Rick Riordan The Sea Monsters - 02 of Tyson , battling the Hydra as he held aloft a box of Monster Donuts .
I couldn ' t help feeling sad . I knew Tyson would have an awesome time under the ocean . But I ' d miss everything about him — his fascination with horses , the way he could fix chariots or crumple metal with his bare hands , or tie bad guys into knots . I ' d even miss him snoring like an earthquake in the next bunk all night . " Hey , Percy ." I turned . Annabeth and Grover were standing at the top of the sand dune . I guess maybe I had some sand in my eyes , because I was blinking a lot . " Tyson ..." I told them . " He had to ..." " We know ," Annabeth said softly . " Chiron told us ." " Cyclopes forges ." Grover shuddered . " I hear the cafeteria food there is terrible ! Like , no enchiladas at all ." Annabeth held out her hand . " Come on , Seaweed Brain . Time for dinner ." We walked back toward the dining pavilion together , just the three of us , like old times .
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A storm raged that night , but it parted around Camp Half-Blood as storms usually did . Lightning flashed against the horizon , waves pounded the shore , but not a drop fell in our valley . We were protected again , thanks to the Fleece , sealed inside our magical borders .
Still , my dreams were restless . I heard Kronos taunting me from the depths of Tartarus : Polyphemus sits blindly in his cave , young hero , believing he has won a great victory . Are you any less deluded ? The titan ' s cold laughter filled the darkness .
Then my dream changed . I was following Tyson to the bottom of the sea , into the court of Poseidon . It was a radiant hall filled with blue light , the floor cobbled with pearls . And there , on a throne of coral , sat my father , dressed like a simple fisherman in khaki shorts and a sun-bleached T- shirt . I looked up into his tan weathered face , his deep green eyes , and he spoke two words : Brace yourself . I woke with a start . There was a banging on the door . Grover flew inside without waiting for permission . " Percy !" he stammered . " Annabeth ... on the hill ... she ..." The look in his eyes told me something was terribly wrong . Annabeth had been on guard duty that night , protecting the Fleece . If something had happened —
I ripped off the covers , my blood like ice water in my veins . I threw on some clothes while Grover tried to make a complete sentence , but he was too stunned , too out of breath . " She ' s lying there ... just lying there ..."
I ran outside and raced across the central yard , Grover right behind me . Dawn was just breaking , but the whole camp seemed to be stirring . Word was spreading . Something huge had happened . A few campers were already making their way toward the hill , satyrs and nymphs and heroes in a weird mix of armor and pajamas . I heard the clop of horse hooves , and Chiron galloped up behind us , looking grim . " Is it true ?" he asked Grover . Grover could only nod , his expression dazed . I tried to ask what was going on , but Chiron grabbed me by the arm and effortlessly lifted me onto his back . Together we thundered up Half-Blood Hill , where a small crowd had started to gather . I expected to see the Fleece missing from the pine tree , but it was still there , glittering in the first light of dawn . The storm had broken and the sky was bloodred . " Curse the titan lord ," Chiron said . " He ' s tricked us again , given himself another chance to control the prophecy ." " What do you mean ?" I asked . " The Fleece ," he said . " The Fleece did its work too well ." We galloped forward , everyone moving out of our way . There at the base of the tree , a girl was lying unconscious . Another girl in Greek armor was kneeling next to her . Blood roared in my ears . I couldn ' t think straight . Annabeth had been attacked ? But why was the Fleece still there ? The tree itself looked perfectly fine , whole and healthy , suffused with the essence of the