stepped to the helm.
I turned to face him, "What? Jason I don't even know if I can—"
"This is your adventure, your journey, give me permission to take command," Jason's resolve has steeled.
The legends of Jason did not sing in his honor, especially his encounters with Medea and Herakles. The former hero had all of the courage of a leader though, which was quite impressive for a mortal. I had no choice, I wanted to run to Leo immediately and I needed someone to take control.
"I, Sara Pearl, give command of my fleet to Jason The Argonaut. Treat it well," I said, bowing slightly.
"I, Jason The Argonaut, accept. I'll do my best in your honor," Jason bowed formally. "Alright men, there's an island nearby and we need to reach it before we sink! Full speed ahead!"
The ship lurched forward as I ran towards the helm, Andromeda was bandaging Leonidas in his shallow wounds and applying makeshift stitches to the deeper wounds. Leonidas coughed up blood and Andromeda responded by giving him a small dose of Ambrosia. I watched as Andromeda fought to keep Leo alive, I sat by on the back benches and watched as seconds stretched out. The only thought in my mind was that I should've drowned more giants, that or I should've sunk the damn island.