The next morning I woke up to the sound of my alarm, I rolled out of bed and walked to Thomas' bathroom. After showering I went and woke Thomas up. "Thomas,' I said softly, 'you need to get up. We have a quest to go on."
I was sitting on the side off the bed with my hand on his back, he groaned as he stirred under the sheets. "Thomas," I whispered again. I felt his hand grip my arm as he flipped me over him and pulled me to him, "Can't now, need more sleep, five more minutes." he mumbled. I laughed as I cuddled into him.
"Okay, five more minutes." I said.
After five minutes had passed he got up and showered. As I made breakfast Thomas walked into the kitchen, I turned to face him I saw him standing in front of me in just his towel. His muscles, though I had seen them before still left me speechless. Noticing my gawking Thomas said, "Come on you've seen it before." He said with a smirk.
"I will gawk at my boyfriend whenever I want to." I replied.
He walked over to me and pulled me to him and said, "You can gawk at your boyfriend as long as I can gawk at my girlfriend."
I kissed him and resumed breakfast. Afterwards we finished getting ready and met Ben, Charlie, Grayson, and Jack at the border. Wilson bounded after us, I had convinced Grayson to let him go with us. "Ready to go? We've got a long ride a head of us." Grayson said as he gestured to what looked like a tour bus. We all nodded as he lead us towards the bus.
When we got on bored the driver didn't look human. Her face was quite beautiful, but the rest of her features were bird like. "Everyone,' Grayson said, "Meet Ella, she's a Harpy."
"I'll be your driver for this quest, which one of you was it given to?" she asked sweetly.
Grayson looked over at me before leading everyone else to the back of the bus. Ella looked at me with a worried expression and said, "Such innocence on the surface but a hurricane underneath. You are part monster, part god are you not?"
"I,' I hesitated, 'I am."
"The oracle told you not to blame yourself, right?" she asked.
I nodded. "Heed her advice. It will be in your best interest."
After she said that I walked back to join the others, the bus widened into almost a hallway with five doors, three on the right, two on the left. Grayson gave one to Jack, one to Charlie, one to Ben, and one for me and Thomas. Keeping one for himself. Thomas and I went into our room and it was quite big for the size of the bus it had a queen size bed, a dresser, and a tv on top of the dresser. After we had settled in our stuff we went back into the hallway. We followed it all the way back to the very back of the bus were a kitchenette and a little living room were located. Jack, Charlie, and Grayson were sitting on the couch while Ben, was raiding the fridge, while Wilson was chasing his tail.
"Can we stop somewhere and get better food?" Ben asked.
"Dude, we just left camp. Are you serious?" Grayson replied.
"I am completely serious, the food on the bus sucks. If we are traveling all the way to California we have to stop and get better food."
"Fine." Grayson said as he threw his hands up.
I laughed as I sat down the couch and Thomas followed. He placed his arm around me as we all watched the Camp Half Blood News. The girl began to speak, "On a mission to bring home missing campers, Daughter of Poseidon, Abby Del Mare was given her first quest yesterday. We asked the camp, some are confident in her natural ability to lead, and birth given talent with a sword. But others are worried her inexperience, and immaturity will make her easily swayed to join Thantos and his ever growing army of…"
Before she finished the sentence Grayson changed the channel and mumbled, "What does Aabriella know anyways."
After about 30 minutes of us just hanging out on the living room area of the bus, Grayson told us that it would take about 20 hours to get to death valley, "What did the oracle say to you Abby?" he asked.
"Daughter of Monster and God, She will lead 5 to the Valley of Death, Four will return the way that they left. Heartbreak will fuel her victory. One shall spend their days in Tartarus for her theft." I said.
"Does….does that mean one of us is gonna die?" Jack asked.
Charlie put his arm around her and pulled her to him, "It doesn't mean one of us is gonna die,' he said, 'but one of us could be really injured. We knew what we were signing up or when we agreed to join her on this quest. We're half bloods, danger surrounds us."
"Charlie is right.' Grayson said, 'We agreed to help Abby in anyway possible, if that means stepping in and sacrificing ourself. My dad thinks Abby is the key to this illusive great prophecy, so if she is, we have to protect her."
"I don't want you guys to do that for me, I don't want anyone to have to sacrifice themselves for me." I said.
"Ab,' Thomas said, 'this is your quest and we are all willing to do anything to see you to succeed."
I didn't want to think about any of these people to sacrifice themselves for me, I cared too much about them. But I knew I had to accept whatever happens, the oracle had made that clear.