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chapter eleven ˏˋ°•*⁀➷
011. Trying to Avoid the Belly of the Beast

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IMAGINE A MONSTER ISLAND...

Things like dead trees, sharp rocks, maybe some lava even, and bloody leftover bones come to mind right?

Now if you're imagining Polyphemus' island scratch all of that.

I guess the rope bridge across a chasm was good if the cyclops was going to shove them off or come from below and eat them.

But other than that, this place was a stereotypical island used for postcard backgrounds.

The lush fields, coconut trees, and sandy beaches were nothing like a monster's island should be.

Cassie gazed over the area as their ship drew near. Annabeth took in the richly sweet air.

"The Fleece," The blonde announced.

Percy and Cassie nodded. They didn't need to see the Fleece to feel its power.

"If we take it away, will the island die?" Percy asked.

"It'll fade. Go back to what it would be normally, whatever that is." Annabeth replied.

Percy couldn't help but feel a bit guilty, ruining an island this amazing.

Cassie saw how his face fell and threw an arm around him.

"Don't worry Kelp Head, it'll be fine. Besides, it's our only option really . . ."

The daughter of Ares' voice died away at the end realizing her attempt to be reassuring might've just made him feel worse.

But Percy gave her a small thankful smile throwing his arm over her shoulder too.

Together the two looked at the dozens of sheep covering the meadow.

They seemed pretty calm but were basically the size of hippos.

Following the path beside the sheep, into the hills, there was a ginormous oak.

A glittering gold thing hung from one of its branches.

"This is too easy. We could just hike up there and take it?" Percy observed suspiciously.

Annabeth's brows furrowed. "There's supposed be a guardian. A dragon or . . ."

Then, a deer came from the bushes and wandered into the middle of all the sheep.

After a group bleat the sheep dashed to the deer, suffocating it in the crowd of wool.

Less than a second after, the sheep dispersed and all that was left was a pile of clean bones.

Cassie's mouth fell open in horror.

"I think we found our guardians." The brunette muttered, still shocked by the sheep.

Annabeth's eyes met Cassie's.

"They're like piranhas," she remarked.

"Yeah, piranhas all decked out in fur. How are we supposed to—"

Annabeth gasped, shaking Cassie a bit in surprise.

"Carter! Look."

Cassie's eyes followed where the blonde was pointing. At the foot of the meadow there was a boat.

The other lifeboat from none other than the CSS Birmingham. Someone else was here!

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So, sneaking past the hungry man-eating sheep wasn't an option.

Annabeth offered to get past invisibly and take the Fleece, but with their luck Cassie knew something would go wrong.

She convinced Annabeth that that wasn't smart because the sheep could smell her.

Percy also added that Annabeth would be too far away for them to reach in time to help.

Their first priority was finding Grover and whoever sailed the other lifeboat.

Percy was hoping for Tyson while Cassie was thinking it was Clarisse.

Percy steered the ship to the back of the island behind the cliffs. It would be less visible there.

The cliffs were climbable thanks to their training on the lava wall at camp.

Percy was glad the hills weren't covered in sheep. He did wonder if Polyphemus had carnivorous mountain goats.

They got in a lifeboat and towed it to the edge of the cliffs.

Annabeth went first being the better climber. Percy followed after and Cassie last.

They'd slipped eight to nine times, which wasn't the worst.

Once Percy lost his grip and was left holding a ledge single handedly, one false move away from death.

Thankfully he found another handhold and kept going.

Not even a minute later, Annabeth stepped on some moss and lost her footing.

Fortunately she had Percy's face to put her foot on.

"Sorry," The blonde mumbled.

"S'okay," Percy grumbled, trying to get the taste off his tongue.

That resulted in Cassie losing her grip from laughing so hard and almost falling splat onto sharp rocks.

She may have hit her face into the cliff, but they don't talk about that.

After some struggling and a good workout, they made it to the top of the cliff, dropping to the floor.

"Ugh." Percy groaned.

"Ouch," Annabeth complained.

"Finally." Cassie said, lying face down into the dirt.

"Garrr!" Another voice cried out.

If they weren't completely exhausted the three would've jumped back in surprise and fallen to their death.

Percy whipped around to see who roared and Cassie let out a "What the—"

She never finished her thought because Annabeth covered her mouth with her hand.

The blonde gestured for the two to be quiet and pointed.

The cliff they were on was a lot smaller than they had expected. It dropped off at the opposite end and that's where the voice was.

Right under them.

"You're a feisty one!" The same deep voice yelled.

"Challenge me!" Clarisse's shouted back and Cassie's lips curled into a smile. "Give me back my sword and I'll fight you!"

The monster let out a laugh that shook the ground. Cassie had to grab Annabeth's arm to keep from falling over.

The trio inched towards the edge and Cassie hung her head over the side to look into the entrance of the cave.

If it wasn't for Annabeth grabbing her shirt collar and pulling her back, Cassie could've fallen over the edge laughing at Grover in a wedding dress.

Polyphemus and Grover were standing together, watching Clarisse who was dangling upside down over a boiling pot of water.

Percy was hoping to see Tyson there too. Better he was in danger then dead. But the young cyclops was no where in sight.

"Hmm. Eat loudmouth girl now or wait for wedding feast? What does my bride think?" Polyphemus tapped him chin in thought.

His attention shifted to Grover who back away a bit.

"Oh, um, I'm not hungry right now, dear. Perhaps—"

"Did you say bride? Who—Grover?" Clarisse almost scoffed in amusement.

Next to Cassie, Annabeth whispered, "Shut up. She has to shut up."

The brunette elbowed her lightly earning a small glare back.

Polyphemus furrowed his eyebrow. "What 'Grover'?"

"The satyr!" Clarisse clarified and Cassie was sure she would've pointed if her arms weren't tied.

"Oh! The poor thing's brain is boiling from that hot water. Pull her down, dear!" Grover suggested in a weirdly high pitch voice.

Polyphemus squinted as he tried to see Clarisse better. He was a pretty ugly looking guy.

His stench could be smelled a mile away and his outfit was a bunch of weeding tuxedos stitched together.

Cassie didn't want to know how he got them.

"What satyr? Satyrs are good eating. You bring me a satyr?" Polyphemus clapped dumbly.

"No, you big idiot! That satyr! Grover! The one in the wedding dress!" Clarisse hissed.

Cassie closed her eyes in frustration. Her sister was great and all but how did she not understand that Grover was trying to survive here.

Percy was clenching his fist, definitely angry but he couldn't do anything. Polyphemus snatched Grover's veil revealing his horns, stubby beard, and head of curls.

Polyphemus breathing quickened as he growled.

"I don't see very well, Not since many years ago when the other hero stabbed me in eye. But YOU'RE NO—LADY—CYCLOPS!"

Grover was stripped of his wedding dress and thank goodness he had jeans and a T-shirt underneath.

Grover let out a yelp and ducked away from the monster's arm.

"Stop! Don't eat me raw! I—I have a good recipe!" Grover tried to extend his remaining time alive.

If her sister wasn't about to be boiled and if Grover wasn't about to be devoured, Cassie would've laughed.

But instead she made her sword appear, Percy getting the same idea.

"Wait!" Annabeth instructed.

Polyphemus was holding a boulder up ready to squish Grover.

"Recipe?" He paused.

"Oh y-yes! You don't want to eat me raw. You'll get E coli and botulism and all sorts of horrible things. I'll taste much better grilled over a slow fire. With mango chutney! You could go get some mangos right now, down there in the woods. I'll just wait here."

If the cyclops didn't believe him, Cassie and Percy would've run in there and most likely died trying to save their friends.

Luckily Polyphemus found it interesting and nodded with an approving smile.

"Grilled satyr with mango chutney. You a satyr, too?" The monster asked Clarisse.

"No, you overgrown pile of dung! I'm a girl! The daughter of Ares! Now untie me so I can rip your arms off!"

"Rip my arms off."

"And stuff them down your throat!"

"You got spunk."

"Let me down!"

Polyphemus grabbed Grover.

"Have to graze sheep now. Wedding postponed until tonight. Then we'll eat satyr for the main course"

"But . . . you're still getting married? Who's the bride?" Grover sounded almost hurt.

Polyphemus' gaze shifted to the boiling pot.

Clarisse cried out. "Oh, no! You can't be serious. I'm not—"

Polyphemus just plucked her from the rope and tossed both her and Grover back into the cave.

"Make yourself comfortable! I come back at sundown for big event!"

He whistled and a flock of goats and sheep came from the cave, heading to the pasture.

Polyphemus patted some and urged them out. When the last sheep stumbled out, the cyclops blocked the cave entrance with a boulder.

It blocked away Grover and Clarisse's cries for help.

"Mangos. What are mangos?" Polyphemus pondered.

He strolled away leaving them with the pot and a boulder.

(not me imagining him skipping down the hill swinging his basket and singing😭😂)

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After trying for what felt like hours the boulder didn't budge.

The trio tried everything to get a signal inside to Grover and Clarisse.

Annabeth couldn't even count the amount of times Cassie had hit the boulder with her sword, cursing in Ancient Greek.

They couldn't kill Polyphemus even if they wanted to because he was the only one strong enough to move the rock.

If he died, Grover and Clarisse would die stuck in the cave.

They sat on the ledge trying to figure out what to do. Cassie hung her head off it upside down, claiming the blood rush will help her think.

She watched as Polyphemus shuffled amongst his sheep. The cyclops was smart enough to separate the flocks with the top bridge being the only crossing point.

But the gaps were too big for the sheep to cross. Polyphemus made it across with ease, now visiting his piranha sheep.

They didn't even try to eat him as he fed them met from his basket.

The basket reminded Percy of his time as a quinea pig in Circe's cage.

"Trickery," Annabeth randomly decided. "We can't beat him by force, so we'll have to use trickery."

"Okay. What trick?" Percy inquired.

"I haven't figured that part out yet."

"That's nice." Cassie hummed, still viewing the world upside down.

"Polyphemus will have to move the rock to let the sheep inside." Annabeth thought aloud.

"At sunset. Which is when he'll marry Clarisse and have Grover for dinner. I'm not sure which is
grosser." Percy joked.

"Hey!" Cassie let out, defending her sister.

"I could get inside invisibly." Annabeth remarked.

"Yeah, but what about us?" Cassie replied.

Annabeth walked over to the brunette and outstretched a hand. Cassie took it a hoisted herself up to her feet.

Neither let go when the brunette was fully up.

Annabeth slyly grinned. "The sheep. How much do you like sheep?"

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"Just don't let go!" Annabeth advised between the two's sheep.

She was wearing her hat so they didn't know exactly where she was.

"Says the person who isn't upside down holding on to a sheep for dear life." Cassie quipped back.

The daughter of Ares didn't mind though. The sheep was pretty easy to hold onto and it's wool was soft.

Cassie could've fallen asleep like that if the sheep didn't smell like a muddy wet dog.

Percy was having just as much fun as her from another sheep to her left.

The sun was setting and the sky was pretty, but the peacefulness was interrupted by the cyclops.

"Oy! Goaties! Sheepies!"

The flock listened and headed back towards the cave.

"This is it! I'll be close by. Don't worry." Annabeth reassured them.

Cassie smile fondly. If this worked Annabeth was a genius.

The sheep she was on started up the hill. It went slow probably because of the extra weight but made it nonetheless.

Cassie glanced to Percy who was holding tight. She grinned but didn't say anything because the cyclops was right next to her.

"Hasenpfeffer!" Polyphemus greeted.

He pat her sheep and Cassie almost lost her grip from the pressure.

"You're a little plumper than normal today!"

"Einstein! Widget—eh there, Widget!"

Then the cyclops pat Percy sheep and laughed.

"Putting on some extra mutton there?"

Percy thought he was about to be noticed and cyclops dinner but his sheep was dismissed with a pat on the back.

"Go on, fatty! Soon Polyphemus will eat you for breakfast!"

And now they were in the cave. Cassie prayed to the Gods that Annabeth's plan went right.

She didn't want to be cyclops chow and she sure as hell didn't need Annabeth to be even more traumatized.

The cyclops was ready to roll the stone back when Annabeth called out, "Hello, ugly!"

Cassie smirked as Polyphemus froze.

"Who said that?"

"Nobody!" Annabeth answered.

His reaction was perfect. He turned as red as a cherry. Cassie wished she'd taken her polaroid from the Queen Anne's Revenge.

"Nobody! I remember you!" Polyphemus claimed.

"You're too stupid to remember anybody. Much less Nobody." Annabeth was doing a really good job getting Polyphemus mad.

That was until the cyclops roared and grabbed the boulder door and threw it where Annabeth's voice had been.

A sickening silence fell as the rock smashed into pieces.

"You haven't learned to throw any better, either!" Annabeth finally taunted.

Cassie let out a breath she didn't know she had been holding.

Polyphemus bellowed. "Come here! Let me kill you,
Nobody!"

"You can't kill Nobody, you stupid oaf. Come find me!"

Apparently, that was enough for Polyphemus who ran down the hill after her.

Annabeth was pretty . . . smart Cassie had to admit. To anyone the 'Nobody' thing made absolutely no sense.

But Annabeth remembered the trick from Odysseus who had pretended to be Nobody before stabbing Polyphemus' eye with a stick.

The cyclops was so eager to get revenge that he ran off and completely forgot to shut the door. Perfect for Percy and Cassie who needed to sneak in.

Mind you, he didn't even realize the voice was feminine instead of masculine. But then again, he was about to marry Grover so maybe gender wasn't his strong point.

Cassie ushered Percy to hurry because the faster they finish this, the faster they get Annabeth.

The two got off their sheep, giving a thankful pat to them. They wandered around the main room but there was no sight of Clarisse or Grover.

After pushing through tons of sheep and their fluffy wool the duo got to the back of the cave.

"Well I guess it's just a matter of luck." Cassie muttered as they stood before a cross road.

"That way." Percy pointed right.

"Why that way?" Cassie replied.

"Just feels right."

With a shrug of her shoulders, Cassie dashed down the corridor with Percy.

Eventually, after many twists and turns the two found a spinning room.

Grover was trying to cut Clarisse free but it didn't seem to be working.

"It's no good. This rope is like iron!" Clarisse said.

"Just a few more minutes!"

"Grover. You've been working at it for hours!"

"Jeez, how long have we been on this island." Cassie complained aloud, rubbing her face in exhaustion.

That caught the two's attention and they finally saw Percy and Cassie.

"Cass! Percy?" Clarisse was relieved to see Cassie, but Percy was dead last time she remembered. "You're supposed to be blown up!"

"Good to see you, too. Now hold still while I—"

"Perrrrrcy! You heard me! You came!" Grover jumped on the opportunity to hug Percy.

"Yeah, buddy. Of course I came." Percy remarked.

"What? Did you think we were just gonna leave you goat boy? You do make a pretty good wife, but I'm offended I wasn't invited to the wedding," Cassie chuckled, an amused smile playing on her lips.

"Cassieee!" Grover exclaimed, trapping the brunette in a hug this time.

"I'm glad you're here too, Gro." Cassie mumbled into the boy's shoulder, patting his back.

"Where's Annabeth?" Grover asked when he pulled away from the hug.

"Outside. But we don't have much time. Percy!" Cassie warned.

"Yeah, yeah. Clarisse, hold still." The son of Poseidon instructed.

Percy took out Riptide and cut the ropes. Clarisse got up rubbing her sore wrist.

She opened her arms just in time to catch Cassie who had launched herself at her older sister.

"You didn't die!" Cassie cheered, face against Clarisse's armor.

"I expected you to die first, knucklehead." Clarisse almost laughed, but remembered there were other people present.

The older daughter of Ares ruffled Cassie's hair before turning to Percy.

"Thanks."

"You're welcome. Now, was anyone else on board your lifeboat?" Percy inquired.

"No. Just me. Everybody else aboard the Birmingham . . . well, I didn't even know you guys made it out."

Percy looked away. He had been holding onto any last hope that Tyson could be alive, but the odds weren't looking too well.

The son of Poseidon pushed those thoughts away. "Okay. Come on, then. We have to help—

That's when an explosion rang through the cave and Cassie's heart dropped.

A scream of fear came from Annabeth.

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ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ author's note

Remember what i said about revamping?! Well i'm doing it and i think the book will look so much more aesthetic!

Of course there's always room for improvement but for now this is the new layout!

I'll be changing the other chapters too, to match when i get back from school. I've already finished some. 😁

The Cast part is completely changed so if you're interested go check that out!

Let me know what you think of this chapter too because I took a week off from writing actual chapters and it felt kinda weird when i came back!

Also on a separate note...how do y'all's pronounce Cassie? 🙃

Do you say Case-E or Cas-E because i prefer Cas-E but was just wondering!

Anyways, go check out my announcement!!

But that's all for now so as always . . .

Thanks for reading! Hope you enjoyed 😄 and Goodbye!!!

—Just Another Overthinker