A/N: Hello people and thank you so much for your support, and welcome back (againx2) to my PerZoe work!
A big thanks to my Betas and Discord Staff - Alec, Fox, Metzger, BaptismByFire and Zevoros!
Special thanks to Discord users: 5Firehawk, Guiding Moonlights, Kovacs, Dr Maou-Senpai, Post Mortem, Denduck, Wumjumba, Ac, R3, Shirokama, TrustTube, Zachary, JDH, Avatar, CJ07, Echoh, Elizabeth Wilbrooke, Jacks_, Kappe, Kryn_Womble, Mr. E, Pat, Plut0, Presno, Shawnjohn120 and Trop C'est Trop for supporting my writing and commissioning works!
Feel free to join my Discord for updates, giveaways (for those who actively chat), early access, information and now, commissions/free one-shot giveaways, link on my profile. Without any more rambling from me, I hope you enjoy the story!
(Sorry if you don't like the work!)
THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR THE KIND REVIEWS. We now get so many that it's impossible to respond to all of them, but each and every one of you taking the time to speak your support mean the world to me. Please, by all means, speak with me in Discord!
"We're here?" Thalia asked with a partially stifled yawn as she lulled her head around and took in their surroundings. Much like Grover and Bianca, the girl still seemed tired, though he would most definitely say the other two were quicker to wake up. Thalia always had a thirty-minute or so time of pure grogginess after she rose, he'd come to learn.
He couldn't complain. Percy wasn't the best at waking up in the morning either, but he'd usually plough through it despite the nipping of exhaustion at his heels. Unlike the others though, he hadn't taken advantage of the time to sleep and recover; he felt plenty rested, but beyond that, he enjoyed the time with their driver, friend, and quest leader, Zoe. Initially, she'd despised him beyond reason, early on in their venture together, she'd gone from despise and loathing, to dislike and most recently, tolerance bordering on a queer sort of friendship.
He was happy that, at least in his mind, he could consider her a friend. When she'd claimed he was worthy of Riptide, a weapon that had once belonged to her and a weapon that she'd given to a man undeserving of it, that was when so much had finally cliqued together in his head. It made sense why she was curious about him, and why she despised the bulk of men — Artemis' influence probably helped that along.
"Yeah," Percy said after noticing Thalia narrow her sleepy eyes at him. "We're here. The Hoover Dam. It's not all that cool-looking, you know."
"I hope they have snacks," Thalia responded, brushing aside his comment as she stretched her arms overhead and yawned. Afterwards, she plucked at her clothing, huffed, and elbowed Grover lightly in his side. He'd rolled over, his eyes closed again instead of open. "Wake up, Grover. We're at the Dam, finally. There might be snacks for us."
"There is still food in the back. Why must we need more?" Zoe asked as she brought her arm around so as to adjust and look back at Thalia and the others in the back of the vehicle. "Does it not suffice?"
"Those are cold snacks. I was thinking we could get something hot and better, you know? Nachos, hot dogs, burgers, pretzels with cheese… all of life's delights," Thalia responded, her mouth practically watering as she thought about the foods that likely didn't await them. He'd give her some points for creativity though, and for having a good menu; he could go for all of the things she'd said and more at the present.
Chips, canned sodas and canned goods can only do so much for you. Yeah, they definitely had their limitations.
"Sustenance of any kind will hold us over until we reach the end of our quest. There should be no need to stop here," Zoe looked over at Percy. "Have we a reason? You mentioned one idly, but with little information that might convey the reason for our stop."
Percy gestured to the Dam and the vast amount of water they could hear sloshing around. "There's something here. I know it. Thalia and the rest of you could go and grab some snacks, I just need to take a quick look around. We'll be five minutes at the most. Promise."
Zoe looked at him with searching eyes. In them, he could see centuries of experience examining him; perhaps to check if he was lying, knew more, was withholding information or something of that nature. Of any nature. When Thalia began speaking again, he tuned the girl out as Zoe's intense gaze continued and dragged on for what felt like seconds unending… well, until they ended.
She sighed and nodded, and after doing so, the doors in the back of the vehicle were opened immediately, and the energetic figure of Bianca, the lethargic figure of Grover and the grumpy — but very hungry for hot food specifically — figure of Thalia jumped out. All three immediately began to stretch out, roll their necks around and enjoy the air and heat of the sun.
"There is more. This place feels not untouched by the Gods above. You feel it, do you not?" Zoe asked as she finally broke their eye contact and looked around the place. There was a museum, snack bar, and as he mentioned many a time by now, a very large Dam.
Unlike whatever it was that Zoe was feeling, however, Percy felt nothing. He knew there was a reason to be here. Percy also knew that Annabeth greatly enjoyed the place and as a result, he could recite fact after fact about it with interesting tidbits of information sprinkled in for flavouring. That, Annabeth's fascination and enjoyment of the Hoover Dam, was not the reason for their visit. The water called to him.
"I feel something," he answered, and then, he opened his door and moved around the front of the truck until he was at Zoe's door, whereupon reaching it, he opened it for her with a friendly smile. "You'll keep the others out of trouble, right? I don't think I'd like to get shot by the skeletons again, not even with whatever it was that you did to heal me. It wasn't an enjoyable experience."
Zoe snorted and gracefully slid from the driver's side of the vehicle. "Mayhaps, then, you will rethink your heroics and understand the value of your life and the fragility of it. All too often, you men throw it away in a second's thought."
"Hey," Percy said with a huff and a light-hearted look on his face. "If I can save a friend, any friend, I'd do it in the beat of a heart. Now that I know you have a few tricks up your sleeve, that just means I can be all the more reckless, doesn't it?"
Zoe sighed and reached out with one hand, and before he knew it, she'd tapped his shoulder once, nearly twice, before she withdrew her hand so quickly that he'd blinked and it was limp by her side once more. Her expression, that being with furrowed brows and a look of confusion in addition to bashfulness assured him that his mind hadn't made the moment up.
No, she'd actually casually tapped him; that was almost unthinkable. Especially when he considered she'd only work on him whilst he was asleep, usually.
"Be careful, Percy. It would not do any of us well if you were to well and truly fall," Zoe gestured vaguely in the direction of the water as her head sought out their three other friends who were animatedly speaking with one another; the topic of food was easily overheard in their conversation. "I will ensure the skeletons do not threaten them. We have made good time, I would find it terribly difficult for any of them to catch up to us unless they themselves drove or found an alternate mode of transportation."
"I wouldn't put it past them," Percy said with the faintest huff. He hated those things and whoever had thought making them was a good idea. By the gods, they had to be in a sour mood whenever the person that had created them, well, created them. Right?
"Time is on our side. I am confident, now make haste. We will be here when you return, but do not idle; our minutes are precious," Zoe looked him up and down, nodded once to herself, and without so much as another word, she turned on her heels and went around the vehicle. He heard her gather the others up with words as she — rather exasperatedly — led them to the snack bar a small distance away from where they were.
Percy found himself confused by her more and more as time went on, but eventually, he shrugged to himself. He would never understand girls. Not Annabeth, not Thalia even if she was pretty cool, and definitely not Zoe who was centuries old; sometimes he barely even understood his mom.
He laughed to himself and, realising that he was wasting time, turned just as Zoe had and hurried away. The water was close, very close, and there was a path that took him closer and closer, and if he chose to jog a little way, he could get right up next to the river itself. That was perfect… and time-consuming, and a bit of a larger distance than he'd initially thought it would be.
All the same, he was confident he could make the journey with haste. Especially if Grover and Thalia were the two biggest proponents for eating. Their appetites could be a thing of legends themselves.
Eventually, and thankfully, Percy reached his destination and sought out the water, as close as he could get to it. His eyes looked searchingly at the mostly calm, clear water before him. There had to be something. But there wasn't. He didn't see anything remotely interesting or mythological. He wasn't sure why that was. It didn't make sense.
Maybe I let my thoughts about Annabeth take me here. I've been thinking about Smart Girl just as much as Zoe's been thinking about Artemis.
Percy sighed, this time, in defeat rather than anything else, and slowly began to turn away from the water before him. It was then when he'd nearly given up, that he heard a minor commotion in the water. One that he very much doubted a fish had made. His eyes snapped to the source of the noise, and he saw what he imagined he was meant to see. It was a creature and one that was, evidently, more intelligent than most as it peaked up at him from the otherwise sublime mirror-like surface of the water.
It looked like it was part bull and part seal, and maybe with a touch of an eel or something else. Its body was long and sleek, easily multiple people long and the two horns that stuck out from its head assured him that this was — wait. Horns.
His eyes went wide when he understood just what it was that was before him. He'd heard it mentioned enough times. Annabeth, she had talked about nearly everything under the son. This creature, the one that he was looking at, was a creature of legend. It was the Ophiotaurus.
He should have been overjoyed to see it. That wasn't the case. He wasn't happy to see the creature at all despite how cute it looked. He knew the story, he knew how important it — Bessie he decided since he didn't want to keep referring to it as it — was. If anybody with ill intent got their hands on Bessie, it would spell the end.
Percy kept looking at Bessie. Bessie kept looking at Percy.
He blinked at the creature, and then an idea came to him. One that reminded him of his childhood, back when he'd go with his mom down to the nearby docks and throw bread to fish or birds. Everything needed to eat, right?
Percy slowly, tentatively, reached into his pockets and pulled out chips and a package of Hershey's chocolates — you know the ones, individually wrapped and with a twist of caramel for flavour. When the creature didn't flee as he withdrew the item from his pants, he smiled at it and slowly, with care so as to not hit Bessie, threw a few chips into the water as far as they'd go. Comparatively, he imagined the chips would do little for Bessie, but it wasn't as if he had whole loaves of bread he could throw to her.
All the same, thankfully, the creature moved closer to him. That game of 'feed the crazily important mythological creature and hope it doesn't flee from you' went on for a good deal of time, until, he eventually and inevitably ran out of both snacks. When that happened, the creature, now much closer to him, looked at him appraisingly; the look was far too similar to that of the one that Zoe had given him only five or ten minutes earlier.
"Hi," Percy said, shrugging to himself when he didn't know what else to do. "I'm Percy. My dad's Poseidon… what're you doing here?"
As he suspected, Bessie didn't respond to him. He wasn't sure why he thought it would or why he'd thought speaking to Bessie would do anything, but, really, he wasn't sure where else to go now that he'd met the creature. He took a few steps to the right in the hopes of getting a better view of its body when the sun shifted, and as he did, it mimicked him and shifted to match what he did.
At that, he snorted. It was playing with him, or teasing him. He wasn't sure exactly which, but all the same, it made him laugh.
Percy moved again, and when it moved with him again, he couldn't contain himself. He openly laughed and started a bit of an impromptu game with Bessie, the potential destroyer of the Gods above. In hindsight, he probably shouldn't have done so on account of just how important Bessie was.
If he wouldn't have been messing around with her, he would have noticed the person that came up behind him, but then again, there was an exceptionally high chance that all the same, he wouldn't have noticed the person.
"What are you doing?"
Zoe had seemingly deemed his absence too long, and rather than wait for him, she had personally come to check on him. He wasn't sure… no, that was stupid, it was easy to realise how she'd found him and how she'd moved so silently. Zoe was, after all, Artemis' Lieutenant and one of the best Hunters of Artemis.
"I found the Ophiotaurus. I fed it… but I didn't know where else to go so I started playing with it," Percy gestured to the creature, and then he returned his arm back to his side. "We shouldn't just leave it here, right?"
"No. It presents a danger to My Lady Artemis, and to all of the Gods," Zoe's eyes were purely on the creature. "It is fond of you."
"Really?"
Zoe's eyes shifted back to him. "Is there reason to doubt my words? I have spent centuries observing animals of all kinds, and it is very clear to me that it regards you with a degree of comfort that is especially rare. Mayhaps it is your blood, or it has come to learn the quality of person you are far faster than I myself have."
That's a compliment, I think.
Percy gestured back to it again, this time, with a small smile on his face. "So… what do we do about it? How can we make sure it stays safe?"
Zoe looked down, and he saw her right hand, her dominant one, clench. He hoped that didn't mean what he thought it might.
"Grover or Bianca, or both of them," Percy said. "They could take it back to Camp Half-Blood, or maybe even Olympus itself. If it's up there with the Gods, it should be safer than ever before, right?"
"You would have me return Bianca and Grover?" Zoe asked as her hand unclenched itself, her eyes on him. "They are of our team."
"We're getting closer and closer to the end of this trip, aren't we?" he asked. Percy swore they were. It felt — everything felt — like they were getting closer and closer to the end of their quest. To Annabeth and Artemis. The rescue wasn't too far away.
"They would be safer. Is that your argument for having them send the Ophiotaurus to Olympus?" Zoe looked back at the Op— Bessie when she'd finished. Her eyes showed no signs of hostility, but he could make out a quality that portrayed familiarity.
Percy might not be as observant as Annabeth would have liked him to be, and he would be the first to admit that he wasn't quite as observant or tactically smart. Still, he could read people from time to time, and there was a quality that Zoe portrayed that told him this wasn't the first time she'd seen or been close to the Ophiotaurus. Maybe they'd even hunted it before. She, Artemis and the rest of the Hunters.
It'd make sense. If they slew it and refused to burn the remains, I guess that would mean the Gods would be fine.
"Percy?"
At that, he nodded. "Yeah," he answered. "Bianca and Grover would be safer. Those skeletons, whoever sent them, whoever captured Artemis, they want us. If we could keep Grover and Bianca safe by sending them away, we should do that. Right? It's not like it'd be for no reason either."
Zoe looked at him in what could only be described as a contemplative silence. He might not be the best at putting his ideas into words, but he imagined that she understood his suggestion, his idea. Before them, in the water, swam one of the most important beings currently on the planet; that, mixed with the potential to ensure Bianca and Grover return somewhere safe… how couldn't she be for that idea?
"Do you believe us able to complete the quest with nought but the three of us? Are you aware of what it might mean?" Zoe looked pointedly at the water, and then up above them, to the cloud-covered sky. He imagined she was making a point about his father and Thalia's father. If she wasn't, he had no clue what she meant.
"I think there's nothing you, Thalia and I can't beat, and I also think Bianca and Grover together could get this done without us — look, there's even a couple of canoes down the river. It's perfect," Percy smiled. He was convinced this was what they were meant to do. It had to be.
"If you are certain that this is the best course of action, I will do so. I would be for the guarantee of safety for Bianca, and to send the Satyr with her would ease my worry," Zoe paused, her brows furrowing for all of a second, and then she continued again. "It will be more difficult for you, Thalia and I, going forward. It is known to me that the three of us are the best in a fight, and the other two need their safety guaranteed, but each person herein offers much to our composition."
Percy opened his mouth, but Zoe shook her head.
"We will send for them, and I will call upon an old friend to ensure their journey home is swift and safe. You would be wise to pray and make an offering to your Father — it is his domain they need be safe within," Zoe's eyes lingered on the Ophiotaurus one last time, and then they shifted to the Canoes, and finally, she twirled on the balls of her feet and started off whence she'd come.
Percy found it eerie how silent she was as she moved through the forest, and how whence she walked, there were no tracks. He imagined she had to be incredibly fleet of foot, or, like when she'd aided his healing, knew certain tricks or had abilities that aided her.
Much like Zoe, he looked back at the Ophiotaurus after the conversation. Bessie. She was looking at him, and when he moved, as always, she mimicked him. He would have to convey some way for her to follow Grover and Bianca; he'd have to pray to his father and make an offering to him too.
Percy hoped his dad was in a good mood as he slowly moved towards the steep bank. Their safety, the Ophiotaurus, Grover and Bianca, would depend upon him.
"Are you sure, Percy?" Grover asked hesitantly, his eyes on the rest of the group… apart from Bianca. Bianca was preoccupied with Bessie. The two seemed to instantly get along, and whilst Percy was glad, Grover seemed very reluctant to leave the group. "Will we all be safe?"
Percy nodded. He'd done what he could, he had to rely on his father now, much like Grover and Bianca had to. If that wasn't enough, the skeletons and the end of their quest whosoever they would meet would be entirely preoccupied with him, Thalia and Zoe. It made him feel like a bit of a rude dork, but Zoe had raised a good point when he'd caught up to her.
Would their enemies rather chase a Satyr and Huntsmen of Artemis in a canoe on a river with seemingly nothing else around them — the Ophiotaurus would be hidden and following from the bottom - or the son of Poseidon, daughter of Zeus and Artemis' Lieutenant?
If he were ever a bad guy, Percy imagined he knew which option he would take.
"I'm sure, Grover. I'll be alright. I'll have Thalia and Zoe's backs, they'll have mine, and when this quest is over, we'll meet in Olympus, right?" Percy patted his friend on the shoulder a couple of times reassuringly. He knew Grover wanted to stay, but somebody had to see the quest through and somebody had to see the Ophiotaurus taken to Olympus, where it could be kept safe by the very beings that needed it kept safe. "We'll have a feast when we're done — everything you could want and Annabeth will be with us. Sounds like a good time, doesn't it?"
Grover, still more than vaguely put out, nodded and put on as big a smile as he could manage as he followed Bianca into the canoe. When he did so, Bessie finished playing around with Bianca and dove to the depth of the river. It wasn't incredibly deep, but it would manage to keep Bessie concealed from typical vision.
"You depart at once, and as you go, we'll stay. The Skeletons should soon arrive and when they do, if we wish to keep them focused on us rather than th— you. Go, and remain safe. The Lady Artemis will thank you both for the service you did in going to free her, this, I promise unto you both," Zoe dipped her head, having already hugged Bianca and offered kind words to Grover — no longer the Satyr.
She seemed saddened to see the others away from the quest, but she recognised the same as he did, that it was necessary. None of them likely imagined they would find the Ophiotaurus when they'd come here. Maybe they should have, but the circumstances in which they did so couldn't be changed, and if they meant to keep the Gods — Artemis included — safe in the very long term, Bessie had to be brought to safety.
"Stay safe and don't do anything stupid, Grover," Thalia said with a grin before her demeanour softened ever so slightly and her attention shifted over to Bianca. "And you, don't go and get in any trouble without us, alright? I'd be really annoyed if I missed out on any fights."
Bianca stuck her tongue out at Thalia. "If we get in any fights, I'll make sure to take the lion's share. You'll hear all about it when you get back to Camp Half-Blood!" and then, she turned to Percy before Thalia could retort. "And you, Percy. Stay out of trouble and don't be reckless, okay? I better see you again, at least a hundred more times."
Percy smiled wide at the younger, and yet, older girl. "I'll make sure I come back, and hopefully of my own volition. Thalia or Zoe might have to carry me if they see any more skeletons that need jumping on."
Bianca's eyes narrowed at him, and whilst typically, it would look threatening, she simply looked adorable. "You better be fine when you come back."
"Percy will be safe, as will Thalia, this I swear," Zoe said as she stepped up and none-too-gently pushed the canoe off-shore. "You must remain safe, and escort 'Bessie' until others can aid you. I will see you both again."
Then, as they slowly began to drift away before they paddled, Percy and Thalia waved goodbye to Grover and Bianca, who returned their waves.
Zoe watched on with a quality he couldn't make out until the group was well out of their vision.
"So we're waiting a few hours for the Skeletons to arrive?" Thalia asked with a huff as she blew out errant strands of hair as they dropped down before her eyes. Her arms were folded, her head was rested back against the seat of their truck, and she had something — a bag of chips he thought it was — covering her eyes.
"Yes. It would do the others well if we wish to ensure their safety," Zoe explained. "If you wish it so, we could visit the snack bar again. I'm aware of your liking for the snacks they produce. Nachos, I think they were what you liked most, yes?" Zoe asked as she fiddled with the rearview mirror.
Unlike the hungry, tired and joke-filled Thalia, Zoe wasn't taking advantage of the hour or so that they'd wait. Instead, the girl was constantly looking for the skeletons, as if they'd appear at a moment's notice. Percy couldn't fault her, and he'd definitely not try and distract her.
He'd already taken a wound and been captured by them. The last thing he needed was the skeletons sneaking up on them, though he had to admit, he was far happier with Grover and Bianca safe and away so long as they remained safe; he was certain they would too. His father and whatever missive Zoe had sent out would see them through whatever trials lay ahead of them.
Unlike Percy, Zoe, and Thalia, those two would soon be back in Camp Half-Blood and the Ophiotaurus would be in Olympus, where it belonged.
"We still have cash?" Thalia asked, her voice groggy-sounding as she lazily flicked the bag of chips from her face and to the floor of the truck. "How much could we get?"
Zoe started to count the money, furrowed her brows, and then promptly handed it over to Percy without so much as a word spoken between the two. Unlike previous times, when she'd do the most that she could to avoid contact with him, it was like she didn't care when their hands brushed against one another. He was happy she'd finally come around to not hating him — it certainly made being on a quest with her a lot easier than it had initially been.
With a look over at Zoe to see if she'd wrinkled her nose before he counted the money, he promptly finished the few-second-long task and reported to Thalia. "We have more than enough to get the whole menu a few times over, I think."
At that, Thalia simply grinned and, after lifting the handle of the truck's door, she kicked it open and hopped out with an expectant look shot through the passenger's window at Percy and Zoe both. It was clear now that, whilst they waited for the skeletons, they'd be getting a bit more food in them.
"You try the nachos?" he asked as he turned to look at Zoe.
Needless to say, a few minutes later, nachos were tried. Zoe gave them a tentative and reluctant approval, Thalia gloated that she knew Zoe would appreciate and find happiness with the new-age foods, and Percy watched the two with a smile on his face. He enjoyed when they got along, he enjoyed when everybody got along, but most of all, he was happy that Zoe was finally relaxing… to some degree.
When the skeletons would be upon them, and they all knew they'd be there shortly, there wouldn't be any time for relaxation or fun.
"They are there. Thalia, the time to eat is over, we must return to the vehicle and ensure that they spot us," Zoe said, for Percy was already by her side; she'd dictated that, whilst wanting to try food from the snack bar, she wouldn't eat a whole pretzel with cheese and so he'd eat the remainder.
Percy looked to where she directed whilst Thalia moved closer to them. She was, without a doubt, unhappy that they had to call it but they'd been eating for nearly half an hour. It was a bit of a waste of time, sure, but Grover and Bianca needed the extra time — Percy wasn't sure if they'd even be a target, but it was better to draw attention than leave the choice to the skeletons or their owner.
He withdrew Riptide then and activated it. Percy preferred to have it readied in the event that there were other skeletons they couldn't see that were nearby and waiting for them. The crafty things had already set a trap before, and so he didn't want to risk it again. No, that could happen later, far later, and when Smart Girl was with him to counteract whatever trap he activated.
"Woah! That's coo—"
When Percy heard the voice, on instinct, he swung the sword around and… nothing happened. The person, a girl, just looked at him as if he were strange. She had red hair, and unlike any other person, looked at Riptide, then at Percy, his companions, and finally the people — skeletons — they were moving away from at speed.
"You can se—"
"Wait, are those skele—"
"We must move, they are getting closer and lest we wish to fight them, we must flee," Zoe grabbed Percy with one hand and Thalia with the other, and then she pulled them both away from the redheaded girl that was looking at the lot of them as if they were strange.
The group headed towards the truck, but it wasn't to be. Between them and their vehicle, appeared two skeletons dressed as police or security, something of that nature so that the regular people wouldn't question them. If that wasn't enough, whatever they were dressed at had something at their waists that, by now, Percy was quite familiar with.
Pistols. They were of the same likeness that he'd been hit with already, and that in and of itself was not remotely fun. He would have preferred them to have shields and swords, spears and bows, anything like that would have been fine with him. By the gods, had they melee weapons or other archaic weaponry, he would have fought them as he had previously.
Now? Now, there was no chance that he'd risk crossing Riptide with a bullet.
Zoe seemed to think much the same as she stopped, turned on her feet and readjusted her grip on Percy and Thalia at the same time, and headed towards the entrance of the museum in one fluid motion. That redheaded girl, the one that could somehow see Riptide and the skeletons, a fact that confused Percy, started to follow after them with the same quickness that they were using to flee with.
Evidently, she was interested in them, the skeletons and whatever else was happening. Percy, whilst allowing himself to be half-dragged as he followed along with her, had a thought that struck him suddenly; maybe she was like him. She could be a demi-god, one that had gone undiscovered and now, was revealed to their world. He could only begin to imagine the questions that were going through her head when she saw the many happenings before her.
"We will loop around, they are following us. When we move, we must make haste to the vehicle. I will drive, and we will ensure that they see us head in another direction from that in which Bianca and Grover went," Zoe pushed through the door then and as soon as she did so, ensuring that all, including the redhead, were in, she closed it behind them despite what the person at the desk might protest. It wouldn't slow the skeletons down by much time, not at all, but it would give a bit of concealment as they tore off in another direction.
Hopefully, that would give them some degree of time to figure out what the skeletons were up to and how they could counteract their plans, however unintelligent they were. In truth, the only challenging thing about the creatures was their numbers. Were it not for the number of them, the skeletons would be of no real concern.
"Wait, wait, wait," the girl who was now accompanying them said. "Who are you, and what are the skeletons? And you!" — that was directed at Percy — "You tried to hit me with that sword, that was rude."
Zoe continued to move, headed towards a hall of statues as they ran past a tour group with a tour guide who minded them far more than she should have. She kept Percy and Thalia at her side, and, on occasion, sent a look over her shoulder to ensure the redhead was following them.
When they were further away from the entrance, enough so that Zoe thought it was safe, she spoke to the girl.
"We flee from those who would do us harm, for they wish to capture or kill us. You would be wise to act as if you do not see them for what they are, for if you do, they will surely capture you, and please, excuse Percy Jackson. In our time together, we have been accosted by many a person who would see harm come to us, and the lifestyle is not one to which we've become accustomed to," Zoe gestured vaguely back at where they'd come from. "If you value your safety, I would suggest that you separate yourself from us lest you wish to be made a target."
"What about the three of you? You said they'd hurt you if they caught you, and there were quite a few of them, you know. I could help. Right? They're pretending to be cops," the girl paused, furrowed her brows in a manner that nearly made Percy laugh, and then she spoke again. "I know! I'll tell them I saw you go somewhere else, but… but you'll have to tell me everything later."
"How would we see you later?" Thalia asked, perplexed and clearly frustrated that they weren't quite away yet.
"I'll see you again," the redheaded girl said, confidence oozing from her voice. "I know I will — I'll do it. I promise. Oh, right. My name's Rachel, by the way. You'll need to know it when I see you again, that way I can meet with you all."
And like that, after offering up her voice, the girl turned on her heels and headed back in the direction whence they'd come from. That being the entrance to the museum that Zoe had locked behind her, despite the annoyance of the person at the desk.
Percy looked at the others when the girl was gone, and all they did was shrug at him. Evidently, they were just as confused about the girl as he was. It wasn't a mystery as to why that was. No, there was so much about the girl that was interesting. Very interesting. Percy imagined had Annabeth been there, she would have answered a lot of the girl's questions and quite a few of his own.
"If she is to do as she says, then we must move quickly and take advantage of her altruism. Quickly, with me," Zoe then nodded towards a back exit, a fire exit, if he understood it correctly. He hoped it wasn't one of those ones that set off the alarm, but if they were, well, it'd just be a bit of a distraction; the skeletons would likely be caught up in the chaos that such an alarm would cause. It'd be great if they were, and not overly problematic if they weren't.
"Lead us, oh fearless leader," Thalia said with a grin as she followed after Zoe and Percy, somehow having snuck out of the older girl's grip.
Unlike Thalia, Percy wouldn't give any amount of snark. He was perfectly content to have Zoe lead them. She had centuries more experience in just about everything, and with his ability to get himself into trouble, well, who was he to question what she did or how she lead them?
He imagined there wasn't any real answer to that. At least none that he could reasonably find.
"Do you actually think we'll meet that girl again?" Thalia asked from the back seat, the crinkling of chips and soda cans alerting Percy that she was likely eating stuff from the back again.
"Maybe. She seemed pretty confident," he responded with a shrug.
Zoe responded too. "I know not for certain, though her confidence was overwhelming. Enough so that I imagine she had reason to believe she might do so in the future. It matters not, for thyself shan't meet her again despite her words lest she means to join the Hunt. If she does, and that is what her words meant, then I will welcome her as a sister as I've done dozens of times over."
"Dozens?" Thalia asked before Percy could do so.
"Dozens. Hundreds, I would claim, but my memory grows full and I find it troublesome and exceedingly difficult to accurately recall the true number of sisters I have had the pleasure to welcome to the Hunt of my lady," Zoe's face, Percy could see, turned sorrowful. Sad. He didn't want to guess why that was, and he didn't need to. "Many have fallen throughout the centuries as they've passed, and when such a time comes into being, they are sent to the sky so that they might eternally watch over their sisters."
Percy glanced to the back where Thalia was, and when she shrugged at him, equally as clueless, he left the topic alone. He wasn't sure what that meant, and since he wasn't one to ask, he started forth on another topic.
"We're headed to where exactly?"
Zoe glanced at him, her eyes off of the road for all of a second, if even that, before she responded. "We make for where the Gods send us. It is they who will direct us to Artemis, and they who will show us the way to rescue her. If not for them, our direction is lost."
"And you're sure we're headed where we're supposed to be?" Thalia inquired from the back. Her mouth sounded like it was full, so Percy imagined that meant her mouth was full of chips, cookies or other snacks. He wasn't sure how she could possibly be hungry, but he wouldn't complain about it.
"I am confident that we head toward where we are meant to, for if we were not, we would have gone elsewhere," Zoe rubbed at her eyes and shook her head. Maybe she was tired from driving, but he couldn't be sure. It wasn't as if he'd driven before. Thalia had tried, she'd wanted to rather but Zoe had been quite adamant that she'd be the one to drive.
Percy wasn't sure why, but he was thankful that Zoe had been so adamant. He couldn't imagine that Thalia would be amazing. Maybe it was just the time they'd spent together, but he could hazard a guess that she'd be pretty reckless. It'd be fun, but it would definitely draw attention to them that they didn't need.
"And we're certain it was smart to send Bianca and Grover away? Bianca was a pretty good shot with a bow, and Grover made for good bait — it's only fair that Grover be bait after Percy too. He's already taken more than enough trouble for us," Thalia reached forward and patted him on the shoulder. "You're the best bait ever."
"Thanks?" Percy responded, his brows furrowing. He didn't mean to be bait, not by any means, but if Thalia appreciated it… he guessed he'd say thanks to her? By the gods, she was hard to understand, much less speak with when he couldn't understand the thoughts going through her mind.
"It was best if we mean to continue with great speed and without worry for those amongst us that are without the experience and skill that we possess. Had they been present with us, it would only assure the difficulty going forward is greater. I had wished to see Bianca gain confidence through trials and experience the likes of which we three have already attained, I was wrong to do so," Zoe looked at Percy then, a queer look in her eyes. "I am thankful that they are safer than we currently are. As I have made known many a time by this point in our quest, I wish not to be responsible for the deaths of any in our band. Your potential, and Percy's, is boundless."
"That's gotta be the first time you've complimented a boy in centuries, huh?" Thalia asked with a grin evident in her voice. He didn't need to look back to see it. No, Percy could hear it, even as oblivious as he typically was.
"Mayhaps," Zoe said with a shrug. She paused then, and neither Thalia nor Percy spoke for a good deal of time until the former person, Zoe, spoke again. "It would do you both well to rest. I sense a good deal of our journey going forward will be without issue, and so rest would be relevant if we wish to see the tribulations ahead through with ease."
"I've just drank like three cans of root beer. You can't think I'm able to sleep now, can you?" Thalia asked with a scoff. Based on the rustling, he imagined she'd folded her arms too.
Percy, meanwhile, was more than happy for the chance to rest. If he could, he'd offer to drive so that Zoe could rest, not that he thought she'd take him up on his offer. She was their leader, and driven in a way he could understand; she wanted to make sure those under her care were safe, rested, fed, and all around in a way that would see them succeed.
She was a pretty cool person and a great leader.
"If you can, it would be wise. I know not when next we'll have the chance to rest, for the mountain ever-present in my mind will soon be upon us. I know it to be true," Zoe's gaze seemed to focus more as she looked ahead, but to the best of his abilities, Percy couldn't make out a mountain of any kind. Maybe her vision was greater, or maybe she'd simply dreamt of it.
"Before we make it to where you think we're meant to, you should take the chance to rest too. It wouldn't do if any of us were tired," he said to her.
Zoe glanced at him for a split-second, if even that, but it was enough to ensure him that she recognised his words even if she'd not go through with them. He knew he'd had the thought a dozen times if not more, but he still couldn't understate it; he was so happy that she didn't actively hate or dislike him anymore. When she looked at him or spoke to him regardless of the topic, in recent times, it was without disdain or dislike. The feelings as a result were impossible to understate.
"If there is a spot where I might be able to do so, I will. Th— I thank you for the concern that you show, but I have gone far greater lengths of time without adequate rest or food. It has been required of me in the past," Zoe glanced at him one more time, this time with her lips ever-so-slightly raised, and then she spoke again. "Now, rest. Should something happen, be at ease, for I will wake you and ensure that all is well in the meantime."
Percy looked at her one last time, and then he shrugged to himself, content to rest for the few hours time that he'd be able to manage. It wasn't difficult to allow sleep to claim him. Not with Zoe's breathing beside him, comforting as it was, or the occasional comforting bump of the road as she drove them ever onward.
It was perfectly comfortable, and sleep claimed him in nought but minutes.
"Rise, Percy," reached his ears as awareness and his senses came back to him. The voice belonged to Zoe, it was soft and quiet. "The mountain greets us. It would be wise if we chose to wake now."
"Aren't you going to pull over? You need a chance to rest, to take a nap at least before we go in. We shouldn't have you be tired before everything starts up," Percy said. He glanced over at Thalia behind them next, and nearly chuckled when he saw that she was asleep amidst a mixture of all sorts of empty bags of chips and cookies; leave it to her, he thought to himself.
"I am well-rested, I assure you, and should I need a burst of energy, I need only drink those drinks Thalia has. I believe she made mention of sugar-filled bars made from granola that would see me filled with energy as well."
Energy bars. I don't care for them, but I guess they're not terrible.
"If you're certain," Percy eventually said with a shrug.
It wasn't as if he could question her. She was centuries older than him, and more stubborn than even Annabeth was. That was pretty impressive, he had to admit. There was barely anybody that could be more stubborn than her, and nobody that he could think of from the top of his mind.
"I am the epitome of certain," Zoe answered. "If you wish for me to guarantee as much, I will say that ahead of us, is Mount Tamalpais. There is a certain familiarity I feel toward it that I will never be able to understate. It feels most queer to be back here, and even if I am yet to step foot in it at this time, I find a certain yearning for it."
"How do you know?"
"As I said, I am familiar with it. When you are as certain and familiar with a place as I am, you too will be able to identify it by looks alone," Zoe then gestured with her free hand — her right hand — to Percy, and then to Thalia behind them. "Wake her for me, if you would. I would see myself retaining focus on the path ahead. Always remember that it is often the last leg of a journey that will be the most difficult."
Percy would put that piece of advice away. He would tell it to Annabeth, and then months or years later, she'd say the same to him and he could remember the time with Zoe that he'd first heard it. It would work exactly like that too. He knew it would.
"Thalia," he said as he shook the girl by her shoulder, extending himself so that he could reach her in the back. "Wake up, Thalia, wake up. It's time."
Thalia huffed, rolled over and away from his hand as it grabbed her shoulder, and spoke to him. "...away. I wanna sleep. Wake… when… fight."
Zoe snorted, and Percy sighed. When Thalia refused to wake up after a few seconds, he extended further and shook her by her shoulder as he'd previously done. This time, with an annoyed huff as she rolled over to glare at him, her eyes opened and she spoke more clearly, more alertly.
"Are we where we're supposed to be?" Thalia yawned immediately after, and as a result — and basically by law — Percy yawned too. He couldn't contain it. He yawned just as she had.
Meanwhile, while the two younger people in the car were yawning, Zoe answered Thalia's question. "Yes, we are soon upon where we are meant to reach, and when we reach it, I imagine a fight will be waiting for us. Are you well rested?"
Thalia's response was a simple grin. "I'm ready."