Chapter 19: The Journey begins

"I still can't believe you hit me!" Luke said as we walked back to camp. I had told him what happened with Colin and Athena. He seemed surprised that I had seen Athena again. A goddess appearing to you was rare enough, it happening twice in a day was pretty much impossible.
"I had to. You seemed about ready to kill Colin." That was true. I didn't actually see it but his voice was enough to convince me of that he wanted to kill Colin.
"Well yeah but you didn't have to hit me. You could have just asked."
"I DID!" I said slightly offended.
"I would have remembered that."
"Do you remember anything you said to him?"
"What I said are just details." In other words...he didn't remember a thing. Luke and I seemed to be all right with each other even with Colt living inside my grapefruit. Colt had tormented Luke but we seemed to be friends, at least I believed we were.
"Sure mate. And anyway being hit in the face isn't the worst thing that happened to you."
"My bloody hand can vouch for that you bastard." I laughed. I figured he meant it as a joke. He didn't seem very serious anyway. We pretty much went on that way. Until someone blocked our path. It was a boy, not very tall, not comparing to Luke and I anyway. He was wearing a grey hoody and black trousers. He didn't look very dangerous, except for his eyes anyway. His eyes spoke murder.
"Luke get out of here. This is between me and him." The boy said.
"Lucio, don't do this. I know what you might have heard but it's a little more complicated than that." Luke said. I didn't really know what this was about. But if the kid wanted a piece of me I'd let him have it.
"He killed my sister! How can that be some kind of misunderstanding!" Lucio was red of rage. He hated me, and I didn't blame him. I knew who his sister was. Evie had gotten the most undignified death possible. Slashed to pieces by a madman and left to die alone.
"I'm sorry about your sister kid. But you have to understand that what happened was out of my control and that you shouldn't waste your life trying to get revenge. Evie wouldn't have wanted that." I said to the boy. He was too young to have his heart filled with rage like this. He reminded me too much of myself when I was that age. When I was twelve I was already a murderer because of revenge. I didn't wish the same fate of anyone.
"Don't you say what Evie would have wanted, don't you dare! There's nothing I have to understand, you killed her, and I'll kill you!" He pulled out a sword. A simple bronze sword from the armoury, it was possible that Luke had made it.
"You want to kill me? You have no idea what it is like to take a life kid. It's not what you think. Even if you could kill me it won't make the pain go away. You'll always miss her, you'll always hate me even when I'm dead and buried." I was speaking out of experience. I knew what revenge was like. Nemesis had a lot of influence on me. I had killed too many people out of revenge, and now this kid was going to try and kill me. The only thing was that he didn't have the heart for killing like I had. He couldn't beat me and even if he could I doubted that he would strike me down when push came to shove.
"You know how it is to kill don't you! I saw her body, how could you do that to her? She never did anything wrong, she never hurt you. How could you do that!" Lucio was shaking on his knees, he held his sword weakly in his hand. I didn't want to fight him, and even though it was harsh, I didn't have the time to explain it to him. I sprinted forwards and grabbed his arm before he could move. I pulled the sword out of his hand and tripped him down to the floor.
"I'm sorry about your sister Lucio. If I could turn back what happened I would. I understand that you hate me but right now I don't have time to explain what happened. Don't try to go after me again Lucio, don't pursue your revenge. It will corrupt you until you're not the same person." I said. Tears appeared in his eyes. He was still grieving, this was merely one step in accepting that his sister was no more. I threw his sword away from him and signed Luke that we should keep going.

The five of us assembled in the Prometheus cabin. It was the only place where we wouldn't be bothered by anyone. I figured Jake nor Prometheus would have minded us using his cabin. Especially since we were going to try and defeat the one that killed Jake. I think the titan of forethought would see that as a valid reason to use his cabin. It was getting late and it had been a long day. Dinner would be soon, but we had to come to a decision. We had to act now.
"I still think we should ask for a quest." Grace said again.
"No, no quest. Whatever we decide it stays between these walls." I said. The five of us knew the whole story. If we involved the whole camp it would do more bad than good. It would probably be slowed down and go through this whole system before we could leave we didn't have that time to waste. Phthonos was getting on edge, this was the only window we were going to get and we had to take it.
"Why don't we just go to Los Angeles and enter the underworld?" Maximus asked.
"Wait the underworld is in Los Angeles?" I asked. No wonder my life there involved so much death, I was living on top of the underworld...well the entrance anyway. If I understood how it all worked all of America was on top of the underworld. Or even the entire world, I didn't know that for sure.
"Then what if something happens? We leave and never come back then what. Then who'll stop Phthonos?" Maria asked. The truth was that when I first met Maria I thought she was shallow and arrogant like most daughters of Aphrodite. And she was arrogant but not as shallow as I thought. Now that something was going on she wanted to help. And the more I was around her the more I realized that she didn't hate me because Colt tried to kill her, but because he tried to kill Luke.
"Then some of us stay behind." I answered. "Three is a sacred number right? Three go, two stay behind. So who goes?"
"You have to go Angel...trust me I don't like it but you got the task from Athena not anyone else." Maria said. I was surprised when Maria said I should go. She explained why she said it but still. It felt strange. I think she already knew who were going to go before we all agreed on it.
"Okay." I swallowed some self doubt there. I was scared about what would happen. I didn't believe that I stood a chance against Phthonos. There were far better demigods than me, why did I get this job?
"So who else goes?" Luke asked. I was sure already who was going. I was pretty sure that Maria didn't want to go even if Luke went too, and I would die before letting Grace go.
"I say you and Maximus." Maria said before I could. "Maximus knows more about Phthonos than any of us. And you're the best fighter and the most experienced. You three should go. Does everyone agree?" Everyone nodded, although no one was really happy about this. I think all of us wished none of this was necessary.
"Okay...that's decided then." Luke said doubtfully. I didn't think he wanted to go and I knew why. This quest it was dangerous and we wouldn't have any help from camp. Out of the three of us he was the only one with someone to return to. If he died he would be missed while me and Maximus were expendable. Luke had a life while me and Maximus were about ready to die. He feared the quest more than any of us. "So what do we need? Money, Drachmas, clothes, food. How are we going to get all that?"
"We have half an hour before dinner, we should have everything before then." Maria said while looking on her watch. "I'll go to the supply room to get money and drachmas. Grace you go to the kitchen and grab some things to eat. Things that last, nothing that goes bad quickly." Grace nodded in agreement. "Maximus can go to the laundry room and grab a few changes of clothes. You obviously know where to find it." Maria looked at the clothes Maximus was wearing. He had stolen them earlier that day when he tried to leave camp. Maximus just put on a cheeky smile and then nodded. "Luke you'll go to the infirmary and get nectar and ambrosia for the three of you."
"I love it when you get all bossy." Luke said with a smile.
"Shut up." Maria replied chuckling a bit. "Angel you get some bags. After dinner you can pack whatever more you need and then you leave tonight." She had seemed controlled and focused until she said that. I guess that's when she realized that Luke was leaving and might never return. It couldn't have been easy for her.
"Let's do it. We'll meet back here as soon as possible and head to the dining pavilion together." I said. We all did our jobs. I 'found' three backpacks in the Hermes cabin. Maria got about three hundred dollars and a few drachmas which were probably worth a lot more than the dollars. And three hundred was a lot of money for a kid from the streets. Luke had three flasks of nectar and about fifteen ambrosia squares. It was safer to all carry one flask and some of the ambrosia than the carry it all in one bag. There was a chance a bag got lost somewhere along the way and knowing luck it would be the bag with nectar and ambrosia. Max came back with clothes that wouldn't really get noticed in the mortal world. If all our clothes said camp half blood it would be kind of weird. He got jumpers, t-shirts, jeans and everything else we might need. Grace came back empty handed. She apologized a million times but because of dinner being made she couldn't sneak in and knick some food. It didn't really matter. I figured the three hundred quid would get us pretty far when it came to food.

Dinner was weird. It was like being in the last supper by Leonardo Da Vinci. We all had to sit in separate tables, well all of us except for Maximus and me. Since we were both unclaimed we sat next to each other at the Hermes table. We barely spoke though. Nor ate. Well I barely ate...Maximus didn't seem to have such a bad appetite. Luke was sitting at the Hephaestus table rolling spaghetti around his fork and then dropping it. Maria stared at her plate as if there was a chopped of head on it instead of food and Grace sat silently at the Iris table. We all knew what was going to happen and none of us liked it. We were nearly ready to go, but none of us wanted to.

After Dinner we all went our separate ways for a while. We weren't going to leave until the entire camp was in deep slumber. I didn't really know what the others did exactly but I know that Maria and Luke spend their time together and that Maximus went to the woods. I always figured that Grace was just in her cabin waiting for her siblings to go to sleep. I myself packed Jake's gloves and Shadow-edge and went to the beach. I sat there watching the sun go down and the moon get brighter. It was a full moon and it's reflection in the sea was a beautiful sight. Time went by slowly as tried to get my thoughts straight on how we were going to take care of all this. The funny thing was that while I was sitting there I worried more about Samael than Phthonos. Maximus said that Samael was Phthonos' son so I was pretty sure we'd find him somewhere along the line. It wasn't a reunion I was looking forward to. If we did I knew I would have to fight him. I highly doubted that I could beat him. He was stronger than I was and probably trained a lot harder in the last few months. I had to have some hope though. If we didn't have hope then this had failed already.

"Angel?" I heard Grace voice. I wondered if she had just decided to come to the beach or if she figured I was here. It didn't matter either way, I could do with some company.

"Hey Grace." I said. She sat down next to me. I still just stared over the ocean wondering what was going to happen to me. This quest could go so many ways and very few involved me returning home.

"I think everything is set. You're ready to go." Grace said. I huffed.

"I'll never be ready to go. Not into certain death anyway." I wasn't very optimistic and this point. Usually I tried to be but given things rarely turned out the way I wanted them I lost my optimism along the road.

"Don't say that! You'll be fine, all of you will be." Grace said. Her undying support always surprised me. I had done nothing to earn it. Why did she believe in me while all I had done at camp was wrong?

"Grace...why do you believe in me so much?" A question I needed an answer to. Maybe there was some kind of reason I didn't understand.

"Because...well...you're like him." Grace said. I knew she meant Jake. Who else could she mean by that? But it was another thing I doubted. I wasn't like Jake at all. He was a hero, I was a monster. I wondered how she got to the conclusion that we were alike. I guess it was a compliment for me but it was a definite insult to Jake.

"I wish." I said. I couldn't agree with what Grace said although I could have been nicer about not agreeing.

"I figured you wouldn't see it yourself. But it's true. You both have too much self doubt and always blame yourselves for the things that go wrong, even if you can't stop it. He wasn't a born hero either but like you he stood up when it was needed. And trust me he was just as scared as you are right now." Apparently she knew Jake and me quite well. Didn't know how that happened. I still didn't agree. Jake hadn't done the things I had done, he was a good guy unlike me.

"You really think so huh?" I asked her. I didn't agree but I could hardly say something about it given she had given me a giant compliment, one I hardly deserved.

"Yeah..." After that there was a long pause. I didn't really know what to say any more and even though it was rare for her, she didn't either. So we just sat there for a while. Was I really like Jake? "You know...if this happened...earlier. The one person I know that could have stopped it was Jake. He's gone but you're not. He trained you, he taught you everything he knew. He lives on in you Angel. Live your life for the both of you." Grace said. They were great words. There was so much more to Grace than what you saw at first glance. She seemed like a real girly girl, and she was. But she was also tough, smart and probably the kindest person I had ever met.

"Thanks Grace." I said. Her words gave me strength. What she said that evening...I would never forget it.

"I should go to the Iris cabin. Else they'll know something is up." She smiled and got up. "I'll see you tonight." Grace said. I smiled and nodded. I was left alone again. Usually I didn't mind but losing Grace's company was a true loss.

It was past two am before we were all at Thalia's pine tree. Well near Thalia's pine tree, none of us wanted to get too close to the dragon that was catching some shut eye out there. We had all come from different places of camp. I had spend the rest of the night on the beach while Max came out of the woods. Maria and Luke had spend the time together. Grace had gone back to the Iris cabin after she spoke to me and acted like she was sleeping. She couldn't have fallen asleep even if she wanted to.
"So this is really happening huh?" Grace said. She had broken about ten minutes of silence. None of us knew what to say. I wasn't one for goodbye's. The last time I left someone was with one see you later and the one before that involved me blowing some old friends up.
"Yeah I guess so." I said. That's when Grace pretty much tackle hugged me.
"Come back okay?"
"I will." I said. She let go of me and I noticed Luke and Maria were saying goodbye as well. They hugged and Maria let go with tears rolling over her cheek. Then she walked up to me and put on her hate face again.
"If you hurt him, or get him hurt or anything. I swear I will kill you." It was a valid thing to say. If I did hurt Luke...she wouldn't even have to kill me. Once I regained consciousness I'd probably kill myself.
"Don't worry Maria. I won't let him get hurt." I said. I doubted Luke would have much trouble, he was the best fighter of all of us. Of course we were heading for the underworld...fighting skill doesn't really matter down there.
"Hey wait up you three!" A voice said. A red head girl came running up the hill. I had no idea who she was but I knew it was bad since no one else was supposed to know about this. "Wait a minute." She said. She was standing next to us now. She was panting heavily and took a moment to catch her breath.
"Rachel what are you doing here?" Maria asked the girl.
"I'm the oracle, when stuff happens I know. Sheesh give me some credit." She said. "Anyway Angel I know what you're planning and I just got a prophecy for you that's why I came over here."
"Aren't prophecies only given with quests?" I asked the red head girl who was apparently named Rachel. I didn't know at the time but she was the person with the spirit of Delphi, an oracle. She told the future in riddles no one ever understood.
"Just because Chiron doesn't know doesn't mean it isn't a quest." She said with a smile and a wink. "Oh don't worry by the way I won't tell." She seemed quite nice. Even though the whole oracle thing was quite creepy. "Anyway prophecy."

Three will walk in the night's dim light
Jealousy, ill will and envy they must fight
Alone the lord of death he shall face
His mental enemy he shall chase
The candidate chosen, the cage closed
By his finest soldier in the end opposed

It was weird how her voice changed so drastically. She didn't sound like a normal girl any more. She sounded ancient. But that didn't keep me busy very long. The words made no sense and no matter how I tried much didn't make sense. Prophecies never do I guessed. The first line was simple, that was hardly the future. The second line was pretty much what we were set to do. The third scared me to death. Alone the lord of death he shall face. Which probably meant that I would end up going to Hades alone. Which could mean that both Luke and Maximus wouldn't make it there. The fourth line made me think of Colt but how could I chase Colt? The fifth was confusing. Max, Samael or me was the candidate so I guess that was going to be decided. The cage closed I didn't understand. He wanted to open the cage so did that mean we were going to succeed? I didn't know. This all made me wish Rachel had never run up the hill to tell us the prophecy. But that was too late now. So we left. We were on foot for now. We were heading to New York city and there we would take the train towards Chicago. Maria said she would make sure that there we would get three plane tickets towards Los Angeles. Maria had arranged for those. Her dad lived in Chicago and it was hard for him to deny anything to his little girl. Even three plane tickets to Los Angeles for three of her friends. We were all set...now all we had to do was actually travel. And of course...nothing went as planned.