𝐍𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓𝐌𝐀𝐑𝐄 𝐅𝐔𝐄𝐋. pj & ac

VII.

𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝖑𝖎𝖌𝖍𝖙𝖓𝖎𝖓𝖌 𝖙𝖍𝖎𝖊𝖋

PHOENIX WAS PROBABLY THE ONLY ONE WHO THOUGHT THE QUEST HAD A GREAT START. Battling Hades' minions, witnessing a bus explosion before her eyes, and managing to keep her backpack safe—everything seemed just right for her. However, her quest mates weren't sharing the same sentiment.

They all walked through the woods along the New Jersey riverbank, the glow of New York City making the night sky yellow behind them, and the smell of the Hudson reek in their noses.

Grover was shivering and braying, his big goat eyes turned slit-pupiled and full of terror. "Three Kindly Ones. All three at once."

Percy was pretty much in shock himself. And Annabeth kept pulling them along, saying: "Come on! The farther away we get, the better."

"All our money was back there," Percy reminded them. "Our food and clothes. Everything."

Phoenix shrugged, "Sure but the explosion was super cool."

"No, it wasn't." Annabeth sighed, "We lost everything Phoenix, and we have nothing but a canteen and baggie of ambrosia to share among the three of us since you didn't pack anything useful. I mean come on, not even some drachmas? We would still have our stuff if Seaweed brain here didn't decide to jump into the fight."

"I packed my weapon." She countered, "The one used to save your life. "

Percy argued, "What did you want me to do? Let you get killed?"

"I don't need either of your protection. I would have been fine without you two!"

"Sliced like sandwich bread," Grover put in, "but fine."

"Shut up, goat boy," growled Annabeth.

Grover brayed mournfully. "Tin cans...a perfectly good bag of tin cans."

They sloshed across mushy ground, through nasty twisted trees that stunk.

After a few minutes, Annabeth fell into line next to Percy and Phoenix. "Look, I." Her voice faltered. "I appreciate your coming back for us, okay? That was really brave."

"We're a team, right?" Percy said.

She was silent for a few more steps. "It's just that if you died...aside from the fact that it would really suck for you, it would mean the quest was over. This may be my only chance to see the real world. Phoenix, You understand that in your own way...Don't you?"

Phoenix's ears perked up at that, She glanced at the shorter girl next to her, then stared ahead. "Yeah, Everything's... New."

The thunderstorm had finally let up. The city glow faded behind them, leaving them in almost total darkness. Phoenix couldn't see anything of Annabeth except the glint of her blond braids.

"You haven't left Camp Half-Blood since you were seven?" Percy asked her.

"No...only short field trips. My dad—"

"The history professor," Phoenix stated, rather awkwardly.

"Yeah. It didn't work out for me living at home. I mean, Camp Half-Blood is my home." She was rushing her words out now as if she were afraid somebody might try to stop her. "At camp, you train and train. And that's all cool and everything, but the real world is where the monsters are. That's where you learn whether you're any good or not."

"You are good," Phoenix said casually, kicking some dirt as she walked. "You're wise, and skilled in combat. You're the best soldier at camp."

Annabeth gazed at her, her face softened. "You think so, Khaotikómi?"