We have a new chapter! We have a new chapter! We have a new chapterOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
And you can start dancing now!
Hello my dear and beautiful readers! I don't know about you, but March took forever for me. But we're finally at the first of the month and that means being able to enjoy a new chapter of this beautiful story! (modesty sold separately)
Now I'll leave you in peace so you can read to your heart's content:
I'll see you in the endnotes!
Chapter 4:
"Flying over the Old Continent"
Contrary to all her previous experience, that search was going very smoothly. Percy, Annabeth and Grover were already sitting on the side of the bus headed for Denver, which Annabeth said was the best option to begin their mission. Percy was sitting looking out the window, next to him was Annabeth checking her backpack and in the back seat was Grover eating a bag of spicy French fries.
-I hear him suddenly, he turns and sees Annabeth looking up at him with her eyebrows raised. Then he realized that he had been tapping his feet on the floor, so he stopped immediately.
-What do you have Percy? -On the back of his seat he saw his best friend appear- Nervous?
-A little..." He admitted, "We've been out of camp for almost three hours and nothing has attacked us yet.
-A whole record Annabeth reading a book.
-Remind me, why are we going to Denver," Grover asked, earning the attention of the greenhorn as well.
-Last night I dreamt that this is our first stop.
-Sounds good to me." The satyr ended up with the potato crumbs and then he put the bag down. When he swallowed it, he remembered another interesting topic-How do you think they're doing? You know, Nico and his group...
-Mmm-This time Annabeth did take her eyes off the pages and nailed it to her boyfriend.
-What does that mean? Percy didn't even notice his girlfriend's skeptical expression, he had his eyes fixed on a spot of nothingness in front of him.
-I'm just, I'm worried... -He said.
-He can take care of himself, and Jason is with him.
-I don't trust Jason-The blonde-but Grover is right, Di Angelo can take care of himself.
-Even so...
-Percy!" Annabeth interrupted him again, giving more emphasis by slamming her book. I don't understand how you can care so much about him; he's hardly part of the camp.
-Nico doesn't hate me-He said the green eye, although his tone didn't indicate much confidence-he's just upset and already...
In a silent agreement, the three decided to leave the subject alone; Annabeth went back to her reading and Grover to his frying, but Percy couldn't stop thinking about that morning when he had gone to see his cousin.
Flash Back:
It was a couple of hours before the sonar of the conch announcing breakfast. A light mist still covered the huts and the cold of the early morning filtered through his clothes. He never got up so early, but this time it was different; the night before, when the equipment for the missions had been discussed, everyone was very indifferent to Nico. And, even though Jason and Leo had both volunteered, I couldn't help but think that maybe the jet would try to leave on its own. I just wanted to go and see him, whether I appreciated it or not, and make sure he was okay, to -
-... necessary...
-Absolutely-
A couple of voices through the silence of the morning made him stop, he crouched and walked until he was under one of the windows of the thirteen cabin. He poked his head through the glass but the dark curtains didn't let him see anything, so he had to keep listening:
-Do you have everything? -That one, if he wasn't wrong, must have been Jason's. -That backpack is very small.
-We're not going on a picnic-No doubt that was Nico-What are you doing here so early?
-Well, I just wanted to make sure you wouldn't try to go off on your own or anything like that-Percy had to bite his tongue-ha! I knew you were thinking something like that.
-Shut up, Grace-The green eye hated hearing and not being able to see what they were doing. Although deep down he was glad that Nico continued to treat the blond man like this-Where is Valdez?
-Sleeping, most likely...-Inside the cabin Jason was crossed his arms resting his hip on the desk and the owner of the cabin was closing his backpack-Toothbrush?
-Stop acting like my mother Grace-She still took a little trip to the bathroom to get her forgotten toothbrush. The son of Jupiter allowed himself to cover his laughter with his fist. He let his eyes wander around the place and something else caught his attention: there, on the desk, was a letter waiting to be sent. He wouldn't interfere, but couldn't help but be curious to know what was being sent to Harry Potter on Privet Drive in London! No doubt he wanted to know who that Englishman was with whom Nico was writing, was he another demigod? But he was sure that asking would get him nowhere.
Minutes later both were already at the edge of the forest, next to a half-asleep son of Hephaestus who kept yawning and saying it was too early:
-We'll go now," Nico said for the third time. "I don't want anyone to come and do their good deed of the day by saying goodbye.
-Ahh... And I had a whole committee... -I'm reading with a big yawn at the end -with balloons and everything...
-It will be the next one -even with all the sleepiness on top of him the dark one continued to walk among the trees; the other two looked at each other for a second before following him. They were walking among roots and trunks until they reached a rock wall. Neither of them had ever been there before but they knew perfectly well which place it was-Leo, did you bring us to-
-Welcome to the Bunker 9! A large steel door materialized from the stone, the son of Hephaestus opened it wide and extended his arms to try to cover the entire entrance frame. The place itself was immense, even though you could hardly see the part illuminated by large fluorescent lamps. There were shelves stuck to the walls full of material, work tables everywhere filled with plans, paper and pencil; aerial platforms that led to the highest shelves; multiple ovens and, right in the middle, a huge platform on which rested what appeared to be a huge pile of bronze.
-Valdez, if your brothers find out that we are here they will kill you. It was their refuge, their sanctuary; they never let anyone else from the other huts enter. Chiron himself had entered it only a couple of times.
-The dark man took a decisive shortcut while filling the compartments of his belt with some gadgets that Nico could not predict what they were for. "Besides, I'm the only one who can open the door, and if I want, no one will ever come in again." I add with a smile as mischievous and cynical as Leo himself.
-Okay, this is awesome-Jason kept walking between the shelves and seeing everything they contained-But you said you had a transport...-He commented as he took in his hands what appeared to be some sort of dental tweezers.
-He's behind you-
-Behind me there is only a pile of bron..." He turned and saw how on the platform, what he had previously thought was inert metal, began to move and then he could see the great dragon automaton expelling steam from its jaws full of sword-like sharp teeth...
-Waoh- Instead, still leaning against the metal door frame, Nico watched in amazement as the metal dragon stretched out its wings and tail.
-Guys, I present to you Festus-Leo stepped forward to the side of the platform, where the dragon bent his head and let the dark one pass his hand over his head. -You will remember him as the guardian of the forest, or the monster that almost ate Annabeth during a game to capture the flag.
-Jason approached cautiously but the dragon showed no sign of becoming agitated or disturbed - but no offense, Leo, isn't this dangerous?
-Nonsense, the thing is that my brothers don't understand Festo-I explain the brown one-A season out of here will do him good. What do you say, friend? Will you give us a ride?-In response the automaton began to shake and emit several metallic sounds-that's my best friend!
Then it was just a little bit of motor oil with tabasco jumping and they were ready to go. Festus came out easily through the doors of the bunker, followed by the three demigods and the last one was Leo who closed the place. The plates on the dragon's back were perfect for sitting down.
-I think your brothers will notice that we were here... -Jason commented, sitting all the way back and securing his feet between the scales.
-Why do you say that? Leo went to the front, taking the leather reins that were attached to the sides of Festus' head. Naah, they won't even notice... But they might miss the pencil I took.
-Valdez... I call him the dark eye sitting in the middle. You've done this before, right? From his place behind Nico Jason, he also looks out at the dark eye. He loved Leo and trusted him, but he wasn't so innocent as to do it blindly either. In front of them, the dark man turned and smiled at them sincerely. A chill ran down both passengers' spines and they wanted to get off:
-A scourge on the reins and the wings of the dragon rose up and came down again, whipping the air at his feet. They rose with incredible ease considering what Festus' weight must have been. Nico held on with his fingertips to the plate he was sitting on and behind him Jason was in a similar situation. As Festus continued to rise and the camp behind him became a small dot left behind.
Officially they had begun their crusade. And if they could be sure of one thing, it was that no one in that camp would miss them...
At least that's what Nico and Leo thought; Jason knew someone was watching them but hadn't been able to identify who. One part of him was a little worried, he didn't know the intentions of anyone who was staying hidden and watching them; but the other part told him that maybe, just maybe, there was the slightest possibility that someone was sympathetic to them.
End of Flash Back
They had been gone for hours and it was already past noon, which was a relief since the sun had finally stopped hitting them in the face. Leo had said that the trip to Gibraltar, which was the closest point for them, would take at least six hours and they were already close to the French border. Festus was, in short, the jewel in the crown of the automatons. Jason kept watching the clouds, as if he was afraid that anything could come out of them to attack them and Leo kept guiding his metal friend to keep up a considerable height so they could keep breathing.
-Mayorz!" Nico suddenly called out, patting him on the shoulder; the air in his ears forced him to speak louder than he preferred.
-A simple movement on the reins and the height began to drop. Leo chose a small open field among some hills, near a small town but far from the glances of curious people. Festus shook the water from the clouds a little while the demigods tried to feel his legs again. Leo took a couple of energy bars from his belt and offered them to the other two; Nico thanked him silently as Jason asked the first important question of the day.
-Where are we going now? And he took the first bite of his chocolate.
-Dictates the course Captain-Acoto Leo, sitting cross-legged and looking at Nico while doing a military salute.
-"The little light of solitude sprouts in the mist. A fear and a voice stirs to the east with the king of ghosts"-Recito Nico-I think these are the best clues we have. Light that sprouts in the fog, that sounds to me like London, Great Britain.
-Great tourist destination at this time-Third Leo nodding his head-What are we looking for? A spotlight, a you, something that scares us...?
-That's the part that still has me insecure." He couldn't help but stare at the grass at his feet; he had been meditating on every line of the prophecy all along the journey but few conclusions had been reached. Just a destination, halfway there, and nothing to look for.
-It's always better to start with something-I try to put more optimism into the situation, Leo?
-Festo needs to rest, I also have to check his circuitry disc. While listening to it, Nico couldn't let go of a little flaw in the Moreno's voice when he said that.
Since they had time the other two decided to walk to the village to get some supplies and maybe, with a lot of luck, discover some clues about their mission. The place was not so far away, even though the son of Jupiter offered to fly it Nico flatly refused. It was a small but very picturesque village, full of traditional houses and market stalls with lots of fresh food.
-Is it complicated," Jason asked as they gathered at the edge of town.
-Not so much, they speak some English-They had been separated to ask, but their results were practically nil.
-I didn't get anything either; oh, by the way... Suddenly the blond man moved away from the tree where he was leaning and started looking in his pockets. He took out an envelope and extended it to Nico-Your friend answered.
-Why did you have this? His voice was purely aggressive but Jason just raised his hands in peace:
-We were flying," he explains, "and the wind blew her away as soon as she appeared, you didn't even see her, but I was able to get her back because of the wind. You are welcome.
-Okay...-He had to swallow his pride as he took the envelope from Jason's hands. E.H.'s stamp glowed with light and his name was written in pretty good calligraphy. I looked at Jason for a moment and the boy seemed very interested in the bark of the tree.
"Dear Nico:
How have you been? It was also my fault that we lost contact, sorry. The truth is my life has also changed a lot after school, believe me I know perfectly well what it means to go through complicated situations and I understand. Well, I already have my own room, but I study in a boarding school class so I'm great.
Of course I would like to keep in touch, you were my first friend. If you come to England don't hesitate to tell me where you will be, well the day after tomorrow I will go and stay at a friend's house for the rest of the summer.
But tell me, how have you been? And your sister? I entered an incredible school, there are many things I would like to tell you but I have to pack my bags.
PS: I'm not used to using one of these, sorry if I'm wrong.
Atte: Harry Potter"
As soon as I finished reading Nico couldn't contain a little smile. She had been wondering if she would get any answers, and there they were. She hadn't thought about her English sender since she had left Westover Hall a few years ago and was glad to see that she still remembered it. It felt good to have a friend, even if it was through correspondence and that sounded incredibly pathetic; but he didn't care. He didn't even have to pay extra for the messenger service of the gods.
I would write him an answer as soon as I could, for the time being I had to deal with the annoying blond man who looked at him with raised eyebrows, surprised and with a slight half smile.
-Then," he said as they started to walk back, "may I ask?
-What do you want, Grace?
-I'm surprised you have a friend I don't know about," Jason replied with his hands in his pockets. For his part, Nico kept looking at the side of the gravel road they were on and measuring his words; he couldn't bear to give Jason's annoying impression:
-He's not from camp, not even a demigod," she says. "He's just a guy I used to write to, an assignment his school had, and I thought it was fun at the time.
-Harry Potter," Jason repeated, recalling the name he had read earlier at Nico-Very English... "I don't add anything else, but his smile didn't go unnoticed by Hades' son, who silently demanded an explanation. That means I still have hope.
-Close your mouth, Grace. Although it sounded as sour as usual, it was not enough to diminish the good mood of the Roman.
At times like this I remembered Jason's arrival at Camp Mestizo; or rather, when he had taken him to the camp. It was an uncomfortable moment, for both of them, but I didn't want to think about that at the moment. Back on the hill where Festus was resting while Leo was checking his wing joints, Nico took a moment to think a little more about the Moreno; he already knew Jason and had some confidence in him, but Leo was basically a stranger.
The boy was restless, no doubt with more ADHD than a normal demi-god, his hands were always moving from one side to the other; his expression was usually like that of a pixie planning to put a sound cushion on someone's seat. A simple glance was enough to know that the two were literally polar opposites. Still, I had a feeling there was something behind it all. Maybe it was his natural instinct to mistrust people, or maybe there was a secret behind Leo Valdez's overactive facade.
-Hey, the brown guy caught up with them in the tree under which they were sheltering from the sun. Festo says he's ready to fly, next stop: London!
-Do you think we'll get there before...?
-Shhh-Short Nico, the other two stood still and watched attentively as he held his hand to the hilt of his sword at his belt.
-They were already late," whispered Leo, pulling out a mallet from his tool belt. Jason imitated him with his gold coin, ready to invoke his Spatha; he slowly ducked and took a rock from the ground. His companions nodded and he threw it into the trees. They heard a metallic noise followed by the flapping of hundreds and hundreds of wings.
-The three of them escaped running from the flock of birds of the stinphall that threw itself at them. Nico was able to cut some with his sword but it was impossible; at his side Leo tried to keep them at bay but only got more scratches from the beaks and metal legs. His salvation was Jason, riding on the back of Festus, who took the reins and a single exhalation of the dragon reduced the birds to ashes.
-Luckily they were able to leave the birds behind when they started to fly over the clouds. Although they were fine, Leo kept complaining about how much his wounds were burning.
-Ah, it doesn't kill, but it fucks up life!
Toma-Jason was in the front holding the reins, and behind him Nico passed him a nectar-soaked handkerchief. It only took one pass over his arm to make all the cuts and scratches disappear.
-From his place, the son of Jupiter looked out of the corner of his eye like Nico's face was briefly dismayed at Leo's gratitude.
-It's nothing." They continued to fly over until the clouds began to turn gray and the weather became colder and wetter. It was a relief to be riding a dragon, they practically had thermal seats against the cold; but not against the water. The rain was already soaking them and even Festus was starting to smoke a little.
-They managed to descend without any problem on the roof of a building; it was already dark so if any mortal saw them he must have thought it was a helicopter. The plan was to go to Big Ben, where possibly some god could give them help according to Chiron, but they never imagined that London would be so plagued by monsters desiring fresh flesh of demigods.
To be continued...
Uhhh! With that ending, even I got anxious...
UHUHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
Alright my loves, unfortunately that's all for today. I hope you enjoyed reading this chapter as much as I did writing it. Anyway you have no idea of everything that is coming our way in this story so I recommend you to get ready, maybe a seatbelt or a helmet. Ok ok, also an axe or a shotgun because, I'll be honest, you're going to hate me.
On the other hand, I can't wait to read what you thought of this chapter, don't forget that reviews are a vital part of a good feed.
See you in May with a new chapter!