"Sara! We need you at the helm!" Leonidas yelled, as he turned back to the deck. "Don't stop, loose arrows!"
I got up, running and gripping the wooden railing to hold myself up. Ships surrounded us and let arrows and spears fly through the air, one of the ships, a trieme, circled around the battle at their helm was a man in an owl mask. Behind the ship followed a thick, viscous, oil that spread along the ocean.
"All sails up! Oars forward! Don't let them box us in!" Jason yelled, watching the flagship circle our fleet.
Our sails were raised and immediately I heard chanting as rows moved us forward. The wind ripped through my hair as we skirted past the enemy flagship. Our ship drifted to meet theirs side to side. I got a good look at the enemy captain, he tilted his head as our ships moved through the water.
Behind us, fires roared as the remaining ships fought loosing arrows and spears at eachother. It didn't matter, our fleet was boxed in by Greek fire, swallowing the ocean in roaring orange streams the reached the tip of the masts. I looked over and saw The Owl Man raise his arm, dropping it soon. Andromeda sat up, immediately taking an arrow to the arm and falling back down as more streaked across the deck. A black tipped arrow scratched my neck and landed into ship with a loud thud.
"Light spears! Ready! Fire!" Leonidas shouted, our spears went into The Owl ship in a symphony of splintering wood flames that began to lick at the side of the ship.
"Leo!" I yelled, drawing my swords. "Don't get hurt!"
I jumped into the water, the heat from the roaring fire lapped at my skin like a dog licking wounds. I jetted through the water and launched myself onto the enemy ships deck. Both swords hung at my sides, water dripped down and circled at my feet as soldiers reached and scrambled for weapons. The Owl Man turned his attention to me and drew his sword, stepping onto the railing.
"Ocean Child. Why are you here?" He asked, his mask hiding any features that could be recognizable.
"I will kill you, and free my fleet of this realm! I will go home!" I pointed one of my swords at him.
I was done here, I would go home now and be free of the realm. Leo almost died, Andromeda overextended herself twice, and I was killing myself to find an old man. I would be free of this answers in hand or not.
Soldiers rushed at me from my sides with spears and swords, I kicked one away and slashed at another. I dodged back from a spear strike, slashing a soldier's throat open. I ducked under another blade swing and stabbed another soldier, backing away as a dagger fell at my feet. I pointed my swords up swallowing me into a column of water, water swirled around me as I shot my swords out. Bolts of salt and sand practically cleared the deck of any and all soldiers except The Owl Man.
He let out a low chuckle as my water column washed away and off of the deck. "I heard you were powerful, Daughter of Oceanus."
I was taken aback. "Oceanus? No, I'm—"
"Sara! Help!" I heard Andromeda yell from our ship.
I immediately dove off the side hearing her voice, I torpedoed through the water and shot out like a shark onto the deck. Small fires grew towards eachother as a lot of our undead crew were gone, our ship had slowed and groaned as ropes around me tightened and audibly tensed. The Argo was taking water, and I had to keep it afloat.
I sheathed my swords at my side and breathed deep, my wrists contorted as my entire body went stiff as a board. I willed water to flood out of the ship back to its home, our ship gained speed and some crew came back to fight off The Owl Ship. It was no use, I could bucket water all day and it wouldn't be enough. The entire enemy fleet began hounding us and we were being attacked from both sides.
Arrows flew from both sides as we returned fire, the fires on the ship grew as more fire arrows found places in our deck. I felt a rope snap as it whipped around, the force whipped it around my neck and dragged me across the deck before losing its energy. I lost focus as the entire ship lurched to a stop, the rope burn around my neck faded as water circled my fingertips and shrouded my body briefly.
Our men fought bravely against an onslaught of arrows, Jason ducked behind the helm as Leonidas barked orders. I looked past to see Andromeda trying her best to keep us above water, but everytime she used magic she doubled over and threw up a black liquid as her body rejected her abilities. I struggled to move towards the helm as an enemy ship cut through the water like a knife, in a second our ship was cleaved in half in a horrendous cacophony of splintered wood and snapped rigging. I fell into the water sinking slowly, my head tilted back as I resigned myself to The Fates. Even if I couldn't drown something would eventually get me down here, and I wouldn't fight it. I just wanted it all to end, so I could know peace.
The darkness around my vision engulfed me whole, swallowing me into the abyss of ink stained water and ship wreckage. Maybe my destiny was to drown, what a fucking joke, a Daughter of Poseidon drowning at sea. What fucking luck that would be, the biggest godly oxymoron to ever exist in Olympus. And where were the damn gods, hiding in their thrones up high in the heavens while we died down here! WHAT GOOD ARE YOU?! I shouted in my head and with every breath I took beneath the waves, air still filled my lungs like normal.
"Zeno thought the same way you're thinking now, believing the gods abandoned him because of a tragic series of events. I guess what's really important is if you are your own person, Sara," a familiar voice called out.
I turned and in blocky armor stood Atticus Neptune, Son of Poseidon, my first life. "How are you here?….Oh gods, oh gods I did die, didn't I?" Panic swelled in my lungs as I looked up to darkness.
"No. You sank into the ocean, a much more humiliating fate if I must be honest. I'm here because I'm in your head, you are you're own person Sara Pearl I just sit in co-pilot," Atticus smiled a bit. "I felt Zeno awaken, so I fed you pieces of my- - our life so you could be prepared for what comes next."
"What comes next?" My head hurt, my body burned, there couldn't be more.
"War. The signs burned around us, but we ignored them because we weren't in the fire yet. But Sara, Zeno lit the damn fire. I don't know how! But you must find out, succeed where we have always failed," Atticus patted my shoulder, turning and walking off into the abyss.
I came to, still sinking in the water as darkness enveloped me. I started swimming up, as fast as i could, cutting through water seamlessly. I shot out from the surface and landed on the deck, or what was left of it, the mast swung in the wind wildly as the deck soaked up seawater. Next to us was The Owl Ship, looming over like death. Atticus sent me up here to die.