Hey y'all! GD here! So someone spotted a major derp in my story and after I reviewed it I lost all inspiration to continue, urgh. But after I fixed it (t'was more minor than I thought, lol) I managed to finish this chapter! So I hope you enjoyed it!
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Lips had insisted that they find the nearest vineyard as soon as possible. This 'sacrificed chicken' he had to find had to be completely destroyed for the curse to be lifted – dug from whatever hole the decapitated poultry had been thrown into in the first place. This would break the metaphorical chains of his curse and leave him free to breeze across the sky again. What no-one understood was why he was banished in the first place.
Harry was the most puzzled – Greek mythology had never been his forté, so when a man in a mulberry-coloured suit clutches your leg, bawling his eyes out and claiming to be a god you wouldn't think twice about running far, far away. The demigods, however, had other ideas. This guy was a genuine deity, having control over south-westerly winds (although even that power had been stolen from him) and being able to fry minds by transforming into his divine form. Harry wanted to know what kind of person would give that kind of responsibility to…well, this guy? He was completely nuts.
Said god was skipping merrily ahead of the group, who had to walk to the nearest vineyard. The Argo II wasn't going to go anywhere, since it was half-damaged from the gales that Lips had produced; not to mention he still wanted to attempt catching the attention of his godly brothers and adamantly continued firing wind as powerfully as he could. Luckily, the first vineyard detected on Annabeth's amazing laptop was just a little north of their current position; an old, vintage vineyard called Eki and Dana's Vineyard and Winery.
Coach Hedge had jumped at the opportunity (which Harry guessed was because the names 'Eki and Dana' were female), just a little behind Lips and muttering all sorts of battle techniques under his breath and impatiently tapping his trademark baseball bat between his hairy fingers. The rest of the group lingered behind, in no particular rush to find the 'sacrificed chicken', but kept a good pace. If it was already sacrificed, it wasn't going to go anywhere.
Annabeth and Leo were currently comforting Piper, whose face was turning a nasty shade of mouldy green. Being vegetarian, the idea of a dead animal made her want to gag.
"We won't be poking at the dead carcass, or anything, Pipes," said Leo, whose encouragement didn't seem to be doing any good, as she grasped at her stomach with unease, "We just have to find it… right?"
"That's a good question, actually. What do we do once we find it? I assume it's already dead if it's sacrificed," Annabeth spoke, catching Piper's grim face, "But don't worry, Piper. You won't have to go near it if you don't want to."
"That would be great," Piper whispered, although it didn't do much to comfort her. The very thought twisted her insides and numbed her senses, "Maybe we should ask Lips on that, though? It'd be better knowing before we throw ourselves into some awkward situation."
"Yeah," Harry agreed, aware that Piper's charmspeak was probably influencing his decision, "Maybe we could ask him why a sacrificed chicken grinds his godly actions to a halt, too." He couldn't help but add a little edginess to his voice – he was in the middle of an important quest to find his memories and this god was so busy over-dramatising his problems that he had dragged Harry and company into solving it for him instead. Was it that difficult to find a dead chicken?
"Annabeth," he asked suddenly, "Do the gods often ask for favours from demigods? You know, to do stuff like this?"
Harry was met with an extra two pairs of eyes, from Leo and Piper, as well as Annabeth's own dark-greys. Their sullen faces (or green and sullen, in Piper's case) was enough to alert him that they were chucked into the gods' problems a lot.
"One of the gods came to me in the form of an evil babysitter and tried to burn me alive," Leo began, for once, not joking around and sounding very bitter. Piper nodded, looking less angry but just as spiteful.
"The same god forced us to rescue her, and had my dad captured too."
Annabeth finished, "And she stole Percy's memories before as well," she turned to Harry, her face gloomier like an impending storm, "No need for more than one guess to figure out whom she is."
Harry didn't need to think twice; he already knew about the brief story of how they fought Gaea and closed the Doors of Death, "Hera."
"The one and only," she replied, "And while I can see why she did it – to unite the camps and defeat Gaea… it was the toughest journey I've ever made and will ever make in my life. It put us through so much that I don't ever want to repeat."
Annabeth was only a teen, with the other two being only a few years younger – they had been through a lot and clearly matured faster than a normal kid their age would have. He suddenly craved a warm bed, preferably back at wherever he really belonged, to settle back into and sleep… and settle back into a normal life. While being a demigod seemed cool at first, listening to the stories of monster attacks and people losing their lives… it didn't seem worth it.
"WELL," Harry was snapped straight from his thoughts and almost jumped out of his skins as Lips appeared right next to him with a playful grin, "Isn't this the happiest conversation I've ever heard? SMILE, you miserable old goats!"
"Hey!" Coach Hedge yelled from in front, but everyone ignored him.
"Lips," Annabeth started, "We wondered why-"
"This whole chicken fiasco? I don't blame you. I do have the most interesting story of all the Olympian gods," he straightened his tie – it shifted and changed like the sky, clouds reflecting off it as if it was a mirror, "When I was young, and maybe a little foolish, I used to steal grapes. You know this much, I suppose?"
Harry hadn't – well, not until Lips had confessed to it earlier.
"Why did you steal the grapes?" he asked.
Lips cocked an eyebrow, "Why not? Grapes are delicious and make the most fabulous wine!" Harry wanted to shake his head in frustration, but decided it was best not to, "Anyway, I was banished from the sky for being a naughty boy – and how did the mortals do that? They sacrificed a chicken to Aeolus, who answered their prayers by bounding me to wherever I was. I had to wait ages for the chicken to decay, including the bones."
"And now, someone's gone and done it again?" asked Harry. Lips patted him on the back.
"Right you are! And I'm not going to sit around and wait for the thing to sink into the soil or for the maggots to make a meal of it. To remove the curse, it has to be a pile of crumbling dust, practically nothing, for me to be free."
"And how do we find it?"
Lips hesitated, twiddling his thumbs and avoiding eye contact, "I know it's in a vineyard."
"Where in the vineyard?" Piper asked.
"… I dunno'."
The group stopped dead in their tracks, staring at Lips like he'd announced that he trod on cute little bunnies for fun. Harry was the most horrified.
"How are we supposed to find it?" he asked, anger shaking his voice, "Vineyards are huge!"
Lips patted Harry on the back, "Now, now, Mr Potter. No need to get angsty. It'll be buried in the most obvious place – like, I don't know, in front of a statue or something. Maybe by the table where they chopped its head off, which would have plenty of newly-stained blood and pus to indicate-"
Piper had to cover her mouth, going greener than a vat of toxic liquid. Annabeth held her friend to keep her steady.
"Okay, maybe Piper shouldn't go," she said, "I don't think it'd be good for her to see a sacrificed chicken. I'll take her back to the ship; you guys can go on without us, right?"
Harry raised his eyebrows. He hadn't ever left the Argo II without Annabeth being close by. The other guys weren't particularly as friendly with him as he was with her, and the idea of spending time alone with joke-savvy Leo, actor-wannabe Lips and slightly-psychotic Hedge unsettled him. There was no-one sane to bring him back to reality. But Piper didn't look so good, and he did owe Annabeth, who hadn't had a decent break since the beginning of the quest.
"Sure, we'll be alright," said Harry, although he wasn't too confident in his own skills in combat in case any monster decided today was the day it'd wanted to feast, "Just be careful going back to the ship."
Leo grinned, giving them a thumbs up, "And don't worry – we'll eradicate this chicken before you know it!"
"Thanks," Piper mumbled with a gentle smile, as Annabeth shot a small nod of appreciation to Harry before helping Piper back south to the ship. They hobbled along until they were titchy in the distance, murky like a fog. And Harry was left with Leo and Lips, Coach Hedge already miles ahead. They turned around, trying to catch up.
"MEN'S DAY OUT!" Lips suddenly exclaimed, clapping his hands together like an excited child, "Without any girls around, we can talk about manly things! Manly things like… like punching through brick walls with your bare knuckles."
"Um," said Leo, side-glancing to a slightly-concerned Harry, "Coach Hedge does that on a regular basis."
"He does?" Lips asked, before propelling himself forward on the wind and probing Coach Hedge with his manliness questions.
"Lips is bonkers, isn't he?" Leo said, when the two were out of earshot.
Harry sighed, "Bonkers isn't strong enough a word," he remarked. Leo only laughed.
"Hah! I agree! I wish he'd shoot us forward with his air powers. Save us walking," the boy said, suddenly grinning, "Reminds me of one of my friends in Camp Jupiter. He's a son of Zeus – or, Jupiter as he's known as over there. He can fly and shoot gales from his belly button."
Harry didn't understand how Leo could call Lips bonkers but think he was sane at all. He was just as barmy.
"He could probably teach you how to use a sword. He uses a Roman gladius, which is pretty close to a sword, but a little shorter. Pretty sure he's taken Riptide for a swing before anyway," Leo mused, "And if he's not feeling it, there's plenty of Romans who could help you out. Camp Jupiter's rife with those battle-ready army nuts, and I'm not even including the sons of Mars. They're all a bit warlike down on that side of the hill."
Harry didn't comment, his thoughts wandering to his pocket. Riptide sat comfortably within, but even as he reached inside to caress it between his fingers did it feel alien to his nerves. Swords were such heavy forms of combat, difficult to master, where if you swung it wrong your head could end up on the floor. Was it really all worth it to find him someone to teach him, when it could take weeks or months on how to use it without accidentally stabbing himself? Maybe something like a knife would be easier to handle, although, having though that, Harry didn't like his chances with that either. Maybe he was destined to run head-first into the fight and use his fists as a weapon?
Lips and Coach Hedge were having an animated discussion ahead of the two, probably on the manliness of crunching tin cans for breakfast. At least using his fists would mean that the coach (and Lips, if he was really into punching brick walls) could teach him a few tricks or two.
The god turned around, "HURRY UP SLOWPOKES! WE HAVE MALE BONDING TO DO!" he boomed, causing a gale surge to almost knock them off their feet.
Leo sighed, trying not to lose his footing, "C'mon, better not keep 'em waiting or they'll confiscate our 'man' cards."
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The vineyard had appeared in the distance with another ten minutes of intense jogging (courtesy of Lips, who had decided they were now going to do everything in a manly fashion). Harry didn't think he'd ever exerted himself so much before, feeling a burn settle in the pit of his lungs when they stopped at the entrance. Leo was in worse form, sweat plastering his face like a coat of paint.
He held out a hand in defeat, clutching his knees like they were going to drop, "Can I just… catch my breath..?" Through wheezes Leo managed to glance up at Lips. While the rest of them had to run, Lips had simply glided along on his conjured wind and landed at the vineyard like he'd been working hard all day.
"But why?" he asked, gesturing to the archway that was the entrance, "We're here!"
It was a very beautiful-looking place, Harry noticed, with the arch leading to the building wrapped in delicate green vines like a serene forest. Trees had been planted in the front garden, bursting with rich emerald leaves and the bark shining like melted chocolate even though it was November. The house itself, with an old porch that reminded Harry of the Big House back at camp, was worn and scratched but definitely not uninhabitable. It needed a new cream paint job and perhaps a door that looked less like the set of a Wild-West film, but still looked very inviting. Ivy crawled up the side giving it that old pub feel. A sign was hammered into the ground, reading, in loopy writing, 'Eki and Dana's Vineyard and Winery'.
"It's… pretty…" Leo said, forcing all the enthusiasm he could. Coach Hedge grunted.
"Yeah, just what you would expect, Valdez. Everything looks pretty now. But when you ain't lookin', BAM!" he whacked his bat against the fence so hard that the wood whined and splinters popped out like acne, "Monsters everywhere, attracted to grapes like hormonal teenagers to each other. 'Specially around somthin' like a dead chicken. I'm here to make sure the lovely ladies of the ranch are not put in any harm."
It was Leo's turn to snort, "You wanna' be on the Justice League, or something?"
But the satyr smirked, "They rang me, Valdez, beggin' me to take up a spot. I declined. A hero like me ain't got time for sissy teams and spandex underpants."
"Er," Harry said, before the conversation could get any more in-depth into social justice and spandex underwear, "The vineyard? Chickens, anyone?"
"I agree. The talk of spandex just frightens me to the core," Lips said with a frown, "Now, if we just sneak around the back, we can find the chicken, remove it and leave before anyone's the wiser. It'll be just like those stealth video games that passive-aggressive youths of today play for unhealthy amounts at a time!"
"Yeah, except less cool," Leo said, relieved at the subject change and peering around the side of the house to have a view of the actual vineyard, "Are we just gonna' waltz in or what?"
Lips shrugged, "I don't see why not. We only want the chicken."
"But the owners won't know that. If we're caught in there, they'll think we are stealing their grapes," said Harry, also peering around, "And just when they sacrificed poultry to stop that from happening. They'd probably sacrifice another, which would defeat the purpose."
"Well then I guess stealth is the option," said Coach Hedge, renewed confidence brimming in his proud voice, "We are men and we will bring down this finished farm fowl before anybody will find us. Got it, Ted, Valdez?"
What other choice did Harry have? He reluctantly nodded his head, just as Leo did too, wondering what kind of hair-brained scheme Lips and the coach were going to conjure to find this chicken.
"Gather up, soldiers!" Coach Hedge barked, as the four made a tight circle in which to formulate a plan. Harry felt like he was in the army, "Alright, men, here's what we're gonna' do. I'll distract the ladies with my high levels of charm and cuteness while you lot scout the camp for the chicken. Once you cupcakes find it, dig it up and meet back here. We can figure out how to destroy it once we leave."
Harry had to cock an eyebrow – there was no way the coach was ever gonna' entice anyone when his favourite TV show was Robot Wars and he looked like he was going to mug you at any minute. But he thought better than to voice his thoughts. The plan, at least, didn't involve him sitting through lectures of lifeless poems on the smell of shampoo. He was doing something.
Leo asked, "How will you know when to leave?"
"Good question, Valdez. One of you will whistle so that I know when to leave. If I'm in danger, I'll whistle."
"Right, sounds like a plan!" Lips beamed, clapping his hands again, "When do we start?"
"Hold on," said Harry, who turned to Lips and stared at him with little approval, "You're not allowed eat any of the grapes they have there, okay? We can't risk anymore dead chickens lying around."
He was only being practical, but after the thought escaped his mouth he felt like a parent babysitting a child, only reinforced when Lips rolled his eyes and said, "Yes, mother." He floated under the archway before concealing himself behind a tree; Harry and Leo following suit and Coach Hedge striding up to the front door.
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The windows of the house were drawn to a close, even though it was daytime and shops would be open by now. It didn't seem to faze their local satyr, who knocked on the door like he was keen salesmen. They could hear footsteps click on the wooden floor, just as they snuck their way around the side of the house.
Harry could hear the voices of women; brightly inviting the smooth Coach Hedge into the house as he pretend he was here to taste some of the fine wine they had to offer. He refocused on the current matter at hand; the vineyard was stretching out in front of them now as they sidled along the side wall, narrowing their eyes to see if any of the soil looked unusually tilled.
"I hope they're not by the windows," Leo gulped. Harry saw what he meant; just as they rounded the corner to the front of the vineyard and the back of the house, they could see a large patio door extending from the back deck to the ceiling. If they were seen, it was over.
"We have to hide ourselves in the vines – then we'll be alright," Harry said, although he had no idea how to go about doing so. The vines were wedged into the ground a good few metres away, not to mention him and Leo had tired themselves out by running to the vineyard in the first place. Lips grinned.
"Not a problem. I'll just be giving us a boost-" Without any warning, Lips thrust his hand forward, commanding a gust of air to shoot the off-guard duo up into the sky; Harry and Leo were tossed off their feet, exploding into the air like a rollercoaster ride they weren't expecting. Harry had to resist every urge to scream at the top of his lungs, as his stomach dropped into his head and his brain rattled against his skull. Then, they fell back to earth, Lips cushioning their ride with a gentle whip of wind. Harry and Leo landed in the middle of a city of green, legs wobbling and vision disorientated.
"Urgh, I think I'm gonna' throw up," Leo said, his hair sticking up in every direction and his eyeballs rolling in their sockets, "So glad you gave us no warning whatsoever to surprise us, dude."
Lips missed his obvious discomfort and oozing sarcasm, grinning broadly, "Thanks! Isn't it fun?"
Harry clutched his head, the world spinning, "I'm… speechless." Although, like Leo, if he wasn't careful it wouldn't be words leaving his mouth.
"Hahah, goodie, we can totally do it again!" Lips said, almost bubbling into an excited yell. He managed to control himself before he did, "Okay – stealth mode. I can totally do this. Sneaky sneaky time. Yeah."
"Maybe we should split up?" Harry suggested, hoping that his food would stay inside rather than out, "We could find it quicker that way."
"I agree," Leo said, "You go that way, I'll go this way, and Lips can go that way. If we find something… um, caw like a bird?"
"Gotcha'," Lips propelled himself forwards, breezing into the vines and disappearing into the green.
"Is it a good idea to leave him unattended with the grapes?" Harry asked, but Leo shrugged.
"I hope so; I ain't cleaning up after his mess," he said, before bending down and jogging through the vineyard lines to his left. Harry was alone, before he began his plight right.
There was hardly as distinguishing feature about each individual vine. They all curled around wooden poles wedged into the ground, sprouting dull, green fruits that could tempt the most wilful of people and rough vines like rivulets on the ground. Harry continued on; it seemed to run on forever – he kept his eyes peeled like a banana on something that could indicate the sacrificed chicken.
It could have been anywhere, he realised. The vineyard wasn't very big, but it was big enough to deter him looking too hard. He'd never seen a vineyard in his life and now that he was here he wanted to leave.
He reached the fence to keep out the outsiders, scowling and trying the next row of vines. The fence was meant to keep out outsiders like him, and Leo and Lips, but that had failed miserably. He hoped Coach Hedge was alright; it couldn't be easy keeping two vineyard owners occupied while they searched for the impossible.
Then again, Coach Hedge could motivate a brick wall if he tried. Or just threaten it with a baseball bat.
A cawing sound alerted his sense – to his left and upwards. It was Lips' voice, accompanied by a breeze that pushed him in the right direction. Keeping an eye on the aisles that lead straight back to the house, Harry crept in the direction of Lips' cries. He hoped it was something important and not that he'd eaten a grape – that was the thing they needed the least right now.
Leo was already there when the three met again, crouched on the ground next to Lips. Harry had reached a circle, free from vines, right in the centre of the vineyard. It was dry, but the soil was new, and the wooden poles surrounded it like a pig pen. Right in the middle was a large stone, the size of three Harry's, grey in colour and stained in cracked blood.
A sacrificing stone, Harry immediately thought, rushing to where the two were. They were covered by the shadows of the large rock, investigating a tilled piece of land just in front.
"I think we've got our chicken," Leo said, poking dubiously at the soil. It had definitely been recently been dug up –dirt and crumbs formed a circle pushed into the ground just underneath the rock, like the edge of a grave.
Leo looked a Lips, "Well, go on – do your thing."
Lips was horrified, "I hope you're not insinuating that I touch the thing?" he pouted, glaring at Leo with annoyance, "I just had this suit custom-made, you know!"
"Well, it's the same colour as blood so the stains won't show up," Harry snorted, pushing passed them both and tunnelling his hands into the soil. He wasn't afraid to get a little dirty, even if it did involve dead chicken guts. Leo groaned, helping him out too, and the two boys dug with bare hands into the soil. Maggots began to pop up and Harry had to look upwards to Lips, who floated over them, watching with awe as they pushed deeper into the earth.
Suddenly, Harry's hand hit something slimy. Slimier than the worms and other creatures he'd already encountered. He grimaced, retracting it like he had been singed. Red, sticky liquid gelled his fingers. Suddenly, his breakfast could be tasted in his mouth.
"Ew," he said, forcing himself not to lurch.
"That looks promising," said Lips nonchalantly, and Harry had to resist glaring at him with full-force. Leo pulled his grotty hands out too.
"Okay, we've found the… thing," he also didn't look too hot, "How do you destroy it then?"
Lips just stared at them, "Um… I don't know, how do you destroy a chicken anyway?"
"You're kidding, right?" Leo said.
Lips shook his head, "No, that's your job."
Suddenly, a loud melodic wolf-whistle breezed into their ears. The three males whirled around, where they could feel Coach Hedge and the two women. The tip of the house could just be seen from their viewpoint.
"Wow," said Leo, "He must have scored good. Maybe they were hot?"
They were about to ignore it when the wolf-whistle came again, except louder and… more desperate and piercing? The boys stood up while Lips flew a little higher. A tiny spot in their vision came closer.
"Is… that..?" Leo didn't have to finish. Lips was already back on the ground, blank with terror, tugging at their shirts. Coach Hedge came into view, panting, running for his life as two figures chased him. The two figures were women – sort of.
They were half-women. The other half… was snake. Their legs were replaced with what looked like the other half of a python, slithering at a blinding pace towards them. Their skin was scaly, claws outstretched, hair like seaweed and brittle, forked tongues flapping with anger. Their eyes glared so intensely Harry could practically feel them burning through his soul.
"RUN CUPCAKES, RUN!" Coach Hedge bellowed as they got into view. It didn't take long for them to get the message.
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Harry catapulted himself to his right, nestled into the vines, before picking himself up and sprinting as fast as his scrawny legs could take him. He could hear Coach Hedge screaming all sorts of profanities as he tried to avoid the snake-women. Lips was in the air, directing Leo away from them.
The snake-women stopped dead in their tracks, glaring at Lips with malice. They looked about ready to throw knives and make a dish of him.
"Lipssss," the first said – her hair was particularly longer than the others, although her scales were less shiny, "I knew I could sensssse your presencccce here!"
Lips gulped, giving a sympathetic wave, "Ah, yes, hi there! You're both looking fabulous today – have you done something with your hair?"
Harry didn't stop to chew the fat – he reached the fence again and, cursing, took a left turn towards the top of the vineyard. He couldn't hear much of Lips' words that he parted with snake-women, only the crunching of his footsteps and the adrenaline pulsing in his ears. He'd rather be at that poetry competition.
Too busy keeping an eye on the snake-women, he crashed right into Leo who was also creating as much space between them as possible. They didn't apologise, too wrapped up in the current situation.
"What are those things?!" Harry yelled.
Leo replied, "Chthonic Echidnae – they're servers of the big cheese Echidna, but still pretty nasty!" he gulped, struggling to stand, "I tried firing fireballs at 'em and Coach swung his baseball but neither seemed to be doing any damage!"
"How did they-?" Harry didn't need to finish as the snake-women launched an attack on Lips, who dodged with grace. They neared the pair enough to hear what they were shouting about.
"It was just one grape!" he said, waving his hands out in defeat, "And it was delicious! Seriously, you should keep your vineyard going because this business could be booming in a few years!"
The second one hissed, "Not with you coming along, sssstealing our fruit and blowing down our vinessss!" Lips descended so his feet were on the ground and he backed up to Harry and Leo. The echidnae loomed over them like a storm cloud.
"Any ideas?" Lips whispered.
"Are you kidding me?!" Leo yelled, before the echidnae shot forwards. The three separated again, Leo jumped towards his right and Harry and Lips to their left. Rising dirt cluttered Harry's eyes, even protected by his glasses, and he winced as he got up from the ground.
"One grape!" Lips yelled again, trying to quell their rage but failing, "One grape, and you freak out?"
"One grape is more than enough!" yelled the one with long hair, scrabbling at the ground to drag their feet. Harry managed to sprint away along with Lips before she could get them.
He could hear the coach yelling to Leo, "We gotta' do something about that blasted chicken or Eki and Dana are gonna' eat us for breakfast!"
Harry's jaw dropped, just realising that the snake-women were the owners of the vineyard… Eki and Dana. Eki clawed after them, her tongue sizzling like a pan on fire, and Harry ran again with Lips hot on his trail.
"Run faster!" he yelled, trying to push Harry further.
"I can't!" he yelled back. Eki was hot on their trail, destroying her vines as she bared her fang-like jaws.
Leo and Coach Hedge were being pursued by Dana. Harry could tell by Leo:
"This is a bit of a vindictive thing to do!" he shouted, "We didn't do anything to get your vines in a knot!"
"We have to distract those things!" Harry said to Lips as the fence became to approach with deadly speed, "You have to distract them while we destroy the chicken! Then we can get out of here!"
Lips wailed, "Why me?"
"Because it's you they want!" Lips grumbled, knowing Harry was right. He gulped, muttered something under his breath before ripping off a vine right off the support and shooting upwards. Eki's attention was stolen.
"Oh, yoo-hoo! Eki!" Lips froze in the air, jingling more grapes on the vine and waggling his hips, "Wow, look how delicious they are! Om nom nom!"
Eki seethed, propelling herself upwards by using her tail end as a boost, attempting to claw at Lips. He had to zip out of the way lest he be caught in her grip. Harry took this opportunity to slide past her, pushing past the vines and rushing as fast as he could to the circle again. He didn't know how, but he had to get rid of that chicken before Lips could be restored to full power.
Leo and Coach Hedge fell into view, still running from Dana. Leo was throwing all the fireballs he could while stumbling forwards, while Coach Hedge was swinging his baseball bat and yelling battle cries. Neither tactic seemed to have any effect.
"Come at me, you ugly monster!" he bellowed; Dana leant so tall above him the whole area was covered in her shadow, "Just so you know, our date is so off!"
"Ooooh Dana!" Lips called, flying over to their area. He went right up to Dana's slimy and rough face and waggled the grapes on the vine right in front of her, "Nice grapes."
Dana's cry pierced the heavens, Harry could swear it. She raced after Lips who immediately fled in the other direction, towards a very annoyed Eki. Leo and Coach Hedge ducked into the vines behind her to avoid her terrifying wrath, crushing stray grapes like little ants. Harry rushed over to them, helping them regain their balance.
"The chicken! Let's go!" No more words needed to be exchanged; the three sprinted as fast as they could towards the circle area as Eki and Dana chased a fleetly Lips – who had proceeded to start screaming.
The maggots had really taken their toll on the chicken. Although recently sacrificed, it had been decayed quite a bit. The bones were still visible, as was some flesh, but not enough to put their minds at ease.
"How do we get rid of it?!" Harry said, as the other two looked just as confused. Then Leo brightened.
"I'll char it!" He aimed his hand carefully, like cocking a gun, and sucked in his gut – the ear-splitting girlish screams of Lips heard in the background – before blasting it full on with searing-hot fires. Smoke burst out and heat rose, even the rock was scorching.
Lips stopped screaming. Next, the only thing that could be heard was the yells and desperate shouts of Eki and Dana, like the fizz of a can of Coke. They hissed and screamed in languages Harry couldn't understand, and continued until they faded into nothing and Leo's fire had turned the ground into ashes.
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No-one spoke; no-one did anything. Harry drank in the air, thankful that it was finally over and that he could break from throwing himself into anymore dirt patches. Even Coach seemed to be fatigued.
It was only a matter of time before Leo spoke, "Roasted chicken anyone?"
The coach snorted, "I think that's a little more than roast, Valdez," he said, smirking. Leo couldn't help but break into a grin either, and even Harry, who found the joke less than funny couldn't suppress the smile that had climbed up from nowhere.
Lips' gleeful declarations of delight were heard next – the trio spotted him driving himself to insane heights in the air, when he became nothing but a crimson blotch in the sky of a canvas, before he shot back down and feinted right at the last minute. His trail of wind ripped at the vineyard and even the three had to lean against the rock to make sure they didn't lose balance. Eventually, when Lips was done with his relish of his godly powers he descended from the sky and landed gracefully in front of them.
"We did it!" he said, clapping and bouncing up and down like a child before a merry-go-round ride, "I got by zing back and those creepy ladies are done for!"
Then Harry narrowed his eyes, "We would have been able to get out of here without any mess if you'd just resisted the grapes!"
Lips looked sheepish, shrugging, "I know, I know… but look how delicious they are! I mean-" he snatched one from the vine and tested its firmness. It was just at the right stage of ripeness, "-just look at this texture!"
"I think I'm good," said Leo.
Lips shrugged, throwing the grape behind him, "Actually, I think I am too. Waaaay too much excitement for one day!" Then, to their surprise, he bowed. The sunlight reflected on his head, "And I owe you my thanks. I couldn't have taken back my freedom without you!"
Harry thought bitterly that they weren't given much choice, but he still felt good about helping Lips out of his predicament, even if he had gone so about it the most dramatic and round-about way as possible.
Lips stood upright again, before grinning, "Now, I know you're on this whoooole quest to retrieve your memories, Mr Potter-"
Harry choked on the air; how did Lips know about that? But Lips just chuckled.
"I'm a god; of course I know what my subjects are up to!"
"Do you know anything, about who I am?" Harry burst out, before he could stop himself. He had a feeling that he already knew the answer but it was worth a try. Like he predicted, the god shook his head.
"Nah, I just know you're on a quest. I'm not kept in the loop… especially since I, ahem, was banished," but he waved at away like performing a magic trick, "I could help you, though. A little bit. Gods have good connections."
He winked, before clasping his hands together, "Now, how about a flight back to your ship?"
Before Harry and Leo could protest – Coach Hedge eager for a ride – Lips forced them into the air, sailing into the clouds. Harry's stomach bounced up and down his body again, screaming. It was like a longer and more deadly ride on a rollercoaster, in comparison to before, where their flight only lasted seconds. Now they were flying faster for longer.
Coach Hedge was swearing his head off during transit, clutching his baseball bat and cap like his life depended on it. Leo was looking greener than an ogre and uselessly flapping his arms about to stabilise his journey. Harry just clenched his eyes shut, focusing on the elated laughs of Lips to get him through the rest of the flying.
When Lips eventually yelled, "Get your landing gear out!" Harry forced himself to open his eyes; the Argo II wasfast approaching beneath them. His legs uncurled, Harry prepared for a rough landing, but Lips provided a gentle cushion of a breeze, allowing them to slow right down and land with gentle taps of their feet.
Didn't stop Leo rushing over to the edge of the Argo II to deposit his breakfast, though.
Even Coach was deterred, "Never… again…" he muttered.
Annabeth and Piper were hurrying up the stairs from belowdecks the minute they heard Leo's agonising cries. Piper looked decidedly better, perhaps fed with nectar and ambrosia, wrapped in a blanket. Annabeth blinked uncertainly.
"You're back!" she said, taking one look and Lips before going, "I noticed that the gales stopped a while ago. I assume you..?"
"Yes! The chicken is gone and I am free! I gave them a ride back here, too," said Lips, bowing before them, his suit wrinkling, "I owe you my thanks as well, even though you did almost nothing."
"Um… you're welcome," said Piper, who was watching the other disorientated boys with amusement.
"Yes, of course," said Lips, who rose again, "And to show my thanks-"
"Please no more flights!" said Leo, still lurking by the edge of the ship with dubiousness.
Lips laughed, "No, no. No more flights. I figure that you would like a nice ride to San Francisco. So I called upon the help of my brother. Well, he's more like an uncle really…"
He looked up. No-one had noticed the man that had been slowly descending in the sky, like he was in a glass elevator. The way the wind whipped at his dark hair, highlighting his straight and serious face, gave off the impression that this was a man who did not roll in senseless humour like Lips did.
He was wearing the same suit Lips was, but a much more subdued, grey colour. Like clouds in the sky. He just radiated importance much more than Lips did, not that he seemed to notice. The tips of his feet touched the deck of the Argo II and a burst of gentle wind erupted from nowhere. Harry just stared at him.
"Good afternoon," said the man, turning to Lips, "I see you've been freed from your banishment?"
"Indeedy I have!" he paused, "I was just wondering if you could send these nice kids to the wests. They helped me and it would mean a lot."
The god regarded them all with a cool smile, "Hmm. I suppose I could," then he regarded Annabeth with an impressed smile, "It's good to see that you have grown up well, Miss Annabeth Chase."
The blonde girl flinched – and her grey eyes seemed to flash with realisation. Harry noticed that her arms had become tenser in the moment, "Zephyros, god of the west winds."
"Smart, too. Like all Athena children. It's funny to see you now, since you were a baby in my arms, delivering you to your father," Zephyros mused, before dropping the subject completely, "Very well. I shall help you."
He threw his arms up – Harry couldn't help but make the connection that it was equally as dramatic as Lips – before summoning a westerly wind that pushed at the sails and fluttered around their hair. Piper smiled.
"Thank you, Zephyros. And Lips."
"No probs," said Lips.
"You're welcome," said Zephyros, before a gale formed around his and Lips' figure, "Now, we really ought to be going. We have god duties to attend to."
Lips waved, "Thank you, kids! I'll be sure to watch!"
And the two rocketed into the sky, leaving only the emotions of their presence and the winds that sent them waywards. Harry stared in silence as they disappeared into the sky, back to whatever palace they came from. It was funny to think that Lips was god-worthy.
"Alright," said Annabeth, "Let's not waste any more time gawking around. Leo," she paused to stare at the repair boy, who had since regained his ability to stand, "Put the ship back in the air. Let's go to San Francisco."
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With thanks to everyone who reads, reviews, favourites and follows me or the story! Seriously, I really super appreciate it!
'Til next time,
~ GD
PS. PJO SOM... It didn't suck as much as the first one, hahah.
