Percy Jackson and the Olympians 1. Chapter 1

**Chapter One**

_Water is rushing past me. I am speeding through the darkness, weaving in and out of the rocks inhabiting the sound. It is a place I know well. But something is wrong._

_I can't stop._

_I have no control over where I am going but I know exactly where I am and any moment I will exit the sound and hit the open ocean. The big blue space ahead is not as familiar and I can easily be lost in the vast darkness underneath the surface. As I near the vast space in my sight a figure appears. Suddenly I stop. _

_I cannot move, only stare at the figure. Everything about the figure is hidden in the shadows of the dark underwater world. I can only notice three things before I wake. The first is an object he holds to his side which is a three-pronged trident made of a shining bronze metal. The second are his bright piercing blue eyes. The third is that he is speaking to me._

_"__Meredith, you must hurry. You're father, my son, is in danger. Go to the camp. Receive the prophecy. Save him or all you know and love will be lost." He speaks quickly and even as he speaks his voice fades. As soon as his last word is spoken I am pulled back into consciousness. _

I sit up in my bed and slowly open my eyes to the blinding light coming through my window. I squint over at the clock on my bedside table and It reads 9:27. It's summer so I don't technically have to be anywhere but since I'm awake I get out of bed to get dressed. I look in the mirror of my light washed, wood vanity. As I attempt to tame the mess that is my hair I look at the photos wedged into the side of the mirror. Along the edges are pictures of my mother my age, us together, the beaches along the San Juan coast on which we live, and some underwater photos of the rocky ocean floor.

Maybe I should explain. Growing up my mother always told me she had named me Meredith for a reason. She told me when she was pregnant with me she had a dream I would one day be involved with the ocean. So she named me Meredith which meant "Guardian of the Sea". She had a love for orcas and I think she secretly just wanted me to work at SeaWorld. Although knowing what I know now that would probably be a bad idea. You see, I'm kind of… a mermaid.

I guess I shouldn't be surprised, because my dad is one too, a merman that is. My dad is named Triton; he is a minor god and the son of Poseidon. It was right before I entered first grade when my tail first appeared. My mom explained my parentage to me and decided to home school me (considering the fact that I now turned into a half fish anytime my feet or legs came into contact with water). I wasn't all that upset. School just meant I had to spend 8 hours a day in a small building with girls asking me about things I cared nothing for like barbies and my little pony. To be honest it meant I could spend more time on the beach outside my house which is what I would always prefer to be doing. Once my tail was revealed my mother became very protective. But hey, who could blame her? If anyone found out I was a mermaid they would ship me off to some facility and poke at my fins all day.

I looked at myself in the mirror. The only part of my looks that followed the whole blonde beach bunny stereotype would probably be my slight tan. Other than that I had an average body. If anything I was thicker than average with curves that had started to show since my 15th birthday. I had brunette hair that I dyed to fade into blue and then green at the bottom setting off the green in my hazel eyes. My hair was not very long, but past my shoulders and long enough to braid so I decided on a French braid down the side of my neck. I put on my usual dolphin studs under my other ear piercings and matching dolphin necklace. It was the only thing I had from my father. He had given it to mom during their relationship and she had passed it on to me with the matching earrings when she discovered just how much I took after Dad.

It was Monday and my mom was already at the animal shelter where she worked on a nearby island. I yawned as I walked into the kitchen to find breakfast. These dreams had taken their toll on the energy I usually lacked in the morning. I made a mental to ask my mom what she thought when she came home. Despite being slightly overprotective at times my mom was my best friend. She knew that I had learned to protect myself from exposing my secret and trusted me to be careful.

I finished my breakfast and walked down to the beach around the back of the house. I was hit by the scent of the sea and took a minute to take it in. It was an amazing day outside with just a few white puffy clouds in the sky which was unusual for Washington.

I walked slowly to the edge of the waves soaking in the sun. Growing up I had learned to control my powers somewhat. I could hold back my tail until I was about up to my waist in the water or long enough to dry myself off if I spilled some juice or while washing my face. It was while learning to control my tail that I discovered what other things I could control. I found I had the ability to move and control the water around me. Not large enough quantities to sink the titanic but enough that I could propel myself through water or move small amounts.

I dipped my toes in the water and felt immediately more energized. I waded in and felt the tingle around my legs as I felt myself strengthen and dove under the waves before her change was complete. The bubbles around me dissipate and I looked down at my familiar changed form.

My tail flowed from sea green up to blue and the scales rose dissipated around my stomach and resumed around my chest and scattered back out over my right shoulder like a scaly strap. The way my scales flowed from blue on top to green on bottom had inspired my hair color. It was my way of keeping part of myself with me when I wasn't in the form I loved. Even if it did only change back to a dull brown when I was in the latter. I swam around to my usual rocky reef and relished in the water which was warmer than usual. Not that I couldn't take the cold (being half fish helped a lot) but it was a change of pace which was refreshing.

I silently wished for the weather to last through tomorrow so I could have a nice day like this with her mom on the beach. Tomorrow was my 16th birthday and mom always took off work so they could have snow cones and a picnic on the beach. I didn't seem possible that I was already 16. To be honest I couldn't believe I had stayed under the radar this long. Mom was always warning me about the monsters that could come for her and that as a demigod she was always in danger. But I figure the reason none ever came for me was because being half fish I probably didn't smell like a normal demigod and therefore was mostly safe. Occasionally a monster would pass through the sound but my marine friends (granddaughter of Poseidon remember?) warned me and I made sure to steer clear or even intervene if necessary. My underwater friends were basically my only contact besides mom. There wasn't any real reason to leave our isolated beach house with its own little cove.

Shifting around looking at the shells on the sea floor I saw a dolphin speeding towards me with a familiar white stripe. It was my closest friend Bella, a pacific white sided dolphin. She raced over to me and started squeaking so fast I couldn't understand her at all.

"Calm down Bella! Slow down and tell me what's wrong." I quickly stroked her until she slowed a little.

"_There's a young hippocampus trapped under a rock deep in the sound!" _she squeaked quickly.

"Okay just give me a minute to grab some things." I replied before heading over to my cave on the side of the sound. It was a good thing I hadn't wandered far. I broke the surface and scanned the make-shift shelves along the walls. This was the cave where I kept all of my treasures. Shells I had found to be beautiful, weapons I had created, pearls, anchors, and objects that had been lost forever to the sea. To me it was like my own personal collection, like in The Little Mermaid.

I spotted my bow and arrows made from strong wood and rope from the nearby forests along the coast. Archery was one of the things I had found calming and had taken to quickly. I knew this bow better than I knew the back of my hand. I strapped on my bow, quiver, a line of rope, and followed Bella to a deep ravine in the sound. As we approached the big opening I saw something shining on the edge on the underwater cliff. I realized this was the hippocampus that was trapped. The creature was clearly in pain, its tail caught inside what I assume used to be a cave opening. Rocks have fallen, closing the opening on the animal's tail.

I look at Bella with a smile on my face and say, "Well now, let's see what we can do to help shall we?


	2. Chapter 2

I follow closely behind Bella over to the collapsed cave entrance. As we approach the Hippocampus becomes skittish. Bella stops and looks at me expectantly. I glide slowly forward cooing softly trying to comfort it. The animal begins to calm and stares at me, in those eyes I can see she is scared.

"There now, it's going to be alright." I say softly.

The Hippocampus just whines in pain and I move my hand forward slowly to stroke the side of its head. It leans its head into my hand and calms down, breathing heavily but slower.

"We're here to help." I say softly. "Can you tell me your name girl?"

_"__My name is Melousa, but my everyone calls me Mel."_ I hear her whinny.

"Hello Mel, My name is Meredith and this is Bella" I say in my most kind voice.

Bella Squeaks her hello and I continue to calm our new friend.

"Now, let's see if we can get you out of here. Does that sound like a plan?"

She nods and I look down at the lower half of her body which is covered in rocks. I check above her to make sure that more rocks won't fall after these are cleared. Seeing everything is stable I signal for Bella to Keep Mel occupied while I begin removing rocks. She begins chatting away with her new friend while I get to work.

Two squeaky stories later I have cleared all small rocks and inspect the bigger offenders. There is a quite large boulder that would have crushed Odette's tail without the lack of gravity that comes with the sea floor.

I turn to Mel, "Okay, I'm going to have to use a bit of force to clear these away. Ok girl?"

Her distraction being gone, a look of fear returns but she just nods.

"Alright, just stay still and calm and it will be over before you know it. Everything's going to be fine."

I blast the last of the rocks with a jet of water and they roll down the ravine freeing the hippocampus's tail. Mel, feeling her freedom, zooms from the cave entrance. I watch as she zooms back and forth, flipping and twirling, happy with her new freedom. Then she slows and returns over to us happy as a clam.

"_Thank you for your help. I am forever in your debt." _She says insistently.

To be honest I never thought I would befriend a hippocampus. They always seem disinterested and unfriendly when we interact. So when Mel says this I welcome a little more myth in my life.

"Oh please, it was no biggie." I explain and turn to inspect the cave opening. "Now then, let's see what's in here. " I say to both of them and pull out a chunk of celestial bronze. Through the past few years chunks of the stuff have floated up from the underworld. I admired the faint glow it always gave off, like a safety net in the dark.

The walls of the cave are smooth and round, normal for most underwater caves I have seen. We swim through the darkness for a few minutes until I see a faint yellow glow at ahead. I tell myself it's just an opening in the ceiling and push forward.

We come to an opening and I stop dead in my tracks. So fast that Mel and Bella almost slam into my back.

"_What's wrong Mere? Oh-_", Bella stops as she lays eyes on what I'm staring at.

The cave opens up into an huge ravine. But what catches my attention is the enormous amount of treasure filling every surface of the ravine floor. Everywhere are piles of golden, coins, chalices, crowns, and various objects. Towards the back of the biggest pile I see a giant warship that looks like it was plucked right out of _Xena: Warrior Princess_. We begin to explore the treasures and I'll admit I'm amazed at the glow coming from this much gold.

I'm drawn towards a pile a little further back. In the center Is an object with a slightly different glow I recognize as celestial bronze. I realize it's a trident, a long thin staff that comes to three points on the end. I pick if the lean weapon and it feel right, balanced in my hands. On the other side I notice writing along he handle. It looks like an ancient language but as I look it starts to change and rearrange. It is now written in English clear as day.

"Guys come here I found something!" I motion to my friends and they hurry over.

"_Whoa cool._" Bella says excitedly, "_What does that writing say?_"

I read it aloud, "This trident may be more than it seems, only to the guardian of the sea…"

I look at the others and they're staring at me. "What?" I ask, knowing what they're thinking. Bella looks like she's about to burst.

"Look," I say "there's no way this is for me, that's too crazy." Although to be honest crazier things have happened to me, tail included.

Bella starts rambling about how awesome it is and I ignore her, turning back to the glowing trident. It is completely balanced in my hand and has small, swirly, intricate designs etched into the metal of various sea creatures and waves.

Bella's rambling is cut short by a loud thump. I strap the Trident on my back with my bow and the rope and I turn around to look. In her excitement she has knocked down one of the bigger treasures. A giant chest filled with shiny gold objects. There's a loud crash and burst of bubbles as it lands at the bottom of the ravine.

There's a silent moment as we wait for the bubbles to clear and I recognize a low sound, a growl. Bubbles continue to rise and I am just about to turn to bella and suggest we leave when there is an explosion of gold. Something about the size of a blue whale is rising out of the piles of treasure.

What rises out of the mess is what I can only describe as an underwater dragon. The body resembles a seahorse. It has no legs but large fins in place of wings followed by a long curling tail. What it does not have in common with a seahorse is the giant snapping jaws that are now staring straight at us.

I turn and tell them to run and blast a strong jet of water at the monsters face to distract it. The monster, confused, backs up a little and my friends get our through the entrance. I am right behind them when I feel something big and heavy hit my back and I begin to sink to the bottom of the ravine. The last thing I see is a wave of gold consumes my vision before everything goes black.


End file.
