𝙄𝙉𝙁𝙇𝘼𝙈𝙀𝘿; heroes of olympus

how to overcome your fears and also two gods

ERITH JAY
THE HERCULES GUIDE to the Mare Nostrum didn't help much with the heat, or snakes, or mosquitos. Snakes weren't Erith's favorite, and the amount of snakes that had hissed at her thus far was disconcerting. She also felt as if she was covered head to toe in mosquito bites at this point, which wasn't really a pleasant feeling.

Honestly, she supposed she had it better than Piper and Jason. Maybe it was an Apollo kid thing or whatever, but the heat didn't really bug her all that much. Of course she felt the warmth of the sun on her skin, but it was more pleasant than oppressive.

Jason and Piper, however, did not seem so lucky. Jason swore every time he tripped over something―which was about every five seconds. He kept muttering about how they could fly there, but Piper just shook her head. Speaking of Piper, she just kept staring at the Hercules Guide to the Mare Nostrum like she wanted to hit it.

"If this is a magic island," Piper grumbled, "why couldn't it be a nice magic island?"

"Probably because Hercules lives here," Erith muttered as she swatted at a mosquito that had landed on her arm. "His smell probably taints the place."

Piper gave her a wan smile, but Jason just looked concerned. "What happened back there?"

Erith took her time answering. They tromped up a hill and down into a heavily wooded valley, careful to avoid the black-and-red striped snakes sunning themselves on the rocks. Mosquitoes swarmed over stagnant ponds in the lowest areas. The trees were mostly stunted olives, cypress, and pines. The chirring of cicadas and the heat made Erith want to lay down and take a nice long nap.

She was quiet for so long Jason got to stumble over the environment a few more times before she finally said, "Big man Hercules used his powers on me. Because he's so cool. You know, because that's what gods do when us mortals insult them."

Of course, Erith was a lot more freaked out than she wanted to let on. Sure she was pissed, but she was also terrified. The lives of her friends were in her hands, and all she could do was rant bitterly.

Besides, she really didn't want to feel that knife sensation again.

Jason and Piper both seemed to notice her tone, as they didn't ask any more questions. So the three of them tromped on to no avail. With their luck, Hercules had sent them on a fool's quest and he was going to kill them all anyway.

"We could fly," Jason suggested again.

"We might miss something," Piper said. "Besides, I'm not sure I want to drop in on an unfriendly god. What was his name? Etch-a-Sketch?"

"Achelous," Erith and Jason said at the same time. Jason was now trying to read the guidebook while they walked, so he was running into trees as well as tripping over rocks. "Says here he's a potamus."

"He's a hippopotamus?"

Erith snorted.

"No," Jason corrected. "Potamus. A river god. According to this, he's the spirit of some river in Greece."

"Since we're not in Greece, let's assume he's moved," Piper said. "Doesn't bode well for how useful that book is going to be. Anything else?"

"Says Hercules fought him one time," Jason offered.

"Hercules fought anything he could see," Erith said. "That's not gonna help us."