Dedicated to fangirling_books_ for her amazing support of Olive and the series. Her comment really touched me, and if you weren't aware - all of my readers comments really inspire me to keep going, so thank you all. Really.

Song For Chapter: Ribs - Lorde

Ch. 22: Why Santa Never Came

    Zoë furrowed her brow as we shot through the air, flying high over snow covered mountain tops. "We are in the Sierras," At those words, Thalia clamped her, already tightly shut, eye lids closer together; her knuckles turning white due to how tightly she was clutching the statue. "I've hunted here before, at this rate, we should be in San Francisco is a few hours."

    "Are we very high, Olive?" Thalia turned her head towards me, refusing to open her eyes. 

    Percy rose a brow at me, curious to hear what I would tell her as he kicked some snow off the top peak of a mountain we quickly passed over.

    "Not really."

    Percy chuckled a little, but began to talk to Thalia and I about the skeleton attack he had suffered through while we were ordering our Mexican food. "I was actually cornered, but there was this mortal girl - she said her name was Rachel Elizabeth Dare - and she could see through the Mist, I don't know why."

    "Some mortals are like that, but there isn't an explanation," Thalia spoke up, never once opening her eyes, even with my reassuring words. Percy nodded, looking out into the distance as if his mind was in another place.

    As we rocketed through the sky, Grover decided to play a tune on his reed pipes and Zoë challenged me to a shooting competition. She liked to aim at Target stores, hitting bull's-eyes in the dead center from hundreds of miles away. 

    Happy for the distraction from the height, I took her up on her challenge, but in the end, she's beat me by three arrows. "Thou has gotten better," Zoë encouraged me, grinning slightly. 

    Smirking a little, I remembered the days when it was just Percy, Annabeth, Grover, and I on our mission - I was the best archer. I had thought I had learned all I needed to know about archery - but, I was wrong. It was a rude awakening when I'd joined the Hunt. 

    Letting my mind wander for a little while, I had almost drowned out the statue's voice as he asked, "Where you guys want to land?" Glancing down, the mountains and farm land had long ago passed away and now we were flying over a large bay, the Golden Gate Bridge jutting up like a picturesque scene. It was the first time I'd ever been to San Fran - despite the fact I grew up in California.

    Zoë assessed the area quickly, then nodded towards a large building, "By the Embarcadero Building." 

    There wasn't much need to blend in, despite the fact that five humans were flying down in the hold of two massive, bronze statues. It was early morning, and a heavy fog had settled, making people weary of taking early strolls along the streets. We did, however, freak out a single homeless man on the ferry dock - causing his to run for his life, screaming about metal angels from Mars. 

    After our 'guardian angels' left us, we all turned towards each other with the same glances of un-comforting loss. No one had the slightest idea of what to do next. We had made it to the West Coast, and for me, I had made it back to the place where it had all began - where Scarlett had met Apollo.

    Artemis was here somewhere, and, so was Annabeth. The sun was steadily rising and, as I did the math, I realized that tomorrow was the winter solstice. Hopefully there would be a miracle and we would find out what to do.

    "I think we need to discover what the mystery monster is, the one that is supposed to 'show the trail'," Grover spoke up, slipping his pipes into his back pocket. We all considered the option for a moment or two, and agreed, that was the best idea so far.

    "But how?" Percy asked, furrowing his brow and casting his sea green eyes onto the ground beneath our feet. 

    "Nereus," I spoke up, remembering the embarrassing moment Apollo had started the last time we'd seen him, "Remember what Apollo said?" 

    Percy nodded, frowning a little. "The old man of the sea - but where to find him?" 

    Zoë's nose scrunched up in distaste, "Old Nereus, huh?"

    "You know him, then?" Thalia rose a brow, tilting her head towards Zoë's direction. 

    Zoë nodded, realizing that her hair had fallen from it's pristine braid, so she took it apart and plaited it once more, tighter. "Yes, my mother was a sea goddess. Unfortunately, he is never very hard to find; just follow the stench." Unfortunately? I questioned in my mind, but let it go. It was probably due to old resentments from her past.

    "What do you mean?" I prodded, not liking how undecided this conversation was feeling. I was sensing a feeling of urgency rooted deep inside myself. I needed this quest to be over. I needed Artemis to be alright, and I needed Annabeth to be safe. Buried in the back of my mind, I knew I felt a sense of responsibility to see the outcome turn out for good.

    "Come," Zoë sighed, maneuvering us all towards a run-down Goodwill store, "I will show thee."

    It took only about five minutes, but it made all the difference in the world once Percy stepped out of the changing room. He was clad in a ragged, hole riddled, flannel shirt that had to be about two sizes too small, and jeans from the eighties that were three sizes too big, bright red sneakers on his feet, and a ridiculous rainbow hat. 

    Grover and Thalia snickered behind their hands while I ducked my head to keep from blurting out a cackle, "Oh yeah - that's inconspicuous." Grover's lips twitched while Percy sent him a sharp glare. 

    "Thanks a lot...." Percy grumbled under his breath, shooting Zoë an irritated glower. "Why am I doing this again?" 

    "I told thee. To blend in."

    Paying for the clothes, the clerk spared Percy a confused eye, but took the money anyway - happy to get rid of the ridiculous outfit. Zoë led us to the waterfront, searching the docks for a little while before deciding that the old man was here. 

    Pointing down the pier, Zoë called our attentions towards a group of dirty homeless people crowded around the entrance of a soup kitchen, waiting for it to open for breakfast. "He will be down there somewhere," she nodded, "He never goes too far from the water - he likes to sun himself during the day." She shrugged, making me curious about how she knew all this.

    "How do I know which one is him?" Percy asked, hat wobbling while he spoke, making me snicker a little and earn a frustrated look from him. 

    "Sneak up," Zoë added, "Act homeless. Thou will know which is him. He will smell...different." She left it at that, not having any particulars to describe the stench of a 'different' homeless man. "Grab him and hold on once thou finds him. He will try anything to get rid of thee. Do not let go - force him to tell thee about the monster."

    Smiling softly, I spared Percy a pat on the back, cringing a little when my hand met a large clump of hair that came from gods-know-where. "We've got your back, Perc." In agreement, Grover gave him a big thumbs-up and Thalia pulled the clump off his back with a disgusted shudder. 

    If anyone outside of our group were to peer in on the scene before us, they would be watching something quite odd. I know I felt that way. Before us, Percy was hopping from homeless person to homeless person, smelling them then moving on. If I didn't know any better, I would have thought he blended in quite well, not only in his get-up, but also in his crazy actions. 

    "What a maniac," Thalia chuckled as we watched in exhausted amusement. We were all running low on energy and moral.

    Percy made his way towards the end of the pier where an old, plump man was passed out in a patch of sunlight, laying spread eagle and basking in the warmth. He wore pajamas and a dingy bathroom. Fat with a tinted yellow beard, probably once white, the old man seemed to be some kind of Santa Claus. 'I guess that's why Santa never came to give me presents - he's been laying on a pier all this time'.

    Watching in anticipation, we all inched closer behind Percy, being sure not to get too close in case we would accidentally blow his cover. Percy hunched over a little and sat down next to the dirty old man, muttering something under his breath. 

    There was a moment's pause, then suddenly, Percy jumped the old man, tackling him. Santa screamed, getting the other homeless people's attentions. "Help me!" Struggling, Percy and the old man rolled around the pier, falling downhill. I really hoped Percy had latched onto the right homeless man.

    "Let's follow them?" I asked, slightly worried, but also amused at the turn of events. The rest of the group frowned a little, but nodded, picking up speed to follow the assault. As they rolled, Santa hopped onto his feet, almost escaping Percy's clutches, but Seaweed Brain held on, stuck like glue.

    They struggled a little longer, then Percy yelled something about the water, we were too far away to hear, and Santa jumped in, Percy clutching tightly onto his filthy bathrobe. When they went under, a crowd began to gather, gasping and pointing fingers. 

    "Momma! Why is that man hurting Santa?" A little kid holding a box of eggs while walking with his mother along the pier asked, frowning at the sight. I bit my lip and kept quiet, even though I really wanted to give the boy a high-five for thinking the man looked like Santa too.

    The mother ushered her child along, explaining that Santa wasn't really here, but in the North Pole - making presents for Christmas in a few days. I'd forgotten how close the holiday was. 

    "Whoa!" There was a sound of awe tearing through the crowd as a large, killer whale flipped out of the icy water, Percy strapped tightly on it's back and giving the onlookers a grin and a wave.

    Show off.    

    After a minute of so, the small crowd decided that there was nothing left to see here, and dispersed, leaving only us to search the dark water's surface in hopes of Percy making it out with information. Finally, Percy and Nereus flopped out of the water, landing on a boating dock. 

    "You got him!" Zoë cheered as we rushed towards the two men, afraid the Santa impersonator would try to make a run for it again.

    Percy spared Zoë an irritated glance, heaving a sigh, "You don't have to sound so amazed."

    Nereus moaned at the sight of us, "Oh. Wonderful. An audience for my humiliation!" He turned towards Percy, heavy groan escaping his bearded lips, "The normal deal, I suppose? You'll let me go if I answer your question?" 

    "I've got more than one question," Percy trailed off, eyes flickering towards us. I could tell he was feeling conflicted. There were so many things that needed to still be answered, like where Annabeth and Artemis were, and what the monster was. 

    Percy slipped his eyes shut, sighing, "All right... Tell me where to find this terrible monster that could bring an end to the gods. The one Artemis was hunting." 

    Nereus smiled, showing off his mossy green teeth and making me cringe a little - I almost was about to offer him my tooth brush to keep. He really needed it.

    "Oh, that is too easy," his voice was thick and slightly evil - as if he was victorious in a game no one was aware that they were playing. "He's right here." The old man pointed a wrinkled finger towards the water at Percy's feet.

    "Where?" Percy furrowed his brow, frustrated.

    "The deal is complete!" The old man gloated with a smirk. Then, with a pop, he turned into a goldfish and flipped into the sea - never to be seen again. Jerk off.

    Percy fumed towards the open water, "You tricked me!" 

    The sound of rushing water filled my ears as Thalia spoke up, slightly surprised. "Wait. What is that?"

    "MOOOOOOO!"

    Tilting my head to the side, I watched as a small cow head popped out of the bay water and nudged Percy's shoe with it's head. After careful examination, I realized that the pattern was not make of fur, but scales. It was a cow serpent. 

    "Ah, Bessie," Percy smiled softly down at the cute creature, petting it a little. "Not now."

    "Moo!"

    Grover gasped, getting down on the dock to et closer to the beast. "He says his name isn't Bessie."

    Raising a brow, I looked towards Grover. "You can understand him?"

    Grover nodded, inching closer to the beast as it spared the group of demigods a scared glance. It was clearly afraid. "It's an old, like, really old, form of animal speech; but, he says his name is the Ophiotaurus."

    "The Ophi-what?" Percy frowned, glancing towards his best friend. 

    Nodding, I answered his question while Thalia agreed, "It means serpent bull in Greek," 

    "But, what is it doing here?" Thalia added, sparing Bessie a confused glower.

    Grover leaned closer as 'Bessie' let out another 'Moo'. "He says Percy is his protector, and, he is running from the bad people," Grover announced, "He says they are close."

     "Wait," Zoë held up her hands in confusion, turning to glare at Percy, "Thou knows this cow?" 

    Percy sighed, scratching the back of his neck and nodding a little. He told us a story about how he'd saved it's life and how it had been showing up occasionally as we were traveling. I stared at him in annoyance and shock.

    "And," Thalia shook her head in disbelief, asking what I was thinking in my own mind, "You just forgot to mention this before?" 

    "Well...yeah." 

    Zoë shook her head in disbelief, blurting out, "I am a fool! I know this story!" 

    "What story?" I prodded, resisting the urge to hit Percy upside the head for being a huge dumbass.

    Zoë smiled a little, eyes alighting with the tale. "From the War of the Titans, my father told me this tale, thousands of years ago. This," She jabbed at accusing finger at Bessie, "This is the beast we are looking for." 

    "Bessie?" Percy furrowed his brow as the cow stared up at him with big, innocent brown eyes. "But, ...He is too cute. He couldn't destroy the world."

    "That is how we were wrong," Zoë nodded, urging towards the 'obvious' conclusion that she had reached, but we hadn't. "We've been anticipating a huge, dangerous monster - but, the Ophiotaurus does not bring down the gods in that way," Zoë motioned towards me, waving her hands as if to point me towards the answer.

    Staring at the beast, the answer cropped up into my mind, almost like an Annabeth moment. "He must be sacrificed."

    "MMMM," Bessie lowered at my words, shaking in fear.

    "I don't think he likes the S-word..." Grover whispered towards me, lowering his eyes. Percy tried to calm it, patting it's head, but it was terrified. And, it was right to be.

    Thalia rose a brow, motioning towards it in curiosity, "How could anyone hurt him? He is harmless." 

    "Precisely." I nodded as Zoë explained further,

         "There is great power in killing innocence. Terrible power. The Fates made the prophecy about it eons ago. They said: 'Whoever killed the Ophiotaurus and sacrificed its entrails to fire would have the power to destroy the gods'." 

    "MMMMM!" Bessie didn't like those words either, obviously. Grover shushed him, and Percy frowned, not knowing how to console the poor creature. 

    Something stirred behind Thalia's electric eyes as she watched the creature. "The power to destroy the gods. How?" She blurted out, eyes wild, but backtracking as Zoë and I gave her curious looks. "I mean, what would happen?" 

    "No one knows," Zoë spoke slowly, "The first time, it was almost done by a giant ally of the Titans - but, thou's father, Zeus sent an eagle to snatch away the entrails before they were burned. It was a close call." 

    Watching Thalia closely, I sat down beside Percy as she stretched out her hand. Bessie went right to her, but as soon as Thalia placed a hand on his head, Bessie shivered in greater fear. I didn't particularly like the way Thalia was sizing him up. Almost threateningly.

    "We have to protect him," Percy nodded, calling Bessie over to himself - keeping a wary gaze on Thalia. So, I wasn't alone in my fear of her emotions. "If Luke were to get a hold of Bessie--"

    "Luke wouldn't hesitate," Thalia muttered, furrowing her brow in understanding. "The power to over throw Olympus.... That's, that's huge." 

    I swallowed some bile rising in my throat at her words. So, this had been what Hera was hinting at all along. If Percy were to try and turn against the gods, would I let him. Still, the answer was the same. 

    No, no I wouldn't.

    A, thick accented, French voice belonging to a man sounded from behind us. "Yes, it is, my dear," We hoped up from our sitting by the pier, but we were too late. "And, it is a power you shall unleash." 

    We had been so busy talking, we'd allowed ourselves to be ambushed.