Keeper Of Their Hearts (EG/PJO) - Book One

IX. I Run Into A Pack Of Females Who Aim Arrows At Me

(A/N: The following locations these chapters take place in from here on up until the end of Chapter XXV, when we get back to NYC/Olympus at the end of the quest, are all locations I have been or have been close to as of Fall 2023 last year, thanks to a Civil War tour road trip with my mother. So expect plenty of Civil War references to be dropped along the way. Also, this chapter is a little tiny bit shorter than normal here.)
Location: Gettysburg, Pennsylvania

We ended arriving at Gettysburg in the evening, because traffic. Stupid fucking traffic.. damn mortals.

Nevertheless, the time we arrived was remarkably close to the time that Hermes' customer wanted their package delivered by. I don't exactly know why I was rather pissed because of the time we arrived by, though I think it was because I was surprised that Hermes' doesn't move as fast with his truck in the mortal world than he did as himself back in the ancient day. I guess that's the price you have to pay as a speedster living in a modern era of rules, traffic lights, and freeways. Maybe.. I don't really know at all. But, to everyone's surprise, we didn't encounter a fight with a single monster on the way down, most likely because we were traveling with a god, and if there's one thing monsters do not mess with — for now at least, it's Gods and other powerful deities.

We did see some monsters, sure, but once they noticed who was in the driver's seat, they backed off. They didn't want to try to take on Hermes at all.

Either way, also to everyone's surprise, the trail of magic led along the route Hermes took straight to Gettysburg, taking a left turn in the middle of town at the Gettysburg square and heading south along Baltimore Street, formerly the Baltimore Pike back in 1863. The trail did not seem to be visible to your regular mortals, because those that couldn't see through the mist simply just walked right through it as if there was nothing there.

We came into town along the York Road, and then Hermes took a right at the square, then another right before pulling into the parking lot of the Gettysburg Railroad Station, and pulling to a stop in a parking spot.

"Alright.." said the God. "We're here. My customer should be here in a moment. You're all welcome to hop out now, since this is far as I'm taking you."

"Thanks, Lord Hermes.." Charles said. "We are incredibly grateful for this."

"Hey.. you haven't gotten close to anything this quest is about yet.. so most likely, this will count as indirect help.." said the God back to Charles, albeit nervously this time. "..which is good because.." He trailed off, not wanting to finish the thought even though we were all aware of what he didn't want to say. The situation on Olympus.

Yeah.. as much as Zeus is an idiot, and I am not saying this out loud right now — just to be clear, I do think it's smart not to anger the King of the Gods any further right now. So Hermes is being smart at the moment. It may seem harsh, but who am I to judge more intensely?

I'm just a kid, after all.

Anyways, at that, Alabaster and I opened the back doors of the van and I hopped out..

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..only to come face to face with a bunch of girls who were all aiming arrows and other weapons at me. I froze with fear, intimidated by the sight of it all. Like, what I do to even deserve this?

"Ah shit!" Michael called out. "The Hunters!"

The what?

I was confused at the moment now. Hermes, however, chose to help clear up my confusion. "Artemis! Whoa! Whoa!" he called out. "Tell your hunters to stand down! They're here on a quest!"