𝐏𝐄𝐀𝐂𝐄 - j. grace, ocxoc ¹ ✓

xxiv. deep in the mud !

XXIV. KAEN OKAYAMA !
⋆ ★
deep in the mud

              Kaen hoped the taxi would take them all the way to the top. But he realized him and his friends had bad luck. The cab made lurching, grinding sounds as it climbed the mountain road, and halfway up they found the ranger's station closed, a chain blocking the way.

"Far as I can go," the cabbie said. "You sure about this? Gonna be a long walk back, and my car's acting funny. I can't wait for you."

"We're sure." Leo was the first one out with the twins after him. When Kaen looked down, he let out a curse. The wheels were sinking into the road like it was made of quicksand. Not fast— but it would explain why the taxi driver blamed the car. The road was hard-packed dirt. No reason at all it should have been soft, but already all of their shoes were starting to sink. Gaea was messing with them.

While all of them got out, Kaen paid the cabbie. He was generous— hell, why not? It was Aphrodite's money. Plus, he had a feeling he might never be coming off this mountain.

"Keep the change, I insist," he said. "And get out of here. Quick."

The driver didn't argue. Soon all they could see was his dust trail.

The view from the mountain was pretty amazing. The whole inland valley around Mount Diablo was a patchwork of towns grids of tree-lined streets and nice middle-class suburbs, shops, and schools. All these normal people living normal lives.

"That's Concord," Jason said, pointing to the north.
"Walnut Creek below us. To the south, Danville, past those hills. And that way . . ." He pointed west, where a ridge of golden hills held back a layer of fog, like the rim of a bowl. "That's the Berkeley Hills. The East Bay. Past that, San Francisco."

"Jason?" Delilah caught his attention. "You remember something? You've been here?"

"Yes . . .  no." He gave her an anguished look. "It just seems important."

"That's Titan land." Coach Hedge nodded toward the west. "Bad place, Jason. Trust me, this is as close to 'Frisco as we want to get."

But Jason looked toward the foggy basin with such longing that Kaen felt uneasy. Why did Jason seem so connected with that place, a place Kaen knew was evil, full of bad magic and old enemies? What if Jason came from here? Everybody kept hinting Jason was an enemy, that his arrival at Camp Half-Blood was a dangerous mistake.

But even Kaen knew it had to be wrong. In the days he got to know Jason the more he knew he was a traitor. And he couldn't imagine how Kaori would feel knowing someone she liked so much was evil.

Kaen tried to move his foot, but his heels were now completely embedded in the dirt. He grunted as he struggled lifting it.

"Hey, guys," he said. "Let's keep moving."

The others noticed the problem.

"Gaea is stronger here," Hedge grumbled. He popped his hooves free from his shoes, then handed the shoes to Leo. "Keep those for me, Valdez. They're nice."

Leo snorted. "Yes, sir, Coach. Would you like them polished?"

"That's varsity thinking, Valdez." Hedge nodded approvingly. "But first, we'd better hike up this mountain while we still can."

"How do we know where the giant is?" Piper asked.

Jason pointed toward the peak. Drifting across the summit was a plume of smoke. From a distance, Leo had thought it was a cloud, but it wasn't. Something was burning.