Mason's Quest

I walked out of camp, on alert right away. This was the first time I had left the camp, and it didn't help that it was late evening. Could Chiron have made me start this tomorrow, in daylight? Why was he so anxious? I was really cold from the snow and winter chill. I unpacked a coat, but it wasn't a very heavy one. It would have to do.

I put it on, putting the dagger on the ground for a moment. When I zipped it up and picked my dagger back up, I heard a noise- I jumped for the millionth time today, only to find out some tree's twigs had broken off and hit the ground. I looked behind myself, waiting for the other two.

Lucy ran out of camp, the wind whipping her hair around. She had stopped by her cabin, and had claimed a bunk fot her kitty. She had also gotten some Athena girl to promise to take care of her lovely cat, and to to keep Susan from becoming monster food.

And prehaps, she had stopped by the pink cabin that smelled like perfume. And just maybe, she had summoned up a skeleton and left it in a closet. She could just picture the results of her revenge.

"Well, we should review the prophecy first- Chiron apparently wrote it down for me and stuffed it in my bag," I said, seeing it when I got my coat. I went, "mhmhm," clearing up my voice, and spoke,

"Three demigods shall go on a quest,
where an old fellow will be put to rest,
slain first-hand by water's son,
but the total number of demigods left will be none,
whenever Earth overpowers the weak,
and drowns element's own in a creek,
followed by the shaking that will kill,
which will get rid of the others after a deep kneel."

Lucy gave Mary Ann an annoyed glance, although she made sure that she wasn't seen. All throughout the reading of the prophecy, she stared off into the frosty night. What was Chiron thinking, sending us out tonight? It's just stupid. She thought, hugging herself in order to keep warmer. Her jacket.may look great and like Amy's, but it was not very practical for a blizzard in the night.

"Hopefully not," I said, the thought striking me. I saw Lucy cold and decided to try and go over and possibly offer her my coat...and, uh...put my arm around her shoulders...no, I thought. I took a step in her direction, then took the step back. I did that about fifteen times, probably looking like an idiot.

My emotions burst, and apparently so did a near-by type of water, because a bunch of water splattered on Lucy. I felt bad, probably making her coldness worst now. I ran over, taking off my jacket and putting it on her. "Sorry," I said, truly feeling bad.

"We'll all live!" Lucy said cheerfully, probably because she really didn't listen to the prophecy. That, and Lucy was a natural optimist who didn't like the cliche pessimistic Mary Ann. Punk was a classic Hades wear, so Lucy would have no part in it.

Prehaps it would have helped Mason's pride if she had not noticed his weird, indecisive stepping thing. After a bit, she was on the brink of screaming when somehow water seemed to explode. Hmmm, how did that happen? To make already awkward moment worse, Mason had to go and give her his jacket. She was not blushing, but Mary Ann's sure response would. "It's fine, Mason." She said, no trace of her former cheeriness in her voice.

I sigh, and my attention was drawn to Mary Ann, who was just watching. "I'm sorry...I never really properly introduced myself on this rush. I'm Mason Hewment. And, by the way, this is Lucy. If you didn't figure it out already, we went to the same school - same with Jackson and Dane, the satyrs back in the Mess Hall." I looked up at a tree, which I could swear I saw a pair of eyes.

I drew the dagger, walking over, only to find out it was an owl, watching them. Athena's main animal was sitting on a tree branch, just watching us.

"Hoot-hoot," it said, as if saying hello. It flew away.

"Am I crazy, or should we follow the bird?"

I marched after it, and soon it turned into a run. I bolted towards it, as it flew overhead, and after a couple minutes, we were in Manhattan. I looked around, and saw a lot of mortals smiling and cheerful- after all, it was near Christmas. I wanted to cry, remembering my ninth Christmas (when I was eight) whenever Lucy came over and we had my mother's delicious gingerbread.

I advanced toward a taxi. "Ride for three to the Empire State Builiding, please, sir," I said to the driver, getting some mortal money from my backpack.

He nodded. "Get in the back."

I sat in the back, in the middle seat, so no fighting would happen. I wondered why of all places, I wanted to start at the Empire Sate Building.

LChristmas. The city reminded her of it. She remembered the lonely, present filled ones from her childhood, except for her ninth. She smiled with the recollection of Brooke's delicious gingerbread. Christmas in the city always made her a bit wistful, especially since she had been old enough to stay at her friend's houses throughtout the vacation. Carter had been the first one to introduce her to Doctor Who.

The driver didn't look surprised to see a soaked girl, since he probably saw weirder things. She did catch Mason's words of 'Empire State Building.' Chiron had said something about it being the new Mount Olympus, and Lucy had to wonder if Hades would be there.

When we were all in the taxi, the driver took off. I decided I probably shouldn't turn my emergency phone or I-Pod on - I learned from Chiron this attracted monsters. I just looked at the window in Lucy's direction, watching the bright lights and snow. I rubbed my arms, a bit cold - I gave my jacket to Lucy, but that was the price I paid for being an idiot. I sighed, watching the outside again, when the driver stopped, by spinning sideways. Both the driver and I screamed.

"Great geebers! What is that?" the driver asked. I was very shaky. Anyway, I looked in his direction to see a man stopping cars in the blink of an eye. I still shook. Suddenly, the driver screamed louder than before and passed out, the car still running.

The man came to the side of the car facing him - Mary Ann's side.

I, carefully, got out of the car, via Lucy's side, probably scrunching her a bit, but if this could save our lives, it was worth it. "Hello," I spoke.

The man came closer to me. I looked into his eyes, and saw my worst fear; tarantulas. I screamed like a little girl, quickly looking away.

"Hello," the man spoke in a deep voice, "I'm Phobos, god of fear."

Lucy screamed.

This was probably because of the car suddenly stopping. She shut her eyes, in an attempt to compose herself, but timgs were worse. She could clearly invision mive running around evrywhere, and did a really bizarre sideways leap and fell out of the taxi, just in time to learn that Phobus, the god of fear was there.

Eyes wide, she stared at him. Mice were no longer running all over the place, thankfully, although she was quite positively terrified of the god of Fear. I wonder why.

Mustering up all of her courag, she pulled herself to her feet and made an attempt to outstare the god, resulting in more images of her fears. She endedfalling down again, and decided not to go back up. Mason was far braver than she had thought.

I saw Lucy fall, just as I finally decided to look back. I had to handle this myself- Mary Ann was being no help at all, and Lucy couldn't handle this. Though, if the god of fear was the old fellow, then...no, I thought. I could not kill Phobos, he was a god, son of Ares and Aphrodite. So, he wasn't the old fellow- but he was a wall blocking the quest. I watched as Phobos' attention went back to me, but I didn't dare look him in the eyes.

I finally realized though he wasn't in the shape of a man- more like a teenager male. He wore a dark cloak that covered his entire body. I heard a crack, and drew the dagger.

A winged ugly-lookin' thing flew through the town, it's claws wrapping around my shoulders and taking me away. I screamed, taking my dagger and stabbing a foot/claw. It screeched, and dropped me. I was about ten feet up, above concrete, and knew this was it.

I closed my eyes in the millisecond I had, but realized that it was a few seconds and I didn't get squashed yet- I couldn't even feel myself falling. I opened my eyes to see I was floating. "Woah, I have cool powers!"

"Not you're powers," a powerful lady's voice said. I was put onto the ground, only to get up and see a beautiful lady. I didn't know her, though, and as quickly as I could, got up, the dagger at my side. Seriously, how did it not stab me? Magic? Then, it hit me.

"You're....Hetat?"

"Hecate," the women replied.

The winged ugly thing came back for me, but I held my dagger up, stabbing it in it's side.

"Alecto," Hecate moaned. The name hit me like a bullet. I knew it, but couldn't put my finger on it.

Lucy looked up as Hecate appeared. By now, she was Shawn ng, and decided to summon up some of her own powers. She dove back into the taxi, snatching her bag and pulling out the sword frm herfather. Then she pulled out the dagger, just for luck.

Mason's jqcket had fallen in a puddle, but Lucy ignored it. She actually had not a real clue how to kill a god, and now there was a powerful goddess who may or may not be friendly. A couple of skeletons wouldn't do the slightest. But she wasstill going to try.

Up came a skeleton, who headed towards Phobus. She had only summoned one, because at the time she was shaow travelling into a nearby alley.

Phobos approached us, as the one called Alecto clutched it's side. I kicked Alecto in the face, but it probably wouldn't do any damage- more or less make the thing more mad then it probably already was.

"Something tells me you're not helping, Phobos. And even if you wanted, I wouldn't let you," the goddess near me said. My attention was on the thing, but I was still listening to the god and goddess.

"Such a joker, Hecate. You really are. And I'm not exact on the Fury's team, either - well, I am, but fighting wise. I would squash the weak fast. Oh, and the demigod, too." I didn't look, but Phobos probably put some sort of sick, twisted smile on his face.

"Oh, so now you work for Hades?"

"No, but I am doing Lord Hades dirty work by taking the demigod's soul once the Fury finishes it off." I heard a crunch.

Hecate said, "wow, you destroyed a skeleton, bravo. But you can't win against me."

"I beg to differ. We're both Immortal, so the fight would never end- well, if it did, we all know you'd be crying in a hole somewhere."

The goddess said, "let's find out." There was a moment of silence, and the goddess spoke, "you'll have to fight the Fury on your own, demigod, I've gotten my own mess."

I nodded, ready for combat, as the Fury got up.

Lucy decided that she wasn't in the mood for this. Hades was her father, not his after all, and he shouldn't be endangering his own daughter's life. She summoned up a few more soliders, and she'd let them go help Mason out while she attempted to do some insane Hades power that she didn't have. At any rate, she would be fine if she didn't look at the god of fear.

Lucy shadow travelled back to the taxi, where Mason was standing with a look of impotlrtance. She breifly wondered if he'd feel guilty about killing Alecto, but those thoughts fled when she got a clear look at. Her sword in hand, she wondered if she should say anything like "see you in the afterlife" but didn't.