In Pursuit of Lost Echoes

003

Leo 

Leo stood in the back with Piper and Jason, while Butch the bald guy handled the reins, and the blond girl, Annabeth, adjusted a bronze navigator. They rose over the Grand Canyon, and headed east. Leo had so many questions, his head was buzzing. 

"This is so cool!" he spat a pegasus feather out of his mouth. "Where are we going?" 

"A safe place,"  Annabeth said. "The only safe place for kids like us. Camp half-blood" 

"Half-blood?" Piper asked, her eyes narrowing in dislike for the blond girl Annabeth. "Is this some kind of bad joke?" 

"She means we're demigods," Jason said. "Half god, half mortal"

Annabeth looked back. "You seem to know a lot, Jason. But, yes, demigods. My mom is Athena, goddess of wisdom. Butch here is the son of Iris, the rainbow goddess." 

Leo choked, "Your mom is a rainbow goddess?" 

"Got a problem with that?" Butch growled out. 

"No, no," Leo said. "Rainbows. Very macho." 

"Butch is our best equestrian," Annabeth said. "He gets along great with the Pegasi."

"Rainbows, ponies." Leo muttered, trying to stifle a laugh. 

"I'm going to toss you off this chariot." Butch warned. 

Lightning flashed. The chariot shuddered, and Jason yelled, "Left wheels on fire!"

Leo looked down, a cold gray ocean stretched out to the left. Snow-covered fields, roads, and forests spread to the right. Directly below them was a green valley, like an island of springtime, rimmed with snowy hills on three sides and water to the north. Leo saw a cluster of buildings like Ancient Greek temples, a big blue mansion, ball courts, a lake, and a climbing wall that seemed to be on fire. But before he could really process all that he was seeing, their wheel came off and the chariot dropped out of the sky. 

"The lake!" Annabeth yelled. "Aim for the lake." 

Leo was thinking this is such a stupid way to die with everything that happened today. And then-BOOM. 

The biggest shock was the cold, but Leo was a decent swimmer. He got out of the lake, gasping and  shivering. nearby, Butch stood in the lake, cutting the wrecked harnesses off the Pegasi. Jason, Piper and Annabeth were already on the shore, surrounded by kids giving them blankets and asking questions. 

"No questions right now." said Annabeth, "I'm taking them to Astraea, she'll show them around, explain everything." she said in such a tone that left no argument, and no questions. 

A girl stepped forward- tall, Asian, dark hair in ringlets, plenty of jewelry, and perfect makeup. Somehow she managed to make jeans and an orange T-shirt look glamorous. She glanced at Leo  as if he was a week old burrito pulled out of the dumpster. Then unhappily eyed Piper and then fixed her eyes on Jason like he might be worthy of her attention. 

"Well," the girl said, "I hope they're worth the trouble." 

Leo snorted. "Gee, thanks. What are we, your new pets?" 

"No kidding," Jason said. "How about some answers before you start judging us-like what is this place, why are we here, how long do we have to stay?" 

"Jason," Annabeth started, "I promise Astraea will answer all your questions. And Drew"- she frowned at the girl- "beat it, you don't want me to get Astraea over her. But I admit, the trip didn't accomplish what I hoped." Annabeth looked truly hurt. Leo wasn't good at understanding emotions but that he could tell.