Strands of star light filtered through the curtains of the dark hotel room. Zoe and Liam slept peacefully on the two queen beds, Thalia having left for Olympus some hours prior. Karina sat on the carpeted floor reading a book gifted to her by her mother, a small orb of light illuminated nothing save the pages of said book. Magic For The More Fortunate, her mother's dry sense of humor and overall distaste for social interactions lending to her less than creative name choices. She was just happy that her father had been allowed to name her, gods forbid Trivia tried naming her herself. Her watch had flown by in relative peace. The only noises was the occasional passerby and the sounds of vehicles passing through. The trio of friends decided it would be best if they all were ready to leave at a moments notice. So they slept in fresh but normal clothes so they could just grab their bags and go. Karina flipped to the next page, the chapter in question describing the ins and outs of demigod physiology, when a light scratching interrupted her. Putting the book down, Karina focused her hearing. The scratching returned, a little louder this time. It was coming from the door. Karina stood, tapping Zoe's blanket covered foot.
The daughter of Perseus rose from her slumber, rubbing her eyes. "Is it my turn already?" she grumbled sleepily. Karina shushed her and pointed towards the door. The scratching began again before finishing just as quickly. Zoe shared a look with Karina before getting up from the bed and made her way to Liam.
Karina walked to the door as quietly as possible, her gleaming bronze dagger held tightly in her hand. She looked through the peep hole. There was nothing there. The scratching began again from the bottom of the door. She glanced back at her friends, Zoe had shook Liam awake and the boy was climbing out of the bed, his curved sword in hand. Zoe have the girl a quick nod and made her way to the door. Karina unlocked the door. She yanked the door open. Her dagger poised to stab any lunging monster. The charge didn't come. There was no one there. A small chittering drew her attention. At her feet sat a small furry raccoon. The little beast stared up at her quizzically.
"What is it?" Zoe asked as she approached her friend.
"Uh..." Karina drew a blank. The raccoon, not willing to wait for the girl to regain her thoughts, dove into the room. The critter sprinted past a shrieking Karina. It weaved through Liam's legs, forcing the boy to stumble back into the bed. The raccoon then came to a stop in front of Zoe, sitting on its haunches and staring up at her.
Zoe looked at the furry critter questioningly, an eyebrow raised. "Um, hi little guy?" she cautiously said.
Hello Milady. I am Diego, the raccoon's energetic, if wobbly, voice ran through her mind.
Zoe took a step back. "Uh, did you just speak to me?"
Of course Milady, he confirmed. He sniffed before his eyes lit up. Is that enchiladas? No sorry, he smacked his face with his paws, I have been tasked by my mistress to lead you and your friends away from here.
"I'm sorry," Karina interrupted, closing the door behind her. "Is the raccoon talking to you?"
"Apparently?" Zoe shrugged.
"How," Liam began before shaking his head. "Never mind, let's just add it to the list of weird things that have happened this trip."
We must leave soon Milady, the raccoon urged. They know where you are and will come for you soon.
"Who's coming for us?" Zoe again questioned him. The two other demigods in the room tensed.
The titan brothers, Diego answered quickly. They have brought monsters to capture you.
Zoe looked to her friends. "He says the titan brothers are coming. He said that his mistress has asked him to help us escape."
"Who is his mistress?" asked Liam. "Is it Lady Artemis?"
Diego scrambled to the door and scratched at it. There is no time Milady. We must leave now.
"Are we really going to trust a raccoon?" Karina questioned. "For all we know it's a monster itself trying to lead us to a trap."
Diego sniffed the air. It's to late, the raccoon whined, fear etched his voice. The side walls of the room exploded inward. Nearly half a dozen massive forms careened through the walls and into the room. Chunks of wood and drywall scattering throughout the small hotel room. The three demigods fell to the floor and cradled their heads. The questors tried to climb to their feet, the small cuts and scrapes a testament to their tougher physiology. They were surrounded by cyclopes in various states of armor wielding axes and hammers. Three of the cyclopes intercepted them. Liam tried shocking the cyclopes and was batted aside before being hoisted up with his friends.
"Bah," one of the lingering cyclops uttered. "See? That wasn't so hard." He turned to one of his comrades. "Do we get to eat them now?'
The cyclops in question, who's armor was in much better condition, whacked the speaker upside the head with his oversized hammer. "No you dumb dumb. We have to take them to Lord Pallas. He will deal with them."
"How did you find us?" Zoe questioned as she tried to maintain her composure.
"Huh?" the supposed leader grunted. "Our lords never lost you and now we take you to them."
The cyclops holding Zoe began to hoist her up. A small form dropped from the ceiling onto the head of Zoe's cyclops and clawed at the cyclops' eye. The one eyed monster cried out in shock and dropped the young girl. She quickly drew Riptide from her pocket, uncapping the leaf shaped sword and stabbed Karina's captor. The monster died with a yelp. Liam discharged a greater arc of electricity. His captor spasmed and released him before Liam drew his curved kopis and cleaved the cyclops' leg. The remaining cyclopes closed in. Diego leaped from the head of his current foe to the lead cyclops, crawling all around the beast and leaving scratched and bites. Run milady, the scared raccoon yelled at her in her mind.
Deciding to listen to the critter for once, Zoe turned to her friends. "Come on," she ordered, throwing open the door and sprinting down the hallway. They barged into the stairwell and looked down. A group of hellhounds were making their way up the steps, sniffing and climbing as they growled and huffed at each other.
"Welp, not going that way," Liam drawled and looked back down the hallway. Diego was running with all haste towards them, with four cyclopes charging after him. "And we can't go that way," he deadpanned before climbing the stairs. "Up here!"
The two girls shared a look as they followed. "But this will lead us to a dead-end," Zoe spoke out. Diego made it to the stairwell before following them shrieking as he noticed the hellhounds coming after them.
"Got a better idea?" Liam reasoned to which he received no answer.
Diego jumped onto Zoe's leg and climbed onto her shoulder, his panting filling her ear. Zoe gave the raccoon a smile. "Thanks for the save back there. Guess you're alright."
Of course Milady. I was asked to protect you and so I shall. Diego glanced behind them. We might want to hurry up.
Zoe looked to find the pack of hellhounds gaining ground, the remaining Cyclopes not far behind. "Guys? We need a plan."
"Just a little higher!" Liam shouted down at her. He reached the emergency exit at the top of the stairs and bulldozed through it. The demigods, and raccoon, poured onto the roof.
"What are you planning Liam?" Karina asked hesitantly.
Liam looked over the edge of the room. "I can do it," he held out his hands. "Come one guys, you got to trust me." Hellhounds and cyclopes barreled through the door. The two girls shared a look before grabbing his outstretched hands. Liam led the girls to the edge. A hellhound noticed them and chased after them. Liam leapt off the roof, dragging Zoe and Karina with him. Zoe and Karina screamed. Liam numbed himself to the screams and concentrated. The winds picked up and slowed their descent. The wind pushed them away from the hotel. A distant cry sounded and Zoe noticed a large form plummeting to the ground. Sweat began to accumulate on Liam's skin as he concentrated on the winds, carting three demigods and a raccoon was not as easy as it looked.
The wind dropped them off in an alleyway, several blocks away from the hotel room. The brick walls littered with graffiti as cars passed by periodically. Liam instantly collapsed to the ground, his forehead drenched in sweat as his lungs heaved for air. Zoe leaned over, using the wall for support as she fought back bile. Diego laid on his back staring up at the night sky. Karina leaned her back against the opposite wall as she regained her equilibrium.
"Please," Zoe pleaded in between breaths. "Please give a warning next time."
Liam tried to laugh though it came out as wheezing. "I'll take it under advisement."
"We need to move," Karina said as she pushed off the wall. "They will be coming for us." She walked over to Liam and offered a hand.
"Right," Liam agreed and took the hand. Karina helped pull him up and gave him a small Pat on the shoulder. Diego righted himself before shaking his body.
"Where do we go?" Zoe asked, still fighting back vomit. "Our bags were in the hotel room. We have no money and those hellhounds will run us down just outside of the city much less to Baltimore."
"Ah crap. My mother is going to kill me," Liam complained and buried his head in his hands. "I just hope no one tries to use the credit card."
"I'm sure your mom will understand," Karina consoled him and patted him on the back.
Diego ran up to Zoe who picked him up and allowed him to climb to her shoulder. Milady, if I may? Diego's voice echoed in her head. Zoe inclined her head to him. I was instructed to lead you to the river. There you would find an old acquaintance of your father to help your escape.
"What's he saying?" Liam asked, patting his pockets.
"He says that a friend of Dad's is at the river and could help us. He's apparently suppose to lead us there," she relayed to her friends.
"Is this friend his mistress?" The daughter of Trivia questioned.
No, Diego told Zoe. My mistress asked for him to be there though. I was commanded to not speak of who my mistress is. She told me it would all come out in time.
Zoe relayed the information to her friends. Karina narrowed his eyes. "I'll ask again. How do we know he isn't just leading us into a trap?"
"Meh, it'll probably be fine," Liam waved her off. Karina glared at her friend in annoyance. "What other choice do we have?"
Zoe and Karina shared a look. Zoe turned to her new companion on her shoulder. "Alright Diego, lead the way."
At once Milady, he dropped his head to her before jumping off her. Diego ran to the edge of the alleyway and turned the corner.
"Come on," Zoe waved to her friends who followed her after the raccoon.
The questors weaved through the night life of Richmond. Diego threaded between bystanders legs, occasionally waiting in an alcove out of mortal view for Zoe and company to catch up. Zoe could feel the river. They were getting closer. Closer to safety. Leaving the buildings, the questors crossed under ancient overpass railroad tracks and into a field of grass. The other side resided a small lock at the end of a canal rimmed with trees. Diego ran straight for the lock, undeterred by the ominous fog sitting in the lock. Zoe glanced at her two friends who equally looked as concerned as she was. Liam caught her gaze and shrugged. Zoe rolled her eyes as they slowed to a walk, creeping ever closer towards the lock. The lock in question seemed in disrepair. The water was level on both sides of the locks, the gates were cracked, the mechanisms were rusted.
Diego came to a stop just at the edge of the lock and waited for the demigods to catch up. "What's up Diego?" Zoe asked, her eyes moved rapid fire over the area.
In answer, the fog moved. The fog retreated into the lock, like it was inhaling, before the fog pushed outward. The fog expanded, shrouding the area in a blanket of water vapor. Through the fog, a shape rose from the depths. Zoe blinked. She blinked again. Her brain not processing how it could possibly be here. A figure stood upon a small ferry, pieced together with the bones of the dead, his black hood and cloak flowing in the breeze revealing his skeletal form. As the figure turned to look at the demigods, Zoe got a glimpse of a skull underneath the hood. "Hello little demigods," The figure greeted, his voice like nails on a chalkboard.
Zoe winced as the voice reached her ears. She noticed her friends do the same while Diego held his ears. "Uh, Charon? What are you doing here?" she asked the skeletal figure.
"Good, you know who I am," Charon hummed. "Guess they are actually teaching you something in that camp. As for why I am here, well, I was asked."
"Asked by who?" Karina questioned.
"I think you three have bigger things to worry about, don't you think?" he said as he pointed a skeletal finger behind them. The trio turned. Back past the railroad tracks, a pack of hellhounds turned a corner. The beasts were charging forward, howling in the city streets.
Zoe, Karina, and Liam turned back to the ferryman. "How much?" Zoe asked, unsure if they even had anything to pay with.
"Free of charge," he answered. "Might want to hurry up." The three looked at each other before hopping onto the ferry with Diego quickly behind them. The water of the lock receded and the half broken gate slowly opened. Once the gate was open, Charon's ferry surged forward, taking them out into the James...river...
As they passed through the gate, the light from the moon and stars disappeared. They came out the gate into a colossal cavern, with massive stalactites hanging like teeth. The water turned greyish with personal items floating downstream. Zoe spotted everything from trophies to marriage certificates. Diego sniffed down at the water before recoiling. The water is angry Milady, he whined curling up at her feet.
Zoe turned to Charon. "We are on the River Styx? How?"
"Well, the Styx is my normal stomping ground. It makes sense that I can transport here. Plus I doubt old Barnacle Beard would appreciate my presence on the rivers and oceans of the mortal world, even ferrying you about," he told her. If he had any flesh, Zoe thought he would have grinned at her.
Liam looked over the edge as well, before stumbling backwards. Zoe grabbed his arm to prevent him from falling off the other side. "What's wrong?" Zoe asked him as his breath began to calm.
"I think I just saw the lady of the river," he said before turning to the ferryman. "She didn't appreciate you referring to her river as you 'stomping ground.'" Charon simply shrugged his shoulders.
Karina shared a look with Zoe as they settled down on the ferry. "Who asked for you to hep us? And why were we allowed a free ride? You're notorious for your greed."
"I am under no obligation to answer your questions," he scolded the girl. "I was asked to get you to Baltimore and nothing more."
"Baltimore?" Zoe repeated, her eyes scrunched together. "So whoever told you to help us listened in on our Iris Message?"
"I only know what I have been told," Charon informed her. "Now I tire of these questions. Settle down and get comfortable. We will reach Baltimore within a few hours."