GeminiTay's POV:

The hermits are indeed great people, I sometimes feel myself letting my guard down.

I knew I didn't need to worry, I watched them for a while now; they are great swords people.

I don't have a weapon and I knew that Pearl doesn't as well, and I was rather curious what she will choose as her weapon of choice.

I mean she was rather new to the police force; I doubt she has been highly trained with a gun.

As for me, well I know that I will likely choose a bow and arrow of some sort for the glory of my goddess.

"So, Pearl do you wish to pick out a weapon?" I asked.

"I thought you already have a weapon?" Pearl inquired.

"I had my goddess protection before this point, but something told me I can't rely on her protection forever." I exhaled.

"I guess that makes sense, the barrier of the camp is getting weaker." Grian stared off into the distance.

"Hestia's letters disappearing, the barrier made by Hecate weaker, the link of the gods to nature is fading, my nexus to my dearest goddess, something tells me a great demise is coming." I sipped some more tea.

I stared at the reflection of the tea, "Twisted world we live in, right?"

"Ha, let's not scare the newcomer, right?" Xisuma laughed nervously.

Pearl embraced Teddy harder, "Don't worry, I'm not scared... not anymore."

"Is it fine if I have a weapon too?" My friend Eurydice queried.

The hermits looked at each other, judging if they can trust Eurydice with something that can be used against them, the anxious looks of some of the more reserved Hermits made the decision clear.

"Sorry, we don't quite know what you will do." Beef denied.

"Oh, I'll do anything for your trust." Eurydice looked down.

"I do have one question; how did you get out from the realm of dead?" I jumped onto my feet, as the hermits pack up their stuff.

"Well, when the Hermits were breaking out of the Hade's realm, Grian did something to the wall between the mystical and the normal that my master can pull us out with ease," Eurydice said, staring at Grian.

"For every force in the world, we need an opposite force as well, so I broke the barrier in exchange for my life. That's all I'll tell." Grian sneered, not wanting to talk about it at all. "Come, let's get you some weapons.

We followed the flying one to a shed where they stored their weapons, the morning sun rays beamed down at us.

I looked down at everything, and my heart chose for me.

A first-class bow, its wooden ends meet at a point and golden vines are engraved into the design, perfect length for my arms, its silken string rigidly connects everything.

"I think my heart chose this bow, Joe may I ask for some arrows later?" I picked up the bow, which fit perfectly in my palms.

"Good for you! Our tradition is that we name the weapons, I call mine Omega Lighting Decapitating Obsidian Warblade of DOOM." Iskall pulled out a very shape Warblade.

"Sorry run that by me again?" I asked in shame.

"Look at mine, it's called Tim!" Zed pronounced a Khospesh and swung it around. "Isn't it wonderful?"

"And also, very sharp! Put it back or go outside!" Tango warned.

"I'm not touching the grass, nope," Zedaph grumbled.

"Then put it back in your belt or I'll bet you." Impulse added.

"That sounded super wrong, but I will." Zed put Tim back into his pocket.

I turned to Pearl, who was scanning the axes area.

"Oh, I really like this one, I've seen some of my law enforcement buddies use this." Pearl grabbed a steel ax.

"A Tactical ax, how curious." I mouthed to myself.

"That reminds me, how on earth do you have this many weapons in this shed." Pearl said blankly, "Especially this one, this is a cop's weapon.

The hermits looked at each other and stared at Grian, "No, surprisingly I didn't steal it. Not this time."

Mumbo elbowed the small dude, "Come on, come clean."

"I won't report you for stealing." Pearl joked.

"Hey, really, I didn't do it!" Grian laughed, "Blame False."

"What! Don't do this to me! Ok, I may have done the actual stealing." False said and inched to Ren, "He found it."

"I did not! Doc found it first!" Ren pointed at the tall green man.

"What did you say!" Doc looked down at Ren.

They erupted into arguing and Ex whispered to me, "I just took it from one of the stations put it on the road near this camp."

"You are an evil man, my man." I giggled lightly.

"I know it's personally my favorite thing to do." He laughed coarsely.

"I name this now, right?" Pearl asked.

"Well, yeah." Xisuma spilt up Ren and Doc.

Pearl took a hard look at the weapon and her face visually reddened under the strain of not having a name prepared.

"I am running a bit dry on names at the moment." Pearl's shoulders slummed down.

"I see, well sadly I may have the same issue as you." I glared at the golden reflections and thought of my Goddess.

"If I may ask, is it unusual to name a weapon after someone?" I asked myself.

"I mean, Zed's curvy knife is named Tim." Tango looked at Zedaph.

"To be fair I do not know anyone named Tim." Zed pointed out. "Besides, the name Tim is short, sweet, and nice."

"For anyone named Tim, I think that's a flirt." Tango joked.

"I admit, it's a bit weird for me to shoot someone up with my goddess's name." I hugged the bow, "So I'll name this beauty of bow Selene."

"So, you are going to meet up with Helios with the bow named after his sister?" Joe asked me.

"Now that you put it that way, it sounds terrible." I giggled.

"I don't mean it in a bad way, you can still name it that!" Joe replied.

"Then my fateful bow will be called Selene." I turned to Pearl.

"Any name ideas for your sharp ax?" I asked merrily.

"Uh, I am so rusty at names I mean I named this dog Teddy can I just call it Axe? ... does that sound good?" She asked looking ashamed.

"Axe the ax. I say it has a ring to it." Impulse snapped his fingers.

"Well, you just did one of our traditions, you are one of us!" Scar cheered.

"One of us, one of us." Cub backed up Scar.

"Now you just have to nearly die to fully become one of us." Iskall glared at Grian.

"You have to what?" Pearl asked, hoping it was a joke.

"It was a joke, somewhat." Iskall laughed.

"Well, I guess we should pack up this time." Xisuma noted, "Last we had a quest, it was rather short. But this time, I feel it's going to be a rather long one."

"Yeah, I rather not go into a quest completely blind again." Zed laughed and ran out, "I'll race you to the cabin!"

Beef ran out with Zed, then Xb followed.

"Even though Xb has discovered who his parents really are, he still lives in my cabin... maybe he just doesn't like to be lonely," Grian said, and slowly he flew off.

"You know if you don't want to. You don't have to follow this quest." Xisuma turned back at Eurydice, Pearl, and me.

"I'm tagging along if you don't mind, I'm still trying to sort the whole Greek myth stuff and maybe this quest will have the answers," Pearl said, raising her ax.

"I would love to come, the gods losing their connection to this plane of existence has me deeply troubled." I bowed to him.

"If my lover is still under the control of that freak of a master, I'll do anything to have him back." Eurydice nodded.

"You are genuinely nice people, now move along! We don't have all day!" Ex shoved us out.

As the hermits raced around, packing their things; I noticed Pearl just standing to the side, she seemed to be nervous as Teddy noticed how much she is trembling.

"Pearl, are you nervous?" I asked rather softly.

"No, not at all! Don't worry about me!" Pearl laughed, trying to comfort me.

"Pearl, I am serious. If you are scared, I suggest you don't come along."

"You should be packing as well; don't you have anything better to do?"

"Pearl..."

"I'm fine! Just give me a minute to process everything."

I sighed, she's stubborn as a rock, and I started striding away to meet up with the other Hermits but in a moment of panic, Pearl yelled:

"Wait! Please don't go!"

I looked back, Pearl was shivering and looked like she was about to cry.

"Ah... oh, I'm sorry about that... God, what am I doing."

I noticed she used God in a singular way, she was still in denial about her true parents, it just boiled over into anger.

"Pearl, if you need anything just tell me. I have the wisdom of a thousand stars." I offered.

"Well, I had a weird dream..." Pearl finally opened up, her anger softens.

"That's normal for demigods, I may not be as wise as B-dubs in dreams, but dreams come with the night, which is my goddess' domain."

"No, it was more like I was dreaming about the future direction. There was a cliff and I fell, and someone fell down with me as well."

I listened silently to Pearl's dream, and when she finished, she wasn't shaking as much anymore.

"Sounds like it's just trying to warn you about the future," I said.

"But it will happen, right? That's usually how dreams go! I'm actively putting someone in danger by going on this quest, maybe I should quit while I'm ahead." Pearl picked up Teddy and patted it on the head.

"Pearl, think of your dreams like a river, it may seem like it only goes one way, but it can spill into another river at any time, and you may end in a calming lake instead of a raging ocean." I looked at the blue sky, "That's all your dreams are, they warn you to go into the calm lake by showing you the ocean."

"I think that makes sense, but there was another thing, and this is what makes me the most worried."

"You are stronger than you think, Pearl. Remember that."

"Near the end of the dream, I heard glass shattering, then there was a bunch of clocks and a timer."

"Timers are usually not good in dreams, is it a set number?" I asked.

"Yes, thirty days."

"Well, it looks like the countdown has already begun."

Pearl perked up her head, "Did... did you know about this?"

"Not exactly, my goddess said that I will meet up with you all one day, but at that time, I didn't believe my goddess, I was too naïve."

Pearl nodded, "Sorry, I'm still very new to the Greek myths and I'm not sure who is who."

"Artemis, the goddess of the hunt and the moon," I said, watching the hermits finishing up their packing up. "She once told me that I will leave her pack one day, that I will one day meet up with others with goals similar to mine."

"How does she look?" Pearl asked.

"What? Pardon?" I said in shock.

"You always say she speaks to you, so how does she look like?"

"No... I am afraid you are mistaken. She talks to me in my mind, she is like another soul in my brain."

"Oh, that sounds really weird." Pearl laughed weakly.

"Hi, Gem! Pearl! We are done packing." Jevin ran up to us.

"Right, we will follow you in a moment." I nodded to Jev.

I twirled to Pearl, her eyes are a lot clearer, she looked stronger now that she spilled everything to me.

"Will you come? If not, I understand." I reached my hand out.

Pearl nodded and hugged Teddy along and I grabbed her arm; together we joined back up with the other Hermits.

"The only desert in here is Lemnos, and then we just have to find the largest dune," False said, pointing at the east at the sun slowing going up and over our heads.

"You know, I think my mom's house is by the road as well." Beef exclaimed.

"Well in that case, can we go to her house first? I would like to apologize to her for the trouble I caused." Eurydice rose from her sitting position.

"Eurydice, you don't have to." Beef muttered to her.

"No, I must. I feel terrible for what my lover has done." Eurydice pleaded.

"Just let her do what she wants, if she doesn't get the weight off her chest, we will have to carry her around." Ex crossed his arms.

"Well... False what do you say?" Beef turned to False, who seemed like the only brain in the group.

"Hmm, Lemnos is just over two days of walking, if we stop by Mari's place which is just below the halfway point, we can charge up for the night and make it in less than two days," False said.

"Alright, that sounds like a good plan of action," Cub said.

"Onwards people! To... uh Mari's place!" Zed took charge and started leading the way.

"Wait Zed! You don't know where you are going!" Tango caught up with Zed and took the lead.

"So, Mari is the name of your mother." I quietly asked Beef.

"Yeah, I just call her mom though." Beef said rather awkwardly. "Not that anyone else but me calls her that."

"She must be a nice lady; I never really had a mother figure in my life besides my goddess," I replied.

"She's the best mom ever! When we found Zed, she just took him in no question."

I listen silently to Beef.

"She always makes sure the dinner is hot whenever we come home late, and she took care of us night and day when we were sick and..."

"She sounds like she's the best mom in the world."

"Yeah! Nike comes in a close second, oh that right you haven't met Python and the others yet!"

"Python? Is that another friend of yours?"

"Sure is, I don't know him too personally well, but he seems like an amazing guy and the others too well, they offered us shelter in their own home and..." Beef froze in his words.

"Honestly, that's all I really want. I want a safe home with all my friends but now, home isn't as warm as it used to."

"Oh, I almost forgot you are Hestia's chosen ones."

"I wouldn't say I'm chosen; I think Hestia just took pity on me."

"That isn't true, I think you are the first champion of Hestia I have seen in my lifetime."

We stopped at the stoplight and waited for it to turn green, the car drives by; unknowingly passing by a group of Demigods.

"How old are you? I don't think I ever asked that." Beef shivered despite the warm sun rays of the afternoon sun.

"Around a thousand? Maybe more? Time has lost meaning to me." I answered.

"Woah, geez you sure look young, heck you look the youngest in our group."

"Why, how nice of you."

"Hey! Hurry up you slowpokes!" The distant voice of Tango shouted.

I watched as Beef caught up with the rest of the Hermits, that somber mood of his seemed to break whenever he's around them.

We stopped briefly for Lurch and continued our walk.

"I hope you find your pack one day." That's what My goddess last told me before disappearing.

Is this what she meant? My heart seemed to yearn for their comfort, I get overwhelmingly happy to be around them.

I paused in my steps and stared at the slow afternoon sun... was home always this warm? Was I to start a new life with a new family? Was it wrong to abandon the goddess that took me in as her own?

"Gem! Look at the road ahead! You may crash into someone." Keralis gently pulled me away from crashing into a citizen.

"Oh, I am mighty sorry," I told the citizen.

"That's fine, but your friend's right you know." The citizen then turned and walked away.

As we cross another couple of busy crosswalks leading into the more rural area of this land, I looked at a shop that was selling mirrors and glass.

"Look at that one, it's all swirly!" Scar said.

"You look hilarious Scar, look at your hat! It looks huge!" Grian pointed and restrain his laughter.

"Honestly, it doesn't look half bad, plus my horns are growing! I may need a bigger hat." Scar looked at his clothes, "This outfit won't suit the big hat."

I stared at the mirrors and saw the Hermits crowding around me.

My friends smile warmly behind me... 'friends' hm.

I do like the sound of that.

After all, they trusted me with a weapon that I can fire at their backs.

But I don't want to... they are my friends now.

"It's that street with the flowers!" Beef pointed ahead; we are in the middle zone where rural meets urban.

The sky was now turning into a red painting.

It was rather big for a single person, it's a plain-looking two-story-tall house with white walls and a roof of a pale teal color. With a small garden out in the front where...

"Mom!" Beef ran towards the woman out watering her plants.

"Oh, hello dear! It's great to see you!" Mari dropped her watering hose and hugged Beef tightly.

And Scar was a bit too close for the hose's spray reach.

"Oh no, I'm so sorry Scar." Mari shut off the hose and assessed Scar's situation.

Scar, who is as you may have guessed dripping wet, removed his hat, and tried and squeeze as much of the water out, he mumbled "What a mess..."

Pearl stared at Scar closely and asked silently, "Is it me or are those goat horns and ears?"

"We can talk about things later, for now, I think you should all head into my home, you'll catch a cold!" Mari stared at the sun setting.

"Ok, thank you!" Scar replied as we headed into Mari's house.

It looked a lot smaller on the outside, but the clever placement of the house's furniture made it look massive.

"You have a marvelous house Mari, it's nothing like the forest but it's homely," I said with joy.

"Oh, thank you, I don't think I actually met you before." Mari blinked at my appearance.

"By the way Scar, there are some clothes that may fit you in the room above."

"My... I forgot, allow me to introduce myself. I'm GeminiTay but the Hermits call me Gem."

"Oh, welcome to our house Gem, Beef's room may be a bit too small for all of you to fit." Mari walked into the kitchen.

"That's fine, we'll just stay here in the living room," Jev said sitting on the wooden floors.

"Pearl, this is your chance; tell them about that dream of yours." I patted her on the back.

"Oh, are you sure? It may sound really dumb..." Pearl said, putting Teddy down for him to sleep.

"Don't worry, it won't sound dumb I promise," I told her.

Pearl looked at me and nodded, and Mari entered the room,

"You must be hungry by now. Here are some food and snacks, and Zed doesn't eat all the cookies... ok?" Mari scorned Zed.

"Yes! yes! I won't!" Zed said, all flustered up.

"Oh, Mari?" Pearl asked for her, "Can you uh... not to be rude but uh..." Pearl shivered in nervousness.

"Hm? Demigod business, right? Alright, I'll leave." Mari asked politely and entered back into the kitchen.

The Hermits stared at Pearl for a little while, some started to eat.

"Well, I want to share something..." Pearl finally spoke.

"Sorry! I had a bit of trouble with the jacket!" Scar called out.

We all looked up, he looked like a shady businessperson who runs a tycoon, red leather jacket, and a business suit, with a huge red hat with a green bow on top.

"What do you think? Isn't it classy?" Scar did a little spin for us to see.

I could tell that with each passing moment Pearl was getting increasingly nervous.

"Pardon me Pearl, were you wanting to say something?" I asked.

Her look of; I want to murder you so badly said it all to me; we were totally going to be best friends.

"Well, I had a weird dream..." She retold that same dream again, cliffs, clocks, and all.

"My lover will never harm someone! This is terrible!" Eurydice said.

"Well, if we can get Orpheus out of your master's control and we'll be fine!" Iskall said with confidence.

"That is who is your master," Mumbo asked.

"I can't say his name, but the old cave he lived in has clues about him." Eurydice pointed out.

"Of course! But then to find those clues..." Xisuma said looking at Ex.

"Yes, we will have to split up... a big deal." Ex nodded.

"That's not all at the end of the dream I heard a glass shatter and there was a timer with thirty... huh?" Pearl froze in her tracks.

"Pearl are you ok? You suddenly look a lot paler..." Grian asked.

"Did you guys hear that?" She asked in a panic.

We shook our heads and looked at Pearl with worry.

"That sound... another glass shatter... I can't... I don't... I don't get it." Pearl then passed out onto the floor.

TLDR:

Packing up for the adventure of a lifetime, we visit Beef's Mom as well.

Author's Note:

You know a few days ago, I wanted to go down some nostalgic memories.

So, I decided to listen to some good old' Minecraft songs

I was listening to 'How do I craft this again' when I was thinking like:

"Hm, that skin sure looks familiar, ah nostalgia."

Then I read the description of that video.

The person who sang the song and had their skin on the video was InTheLittleWoods or Martyn.

Martyn, the person I watched play Third Life a little while ago, the person who I watched in MCC...

He sang one of my childhood favorite songs.

Man, I feel old now.