Normally, when you think "monster island," you would think all dead vegetation, dark scary caves, and craggy rocks. This island was, for the majority, completely the opposite. It was, just like in my dreams, shaped like a saddle, with a chasm splitting it down the middle. Other than the single rope bridge, it looked like a perfect paradise. Lush green meadows, vibrant forests, sandy beaches. Even the water around it was clearer than normal.

Hanging in the branches of a tree not far from the chasm, was a glittering golden mass.

The fleece.

Even from this distance, I could feel its power. It energised me, just a little.

"So, do we just go and take it?"

Annabeth shook her head. "It's too easy. There's gotta be a guardian, or something."

Just then, a deer burst out of the woods on the fleece side of the island.

Collectively, all the sheep nearby bleated, and swarmed the deer. It was quickly obscured from view. Tufts of fur flew out of the mass of wool. When they dispersed, all that remained was a pristine white deer skeleton.

I gulped. "They're like piranhas. Piranhas with wool."

"Percy." Annabeth pointed to something by the shore. It was the other lifeboat from the CSS Birmingham.

---

We decided to disembark the Revenge on the far side of the island from the fleece. Once we were off, I ordered it around the cliffs and out of view.

"Rock climbing time," I said. "Hopefully there's no lava. Or carnivorous mountain goats."

Annabeth snorted, then started hauling herself up the cliff. I was quick to follow.

It was a treacherous climb. We only came close to dying 5 or 6 times, which was honestly not too bad. At one point, Annabeth slipped on a patch of moss. Fortunately, she managed to find something to put her foot on. Unfortunately, that something was my face.

"Oh, shit, sorry Percy."

"It's ok." Although I could have gone without tasting Annabeth's shoe (at least it was mostly just salt water and moss).

Eventually, we reached the top, hauling ourselves over the top and groaning.

"Catch our breaths," Annabeth said.

"ROOOAAARRR”

The sound was so startling, we almost fell right back off the cliff.

It turned out, the top of the cliff was a lot narrower than we expected. Barely 10 feet across, it dropped back down into a cave. We crept to the edge and looked over it.

The sight we saw was both horrible and slightly comical. The first thing to stand out was Polyphemus. He was wearing a garish outfit of baby blue, stitched together from dozens of tuxedos, as if the Cyclops had raided an entire wedding party. Next I spotted Grover, still in his wedding dress disguise. Finally, hanging over a pot of boiling water, was Clarisse.

"You're a feisty one," Polyphemus said.

"Challenge me!" Clarisse exclaimed. "Give me back my sword and fight me."

"Hmmm…" Polyphemus thought out loud. "Eat loudmouth girl now or wait for wedding feast? What does my bride think?"

Grover stammered, "oh, uh, I don't know. I'm not hungry right now. Perhaps-"

"Wait, did you say bride?" Clarisse asked. "What, Grover-"

"Shut up," Annabeth said. "She needs to shut up."

Polyphemus glared at Clarisse. "What 'Grover?'"

"The satyr!"

"Oh!" Grover said. "The poor girl's brain is boiling. Pull her down, dear."

Polyphemus' eye narrowed. "What satyr? Satyrs good eating. You bring me satyr?"

Clarrise scoffed. "No, you idiot. That satyr! Grover! The one in the stupid wedding dress!"

I wanted to punch Clarisse out, but it was too late. Polyphemus turned on his bride-to-be, and ripped off the veil, revealing Grover's scruffy beard and little horns.

"I don't see well," Polyphemus said. "Not since many years ago, when other hero stabbed me in eye. But YOU'RE NO LADY CYCLOPS!"

He ripped away Grover's dress. Underneath, Grover appeared in his jeans and t-shirt, a bit worse for wear. He yelped and ducked as the enraged cyclops swiped over his head.

"No, stop!" Grover pleaded. "Don't eat me raw! I - I have a good recipe."

I reached for Riptide, but Annabeth grabbed my shoulder.

"Wait," she hissed.

Polyphemus stopped, a boulder hefted over his head, ready to smash my friend. "Recipe?"

"Oh y-yes. You don't want to eat me raw. You'll  get E coli and botulism and all sorts of nasty things. I'll taste much better grilled over a slow fire. With mango chutney! You could go get some mangoes right now, over in the woods. I'll just wait right here."

The monster pondered this. I figured I would die if I charged him right now, but I wasn't willing to just let Grover die.

"Grilled satyr with mango chutney…" he said. He looked at Clarisse. "You a satyr too?"

"No, you idiot. I'm a girl. The daughter of Ares. Now let me down so I can rip your arms off!"

"Rip my arms off," Polyphemus echoed.

"And stuff them down your throat!"

"You got spunk."

"Let me go!"

Polyphemus picked up Grover. "Have to go graze sheep. Wedding postponed until tonight. Then we'll eat satyr for the main course!"

"But… you're still getting married?" Grover said. "Who's the bride?"

Polyphemus looked towards the pot and Clarisse.

Clarisse made a strangled sound. "Oh fuck no!"

Before Annabeth or I could react, Polyphemus snatched Clarisse off the rope, and tossed her and Grover into his cave.

"Make yourself comfortable. I be back at sunset for big event!" Then he whistled, and a bunch of goats and sheep came trotting out of the cave. Once the last of them had left, he rolled the boulder back over the entrance.

"Well, shit," I said.

"We need a plan," Annabeth said.

"Well, duh."

"Mangoes," Polyphemus said. "What are mangoes?" And with that, he led his flock away from the cave, out to the meadows.

"Any ideas?"

"I'm thinking."

"We have until sundown. That's still a few hours out."

Annabeth nodded. She looked out at the sheep in the meadows. Polyphemus was very careful to keep his herbivorous and carnivorous livestock separate, going across the rope bridge to feed the monster sheep mystery meat from a big wicker basket.

Annabeth smirked. "How do you like sheep?"

---

The plan was simple. Annabeth explained to me how Odysseus had tricked Polyphemus millenia ago, calling himself 'Nobody.' Annabeth figured the Cyclops would still have a grudge over that name. So she intended to invisibly taunt the Cyclops, calling herself that name.

As for me? All I had to do was hang myself from the belly of a sheep and hope Polyphemus didn't notice.

If this all worked out, I made a promise to the gods to tell Annabeth she was a genius.

It worked. I was now in the cave, and Polyphemus, the big idiot he was, had decided that his best weapon was his own front door, which he immediately shattered into a million pieces, not even managing to hit Annabeth.

It didn't take me long to find Grover and Clarisse. Grover was busy trying to cut Clarisse's ropes with safety scissors.

Gorver spotted me first. "Percy!" He stood up to hug me.

Clarrise looked at me, her jaw hanging open slightly. "Jackson? What on earth happened to you?"

"No time to explain!" I said. "We gotta get out there to help Annabeth. And get the fleece."

Unfortunately, things started to go wrong at that point. When we reached the entrance, we saw Polyphemus standing outside, holding aloft some empty air.

"I caught Nobody!"

He would've looked comical if it wasn't for the fact that we all knew that he was actually holding up our invisible friend.

He shook his arm, and Annabeth's cap fluttered off her head to the ground.

"Ha! Nasty invisible girl! Already got feisty one for wife. Means you got to be grilled with mango chutney!"

I supressed my grimace.

"Hey ugly!" I shouted.

"What?" Polyphemus shouted. "Who said that?"

"Nobody."

Polyphemus growled. "You're Nobody?"

I started sprinting away from the cave. "I'm the one who insulted you, you smelly bucket of nose drool. I'm Nobody and I'm proud of it!"

Polyphemus dropped Annabeth then. Unfortunately, her head smacked hard in the ground. Grover ran over to her. He felt for a pulse, then looked to me. He had a worried look, but nodded.

I sighed in relief. She was alive.

Clarisse was gripping a ram's horn spear she'd picked up somewhere in the cave, and Grover had grabbed some sheep's thigh bone. He stood up, gripping it tightly, although he didn't look pleased with his improvised weapon.

"Right." I said. "Attack plan Macedonia."

They both nodded. We had taken the same training classes at Camp Half-Blood.

I hefted my sword as the Cyclops got ready to throw another boulder at me.

Where the heck does he keep finding these rocks?

"For Pan!" Grover exclaimed, chucking his thigh bone weapon at the Cyclops. It bounced off his head, barely phasing him. Clarisse set down her spear in his path, just in time for him to step on it, impaling his foot. He wailed in pain, and Clarisse dove out of the way.

Unfortunately, he just pulled out the spear like a giant splinter, then got ready to charge at me. Fortunately, he'd dropped the boulder, also fortunately not on Annabeth.

I yelled and charged, slashing my sword across his thigh.

I was hoping to see him disintegrate right then, but no luck. I guess he was too big and powerful.

"Grab Annabeth!" I yelled at Grover.

He nodded, and kicked off his shoes, clopping over to her. He knelt and picked up her cap before gathering her in his arms.

Meanwhile, Clarisse and I kept the Cyclops occupied. I have to admit, Clarisse was brave. She charged at the monster over and over, always managing to dodge out of the way. I would follow up her attacks by stabbing or slashing at any part of him I could reach.

Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Grover carrying Annabeth across the rope bridge. It didn't seem like the best idea, considering the man-eating sheep, but it seemed loads better than this side.

I had an idea.

"Fall back!" I called to Clarisse.

She rolled out of the way of his fist.

We sprinted to the bridge, Polyphemus on our tails. He was cut up and hobbling from his wounds, but we'd only slowed him down a little and made him mad.

"Grind you into sheep chow!" He growled. "A thousand curses on Nobody!"

"A little faster," I said to Clarisse.

We tore down the hill. The bridge was our best shot.

"Grover!" I called. "Grab Annabeth's knife!"

Thank the gods, Grover understood. His eyes widened when he saw the Cyclops chasing us, but he grabbed Annabeth's knife and started sawing at one of the ropes holding up the bridge.

Clarisse and I dashed across. The rope Grover was working on snapped.

Just as Clarisse and I lunged to the other side of the bridge, I swiped my sword at the other rope, and it snapped, causing the bridge to collapse.

Polyphemus howled… with delight. He had just made it across.

"Failed!" He cried. "Nobody failed!"

Clarisse and Grover tried to charge him, but he simply knocked them aside.

I got mad, then. I couldn't believe I had come this far, lost Tyson, nearly lost Annabeth, only to get foiled by some big stupid monster wearing several dozen baby blue tuxedos.

Nobody got to swat around my friends. I mean nobody, not Nobody. Oh, you get what I mean.

Strength surged through my limbs. Ignoring just how hopelessly outmatched I was, I charged.

I stabbed the Cyclops in the belly, and when he doubled over, I smacked him in the nose. I continued to smack and slash and stab.

Eventually, I had gotten him down to the ground, my sword hovering over his eye.

"Ugh." He groaned.

"Percy?" Grover shouted. "How did you?"

"Please, no," Polyphemus wailed. "M-my sheepies need me. Only trying to protect my sheep."

I had won. The Cyclops was an almost pitiful sight. All I had to do was stab.

"Kill him!" Clarisse shouted.

Polyphemus sobbed. He sounded so heartbroken. He sounded… sounded like Tyson.

"He's a Cyclops!" Grover shouted. "Don't trust him!"

I knew he was right. I knew Annabeth would have said the exact same thing.

But… I couldn't bring myself to do it. I realised he was a child of Poseidon too. Just like me… and Tyson.

"We only want the fleece," I told him. "Nothing else. Will you agree to let us take it?"

"No!" Clarisse yelled. "Just kill him!"

Polyphemus sniffled. "My beautiful fleece. Prize of my collection. Take it, cruel human. Take it and go in peace."

"I'm going to step back slowly," I said. "On move…"

He nodded in understanding.

I backed away.

Immediately, he swiped at me, nearly sending me into the chasm.

"Foolish mortal! Take my fleece? I think not!" He bellowed. "I eat you first!"

He opened his mouth and I braced myself.

And then…

Something wooshed over my head, a boulder sailing right into the monster's mouth.

The Cyclops choked, trying to swallow the rock. He staggered backwards, but there was nowhere else to stagger. His foot slipped. His arms made chicken wing motions, and he plummeted into the chasm.

I turned around.

There, down the path, was Tyson, standing in the middle of the killer sheep.

"Bad Polyphemus! Not all Cyclops as nice as we look."

---

Tyson gave us the short version of his story: Rainbow the hippocampus had apparently been following us ever since Long Island sound, and had found Tyson in the water after the wreck of the CSS Birmingham. He and Tyson had been roaming the Sea of Monsters ever since, trying to find us. Then Tyson caught the scent of sheep, which led him to this island.

"Tyson! Thank the gods! Annabeth is hurt."

He frowned. "You thank the gods she is hurt?"

"No."

I knelt beside Annabeth. The gash on her forehead was concerning, as was the fact she was unconscious and had definitely gotten a concussion. Falling unconscious with a concussion was typically very very bad.

Grover glanced at me nervously.

I looked back up to Tyson. "Tyson, can you grab the fleece?"

"Which one?" He asked, looking around at the hundreds of sheep.

"The gold one! The one in the tree."

"Ooh. Yes. Pretty." He hobbled over to it, trying not to step on any sheep.

If any of us had tried to get the fleece, we would have been eaten, but I guess Tyson smelled like Polyphemus. They kept butting up to him, as if expecting treats from the wicker basket.

Tyson lifted the fleece off the branches, then started making his way over to us.

"No time," I said. "Toss it!"

He threw the fleece, and it glittered as it flew. I caught it, grunting as it nearly dislocated my shoulder. It was much heavier than I had expected.

I spread it over Annabeth.

"Please. Please work."

I prayed to all the gods I could think of.

Slowly, the colour returned to her face. The gash on her head closed up. Her eyes fluttered open.

She focused on Grover. "You're not… married?"

Grover laughed. "No. My friends talked me out of it."

"Annabeth," I said. "Lay still."

But she still sat up anyway. She was healing fast.

We quickly determined, however, she would not yet be up for walking, so Clarisse, who, other than Tyson, was the strongest out of all of us, volunteered to carry her.

Tyson was starting to get concerned about the sheep, who were getting restless. I told him they wanted people food and to lead them away.

We made our way to the beach, Tyson catching up to us, being chased by the sheep. Fortunately, they didn't follow us onto the sand.

"Hang on," I said. I mentally called to the Revenge. I felt it begin moving back towards us. "Ship will be here soon."

We started to relax, but that wasn't to last. Just as the ship rounded the cliffs, coming into view, we heard a loud growl from the chasm, and Polyphemus came storming out, a boulder in each hand. His outfit was in tatters, which just made it worse to look at.

I told Clarisse and Grover to swim for it. Tyson and I turned to fight the Cyclops.

"You'd think he'd run out of rocks," I muttered.

"YOU!" Polyphemus bellowed. "Young Cyclops. Traitor to your kind!"

"Don't listen to him." I tried to tug on his arm, but he wouldn't budge.

"I am not a traitor!"

"You serve humans! Filthy, cheating humans!"

Polyphemus threw one of the boulders, but Tyson swatted it aside, and it cracked in half.

"Not a traitor. And you are not my kind!"

"Death or victory!" Polyphemus bellowed.

Tyson and I looked at each other.

"Together."

Tyson nodded. "Together."

We charged the Cyclops.

---

Overall, defeating the Cyclops was easy, as it turned out. Sure I nearly got flattened. Twice. But the Cyclops was already badly wounded.

Unfortunately, he could still throw. He chucked the second boulder, and I dove to the side as Tyson swatted it out of the air.

I willed myself to rise on a wave. I kicked the larger Cyclops in the eye.

"I will destroy you! Fleece stealer!"

"But you stole the fleece!" I yelled back. "You've been using it to lure satyrs to their deaths!"

"So? Satyrs good eating."

"The fleece should be used to heal. It belongs to the children of the gods."

Polyphemus growled. "I am children of the gods! Father, Poseidon, curse this thief!"

He was blinking hard, and I realised he couldn't see. He was tracking me by the sound of my voice.

"He won't curse me. I'm his daughter. He's not going to play favourites."

Polyphemus roared and ripped an olive tree out of the ground, swatting at me with it.

I dodged before I could get flattened again, but the branched still scratched up my back something fierce.

"Ow."

Tyson charged at him again, knocking the elder Cyclops back.

"Humans not the same," Polyphemus said. "Nasty, tricking, lying."

He swung the tree at me again, but I dodged and grabbed onto a branch, ignoring the pain as I was sent skywards. I let go, falling directly onto his eye.

"AARRGHH!"

He bellowed, and I fell off into the surf. Tyson once again shoved Polyphemus back.

"Run!" I shouted.

Back at the ship, Clarisse, Grover and Annabeth were already on board.

We dove into the surf, Polyphemus already up to chase us again.

"Smash you!"

We kept swimming.

"Where are you?" He chucked his tree, but missed us by several yards.

I summoned the current to carry us faster to the ship.

From the ship, I could hear Clarisse yelling.

"Yeah, Jackson! In your face, Cyclops!"

I wanted to tell her to shut up, but I was exhausted.

Polyphemus bellowed and picked up another boulder, chucking it at the ship.

Fortunately, he missed. Unfortunately, Clarisse just had to taunt him about his aim, and the next boulder ripped clean through the hull.

Sorry, Blackbeard.

The ship sank fast. Before long, the masts were already going under.

"Shit." I willed the currents to push us faster, but it was no use.

My friends were sinking fast, and I was too exhausted to help.

They struggled against the suction force of the sinking ship. Grover was kicking furiously with his hooves, Annabeth was hampered by holding onto the fleece.

I willed myself towards them, but nearly got whacked in the head by a piece of timber.

We need help, I thought.

Yes. I heard Tyson' voice in my head. I looked to him, startled.

He was a child of Poseidon too. We could communicate.

Yes.

Rainbow, Tyson said.

I nodded, closing my eyes to concentrate.

RAINBOW! We need you!

Immediately, 3 hippocampi shimmered in the distance, getting closer rapidly.

We burst out onto the surface of the sea, Rainbow holding Tyson and Clarisse, and I riding another hippocampus behind Annabeth.

I could hear Polyphemus in the distance, celebrating. "I finally sank Nobody!"

I hoped he never found out how wrong he really was.

We continued skimming across the sea.

"We did it," Annabeth said. We…" she trailed off as she passed out.

I said a silent prayer of thanks to the gods.

Which reminded me…

"You're a genius," I whispered to Annabeth.

 

I slumped forward, my head touching the fleece, and was soon fast asleep.