The Veiled Legacy | PJO - Book Two

eleven

OLYMPUS

The next morning Ariana found a note on her bedside table:

Your meant to inform somebody when you decide to show up unannounced, you know.

- Hades

P.S: Tell Skye to stop annoying Cerberus.

Rolling her eyes, Ariana found herself smiling as she got out of her bed. Although Skye wasn't in her bed, Ariana didn't worry.

The girl re packed her backpack, hoping her quest was nearly done. Ariana took advantage of her underworld bedroom - taking an extra long shower using all the fancy soaps and appliances.

When she was finally ready to leave, she shadow travelled out of there; finding herself in a dark alleyway of New York City.

The dark alleyway was a stark contrast to the dim luxury of her underworld bedroom, and Ariana was quickly brought back to the task at hand.

Her quest to retrieve the missing rod was still incomplete, and it seemed that the answer to finding it was Olympus.

Ariana wasted no time in jumping into an empty taxi.

"Empire State Building please." She told the taxi driver, who wasted no time in driving.

Ari sat back and admired the scenery of the city as they made their way to the Empire State Building. She had always loved cities, and she was happy to be back in her own, even though the purpose of this visit was a mission rather than a relaxing getaway.

As they arrived, she reached out to the driver with some money and a thank you, and then made her way inside.

Ariana smirked making her way towards the security guard worker, the same one from the battle of Manhattan.

"Hello." She grinned.

The man must've recognised her, as he sighed muttering under his breath.

Then he hit a buzzer and the security gate swung open. "Make it quick."

"You don't want me going through the metal detectors." Ariana added, indicating to her jewellery.

"Um, no." he agreed. "Elevator on the right. I guess you know the way."

Ariana tossed him a golden drachma and she went on through.

The same elevator music was playing since her last visit that old disco song "Stayin' Alive."

Once again, a terrifying image flashed through her mind of Apollo in bell-bottom pants and a slinky silk shirt.

Ariana was glad when the elevator doors finally dinged open. In front of them, a path of floating stones led through the clouds up to Mount Olympus, hovering six thousand feet over Manhattan.

She had seen Olympus several times, but it still took her breath away. The mansions glittered gold and white against the sides of the mountain.

Gardens bloomed on a hundred terraces. Scented smoke rose from braziers that lined the winding streets. And right at the top of the snow-capped crest rose the main palace of the gods.

It looked as majestic as ever, but something seemed wrong. Then she realised the mountain was silent -no music, no voices, no laughter.