I'm on a train of not liking what I'm writing. Which really sucks, because I want to be proud of what I'm writing for you all!
This is unedited because I honestly didn't want to. I planned to, but I finished this maybe a day or two ago and there is no chance I'm going to edit it at this point.
Just know I love all of you! I don't want to put out bad chapters, but I have faith for the next one. I've been planning for far too long on how I'll execute it so I'm pretty excited. There's a little bit of a hint of what's going to happen! If you can guess what you think might happen next chapter, leave it in a review!
A bright flash brightened the Mercedes, and the son of Hestia groaned. His eyes opened reluctantly and he brushed the sleep out of his eyes.
"Hey, kid." A voice said and Percy turned to see Apollo.
He bowed his head in respect. "Lord Apollo. What brings you here?"
The sun god chuckled. "Little word of advice. When you finally get to San Francisco—"
Percy's eyebrows furrowed. "San Francisco?"
He looked back in confusion for a second until he realized that Percy knew where San Francisco was, but not that it was where they would be headed. "Yeah, that's where you're going." The god seemed to realize he may have said too much, and his eyes widened. "Uh… I never said that. Swear on the Styx you won't say anything to the other quest members."
"I, Perseus Jackson, son of Hestia, swear upon the River Styx that I will not say anything about the quest going to San Francisco."
The god grinned. "Great! Now, when you get there you've got to find Nereus."
"Who?"
"Old Man of the Sea. He'll answer your one question if you're able to catch him."
Percy still looked confused. "Catch him?"
"You'll figure it out when you find him." The god replied, and before Percy could say anything, the god disappeared in a bright flash.
"That was helpful." Percy said, getting out of the car. The sunlight streamed onto his face and he took a deep intake of breath.
"What are you doing?" Annabeth asked as she sat delicately on the car's hood.
Percy smiled as he opened her eyes at sat next to him. "Enjoying."
She chuckled. "Yeah. I don't really get out much, being stuck in camp and all."
He cocked his head, his eyebrows knit together. "Why?"
Annabeth sighed. "I mean, I've only been on quests with Orion. I've never got to see anything interesting or really take it all in."
He knew better than to ask about her father. "Well, guess we've both never really seen the world."
Now it was Annabeth's turned to be confused.
He noticed her expression. "I mean, I've lived with my mom most of my life, training."
She nodded. "Yeah. All I do at camp is train. I'm tired of being around Orion and feeling cooped up." She paused for a moment and they sat in silence. "I've thought about joining the Hunt." The daughter of Athena added softly.
He smiled brightly. "You should!"
She shook her head. Her voice was small and her figure crumpled. "I could never leave Thalia. She's the only person who's ever been there for me who hasn't left me."
He nodded in understanding. "Have you ever talked to her about it?"
She shook her head. "I know she hates Zoë, and by proxy the hunters. She would never want to."
"Have you ever asked? I mean, I don't know what happened between her and Zoë, but maybe she's changed her mind."
Another head shake.
"Ask her when the quest is over." He advised. "Because I think she doesn't want to be the prophecy's child either."
"Either?" Annabeth asked her head tilted.
Percy cursed his slip. "I just don't know if it goes for me."
She rolled her eyes. "You're not a good liar."
"I'm serious." He attempted, but Annabeth seemed to be done with it now. She had figured out enough.
"Whatever." They sat in silence for a beat. "Do you really think she'll want to join the Hunt to escape the prophecy?"
He nodded. "Yeah, I do."
"We're here!" Zoë yelled, and both Percy and Annabeth took the time to look around.
The train was slowing to a stop. The greenery was lush and bright, and a simple sign read: Welcome to Cloudcroft, New Mexico!
Percy's eyes bulged. "How are we already in New Mexico?"
"A god must have interfered."
"But why?" Thalia asked as the train slowed to a stop. They disembarked while Phoebe simply shrugged.
"Let's stop for lunch." Percy suggested as he saw a small coffee shop down the road. He hadn't eaten in a while, and had a strong feeling that summoning food would not be the smartest idea right now. He'd need his powers for later.
Zoë rolled her eyes. "Boys and their stomachs controlling them."
"What, are you not hungry?" Percy asked, and Zoë didn't respond.
They walked in silence to the coffee shop. Cloudcroft was desolate and bare. There were only a few people wandering in the street.
The group entered the coffee shop, sending Annabeth up to order their drinks. The woman behind the counter looked exhausted, but slightly relieved that there were actually customers.
"How do we plan to make it farther west?" Thalia asked.
"I haven't the slightest clue." Zoë responded, her tone confusingly not hostile. "This town is barren."
Annabeth returned with their drinks. Percy immediately reached for the hot chocolate, as coffee was far too bitter for his tastes. Thalia grabbed a coffee as well and Annabeth, and the hunters had tea, as they didn't even know what coffee was.
When Percy adamantly ranted about how terrible tasting it was, the hunters decided that grabbing a cup of tea would be better. Thalia defended her stance, but that only seemed to make Zoë want to get a cup of tea more. Percy resolved that he really needed to figure out why exactly there was so much tension between them.
They vacated the shop, looking around for anything they could do to get out of the desolate town.
"We'll check out the grocery store." Annabeth resolved, pulling Thalia along with her. Before anyone could say anything, they were gone.
"Alright then." Percy said, looking to the two hunters next to him. Zoë seemed relieved that Thalia had left, while Phoebe just looked angry that they were stuck with him.
"I'm going to use the restroom." Phoebe said, and started to walk away. She turned around to look at Zoë. "You coming?"
Zoë hesitated and looked between the two, something that Phoebe didn't miss. She shook her head. Phoebe huffed angrily and walked away without a word. Zoë sat down on the bench, her arms crossed.
"You good?" Percy asked as he sat down next to her.
Zoë looked at him, feigning confusion. "Why would I not be?"
He brushed it off, not wanting to push her on it. "Never mind. But what's between you and Thalia?"
She glared at him, but it was half-hearted. "That is not your problem." She stated, looking away from him.
"You're my friend, Zoë." Percy said sincerely. "So yeah, it is kind of my problem."
"Who said I was your friend?" She asked, far more hostile than she meant it to be. Regardless of her hatred of men, she had come to see the boy as a friend.
Percy bit his lip, and looked away. "I figured you might say that." He said softly. "I understand it though." He didn't know why, but it hurt to hear her say it.
They sat in silence for a moment before Zoë said anything. "That was crude of me. I do see you as a friend, it is just… hard to acknowledge."
Their voices were quiet. "I mean, you've hated men for millennia."
Zoë turned to the boy, and their eyes met, sparkling brown meeting volcanic black. "You are not like them."
Percy broke from the gaze first. His heart was thumping far too fast and he could barely keep his breathing steady. Little did he know, Zoë seemed to be having the same problem.
"Thank you." He said, pink staining his cheeks. "Why is there so much hatred between you and Thalia?"
Zoë blinked at the subject change, and took a deep breath. "We encountered her, Annabeth and Luke while they were running away. Neither of them wanted to join the Hunt and I told her that Luke would let her down."
He looked towards the regretful hunter next to him. He impulsively grabbed her hand, and she turned to him. Her hand was warm in his, and he could feel the calluses from fighting. It was comfortable, and Percy never wanted to let go. "It wasn't your fault, and one cannot blame you." He quickly realized that he was holding a hunter's hand and let go. He felt incomplete, as if he had lost his limb. "Sorry."
The hunter didn't know what to think of the boy's hand in hers. She felt perfectly at home, the callused hand of a fighter in hers was something she had never felt before. "It is alright."
Percy nodded but they sat in an awkward silence. Phoebe returned quickly after, eyeing him in confusion. She seemingly brushed it away and engaged in conversation with her friend. Annabeth and Thalia exited the store, Annabeth holding a plastic rat.
His eyebrows scrunched together as he looked at the two.
"It was depressingly empty." Annabeth remarked. "I decided to buy something."
They grouped up, Percy's now cold cocoa still in his hand. He didn't bother to warm it up, it was a useless display of his powers.
"I haven't the—" Thalia started.
A strong breeze pushed through the area, leaves floating gently through the air. A strong scent of nature overwhelmed their senses.
The robins on Percy's cup materialized and peeled off, flying away into the serene breeze. The quest members could only watch in awe as the events unfolded in front of them.
"He is back." Zoë remarked with a large grin on her face.
Phoebe nodded happily. "I have not felt his presence since his presumed fading!"
Thalia and Percy looked at them confused, but Annabeth understood.
"That was the spirit of Pan, Lord of the Wild."
The group sat in silence for a moment, reveling in the lost god's presence.
A clattering of bones broke anything serene about the moment. All of their heads turned to see the Sparti clambering after him.
"How did they find us so fast?" Thalia cursed as she brandished her mace canister, and the quest members did the same with their respective weapons.
"I have no idea." Annabeth said.
The skeletons walked in a v-formation, weapons in skeletal hands.
A stomping noise was heard in the distance. It drew closer until the group could see a boar in the distance.
The boar destroyed the Sparti's formation, easily crushing them under its hooves.
"Holy Hera!" Thalia shouted, raising her shield to protect herself, but it only seemed to backfire. The boar let out a "REET!" as it charged towards them.
"How can we kill it?" Percy asked.
"We can't! It's the Erymanthian Boar!" Phoebe shouted.
Percy vaguely recalled learning about Heracles' tale of fighting the boar, but couldn't remember exactly how he had defeated it. He was pretty sure that the boar had destroyed a few cities before Heracles had been able to subdue it.
"Do not kill it!" Zoë ordered. "It is a blessing from Pan!"
Percy rolled his eyes. "Some blessing."
The boar lumbered closer and Percy clambered to find an escape. "Follow me!" He yelled, running through the trees. The group travelled with a swift grace that the boar could not match. It was slowed down by the trees which it had to plow down.
They reached the end of forest, slowing as they neared the edge of a steep hill. The boar, unable to stop, flew off the cliff and landed in the soft snow.
"We've got to get down there." Annabeth said, grabbing Thalia's shield. The daughter of Zeus was green, shaking her head.
"I—" Percy grabbed Thalia's hand. Their intertwined hands glowed a soft orange. Zoë felt an uncomfortable knot in her stomach, but brushed it aside.
Percy let go of her hand.
"We have to get down." Annabeth said, sitting at the front of the large shield. "Everybody on."
The group obliged. Phoebe, who was in the back, pushed off and they went flying down. They somehow managed to avoid every major rock and tree, slowing to a stop at the bottom.
They all disembarked, walking over to the boar, who was trapped. There must have been some sort of divine intervention, because the boar was stuck in ice.
"Everybody on." Zoë instructed.
Percy got on first, Zoë and Phoebe soon after. Thalia and Annabeth were slightly more reluctant, but did so anyway.
The second they were all situated, Percy grabbed an apple from his bag.
"Anyone know a way to keep the apple ahead of the boar?" The son of Hestia asked, and Zoë's eyes immediately flickered to Phoebe.
She sighed and grabbed the apple from Percy's hand. She muttered something under her breath and it floated in front of the boar's head.
The boar tried to wildly grab for it, and Percy melted the ice around its feet. The boar went faster than any of them had imagined.
"How did you do that?" Annabeth asked Phoebe, her eyes wide in amazement.
She rolled her eyes. "Hecate is my mother." She said simply, and her tone signaled there were no more questions to be asked.
The creature clambered west, the rushing of the wind giving them no chance to talk. After all, there didn't seem to be many words to be said.