𝓟𝓻𝓪𝓮𝓵𝓲𝓪 - (𝓟.𝓙𝓪𝓬𝓴𝓼𝓸𝓷)

03.

vol i
➵ chapter three ➵

It isn't long before a heavy knock sounds on the door of the Apollo cabin.
Lee Fletcher, their head counselor, stands up from his bunk, quickly making his way over. He pokes his head out before turning back to face his siblings.

The boy sounds confused. "Helia, it's for you."
With furrowed eyebrows, the girl makes her way over to her older brother.

Looking through the slit of the door, she can see Clarisse La Rue tapping her foot impatiently.

Exiting the cabin, Helia closes the door quietly behind her. "Clarisse. Is everything alright?"
The girl's vicious sneer drops at the sight of the Apollo girl, and she sighs.

"Tantalus said I could choose two companions for the journey. But I only need one." Helia nods, surprised; she had thought the daughter of Ares would take on the quest alone. "So, who are you taking?"

Clarisse seems to hesitate, her dark eyes staring at the ground. "Kyrillos, would you come with me?"
Helia's stands staring at the girl, shocked, "Me?"

Digging her feet into the ground, Clarisse frowns, reluctant to admit something. "I think I received a warning of sorts when I went to the Oracle. The prophecy said I'd be destined to fail without help."
At Helia's raised eyebrow, the girl continues, reciting exactly what she'd been told:
"You shall sail the iron ship with warriors of bone,
You shall find what you seek and make it your own,
But despair for your life entombed within stone,
And fail without friends, to fly home alone."

"I just—I can't fail this. This is my one chance. I need to prove myself to my father." The Ares girl takes a deep breath. "And Kyrillos, the quest is for the Golden Fleece. You're the descendant of an Argonaut—the only person I'd trust to be on this."

Helia stares at Clarisse, moved that she'd put her pride aside, if only for a moment, to ask for help. "What about your siblings?"
A flash of hurt crosses the girl's face before it vanishes. "I—" she begins, before Helia stops her, putting a hand on her shoulder.
"Forget it. Of course I'll come with you."
Clarisse stares back, blinking, before a small, strained smile stretches across her face, and she nods. "We leave in the morning. Be ready." And with that, the girl is trudging back to the Ares cabin.

Helia feels a heavy realisation weigh on her. She's leaving. Again.

Sighing, she heads back into her own cabin to greet her awaiting siblings. They stare at her with expectant faces.
"I'm going on the quest with Clarisse to find the Golden Fleece."
They don't seem entirely shocked at the admission.

Lee grins at her. "I thought that would be the case. I'd expect nothing less."
"Try to come back in one piece. Preferably with no new siblings this time." Michael smirks as he pushes Will.
The blond boy smiles slightly before turning sadly to Helia. He'd quickly grown attached to her in the time they'd spent together. "How long will you be gone?"

She frowns. "I don't know. I'm sorry, Wills. I know I said I'd help you with your archery—Lee will replace me when I'm gone. But work on other skills too; you never know, you might find out what suits you best before I'm even back."
The boy grins as she ruffles his blond hair.

Helia's arms are grabbed, and suddenly she's encased in a hug, all of her siblings quickly joining. "I'm sorry I'm leaving you all again."
"Please, if anyone can bring back the Golden Fleece, it's you." Michael utters as they all let go of each other.