The Prophecies of Typhon: The Forbidden Quest (IN EDITING) (DISCONTINUED)

Hermes Needs a Hobby

Sydney

We entered the elevator, and the air literally got denser as we closed the doors and 'Staying alive' started playing. Every time I heard this song, I could only think of the CPR activity that I did a few weeks ago. NC told me that 'Another one Bites the Dust' worked too.

Pulling my thoughts back to the elevator, I was jammed against one of Eros' wings, the wall, and Courtney. I tried not to look at Eros. Thinking back to the river, and what he said, the blush automatically started to come back to my cheeks.

'You love Jake, child of Hephestus, don't you? Well, I could help. I've seen how he looks at you, and to be honest, it reminds me of my own love story with Psyche.'

I mumbled my response to him again, "No thanks, I can do it on my own."

"What was that, Sydney?" Courtney leaned against me, pushing me into the wall.

"Oh! Um, nothing." I felt the blush intensify in my face even more. Geez, I probably look like an idiot.

"Sydney? Have you not told them?" Eros looked at me, a little shocked. "I thought all girls shared their crushes with each other."

"Not told us what?" Jenny peeked her head around Eros wings, raising an eyebrow skeptically.

"That she loves Jake Mason, child of Hephaestus," Eros said casually, making Jenny start crying from laughter and Courtney to be in shock.

"Are you actually serious?" Jenny said with a chuckle, wiping away tears.

I looked at her defiantly. "Yes, he's serious. Now can we just drop it?"

"I ship it," Courtney said after recovering from the initial shock.

"I do too, except Sydney decided she didn't want my help," Eros said with a shrug. I resisted pulling out my dagger and staging him in the throat.

"Can you keep nothing confidential, Eros?" I rolled my eyes with a sigh, feeling Courtney's and Jenny's smirks behind me as the elevator doors opened up to sunny Los Angeles.

"Welcome to California, I guess," Jenny said with a shrug, stepping out into the slightly busy street.

How can she just be so nonchalant about everything? I rolled my eyes and followed her out into the warm California weather, Courtney and Eros two steps behind.

As soon as Eros stepped into the sunshine, a ringing sound echoed from somewhere around him. "Hold up, got to get this." Eros grabbed a cell phone out of mid-air and picked it up to a yelling person.

After a few minutes of us three standing awkwardly and Eros getting yelled at about how he need to be more carful, he finally hung up the phone.

"So, thanks for saving me and all, but I've got to go back to Olympus before Aphrodite explodes and ruins a mortal's life. Later." And just like that, Eros was gone.

"Well, this is just great," Jenny rolled her eyes. "We went through all that effort for what? An 'oh, thanks bro, later!' No. This is unacceptable! Eros, get your butt back here!" After a few seconds of waiting, nothing happened.

"Well done Jenny, now the whole of LA thinks we're idiots." Courtney rolled her eyes, examining the concerned looks around us.

"It's LA, everyone that's here is an idiot," I said, folding my arms and still fighting the blush out of my cheeks.

After looking around for a second, confused, Jenny piped up "We're surprisingly close to the entrance of the Roman camp. Come on, let's go." She started to walk toward the fairly close hills, and both Courtney and I began to fangirl, whispering ineligibly and making random noises.

Jenny just rolled her eyes and continued walking while Courtney and I just sort of squeaked at each other and followed.

We walked though some suburbs, and headed toward a underpass like thing with a door, just like the book described. Jenny just causally walked up to the door and pulled it open, like dirty teenagers pulled open emergency maintenance doors all the time.

"Um, shouldn't there be guards?" Jenny said, following Courtney in hesitantly. I followed a few steps behind, just as careful.

"Sometimes, but they aren't as strict about the 'guard' thing anymore." Jenny said over her shoulder, ducking under a low hanging pipe.

Courtney just nodded, following Jenny in silence. Soon we left the pipes and wires behind, entering a more earthy tunnel with mosaic in the floor and torches for light, and then it opened up into a beautiful valley.

It was just as the book described it. It was a bowl-shaped valley several miles wide. The floor had smaller hills, plains, and a few forest sprinkled about. A small clear river cut a winding course from a lake in the center and around the edges of the valley, making a capital G.

"Is this a dream, Sparky? Or is this real?" I lightly touched Courtney's arm, jolting her out of her trance.

"If this is a dream, don't wake me up, please," Courtney responded, turning back to the mesmerizing valley.

"Well don't just stand there, we've got places to be." Jenny rolled her eyes and continued down the slightly sloped hillside, down to the river and over into the Roman camp.

"Um, we should go," I nudged Courtney in the shoulder, once again jolting her back to reality.

"Yeah, we should." We both started walking down the hill, reaching the river at about the same time as Jenny, since she dragged her feet just a little bit.

"Courtney!" As soon as we crossed the river, Shayla came barreling out of some side area, tackling her step sister to the ground.

"Well someone's a bit over-enthusiastic." I rolled my eyes as I helped Sparky pry Shayla off of her so she could at least stand.

"Shayla? Are these three the people you and NC were talking about?" A blonde haired, freckled girl walked from the direction of the camp toward us.

"Yes, Mackenzie, this is Sydney, Courtney, and Jenny. Guys, this is Mackenzie. She was kind enough to help NC and I with our little 'task' that Ares had us do. She's a Hermes kid."

"Wow, another one? How many are there? Also, is it okay if I call you Kenzie?" I said, rolling my eyes sarcastically while also winking at her. So far, I really liked her.

"At Camp Half Blood? Close to 20. Here there are about 25, give or take. And sure, if you want to," Kenzie said, responding with a wink of her own.

Courtney whistled. "Wow, does Hermes have a hobby?"

"He has one, apparently," I said, nudging her playfully.

"Oh my gods, Sydney!" Courtney scoffed at me, and the rest of the group seemed to be resisting laughter.

"Well, on that interesting note. Kenzie, do you have a nickname yet?" I asked and she nodded.

"That was actually one of the first things Shayla asked. I think it's Sneaky, right?" She turned to Shayla for confirmation, and she nodded.

"Well Sneaky, welcome to the team." I extended my hand and she shook it, a smile lighting up her face. "Now, where can we get a bath and some food?"