The sunset burned deeply along the backdrop of the ocean. Deafening waves crashed mercilessly against the cliffside, spraying salty water through the air. Wind blew gently atop the hill, rustling the grass and sending a chill down Jason's spine. He loved the view, but as the sun set the warmth of the land drained away.
He stood up and stretched, eyes still fixed on the spectacle that was the sunset. Running a hand through his salt speckled hair, Jason sighed. He felt the tug of the wind urging him to stay. It would be easy, no one ever came up to the hillside. No one but him and ocean.
"Jason! There you are." He whirled around to see Leo and Piper running up the hill.
No one but him and the ocean, and Leo and Piper he mused. It was no surprise that they found him. If anyone would, it was them. The scent of seaweed and flowers danced around him, Piper would like it. He must have lost track of time. Watching the waves collide was mesmerizing.
As his friends get closer, his stomach lurched. Leo's face was twisted in pain and he leaned against Piper as they ran. Jason dashed towards them. Fear clutched his heart in an iron fist. Leo tripped and went sprawling at Jason's feet.
"What happened?" Jason asked, wrapping an arm around Leo and helping him to his feet.
"The village, Jason they've in the village. Everything's on fire. They're everywhere." Piper stuttered.
"Attacking the village? Who?"
"Pirates."
He froze. Jason's mind was spinning. He turned towards the village. Thunderous waves wracked his brain but he could see smoke rising in the distance.

There had been many reports of pirates raiding villages down the coast, but they had never come this far west. The faint smell of smoke wafted under his nose. Fire wasn't yet visible, but he knew it wouldn't be long before the flames came roaring above the horizon line. Leo started to cough, doubling over as his lungs rattled. Piper glanced nervously at the village. When Leo straightened back up, Jason frowned.

"Leo what happened?"

"I was at the blacksmiths, working, when they came. Piper came running in, screaming about how they were here and that they were setting houses on fire. We were about to leave, but I went back in to grab my inventions. It's my fault, but I couldn't just leave them!"

Jason knew what he meant. Anyone who spent five minutes with Leo could tell you that he was talkative, but when he was focusing on his projects he barely spoke. He spent hours on his inventions, carving them and fine tuning every little detail. They were the pride of his existence. He would never leave them behind.

"It was stupid." Leo said, shaking his head. "Piper went outside but they snuck around the back and dropped a match onto the coal pile. The shop was up in flames in a second. I barely made it out."

Jason's heart ached to see his friend like that. All of Leo's hard work, hours upon hours, days even, turned to ash in a pinch. Leo's face was burned lightly, a few blisters on his cheek and his whole body was scorched and covered in ash. Even the tips of his curly hair were singed short.

Turning to Piper he asked, "Is your dad okay?"

"I think so. I saw him after we left the village but I wanted to find you. Gods Jason, I was so worried."

He smiled and placed a hand on her shoulder. Piper was beautiful, even when she was flushed and covered in soot. From beyond the hillside, an explosion rocked the the earth. It was loud, thundering above the crashing waves, and a cloud of smoke billowed into the sky. Jason's smile fell.

"Thalia." He whispered before repeating it louder. "Thalia. Is she okay? Did she get out?"

Piper's gaze slid over to Leo, pain in her eyes. Jason's heart skipped a beat.

"Well?"

"We don't know," Piper said. "Last time we saw her, she was with Reyna. They were running into the streets and they- they had weapons."

It was so like Thalia to run towards the fight, Jason thought. She was never good at playing nice with others, even as a kid she was notorious for kicking adults in the skins and then running away. Reckless and fearless were not a good combination though. He knew his sister would rather go down swinging than run from anyone, even if the odds were a million to one.

"I have to get her." He said, stepping towards the village.

Piper caught his arm. "Jason you can't. They're everywhere and they're armed. You don't stand a chance."

"I can't leave Thalia behind, or Reyna. I just have to find them. They'll listen to me." Jason insisted.

He made sure that Leo was steady on his feet before gently pulling his arm out of Piper's grip.

"Don't go." Leo said, his voice still raspy.

"I have to." Jason replied.

He didn't want to go running into a horde of pirates. Fire, blades and gunpowder; the mere idea terrified him more than he wanted to admit. But Thalia was his sister. She was the only family he still knew, after his father had disappeared into the ocean. He wasn't about to let her go too.

With a final look to his friends, Jason took off running to the village. Pumping his arms, he tried not to focus on the smoke that grew heavier with every breath. Instead, he counted every foot step, concentrating on the grass covered dirt beneath him. Don't think about Dad, he told himself. Don't think about the swords and bullet, don't think about Reyna in front of them. Fighting, failing, screaming.

Jason clenched his fists and pushed on. As he trekked up the hill, the village came into view. The sight of it stopped him dead in his tracks. Even with his vivid imagination, nothing beats the real thing, and the scene was startlingly real. Flames licked the houses, raging atop roofs and flickering in the streets. Peopled dashed through the town, screaming for their loved ones.

And then there were the pirates.

Jason tore down the hill as fast as he could. The moment he stepped onto the filthy streets, a wave of heat hit him like a blast. Smoke burned his lungs and stung at his eyes. He ran towards the water, where the ship was surely docked. Wherever the pirates were, Thalia and Reyna couldn't far from. They demanded nothing less than the heart of the action.

"Thalia! Reyna!" He screamed as he bolted passed people.

He rounded a corner, his sister's name dangling off his lips when he collided with someone.