Chapter 10

Frank Zhang's POV

Nico promised us we would get to Damasan's hut soon. It didn't feel like soon. We kept walking, following a river called the Acheron, Nico said, and advised us not to go take a dip. A good hour passed before the swamp Nico said we were looking for came into view.

"Now we just have to get to the other side of the river..." Nico said, realising a flaw in the plan. The river was a good thirty metres wide.

"Leo, do you have rope?" I spoke up.

"Uh, yeah? Why?" Leo looked at me quizzically.

"And you can make a giant basket out of it?"

He nodded slowly.

I looked at the elves. They seemed even worse than us. They were pale, with dark rings under their eyes, they're face was waxy and their breathing was shaky.

"I don't think they can fly across. I'll turn into an eagle and carry the basket with everyone in it." I suggested.

"Great." Leo pulled out an incredibly long line of rope really large nitting tools, and began creating the basket, Annabeth helping.

"What happens if you touch the water?" Dex asked.

"It fills your head with bad thoughts, saying that your worthless and things. And it hurts. A lot." Will shuddered at the last part.

Soon, Leo and Annabeth finished weaving the giant basket, and the elves flew in, wobbling in the air as they did.

Jason flew everyone else one by one into the basket before flying in himself.

"Ok." I said simply as I willed myself into a white tipped eagle.

I soared up and held the handle of the crate in my talons, flying up and over the Acheron.

"Touch down!" Keefe exclaimed, as I dropped them onto the other side.

I changed back into me as everyone climbed back out.

"There's the swamp." Will pointed ahead of us.

It looked like a regular one you'd find in the upperworld, with mangroves, bushes, and mud, except the leaves to the bushes were a dark red. It was incredibly humid, but instead of teeny tiny invisible water droplets in the air, it was blood. I could tell this because th air had a red tint to it.

"Even the swamp is deathy." Leo commented. His breathing was becoming shaky, much like the elves.

"How much longer?" Tam asked.

"You sound like Keefe." Nico responded, ignoring the original question.

"I can... see it." Hazel said slowly.

Nico nodded sadly. I had no idea what they were talking about.

"It's ok. Talk about something else. Tell a story. Get your mind off of it." Nico told her.

"What kind of story?" Hazel asked, as they began walking into the swamp.

"Any." Nico spoke softly, which was unlike him.

Hazel took a shaky breath. "One time... Percy translated what Arion said. My horse." Hazel added for the elves. "Now I get why he keeps saying he needs to wash hus mouth." She smiled weakly.

"What'd he say?" Piper asked, at the same time Sophie asked, "You can talk to horses?"

"Yes." Percy answered simply.

"Same. Or more, Alicorns, but same difference."

"Anyway," Hazel continued. "He said, 'Give me more gold you f-ing human.' He said that to Percy."

The demi-gods laughed, but the elves looked slightly confused. Hazel quickly explained to them and they began to smile.

"Storys are good. Keep going." Will prompted.

"How about you tell me about the Great Gulon incident?" Sophie asked pleadingly to Keefe.

"One day I might Foster. Just maybe not in a giant pit of evil." He replied with a smirk.

Sophie frowned. I could tell she'd been given a similar answer before.

They continued into the swamp, trudging through the sticky mud.