Sorry to leave the last chapter in such a cliff-hanger. The chapter was getting to long, so I needed to end it, and if I left it in a cliff-hanger you would keep reading it even though I am a terrible writer. So here is Chapter 6.
I woke up on my back, and instantly knew something was wrong. I couldn't move my arms or legs, and it took me a moment to notice I was tied to a bed. I felt nauseous, and I thought I must have been hit really hard because it seemed like the room was rocking until I discovered that it actually was.
It wasn't rocking the same way a boat would, but more like a train. I twisted my head, and saw a window just in my line of view. The train must have been on a raised railway because I could see the tops of trees go by at an astonishing pace.
I looked around the room, and thought that it must have been one of those private rooms you could rent on a train. It was painfully small, and the bad I was tied to was set in a small alcove because the rest of the room was to small to comfortably hold it. Directly beneath the window was a small, uncomfortable-looking chair, and directly across from me was a small cabinet.
I struggled against the ropes, but it was futile. Whoever had tied them was an expert. I looked around the room again, but didn't see any thing I could use to cut the ropes within reaching distance. I figured that Katy and Malcolm were being kept in a different room, probably the next one over. I decided to find out.
I twisted my body, and lurched my body, hitting the wall. /i did it again, hoping to get some reaction from whoever was in the other room. I didn't get anything.
I sighed and looked around the room again. I was startled when I saw a girl standing in the middle of the room now, because I didn't hear her come in. She was smirking at me, and I recognized her as the same girl who I had seen in my last moment of consciousness on the train platform. She had long, chocolate brown hair, and startling green eyes. Her complexion was perfect with high cheekbones, and bright vibrant skin. She had a timeless look about her, as if she never aged. Little did I know, but I had just met my first goddess.
"Who are you? Let me out?" I shouted at her.
"Yeah, I don't think so. My boss wants demigods alive. And if you don't cooperate, well lets just say that triclops love eating demigods," she pulled a knife from her belt, and I recognized it as mine. They must have taken all my weapons when I was unconscious.
Or so they thought. They didn't know my necklace was a weapon. She juggled the knife, and tossed it from hand to hand.
"We'll be in California in an hour. Eris wants to see you."
Anger swelled in me, "You work for Eris? She's a traitor! How could you work for her?"
The girl smiled at me, "Easy. She promised me a better place among the gods. I would be stupid to turn that down."
"Wait, you're a god?"
The girl looked hurt. "No, goddess," she corrected.
"Who?"
"Can't you you tell?"
"No," I said blatantly.
The girl sneered at me and said, "I'm Hebe. Goddess of youth, stupid."
"Oh."
"And when Eris helps overthrow the gods, I will hold a better place on Mt. Olympus. I have almost no power right now. The good thing is that I look permanently young."
"Kronos lied to you. After he defeats the Olympians, he will kill you, too. He's just manipulating you to get you on his side."
Hebe looked at me curiously. "You think I'm working for Kronos."
"You aren't?"
"Well, not directly. I believe Eris is, and I'm working for her, but if Kronos asked me to help him directly, I would probably say no."
My head was spinning, but I managed to keep from throwing up. Since I was lying down, it probably wouldn't have been pretty. I struggled some more against the ropes, and Hebe laughed at my fruitless attempt to get free.
"You won't get out. Danny is amazing at tying knots. Just sit tight, and we'll be in California soon." Hebe crossed the room, and sat down on the small chair, not paying any attention to me. After about ten minutes, her head nodded sleepily, and it fell to her chest. She was in a deep sleep.
I wondered if I could activate my bow and arrows without touching the necklace. I focused all my thoughts on the bronze charm, projecting all my will-power towards my chest. Nothing happened. I relaxed, disappointed, and that's when I realized I was touching it. The necklace was under my shirt, resting against my chest. I breathed deeply, and I felt the charm grow warm.
My shirt ripped open, and the bow grew too full size. I felt the strap cross my chest, and I wondered how my arrows were going to appear, since I was lying on my back, but they appeared nonetheless, across the front of my chest. My hands weren't tied down, only my upper arms. I bent my arm at the elbow, and stretched for the arrows. My finger tips were just able to reach one of the arrow feathers, and I slowly wriggled it out.
As I pulled it out more, I was able to get a better grip on the shaft, until I was holding it just below the razor sharp, double-edged head. I tried to cut the ropes holding my upper arm, but I soon found out that wasn't going to work. Since I was holding the arrow below the head, it wouldn't reach the rope. I slid my hand up the shaft, until I was holding it below the feathers. This way the arrow head could reach the arrow bounding my right arm. I sawed back and forth with the serrated edge of the arrow head. It took me ten minutes, but the rope snapped.
I was free! I sat up, and quickly untied the rope bounding my legs. I rubbed the circulation back into my legs, and looked around the room. Hebe was still asleep in her chair. I picked up the uncut rope, and softly slipped off the bed. I took a few tentative steps, and almost tripped, because my legs were still half asleep. The chair Hebe was asleep in was less then two steps away, and I silently approached.
I slipped the rope around Hebe's shoulders, praying that she wouldn't wake up. I quickly tied her to the back of the chair, and pulled the rope tight. I hoped she wasn't a powerful enough goddess to just snap and the ropes would magically untie themselves.
I started to the door, but a sudden thought stopped me. Hebe still had the dagger Kevin gave me. We had become really good friends since the little skirmish in the woods. He taught me knife fighting, and pretty soon, I was one of the best. The only two people in camp who could best me at a knife on knife fight were Annabeth and Kevin.
I turned around, and walked back across the room to where Hebe was still tied up and asleep. I lifted up her shirt and saw my knife and sheath belted to her side. I slowly slipped the knife from her side, leaving the sheath. I had already decided the sheath was a lost cause, and was fully prepared to leave it.
I turned and stalked silently to the other side of the room, my feet making no noise on the carpeted floor. I tried the door, and was disappointed to find it locked. I looked around the room hoping to find something to pick the lock with. I hoped my backpack was stashed in this room because I had a set of skeleton keys in the front of the pocket. The only thing I spotted was the window.
No way. I thought to myself. There was no way I was going to climb out the window. I crossed the room and inspected the latch of the window. It was unlocked. I saw a couple problems with exiting the room via the window. For one thing, Hebe was asleep in a chair directly beneath it, and was sure to wake up if I tried to climb on top of her to get out. And I would have to climb on top of the roof of a moving train, work my way to a door where I could enter, and then find my friends.
I looked at Hebe, wondering how sound a sleeper she was, when another thought occurred to me. Kevin had loaded my sheath of arrows for me before we left on the quest. I know Kevin had a thing for "special" arrows. I swung my sheath off of my shoulder, and rummaged around in it, looking for an arrow with a purple shaft.
"Yes," I whispered quietly as I pulled one out. There were two in there, and I was lucky I hadn't already fired them. I looked at Hebe, glad that the sleep serum in the arrow head was said to even work against gods. I reached forward, ad pricked Hebe's arm with the point. Hebe's eyes flew open, and a single drop of ichor welled from the cut.
She looked at me in surprise, "What have you done?" She looked at her arm, and her eyes started to droop. "Feeling sleepy," she murmured, and fell into a silent slumber.
I pushed her chair out from under the window, and threw it open. I leaned out, and looked down. That was the wrong move. The train was on an elevated bridge that was higher than the palm tree forest we were passing over top of. The wind whipped my hair, and bits of dirt stung my eyes. I checked the strap to my sheath, making sure that it was secure. It also gave me time to build up my courage.
I sighed, swung my leg so that I was straddling the window, and leaned out further. I tried not to think what it would feel like to hit the ground almost forty feet below me. It probably wouldn't feel to good. I looked up to the top of the train looking for some sort of handhold, and was surprised to see the roof was in reaching distance from the window. I let go of the window with my right hand, and reached up, grasping for the roof. My hand disappeared over the top, and I found something to grip on to.
I pulled myself the rest of the way out of the window, and I found myself dangling by one hand from the roof. I slowly pulled myself the rest of the way up, until I was crouched on the roof. The wind was even worse on the roof, and I was almost thrown off. I crawled to the other end of the train car, and stuck my head over the edge. Directly below me a door led into the train car I just escaped from. If I wanted to find my friends, they would most likely be in there. I swung my legs over the edge, and landed ungracefully on the platform outside of the door.
I checked the door, and was delighted to find it unlocked. I slowly opened the door, and found myself in a long narrow hallway that stretched the length of the car. I figured I had been locked in the room three doors down from where I was now. I approached the first door, an arrow ready on my bow. I lightly knocked, and someone shuffled around inside. The door opened a crack, and I wasn't surprised to see the same demigod from the train platform.
He looked at me in astonishment and said smartly, "What the he . . .?" That was all he got out before I kicked the door open, and he was thrown back. I burst into a similar room as the one I had been trapped in. I looked around the room and saw Katy tied to the bed. She looked at me in surprise.
"Collin! How did you get out?"
"No time," I said. I aimed my arrow at the boy on the floor. "Where's Malcolm?"
The boy on the floor backed up a little, "If you're talking about the other kid we took, he's in the next room over. Please don't shoot me."
I looked over at Katy, "What do you say? Do we kill him?"
Katy twisted, struggling against her bonds, until she was facing him. "You work for Kronos, one of the worst villains in history. Give us one reason why we shouldn't kill you."
The boy looked terrified.
Katy sighed, "Lucky for you we're not like Kronos. We won't kill you." Katy relaxed on the bed, and looked at me.
I drew my knife and stepped closer to the boy.
"Wait, I thought you said you weren't going to kill me!"
I smiled at him, "I don't plan too."
I brought the pommel down on the boy's head, and he slumped to the ground. I nudged him with my foot, and crossed to the bed. I sawed through Katy's ropes with ease, and helped her up.
"Thanks," she said rubbing the feeling back into her wrists, "Lets go find Malcolm."
I stuck my head out the door, and looked down the hall. Instantly I ducked back in, dragging Katy with me. I shut and locked the door, but I doubted it would keep out a goddess. I saw her come out of the room that I had originally been trapped in.
"What is it?" Katy asked urgently.
"Hebe. She is down the hall."
Katy looked depressed, "She's still here? She visited me about an hour ago. I thought she left the train."
"How do we get out here. There is a goddess, and sure she may be a minor one, but she still has some power."
Katy's face brightened as if a thought had just occurred to her.
"You keep her distracted, and I will go get Malcolm. Hebe isn't the most powerful goddess; you can probably take her in a fight."
Probably didn't sound to good to me, but I really didn't care. She had ambushed me from behind, and she was going to get it.
"Stay behind me," I told Katy, "On my mark, five, four, GO!"
I burst out the door, knife in hand, and lunged at Hebe. Her eyes widened is surprise, and she held up her hands in defense. I slammed into her, knocking her to the ground. We rolled on the ground for a couple moments before I came up on top. I kneed her in the gut, but she placed her feet in my stomach, and lashed out. I flew back into the wall of the train, and I tasted blood. Hebe leaped nimbly to her feet. I jumped forward and swung my knife, making contact with her right arm. She screamed and clutched her arm, golden ichor spilling out of the cut. She looked at me with hatred in her eyes.
She spun around, swinging her foot, and catching me in the stomach. I slammed into the wall and lost my breath. I stood gasping for a second, trying to get my breath. Hebe reared back to punch, but I got my breath back just in time. I ducked, and Hebe punched the wall,making a dent in it.
"Ow!" she pulled back her hand, and looked at one of her fingers, "I think you broke my finger."
"I'm not the one who punched the wall," I pointed out, and lashed out with my dagger. I buried the blade hilt deep in her stomach, and she crumpled to the ground. I yanked back the dagger, and a spurt of golden ichor shot out of the wound. Hebe groaned, holding her stomach.
"Good job Collin!"
I turned around and saw Katy and Malcolm leaning on the train wall. Malcolm was clapping.
"How long have you two been standing there?" I asked.
Malcolm pretended to look at his watch, and Katy laughed.
"Long enough to help you, but decided not to," Malcolm said.
"Well, lets go," I said.
We started down the train hall, but I stopped, "This train is going to California, right?"
Malcolm looked confused, but Katy said, "Yeah. The demigod you hit on the head, I think his name was Danny, told me that Eris wanted to see us."
Malcolm still looked confused, "What are you guys talking about?"
I ignored him, and started wiping my dagger off on my shirt. It was still covered in ichor, and it reminded me of something.
Malcolm do you still have your throwing knives and sword?" I asked him.
He looked at me like I was stupid. "Yes, they decided to let me keep my arsenal of super dangerous weapons that I could use to get free and kill them. No I don't have them."
I looked at Katy, "You?"
She put her hands on her hips, "What do you think?"
"All right; all right," I said, "We need to find your weapons before we find a place to hide."
Katy thought for a second, "Lets try in the rooms we were locked up in. They'll probably be in your room Collin, because you got stuck with the goddess."
Malcolm looked even more confused, "Wait, wait, wait. A goddess? Which one? Was it Eris?"
I snorted, "No, not even close. It was Hebe," I said, and then changed to a falsetto tone, "Goddess of youth, stupid."
Me and Katy laughed. It felt good to be together again, but I knew that at any moment one of us could be killed. Gone just like that. Eaten. Stabbed. The possibilities were endless. We approached the third room, the one where I was kept, and silently opened the door. I noticed Hebe was still lying on floor, groaning. Golden ichor stained the floor, and moved back and forth with the motion of the train.
I stepped away from the puddle, and entered the room. Katy and Malcolm followed behind me. I crossed to the bed and looked underneath but found nothing.
"Nothing," I called.
Katy was searching through one of the drawers, but came up with nothing, "Me neither."
Malcolm was still rummaging through one of the other drawers, and I could tell he found something.
"What ya got there, Malcolm?"
Malcolm muttered something to himself, and started pulling a large duffel bag out of it. He yanked it the rest of the way out, and I noticed it was the one that Malcolm carried his sword in. He tossed it on the floor, and sat down next to it. He quickly unzipped it, and gasped in delight. Me and Katy sat down on the other side of the duffel.
I looked in, and was surprised and delighted to find all our gear stuffed in it. There was Katy's dagger, and Malcolm's throwing knives. There was the hundred dollars, and bag of golden drachmas the camp store gave us. Even Malcolm's large sword was still in there. Malcolm pulled out the throwing knives, and began arranging them in all there hiding places in his clothing. Katy pulled out her dagger and put it in its special sheath in her right sleeve.
"Lets go," said Malcolm hefting the bag to his shoulder. We left the room, and started down the hall, but I noticed something wrong. Hebe wasn't on the floor in front of the room anymore. Only the golden ichor was left behind, looking like a pool of molten gold on the floor.
"Ummm, where's Hebe," I said looking around.
Katy and Malcolm looked nervous, and glanced up and down the hall.
"I don't know," said Katy
"Lets get out of here before she shows up," Malcolm said looking around the train worried.
I snuck up on him, and grabbed him from behind, "Got ya!" I shouted in his ear.
Malcolm nearly jumped through the train roof, he was so scared.
He turned to me and hissed, "Don't do that."
I laughed and Katy rolled her eyes. We started down the train hall again, being more careful this time. The only sound was the rumbling of the train, and I thought it was weird that no one had come out of their cabins when Hebe yelled in pain. I worried that she did something to all the mortals, but our first priority was to find a place to hide.
We opened the door too switch cars, but fist we had to make our way across the narrow ledge that connected the two cars. There was no railing which I thought was a little weird. We edged across, the wind grabbing at our clothes trying to tear us off the train. We opened the door into a completely different car than the last one. This one was stacked high with luggage, and was dimly lit. It was icy cold, and I shivered, crossing my arms to keep in the warmth.
Katy looked around the room and said, "This looks like a good place to stay. We can hide in the luggage."
We made for a pile bigger than the rest, and dug our way into it, dragging more luggage to block the hole. It was a lot warmer in there, and we settled down for the night. We were exhausted, and it seemed a great place to hide. No one would find us in here.
