Fanaly it is Christmas break and I can write like the total loser I am. When of course I am not celebrating LURLINEMAS. Yay. (As a side note, you all know the bae @Nico_Solace, he has this fanfic THAT HE SHOULD UPDATE TODAY HEM HEM BECAUSE THE SUSPENSE IS KILLING MEH.)
"Are you ready?" Will grabbed my hand.
"Yes. Relax. We've got a day's journey ahead of us. You might as well sleep." He didn't look any less tense. "What's wrong? Don't you dare say it's nothing, because you're practically having a panic attack."
He stared at the ground sheepishly. "I'm not a good flier. I don't like heights." Don't laugh. Do not laugh. Gods, I wish I had my old aviator's jacket. That would shut him up. "It's just- I could fall and die."
"There's no need to be afraid. When has Leo ever crashed? Actually, don't answer that."
"I'm serious. Flights are just not my forte."
"You shouldn't be scared. Fear shuts you down, when it should wake you up."
He was quiet for a long time after that. We took off like the Titanic, tears and waves. I only hoped we didn't end up like it. We were soaring over Pennsylvania when he spoke.
"What are you afraid of?"
Nothing was the wrong answer. I didn't fear death, or oblivion, or heights, or spiders. Okay maybe a little on the spiders. But what did I fear? "I think..." I trailed off.
"What?"
"I think the only thing to fear is fear itself, something so powerful it can kill, something so varying no two people have the exact same set. So expansive that it can emerge from literally anywhere, sometimes people don't even know where their fears come from, they are just afraid. It's probably the most powerful thing in the universe because it's not a quick death, it's literally anywhere and everywhere, and there is no true way to conquer it, only encounter them and deal with them and let the false sense of relief bathe them until it returns."
"And when is that?"
"Anytime from no relief to the second before they die. And yes, then in part they do die of fear."
"Even if they lived most of their life with this 'false relief'?"
"Yes. They still had a fear, and died with the fear. Because your life really does flash before your eyes. And that is a life that included with the fear. So the relief they aren't used to not having leaves suddenly, and then they die."
"You know what I think?"
"Mm?"
"I think you overthink things."
The rest of the ride was small talk, and we arrived at Camp Jupiter at around noon their time. Hazel, Frank, Reyna, and multiple other campers I assumed were our new victims. Not literally... Or is it? The campers from our side emerged. I hadn't really seen who was leaving until now. We only had three.
Drew Tanaka, good riddance. Bitch.
Adam Stump, son of Demeter/Ceres.
The next girl emerged, but I didn't see her face. Reyna started talking.
"Alright, listen up Graecus! My name is Reyna, but you will address me as praetor. Frank here is also praetor. Hazel is centurion, but she will be your teacher of the Roman mythology."
Drew rolled her eyes. "I know how this works, I'm not stupid."
Reyna gave stared at her, dumbfounded by the act of disrespect. Then she hit Aurum's head. "Aren't you supposed to attack?" Frank, Hazel, her and I laughed, but the rest gave us blank stares. She gave Drew a cold look. "He attacks when someone lies. If you talk to me like that me again, I will not hesitate to allow them to attack. You don't have to like me, but you will listen to me and never interrupt. Understood?"
"Yeah."
Reyna had become more confident, and she seemed stronger. Frank had grown beefier and taller, and Hazel's skin had lightened a little since the Iris Message from July. Her hair was entwined with what I suspected was silk, the color of ichor, to match her eyes.
"Why didn't anyone tell me we were having a reunion?" Someone shouted from the gates of New Rome.
Percy and Annabeth.
BWAHAHA. Well everyone Mer(c)ry Christmas/Hanukkah/Kwanza/Lurlinemas. I plan on publishing tomorrow, but no guarantees on Christmas Day. My family doesn't stop gifts until like ten, then we have breakfast, then we have to get ready for the family coming over at three.
But seriously @Nico_Solace, UPDATE THE FREAKING BOOK I NEED THE UPDATE. Refer to the picture.
Okay next chappie should be fun.
Kisses,
Satan, Lord of Feels.
