best counter
Search
Report & Feedback

Chapter no 5 – LEO

The Mark of Athena (The Heroes of Olympus #3)

โ€ŒLeo wished he could inventย a time machine. Heโ€™d go back two hours and undo what had happened. Either that, or he could invent a Slap-Leo-in-the- Face machine to punish himself, though he doubted it would hurt as badly as the look Annabeth was giving him.โ€Œ

โ€œOne more time,โ€ she said. โ€œExactlyย whatย happened?โ€

Leo slumped against the mast. His head still throbbed from hitting the deck. All around him, his beautiful new ship was in shambles. The aft crossbows were piles of kindling. The foresail was tattered. The satellite array that powered the onboard Internet and TV was blown to bits, which had really made Coach Hedge mad. Their bronze dragon figurehead, Festus, was coughing up smoke like he had a hairball, and Leo could tell from the groaning sounds on the port side that some of the aerial oars had been knocked out of alignment or broken off completely, which explained why the ship was listing and shuddering as it flew, the engine wheezing like an asthmatic steam train.

He choked back a sob. โ€œI donโ€™t know. Itโ€™s fuzzy.โ€

Too many people were looking at him: Annabeth (Leoย hatedย to make her angry; that girl scared him), Coach Hedge with his furry goat legs, his orange polo shirt, and his baseball bat (did he have to carry that everywhere?), and the newcomer, Frank.

Leo wasnโ€™t sure what to make of Frank. He looked like a baby sumo wrestler, though Leo wasnโ€™t stupid enough to say that aloud. Leoโ€™s memory was hazy, but while heโ€™d been half conscious, he was pretty sure heโ€™d seen a dragon land on the shipโ€”a dragon that had turned into Frank.

Annabeth crossed her arms. โ€œYou mean you donโ€™t remember?โ€

โ€œIโ€ฆโ€ Leo felt like he was trying to swallow a marble. โ€œI remember, but itโ€™s like I was watching myself do things. I couldnโ€™t control it.โ€

Coach Hedge tapped his bat against the deck. In his gym clothes, with his cap pulled over his horns, he looked just like he used to at the Wilderness School, where heโ€™d spent a year undercover as Jason, Piper, and Leoโ€™s P.E. teacher. The way the old satyr was glowering, Leo almost wondered if the coach was going to order him to do push-ups.

โ€œLook, kid,โ€ Hedge said, โ€œyou blew up some stuff. You attacked some Romans. Awesome! Excellent! But did youย haveย to knock out the satellite channels? I was right in the middle of watching a cage match.โ€

โ€œCoach,โ€ Annabeth said, โ€œwhy donโ€™t you make sure all the fires are out?โ€ โ€œBut I already did that.โ€

โ€œDo it again.โ€

The satyr trudged off, muttering under his breath. Even Hedge wasnโ€™t crazy enough to defy Annabeth.

She knelt next to Leo. Her gray eyes were as steely as ball bearings. Her blond hair fell loose around her shoulders, but Leo didnโ€™t find that attractive. He had no idea where the stereotype of dumb giggly blondes came from. Ever since heโ€™d met Annabeth at the Grand Canyon last winter, when sheโ€™d marched toward him with thatย Give me Percy Jackson or Iโ€™ll kill youย expression, Leo thought of blondes as much too smart and much too dangerous.

โ€œLeo,โ€ she said calmly, โ€œdid Octavian trick you somehow? Did he frame you, orโ€”โ€

โ€œNo.โ€ Leo could have lied and blamed that stupid Roman, but he didnโ€™t want to make a bad situation worse. โ€œThe guy was a jerk, but he didnโ€™t fire on the camp. I did.โ€

The new kid, Frank, scowled. โ€œOn purpose?โ€

โ€œNo!โ€ Leo squeezed his eyes shut. โ€œWell, yesโ€ฆI mean, I didnโ€™t want to.

But at the same time, Iย feltย like I wanted to. Something was making me do it. There was this cold feeling inside meโ€”โ€

โ€œA cold feeling.โ€ Annabethโ€™s tone changed. She sounded almostโ€ฆscared. โ€œYeah,โ€ Leo said. โ€œWhy?โ€

From belowdecks, Percy called up, โ€œAnnabeth, we need you.โ€ Oh, gods, Leo thought. Please let Jason be okay.

As soon as theyโ€™d gotten on board, Piper had taken Jason below. The cut on his head had looked pretty bad. Leo had known Jason longer than anyone at Camp Half-Blood. They were best friends. If Jason didnโ€™t make itโ€ฆ

โ€œHeโ€™ll be fine.โ€ Annabethโ€™s expression softened. โ€œFrank, Iโ€™ll be back.

Justโ€ฆwatch Leo. Please.โ€ Frank nodded.

If it was possible for Leo to feel worse, he did. Annabeth now trusted a Roman demigod sheโ€™d known for like, three seconds, more than she trusted Leo.

Once she was gone, Leo and Frank stared at each other. The big dude looked pretty odd in his bedsheet toga, with his gray pullover hoodie and jeans, and a bow and quiver from the shipโ€™s armory slung over his shoulder. Leo remembered the time he had met the Hunters of Artemisโ€”a bunch of cute lithe girls in silvery clothes, all armed with bows. He imagined Frank frolicking along with them. The idea was so ridiculous, it almost made him feel better.

โ€œSo,โ€ Frank said. โ€œYour name isnโ€™t Sammy?โ€ Leo scowled. โ€œWhat kind of question is that?โ€

โ€œNothing,โ€ Frank said quickly. โ€œI justโ€” Nothing. About the firing on the campโ€ฆOctavian could be behind it, like magically or something. He didnโ€™t want the Romans getting along with you guys.โ€

Leo wanted to believe that. He was grateful to this kid for not hating him. But he knew it hadnโ€™t been Octavian.ย Leoย had walked to a ballista and started firing. Part of him had known it was wrong. Heโ€™d asked himself:ย What the heck am I doing?ย But heโ€™d done it anyway.

Maybe he was going crazy. The stress of all those months working on the

Argo IIย mightโ€™ve finally made him crack.

But he couldnโ€™t think about that. He needed to do something productive.

His hands needed to be busy.

โ€œLook,โ€ he said, โ€œI should talk to Festus and get a damage report. You mindโ€ฆ ?โ€

Frank helped him up. โ€œWho is Festus?โ€

โ€œMy friend,โ€ Leo said. โ€œHis name isnโ€™t Sammy either, in case youโ€™re wondering. Come on. Iโ€™ll introduce you.โ€

Fortunately the bronze dragon wasnโ€™t damaged. Well, aside from the fact that last winter heโ€™d lost everything except his headโ€”but Leo didnโ€™t count that.

When they reached the bow of the ship, the figurehead turned a hundred and eighty degrees to look at them. Frank yelped and backed away.

โ€œItโ€™s alive!โ€ he said.

Leo would have laughed if he hadnโ€™t felt so bad. โ€œYeah. Frank, this is Festus. He used to be a full bronze dragon, but we had an accident.โ€

โ€œYou have a lot of accidents,โ€ Frank noted.

โ€œWell, some of us canโ€™t turn into dragons, so we have to build our own.โ€ Leo arched his eyebrows at Frank. โ€œAnyway, I revived him as a figurehead. Heโ€™s kind of the shipโ€™s main interface now. How are things looking, Festus?โ€

Festus snorted smoke and made a series of squeaking, whirring sounds. Over the last few months, Leo had learned to interpret this machine language. Other demigods could understand Latin and Greek. Leo could speak Creak and Squeak.

โ€œUgh,โ€ Leo said. โ€œCould be worse, but the hull is compromised in several places. The port aerial oars have to be fixed before we can go full speed again. Weโ€™ll need some repair materials: Celestial bronze, tar, limeโ€”โ€

โ€œWhat do you need limes for?โ€

โ€œDude,ย lime. Calcium carbonate, used in cement and a bunch of otherโ€” Ah, never mind. The point is, this ship isnโ€™t going far unless we can fix it.โ€

Festus made another click-creak noise that Leo didnโ€™t recognize. It sounded likeย AY-zuhl.

โ€œOhโ€ฆHazel,โ€ he deciphered. โ€œThatโ€™s the girl with the curly hair, right?โ€ Frank gulped. โ€œIs she okay?โ€

โ€œYeah, sheโ€™s fine,โ€ Leo said. โ€œAccording to Festus, her horse is racing along below. Sheโ€™s following us.โ€

โ€œWeโ€™ve got to land, then,โ€ Frank said. Leo studied him. โ€œSheโ€™s your girlfriend?โ€ Frank chewed his lip. โ€œYes.โ€

โ€œYou donโ€™t sound sure.โ€

โ€œYes. Yes, definitely. Iโ€™m sure.โ€

Leo raised his hands. โ€œOkay, fine. The problem is we can only manage one landing. The way the hull and the oars are, we wonโ€™t be able to lift off again until we repair, so weโ€™ll have to make sure we land somewhere with all the right supplies.โ€

Frank scratched his head. โ€œWhere do you get Celestial bronze? You canโ€™t just stock up at Home Depot.โ€

โ€œFestus, do a scan.โ€

โ€œHe can scan for magic bronze?โ€ Frank marveled. โ€œIs there anything he

canโ€™tย do?โ€

Leo thought:ย You shouldโ€™ve seen him when he had a body.ย But he didnโ€™t say that. It was too painful, remembering the way Festus used to be.

Leo peered over the shipโ€™s bow. The Central California valley was passing below. Leo didnโ€™t hold out much hope that they could find what they needed all in one place, but they had to try. Leo also wanted to put as much distance as possible between himself and New Rome. Theย Argo IIย could cover vast distances pretty quickly, thanks to its magical engine, but Leo figured the Romans had magic travel methods of their own.

Behind him, the stairs creaked. Percy and Annabeth climbed up, their faces grim.

Leoโ€™s heart stumbled. โ€œIs Jasonโ€”?โ€

โ€œHeโ€™s resting,โ€ Annabeth said. โ€œPiperโ€™s keeping an eye on him, but he should be fine.โ€

Percy gave him a hard look. โ€œAnnabeth says youย didย fire the ballista?โ€ โ€œMan, Iโ€”I donโ€™t understand how it happened. Iโ€™m so sorryโ€”โ€ย โ€œSorry?โ€ย Percy growled.

Annabeth put a hand on her boyfriendโ€™s chest. โ€œWeโ€™ll figure it out later. Right now, we have to regroup and make a plan. Whatโ€™s the situation with the ship?โ€

Leoโ€™s legs trembled. The way Percy had looked at him made him feel the

same as when Jason summoned lightning. Leoโ€™s skin tingled, and every instinct in his body screamed,ย Duck!

He told Annabeth about the damage and the supplies they needed. At least he felt better talking about something fixable.

He was bemoaning the shortage of Celestial bronze when Festus began to whir and squeak.

โ€œPerfect.โ€ Leo sighed with relief.

โ€œWhatโ€™s perfect?โ€ Annabeth said. โ€œI could use someย perfectย about now.โ€

Leo managed a smile. โ€œEverything we need in one place. Frank, why donโ€™t you turn into a bird or something? Fly down and tell your girlfriend to meet us at the Great Salt Lake in Utah.โ€

Once they got there, it wasnโ€™t a pretty landing. With the oars damaged and the foresail torn, Leo could barely manage a controlled descent. The others strapped themselves in belowโ€”except for Coach Hedge, who insisted on clinging to the forward rail, yelling, โ€œYEAH! Bring it on, lake!โ€ Leo stood astern, alone at the helm, and aimed as best he could.

Festus creaked and whirred warning signals, which were relayed through the intercom to the quarterdeck.

โ€œI know, I know,โ€ Leo said, gritting his teeth.

He didnโ€™t have much time to take in the scenery. To the southeast, a city was nestled in the foothills of a mountain range, blue and purple in the afternoon shadows. A flat desert landscape spread to the south. Directly beneath them the Great Salt Lake glittered like aluminum foil, the shoreline etched with white salt marshes that reminded Leo of aerial photos of Mars.

โ€œHang on, Coach!โ€ he shouted. โ€œThis is going to hurt.โ€ โ€œI wasย bornย for hurt!โ€

WHOOM!ย A swell of salt water washed over the bow, dousing Coach Hedge. Theย Argo IIย listed dangerously to starboard, then righted itself and rocked on the surface of the lake. Machinery hummed as the aerial blades that were still working changed to nautical form.

Three banks of robotic oars dipped into the water and began moving them forward.

โ€œGood job, Festus,โ€ Leo said. โ€œTake us toward the south shore.โ€

โ€œYeah!โ€ Coach Hedge pumped his fists in the air. He was drenched from his horns to hooves, but grinning like a crazy goat. โ€œDo it again!โ€

โ€œUhโ€ฆmaybe later,โ€ Leo said. โ€œJust stay above deck, okay? You can keep watch, in caseโ€”you know, the lake decides to attack us or something.โ€

โ€œOn it,โ€ Hedge promised.

Leo rang theย All clearย bell and headed for the stairs. Before he got there, a loudย clump-clump-clumpย shook the hull. A tan stallion appeared on deck with Hazel Levesque on his back.

โ€œHowโ€”?โ€ Leoโ€™s question died in his throat. โ€œWeโ€™re in the middle of a lake! Can that thing fly?โ€

The horse whinnied angrily.

โ€œArion canโ€™t fly,โ€ Hazel said. โ€œBut he can run across just about anything.

Water, vertical surfaces, small mountainsโ€”none of that bothers him.โ€ โ€œOh.โ€

Hazel was looking at him strangely, the way she had during the feast in the forumโ€”like she was searching for something in his face. He was tempted to ask if they had met before, but he was sure they hadnโ€™t. He would remember a pretty girl paying such close attention to him. That didnโ€™t happen a lot.

Sheโ€™s Frankโ€™s girlfriend,ย he reminded himself.

Frank was still below, but Leo almost wished the big guy would come up the stairs. The way Hazel was studying Leo made him feel uneasy and self- conscious.

Coach Hedge crept forward with his baseball bat, eyeing the magic horse suspiciously. โ€œValdez, does this count as an invasion?โ€

โ€œNo!โ€ Leo said. โ€œUm, Hazel, youโ€™d better come with me. I built a stable belowdecks, if Arion wants toโ€”โ€

โ€œHeโ€™s more of a free spirit.โ€ Hazel slipped out of the saddle. โ€œHeโ€™ll graze around the lake until I call him. But I want to see the ship. Lead the way.โ€

Theย Argo IIย was designed like an ancient trireme, only twice as big. The first deck had one central corridor with crew cabins on either side. On a normal trireme, most of the space wouldโ€™ve been taken up with three rows of benches for a few hundred sweaty guys to do the manual labor, but Leoโ€™s oars were automated and retractable, so they took up very little room inside the hull. The shipโ€™s power came from the engine room on the second and lowest

deck, which also housed sickbay, storage, and the stables.

Leo led the way down the hall. Heโ€™d built the ship with eight cabinsโ€” seven for the demigods of the prophecy, and a room for Coach Hedge (Seriouslyโ€”Chiron considered him a responsible adult chaperone?). At the stern was a large mess hall/lounge, which was where Leo headed.

On the way, they passed Jasonโ€™s room. The door was open. Piper sat at the side of his berth, holding Jasonโ€™s hand while he snored with an ice pack on his head.

Piper glanced at Leo. She held a finger to her lips for quiet, but she didnโ€™t look angry. That was something. Leo tried to force down his guilt, and they kept walking. When they reached the mess hall, they found the othersโ€”Percy, Annabeth, and Frankโ€”sitting dejectedly around the dining table.

Leo had made the lounge as nice as possible, since he figured theyโ€™d be spending a lot of time there. The cupboard was lined with magic cups and plates from Camp Half-Blood, which would fill up with whatever food or drink you wanted on command. There was also a magical ice chest with canned drinks, perfect for picnics ashore. The chairs were cushy recliners with thousand-finger massage, built-in headphones, and sword and drink holders for all your demigod kicking-back needs. There were no windows, but the walls were enchanted to show real-time footage from Camp Half-Bloodโ€” the beach, the forest, the strawberry fieldsโ€”although now Leo was wondering if this made people homesick rather than happy.

Percy was staring longingly at a sunset view of Half-Blood Hill, where the Golden Fleece glittered in the branches of the tall pine tree.

โ€œSo weโ€™ve landed,โ€ Percy said. โ€œWhat now?โ€

Frank plucked on his bowstring. โ€œFigure out the prophecy? I meanโ€ฆthat

wasย a prophecy Ella spoke, right? From the Sibylline Books?โ€ โ€œThe what?โ€ Leo asked.

Frank explained how their harpy friend was freakishly good at memorizing books. At some point in the past, sheโ€™d inhaled a collection of ancient prophecies that had supposedly been destroyed around the fall of Rome.

โ€œThatโ€™s why you didnโ€™t tell the Romans,โ€ Leo guessed. โ€œYou didnโ€™t want them to get hold of her.โ€

Percy kept staring at the image of Half-Blood Hill. โ€œEllaโ€™s sensitive. She

was a captive when we found her. I just didnโ€™t wantโ€ฆโ€ He made a fist. โ€œIt doesnโ€™t matter now. I sent Tyson an Iris-message, told him to take Ella to Camp Half-Blood. Theyโ€™ll be safe there.โ€

Leo doubted thatย anyย of them would be safe, now that he had stirred up a camp of angry Romans on top of the problems they already had with Gaea and the giants; but he kept quiet.

Annabeth laced her fingers. โ€œLet me think about the prophecyโ€”but right now we have more immediate problems. We have to get this ship fixed. Leo, what do we need?โ€

โ€œThe easiest thing is tar.โ€ Leo was glad to change the subject. โ€œWe can get that in the city, at a roofing-supply store or someplace like that. Also, Celestial bronze and lime. According to Festus, we can find both of those on an island in the lake, just west of here.โ€

โ€œWeโ€™ll have to hurry,โ€ Hazel warned. โ€œIf I know Octavian, heโ€™s searching for us with his auguries. The Romans will send a strike force after us. Itโ€™s a matter of honor.โ€

Leo felt everyoneโ€™s eyes on him. โ€œGuysโ€ฆI donโ€™t know what happened.

Honestly, Iโ€”โ€

Annabeth raised her hand. โ€œWeโ€™ve been talking. We agree it couldnโ€™t have beenย you, Leo. That cold feeling you mentionedโ€ฆI felt it too. It must have been some sort of magic, either Octavian or Gaea or one of her minions. But until we understand what happenedโ€”โ€

Frank grunted. โ€œHow can we be sure it wonโ€™t happen again?โ€

Leoโ€™s fingers heated up like they were about to catch fire. One of his powers as a son of Hephaestus was that he could summon flames at will; but he had to be careful not to do so by accident, especially on a ship filled with explosives and flammable supplies.

โ€œIโ€™m fine now,โ€ he insisted, though he wished he could be sure. โ€œMaybe we should use the buddy system. Nobody goes anywhere alone. We can leave Piper and Coach Hedge on board with Jason. Send one team into town to get tar. Another team can go after the bronze and the lime.โ€

โ€œSplit up?โ€ Percy said. โ€œThat sounds like a really bad idea.โ€

โ€œItโ€™ll be quicker,โ€ Hazel put in. โ€œBesides, thereโ€™s a reason a quest is usually limited to three demigods, right?โ€

Annabeth raised her eyebrows, as if reappraising Hazelโ€™s merits. โ€œYouโ€™re right. The same reason we needed theย Argo IIโ€ฆoutside camp, seven demigods in one place will attract way too much monstrous attention. The ship is designed to conceal and protect us. We should be safe enough on board; but if we go on expeditions, we shouldnโ€™t travel in groups larger than three. No sense alerting more of Gaeaโ€™s minions than we have to.โ€

Percy still didnโ€™t look happy about it, but he took Annabethโ€™s hand. โ€œAs long as youโ€™re my buddy, Iโ€™m good.โ€

Hazel smiled. โ€œOh, thatโ€™s easy. Frank, you were amazing, turning into a dragon! Could you do it again to fly Annabeth and Percy into town for the tar?โ€

Frank opened his mouth like he wanted to protest. โ€œIโ€ฆI suppose. But what about you?โ€

โ€œIโ€™ll ride Arion with Saโ€”with Leo, here.โ€ She fidgeted with her sword hilt, which made Leo uneasy. She had even more nervous energy thanย heย did. โ€œWeโ€™ll get the bronze and the lime. We can all meet back here by dark.โ€

Frank scowled. Obviously, he didnโ€™t like the idea of Leo going off with Hazel. For some reason, Frankโ€™s disapproval made Leo want to go. Heย hadย to prove he was trustworthy. He wasnโ€™t going to fire any random ballistae again.

โ€œLeo,โ€ said Annabeth, โ€œif we get the supplies, how long to fix the ship?โ€ โ€œWith luck, just a few hours.โ€

โ€œFine,โ€ she decided. โ€œWeโ€™ll meet you back here as soon as possible, but stay safe. We could use some good luck. That doesnโ€™t mean weโ€™ll get it.โ€

You'll Also Like