The Boy On Fire (A Caleo Short Story)

Chapter 1

               Leo could feel Calypso's warm hands against his waist as they flew through the cold air, leaving Ogygia as a speck in the distance. He felt as if he was on top of the world. The quest was over, the Great Prophesy completed. Leo had nothing else to do, he could do as he pleased, go where he pleased, and especially be with who he pleased.

               He felt Calypso's arms grip tighter around his waist as he flew faster, gaining altitude. Festus's gears whirred and clicked as they flew. They broke through a layer of clouds and could see for miles around. Festus slowed down to almost a hover and let them enjoy the view.

               "I've never been this high before." Leo turned around and saw that Calypso was looking around at everything. She had awe plastered on her milky white face that seemed to glow in the direct sunlight. Leo would never get tired of looking at her. She seemed so... pure up here, away from everything, with just the two of them.

               "Trust me, it gets better." Leo grinned. "Hyyaah!" He kicked Festus's sides with the side of his feet, like a cowboy would do on a horse.

               Festus shot forwards, darting through the clouds at an extreme rate, leaving contrails behind him. They went up and down, left and right. Leo screaming, "YEAH, BABY! HOW DO YOU LIKE THIS!" while Calypso was squealing from joy behind him, her arms so tightly wrapped around his waist, her head was almost resting on his shoulder. Then Festus had his own ideas. He swung around suddenly, almost throwing Leo and Calypso off his back, and darted back into a cloud, collecting little bits of cloud on his wings and talons. He shot out again and flew through the clear open air above the clouds, throwing the clouds this way and that, then flew back a bit to admire his work. It was a heart, made from cloud.

               Leo heard Calypso sigh against his back and he turned around. Calypso quickly wrapped her arms around him in a quick hug, but that hug soon became a kiss. Leo felt wires popping and gears spinning inside of his head. He really had to get used to this kissing regularly thing, because every time Calypso kissed him, he felt like his brain was a computer that just got rebooted. When Calypso pulled back out of the kiss, Leo hoped he wasn't as red as he felt. He turned back around and pat his dragon on the neck. "Thanks, buddy." he whispered so that only Festus could hear. The dragon responded with a few quiet whirs and pops from his mouth. Then they started to fly forwards again at a swift pace.

               Ahead of them Leo noticed that the clouds took on a dark tinge, and when they arrived there, he realized that the the clouds were spinning slowly underneath them. They had arrived in a storm, which was right in the direction that they had to go. They would have to fly through it. Apparently Calypso's curse wouldn't let them go so easily after all. Calypso had told him back on the island that to leave Ogygia, you had to think of where he wanted to go, so he thought of his newest home, Camp Half-Blood.

               "Hold on, Sunshine! Things are about to get rough!" He yelled into the wind. He felt Calypso tighten her grip on his waist. Wind buffeted them as they flew and Festus was having trouble staying aloft. Then it started to rain. Leo felt like nothing was going his way today. Except that he had defeated a primordial goddess, cheated death, and returned to a place that was impossible to find twice. But whatever. None of that would matter if he couldn't get a slightly annoying in an endearing way but extremely beautiful goddess out of this storm alive.

               Festus dove in different directions, trying to find a pocket of air in this fierce gale. He wasn't succeeding. Festus was getting knocked back and forth by the wind. Just as Leo thought that this couldn't get much worse, it began to hail. Stupid curse, or at least Leo assumed that this storm was being caused by the curse. It just wouldn't let them go on without trouble. They continued forward. Leo wasn't sure if they had escaped the Ogygia border and came back into the world yet, but if they hadn't, he sure felt that they might never. The storm was getting awfully intense. If the great Bad Boy Supreme was taken down by a measly storm, then he would be very unhappy... and dead. That wouldn't happen though, would it? Let's not jinx it.

               Zipping through the black storm clouds, Festus started to creak and his wings were starting to smoke from battling the gale. Leo worried that they would catch fire from overuse. Not for his sake of course, but for the beautiful girl behind him. He still couldn't get over the fact that a girl like her would go for a guy like him. He wasn't anyone. She could have anyone. But he guessed he was the only one who actually succeeded in returning to that accursed island to get Calypso back. That tended to get cute girl's attention. Odysseus had helped him of course. He had build the astrolabe that got Leo here. Leo just needed to get a crystal from Calypso's cave, which he had done during his first visit.

               The wind was definitely picking up. The black clouds surrounded them on all sides, swirling. Festus was barely holding it together. 

               "Come on, buddy. You can do this." He told his dragon, but he couldn't even hear himself over the roaring of the storm. To Leo's dismay, he noticed a hurricane starting to form ahead, but it was too late to turn to the side. They were caught in the spinning hurricane. Their lives couldn't be over this early! They had so much ahead! Most of all, Calypso had just had a chance of escape and it would just lead to her death!

               Suddenly, Festus was knocked aside by the wind and both Leo and Calypso flew of his back. Leo was surprised that they had even stayed on as long as they had, judging that the storm was so intense that in had formed a hurricane. Leo's first thoughts went out to Calypso. Don't die! You can't! I just almost saved you! She was above him. Her caramel hair was flying all over and around her fear-stricken beautiful face. Please gods, at least spare her. In a flash Festus was there, grabbing Calypso in his bronze talons, before disappearing back into the storm once again. Thank gods, at least she'll be safe. Festus will save her, Leo thought as he blacked out, the roaring of the storm blasting through his head and him falling towards the raging ocean below.