I felt sick. I kneeled over, staring at the wooden floor. The green mist retreated as she spoke the final word. I groaned, sitting up slowly, looking at her. She was completely still. Not even a breath escaped her. I swallowed thickly, putting my head between my knees, trying to breathe slowly. My head hurt and I felt like I was going to puke. What had she meant? I frowned and forced myself to stand. I swayed in place for a moment before my head cleared. Without looking back I left, glad to be out of her presence.
I took the stairs two and three at a time before settling on the landing to the second floor. I didn't want to see anyone right now. I wanted to think about what I had just heard. The prophecy was dark; I could tell that as much. I thought it over, memorizing it, repeating it to myself.
A youth will choose death or slavery,
Two will fail their purpose,
One will succumb to pain,
A rebellion will not occur when it is time.
I had no clue what most of it meant. I got the feeling that someone was going to die though, somewhere on the trip. And that made it final; I would not be choosing either of my brothers to accompany me on this trip. Two will fail their purpose? Which two? Would I fail the quest? One will succumb to pain. That was foreboding, and I sort of didn't want to have this quest anymore. And the last one: a rebellion will not occur when it is time. What did that mean? I groaned, rubbing my head. Finally I stood and continued down to the first floor. I heard voices in a room off to the side. I entered and paused when I saw most of the cabin counselors sitting at a table, talking quietly.
Chloe stood when I entered, causing everyone's eyes to go to her. She blushed and sat back down quickly, looking at the table. I closed the door behind me and sat next to Rex, who patted my back supportively. Annabeth was there, as was Beckendorf, Rex, of course, and Clarisse. The twins from the Dionysus cabin and the Stoll brothers were also there. I sighed a little, and looked at the head of the table where Chiron was sitting in his wheelchair. He was staring at me in that way that made it seem like he could read my every thought. I frowned a bit and looked across the table to see Chloe looking at me with wide, pretty eyes. I narrowed my eyes and lowered my gaze to the table with a sigh.
"Mitchell, what did the Oracle say?" Annabeth prodded. I took a deep breath, thinking over the prophecy. It was so dark and foreboding. Apollo's blessing be damned, this quest was going to be fucked up. I looked up at her, and then looked at Chiron who was waiting patiently. I sighed heavily.
"A youth will choose death or slavery, two will fail their purpose, one will succumb to pain, a rebellion will not occur when it is time." I recited stoically. Chiron sighed heavily, stroking his beard as he thought. I spared a glance to Rex who looked determined. I furrowed my brows, but before I could ask him what was up, Chiron cleared his throat.
"Dark, yes, but we've had darker prophecies before. Whom will you choose?" He asked me. I scanned the room. I knew for a fact that there were so many that weren't at the table, waiting in their cabins to hear the news, to find how who was going. I looked at Annabeth and I realized I would need an Athena child, and she had the most experience. She raised her head a little proudly, like she knew what I was thinking. I wouldn't doubt it, with those piercing eyes of hers. Then I felt Rex nudge me. I looked at him and he gave me a very clear look, Dude, you have to pick me. I shook my head.
"No. Nope, I'm not taking my brother on a quest that a prophecy foretold that someone would die. Fuck off, I've lost too much of my family for that." I said sternly, turning away from him. He looked hurt and angry, and I didn't blame him. I would've been absolutely pissed in his position. "Annabeth, you're coming. I know you are." I said sternly, sort of hating myself for it. I didn't really like Annabeth. She was a bit headstrong, and a bit proud. Like she knew she was the best to be picked…and she was, but she didn't have to act like it. She smiled at me, nodding in agreement. Now I needed someone else.
"We should get Percy—" She started, but I cut her off, shaking my head.
"No. Let him stay home for a while. He doesn't need to be on this quest," I said as I thought. So I had my skills, which was archery, healing, and running (okay, it was called parkour, but it was basically just running over things), and I had Annabeth's skills, which were swordsmanship and strategy. I needed someone else to fill in the blanks. I needed pure strength. I glanced around the table, frowning. I wish Olivia were here. She would've picked for me, and told me to deal with it. And her choice would've been perfect. I sighed heavily, rubbing my face, thinking.
"Anyone want to volunteer?" I asked rhetorically.
"Yes, dumb ass, right here." Rex snapped and I glared at him. But no one else answered. I looked around at them, and Beckendorf just shrugged at me like I'll go. I frowned a little. Rex would be so mad, but I couldn't take my brother. He was only a half-brother, true, but he was family, and I could not lose another sibling.
"Beckendorf, you willing to come along?" I asked without looking at Rex. I felt him tense besides me. I felt a little guilty, as if I were betraying him somehow, but I didn't care. I would not put my brother in danger, no way, no how. Beckendorf nodded, folding his hands on the table and leaning forward to participate in the conversation more. I heard Rex let out a long breath, and I knew I would have to talk to him about this before I left.
"Good," Chiron said. He seemed to approve of my choices, so I relaxed a little. He wheeled over to a bookcase and took a scroll down and wheeled back over to the table, rolling the scroll out. "We've no clue where Luke might be, only where his main base is." Annabeth nodded slowly, but I just listened. "However, Apollo's last location with the raven was in New York. There have been more monster attacks there as well. In an area surrounding a nightclub called Sun's Son."
I snorted a bit. It wasn't hard to figure out who owned that place. Apollo had nightclubs everywhere, apparently. This one would be loud, obnoxious, and too hot, probably made for demi-gods, satyrs, the nicer monsters, and, of course, the gods. Chiron smiled a bit, but then it faded as he studied the scroll, which I realized was a map of New York City with marked places.
"We can go to this place and find any clues, anything to question, and anything that may lead us to the location of the bird." Annabeth said confidently. I gave her a look. Who was supposed to be leading this thing? She smiled a bit, shrugging a little. Chiron nodded his approval.
"Get ready tonight, and pack your things. You'll leave for New York this evening." And with that the meeting was dismissed. I stood and left the Big House, rubbing the back of my head. Rex was next to me, staying silent. I was glad; if he had talked I probably would've punched him. Lightly, in a brotherly fashion, but with the intent to harm. We had all day to prepare, so I left Rex to go towards the beach. I don't even know why I went to the beach. The sea wasn't a place I particularly liked. In fact, I hadn't even known how to swim until I got to camp. Chevy had to teach me.
Still, I walked to the beach, trailing up and down the shore. After a while I just sat down on a boulder and stared out at the sea. I realized I must've been out there for hours. It felt like I was waiting for something, but I didn't know what. I glanced up to the sun, squinting as it crossed the sky. Most people didn't actually see the sun moving, but Apollo's kids were gifted that way. I lowered my eyes to the sea, light spots covering my vision. I sighed and closed my eyes, resting my head on my hands.
"Mitchell?" I opened my eyes quickly, looking over. Chloe was standing there and I had to admit she looked beautiful. Her black hair reflected the shades of the sun and the sea, and her eyes were shining and bright…and red. I sat up, realizing she had been crying a little. I felt guilty, though I didn't know why. I liked Chloe, no reason to deny that, but we only really talked. There wasn't a lot of interaction. Still, she was my friend.
"Hey, what's wrong?" I asked gently, moving over as she climbed up and sat next to me. She shrugged meekly. She wore short jean shorts and a golden t-shirt that said 'you haven't seen hot 'til you've seen an Apollo kid'. That sort of made me flush, but I didn't comment on it because it was completely true (okay, I'm biased in this opinion).
"I'm just worried for you, Mitch," she said softly. I sighed a little, looking out at the sea. It lapped gently at the shore. I watched as it swept shells and seaweed back out to sea and then brought it back in. "I know you'll be brave and strong…but I'm still going to worry." She said softly, sniffling a little. Then she chuckled a little. "When I first met you, I was so nervous. I saw you in those old clothes, and I just thought 'This guy is gonna kill us all'. But I was wrong…you're so nice," she trailed off. I heard her voice break a little and that made my guilty even worse. I didn't know what to say, so I didn't say anything. I stared out at the sea, thinking about Jackson, the quests he's completed. I sighed a little, closing my eyes. Who was I kidding? I was probably going to die on this quest.
"Please be careful," she whispered softly, putting her hand on my arm. Her thumb traced my bicep. I sighed a little at the touch, and turned to look at her. Her eyes were big and wide and hopeful, and I saw that she wanted me to promise that I would be careful. I also saw that she knew I wouldn't be safe, no matter what, and we both knew that my promise would be empty.
I had never kissed a girl before. There wasn't a lot of time to get involved in girls while I was running for my life with Olivia. The only person that mattered back then was Olivia, and Seth but he wasn't real. Now looking down at Chloe, with her freckles and her brown eyes and black, wavy hair…I wanted to kiss her. Maybe for good luck, or maybe just to kiss a girl before I died. But I didn't know if she wanted me to kiss her. I guess there is no way to know.
"I'll promise you that I'll be careful," I murmured, leaning closer to her. I felt her move closer to me, and I felt her heat. She shivered a little, smiling weakly.
"You're really hot," she whispered back, her hand moving up so she could wrap her arm around my neck. I smiled a little. We were still getting closer, and I felt the anticipation of the moment, that moment.
And to make it as cliché as possible, I replied, "Well I am the son of Apollo." And we kissed. It was brief, but slow. It wasn't…passionate like in movies. It was just nice and gentle, like we were holding off the main kiss, the big kiss, until after I returned. It would be something to look forward to. But the kiss was cut off with a loud cough. I broke away to turn and see Annabeth and Beckendorf standing nearby. Annabeth had her arms crossed and her foot was tapping against the sand. I narrowed my eyes, but moved back away from Chloe. Hopping down from the boulder, I took her hand and looked up at her.
"I will return." I promised. She looked so calm, but in her eyes there was turmoil. She didn't even want me to go. But a quest only came along once in a blue moon. I had to snatch it up while I could. I went towards my companions. Annabeth didn't look amused, but Beckendorf seemed to approve. "Let's go get ready, then," I growled, passing them and going up the path to the camp and towards the cabins.
I entered the cabin to see Chevy and Rex sitting by the fireplace. They were quiet. Rex looked upset and disappointed. Chevy just looked solemn. I walked up to my chest and pulled out my knapsack and my old clothes, the clothes I had arrived to camp in. Rex looked up at me and I avoided his gaze as I changed. With Sky gone, we hadn't bothered using the changing room. I took off my shirt and shorts, standing only in my black boxer-briefs as Rex sat on my bed. Chevy followed and sat on Sky's.
"What?" I asked as I pulled on my blue jeans. I had to wash them several times to get all of the blood stains out of it. Still, though, I saw some spots of dark blue where the blood had stained permanently. I ignored the stains and instead finally looked at Rex.
"Why not me? Or Chevy?" Or even Sky!? You could go pick her up!" Rex asked. I realized he wasn't mad, just confused and upset. He regarded family to be the greatest ally one could ever have. I saw family as the biggest weakness a guy could ever have.
"Because, it'll be dangerous," I said simply as I pulled my boots on. Gods, I forgot how heavy these things were. They were steel toed, and the steel was peeking out through the dark brown fabric. I had tried to wash the boots, but it hadn't worked very well. They were still stained with red, but it just looked like a darker brown. I pulled on a white undershirt and then pulled on my red t-shirt. I grunted a little. I didn't realize how much I had filled out in the few months I had been here. The shirt was a little tight around my chest, where my muscles had grown in strong. Its sleeves had always been tight around my arms, but it was really tight now. Whatever, I could still move easily to notch arrows and swing swords, so I'd be fine.
"Dangerous? That's why you need one of us!" Rex exclaimed, standing as I rummages in the bedside table for a leather pouch of drachmas. I found it and tucked it into my knapsack. I grabbed my pocket knife and put it in my pocket. I glanced to Chevy, who nodded, agreeing with Rex. "See!? You're our brother, whether you like it or not! You need us." Rex said with finality. I sighed heavily, and looked at him.
"It's dangerous. And that's the exact reason why I'm not taking you. I am not losing another sibling." I said coldly. Rex paled a little and opened his mouth to say something, but I was done listening. "Hey, do you have a buzzer?" I asked. He furrowed his brows.
"Buzzer?"
"Yeah, like, for hair?" I asked, running my fingers through my hair. I hadn't gotten it cut since a few weeks before Olivia had been murdered. It had gotten even more shaggy and messy. I hadn't bothered to cut it, but I figured it would be a liability while on the quest.
"Yeah, I have one." Chevy said as he stood to get it from his chest. I got a towel and sat down on it. Rex sat in front of me while Chevy buzzed my head. I wanted it all off. I needed it all off. There was no point in keeping it and it would only grow back.
"Brother, you can't go without one of us. What will we tell Sky when she gets back?"
I sighed a little, closing my eyes as I thought. I shrugged very slightly, trying not to move as Chevy got close to my ears. "I can go without you guys, and I am going without you. As for Sky…just tell her I'll be back soon." Rex looked at me with fearful eyes. I knew he was thinking about the prophecy. I realized he wanted to change it and I narrowed my eyes.
"You can't change the future, Rex. You know that. When Heroes try and change the future, all Hades breaks loose." He seemed defeated, and he nodded glumly as Chevy finished. I stood and looked at the hair on the towel. I took a deep breath and went into the changing room. Truth be told, I liked it. I had never had it that short before and it was…cool looking. I ran my fingers over it with a slight sigh, smiling a little. In my opinion I looked bad ass, ready to take on the world and bring it to its knees. I left the changing room and helped sweep up the hair that got away from the towel.
I tied the scabbard for my bronze dagger to my hip, looping it through the belt loops on my jeans. I sheathed my dagger and packed any extra one in my knapsack. I pulled on my duster coat, and I was nearly ready to go wait for Annabeth and Beckendorf at the pine tree when Rex dropped two water bottles on my bed with a pair of red hide gloves. I frowned and picked up the gloves, looking up at him.
He shrugged, as if he was slightly embarrassed. "I know, they're hideous…But father gave them to me." My eyes widened a little, and I looked at them. Red hide…Apollo had gloves made from one of his cows? I swallowed a little, looking at Rex. "A son of Ares, about five hundred years ago, declared he was better than the gods…He had planned to hunt everything sacred of the gods at least once. He started with Dad's cows. He succeeded, but Dad was furious. The stories said Dad had ripped the hero's entrails from his throat…slowly. The hero didn't die for days," he said. I gagged a little, thinking about it. Rex nodded, looking a little sick as well. "There was nothing anyone could do for the cow, though, so instead of letting the death to be a waste, Dad made things from its leather. Those gloves will protect you from any heat and they can burn monsters just by touching them."
"Thank you, brother," I said softly, pulling them on. The gloves morphed, as most things in this world do, into something else when I pulled them on. They looked like fingerless black gloves now, like biker gloves. They went along with my total outfit fairly well, but I didn't really care about that. For gods sake, I had a charm bracelet on, so it didn't really matter what I wore. Rex nodded a little. I smiled a little at him and hugged him tightly, patting his back. He hesitated for a moment before returning the hug. We parted and I hugged Chevy before grabbing my bag and the water bottles. "These aren't magic, are they?" I asked with a slight smile.
Rex chuckled, shaking his head. "Nope, just regular water," he said. I nodded a bit, letting my smile slide away. As far as goodbyes went, this could've gone a lot worse…and a lot better. I looked at my brothers and sighed a little.
"Well here goes nothing, yeah?" I asked with a weak smile. They nodded, and patted by back as I left the cabin. I walked slowly, taking in the rest of the camp. It would be the first time I've left in a few months, and I was sort of nervous about the world outside. Finally I stopped near the tree, petting the dragon that guarded the Golden Fleece on the head. I didn't have to wait long. Beckendorf and Annabeth ascended the hill, each with their own bags. I offered them a bottle of water. Beckendorf declined, but Annabeth took it. I glanced over the camp again.
My heart stopped for a moment when I saw Chloe sitting on the stop of the climbing wall. She raised her hand to me in a sort of sad wave. I raised my hand towards her, and then turned to go down the hill, leading Annabeth and Beckendorf towards the van that waited for us. Argus was in the driver's seat, his eyes blinking at me. I ignored him as I settled in the back with Annabeth, Beckendorf sitting in the front. I watched the scenery pass by as we drove towards the highway. I sighed a little, and crossed my arms, waiting to reach the city.
New York was loud and obnoxious compared to the quiet serenity of camp (except while training) and I loved it. I hadn't realized how much I missed the rush of the city, the yell of the cars, the screams of the people. It was beautiful in a very entrancing way. I watched the cars we passed eagerly, imagining the lives of those inside. I saw two girls, sisters, in one, waving at anyone looking. I waved back and they smiled and laughed.
Argus dropped us off at the edge of the city, near a subway station. He didn't say anything as we piled out, but his eyes blinked all at once at us. I nodded to him and closed the door. He pulled away from the curb, and we left in the big city all by ourselves. I glanced around, and then looked at Annabeth. She sighed a little, and fished out a map of the city. I realized it was the same map that Chiron had. "The club is a few stations away from here. Come on." I shrugged a little at Beckendorf, who smirked just a little. It was better to just follow Annabeth in these situations. I had learned that during combat class where the Apollo cabin would be paired up with the Athena cabin.
We descended into the subway station. I was wary, and I felt my companions were wary as well. Underground with monsters would be a very bad situation. We had to just survive a few blocks, nothing more. It was an easy enough task, but I had a feeling that we'd fail. We got our tickets with the money Annabeth thought to bring. So far I was really happy I decided to bring her along, because both me and Beckendorf had forgotten to bring along mortal money.
And we waited. There weren't a lot of people around. Rush hour had died down a while ago. I glanced at the clock on the wall of the station. It was just past four in the evening. I felt nervous underground. I didn't like it. I wanted to breathe the fresh air, feel the sunlight. I sighed a little, and put my hands in my pockets, waiting for the worse. Nothing happened and when the subway train stopped, the three of us boarded quickly and settled into seats near the doors. Annabeth was watching me. I raised my eyebrow at her.
"Yes?" I asked politely. Even though I was leaving behind my family and Chloe, I was feeling better. I was actually doing something, not practicing to do something. I was on a quest. True, it was for Apollo, but I didn't care. I liked being outside of camp. My senses were heightened, and I was ready to fight. It was like old times, to be honest. Always on the alert, never relaxing, and I liked it. I just missed Olivia more than ever now. I just couldn't win.
"Nothing, I just didn't know you and Chloe were a thing," she said bluntly. I smiled humorlessly, shaking my head.
"We're not. It was just for good luck." I smiled a little. She rolled her eyes, but I swore I heard Beckendorf mumble, "Thank the gods for good luck kisses." It made me wonder if he had anyone to kiss. Probably, since he was fairly tall, fairly handsome. I shrugged a little, grinning some as I settled back into the seat.
"I like your hair," Annabeth said suddenly. I looked up, and she smiled a little. I realized she was trying to make nice. I appreciated it. The truth was we weren't very close, Annabeth and I. We could talk, but it was sort of forced. If this quest was going to run as smoothly as possible, we all needed to learn to trust each other. I nodded a little, smiling back.
"Thanks. I figured why not."
"Despite it being winter?" She asked with a smirk. I shrugged with a devil-may-care attitude.
"I always run a little high," I replied and she chuckled. "Come on, let's look at the map. It might be good to have a backup plan…what is our plan anyways?" I asked, leaning forward. Beckendorf, who was sitting next to me, leaned forward as well as Annabeth pulled out the map and rolled it out on our knees and thighs. The club we were heading to was lit up, like a tiny white Christmas light. I realized the closer we got, the brighter it got. I liked the map, it was fucking awesome.
"Here's the club. It's on a corner, and it's two stories high. There's always a huge line outside, so we'll have to probably buy our way in." I sighed a little. It was such a waste of money. She gave me a look and I shrugged like Sorry, continue. "There's an ally next to the club that we can use to escape. I think we should just try to enter, er, legally before illegally so we don't make ourselves super noticeable." I glanced at her, then Beckendorf and gave her a look.
While none of us were in full combat gear, armor and helms and the whole nine yards, we weren't exactly looking like we were going clubbing. She was dressed in old jeans with old sneakers and a light grey, long sleeve shirt with a jacket. She had an old blue back pack, and a Yankees cap on her lap. Beckendorf had dark blue jeans that were baggy and held up with a black belt. His shirt was black with red font that said fires of the forge! He had an old hoodie on with a black string backpack on. The three of us as daggers at our hips, I had a bow on my wrist, Annabeth had another, longer dagger at her other hip, and Beckendorf had a pair of axes, hidden as rings on his thumbs. We were so obviously half-bloods that the first monster to sense us would totally attack.
"Yes, because we're so incognito right now," I replied drily. She sighed heavily and rolled up the map, putting it back into her bag.
"Look, we'll get in."
Sure, I thought, as soon as we face an army of monsters before we actually get to the club. Two seconds later I had wished I didn't think that. The subway train came to a screeching halt. Annabeth flew forward into me and Beckendorf, but quickly righted herself as she drew her daggers. I stood as well, glancing up and down the train, realizing we were all alone, and stopped at what looked like to be an abandoned station. The door slid open as the lights flickered. Annabeth shook her head when I looked at her and I shrugged helplessly. What were we going to do? Sit here until the subway train suddenly decided to continue on.
"We can just leave and walk the rest of the way." I whispered to her. She looked a bit wary, but realized that the train was not going to move anytime soon and we were losing daylight, literally. Apollo would be dipping into the west right now. I glanced out of the train and didn't see anything, but I knew that wasn't a big comfort. I drew my dagger as I stepped out onto the station dock, keeping slowly and quiet. I felt eyes on me, though, and I felt nervous.
Slowly I made my way through the station, heading towards the stairs…but stopped. There were grates blocking the way. I swallowed thickly and turned to Annabeth and Beckendorf. The latter had his axes drawn and was waiting for orders. I glanced to Annabeth, then to the train. "Maybe we can get it to work again?" But just as I spoke that, the train doors slammed shut and the train launched off. I swore, and sheathed my dagger and ran towards the tracks.
I didn't get close. A large, scaled tail slammed down in front of me. I yelped and fell backwards. I heard Annabeth yell something, but I was already turning and running back towards them when I felt something grab me from behind. Luckily I had my knapsack on. I slipped out of it and hit the floor and rolled out of the way. I ducked behind a pillar, seeing Annabeth and Beckendorf do the same a couple pillars to the left and right to me, respectively. I unclipped my quiver and strapped it across my back and pulled Bruhmastra from my wrist. It sprung up in a bow the second it was clear of my hand. I drew and notched an arrow and stilled.
Annabeth glanced around her pillar, and then quickly hid behind it again, looking at me. I furrow my brows, and then I realized what she was doing. She was mouthing something… But before I could figure out what I giant head slithered between our pillars, one giant eye glaring at me. I yelled out, scrambling backwards. It was a giant python. Its head was the size of a German shepherd, and could easily swallow me. Its eyes were a bright glowing golden with long black slits for pupils. In the center of its head was a white circle amidst the dark green of its scales. It raised its fat head and lunged. I rolled out of the way just in time and drew my arrow back and launched it towards its eyes.
My aim was off, though, and just hit scales and bounced off. That was one of Apollo's arrows, the ones able to pierce skull and helm and keep going. "Fuck! Scales deflect!" I yelled as I ran around and ducked behind another pillar. Annabeth was suddenly next to me.
"I ALREADY TOLD YOU THAT!" she yelled at me, hitting me in the shoulder. I groaned, glaring at her, drawing and notching another arrow.
"I DIDN'T HEAR YOU!" I bellowed back, and then stood, going to leave the safety of the pillar to shoot another arrow at it. It was gone. I swallowed thickly. I turned quickly, trying to locate it as Beckendorf joined Annabeth against the pillar. They were breathing heavily, and as was I. Then I heard it, the cold sound of scales against tiles. I turned quickly just as Beckendorf yelled for me to. The snake was there, rearing its head back, ready to strike. I didn't have time to launch my arrow, but I tried to. Suddenly Beckendorf was on the snake's head, beating at its eyes in with his axes. The python screeched in pain, swinging its head to throw the blacksmith off. Hot blood fell onto the floor and was steaming as Beckendorf jumped off and rolled, landing against the pillar.
My arrow had hit the python's nose and bounced off harmlessly. Had Beckendorf not attacked, I would've been dead. I drew another arrow, glaring at the snake. But it was blind now. Annabeth was still crouched by the pillar, but she hissed, "Stay still, don't move, don't make a sound." I barely heard her over the screaming of the python. Finally the python stopped thrashing. Instead of golden eyes there was only a mash of bloody flesh. The snake was blind.
I breathed in slowly as Annabeth snuck around the side of her pillar, avoiding the snake's head. I held my breath as the snake slithered past me, its forked tongue flicking in and out, trying to catch our scent. I swallowed and stepped back as slowly as possible, being super quiet. I did not like being out in the open like this. I wanted to run for cover, but running would make hundreds of echoes that would led right to my yummy meat, and the dinner bell would ring.
Suddenly, a train flew past the station, filling the station with loud sounds. I used this to run to a nearby pillar, ducking behind it. The snake hissed at the sound of the train. Beckendorf was suddenly next to me, and then Annabeth was on top of me. "Get off," I hissed, pushing her towards Beckendorf, who helped steady her onto the ground. There was barely enough room to hide behind this pillar. I heard the snake slither passed, heading to the other end of the station as the train left the station behind.
I looked at my companions as I drew another arrow. Annabeth shook her head quickly, mouthing something. But I didn't wait for her advice. I wanted this snake dead. I had figured out what this monster was. Apollo had killed it when he was an infant. True, he was a god, but he had been a baby. I could bag this, no problem.
When I went to go face the giant snake, Annabeth pulled me back down and whispered into my ear, "Hit the white spot on its head." I barely heard her in my ear, but I got the message. I nodded slowly, and took a deep breath and stood, leaving the safety of the pillar. I pulled the string on Bruhmastra back, the arrow ready to launch and kill, and walked forward slowly. I glanced around. Then I saw the snake. Its long body was coiled at the edge of the station. Its head was, if you forgive the word choice, snaking out to taste the air, trying to find us. I stepped forward, into the puddle of blood. I nearly groaned in disgust, but I kept my silence and crept forward. I slipped behind a pillar, breathing in slowly before I crept along to the next one.
I pressed my back against the pillar, glancing to my right, then to my left. This pillar was right in front of the snake's coiled body. I would have a fraction of a second to get its attention and then shoot my arrow in the inch of space that was the white spot on its head. I went to do just this, turning to the right. I yelled out, scrambling back. The snake was right there, hissing venomously. "Little hero will make a good meal. Master will be pleased," I heard it hiss. I tried to run, but I slipped on the tile, the blood on my shoe holding no traction.
"Mitchell!" I heard Annabeth as the snake reared its head, hissing. I rolled to the side just as it struck and I stood, drawing my arrow back and aimed. Time seemed to slow down and there was only one thing in my vision: the tiny little white spot. I held my breath and let the arrow go before ducking behind the pillar again as the snake struck towards me. There was an agonizing scream, and for a second I thought it was Annabeth or Beckendorf, but then I realized it the python.
It was thrashing around, knocking into pillars, its body curling and convulsing. I would've jumped up and down in joy at hitting that target, but I had to duck to avoid the giant, muscled body of the snake. I rolled and then ran back towards my friends. I watched as the python thrashed and moved, still screaming.
"Gods, just fucking die!" I yelled at it. My arrow had embedded itself deep into the monster's head. Only the very edge of the fletching and the nock were visible. I ducked, dragging my companions down with me when the tail suddenly flew over us, crashing into the gating. The python squirmed a little more before finally dying, blood oozing out of its eye sockets and its forehead. I breathed in slowly, standing as I did. The snake was shrinking, I realized, becoming smaller and smaller until there was nothing left but my arrow and a pile of scales.
Frowning, I stepped forward. Annabeth followed me. When I went to pick up the arrow, it shimmered then I felt my quiver get a little heavier. I smiled a little before I picked up a scale when I realized they were all connected. Confused, I picked up the entire thing and realized it was a sort of armor piece. Annabeth smiled a little, poking at it. "It's like chain mail," she murmured. I blinked a little, grinning at her.
I heard a loud clatter and quickly drew an arrow, notching it and pointing it towards the sound. I saw Beckendorf pulling the gates apart so we could leave. I sighed a little, putting the arrow back into the quiver. I turned and started to look for my bag. I found it under a bench with some holes in it, but not big enough to cause any problems. I shouldered it, keeping my quiver on. It was useful to have it clipped to the box, which I returned to my wrist, but when I needed arrows fast, it just wasn't as convenient. So I decided to hide it beneath my knapsack.
Returning to Beckendorf, I helped him and Annabeth pull the gates apart. We crawled through, keeping the gates open for each one, Annabeth being the last to pass through. I turned and offered the chain mail to Beckendorf who gave me a look like I was insane.
"It's yours, man," he grumbled. I imagined if that's what his father sounded like, like stones on stones. "You're the one who killed it."
"You saved my life, though," I argued. He laughed at that.
"That's the point of companions, dipshit." He smirked, shoving the chain mail at me. "It wouldn't fit me anyways because you're the one that killed the thing." I sighed heavily, but he had a valid point. It really wouldn't fit him. So I paused to put my stuff on a bench. I took off my coat and shirt before pulling the chainmail on over my undershirt. I was glad I had put the undershirt on now. It stopped the scales from rubbing against me. Once I put the chainmail on, I saw Annabeth draw her dagger. Before I could react she stabbed me into my gut.
Or she would've if I hadn't been wearing the scales. I glared at her, rubbing my stomach, glaring at her. "What the hell!?"
She smirked at me, sheathing her dagger. "Just making sure it works," she replied as I pulled on my shirt and duster. She started up the stairs when I strapped the quiver over my back, and put the knapsack over that.
"Crazy," I grumbled and Beckendorf laughed as he put his axes back onto his fingers and the three of us were climbing the stairs to the streets. The other two were quietly discussing how to enter the club when we got up to the street. A few people glanced at us, wondering why we had gone down to that station in the first place, but didn't question us. While Annabeth pointed to the street that the club was on, a few blocks away, I thought about what the python said. Master will be pleased? That sounded like someone had set the python onto us, like he was hunting us, chasing us.
"Mitchell, do you know what monster that was?" Annabeth suddenly asked as we waited to cross the street, Beckendorf just glancing around, keeping an eye on things. I sighed heavily, nodding.
"Python of Delphi," I replied dully.
"Whoa, was that your dad's?" Beckendorf asked as we crossed the street. I shook my head, smiling a little.
"No, it wasn't. Delphi doesn't always mean 'owned by Apollo'," I said with a smile. Annabeth rolled her eyes, shaking her head.
"Still, I think it's odd that the python sent to destroy Leto just magically appears when we're searching for something that's your father's." Annabeth said uneasily as we walked. I paused as we passed a Starbucks, and then glanced to the street that the club was on. "Mitchell?" Annabeth asked as I stopped.
"Come on. I'm starving and we need to talk and plan properly. Besides, it's only four forty-three. The club won't be open yet," I reasoned as I went to go into the coffee shop. Annabeth sighed a bit, but followed Beckendorf in after me. I got us a table in the corner.
"How do you know what time it is?" Annabeth suddenly asked. I blinked, then realized I didn't know how I knew.
"I don't know—"
"Sundials." Beckendorf spoke up as he settled in a chair. "They were the first things to measure time. Makes sense that you can sense the time by the position of the sun."
"So I'm useless at night?"
"Yep."
"Awesome," I sighed, looking around the cafe. It wasn't that crowded. The people inside were either reading or on laptops or phones or writing, too absorbed in their own world to notice three raggedy teenagers. "What do you guys want?" I asked, and Annabeth shook her head as she looked at the menu over the counter.
"I'll get it. You look at the map, and you will decide what do to. This is your quest. We're just here to help. So what do you want?" She said, and I glanced at the menu. I debated just haven't a tea or a hot chocolate, but the sun would be setting soon and I would get tired easily once that happened. I needed to be alert. My stomach grumbled a bit and I groaned, realizing I hadn't eaten anything since that morning.
"Anything with the most caffeine and a..." I trailed off, glancing at the menu again, "A giant muffin. Blueberry, thanks," I smiled at her as she handed me the map. I didn't listen to whatever Beckendorf ordered. I just unrolled the map and looked at it, thinking. The sun would be set by the time the club opened. I wouldn't be useless, but I would be a little weaker because of it. There were two ally ways leading to the club, and its main doors were on the corner. I still thought the best bet would to be enter as clubbers, and find someone that knew something about Apollo or the bird or Luke.
When Annabeth returned, however, I set the map aside and she pulled it closer to her so she could study it. I went to drink whatever she got me, then I realized it was an iced coffee. I frowned, looking at her. She smirked a little and shrugged. "Hazelnut, espresso, iced coffee is what they said had the most caffeine." I grumbled a bit, but sipped the coffee dutifully. No time to get picky.
"The snake spoke," I suddenly said before stuffing my face with the muffin. Beckendorf looked up suddenly from his own coffee (black, it looked like, no sugars. So classy), and Annabeth jerked a little, looking at me.
"What did it say!?" she whispered loudly, glancing around. I glanced around as well. No one paid us any mind. I shrugged a little, coughing around my muffin. She huffed and waiting impatiently while I chewed and swallowed.
"It said I would be a good meal, and that 'Master' would be pleased," I said as I took a smaller bite and followed it with a long sip of my coffee...which resulted in a brain freeze. I hissed a little, putting my tongue on the roof of my mouth while they thought about it. "It could've been talking about Luke," I said and Annabeth gave me a sharp jap in the side. I grunted, jerking away from her and nearly spilled my coffee on the map.
"Careful!" I yelped, pulling my cup away from the map. She sighed heavily, rubbing her temples. "Any ideas from you two?" I asked as I ate another piece of my muffin. Beckendorf shrugged, looking between us. Annabeth shrugged.
"Hera sent the python after Leto thousands of years ago, but I don't know why she'd do it again. Unless you got impregnated by Zeus." She sighed, rubbing her temples and sipping her drink, which I thought was hot chocolate. I sighed heavily.
"Damn, everyone will know now," I said sarcastically and the sky thundered loudly. "Sorry, sorry," I said quickly. I hated the sound of thunder, always have. And pissing off the king of the Gods was not a good idea. "No, I don't think Hera would send it after us. What would be the point? We didn't do anything," I said, looking at them. "Right?"
Beckendorf nodded, but Annabeth chuckled weakly. "Well, she's never liked Apollo," she said slowly. I looked at her as I chewed more of my muffin, frowning. "I mean, she hated Leto, and sent the Python to chase her so she could never give birth to..."
"Apollo and Artemis," I sighed, rubbing my eyes. "She must hate his children."
"Probably," she said as she rolled the map up. "Though I don't know why she'd said a python after just you. I mean, a bunch of Apollo's kids have gone on quests before. They were never attacked by a giant snake." I rolled my eyes, giving her a thumbs up like Yay for me, and took a long sip from my cup.
"Maybe it was just a freak accident," Beckendorf reasoned calmly. "Perhaps Master is Hera, but she didn't send it after us. It just saw us, got us to get off the train, so it could have revenge on Apollo by killing his son."
"Maybe," I said slowly, thinking. While that would've been comforting if it were true, it just didn't sit well with me. I didn't think Hera had any control over the python anymore, not since it died facing Apollo. I pulled my knapsack off of my back and rummaged in it before finding my sister's journal. I pulled it out and flipped through it, ignoring the pangs of grief I felt until I found the page I was looking for. "Apollo, while he was pretending to be some mortal vagabond for us, taught us all about Greek history. My sister wrote most of it down. It was pretty much the only thing we had to a school experience," I explained as I scanned the page and turned it, looking for an entry about the Python. "Okay, here," I said when I found it, skimming the entry. "'Some believe that Python was born from the rotting slime left over after the great Deluge.' Lovely imagery," I mumbled, then continued, "'but others say it is a child of Gaia'," I finished, closing the journal. Annabeth looked uneasy.
"But Gaia helped Zeus," she reasoned. "Why would she want to kill us?" I shrugged with a sigh, rubbing my eyes. I really had no clue. "Look, it doesn't matter. You slayed it, we survived, this Master person is just a tiny blimp in our quest, okay? We need to find out where the bird is and get it back." She said firmly. I looked at my half eaten muffin. "Okay?" She asked me and I looked at her.
"Sure, I guess. Yeah," I agreed, but I just felt like we weren't finished dealing with monsters and their master. We continued to drink, and in my case, eat, plotting several different paths in and out of the club. It would be crowded, but we'd use that to our advantage. Eventually I felt the sun setting and I drained the last bit of my coffee. Annabeth had finished her drink a while ago, and Beckendorf drained his cup. We packed up, and I put Olivia's journal back into my knapsack, slinging the bag over my bag and hiding the quiver with it. I led the way outside as we threw away our trash.
The street wasn't any less crowded than it was two hours ago. I checked the time with someone, though I had a feeling that it was about seven. I was right, six fifty-two. I wasn't accurate though. It seemed Beckendorf was right: I could tell time by the position of the sun, but once it set I was useless as a using a spoon to bail out a boat. I led my friends down the street, towards the club. We turned the corner and saw it, in all it's glory, on the corner just a block away.
It was bright, like Times Square bright. It was flashy and golden and...bright. People were already lining up to get in. I groaned a little, but we slipped into the nearest ally and put our bags in an empty trash can and hid it. I pulled my quiver off my back and clipped it to Bruhmastra, which was on my wrist. We would just be going in with our weapons and the clothes on our backs. We bypassed the line, hoping that our money would help us get in, or that the bouncer would be a minor god and I could just brag that I was Apollo's son (Annabeth had looked it up and it was indeed owned by my father. How he lost his own bird here was a question I'd have to save for later). But when we got to the front of the line, I realized exactly what type of club this was.
Two mortal girls, who were dressed like they had major daddy issues, were begging the bouncer to let them in because they had been totally waiting for this night for like ever. I rolled my eyes, but watched as a pair of boys with scraggly beards and hats walked up, walking like they had weird limps. The bouncer let them in without incident and the mortal girls looked absolutely offended. Annabeth turned to be excitedly, whispering to me and Beckendorf, "It's a club for our world. Those were satyrs!" I glanced up at the sign. It took me a moment to read it, though I knew what it said, SUN'S SON, in big golden neon lettering. I grinned a little. Nice one, dad.
We walked up, looking as demi-godly as possible. The bouncer eyed us, then smirked a little, pointing at me. "Apollo's boy?" I nodded slowly, wondering if that would be a good thing. I mean, I hoped it was but then again Apollo lost his bird at his own club. Anything could've happened. The bouncer grinned and reached into his jacket's inner pocket. I went to draw my dagger, but he brought out three VIP passes for us, handing them to us before letting us in. Annabeth looked at the pass like it was gold and I was laughing. Even Beckendorf gave a bigger-than-normal smile.
"This is perfect!" Annabeth said over the noise of the club. The music was loud and the bass was bumping, making even the walls vibrate. The dance floor was filled with satyrs, nymphs, demi-gods, and even minor gods. I grinned widely as a nymph blew a kiss at me and her friends giggled. I almost went over to join them, but I remembered I was on a quest. "Okay, guys, we'll have to split up." I frowned at that and Annabeth nodded, "I know, I know, but this place is packed. We'll need to split up to talk to all the employees and stuff, see Apollo visited lately and what happened when he did." I nodded, then glanced to the stairs that led to the second floor, the VIP room.
"After an hour, we meet by those stairs," I said, pointing. They followed my finger, then agreed. I sighed and dove straight into the dance floor, heading towards the DJ. He would know about things that happened, he had a perfect view of the club after all. When I got to the edge of the dance floor, I realized that the DJ was roped off. I sighed, hoping my status as Apollo's son would let me pass the barriers. I grinned at the bouncer there. "Hey, I was wondering if I could talk to the DJ—"
"He ain't takin' requests right no' kid," the bouncer growled, and I realized he had large horns, like a goat, curling out of his hair and around his head. He looked like a mix between a ram and a man. I glanced down and I saw goat legs. Holy Apollo, this was the most ripped satyr I have ever seen. I sighed lazily, as if this happened to me all the time. He narrowed his eyes and snorted, annoyed.
"Look, I know a thing or two about music." I said indifferently, glancing over my shoulder as if it would be a privilege to allow me to talk and help the DJ. The satyr snorted again, only it was most amused sounding.
"Oh really, kid?"
"Yep," I smiled, "Son of Apollo." I greeted, offering my hand. He laughed, which sounded like a weird baa-ing, shaking his head.
"Sorry kid, no dice." He smirked. "Get back on the dance floor, and find a nymph or two. That's the prize you get for being Apollo's kid." He baa-ed again and I scowled. I was ready to threaten this satyr, though it would probably end with me with a couple broken ribs when he rammed me.
"Look, Mr Goat," I snapped, but before I could continue a woman with long black hair stepped up next to him. She was tall, a little taller than me, but she was also in five inch stilettos. Her hair was long, down to her butt, and jet black. When she moved, it shimmered gold and reflected the lights that the club was setting off. She had bright blue eyes, like glow sticks bright. They glowed in the dark, and her skin shined under the glow. She was tan, like a soft 'mocha' color as Sky would say. She was dressed in a tight black dress that glittered golden when she moved, like her hair. Around her neck was a necklace made of gold with a small lyre pendent with diamonds in the handle of the lyre. She smiled at me, and I felt stunned. She was so beautiful.
"Hello, Son of Apollo," she said kindly. Her voice was music. No, I know what you're thinking. I'm not trying to say it was like music, that it was musical. It was music. I felt like dancing, making music, singing though I couldn't sing because of my voice. Yet despite all these urges, I could barely get up the courage to say anything.
Finally I managed a stupid sounding, "Hey." Ugh, I wanted to bash my head into a wall. How stupid of me. Really!? Hey was the best I could do? I smiled weakly at her and she gestured for me to follow her. I smirked at goat boy, who seemed annoyed, but I hoped the little fence and followed her. She walked up to DJ platform where all the magic happened and she put headphones around her neck. She switched the song over fluidly to Titanium by Sia, before turning to me, smiling again. I felt so under dressed in her presence, so childish and stupid.
"Welcome to Sun's Son, Son of the Sun God," she teased, poking me in the nose. I laughed weakly, blushing. I hoped she couldn't notice with the wild strobe lights and rainbow of colors passing over us. "What is your name?" She asked kindly. Her voice was so clear. If clear water had a voice, it would be hers. It was simple and crisp, like she had planned lines and she was just reciting them with confidence. I love her voice.
"Mitchell Hower," I said. My voice was so ugly compared to hers. It was rough and wild and untamed. I was a savage compared to her, mortal to a god. I blanched, realizing that was exactly who she was. She swayed to the music like she was the music. Her legs moved in opposite directions of her arms, her hips moved on their own, away and towards me, moving in an infinity sign so fluidly she might've been made of water.
"You're a Muse," I said dumbly. She laughed as the song ended and she put on a different song that I didn't recognize (yes, yes, I know, sacrilege for a child of the God of Music). She nodded, but I didn't know if it was to confirm what I just said or if it was to the beat. I hesitated, but then she turned to me, smiling widely.
"Yes, I am a muse. I've heard much about you from your father," she said kindly. She didn't stop dancing, even when she talked to me. I wondered if she ever stopped dancing. "You are a strong warrior," she complimented me and I flushed again, shrugging like 'whatever'. Before I could ask her anything, though, she asked me, "Do you know what my name is?" My mind went blank when she danced closer, her hips gyrating against mine. I blushed more and she laughed, stepping back to her DJ controls. I breathed in slowly, forcing my head to work.
She was a muse, she was beautiful, she was sort of a tease but I kind of liked that, and she wouldn't stop dancing. Well the first two applied for all the muses, and the third could apply for most of them. I hesitated. But only the fourth could apply to one, I hoped. I didn't want to offend her.
"Terpsichore?" I answered slowly. She smiled at me, and nodded. I breathed out in relief, smiling a bit, then realizing I was here on a quest, not to flirt and talk with a muse (even though I really wanted to). "It's freaking amazing to meet you, but I need to ask you something." I started and she sighed sadly, nodding as she switched over the music to another song. Levels, Avicii. At least I knew that one after Sky replayed it for five hours one Sunday. "Was my father here recently and did he have a bird?" She suddenly looked so sad, like she was going to cry. I felt guilty, though I didn't know what I said.
"Yes," she moaned in misery, and I dreaded to think what Melpomene would be like on a daily basis. Her voice was pure misery in musical form. The sound its self made me want to cry, to grieve, to die. I felt like I did when Olivia died. I swallowed thickly, forcing the emotion down. "My Lord Apollo," she wailed, covering her glowing blue eyes. The light still escaped though, between her fingers. It was eery. "He was visiting me," she sniffled. "And he had the Raven with him, on his shoulder. It was squawking off the future like it always did, but it's always so bizarre and odd that we don't even pay attention anymore. Things like 'The bronze artisan must not giggle with the black trader on a hill at the coming of willpower.'"
I blinked. No that wasn't a weird and pointless fortune at all, I thought, but continued to listen. "I was dancing for him upstairs," she said, her voice breaking while I tried not to imagine the context for 'dancing for him' was. "But my Lord suddenly had to leave. He said something about Virgina." I paled. Was he here when he realized we were in need, that he needed to get us to camp? I leaned closer as she changed the song over. "He trusted me with the bird, the annoying bird," she said weakly, her breathing becoming more heavy. I nodded a bit, putting my hand on her shoulder, comforting her. She took a deep breath and looked at her. She was crying. I felt so guilty, but I needed to know what happened, so I nodded for her to continue.
"They came," she said weakly, her voice breaking. I felt like crying, it was so sad, so heart broken. "They were so cruel and loud. Mean Scythian Dracanae," she whispered, her eyes filling with tears again. "And they stole the bird!" She wailed, crying. "When my Lord Apollo came back, I was beaten and bleeding and the bird was gone. I failed him," she sobbed. I shook my head and wipes her tears. I just wanted to end her misery, to keep her happy. Her sadness bled into her beautiful voice, her voice that was music, and it made everything else sad. I heard sniffling and turned to see Mr Goat crying as he stood guard. Yep, made everything sad.
I turned back to her. "Shhh, no, you didn't fail him," I said kindly. She looked at me and I smiled a bit. "You did you best. He knows that," I murmured. I didn't care if he was mad at her, or something like that. I wanted to make her feel better. "Did they say where they were going?" I asked softly and she nodded slowly, lowering my hands from her face, smiling weakly at me.
"Yes. New Orleans. My Lord Apollo has already been there though," she whispered. I shrugged weakly. I had to go. I didn't have a choice. I needed to follow this trail until it went completely cold. That raven spouting off random prophecies was not good. She nodded in understanding "My sisters, Melpomene and Thalia, live there while they're on Earth. They will help you if you decide to go," she murmured. I smiled.
"Thank you, Terpsichore," I murmured. She smiled a teary smile, then kissed my forehead.
"A blessing." She said. I was stunned, but I managed out a thank you, then turned to hopped down the steps and jump the fence back into the dance floor, rushing to stairs. I didn't know how long I had been up there, but regardless, I would wait for Annabeth and Beckendorf at the stairs. I forced myself through the crowd, much to the displeasure of everyone in my way, until I got to the stairs.
My friends were already there, Annabeth looking worried and annoyed, Beckendorf just scanning the crowd for me. I skidded to a stop next to them and Annabeth crossed her arms, looking down at me as I bent over to breathe. I didn't realize how big this club actually was. Finally I stood up and Annabeth started in on her report. I just decided to wait for her and Beckendorf to finish.
"I found out nothing really substantial. The bartender," she motioned and I turned to see a handsome demi-god, probably a son of Dionysus, cleaning a glass and serving drinks, "said Apollo had visited recently. The entire club had been excited about it, but no one saw him because he went straight into the VIP room. He told me he served Apollo a few drinks and that he did see the white raven. But then his shift ended and he had to go home. No overtime."
"When was this?" I asked, curious if it lined up with my own findings from the Muse of Dance.
"He said about a couple months ago, in October." I nodded. That correlated with Terpsichore's story. I looked at Beckendorf who relayed his own findings.
"I talked to the bouncers around the dance floor. They said that had an attack from a demi-god a couple of months ago. He just stormed in with a bunch of dracanae. He killed a few of them, but just let the dracanae go up to the VIP room. They rushed up but Apollo was gone and Terpsichore, the muse that works here for Apollo, was knocked out, bleeding ichor all over the place. A few minutes later they said Apollo came back and he was furious. He healed Terpsichore, talked to her, and then left on his chariot, heading south." I shuddered a little, thinking about what my father's fury could bring about for heroes who dared to cross him.
"Those both match what I just heard," I said quickly and told them about Terpsichore and what she said. Annabeth looked solemn, and so did Beckendorf. I finished with Terpsichore saying that her sisters would help us if we went to New Orleans. Annabeth nodded, then glanced up to the VIP room. I was pretty sure I was thinking the same thing. We should go up there and search for clues. Maybe it could narrow the search field a little. Right when I was about to suggest we go up there and check it out, there was a scream from the dance floor.
Suddenly the crowd was moving quickly, moving as fast as they could towards the exits. The music stopped and I watched as Terpsichore helped nymphs up, and sent them to the exit. She helped the bouncers lead others to the exit as other bouncers turned to deal with the threat. My heart fell to my feet when I saw what it was. In the center of the dance floor, and making their way towards us, were three very angry looking dracanae with spears and fighting nets, decked in full armor, hissing at us.
I unclipped my quiver and slung it across my back and removed Bruhmastra from my wrist. I felt Annabeth draw her daggers, and saw Beckendorf draw his axes. "Anyone know their weak points?" I asked, and saw two head shakes. "Damn," I said the snake women lunged for the attack.