Pearl's POV:

"Hey! Can you tell us anything about yourself?" Joe asked, following the lady who was running out into the woods.

"Long story short, Eurydice is my name." She said and stared at Grian, "How did you not have that mark."

"What do mean...?" Grian shut off his wings.

"Didn't you... aren't you are an undead?" Eurydice asked me, "Even Cleo has the mark."

"Oh, the white hair bit?" Cleo pulled off her flower crown and her one strand of white hair loosed down.

"Why was that?" I asked.

"Honestly, I don't know," Cleo said and looked at Tango.

"I don't know as well." Tango nervously laughed.

"I wasn't dead when I was pulled out," Grian said, folding the paper back into his pocket and looking down. "So, what did you find out?" Grian asked us, eager to change the topic.

"A journal is written by someone." Gem said, "Do you still have that note B-dubs?"

"In fact, I do!" B-dubs exclaimed, we leaned closer to him, "Looks like more madman's scribbles."

"Scorched Earth, most possible, Phaethon? Tied up to something, must be." Gem read from the note.

"The real magic is how the heck did you read that?" Joe asked Gem. "This handwriting is terrible."

"Hey, that's my lover's handwriting," Eurydice said.

"Eurydice? So, your lover must be Orpheus." False said.

"Sorry, uh... I don't remember that myth." I laughed light-heartedly.

"This will be a suitable time to explain everything," Xb said seriously.

Eurydice looked around once more and sighed:

"Oh, I hope with my heart we are far enough." She sat, leaning against the tree, "So I'll guess you know who I am?"

Everyone nodded except me; I giggled, "Sorry I'm new around the idea that Greek gods are real things."

"Eurydice is Orpheus' wife. She was having a stroll when a satyr tried to assault her, avoiding him she fell into a nest of vipers. Orpheus found his wife's dead body. The nymphs started weeping upon hearing his mourning songs and advised him to go to the Underworld and bring his wife back." Ren retold the myth.

I stared at Scar, he looked annoyed, "This is why we, satyrs, have a bad rep."

"I love him from life to death, but he's a bit too cautious for his own good." Eurydice looked up, "Hades let us go on one condition, Orpheus can't look back at me. At once, everything was smooth, but then he got nervous. He called out my name, it broke me knowing that I can't speak. He was crying and panicking and looked a bit over his shoulder.

"You know, the myth said that you looked horrible. Is that true?" Ex said.

"Hey! Ugh, yes, I looked like a dead undead." Eurydice crossed her arms, "Honestly, I am jealous of how you look, you look so beautiful." She looked at Cleo.

"Aw, you look gorgeous as well." Cleo brushed.

"And about the falcon, rarely do you see these birds of prey around this area," Gem asked.

"It's a pet, a puppet to the one who brought us here," Eurydice said.

"And who is that, may I ask?" TFC asked.

"I can't, he has my name." Eurydice seemed zoned out.

"Yes, he does know you," I said, half confused.

"No, he has my true name." Eurydice shivered, her eyes void of emotions.

I looked at the other Hermits, "Please fill me in."

"A true name is a part of your soul, I guess." Xisuma said, "It's you, your whole personality, your true nature in one word."

"Powerful, my lady has my true name as seeing that she made me. she can command me to do all that she wants, and I just have to obey." Gem looked at the sky.

"Oh, can I know your true name," I asked Grian apprehensively.

"What? Ahaha, this is a joke, right?" Grian asked blankly.

"Most... um, all of us don't actually know our true names." Cub filled in the blank, "It only comes to us when we are in danger. And we don't give it to anyone unless we really need it."

"Indeed, I don't know Orpheus's true name and we are married," Eurydice said.

"Oh, ok that makes sense," I said.

"That's all I know; you got all the information out of me. What more do you want?" She said, looking away.

"I want to be your friend," Zed said this seemed to shock her.

"I think I speak for every hermit, but the way you looked back in the jail..." Zed took a huge breath, "That looked kind of broke my heart. I want to be your friend."

Beef stared at Zed, "Orpheus stole something from my mother, she's under great distress."

"Do not blame him, he's under strict control." Eurydice sighed, "Our master has our true names, he will use them."

"Mari is a strong woman; she'll be fine if you are by her side." Xisuma held Beef's hands gently.

"Do you have someplace I can stay? Living in a cave is not much of a home." Eurydice asked.

"Yeah, we have a camp a few hours away, oh! By the way, Pearl, here is the location." Grian slipped me a small piece of paper with some coordinates.

"Oh?" I muttered in surprise.

"I know that it's still a bit shocking for all these gods' things, but I do hope you visit." He grinned.

I looked at the paper, I chuckled, "Aw geez, thanks?"

"If you don't; well, I understand, you still have a life outside of the mystical." Grian shot out his wings and looked back at the hermits, his family.

"Well, Gem what about you?" I asked.

"I am rather curious about this camp. May I have the honors to come along?" Gem asked, her eyes gentle and soft.

"Of course, come with us. You too, Eurydice." Zed looked at the lady.

I felt warm, watching them leave and talking the whole way back, then the cool breeze hit me.

"Oh, it is rather cold now that I think about it," I said to Teddy, who is still wanting to move.

"Alright, I'll put you down boy." I put Teddy back and started to walk to my station.

"I wonder who my godly parent is... whoever they are," I murmured to myself.

"Actually, the real question is what I say to the Chief..." I suddenly realized. "I can't just tell him nothing..."

Teddy barked, I patted the German Shepherd on the head, "You are right, I just need to do what the journal did, erasing some parts."

I pulled up my walkie-talkie, "Yes, Pearl speaking, reporting on the case of Mari and the Blade."

A cop on the radio picked up, "Any new developments?"

"It lends to a cave where the theft lived, from the scattered clues, we can tell there are at least three people involved; one: the theft himself, two: the person he is working for, third, a hostage to make sure the theft is loyal. Would you like me to look into the hostage further to host a rescue team?"

The cop on the other end remained quiet, deep in thought, "FIDO." (Or 'Forget it, drive on' if you don't know police lingo)

"10-4" I replied ('I understand' in police lingo)

"Very well, the case will have to solve another day. Ms. Vintage will have to wait a while longer. Oh, your shift is over, you don't need to report back, I'll help you."

"Thank you, she truly is a nice woman; I'll hate to disappoint her. This case will get solved I am sure of it." I hang up, continuing the walk back home

I lead Teddy up the stairs of an apartment, it was a modest space. It wasn't too big, or empty, it was cozy.

"Well, we are home, boy my legs are about to give out!" I flopped onto the couch.

I heard Teddy walking toward me, I looked over.

"Thanks for pooping in your bin, now I have to clean it." I sighed.

I took out the trash, cleaned the dog's bin, and started to make dinner.

"Today went by really fast... maybe because of the whole demigod business," I muttered to myself, waiting for the pan to heat up.

"I do like the hermits, maybe I'll come to visit in the morning." I thought out loud, remembering the note Grian gave me.

"I wonder if it is possible to balance a 'normal' life and demigod life," I murmured.

I looked at the fruit basket, and grinned to myself, "Like all things in the world, there has to be a balance somewhere." Recalling what my parents told me.

"Hm, I guess one of them is my step-parent." I chopped up the lettuce, "I am so grateful for them still, they gave me as normal as a life as they could."

I slowed my knife, zoning out, "Looking at some of the Hermits, I can see the hurt in their face when talking about their parents, I wonder..." I snapped back to reality.

"Oh, I didn't burn the omelets!" I checked up on the cooking omelets, I sighed. "That's a relief."

As I settled down my dinner, I turned on the TV.

"The supposed theft of the Atropos' Blade was spotted at railway system, asking for the location of some desert." A well-dressed lady spoke to the mic.

"That's the same guy..." I muttered to myself; Teddy growled at the screen.

"Reports of him list him as a well-built man, long hair tied up, and clothes that fit a poet in the olden days."

"It's funny, if I didn't know about the whole demigod thing, this report won't be this attention-grabbing." I laughed to myself.

The Tv cuts to two people, they looked rather young and behind them was one other person, he looked to be their father.

"It was the weirdest thing, he asked for a place called 'Phaethon's Rest'" but that doesn't exist, and I was so confused man." The younger one is in a red and white shirt.

"He wasn't nice about it. So, when we said no, he just ran off as if he's in a hurry." The other in green agreed.

"Phaethon's Rest... I am sure the name Phaethon was in the plan." I said to myself, chewing down the rest of the broccoli.

I looked at my calendar, tomorrow was a free day for me, but a lurking thought crept in:

"What do I do after this? Our chief is still interested in the case, and I can catch the thief with the hermits... then what? Do I stay for the action, or return to the life I always had?" I finished up my plate.

"For them, it was easy, they were born into the life of the mystical. But I had a normal life, I may have spotted some monsters in my life but... do they only hunt you when you know that you are a demigod?"

I shook my head and collected the dishes to wash, "I like the Hermits and it's clear that they like me too. But I do miss this life... maybe I am just a clear-sighted mortal... but I was able to use magic way before this."

I sighed and dried the dishes off, "Maybe... I'll just sleep it off for another day."

I looked back at the tv, it was now talking about some sports champions and how the red team won, 3-0 to the other team.

"That's a shame, I was cheering for the other team." I looked at Teddy and rubbed his ears.

"Better luck next time." I switched off the tv.

I climbed into my bed; Teddy joined me, cuddling against my leg.

"Heh, good night boy, sweet dreams," I whispered into his ears.

Oh boy, I think saying sweet dreams was the wrong choice.

I was on some mountains, in front of me was just a steep dropdown.

I wasn't able to move, someone called my name, and I moved a bit forward.

"I... will come." I unwillingly said, then I fell.

The sky darkened and twisted into a bright red; strings tighten around my neck.

Then I stopped, someone else was carrying me, but they were also tied in strings.

They gave me something, like a small seed and all wind stopped and we both fell.

Suddenly I was able to move around again, but the person now looking like a cocoon of strings, we were on a rock in the middle of a lake.

With a shaky hand, they held up a sword and spoke to the sky.

Hands reached out to the skies and pulled back with lighting speed.

The hands opened up, it was a huge hourglass and it turned upside down.

A clock-like ticking sound was heard everywhere.

People were near me, shouting someone's name...

But nothing happened, and we stood still.

Shadows covered the person's face, leaving only two white dots where the eyes were.

They spoke to me, it sounded like two people in a single body.

"I'll always be by your side... no matter what!" Something about it... seemed odd.

"There is always one way to solve this problem..." the person lost more of the human shape as they got consumed by the shadows.

"It's a bit risky, but I trust you! I always will."

I tried to scream out a name, but no sound came out.

The white eyes lost the battle to the invading shadow.

Finally, just one voice spoke: a deep, rusty one.

"Waiting for something to happen? Maybe you shouldn't."

The background shattered into a space of clocks, everyone else looked frozen in time, and above was a timer.

30:00:00:00. Or in other words, 30 days.

I woke up in a cold sweat, I was shivering, and Teddy was there as well, he was worried.

He licked my cold hands and laid his head on it; I couldn't help but smile:

"Sorry... did I worry you boy?" I rubbed my eyes, he whimpered in response.

"It was just a bad dream, I'm fine really." I patted the dog's head.

"My friend, I am sorry, now go to sleep. I think we will have a busy day tomorrow." I put my face against his.

Teddy closed his worry-filled eyes and drifted off into sleep again, but I couldn't go back to bed.

I lied as still as a rock and looked at the ceiling.

30 days? for what, I wondered.

I thought about it for the whole night, and I was no closer to the finish. Finally, sunlight crept in from the curtains, signaling that I didn't even catch a wink.

I sighed and thought to myself, "If all my dreams are going to be like this, it feels better to not sleep at all."

Teddy yawned and looked up at me, panting ready for a morning walk.

"If this is going to be my last chance of having a normal life, I'll take it." I rose out of bed and brushed my teeth.

"I bet you are looking for this!" I said while getting changed.

Teddy barked excitedly at the leash I was holding, I giggled.

"Ok... settle down boy. Hold still for a second." I tied it around the young German Shepherd, he nearly yanked me out from my building.

"Woah, boy! We aren't going our normal route!" I pulled lightly in the other direction.

Then he finally settled down and moved in the direction I want him to go.

"Let's see, their camp is around an hour away, but I can take the bus and shorten that time." I scanned the note Grian gave me.

Then I felt my stomach growl, "Come to think of it I could go for some grilled cheese, I wonder if that Sun-Buck is still around."

I looked around the corner and saw the white building, I smiled at myself.

"It may be a knock-off but it's good." I looked at Teddy, "We'll get you a puppuccino as well, what do you think of that plan?"

Teddy wagged his tail so fast that it seems to become transparent. I laughed softly, "Race you there!" I let go of the lead and let Teddy run at full speed.

"You beat me, Woah. Now, wait as I get your food, ok?" I said, stepping into the store.

After buying a grilled cheese sandwich and a Caffe Latte for me and one puppuccino for Teddy, I watched as he inhales the whole thing in five seconds.

"I know you are hungry but have some manners." I cheerfully started walking again and stopped at the bus station.

"Two stops, get off and turn and walk straight, you should see a small forest. Walk straight until you see a clearing, and there will be our camp, headquarters." I read from the torn note, "Geez how small is his handwriting."

Teddy barked at an incoming bus, I got on and followed the instructions.

I entered a small clearing and saw the camp and the magic barrier protecting them.

"It's very well hidden... well do I knock?" I looked at Teddy, who yapped in response.

I tried to knock but my hand goes through, and I walked into the barrier.

"And I thought I had to unlock a door." I laughed to myself.

"Hey? Anyone?" I yelled to the seemingly empty land.

"And here we have a wild Pearl in her natural habitat, she seems confused." A Grian voice faded in.

"I am very much out of my habitat, thank you very much," I said with sarcasm.

"But anyways, hiya Pearl it's good to see you." Grian flew in upside down.

"Same there but where are the rest of your gang?"

"In the B-dubs and Hypno's cabin." Grian waved me to a rather big cabin, with vines growing about. "Excuse the moss and vines, that's there because they don't fricking clean up after themselves."

"Kind of sounds like me!" I followed into the cabin.

Two king-sized beds with fuzzy carpets were the first thing I saw.

"Woah, my bed is much smaller than theirs." I gasped.

Then the group of hermits greeted me, I realized that this cabin was huge and took a second to take it all in.

"You have a massive bed." I finally said to B-dubs.

"You need all the space if you are a sleeping king like me." He joked.

"I was worried that Teddy may crowd the space a bit, but I guess I don't have to worry." I picked up the small dog in my arms.

"As I said earlier, this is a huge bed for little guys like you." Etho sighed, noting something down.

"Little! I'm 5'7!" B-bubs stood, reviewing his truly tall height.

"Yeah, that's true when you count in hair as well." Doc the 6'5 giant teased.

"Why I ought to-" B-dubs dived into Doc's chest.

"Hey! Be careful, you may damage my computer..." False said, inching away.

"This is why we don't usually have gatherings like this," Grian said lightheartedly. "Next thing I know, they are going to start a war and I somehow get blamed."

Xisuma split the two apart and looked at False, "Are you ok?"

"X, I was the one that got punched in the stomach and you ask False if she is alright?" Doc whined.

"My computer is fine, no thanks to you." False glared at Doc and B-dubs.

"What about Eurydice?" I asked.

"Here, I must say the tea tastes amazing." Eurydice, who was sitting on top of Hypno's bed.

Gem nodded, "Technology has improved a lot since you were last alive, it's fun seeing how fast humans change in their thirst for knowledge." She sipped a bit of the tea.

"I thought you hated the Hermits..." I asked her, I looked at Beef, "Aren't you two enemies?"

"Oh... right. About that... I kind of just forgave her, she didn't do the stealing." Beef said, rocking the bed.

"What on earth did I miss," I asked in udder confusion.

"Eurydice is now our friend; we are trying to teach her what pog means." Impulse said.

"I will say this tea is very 'pog'." She demonstrated.

"I feel slightly embarrassed." Tango covered his face.

"Ha-ha, you will get used to that embarrassment." TFC said, looking that False; he asked, "What info do you have so far."

"Phaethon just the name of a demigod, there isn't a place named after him." False sighed, petting Teddy.

"You didn't see the news last night?" I asked.

"No why?" Cub asked.

"Well, the news was talking about Orpheus, and they mention Phaethon as well." I recalled, "They said he was looking for Phaethon's Rest or something like that."

"Hm, interesting." False settled down near the bed.

"Phaethon is also the name of a flower; I believe I have a few in my cabin." Stress said, planting some roses.

"There's a few that grows in the area I dwell in; they are beautiful to gaze at." Gem clapped.

"I don't really get it, they kind of just looks like lavenders to me." Tango crossed his arms, a few other Hermits nodded in unison.

"How dare you say that! Phaethon is thinner and bigger and it's more colorful than the lavenders, but I do say the lavenders' smell is more wonderful." Stress ranted.

Tango and Zed stared at each other blankly, one of them finally said a word,

"Do you understand whatever she just said?" Tango asked with a blank look, his night-vision goggles sitting upon his blonde hair.

"Not a single word." Zed agreed, "It all just went in one ear and out the other."

Stress was so enraged that her face appeared red, "Oh, no one cares about flowers anymore." She sighed, pulling out a small dagger from her belt, she leaned over and cut some weeds on the walls.

"But... but Stress, my gorgeous sister, I like flowers and boshes. Am I no one to you?" Keralis plead to Stress with his huge eyes.

"No Keralis, don't say that!" Stress hugged him.

"You know that if you asked me for my opinion on flowers, I would have said I liked them but carry on with your sibling moment." Gem said, clearly wanting some attention from Stress.

"Xisuma- we ran out of tea!" Ex complained, waving around the empty teapot.

"What do you want me to do about it? You have legs too." Xisuma scowled from under his mask.

"Ok, I won't tell you about what I know about Phaethon's Rest." Ex sat firmly; his arms crossed.

"Geez, holding information over our heads isn't cool." Xisuma gave in and walked out with the teapot in hand.

"Those two always seem to be butting heads," Hypno noted.

"Speak for yourself." Jevin huffed.

"You started the whole 'you smell' thing, you know!"

"Well, maybe I won't start it if you just took more showers."

"Sorry mister 'I am the son of the goddamn ocean' that I don't smell like fresh saltwater all the time."

"Oh, really mister 'I do nothing but sleep because sleep god,' if you just spent a bit less time sleeping, I won't complain as much."

"Cut it out, can we just agree that everyone now smells like Beef?" Cub said, now playing Uno with Scar, Iskall, Mumbo, Ren, Xb, and Wels.

"Cub, you didn't say Uno." Xb pointed at Cubs' one card.

"Oh... gosh. No- come on it's just one time! Just one time?" Cub jokingly begged.

"It's the rules, Cub. No one dares to disrespect the rules of Uno." Xisuma came back in.

"Thank you for the tea, I am the most delighted about having more." Gem said, taking the teapot away.

"Now Ex, about that information?" Xisuma asked.

"The truth is... Phaeton's Rest... is... somewhere." Ex dramatically said.

Ren sighed, "That was anticlimactic, have a plus two."

"Oh no, you don't, because, I have a plus-four!" Xb added it into the pile.

"I knew you would something like this, I have the perfect card, ha! Plus-two and Uno!" Cub waved his one card in the air.

"I came in blazing now with two plus-twos!" Wels put down his cards.

"I don't have witty one-liner but one plus four and one plus two." Scar said.

Then it came to Mumbo, who just looked like he gave up on life, "How many cards?"

Grian did some quick math and exclaimed "18 new cards for the potato boy."

"Thanks, G-man." Mumbo groaned, slowly counted out 18 cards.

"Tough luck with that, but I think I know what to do now." False rubbed her hands excitedly.

"Spill it," Eurydice told False.

"So, Phaeton's Rest is not a real place, that's why is nowhere on the maps, but it is a mythical place, so if we just follow the older myths of how it got made, we will find it," False said.

"And how did it got made?" Zed asked.

"Helios." She replied.

"And how do we get his attention."

"I don't know Heracles just kind of shot an arrow at him." False shrugged.

"Oh, hell we are not trying that!" Joe said.

"As a son of Apollo, you will be good to just barely miss him, and you will get his attention as well because Apollo is the sun god too." False claimed.

Joe backed up a bit, "I don't like the way you are looking at me."

We smiled at Joe, and he stepped out, "It's been fun having tea and snacks, but I'll just leave and... uh feed... the fish! Yes, the fishes are very hungry."

Then he just zoomed out of this cabin, we burst into a fit of laughter.

I want every day to be as enjoyable as this one, I thought to myself, patting Teddy.

I can do that, I will make every day a day to remember, and hey, you should as well.

TLDR:

Did we just make friends with the enemy?... Uh... GODS DAMNIT WE ARE TOO NICE. Also, we do research and plan a trip.

Author's note:

It's fun staying up till 3 am to watch MCC.

Also, Reddit showed me something very... concerning.

Uh, go search up "Long, long man" on YT and you will see.

Yeah, don't question it, I don't know too.