Chapter 11: Arete - Road-Trippin'


Thursday March 13


The next day was a sparkling clear morning. The storm clouds had parted and the ground began to slowly dry. Arete hoisted a pack over her shoulders. The quest had been given to the Stoll brothers and Clarisse. She wasn't sure who to feel sorrier for. Neither of them seemed happy about the arraignment.

According to Connor, Rachel was 'broken' since there was no actual prophesy but she got the feeling that this particular trio would be needed. Once it looked like there was no getting out of it, Clarisse promptly elected herself team leader. As for Arete, she assumed that Chiron had wanted her to go since the 'block' that Rachel felt was the same as when she was around the Oracle.

They had chosen on taking a Land Rover that had 'shown up' at camp a few weeks back with no serial number or plates. It looked normal from the outside but the panels inside were lined with celestial bronze and had a modified engine courtesy of the Hephaestus cabin. However, since last week Arete had noticed some guys from the Ares cabin tinkering with it so she had no idea what it was fully capable of or if they had turned it into some death trap just for kicks.

Arete threw her bag in the back with everyone else's. Some were skeptical about her leaving on the quest until Rachel's eyes glazed over as she grabbed Arete firmly on the arm and in a man's voice said, 'you must go alone to Percy's aid, for the others will be too late to save him; there you will find the help you need to return the son of Hephaestus and avenge the crimes against the wild. You must go to where the volcano wander.'

No green vapors, mythical voice, or rhyming prophesy. Someone had hijacked the Oracle to tell Arete to go with them. If that wasn't some trap for her to get herself killed she didn't know what was.

They headed west and drove almost nonstop alternating drivers and surviving off fast food and Rockstar drinks. But it was clear all of them would have much rather risked being attacked by monsters.

While all three of them were too stubborn, it was clear they should never be kept in close confinement, ever.

By day one, the radio was broken, aka smashed by Clarisse because Connor wouldn't stop changing stations. That first day is when the tension started. It was that same grim, silent side ways glances sort of uneasiness that tended to happen on and off around Arete. But this time the sideways glances were geared toward the car's side mirrors. She turned to look outside the tinted windows but all she saw was a crowded road of generic sedans, minivans, and big rigs. She didn't see anything out of place, but they obviously did.

On day two they decided on turning against Arete and banded her from touching the steering wheel before she even got the chance. She would have thought that Clarisse would have been her side but that was quickly washed away with a snicker and, 'no chance little girl.' She didn't see how she could do any worse compared to Travis' rally car style, Connor's constant lane changes that made her stomach turn, and Clarisse's road rage that left a trail of stranded drivers with mysteriously popped tires. She took turning signals very seriously.

Day three left Arete's team mates fidgeting constantly, filling the Rover with the constant sound of leather rubbing as they shifted. She wanted to murder them all in cold blood or at the very lest simply just open the door and jump out, freeway be damned. But on that night as she slept she woke from one of her dreamless nightmares waking up paralyzed with fear but no memory of why. Through the darkness she could hear them whisper but stopped Connor shifted whispering for her to go back to sleep with a cell phone in hand. His fingers hid the name of the caller.

They made it to Nevada in four excruciating days before Clarisse insisted on stopping before she killed them out of frustration. Arete half wondered if their impending death was put off because Chris had asked her not to butcher his brothers and sort of sister.

They would have made it faster the way Travis drove but with monsters chasing them and causing road rage on the freeways put them off course a few times. Travis drove into Las Vegas with a wide grin.


Saturday March 15


Travis originally wanted to go to Caesars Palace but Clarisse yank the wheel almost running over a baby blue Prius and ordered him to drive to the Mandalay Bay. Clarisse strutted in the casino with purpose as Arete and the Stoll brothers sat in the lobby with wide eyes.

Arete had no idea why they were there. They were supposed to be in a hurry but the only response she got from them was a distant, "I just need to look into something," from Clarisse. She looked to the Stoll brothers but the looked away busying themselves at peeking over to the gambling hall.

Clarisse came back with two sets of room keys. "Don't ask okay."

Travis grinned wickedly. "No wonder Chris likes you."

Clarisse stared at him for a moment wondering whether to clobber him or take the compliment. "Let's just get your self cleaned up and stay out of trouble."

Clarisse made a bee line to the right elevators. Arete felt lost as she followed. As much as she wanted to explore the area her back ached and an actual bed sounded like heaven.

Clarisse shoved two cards at Connor. "You two have the room next door. We'll have breakfast at the buffet in the hotel tomorrow at seven. You guys don't show up by the time I finish we're leaving without you."

They agreed easily and went into their room. Arete was floored as they entered. It looked like a very tastefully done magazine house. The floor to ceiling windows showed the Vegas with the sun rising high in the morning sky. The room even had its own dining room. The living area had two doors at each side leading to two separate rooms with their own spa bath and king size bed.

"I'm going to take a bath. I don't care what you do just don't get arrested." Clarisse threw her bag on her bed and went off to her bathroom and shut the door.

Arete walked into her own room kicking off her shoes feeling the checkerboard carpet under her feet. An entire wall was just windows that looked out to the strip showing the morning sky slowly spread across the city. The bed was plush with a silky white comforter. Arete leaped onto the bed and bounced a little. She sighed as her body melted into the bed.


She didn't wake until well into the after noon. She ordered room service for a late lunch. She considered knocking on Clarisse's now closed door but thought better of it. Feeling refreshed she paced the room looking out the window watching people walk up and down the strip. She eyed Clarisse's' door and the one leading out to the hall.

She opened the front door quietly and knocked on the one next to theirs where the Stoll brothers were. Not surprised when no one came to the door, she made her way down to the casino and out to the Vegas strip. She wandered to each casino stopping for a drink and eventually stopped at the gardens at the Flamingo. She sat on a lonely part of the garden watching kio swim in the pound and the local flamingos sleep. She let her mind go blank as an odd sensation spread inside of her at the sudden déjà vu.

She sipped her smoothie lost in the moment enjoying a gust of wing until that gust became solid and rammed right into her. Something hard collided to the back of the bench. Arete turned ready to arm herself until a whine and black feathers stopped her. Blackjack, Percy's flying horse, whinnied and stomped the ground.

Arete looked down at her fallen smoothie and back at Blackjack. "Please tell me Percy and the others are nearby."

The horse shook its head and neighed. He got closer and pushed himself closer to Arete urging her to climb on his back.

Arete pushed against the horse's side. "Unless you're walking I'm not going anywhere with you."

Blackjack stomped the floor and huffed looking quite irritated with her. His nostrils flared and looked like he was considering the idea of trampling her.

"Alright, you're here because Percy needs me right?" Arete said trying to steady her voice. "But if I'm going with you I need to tell Clarisse first so they don't waste time looking for me."

Blackjack gave her a hard look but gave a slight nod. Arete climbed on with her hands shaking.

"Walk!" She screamed.

Blackjack took off to a full gallop down the side walk of the Las Vegas Strip. Tourists pointed and took pictures as they raced by. Blackjack sprinted until they reached the Excalibur and nearly ran over a man in a pin stripped suit. Blackjack stopped widening his wings to steady himself as he fell back shielding his face. His coffee colored eyes widen and he muttered something neither of them understood. He pulled out a curved boomerang and Blackjack raised his front hooves just barely missing the man.

"What are you doing? Stop!" Arete yelled pulling on his mane.

Blackjack stopped and continued around the frightened man.

"Sorry, he has a mind of his own!" Arete yelled back as Blackjack galloped straight between the Sphinx's front paws leading into the Luxor darting though unsuspecting taxi drivers and tourists.

Luckily, the doors were already propped open and didn't need to smash through any doors. Guests scattered as they charged in. Percy's insane pegasus continued through the casino not paying any mind to the people that leapt out of the way with poker chips erupting into the air and the occasional demolished suitcase. Clear across the casino they reached the gift shop where the Stoll brothers were looking through the glass windows pointing at a replica of anEgyptian sarcophagus and throne.

Connor's eyes widened as he nearly dropped an excessively long blue glowing drink. "Is Percy here?"

"No, but Blackjack seems to know where." Arete breathed out a bit frightened at the thought of leaving without them.

Travis grabbed Blackjack trying to settle him down as he clomped his hooves impatiently on the floor. "I guess this is where we part ways."

She looked at them with terrified eyes. Travis reached out for her hand with a reassuring smile not saying anything. Connor pulled out a few hundred dollar bills (it looked like they did very well in the casinos) and shoved them into her purse.

"Get out of here quick, well cover for you." Travis said hastily as he nudged Connor.

Several security men were pushing through the crowds that had gathered around them snapping pictures and filming on their cell phones. Apparently the Mist only found it fitting for the tourist to only ignore the wings. Not the desperate girl trying to hold onto an unhinged horse barging in through a casino. Arete nodded unable to say anything. Blackjack, who finally had enough of their stalling, reared and took off. The crowed parted quickly not wanting to be stomped to death by a mad horse.

The same man that Blackjack had nearly kicked stood at the back door looking disheveled. He had the same polished boomerang in his hand. She gripped onto Blackjack's mane as he increased his speed and spread his wind heading straight at the man. She screamed to stop but he ignored her as he ran full speed. The man stood steady but a teenage boy with spiked jet black hair and a deep blue muscle shirt tackled him out of the way as Blackjack smashed into the glass. A magnificent crash resonated as shards sprang into the air.

Blackjack leaped into the air as Arete gripped harder. They quickly gained altitude as the lights of the obelisk in front of the Luxor glowed. She shut her eyes trembling as he flew higher. The sound of the wind filled her ears. She didn't dare open her eyes as the fear of being struck down by Zeus piled on top of her fear of heights.

Arete managed to open her eyes a few times. An endless stretch of desert laid under her, one small town she saw had an overly large sign welcoming people to the city of Hesperia which opened to a large mountain range with a winding highway. A valley with endless scattered houses and buildings made up most of her view. The ride seemed to stretch on for ages and Blackjack flapped his wings keeping up a constant speed. Arete's hands ached but she didn't loosen her grip as Blackjack finally touched down.

They landed on a lonely stretch of beach surrounded by high cliffs with the sun low in the sky. Blackjack bucked wildly trying to get her to loosen her grip. She tumbled off as he backed away closer to the cliffs.

She froze as the water turned and in the distance saw what looked like a man but had blue skin. Arete momentarily wondered if he was dead but he tilted his head slightly as his sparkling green eyes glittered as he watching her carefully.

She stood still shaking uneasily facing him. She felt a chill run down her back. Her brain knew she should be frightened but her heart calmed at the familiarity. She took a hesitant step forward as Blackjack whined behind her and dug impatiently into the sand.

Arete gulped and found her voice. "Have you seen Percy Jackson, son of Poseidon?"

The blue man's eyebrows rose as he scratched his head and gave an uneasy laugh. "Poseidon's son, why would you want to meet him?"

"I've met him already. He's in trouble and I need to help him."

The blue man squirmed looking more uneasy. "Why would you help him? He –"

Arete stepped forward splashing into the water as she rushed forward. "He's my friend and he needs help!"

The blue man calmed his features and took on a thoughtful look. "Interesting, so that is where you have been …"

Arete suddenly felt dizzy as her spine and limbs tingled as if someone had dumped a bucket of ice water on her. "You … you know who I am?"

The blue man looked bewildered. "Of course I would, that's silly. So, are you asking for help looking for the son of Poseidon?"

"Yes," croaked Arete. She wanted to say so many more things and ask many more.

The blue water man nodded to himself. Blackjack neighed and the man seemed to understand. "I'll get my team and spread out a search party and help anyway we can. Camp Fish-Blood can wait. The Pegasus will take you North."

Before Arete can say anything he dove into the water and a fin splashed away. Arete stood stunned. Her chance of getting answers had just swum away. Blackjack neighed and shoved Arete with his head. She reluctantly climbed on vowing to make Percy pay for this once she found him.