—Percy—
Everyone bowed, and Percy quickly did the same. He had always thought Piper was attractive, but that was different; T-shirts and jeans did not, apparently, give off the same effect as the dress she was wearing right now.
Drew was the first camper to recover from the surprise.
"It doesn't change anything!" She screamed. "It-"
"Enough. I don't care," Percy interrupted her, "Piper is my friend, and I'd rather go on a quest with someone I trust," which resulted in said friend to blush and smile.
Drew sat down, the distinct look of the kid who didn't get his way on her face, while Chiron cleared his throat.
"So we have our heroes then. Percy Jackson, Gleeson Hedge and Piper Mclean will go on a quest to retrieve Lord Zeus's Masterbolt. Remember you have until the summer solstice, in ten days," he said, and Percy's eyes widened.
"Ten days?! That's—" he sputtered, then realized everyone was looking at him. "Err... I mean...Ten days? That's too much time!"
"You have at most three days before leaving. Do not rush it, Percy, and prepare yourself. Your main problem is how you will go. You have Poseidon and Hades, both powerful gods on the land, and one of them sending monsters after you. Flying would be the best option," the centaur advised, his serene expression unchanged.
"I don't think I can fly three people for hours," replied Percy casually.
"Well, don't count on Pegasis. We use them to take unclaimed demigods here since the chariot is broken," said Annabeth, "Maybe the Heaphaestus cabin can get you something."
A small murmur started at the Hephaestus table, and the head counselor stood up. "In three days? No. It's impossible. You'll have to find something else."
Percy nodded and tried not look freaked out. Which was, indeed, difficult.
"Uh...excuse me, I have to...go for a walk," he murmured. Chiron raised his eyebrows, and Percy left to his cabin, aware that everyone was staring at him.
He entered cabin one, and sat on the closest bed, holding his head. He looked up, glancing absently at his surrounding, and suddenly noticed something. There were pictures, on one of the beds. Percy got up and grabbed the small pile. Obviously, pictures of a demigod; he could recognize parts of the Camp in the backgrounds of each picture, and some of them even featured Annabeth, posing with a girl who was clearly a very close friend. The girl had dark, spiky hair, and from what he could see on a close-up on her face, she had piercing blue eyes.
"That's Thalia," said a voice. Percy jumped in surprise and turned around. It was Annabeth.
"Sorry I scared you," She said.
"Nevermind," replied Percy, vaguely surprised that he hadn't heard her come in, "So, who is she?"
"A daughter of Zeus. One of my friends, she is the first demigod I met. She left and became a huntress of Artemis when we reached the Camp, a few years ago. She is now half immortal," explained Annabeth, sitting next to him.
Percy looked at the picture quietly. Then realization dawned on him. "She is my sister?"
"Yes," replied Annabeth softly, "half-sister, actually."
"Oh. And who brought those picture here?" He asked, vaguely wondering if he'd ever meet her.
"She lived for a few weeks here before leaving."
Then, without a warning, Annabeth quickly got up, a serious expression on her face.
"Anyway, I came here to warn you. You'll be facing a lot of monsters on your quest, and since you're starting it with almost no knowledge, I hope you do have a plan. Zeus not having his masterbolt back may result on a war between the gods. I know it's hard, but it rests on your shoulder."
Percy didn't find anything to answer to that, but it didn't seem to bother Annabeth; as quickly as she entered, she got out. Percy sighed, and leaned on his bed, thinking of his quest. He tried to close his eyes and shove all thoughts of incoming war out of his mind, but to no avail. Feeling more and more constricted by the grim atmosphere of the place, he decided that he couldn't stand being there any longer.
Percy got up, openned the door and got out. Everyone was still eating, and they didn't seem to notice him. He walked to the woods as quietly as possible, relieved the campers weren't staring expectantly at him anymore. Percy sighed again and looked up, hoping to see a sign from his father. He thought there were very high chances that his so-called dad wouldn't make any sign, and of course Percy wasn't disapointed.
"Hi," said a voice. Percy turned around, starting to feel pretty irritated at people sneaking up on him, and saw Piper, still in dress and as gorgeous as ever. His irritation faded, and was replaced with a strange sensation of embarassement.
"Hey," he said, trying to look relaxed, but it was hard to talk with Piper when she was dressed like that.
"It was really nice what you said there," said Piper, smiling lightly.
"Uh...yeah. I-I really mean it. I want you in the quest," he replied, smiling back. She nodded and Percy saw the embarassement in her face. It was exactly what hapenned for him. She got claimed, and now everyone was acting as though she was a newcomer again.
They walked back together and sat before a fire in silence.
"Do you have any idea of how we could fly for almost the entire quest?" asked Percy after a few minutes of searching for something to say.
"No...I don't know. Maybe—"
She was cut off when the satyr who had volunteered to help them, Gleeson Hedge, plopped himself right next to Percy, wielding a very large baseball bat.
"So kids, you will go on a quest. Finally some action!" he groaned, "What we will do first? Kill monsters?"
Percy was rather surprised by Gleeson Hedge, and didn't know what to say. One look at Piper, and he knew she shared his mind.
"Um...we don't even know how we will go on this quest," said Piper, "Chiron said we will be chased by monsters on land, so-"
Once again, she was cut off.
"Come on! What is better than monsters chasing you everywhere? It keeps you awake!" yelled Hedge, gathering the attention of many nearby campers.
"Yeah, sure, but it's not good for speed. We have only ten days," said Percy, "Do you have any idea of what we could use to fly...?"
Hedge shook his head, and grabbed a flower he started eating. Percy sighed and looked at the fire.
"Hey, we'll find a way, don't worry," said Piper, patting his shoulder. Percy looked at her and nodded, while Gleeson Hedge stared at them. Or at least, so Percy thought, until he made an exagerated greeting gesture by swinging his bat, and Percy and Piper both ducked their heads to avoid getting hit.
Gleeson got up, and Percy saw he was heading towards a small bunch of satyrs who were calling him , all the while chewing a plate he had taken on a table.
"Strange guy, isn't he?" said Percy. Piper nodded and shievered.
"You must feel cold in that dress," he told her.
"Yep. My own mother steals my clothes, do you believe that?" she replied, rubbing her arms.
Percy grabed a nearby cover and wraped her around it.
"Feel better?" Said Percy. Piper nodded. Percy looked at his friend. He like her a lot. He really had to ask her out before someone with more guts would beat him to. After most of the campers went to sleep, Percy walked with her to the Aphrodite cabin, then, after a mumbled 'good night', he went to the Zeus one. Not bothering changing his clothes, he threw himself on the closest bed. However, it seemed Annabeth wasn't done telling him good news; before he could fall asleep, she openned the door and called for him.
"Percy, Chiron wants to tell you something, come at the Big House."
He couldn't help it; he groaned. Annabeth cast him a stern look and got out. Percy got up half-heartedly and went to the Big House. Once he was inside, he saw the centaur was waiting for him, and he sat down on the chair Chiron getsured to.
"Percy, do you know what you are doing?" he asked."Do you have a plan? Or will you search blindly in the west?"
Percy blushed. It was honestly the only thing he had been able to think of.
"I advise you to ask Eole for help. He surely knows where to find the Masterbolt," continued Chiron.
"Wait, who is Eole?"
"The wind god," responded Chiron, "He knows and sees a lot of things, and he will be willing to help you if you give him something, or help him."
"And...what can I do to help a god?" Demanded Percy, not sure how he felt about this plan.
"Well, as an example, you could bring him storm spirits, like the ones that attacked you at Grand Canyon. You see, he has to keep them under control, and storm spirits hate being caged."
"And, where is this guy?" asked Percy.
"That's the tricky part. I don't know where he is, but Boreas knows. He is in Quebec. Ask him where you can find his Lord, and he should tell you if you say you are on a quest for Zeus."
"How do I find storm spirits? How do I catch them, even?"
"You sure have a lot of questions," Chiron rubbed his chin absently, "You may very well find some in Chicago. They generate all the natural and unnatural storms mortals talk about."
"Wait, Chicago? Shouldn't I go west, like the prophecy said?" He asked.
"Percy, prophecies have wrapped meanings. Don't think too much about it, but use your logic."
"And how about the unnatural storms?"
"Yes. You didn't notice beceause you are here, within the barriers of Camp. The storm spirits are more active beceause they do not fear punishement from lord Zeus anymore. Even when he had his bolt, they tended to step out of the line sometimes. Now, they are acting as they please," Chiron explained.
Probably understanding what Percy wanted to know by his incredulous expression, Chiron elaborated further.
"Zeus gets most of his power from his Masterbolt, Percy. Without it, he is as weak as a minor god. It is his symbol of power. This is why he is so serious about it, his brothers can easily overthrow him now."
"So, I go to Boreas, he tells me where Eole is, then I catch storm spirits, exchange them for informations, and then I go to find the Masterbolt?" Resumed Percy. Chiron nodded.
"And how do I catch them? Aren't they wind made?" He asked.
"Well, you are the son of Zeus. As you know, you have control over winds, so with somme efforts, you can make them enter a magical container," responded Chiron. "Which is up to you to find," he added.
"Also, you must find a transport. You won't be safe on earth with Hades and Poseidon after you."
"How the hell can I do all that?" Asked Percy, barely containing his ressentment. Chiron looked at him with a mix of pity and sadness.
"No quest is easy. If you succeed, you will gain a lot, but if you fail, I will not hide you the fact that it will cause an apocalypse," he replied simply.
Percy didn't want to hear more, he wanted to leave.
"Can I go now?" He asked. Chiron nodded, not at all bothered, and Percy got up. He openned the door and got out of the Big House. He went to his cabin where he walked in circles, thinking, but not getting anywhere, until he was too tired to keep his eyes open, and fell asleep on a bed.
Percy woke up with a jolt, as suddenly as he would have if someone had screamed in his ear.
He got up and changed his clothes. He put on a black T-shirt and jeans and looked at his reflection in Zeus's shield, which deformed him in a sort of funny way.
"Care to help me?" he said. No answer.
"Thanks, dad," he groaned and got out. Everyboy was asleep, and the silence gave Percy a sensation of inner peace. Immediatly, the thoughts of yesterday came back to him. He walked to the woods. He thought of the prophecy. He knew now what to do, asking the wind gods for help...well, the transport was the problem. Chiron told him that Zeus's brothers would kill him outside of camp. Percy was desperatly thinking of a way to get out of this, when he suddenly noticed something. He had walked without looking where he was going, and it resulted him to get lost, and judging by what he could see around him, he was outside of camp borders. The surrounding trees were mostly burned, and the utter silence made it clear there was no nature spirit around. He kept walking, curious. He arrived at some point where there was only ashes and burned wood. The entrance of a cave, right before him. Percy took out his pen, in case he had to defend himself, and slowly entered.
"Hello?" He said, his voice echoing. A loud growl answered. Percy took several steps back, and got out. He waited there, curious to see what was the creature inside, vaguely aware of his sheer stupidity. He regretted it. The head of a dragon emerged from the cave, followed by its enormous body. The beast was in every way deadly; its head was almost as long as Percy's whole body, and the grey colored scales gave off a sense of unequaled hardness. Its fangs were as long as Percy's sword, and the head and tail were covered with spikes.
Percy stared at the beast, excitement, fear and amazement knotting his stomach.
All of a sudden, the dragon's massive palm lunged toward him and tried to squash him, and Percy reacted faster than he could think; he jumped aside, and with one sharp motion shoved his sword between the dragon's fangs. It roared in anger, and Percy had to use great winds to protect himself from the fire that escaped the dragon's mouth. Percy summoned the winds again and jumped in the air, away from the monster. Bad idea. The dragon spread its enormous wings and lifted itself at Percy's level. Feeling that he was screwed, Percy suddenly remembered the comforting sky above them. He raised his hand, concentrated, and thunder boomed. A moment later, Percy propulsed himself to the dragon and landed on its back. The dragon roared. This time, Percy raised his sword, and plunged it in the dragon's shoulder, while a white arc of electrecity struck it as if it were a lightning rod. The dragon fell, and they both landed heavily on a burned tree, Percy on top. He raised his sword again, and, as he was about to deliver the final strike, Percy looked at the dragon. A crazy idea poped up in his mind : it could be his transport, and it also made Percy feel bad to think that he provocated this creature, and now killed it, for no reason. Carefully, he lowered his sword and turned it to a pen. He got on the dragon's neck. The monster let him do it, either too weak to react, or willingly.
Percy remembered that Annabeth told him once that monsters understood ancient greek. Not too sure about it, Percy muttered to the dragon the order to fly. Immediatly, it spread its wings, and they were both lifted high in the sky, Percy almost loosing his balance and falling.
The spikes on the creature's back were long parted, which provided an excellent seat, and Percy highly doubted he could be this lucky. But there was no time to look for something else and besides, they were in the sky: even if the beast turned on him, he could neutralize it.
— Piper —
Piper was woken up by the sound of thunder. She got up and sat on her bed. She remembered what happened yesterday, and caught a mirror. Still beautiful. Piper moaned. After Percy had left to his cabin, she had tried everything: pulling her hair, crying to smear the make up...nothing. She felt like a barbie doll.
"Oh darling, even mom's bless didn't make you presentable?" Said Drew from the other side of the room. Her siblings laughed softly, but Piper didn't care. She had met dozens of people like that, and it didn't matter to her what they thought.
"Don't worry honey. You think you don't look like a daughter of Aphrodite?" Drew smirked. "Oh, we agree, right, Mitchell?"
One of the guys flinched, and nodded.
"Good for you. We have ten minutes until breakfast, and the cabin won't clean itself. Mitchell, since you got the lesson, you'll clean only today. Show Piper how to do it by the way, I feel she will do it a lot if she survives her so called quest. As for me, I'll take a shower."
Immediatly, everyone started, while Drew went to the bathroom. They heard a little scream, then a little girl was pushed out, her hair still wet, a towel hastily wraped around her. The girl burst into tears while the door was closed. Two older girls comforted her, not looking in the least bit surprised by Dree's behavior, and dried her hair.
"You guys really let Drew treat you like that?" Asked Piper to no one in particular. Many if them gave her worried looks, but no one answered. Piper sighed softly and looked at her bed. She didn't have much to do. Her bed was simple, and the cover was actually the one that Percy gave her yesterday. She took it and burried her face in it, and she smelled the boy's odor. Fresh air, as if a cold wind blew, and rain.
"Excuse me," said a small voice. Piper looked down and saw Mitchell on the floor, gathering little pieces of paper and other trash.
"Why did Drew make you do this?" She asked, feeling mildly curious.
"Because after you got claimed, I said you weren't that much of a freak," he replied casually. Piper was surprised that an Aphrodite had stood up for her. Okay, it wasn't the compliment of the century, but still.
"Thank you," she said. Mitchell shrugged.
"Look where it got me...Welcome to cabin ten anyway," he said grimly.
"And...why do you guys obey her?" Demanded Piper, deciding he seemed friendly enough to answer her.
"She's the head counselor," replied a girl behind her just as Mitchell opened his mouth, and Piper jumped in surprise.
"I am Lacy," added the girl.
"Piper," she said, smiling. They shook hands.
"Drew is the oldest. See, only a camper who completed a quest can challenge her, and none of us have done that. She's been our head counselor since our last one left camp. Since then, Drew has been bringing changes to the way things go here..."
"Exactly."
Lacy yelped and tried to run away, but Drew caught her forearm and looked down at Mitchell.
"Mitchell, I think you let some trash there. Why don't you check again?" She said sweetly.
Mitchell glared at her, but he simply snapped, "Okay."
"See?" Said Drew. "We are a big happy family! What we do is pairing the campers together, and then we break the couples. After that we restart! It is so funny! Quests or wars, it isn't our thing."
Lacy shyly raised her hand.
"Yesterday you wanted to join the quest-"
But she stopped talking before Drew's cold glare.
"Anyway, you're leaving, it's too bad. But if you survive, don't worry, I will find you someone. Maybe on of those Hephaestus kids, they are pretty repulsive..." she said, and looked at Piper with disgust and pity. "I never thought Aphrodite could have ugly kids...who's your dad? Is he a monster or something?"
Piper wanted to reply, but she didn't. She hated showing off.
"Are you guys done yet? Good. We can go now," said Drew. She got out, and everyone quickly followed her. Piper stayed last and changed her clothes. She wore an orange T-Shirt, and blue shorts. After trying to put her hair in the mess it usually was, and failing, Piper got out. She sat at the Aphrodite table, as far from Drew as she could, and looked around. Percy wasn't there.
"Where is Percy?" She wondered out loud.
"Oooooh...Someone's got a crush," giggled a girl. Piper rolled her eyes; her siblings had nothing in common with her.
"Whatever." Piper got up, took her plate and burned the food.
"Aphrodite," she mumbled, not too sure about it. Then she walked away, to the cabin one. But before she reached it, she heard screams behind her. Piper turned and yelped. A huge dragon had landed ten feet away from her. Piper was paralyzed by fear. She saw the Ares campers taking spears and swords, ready to kill the beast.
"Guys! Guys! It's okay! We came in peace!" Yelled a voice. It was Percy's. The campers stopped, surprised. Immediatly, someone jumped from the dragon's back.
"Don't shoot at my car!" yelled the boy. The dragon growled, and Percy grinned.
"Percy!" said Chiron, walking toward him in centaur form. "What is this?"
"Who is this," corrected Percy, "I found him in the forest, and he is pretty friendly."
Chiron scratched his chin.
"I do not really know how safe this is, Percy. Dragons are unpredictable. He might kill you on a moment's notice," he said.
"Well, it's all we have. Unless you have another solution?" replied Percy, looking around. Nobody answered.
"Cool. We'll take...um...Festus-"
"Festus? That means 'happy' in Latin," said Annabeth. "You want to go prevent a war of the gods on happy dragon's back?"
"Why not?" Smiled Percy.
"So you will leave now?" asked the centaur. Percy nodded.
"No time to waste. Besides, I think I will follow your plan. Just need to take our package," Percy said, and Chiron turned to a satyr and mumbled something.
"That's the spirit!" shouted Gleeson Hedge.
Piper was feeling a knot of excitement and fear, and she could only smile, and after exchanging a look with Percy, she went to her cabin to change her clothes.
She only had T-Shirts and shorts, not really the best to go on a quest.
"Here. I have been keeping it for some time, but since I don't go on quests..."
Piper turned and saw Lacy, handind her a jacket, a collared button-up shirt, jeans, and a pair of boots.
Piper thanked her, and quickly changed her clothes.
"Good luck. Oh, and take this," added Lacy, giving her a backpack. "There is nectar, ambrosia, food, and additionnal clothes."
"Thanks for everything," replied Piper, taking it, feeling a growing affection for the girl.
"It's nothing, really," smiled Lacy.
The two daughters of Aphrodite got out of their cabin, ans headed towards the crowd that had gathered around the dragon.
Percy and Hedge were waiting next to Festus, each of them carrying a backpack similar to Piper's.
"Ready?" asked Percy as soon as he saw her.
"Hell yeah!" she replied, and with that, the three of them got on tge dragon.
Piper sat between Hedge and Percy, with Percy behind her. Piper hoped he would wrap his arms around her waist, but saddly, he didn't.
"Hang on!" murmured Percy. A moment later, Festus was high in the sky, and the last thing Piper saw was Lacy waving at her, while Drew was casting her a venomous look.
Riding on a dragon's back was a great experience; Piper had never felt so good. She heard Percy complaining that he was getting Piper's hair in the face, and she put her hood on. On the way, Percy explained them his plan.
"All that in nine days?" asked Piper.
"Two days at most to ask Boreas, two days to find storm spirits, bring them to Eole and ask him to give us informations, and then we go find that damn bolt," replied Percy.
"So, how do we find the storm things?" She said.
"Chiron told me they are all in Chicago, mocking Zeus beceause he doesn't have the power to punish them anymore."
"Wait, you want to fly in Chicago with a dragon? Don't you think people will see us?" She said.
"No. The mist will hide us," replied Gleeson. Both demigods looked at him curiously.
"What's that?" Asked Percy.
"Magic. It hides our world to the mortals," he replied, "Hecate created it with the help of the gods."
"So, you're sure it will hide us?" Asked Piper. Hedge scratched his chin, and then shook his head. "I don't really know."
"Don't you think we'd better go West like the prophecy said?" Asked Piper.
"Honestly, I figured that if the prophecy'd any good, Eole will tell us to go somewhere West to find the Masterbolt," confessed Percy.
Silence fell upon them, and all what could be heard was the winds blowing, and sometimes Festus' s wings. Piper didn't have a watch, but she felt they were flying for hours, freezing in the cold winds. She looked down at the land and remembered the day in the Grand Canyon, when Percy saved her.
"Are we there yet?" She asked.
"With our current speed, we'll get there in a few hours," replied Percy, "I think. I don't know where Quebec is exactly, but I told Festus to go to Boreas's palace, and he went north. Looks like Hedge is asleep," he added.
Piper looked at the satyr. He was indeed sleeping.
"Do you think we should wake him up? He could slip and fall."
"Nah. Let him sleep, and if he falls, I'll catch him," assured Percy. Piper stared at him, then burst out of laughing.
"What's so funny?" Asked Percy, confused.
"You two will look like Superman and Louis together."
She knew it wasn't even remotely true, but the thought of Percy carrying the satyr while flying was hilarious to her. Percy shook his head.
"Nope. He is not my type," he replied. They laughed again, and caused Hedge to wake up.
"Die!" He yelled, reaching for his baseball bat.
"Rest, Mr Hedge. There is nobody around," said Percy, "but since you woke up, I guess we can rest now?"
"What? Yeah...of course I am...sleep, ya lovebirds, I'll be guarding," he said. Piper wasn't really tired, so she looked up at the sky. Somewhere, her dad was probably looking for her... or maybe he wasn't worried and didn't even know when her school ended.
Piper was hungry. She was about to take her backpack, when something touched her back and she jumped in surprise. Piper looked around her, and saw Percy, snoring, sleeping on her shoulder. In other words, it was one of her life's happiest moment.
— Percy —
Percy was still tired when Piper woke him up. He felt as if he slept for a few minutes, but the sun was already setting.
Before him, a city on the edge of a mountain. Snow was covering the lands, and shining in the sunset. Walls were circling the city, like in medieval times, and there was even a castle in the center.
"Tell me we're in Quebec land, and not in Santa's workshop," he said.
"We're indeed in Quebec. One of the oldest cities in north America, founded in 1600's," said Piper.
"Did your dad play in a movie about it ?" Asked Percy. Piper shook her head.
"Daughter of Aphrodite doesn't equal stupid," she replied. Percy raised his hands in surrender.
"I didn't say that. So, what's that castle?" He said.
"A hotel, I think," she responded. Percy laughed, but when they got closer, he had to admit she was right. Suddenly, Festus stopped.
As surprising as it was, two angels with purple wings were flying toward them, holding ice swords. One of them was a large beefy guy, and looked like he had gotten hit in the face way too much. He was dressed like a hockey player, which seemed incredibly out of context. The other was thin, small, and was built like a Jockey. He was probably going for a Love-God effect with his white button-up shirt and jeans, but since he was scrawny and covered with acne, it was a fail.
"You cannot fly here," he said with a strong french accent, "it is a reserved space."
"Kill?" Asked the big one with a toothless smile. The dragon growled and Percy took out his pen sword, while Hedge was already swinging his batt.
"Die!" Yelled the satyr.
"Wait, stop. Can I get to know who is going to kill me?" Said Piper, lightly quivering with a mix of apprehension and adrenaline.
"I am Cal," groaned the big one, looking like he was trained to repeat that sentence.
"Short for Calaïs,"said the love god, " but since my brother cannot pronounce words with more than two syllabes, we call him Cal."
"Pizza! Hockey! Kill!" Added Cal. "I am Cal, and this is my brother, Zetes!"
"Man! That's almost three sentences! Hang on!" Said Percy. Cal groaned, clearly proud of himself.
"They are making fun of you, idiot," muttered his brother. "I am Zetes, and the lady here can call me whatever she wants." He added, giving Piper a look. "Maybe she would like a date before we kill you?"
She choked and almost fell off Festus's back.
"This sounds like...a lame proposition," she stammered.
But Zetes wasn't bothered.
"Oh...playing hard to get! No problem, we sons of Boreas are very romantic!" He declared.
"Wait, you are the sons of Boreas?" Asked Percy.
"Ah, it seems you heard of us. We guard our father's domain. We cannot let demigods on a dragon scare the mortals," he said, gesturing to the grounds. Piper looked down and saw that many people started to point at them. "Unless there is an emergency, of course," added Zetes.
"Kill?" Said Cal, his tone hopeful. Zetes nodded.
"B-But it is an emergency!" Pleaded Piper, charmspeak literally dripping from her voice.
"Oh!" Said Cal, and Percy almost felt sorry for him.
"And how so?" Asked Zetes.
"We must meet Boreas now!" She replied, and forced a smile. Percy wasn't sure it was gonna work, but Piper still had Aphrodite's bless, and she was beautiful. Zetes flinched, and ran his hand through his horrible hair.
"I don't want to deceive a beautiful girl, but my sister might-"
"And our dragon is tired!" She added with a seductive smile. Again Zetes flinched and almost dropped his sword.
"You are gorgeous...err, right. I mean you're right. Follow us," he said, obviously trying to look calm and collected.
Percy ordered Festus to follow them, but he kept his pen in his hand. He wasn't sure they could trust these guys.
The hotel tower's roof openned, and they entered through it. Festus landed in a frozen place. The grounds, the couch, the furnitures; everything pointed that it could have been very luxual living room, without all the ice.
"Heat it up, and I can live here," said Hedge. Piper shievered.
"I wouldn't," she said. Festus apparently felt the cold, and openned his mouth. Zetes jumped toward them.
"No fire allowed!" He said. "If you can't order your dragon to stay calm, we'll get it out!" Festus growled, and Zetes took a step back.
"Calm down bud," said Percy. The dragon growled again but closed its mouth.
"Come here now, my father will meet you," said a voice. Percy turned and saw a magnificent girl standing on the ice stairs. She wore a white satin dress, her skin was pale and she had brown hair and eyes.
"So we let them live?" Asked Zetes.
"And guard their dragon, but don't kill it." She said, looking at Cal.
"Not even a little?" He asked. She shook her head.
"No."
Percy looked at Festus, and muttered him the order to stay calm. The dragon blinked, with a little luck, to say he understood.
"Follow me." Said the girl.
Percy didn't know how the ice could support his weight, but he still followed her with Piper and Hedge. Zetes took his ice sword and walked next to Piper, offering her his stairs, there was a frozen hallaway. They walked to the large door, until the girl stopped.
"You will now meet Boreas, the god of the North wind. Watch your manners, he doesn't like visitors." She said.
"And you are?" Asked Piper. The ice princess sighed.
"I wasn't very famous between the greeks. They lived far away from my domains. I am Chione, daughter of Boreas and goddess of snow." She replied. Then she pushed the door and they entered.
If the hallaway wasn't cold, this room was like a freezer. Percy shievered and saw his breath. There were many ice statues of warriors and soldier. But when Percy tried to pass them, they crossed their spears and he stopped. A voice was heard, and the statues came back to their original position. There was a white throne before him, where a man sat. Chione and Zetes immediatly bowed. Percy, Piper and Hedge quickly did the same. The man before them was wearing a white costume, and his white beard and hair looked like ice. He had Chione's eyes, but he seemed nicer. He had large purple wings and he was looking at them curiously.
"Welcome to my domain." He said in french. "I am the king Boreas, and you?"
Chione was about to talk, but Piper beat her to.
"Your highness." She replied in french. "I am Piper Mclean. This Gleeson Hedge and Percy Jackson."
Percy stared at her, while the king smiled.
"Piper, you know french?" He asked. Piper seemed surprised.
"No...why?" She said.
"You just replied to the king in french."
Piper's eyes widenned, and the king told her something, and she replied in french "Yes, your highness."
The king clapped his hands and laughed. Chione looked offended.
"The king says..." she started.
"That I am the daughter of Aphrodite. French is the language of love and I talk it naturally."
"And why," said Percy. "Does a greek god talk french?"
Piper talked with the king and she turned to Percy.
"He says that he talks the language of the country he stays in. Most of the gods talk english beceause they are in the USA." She said.
She had another exchange with the god, and her expression became horrified.
"The kings says...he says..."
"That he will have to kill you. Did I forget to mention it?" Said Chione with a cold smile. Percy felt his heartbeat speed up, and his grip on his pen tightened, while Hedge lifted his batt and yelled "Die!"
"But why?" Asked Piper in a trembling voice. The king got up.
"Beceause I am ordered to." He said with a french accent. "I will talk to you in your language beceause Piper Mclean honored me in mine. I always liked the children of Aphrodite."
"Who ordered you?" Asked Percy, looking for an escape. The king frowned, as if he tried to remember something.
Chione's smile grew even wider, and Zetes jumped on his feet.
"If you kill them, I want the girl!" He said as if he was a three years old crying for sweets. Chione approached and put a hand on Percy's neck.
"You can be my champion. A wonderful gift." She stuttered in his ear.
"Stop now, or our guests will think you are spoiled." Said Boreas, his thoughtful expression dissapearing. "We don't always keep demigods for you. I believe thoose ones will be good with all the statues here."
Piper yelped and Hedge glared at Boreas.
"You mean they are demigods?" She squealed, pointing to the ice statues. The king nodded.
Percy shievered and electrecity coursed through his body, shocking Chione and sending her ten meters away, where she landed on her butt. She stood up, furious, and glared murderously at him. Zetes's eyes widened and the king laughed.
"Good one." He said, claping his hands. "Even if I will have to kill you now-"
"Enough!" Said Percy, and thunder boomed so loud that some pieces of ice fell on the grounds while the room was shaken. It was his fault if they ended up like toys to the children of Boreas, and he wasn't going to allow it.
"Enough." He repeated. "We are on a quest for Zeus himself, you will not kill us or make us stay, unless you want the king of the gods to come here and kick your ass."
Boreas seemed taken a back by this, and he lost his smile. He was staring at Percy.
"You are a son of Zeus? Well, the king of the gods is in a weak state. He is not interested in your fate. You think you could get away with such an excuse?" He said, in a strange tone.
Percy panicked. He didn't know what to do. Using his powers wasn't tiring him, but he couldn't battle three immortals, son of Zeus or not. He uncaped his pen, while Gleeson was waiting for the signal to attack, and Piper took out her dagger. At the same moment, Cal errupted in the throne room, his clothes smoking.
"Bad dragon!" He yelled.
Before any of them could move, the roof exploded, and the room heated up.
It was Festus.
Percy was never so happy to see somebody. The dragon lunged toward them and a torrent of fire came out of his mouth, melting the statues and the grounds. Festus sent the children of Boreas flying away with a hit of his tail, and Boreas himself backed off, stunned.
"Get on him!" Yelled Percy. Piper didn't wait long, but he had to drag the satyr to stop him from attacking the stunned god. Percy summoned the winds, and they were all sent on the dragon's back. Immediatly, Festus spread his wings and flew as fast as possible. The winds were so strong that Percy used his powers to not fall. They flew for more than half an hour, until Festus slowed down and landed on the snow.
"I don't think they will invite us for Christmas." Said Piper.
"What do we do now? We don't know where Eole is!" Said Percy. Gleeson didn't seem bothered, and after chewing his bat, he looked at them calmly.
"It's clear. We need another source of informations." He simply said. Percy felt his hope rise a little.
"Is there another?" He asked. Gleeson scratched his chin.
"I think there was a guy...um...Nero...something like that...I don't really remember...I think he is a son of Oceanos. Anyway, he knows alot. If we find him, he might tell us. He lives somewhere in...umm... Florida." He said.
"What!?"
Percy holded his head with both hands.
"We're in deep shit." He muttered.
- Piper -
Piper was anxious. Until now they didn't follow the plan at all. After Festus landed in the snow, exhausted, they had to rest. Fortunnaly, there was an empty cave close to them. They entered the shelter, with Festus occuping half of the place.
She openned her bag and took out a cover, and wraped herself around it. She was still freezing. Gleeson didn't seem to be affected, maybe beceause half of his body was covered with thick goat fur.
"I am gonna be guarding, kids." He said. "S-s-sure, g-go ahead." Replied Piper, her voice trembling.
Percy sat next to her.
"Do you want to...?" He said. Piper shievered and nodded. He wrapped his arms around her, and she felt a relief that had nothing to do with the warmth.
"Uh...so, we're going to Florida?" She said, coughing.
"Yeah. I think you catched cold." He replied. Piper shook her head.
"No, I am fine. You'd better be worried for Festus." She said. Percy looked at the dragon.
"I hope he recovers early." He said. Piper nodded, and her stomach growled, very loud. She was so embarassed that she wanted to dissapear. Fortunnaly, Percy laughed.
"I think we have somme food. Here." He said, looking in his bag, and taking out a plastic horn.
"What's that?" Asked Piper.
"There are a lot in the dinning pavillon. I think this one generates-" but before he could finish, a large sandwich got out of it and landed on Piper's lap.
"Now that's what I call magic." She said, grabbing it. It was peanutt butter sandwich. Another sandwich got out and Percy took it.
"Hey, Mr Hedge! You want to eat something?" Said Percy. The satyr sniffed and shook his head.
"Not now." He replied. Percy rised his shoulders and they both started eating.
"How long will we stay here?" Said Piper.
"Until Festus can fly. Wanna eat sopething bud?" He said, tapping the dragon's head. Festus looked at them, while Percy took the horn. A meat sandwich got out of it.
"Ugh..." Moaned Piper. "I hate the smell of meat."
Percy smiled and Festus swallowed it with one bite.
"Rest, Piper. We have a long trip ahead." He said, while she finished her sandwich. Piper rolled her eyes, and she closed her eyes. Not much time passed until she fell asleep.
She dreamed of her last vacation with her dad. It was one of the rare times she got to spend time with him. They were talking about all the greek myths he studied lately.
"I always thought greeks and chereokees were alike." He said.
"You don't believe in their tales?" Asked Piper. Her dad laughed.
"No, if I did, I would spend my life looking for a responsible." He replied.
Piper looked at the sky and asked her dad about her mom.
"Your mother left me a few days after you were born, Piper." He replied. "I don't often think about her Piper, but when I do, I wonder if she is happy now."
She stared at her dad and she heard a voice calling her.
"...iper! Wake up!"
She openned her eyes. She wasn't on the beach anymore, she was now in the cold cavern, in Percy's arms.
"Wake up, sleeping beauty." He said.
"Don't call me that...how much time did I sleep?" She asked.
"A few hours. We will leave now, we have to reach Florida as fast as possible." He replied. She nodded and they got up. Percy was the first to get on the dragon's back, and Piper sat after him, with Hedge at last. Festus walked out of the cavern. The land ahead was completely white, and it was still snowing.
Percy muttered something in Festus's ear, and he immediatly spread his wings, lifting them high in the sky.
"What's the plan now?" Asked Piper.
"We find that Nero guy, he tells us where is Eole, we go to Eole's palace and we give him the storm spirits we catched on the way, and after he told us where to find the bolt, we go look for it." Replied Percy.
"And you are sure about it?" She asked.
"It's all we have." Said Percy quietly.
The snow was still falling, and Piper was freezing. They flew for several hours, until the sun started setting. As it was getting darker, the winds became stronger, until Piper could no longer feel her feet feet.
"C-c-can you u-use the winds to protect us?" She asked Percy.
" Maybe." He replied. Immediatly, the air became softer, and the winds died down.
"Thanks." She coughed. Percy turned and looked at her.
"I think you're ill." He said. "There is ambrosia in my bag. Take a bit." She tried to thank him again, but she could only cough. She openned his bag and took out one of the little pieces of cake in a pocket. The taste reminded her of the soup her dad used to make her when she was sick. She immediatly felt her throat stop paining her, and she could breath normally again.
"It's better." She said. Percy smiled at her, and she felt a warm sensation in her stomach.
"Good, beceause we'll need all your capacities in this quest." He replied.
"LOOK!" Yelled Mr Hedge. "There! Infront of you! There is the little bastard!"
"What is it?" Asked Percy, alarmed.
"A storm spirit!" Yelled back the satyr. "Right there! Careful! I don't think he saw us."
Piper raised her head and looked at the direction Gleeson was pointing at. There was indeed a grey smoke horse, flying before them.
"Let's follow it!" She muttered.
"Why?" Asked Percy.
"Beceause we have to give Eole some, right?" She replied. "Then, why not get it first?"
"I hope you're right." He mumbled. "Hey Festus, follow the grey thing, but don't approach too much."
The dragon sped up and changed direction to follow the storm spirit.
Piper didn't know how much time did they follow it, but she was now ready to throw up. The storm spirit always changed direction, and Festus did as well. It reminded her of the school trip she went to two years ago. She threw up on her math teacher that day, and she didn't want to vomite on Percy, in mid air.
"Where is he going like that?" She heard Percy say. Piper felt the sensation in her stomach, and she gripped Percy's shoulder, trying to focuse on something else.
"Ouch! Piper?" He yelped. Piper didn't answer and she closed her eyes, burrying her face in Percy's back.
She blacked out, and when she openned her eyes again, she wasn't on Festus's back anymore. She was in a empty shopping center.
"Um...Hello?" She said.
"Oh darling! Here you are!" Said a feminine voice. Piper turned and felt her breath cut. Before her stood the most beautiful women she ever saw. Her face seemed to always change, as if her beauty increased at each second. Everything in her aspect, from the slight make up to the way she standed, seemed made to make Piper feel like a troll.
"Uhh...who are you?" She managed to say. The women laughed, and stared at her. The woman's eyes changed color, and became blue white, like Percy's.
"Why, I am your mother, Piper!" She said, gigling. Piper blinked.
"You are Aphrodite." Said Piper. "Where are we? And what am I doing here...?"
"Oh, Piper, Piper, Piper..." Said Aphrodite. "Look at you! You've became such a beatiful girl. We are in one of your dreams. Follow me darling, I will try to answer most of your questions."
She walked up the stairs and entered a clothes shop. "Come in!" Piper heard her say. She followed her mother and entered the shop. Aphrodite was sitting before a mirror, a small table in front of her.
"Sit next to me, I have something to tell you."
Piper walked to her mother and sat in the little chair, awaiting. Aphrodite leaned and took her hand.
"Piper, you and your friends are going into a dangerous quest. Do you know why?" She said.
"Well, Zeus's masterblot have been stolen, so we will bring it back to prevent a war of the gods." Replied Piper.
"Half of the truth, Piper." Said Aphrodite. "Zeus is worried. The gods are aweakened by so much centuries of lazyness."
It took Piper some time to understand what her mother said.
"We are not ready for a war. Olympus will be torn apart." She continued. "Oh! One more thing, Piper. Someone will claim to help you, but don't trust her. If you fail, it will be beceause of her." Aphrodite said, while her image flinched. "You are awaking. Now I must leave but something tells me that the fates have much worse to show us. Be brave Piper, you have many adventures ahead." She said, while she was dissapearing. As Piper watched her, she remembered that she had the goddess of love infront of her.
"Wait! Tell me what are Percy's feeling toward me!" She said, and immediatly felt like a complete idiot. The goddess laughed and the dream faded.
Piper woke up on Festus's back. They were still following the storm spirit, and her urge to throw up didn't get any better. Piper thought about her dream. She didn't want to tell the others; they didn't need anymore pressure. A short time after she woke up, Festus lunged, and a large range of high buildings could be seen, and behind them, a snow covered town. "That's Chicago, kids." Said Hedge.
The storm spirit turned one more time, and entered a building, breaking a window in the process.
"It entered that building!" Exclaimed Hedge, pointing at the place with his bat.
"Okay, we're gonna land." Said Percy. They flew around until they found a large place in a park, and Festus landed.
Percy jumped on the grounds and turned to Festus.
"Look, whenver you hear thunder, you come to get us, okay?" He said."Oh, and don't burn or eat people." He quickly added. Festus blinked, and they walked to the building's entrance.
"What do you think we'll find there." Wondered Piper.
"Storm spirits, I guess." Replied Percy. The building was an abondonned hotel. The sign read 'The King's Hotel'. The front door was locked with chains, and a 'Do not enter.' sign was lying on the grounds.
Percy uncaped his pen, ready to cut the chains, but Hedge was faster. A few blows his bat, and the doors weren't there anymore. The hallaway was empty, with pieces of furnitures lying on the grounds.
"Where do we go now?" Asked Piper.
"We take the stairs." Replied Percy. Piper looked at the wooden stairs.
"I am pretty sure they'll break under the weight." She said. "And we'll fall in a monster nest or something."
"Yep." Said Hedge. "I can't wait for a fight."
Percy ignored both and started climbing the stairs. Surprisingly, they supported.
"Follow me." He said, his pen in hand. They climbed the stairs, which leaded them to the first floor. When she saw it, Piper was pretty stunned. It was completely clean and reminded her of the four stars hotels her dad took her to. They walked carefully, openning doors and checking inside. Piper was holding her dagger. She expected the monster they saw earlier to come out at any moment. Percy openned the last door and called them: "It's clean her!" He said, entering. Piper and the satyr followed him. The suit was perfect: giant TV, couch, large windows leading to a balcony, just like Boreas'. The door suddenly closed, and Piper immediatly raised her dagger. It was a chance, beceause a blade met her weapon and she backed off. A teenage girl stood there. She had dark hair and stormy grey eyes. Somehow, she reminded Piper of Annabeth.
"Who are you?" Said Percy, pointing at her with his sword. The girl didn't look at him, she was still staring at Piper.
"Who are you!" She replied, glaring at the three of them. "You just entered my house, and you ask me who am I?!"
"Guys, she's right." Said Piper. "I am Piper, this is Percy and Hedge. We are on a quet and maybe you can help us."
Percy nodded and capped his pen, raising his hands in surrender, while Hedge lifted his weapon and yelled "Die!"
"Mr Hedge, please." Pleaded Piper. The satyr, lowered his bat, but he was still looking at the stranger with a furious look.
"Thank you." Replied the girl coldly. "Will you leave now? I am not interested in quests, and I have other buisness to do." She said, pointing to the door with her sword.
"Wait!" Said Percy. "Do you know where we can find storm spirits, or Eole, the wind God?"
The girl eyed him warily, as if he was a math problem, and stayed in silent for a few minutes.
"Yes, I recently visited Eole and I know where his palace currently is." She replied carefully. Percy raised his eyebrows.
"Seriously? Can you please tell us, then?" He asked. The girl chuckled.
"You know what? I think I will help you on this one, follow me, I have a map that could help you. I am Samantha by the way." She said, lowering her openned a trapopenned door that none of them noticed beofore, and she jumped in. Hedge jumped after her, and as Percy was about to follow, Piper gripped his arm. "Aren't you doubtful?" She muttered. "She doesn't want to help us, and just when you tell her we're looking for Eole, she changes her mind."
"I don't know Piper, but it could be a great adventage." He responded. Piper hesitated the followed him. The place was much larger than Piper thought. There were tons of armors, weapons and objects that had no relation to greek mythology: a few camping tents, many broken televisions, a large mirror, and on a high chair, a red lipstick, glowing in the darkness of the room
"That's a hide out. I usually store everything here. Look for a golden bag. It should be somewhere here..." She said. Percy looked around and started searching. Piper approached the wall before her. There was a weird sign on it. Like the delta letter.
"There is it!" Said Hedge. Piper looked at him. He was indeed holding a golden bag. Percy walked to him and took the bag, examinating it.
"Darn, we can't thank you enough, Sa-" Started Piper, but she stopped when she saw that Samantha wasn't here anymore.
"Where is she...?" Asked Percy. Immediatly, the door closed shut, and the room started trembling.
"What the hell is hapenning?!" Yelled Percy as the grounds openned. Piper tried to take a hold on something, but she wasn fast enough. She fell in the hole, hearing Mr Hedge cursing.
- Percy -
When Percy openned his eyes, he felt a lancing pain in his ankles. He had landed on something hard. He looked up, and he saw that he landed next to Piper, on the grounds. She groaned and openned her eyes. Percy got up and cleaned the dirt off his clothes."Um...Where is Mr Hedge?" He said in a rasp voice, then he cleared his throat.
"I don't know.." She replied. "I am here kids." Shouted the satyr's voice. Percy looked around and saw him aproaching, dragging his baseball batt.
"Are you finnally awake?" He groaned. Percy flinched.
"What do you mean?" He asked.
"It has been some time since we fell here. I told you we had to kill her!" Said the satyr furiously. Piper sighed, and Percy blinked.
"Where are we?" He asked.
"I don't really know, but we'd better go look for an exit." Replied Hedge. Percy nodded and helped Piper get up.
"God knows how puch time we're loosing...maybe I can fly us out?" He suggested.
"Give it a try."Said Piper. Percy concentrated, and jumped. Immediatly, the air lifted him higher. He flew higher carefully, and he stopped at the roof. There was absoluetly no hole or exit from there. Percy looked at the horizon and almost fell; there was a simply huge deadalus of paths; even from up there, Percy couldn't see an exit.
He came back to the grounds and shook his head. "There isn't any exit. And...I think we fell in a labyrinth." He said. Piper's eyes widened and They walked ahead of them, and after a few minutes, the got to an intersection.
"Left or right?" Said Percy. Hedge raised his shoulders.
"I suggest we go right. I have a bad feeling about the left one." He said.
"I suppose you're right." Joked Percy. "We can't be sure about it, it's just luck."
"Then let's go." Said Piper. Hedge took the right path, and they followed him. After having walked a short distance, Percy noticed that there was mist clouding his vision. He waved his hand to make the winds clear it off. A strong wind blew, but the mist was still there.
"Why don't we get back." He said. Piper nodded, and took a few steps to the direction they came , the grounds openned and Percy catched her arm. A second late and she would have fallen.
"What the fuck!" She yelled. He pulled her back, and he looked at the crack on the grounds.
"I think we should keep going." He said. They walked in the mist, carefull for more traps, until a loud sceam was heard.
"What was that?" Muttered Percy. A terrible growl followed the scream, and without thinking, they ran as fast as possible, dragging Hedge who was screaming "I'll kill it! Don't worry!", but they didn't get far. Almost immediatly, Percy entered in collision with a wall of fur. He backed off, and saw the monster before him. It was a hound. A big one. Percy looked at Piper, and even Hedge was stunned. The monster had the size of a truck, and enormous fangs.
Percy uncapped his pen, and as he was about to hit the beast, it dissapeared.
"What was that?" Murmured Piper.
"A hellhound." Replied Hedge. "I never saw such a big one. We'd better hurry up, we're loosing time here."
Percy nodded and they kept on going, weapons out. After some time, they got to another intersection.
"Left." Declared Piper, and none of them argued. As they walked, Percy had the bad feeling that they were lost in the maze. Shortly after choosing the left, they heard another growl.
"Uh... shit." Muttered Percy, having no intention of meeting the hellhound again. He raised his sword, ready to attack. A massive palm knocked his sword out of his hands, and the hellhound was before them again, growling. Hedge yelled "Die!" and runned to the beast, but with one hit, he was sent on the grounds, knocked out.
Piper looked at Percy with fear. Percy, desperated, concentrated and sumonned thunder. As shocking as it seemed, a loud sound was heard, and the place's temperature fell. Percy looked up and realized what he did. The place must had a really high roof, beceause Percy created thunder clouds at this height. He didn't wait long, raising his hand and catching the lightning that fell down, just as he did when he fought Clarisse. The object in his hand was radiating energy, and Percy somehow preferred it to his sword. The hellhound growled and jumped, just when Percy threw his bolt. The monster dissapeared in dust at the contact, but it was a short victory. Many roars , similar to the hound's, were heard. Percy held Hedge's right arm, and he yelled at Piper. "Run!"
He tried to run as fast as he could with Hedge's weight, but he was too slow. Piper had to stop many time and await for him. Suddenly, a massive hellhound jumped on them and they were all sent on the grounds. Percy rolled aside, and got up. His thunder clouds disapeared. He looked at Piper; she had a large cut on her forearm. The hellhound growled, and Percy reported his attention to the beast. With no weapon, he jumped on the monster.
The idea of fighting a rhino-sized hound with his bare hands was so ridicoulous that even the hound was stunned. Percy sumonned the winds and jumped out of its reach. He tried to summon more thunder, but he wasn't concentrated enough. He landed on the grounds, and the hound jumped on him, crushing him under the weight. He heard Piper scream his name, and he thought about how stupid it would be to die and let her deal with the beast. Something inside Percy snapped, and he felt an wave of adrenaline. With all his might, he tried to get rid of the hellhound that was preventing him from getting up, and hit the beast with his free foot. Surprisingly, the monster was sent crashing on the wall ahead. The stone cracked, and the monster fell on the grounds. The hellhound got up and shook its head. Percy was so surprised that he dodged the claws at the last moment. Following his instinct, he sent a punch the hellhound's massive head. A large bloody tooth fell on the grounds. Percy didn't wait, he punched again. The hellhoud yelped in pain and backed off, then it dissapeared. Percy looked at Piper. Thankfully, she was alright except for her little wound.
"You know what..." She said slowly. "I'll call you Hercules from now."
"Hahaha, verry funny." He replied. "Are you okay? Is Hedge okay?"
"Well, I am fine." She said. "And I think he's just knocked out. Nothing bad. But I don't think you are. Let me see your hands."
A/N: Phew! Done. There is your gift for Christmas: extra long chapter! Did you like/hate it? Review your opinion! And no, I will not make them go through the event of the lost hero. At all. I just used the part of the wind gods. I am sorry to tell you that the next udpate will be pretty late, so please be patient, beceause I won't abondonn the stoy. It will be finished. Thanks for reading, DO NOT WORRY IF I AM TOO LATE, THE STORY WILL BE FINISHED!
TNM®
