Chapter 25: We hitch on a train ride

[David's Pov]

It took some time, but Zoë eventually managed to pull herself together.

And as soon as she did, she did her very best to keep a certain amount of distance between us looking more ashamed than ever.

I was let down, to be honest. But then again, I guess when you live as the semi-leader of the Hunters of Artemis for literally thousands of years, crying in the arms of a boy would be something to be shameful.

I hope this would at least make her less mournful.

After that ordeal was set and down, we made our way back to the shed we took shelter earlier. Surprisingly, the stuff we had left behind in our sleep was all still intact—including Percy's and Annabeth's, minus the important belonging such as Annabeth's invisibility hat or Percy's sword.

Zoë didn't seem too pleased when I mentioned Percy's weaponry.

"The thing would've returned to the boy's pocket. It always does."

"How do you know that?"

She deliberately ignored my question. Being the smart intellectual I am, I decided to drop the subject as well.

I also took the small metal horse inside Luna's sleeping bag. There were small letters craved in under its belly. I managed to read 'Leo Val-' before Zoë asked what I was doing, and I quickly hid the horse inside my inside pocket. Not giving her that added gut punch now.

When the scurry was over, we gathered a terrific 23$ in cash, some extra jackets, a map of the railroads near us, and the most important item of them all—

"The Nemean Lion fur," I muttered. Zoë raised her eyebrow, noticing the awe in my voice.

Look, I know I just said I'm not a fan of Heracles. I stand by that opinion any day; the dude was a bully even when bullying was considered a common trope. But that doesn't mean I can't appreciate one of the coolest protective gear in the entire Mythology, right?

However, Zoë's expression suggested otherwise. She was staring down at the pelt with a glare so intense, I was positive that she'd burn a hole through it if given enough time.

"Can…we keep it? We can't leave it behind."

Zoë didn't answer that either. Instead, she gave a frustrated grunt, shoved the lion fur at my face, and stomped her way out muttering "Typical…" in Ancient Greek.

Well, that just reset our entire relationship, didn't it?

I waddled after her to the train station. The lion fur morphed into a coat at some point, which was a relief in my book. I was bad at lying regularly; I couldn't have come up with a good story about why I had lion skin wrapped around my shoulders.

The strategy, I recalled, was that we'd take the highway train west to New Mexico and…figure out a way from that point on.

Man, that was only the last day—the time spent on Niobe's realm made it feel like it was several weeks ago at a minimum.

I wondered where Percy and Annabeth went. Also, why did they just 'leave' without saying anything? Not that I can't vouch for Annabeth, but Percy wasn't the type of a guy to just leave without saying anything. How they even manage to find a way out was beyond my comprehension.

Zoë came back from the ticket booth with pair of tickets. She also had a small bar of Snickers. Just one.

"I've bought us tickets. It'll take us to Cloudcroft...wherever that was."

I looked down at the map to check.

"It says here that it'll take us 17 hours on a train. We'd arrive there by early dawn tomorrow."

Zoë took a few seconds calculating.

"That'll leave us two days to rescue Lady Artemis. Wonderful."

Her tone made it clear that she didn't think it was 'wonderful' by any means possible. Maybe I should've just left the lion fur behind.

We sat at a bench next to our designated platform. Zoë chewed on her Snickers with a sour face, as if the chocolate was made of lemon instead of sugar. She also made sure to put an arms-length worth of distance between us, as if the lion fur radiated foul odor.

Forget not liking Heracles; she loathed his very existence. I'd assume she hated him because Heracles opposed what the Hunters of Artemis stood for; a hero saving the day and taking every girl he passed across to a bed (not even a joke; the times he wasn't killing monsters were mostly spent him sleeping with women), but now it looked she had a personal vendetta against him.

…Wait a second. If all the Greek Mythologies were real, they would've all taken place around when Ancient Greek existed. And Zoë was a hunter for literal thousands of years—it was entirely possible that they could have crossed paths.

That idea was so bizarre; I knew Zoë was much older than she had let on, but it didn't feel quite home until this idea came to me.

"Zoë?"

"Hmm?"

"Have you ever met Heracles in person?"

Zoë froze in her spot. I wasn't a good mind reader, but at that moment something told me that her metal guard level went up ten folds.

"Why do thee—"

A blaring horn announced that the train was arriving. Zoë jumped up to her feet, looking never gladder to hear the bland mechanical voice drone on about how we shouldn't be standing near the edge of the platform.

I was amazed by how nice the inside of the train was.

You might be thinking 'It's just a train, David. It's not that special.' And perhaps roll your eyes like Zoë just did.

Well, you'd have to excuse me, because I've spent the last 3 years of my life in a prison for juvenile delinquents, and the year before that with a human being that put pigs to shame with their ranch. The nicest place I've been to at this point in my life was cabin 5.

I mean, come on. They had an entire shop on a train! Can you imagine that? A shop on a train? What is this, Lavages hotel?

"I think I could live here."

"Of course, thou could. Our seat is here."

Zoë shooed me to a seat. I was about to fathom the fact that we could lower the back of the chair to make it more comfortable, but Zoë was already a hundred percent done with my shock and awe. Also, the girl in front of us was looking at me funny, so I calmed myself down a bit.

She had frizzy red hair. Her nose was also red, but the tip was dotted with white paint. She wore a big maroon Harvard sweatshirt and jeans that were covered with marker stains and little holes like she spent her free time poking them with a fork.

The reason she stood out to me, however, was the fact that she kept eyeing my lion jacket. I patted it down a few times, wondering if it looked weird on me, but she was much more invested in the jacket itself than who was wearing it.

"Is there a problem?" I asked.

The girl's eyes flipped to my face. Her eyes were green, similar to Percy's. She gave me a long stare as if making sure I wasn't a monster or something. Zoë cleared her throat loudly before pulling me to the seat right behind her.

"Are you familiar with that…individual?" She asked, rather angrier than I'd say necessary.

"I hope not. Most people I know are criminals."

"I'm not a criminal."

We both jumped in our seats. Well, I did. Zoë just clasped her hand around the armrest.

The girl was looking at us from the cracks between her lines of seats. Her green eye was still eying (heh, pun) the lion fur coat. But before any of us could say anything, she turned back.

The interaction with the weird girl ended after that. At first, Zoë was unsettled as much as I was, but when nothing happened for 20 minutes, she must've decided that she was not a threat and relaxed against the cushioned seat.

Oh yeah, the seats were cushioned. I wasn't kidding when I said I could live here forever.

The train rattled on, and for once it was a peaceful trip. I know, crazy right?

Being the simple, ADHD-minded child I was, my eyes were glued to the window for the entire day. The scenery of the wild valleys and streams was a sight that I wasn't akin to, and it reminded me of all the myths and legends I've memorized by the heart.

In time, the sun had begun to sink over the mountains, and it became hard to see what was outside. The dark window worked better as a mirror that reflected my face—which was much less exciting for me.

"Are thee done goggling outside?" Zoë said. She was reading a small magazine about tourist destinations, to which she wasn't amused even by a little.

"So this is why people travel," I said. "I always thought it was a waste of time."

Zoë let out a sarcastic snort. "If you take it in this metal detritus then yes, it would be a waste of time." She plopped the magazine at the front pouch and sat back with a sigh. "Thou overlook many things while moving this fast; mankind forgot to slow down ever since the 18th century."

"Hmm."

I was no philosopher. Unlike Annabeth, I had nothing to offer for her insight. I turned back to the windows, and by this time the dark sky was accompanied by some stars. Not much out of the total, but quite many by current standards.

I made out Sagittarius, which was…weird. That constellation was supposed to be Chiron after he got shot by Heracles with a Hydra-poison dipped arrow. Wonder how that works since Chiron was alive and well.

Oh, and that's one more thing to stack against Heracles, I guess.

Only then did I notice that Zoë was peering out of the windows over my shoulder. I shifted aside for her to get a better look, but soon after the huntress lost interest and sat back in her seat.

"I can't see much from here. If we were in the woods, it would've been better. This is boring."

Then I noticed Zoë was giving me a meaningful stare through the reflection. I stared back at her gaze for a good long minute before realizing that she was asking for me for some entertainment.

The idea made me uncomfortable to the point where I hoped a random passenger would reveal themselves to be a monster. Maybe that dude can be a giant. Or that lovely elderly couple two rows behind us could be a pair of dragons in disguise. Anything.

Unfortunately, no such thing happened. For better or worse.

I suppose the only option is to bite on it.

"So, uh…" Zoë's eyes lit up in a mixture of expectation and weariness as if even she was sort of skeptical on my ability to entertain someone.

A part of my brain reminded me that Zoë had a story to tell—about her former friend/hunter Polyphonte, but I wasn't ready to jump on that minefield barefoot when I already rubbed her the wrong way with the lion fur.

When I just stared into a non-existent void, contemplating whether or not should I just jump out the window to avoid the awkwardness, Zoë decided that she'd kick off with a topic. With a small sigh of disappointment, mind you.

"I recall thou favorite hero was Cadmus. That's a…interesting choice."

Something told me she was going to say other than 'interesting'. Maybe 'odd' or 'weird'.

I hated being socially awkward. Whoever could've guessed living in a dormitory with 5 other rowdy teenagers would do that to a person?

Zoë was shooting me a slightly irritated look. I realized, again too late, that she was asking a reason for my choice of #1 hero. Thankfully, that topic was something I can ramble on for days.

"Cadmus is one of the oldest heroes around; before the Gigantomachy, about when Typhon attacked Olympus."

Zoë frowned. "I thought Typhon was a monster created after Gigantomachy."

"Well, Heracles—" I faltered at mentioning his name again, but Zoë seemed too invested in what I had to say to care. "—Heracles was the hero that the gods needed to defeat the Gigantes, correct?"

"Yes?"

"Well, he was a grandson to Perseus—the one who slew the medusa. And Cadmus was his great-great-grandfather. So there is a certain time gap between the Typhon invasion and the Gigantomachy."

Zoë seemed to go over what I said inside her head. After some consideration, she slowly nodded her head with a genuinely impressed expression.

"Hmm. I guess I've gotten them mixed up. Calypso was never good with time."

"Calypso?"

Zoë flinched in her spot. "Never mind."

I recalled the name from stories about Odysseus—there was a sorcerer that wanted to keep him for…wait, wasn't that Circe? Sometimes I get these names mixed up.

Zoë nudged my thigh to continue.

"Right, anyway. When Typhon attacked Olympus, Zeus was the only one who faced him, but Typhon won the battle, ripped out his tendons, and imprisoned him."

"So I've heard," Zoë said, not hiding the distaste in her voice.

"Well, Cadmus was the hero that saved Zeus. He walked up to Typhon—"

"Pardon?"

I couldn't help but smirk. Zoë's surprise was something I saw coming a mile away, but it was enjoyable nonetheless. She was so taken aback that my obvious amusement didn't even bother her.

"He walked up to Typhon?"

"Yes, after Zeus sent a cow to ask for help. When Typhon came, he was impressed that a mere human wouldn't flee at the sight of him. He also liked the flute Cadmus was playing at the time, so he offered to make a goddess of his choosing to his wife—minus Hera."

"He didn't pick Lady Artemis, did he?"

"No. He declined the offer entirely. Instead, he asked for a new cord for his lire that was cut after Apollo got jealous of his skill on it. And Typhon gave him the strongest material he could provide: the tendons of a god."

"So that's how Lord Zeus got his tendons back."

"Yep."

Zoë took a second to take in the story.

"Impressive." She concluded. Judging from her voice, she really meant it too.

I was proud of myself for the moment. It was always nice when your favorite story manages to amaze others.

Then, I noticed something much more concerning. It may have been my imagination, but it seemed like the old couple at the back was tilting their heads, listening to my story.

That wasn't a good sign.

Zoë caught sight of my vision and frowned at the couple.

"Do you think…?" Zoë pressed her finger against her lips as an indicator. She took a handful of seconds inspecting them before shaking her head.

"…No. I've been hunting monsters for thousands of years. If they were one, I'd know."

The train stopped. It was a small station, much smaller than where we got on. No one left their seats, but one passenger got on. It was a plus-sized woman in a denim dress with a poodle huddled in her arms.

The red-haired girl in front of me gasped and slipped a small whimper. I peered over the edge and found she was trying her best to look not interested in the newcomer. She frantically waved at me to go away, and Zoë pulled me back.

"Stay, still." She muttered. She was eyeing the poodle.

It was sniffing around, growling menacingly. Some passengers gave it a wary glance before returning to their own business. The lady pat the poodle with a smile that reminded me of a boa constrictor.

"Now, now Sonny. Behave. We don't want these innocent people to get in trouble, do we?"

The girl at the front whimpered again. Zoë muttered some very bad words under her breath.

"We should get off." She whispered.

I blinked at her. "What? Why?"

Zoë looked like she wanted to slap me.

"That was a threat. And as much as I hate following it, we can't let mortals get in harm's way."

The lady was slowly taking steps closer to us. The poodle's bark was strangely becoming deeper, more feline-like a lion's roar. It was also significantly bigger than a poodle. The lady chuckled slightly, her forked tongue flicking between her lips.

Too late, I realized what Zoë had been trying to tell me.

I reached for the lighter in my pocket. Zoë already had her bow out and was halfway done notching a pair of arrows on it when someone interpreted us.

"Would you excuse us, madam?"

It was the old couple. They were out on their seat and was confronting the snake lady at what could be the worst timing in the history of worst timings.

I was ready to pounce on whatever these monsters were; the snake lady had said that harming innocents wasn't her interest, but that wasn't going to stop her either. No way was I going to let an elderly couple die for sake of bad timing.

But before I could make my move, the old lady shone a gentle smile, and my entire body froze in place. Not able to move a muscle. Zoë was frozen on her spot as well, her bow and arrow no longer in her hands.

The snake lady seemed to have noticed something was off about them as well. The poodle was yapping at them too, but there was some other emotion mixed in the barks.

Fear.

"We'd be more than happy to chat, outside. If you would." The old man said. His voice was calm and collective, but at the same time, it had a subtle sense of foreboding; a final warning.

The snake lady took a step back and hurriedly ran out of the platform, knocking aside the guard who was just about to signal the train off. The old couple gave each other meaningful glances. When they passed us, the old man gave me a small pat on the shoulder.

"That was a good story, you just told. I appreciate it."

Then, they left the platform after the snake lady.

The train lurched forward. Zoë and I sank back into each of our seats. My forehead was beaded with sweat.

"What just—who were they?" I managed to ask.

"I'd like to ask thee," Zoë said, but I didn't know anything better than she did.

The rest of the train trip went on a blur. I might've fallen asleep at one point, but asleep or not, I couldn't erase the image of the old couple from my brain.

I was so concerned about the snake lady and the old couple, I failed to realize that I had a peaceful sleep for once.

A harmonious one, if you will.

Oops, I just dropped that name at the beginning; hope that won't be a bother to any readers out there.

It's totally not a bland fan service that might take literal years before it pays off. Don't mind it at all! While we're on the subject of fan-pandering, a bonus points to whoever noticed who the snake lady and her pet poodle were.

And yes, nothing really happened in the chapter. Might've been a bit boring to some of you, but as I said in the previous one, this is more of a cleanup of the last one and some small foreshadowing for what is to come.

Hope you all enjoyed it, I'll try to get the next chapter done as soon as I could.

Ta ta~