The Path Of Glory (Annabeth Chase x Male Reader)

36. Reunion At A Cyclops's

Usually, when Y/N thought about "monster island," he pictured craggy rocks and bones scattered on the beach like the island of the Sirens.

The Cyclops's island was nothing like that. Okay, it had a rope bridge across a chasm, which was not a good sign. You might as well put up a billboard that said, SOMETHING EVIL LIVES HERE. But except for that, the place looked like a Caribbean postcard. It had green fields and tropical fruits trees and white beaches. As they sailed toward the shore, Ethan breathed in the sweet air. "The Fleece." He even quivered with excitement. Until now, he had shown no real sign of attraction to the Fleece's power, but now he could hardly contain himself.

"If we take it away, will the island die?" Y/N asked.

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

Y/N felt a little guilty about ruining this paradise, but he reminded himself they had no choice. Camp Half-Blood was in trouble.

In the meadow at the base of the ravine, several dozen sheep were milling around. They looked peaceful enough, but they were huge—the size of hippos. Just past them was a path that led up into the hills. At the top of the path, near the edge of the canyon, was a massive oak tree. Something gold glittered in its branches.

"This is too easy," he said.

"We could just hike up there and take it?" Percy said doubtfully.

Annabeth's eyes narrowed. "There's supposed to be a guardian. A dragon or. . . ."

That's when a deer emerged from the bushes. It trotted into the meadow, probably looking for grass to eat, when the sheep all bleated at once and rushed the animal. It happened so fast that the deer stumbled and was lost in a sea of wool and trampling hooves.

Grass and tufts of fur flew into the air.

A second later the sheep all moved away, back to their regular peaceful wanderings. Where the deer had been was a pile of clean white bones.

Y/N and Annabeth exchanged looks.

"Poo!" Ethan exclaimed.

"You can say that again," Percy said. "They're like piranhas."

"Piranhas with wool," Y/N said. "How will we—"

"Look."

Annabeth pointed down the beach, to just below the sheep meadow, where a small boat had been run aground . . . the third lifeboat from the CSS Birmingham.

They decided there was no way they could get past the man-eating sheep. Annabeth wanted to sneak up the path invisibly and grab the Fleece, but in the end Y/N convinced her that something would go wrong. The sheep would smell her. Another guardian would appear. Something. And if that happened, they would be too far to help.

Besides, as Percy said, their first job was to find Grover and whoever had come ashore in that lifeboat—assuming they had gotten past the sheep.

They moored the Queen Anne's Revenge on the back side of the island where the cliffs rose straight up a good two hundred feet. The ship was less likely to be seen there.

The cliffs looked climbable, barely—about as difficult as the lava wall back at camp. At least it was free of sheep. As long as Polyphemus doesn't also keep carnivorous mountains goats, Y/N thought.

They rowed a lifeboat to the edge of the rocks and made their way up, very slowly. Ethan went first because he was the best climber here, then went Annabeth and Percy. Luckily for Y/N, he just had to transform and fly.