[Third Person POV]

Lucian was striding several paces ahead of the group, an accordion strapped proudly across his chest. He stumbled from side to side with the exaggerated swagger of a sailor long lost to rum, his boots crunching against the gravel path as he belted out a merry tune.

“~Bid farewell to weaver’s town, Say so long to port renowned, Sing a song, it won’t be long, Before we’re casting off~”

His voice carried through the trees like a festival chant, warm and slightly rough around the edges, but filled with a jubilant charm that was impossible to ignore. Behind him floated all four of Annabeth’s spirits, their forms bobbing in rhythm to his beat. They twirled and spun, trailing after him with a contagious joy before breaking into their own chorus.

“~Cross the gold and silver seas, The salty spray puts us at ease! Day and night, to our delight, The voyage never ends!!”

The forest around them seemed to echo the melody. Annabeth, unable to resist, swayed her head from side to side, quietly humming along as her fingers tapped against her thigh.

Thalia, who had been walking with her hands shoved into her jacket pockets, turned slowly to catch Annabeth mid-sway. Her eyes narrowed in mock suspicion, one eyebrow arching high.

“What?” Annabeth asked, caught in the act. She shrugged with an unapologetic grin. “It’s a very catchy song… and, admit it, Lucian actually has a great singing voice.”

Thalia could only shake her head as Lucian’s lively tune pulled them forward. They left the forest behind and emerged onto the side of a long road. Cars and trucks rumbled by in the distance, their drivers no doubt bewildered at the sight of a ragtag group marching in step to an accordion. Yet none of them slowed, and the mismatched crew kept time with Lucian’s jaunty rhythm.

“Gather up all of the crew! It’s time to ship out Bink’s brew! Pirates we, eternally, Are challenging the sea!!”

As Lucian’s voice rose, something stranger began to unfold. His shadow stretched across the asphalt, growing longer and darker. From that deepening blackness, figures began to take shape—silhouettes of soldiers, armored and armed, emerged. One by one they solidified, their features sharpening into the familiar visages of Lucian’s shadow army.

Thalia’s eyes darted from one soldier to the next. Asura and Golurk—two of the more imposing soldiers—were casually bopping along with their arms draped over each other’s shoulders as though this were the most natural thing in the world.

“Were the donuts laced with something?” Thalia muttered under her breath, rubbing her temple. “Because what the hell is happening right now?”

Lucian, completely unfazed by her murmuring, only sang louder.

“~With the waves to rest our heads, Ship beneath us as our beds! Hoisted high upon the mast, Our Jolly Roger flies!~”

The sun overhead continued to stretch above them, streaking the sky with gold, and still Lucian played. Their march eventually brought them down to a rugged stretch of shoreline different from the one they had first arrived at—a wild, open coast where the breeze smelled of salt. There, Thalia wasted no time summoning her power. With a sweep of her arms, planks of green wood materialized from the swirling winds, forming the skeleton of a ship that creaked and groaned as it took shape.

While she worked, Lucian kept the spirits high with his music, weaving his melody through the sound of crashing waves and snapping sails.

“~Somewhere in the endless sky, Stormy winds are blowing by: Waves are dancing, evening comes, It’s time to sound the drums!~”

Annabeth and Thalia exchanged looks, their lips twitching despite themselves. By the time the ship’s plank lowered with a heavy thud, Lucian was leading not just them but an entire parade of shadows onto the freshly conjured deck. Annabeth followed behind, wagging her fingers in time with the song, while Thalia trailed after her, laughter bubbling uncontrollably from her chest.

“~But steady men and never fear, Tomorrow’s skies are always clear! So pound your feet and clap your hands, ‘Till sunny days return!~”

The plank began to retract as the ship eased away from the shore, the hull rocking gently against the restless tide. The rhythm of the sea seemed to merge with the rhythm of the music, and soon the deck was alive with chaos. Shadow soldiers locked arms and hopped in a circle, their weapons raised. Annabeth’s spirits, no longer content with their spectral forms, shifted into fully human shapes and joined the dance, spinning and stomping in perfect time.

Aerarius had shifted his form again, this time molding himself into the shape of a small, scholarly boy whose bronze-gold skin glimmered like sunlight on polished metal. His wide, bookish eyes twinkled with mischief as he trotted toward the others, his tiny feet barely making a sound against the deck. Nox swooped in with a grin and hoisted his little brother high onto his shoulders.

“~Yohohoho! Yohohoho! Yohohoho! Yohohoho!~” the two of them bellowed in unison, their voices ringing out across the rolling waves like a pair of jubilant pirates. Aerarius threw his small arms out to the side as though he were the proud captain of this impromptu crew, while Nox stomped around the deck to the rhythm of Lucian’s accordion.

Annabeth had her phone out in an instant, her camera shutter flashing like a barrage of tiny fireworks. She was snapping photo after photo while tears welled in her eyes. “Those are my boys!” she cried, voice breaking with gleeful pride. “Look at them go!”

Thalia, on the other hand, could only groan and drag a palm down her face, her shoulders shaking with barely contained secondhand embarrassment. ‘I’m surrounded by a bunch of absolute weirdos,’ she thought, hiding behind her hand. But when she finally lowered it, an affectionate smile betrayed her. Despite the chaos, she couldn’t deny how infectious the joy was. Her chuckle slipped free just as her eyes settled on Lucian, who sat cross-legged near the center of the deck on top of the shadow Hydra, fingers dancing effortlessly over the accordion’s keys.

Without warning, the jaunty pirate tune shifted. Lucian’s movements slowed, his melody softening into a low, wistful hum that settled over the ship like a gentle tide. The playful stomp of feet gradually quieted until only the steady creak of the ship and the hush of the sea accompanied his music.

“~Gather up all of the crew, It’s time to ship out Bink’s brew. Wave goodbye, but don’t you cry, Our memories remain…~”

The song’s melancholy notes floated across the water, a lullaby for sailors lost and dreams that refused to fade. The ocean itself seemed to respond. From the deep, sleek shadows of orcas emerged, their black-and-white forms gliding beside the vessel with unhurried grace. They moved in perfect rhythm with the music, their massive bodies keeping a slow, swaying pace as if they, too, were enchanted by the sound.

Lucian’s voice lowered to a gentle, haunting whisper. “~Our days are but a passing dream, Everlasting though they seem. Beneath the moon we’ll meet again, The winds our lullaby…~”

The once-lively dance across the deck transformed into a soft sway. Spirits, soldiers, and mortals alike moved as though caught in a shared dream, their motions calm and fluid.

“~Gather up all of the crew, It’s time to ship out Bink’s brew. Sing a song and play along, For all the ocean’s wide!~”

As Lucian looked outward across the vast sea, more figures emerged. Water nymphs, luminous as moonbeams, surfaced one by one. Drawn by the melody, they drifted closer, their laughter carrying across the waves like silver chimes. Some settled gracefully upon the backs of the orcas, their slender forms reclining with legs crossed and chins propped upon delicate palms. Eyes closed, they rocked gently to the music, entranced by the mortal’s song.

“~After all is said and done, You’ll end up a skeleton! So spread your tale from dawn ’til dusk, Upon these foamy seas!~”

At the helm, Thalia kept a firm hand on the wheel, her eyes scanning the calm horizon even as her heart swelled with the music. Annabeth had perched on the railing of the upper deck, her legs dangling freely as she gazed down toward the shadow army below, their weapons resting idly as they hummed along.

Lucian’s voice dropped to a soft, almost reverent murmur.

“~Yohohoho… Yohohoho… Yohohoho… Yohohoho…!~”

One by one, the others joined in. Their gentle chant mingled with the humming of the nymphs and the deep, resonant calls of the orcas until the ocean itself seemed to sing. Even the wind carried their voices outward, blending them into the timeless heartbeat of the sea.

As Lucian played the final note, a sudden shimmer of light enveloped the vessel. A deep blue aura bloomed outward from the waves, wrapping the ship in a soft, otherworldly glow. Everyone paused mid-clap, eyes widening in wonder.

The nymphs gasped first, their laughter spilling like liquid crystal. One of them tilted her head toward the crew and spoke with a delighted smile. “Prince of the Underworld,” she said, her voice echoing like ripples over water, “it seems Lord Poseidon himself has taken great pleasure in your song. He has chosen to bless your journey across his domain.”

Every mouth aboard fell open in shock. Lucian froze, the accordion still in his lap, as Annabeth and Thalia erupted into uncontrollable laughter.

“Haha! Only someone like Lucian,” Thalia wheezed, gripping the steering wheel for balance, “could accidentally win the favor of a god without even trying!”

Annabeth nearly doubled over, clutching her stomach as tears streamed down her cheeks. “The gods either love him or hate him,” she managed between fits of laughter. “There really is no in-between!”

Lucian flushed a deep crimson, scratching the back of his neck with a sheepish grin. His mind, however, raced to only one inevitable thought—his father’s reaction. ‘He’s going to make fun of me for this. I just know it. Damn it… what have I done?’

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Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep