Frank – at least Jason assumed it was Frank – had turned into a gorilla. He was swinging upside down off the starboard rail, using his massive strength and his flexible feet to hang on while he untangled some broken oars. Apparently the crew was trying to get the ship airborne, but, even if they managed to take off, Jason wasn’t sure the sky would be any safer.
Even Festus the figurehead was trying to help. He spewed fire at the rain, though that didn’t seem to discourage the storm.
Only Percy was having any luck. He stood by the centre mast, his hands extended like he was on a tightrope. Every time the ship tilted, he pushed in the opposite direction and the hull stabilized. He summoned giant fists of water from the ocean to slam into the larger waves before they could reach the deck, so it looked like the ocean was hitting itself repeatedly in the face.
With the storm as bad as it was, Jason realized the ship would’ve already capsized or been smashed to bits if Percy wasn’t on the job.
Jason staggered towards the mast. Leo yelled something – probably Go downstairs! – but Jason only waved back. He made it to Percy’s side and grabbed his shoulder.
Percy nodded like ’sup. He didn’t look shocked, or demand that Jason go back to sickbay, which Jason appreciated.
Percy could stay dry if he concentrated, but obviously he had bigger things to worry about right now. His dark hair was plastered to his face. His clothes were soaked and ripped.
He shouted something in Jason’s ear, but Jason could only make out a few words: ‘THING … DOWN … STOP IT!’
Percy pointed over the side.
‘Something is causing the storm?’ Jason asked.
Percy grinned and tapped his ears. Clearly, he couldn’t hear a word. He made a gesture with his hand like diving overboard. Then he tapped Jason on the chest.
‘You want me to go?’ Jason felt kind of honoured. Everybody else had been treating him like a glass vase, but Percy … well, he seemed to figure that if Jason was on deck he was ready for action.
‘Happy to!’ Jason shouted. ‘But I can’t breathe underwater!’
Percy shrugged. Sorry, can’t hear you.
Then Percy ran to the starboard rail, pushed another massive wave away from the ship and jumped overboard.
Jason glanced at Piper and Annabeth. They both clung to the rigging, staring at him in shock. Piper’s expression said, Are you out of your mind?
He gave her an okay sign, partly to assure her that he would be fine (which he wasn’t sure about), partly to agree that he was in fact crazy (which he was sure about).
He staggered to the railing and looked up at the storm.
Winds raged. Clouds churned. Jason sensed an entire army of venti swirling above him, too angry and agitated to take physical form, but hungry for destruction.
He raised his arm and summoned a lasso of wind. Jason had learned long ago that the best way to control a crowd of bullies was to pick the meanest, biggest kid and force him into submission. Then the others would fall in line. He lashed out with his wind rope, searching for strongest, most ornery ventus in the storm.
He lassoed a nasty patch of storm cloud and pulled it in. ‘You’re serving me today.’
Howling in protest, the ventus encircled him. The storm above the ship seemed to lessen just a bit, as if the other venti were thinking, Oh, crud. That guy means business.
Jason levitated off the deck, encased in his own miniature tornado. Spinning like a corkscrew, he plunged into the water.
Jason assumed things would be calmer underwater.
Not so much.
Of course, that could’ve been due to his mode of travel. Riding a cyclone to the bottom of the ocean definitely gave him some unexpected turbulence. He dropped and swerved with no apparent logic, his ears popping, his stomach pressed against his ribs.
Finally he drifted to a stop next to Percy, who stood on a ledge jutting over a deeper abyss.
‘Hey,’ Percy said.
Jason could hear him perfectly, though he wasn’t sure how. ‘What’s going on?’
In his ventus air cocoon, his own voice sounded like he was talking through a vacuum cleaner.
Percy pointed into the void. ‘Wait for it.’
Three seconds later, a shaft of green light swept through the darkness like a spotlight, then disappeared.
‘Something’s down there,’ Percy said, ‘stirring up this storm.’ He turned and sized up Jason’s tornado. ‘Nice outfit. Can you hold it together if we go deeper?’
‘I have no idea how I’m doing this,’ Jason said.
‘Okay,’ Percy said. ‘Well, just don’t get knocked unconscious.’
‘Shut up, Jackson.’
Percy grinned. ‘Let’s see what’s down there.’