DIVINE » l. valdez

father-daughter bonding quest part two

no more carefree laughter, silence ever after

The next morning, Hina said her goodbyes to Harley, Will, and Nico before heading to where Festus awaited.

She had made sure to get up extra early to beat everyone else to the dragon, who she had missed dearly. Upon approaching, Hina smiled, immediately running a hand along he bronze scales. 

"Hey, Festus," she said. She hugged the dragon and was met with the soothing warmth of his mechanical body. Festus clicked and whirred and Hina imagined he was greeting her too. "I missed you, buddy, you wouldn't believe the trouble I got into without you here."

As she watched the sun rise over Half-Blood Hill, Hina recounted her adventures to Festus, encouraged as he occasionally let out a hiss of steam. 

By the time the morning sun was shining down on the camp, Apollo, Leo and Calypso approached, each carrying a bag full of supplies.

"Alright, all aboard for Leo's World Tour!" 

Leo swiftly mounted Festus, extending a hand down. Instinctively, Hina made a small movement to grab his hand, before Calypso stepped forward and used Leo's hand to board the dragon. 

Hina hesitated, unsure of what to do next. She had always sat second on Festus and now Calypso occupied her spot. 

"Are you coming?" Calypso asked, gaining Hina's attention, the sorceress impatiently watching Hina, her hand extended.

"Hina?" Apollo said increndously. "It should be me! I am the most important member of this quest, I will not be confined to the end of the dragon!"

Apollo gave Hina's shoulder a soft squeeze, moving everyone's gaze from Hina as he awkwardly scaled the dragon, grunted as he climbed into the spot behind Calypso. Once comfortable, he gestured for Hina to follow. 

Hina whispered a soft thank you, climbing into the final seat.

For six weeks, they travelled in a painful silence, speaking only when needed, a clear divide drawn between the group. Thankfully, the journey thus far had been easy, Festus soaring through the sky with grace.

That until the bronze dragon declared war on Indiana. While Hina had no opinion on the state, it seemed Festus had a personal vendetta against the people of Indiana.

He landed on the perch of the Indiana Statehouse and torched the flag to a burnt crisp on the pole. 

"Woah, buddy!" Leo yelled, wrestling with the reigns. "We talked about this. No blowtorching public monuments!"

Behind him, Calypso gripped onto the bronze scales no doubt questioning how long her now mortal body would last on the thrashing dragon. "Could we please get to the ground? Gently this time."

Festus's claws scrabbled for a hold on the green copper dome, which was much too small for a dragon his size. Even with the constant rocking of their ride, Hina had few complaints, other than dealing with Apollo's constant complaints as they flew.

She had missed Festus and the way the wind would blow through her hair, the cool air caressing her cheeks.

Leo glanced back, his face streaked with soot. "Apollo, you sense anything?"

"Why is it my job to sense things? Just because I used to be a god of prophecy—"

"You're the one having visions," Calypso reminded him, not bothering to turn to face the god. "You said your friend Meg would be here."

Hina watched as Apollo's shoulders sunk for a beat, clearly still reeling with the pain of losing his resident demigod/master. She placed a hand on his shoulder giving it a squeeze of reassurance. The most important part of their mission was finding Meg and ensuring her safety.