๐บ๐๐๐๐
I 07. I
๐ฎ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐
๐ฎ๐๐๐
โ festus โ
ย ย ย WAVES LAPPED AT HER FEET, TICKLING THEM AS SAND SCRATCHED HER SKIN. She leaned against her hands while she watched the fading sun. Orange, pink, and yellow splashed together across the sky, bleeding through the horizon and seeming to hold hands with the deep blue waves. It was peaceful in Montauk. Three hours from the city. No loud honking, no busy streets, and no school.
Ariadne felt a reminder of Camp Half-Blood. The Long Island Sound was always one of the first things she heard in the early morning, with a salty breeze blowing in her face while she struggled to pull her shoes on, hurrying to the archery fields before Chiron could force her to demonstrate her terrible skills first because she was late. Those were times that she kept near and dear to her heart.
The Jackson-Blofis household had invited her on a trip to Montauk. They had a few days off from school, and they all decided to take the chance to visit the cabin away from the city. It was her first time there, and it was peaceful, and she felt a bit giddy knowing she was able to recreate a few camp games she had grown up with ( how many times could she pin Percy down, marshmallow surprise, etc. ).
Percy had told her the rental cabin was on the south shore, way out at the tip of Long Island. It was a little pastel box with faded curtains, half-sunken into the dunes. There was always sand in the sheets and spiders in the cabinets, and most of the time the sea was too cold to swim in. But was that going to stop him from throwing her in at some point? No. It would never stop him from showing off in front of her because he felt the need to do so. Her heart fluttered.
He was taking a walk with his mom to reminisce, Paul was taking a nap after a late drive, and she was sitting on the shore just thinking.
She didn't mind the alone time. This place was a getaway for Percy and Sally, it was important to them. And it completely added up once she saw the view of the sunset over the horizon.
A small breeze brushed by, moving her hair over her shoulders, tickling her nose and cheeks. She wrapped her sweatshirt-covered arms around her waist to allow some warmth. Dressed in a pair of sweats and one of Percy's sweatpants was a go to style for her on the weekends.
Water crawled up toward her ankles, making in her smile. She could only imagine Poseidon watching them. It was odd, but all the gods were seeming to keep an eye on her and Percy and any others that had fought in the Battle of Olympus.
Her eyes narrowed when she heard the sand shift behind her, sticks and a few rocks moving to the side, as if someone was pushing them.
"Nice try, Kelp Head," Ariadne said. "You're not that slick."
A laugh sounded behind her. "You don't know that, Curly Fry."
She glanced over her shoulder as he sat next to her. A smile graced her lips. "Yes I do."
Percy rolled his sea-green eyes. One thing she had learned was that his eyes mimicked the nearest body of water. The water in Montauk was a deep blue, and although there was still a sea-green color, they reminded her of the deepest parts of the ocean, ones where you would sink to the bottom and close your eyes in peace.
"How was your walk?" she asked, wrapping her arms around her knees.
He shrugged. "Normal, I guess. We just talked about everything. It's been a few weeks since the whole Olympus thing."
"And since you turned invincible."
Percy nudged her shoulder with a chuckle. He leaned back against his hands, looking out at the fading sun. His eyebrows furrowed, as if he was imagining something.
Ariadne titled her head. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing." He pursed his lips. "It's just been a while since I've been able to relax, you know? That whole prophecy thing and the nearing war kind of put a stop on my whole teenage years."
She nodded. "You're only sixteen, Perc. You have a few more years."
"But who knows if I'll even make it that far."
She couldn't deny that truth. Both of them were a high target for any monsters, and just because they stopped Kronos and the Titan's and a monster army, didn't mean that others weren't searching for them. Ariadne cherished what little time she had in life, because she never knew if it would be the end.
Ariadne turned to him. She placed one of her hands on his cheek, he leaned into it, pressing a small kiss to her palm. "You'll be fine," she said. "Besides, you have me, I'll make sure you never have a moment to rest."
"That's because you're too much," he mused, brushing a hair out of her face.
"Fine," she scoffed. The brunette leaned forward and connected their lips. She pulled away after a few seconds. "But you're the one who decided to date me."
In an instant, Ariadne shoved him into the sand and bolted. Percy laughed behind her while complaining how she was teasing him. He followed.
Ariadne ran across the beach, losing her flip flops halfway, trying to dodge her boyfriend who was determined to catch her. Neither had noticed Sally and Paul watching from the porch railing while they laughed at the two teens.
Her foot caught a rock under breath the sand and she managed to roll from harms way. But her luck turned sour as Percy was able to snatch her into his arms, holding her bridal style, with sand in both of their hair.
"Did you honestly think you could outrun me?" he teased, looking down at her.
She laughed. "Yes. You know I would have if that stupid rock wasn't there."
Percy shook his head. He faked dropping her, causing her to yelp in surprise and wrap her arms around his neck.
"You're an asshole," Ariadne muttered, annoyed at his antics. "I hope you know that."
A crooked grin crossed his handsome features. "Call me that again, I dare you."
Ariadne licked her lips. She narrowed her eyes and leaned toward him. "You're an asshole, Percy Jackson."
"Hmm," he hummed lowly.
He began walking toward the shoreline. Ariadne noticed where he was headed and tried to run, but he held her tighter.
"Percy! It's cold!"
"I'm just living up to being an asshole."
Percy walked into the water and dunked them under.
Ariadne looked at her boyfriend as he gave her a cheeky grin. Percy admired her in the waves. Her purple eyes were annoyed, but they crinkled as she tried to fight the smile crawling up her face, her freckles and scar molding around her lips. Curly strands of brown floated in a halo-like way, creating her to be an angel under water.
The girl clenched her jaw as the water soaked into her clothes, knowing her boyfriend would be fully dry when they found themselves back on land.
His hand grabbed her waist, pulling her closed, their bodies flushed against one another. His eyes seemed brighter in the water, but she loved it. Her hands found their way to his neck, running them through his hair.
"You're an asshole," she murmured with a shallow space between them in the air bubble he had created.
Percy smiled. "If it means being able to kiss you and see you smile, I'll keep being one."
Their kiss reminded them of the one back at canoe lake on his birthday. It had been the best few weeks of their lives, really.
Ariadne smiled.
But then she woke up.
***
ARIADNE HAD LEFT HER CABIN BEFORE SHE PASSED BY CABIN TEN. There, she saw the Aphrodite campers surrounding Drew and Piper. The latter looked flustered and a bit irked.
Drew sneered at her. "You may have a little power, Miss Movie Star. But you don't know the first thing about Aphrodite. You have such great ideas? What do you think this cabin is about, then? Tell them. Then maybe I'll tell them a few things about you, huh?"
"Not this," Piper managed. "Aphrodite is not about this."
Then she turned and stormed out before the others could see her blushing.
Behind her, Drew started laughing. "Not this? Hear that, people? She doesn't have a clue."
Piper continued to storm across the green.
Ariadne grit her teeth. Then, she couldn't hold herself back. "Hey, Drew!"
Everyone turned to look at her storming up toward the cabin. Drew quickly tried to back away, but a vine caught her wrist and pulled her back, turning her around to face an angry daughter of Dionysus.
"Do you think it's funny to make fun of your own siblings?" she growled. "I know what you've been saying about Silena. I've been holding back for the sake of everyone else, but I'm over it now."
Her fist grabbed the Asian girl's jacket and yanked her forward. Her purple eyes stared her down, and Drew looked ready to burst into flames. "You know you can't charmpspeak me, so you get to hear what I have to say. If you ever make any of your other siblings cry or talk ill of Silena and call her a traitor, I will personally escort you to the Underworld, because I for one know exactly where the entrance is."
Ariadne shoved her back and stalked away from them. She didn't care how shaken up Drew had become, her eyes set on Piper, who gulped.
Her hand found the girl's shoulder. "Come on, we need toโ"
But she was cut off as they saw the dragon swooping down from the sky.
"Leo!" Piper yelled.
Sure enough, there he was, sitting atop a giant bronze death machine and grinning like a lunatic. Even before he landed, the camp alarm went up. A conch horn blew. All the satyrs screamed, "Don't kill me!" Half the camp ran outside in a mixture of pajamas and armor. The dragon set down right in the middle of the green, and Leo yelled, "It's cool! Don't shoot!"
Hesitantly, the archers lowered their bows. The warriors backed away, keeping their Spears and swords ready. They made a loose wide ring around the metal monster. Other demigods hid behind their cabin doors or peeped out the windows. Nobody seemed anxious to get close.
Ariadne couldn't blame them. The dragon had been terrorizing the camp ever since Beckendorf died. It also didn't help that he was huge. It glistened in the morning sun like a living penny sculptureโdifferent shades of copper and bronzeโa sixty-foot long serpent with steel talons and drill bit teeth and glowing ruby eyes. It had bat shaped wings twice its length that unfurled like metallic sails, making a sound like coins cascading out of a slot machine every time they flapped.
"It's beautiful," Piper muttered. Ariadne raised an eyebrow.
The dragon reared its head and shot a column of fire into the sky. Campers scrambled away and hefted their weapons, but Leo slid calmly off the dragon's back. He held up his hands like he was surrendering, except he still had that crazy grin on his face.
"People of Earth, I come in peace!" he shouted. He looked like he'd been rolling around in the campfire. His army coat and his face were smeared with soot. His hands were grease stained, and he wore a new tool belt around his waist. His eyes were bloodshot. His curly hair was so oily it stuck up in porcupine quills, and he smelled strangely of Tabasco sauce. But he looked absolutely delighted. "Festus is just saying hello!"
"That thing is dangerous!" an Ares girl shouted, brandishing her spear. "Kill it now!"
"Stand down!" someone ordered.
It was Jason. He pushed through the crowd, flanked by Annabeth and Nyssa.
Jason gazed up at the dragon and shook his head in amazement. "Leo, what have you done?"
"Found a ride!" Leo beamed. "You said I could go on the quest if I got you a ride. Well, I got you a class A metallic flying bad boy! Festus can take us anywhere!"
"Itโhas wings," Nyssa stammered. Her jaw looked like it might drop off her face.
"Yeah!" Leo said. "I found them and reattached them."
"But it never had wings. Where did you find them?"
Leo hesitated, and Ariadne knew he was hiding something.
"In...the woods," he said. "Repaired his circuits, too, mostly, so no more problems with him going haywire."
"Mostly?" Nyssa asked.
The dragon's head twitched. It tilted to one side and a stream of black liquidโmaybe oil, hopefully just oilโpoured out of its ear, all over Leo.
"Just a few kinks to work out," Leo said.
"But how did you survive...?" Nyssa was still staring at the creature in awe. "I mean, the fire breath..."
"I'm quick," Leo said. "And lucky. Now, am I on this quest, or what?"
Jason scratched his head. "You named him Festus? You know that in Latin, 'Festus' means 'happy'? You want us to ride off to save the world in Happy the Dragon?"
The dragon twitched and shuddered and flapped his wings.
"That's a yes, bro!" Leo said. "Now, um, I'd really suggest we get going, guys. I already picked up some supplies in theโum, in the woods. And all these people with weapons are making Festus nervous."
Jason frowned. "But we haven't planned anything yet. We can't justโ"
"Go," Annabeth said. Her and Ariadne were the only ones who didn't look nervous at all. They both shared the same sad and wistful expression, like this was reminding her of better timeโand it was. Those days of their earlier quests where her, Annabeth, Percy, and Grover planned nothing out and something always got in the way, but they made it out alive.
Those were the days she was nostalgic for.
"Jason," Ariadne said wistfully, "we've only got three days until the solstice now, and you should never keep a nervous dragon waiting. This is certainly a good omen for us."
Jason nodded.
Ariadne grabbed Annabeth in a tight hug. The blonde has a backpack on her back, and the brunette sighed. "Please, stay safe."
"I will."
"I love you, Annie."
"I love you, Ari."
Pollux had hugged her so tight she was afraid all her bones would snap. They whispered a few goodbyes between the other, hoping that Pollux wouldn't be the last child of Dionysus once the quest was over. She hoped to the gods that wasn't the case.
The brunette was called by Leo to get on. "Come on, Firebird, let's go!"
Ariadne climbed onto Festus's back. "Firebird?"
He shrugged.
And they were off, leaving Camp Half-Blood behind them, and she hoped that she would make it back home in one piece.
Flying on the dragon was probably one of the oddest and most nerve racking experiences shes had in a while.
Every quest she had been on they couldn't go by air, as Zeus was never fond of Percy. It was always by foot, and from the air she didn't have her vines, and wouldn't know what to do without them if a wind spirit attacked them out of nowhere.
Up high, the air was freeing cold; but the dragon's metal generated so much heat, it was like they were flying in a protective bubble. And the grooves in the dragon's back were designed like high tech saddles, so they weren't uncomfortable at all. Leo showed them how to hook their feet in the chinks of the armor, like in stirrups, and use the leather safety harnesses cleverly concealed under the exterior plating. They sat single file: Leo in front, then Ariadne, then Piper, then Jason.
Ariadne had purposefully squeezed herself between Leo and Piper, forcing Piper to be in front of Jason, and the daughter of Aphrodite gave her a somewhat thankful glance.
Leo used the reins to steer the dragon into the sky like he'd been doing it all his life. The metal wings worked perfectly, and soon the coast of Long Island was just a hazy line behind them. They shot over Connecticut and climbed into the gray winter clouds.
Leo grinned back at them. "Cool, right?"
"I do have to admit, Leo, this is kind of amazing," Ariadne voiced, her hands patting the side of Festus. "He's a good dragon."
Festus thanked her with a huff.
"What if we get spotted?" Piper asked.
"The Mist," Jason said. "It keeps mortals from seeing magic things. If they spot us, they'll probably mistake us for a small plane or something."
Piper glanced over her shoulder. "You sure about that?"
"No," he admitted.
Piper looked over at Ariadne. "Cant you use the Mist or something to make sure nothing sees us?"
"I wish," she said sourly. "The only friend I know who could do that is out searching for Percy..." Her voice trailed off once she caught sight of the photo he was clutching in his handโa picture of a girl with dark hair.
Thalia.
He must've found it in Cabin One. Why he had it with him, she had to figure out on her own.
Jason put the photo in his pocket. "We're making good time. Probably get there by tonight."
"Where are we heading?" Piper questioned.
"To find the god of the North Wind," Jason said. "And chase some storm spirits."
Leo looked over his shoulder to a dazed Ariadne. She stared over at the clouds, wind whipping through her hair, creating a cherry red look across her face. She had a scar on the left side and he wanted to know what it was from, but assumed it was safe if she told them herself.
"So..." he trailed off, "how many quests have you been on exactly?"
Piper and Jason seemed to be wanting an answer, as well. Ariadne glanced between the trio and sighed. "Five. This would be six."
"Five?!"
"Yep. Well, the last one wasn't exactly a quest, we just defended Olympus and basically took down a Titan army to save the whole world from global disaster."
Leo opened and shut his mouth. Piper blinked quizzically, and Jason tilted his head.
"So, you know what you're doing, right?" Jason said. "Because that's good if you do."
Ariadne cringed. "Every single quest we've been on has taken a turn for the worse, I'm afraid. Percy fought Ares at age twelve, one of our best friends Grover was almost eaten by a cyclops and we found out Percy has an amazing cyclops brother. Annabeth was captured by a manticore and we had to save her and the goddess Artemis. This grey straka in my hair? It's there because me, Percy, and Annabeth all held the sky on our shoulders because Atlas broke free. He's back, though."
She didn't see their faces. "Fourth time we went into the Labyrinth and found out that Kronos was building a weapon, Percy went missing for two weeks and we assumed he was dead, and I fought a giant monster. Fifth time we saved the world."
All three new demigods couldn't close their mouths. Ariadne pursed her lips and sighed. It was a shock, and she saved them from the long stories and some painful memories for her, but it was a lot to take in.
That was awkward. And she only wondered where Percy was, because she knew he would've made fun of her in that very moment. She missed him even more because of that.
authors notes:
Ariadne is so awkward at times I swear I'm projecting into her a little too much. But I feel like it's important because the trio see her as serious and stuff but I think they'll learn that she is just as scared and confused as they are, but she's better at hiding it because she's had time to on quests.
Here's another update because I love yall
It's a treat because most of us are going to be alone on Valentine's Day so I'm giving you guys stuff you can read in the mean time and it keeps me distracted from my loneliness
Q: Whats your Hogwarts house and your cabin?
A: Slytherin. And at first I was like, I'm a cabin twelve kid but then I realized I'm so Apollo because I'm obsessed with musical theatre and I love music and writing and all that shit
Idk what else to say
Hope y'all is good
And here's a rant:
If you ever need to talk, if you ever feel down and need someone to talk to or send stupid memes back and forth with, I'm here. Please don't feel like you're alone and I hope you can find some sense of home and comfort in my stories or in this universe. Ariadne is here to represent all of us and not just myself
Go script yourself as her and with your hobbies and feel like the nadase you really are!
I love you guys!!!!
Comment what you're most excited about and stuff
๐ฅฐ
Bแบกn ฤang ฤแปc truyแปn trรชn: Truyen247.Pro