Legends of Olympus

Chapter 19

As the group sat on the benches waiting for the bus, Aubri clutched at her necklace, which felt warm as if radiating some sort of energy. Ash, being a menace as always, refused to sit normally on the bench, despite Zavik telling her to multiple times. Aubri chuckled at the sight of Ash refusing to sit normally and Zavik being annoyed at her responses. She looked to Lincoln, who both looked relaxed yet somehow, something seemed to bother him. She asked him, "Hey buddy, what's wrong? You've been awfully quiet when we came over here after the whole run-in with Stheno."

"I'm fine," Lincoln managed, his voice seeming to tremble just a little bit. "I just don't like South Dakota much. Bad memories there. That's all."

Ash then butted in, her usual attitude clear, "Then why the hell did you follow us then? Stupid Apollo kid."

Aubri shot Ash a look, to which Ash shrugged. "Well," she started, "if you want to turn back now, feel free. I'm sure there is a train that can take you back to camp." Zavik looked at Aubri with that statement like she was crazy.

"No- no I'm ok. As long as we don't stop at Kadoka then we should be fine." Lincoln shivered at the thought of stopping in that small town, but he didn't want to tell the group why. "Say, how long is our bus trip supposed to take?"

Zavik, sighing, said, "About 13 and a half hours. Maybe even close to 14 hours. We'll be making stops of course. Luckily, I don't think we have a deadline so we'll be fine." He looked to Aubri, who now seemed nervous from hearing the amount of time it would take to get there.

Lincoln groaned, "13 hours? I can't sit in a bus chair for that long."

"You and me both buddy. Honestly best option is to probably pass out asleep on the bus." Ash took off her glasses to clean them with her shirt. The glasses were designed like slim aviator goggles to keep them on her face during combat or anything that can break them. Ash slipped them back on and muttered, "Well that just made it cloudy shouldn't have done that."

Lincoln, never seeing Ash without her glasses couldn't help but comment, "Ash, you look weird without your glasses on."

Ash just looked at Lincoln saying, "Is it really that weird? I swear it's like no one just saw a monster and didn't call that weird, but as soon as my glasses come off now that's a problem."

Aubri sighed, cutting into the conversation about Ash's glasses, "Guys, I do want to ask a favor from everyone. If you are told to stay somewhere, and I have to go alone, do not argue. Charlie told me that with the forge, only the descendants of Hephaestus are permitted to enter, and anyone else could end up trapped, or worse, killed. Can you all promise me to follow those instructions? I'm looking at you Ash," she said, seriousness in her voice, one that she rarely used with Ash.

Just then, the screeching of the tires and brakes of the bus could be heard as it came to a stop. The other passengers all rose from their benches and some grabbed bags from the ground. Aubri looked at her friends, Lincoln and Ash made faces as they stood up, Zavik dragging them over to the bus. Aubri sighed in both relief and nervousness, I really hope I don't fail this quest, for all our sakes, she thought, grabbing her backpack and tossing it over her shoulder. As she filed onto the bus, she sat next to Ash, who sat at the window seat. "Time for a 13-hour bus ride. Yippee," Aubri joked looking out the window. She looked at Zavik and asked, "If we're getting there in the late evening, are we staying somewhere for the night?" At this Zavik nodded, showing her a reservation at a motel only a five-minute walk from Notch Trailhead.

Aubri looked out the window one last time, took a deep breath, and put her head back. The bus started to move, and as they made their way out of the city, Aubri felt more at ease, yet there still seemed to be something on her mind.

Who was that guy that Luke was talking to? And why do I get the feeling that I'm going to have to fight him at some point?