Autumn's Story

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Autumn was raised on Circe's island.

Though aware of her own parentage, the young demigod wasn't too privy to the exact circumstances surrounding her own birth, it having been kept secret from her for the majority of her life. However, she was able to make assumptions based on what was provided, of which was made easier due to how poorly those around her failed to maintain their secrecy.

Born from the fornication between a human male named Releus Lowe and the goddess of agriculture, Demeter, Autumn was meant to be raised like a normal human. However, that changed when the father passed away unexpectedly, forcing Demeter into taking matters into her own hands. It was hard to say what was going through the goddess' mind when making the decision, but the newly born Autumn Lowe was dumped into the hands of Circe's Spa and Resort. All chances of the girl leading the life of a common mortal all but ceased after that.

From there, Autumn was brought up on that stiflinging 'small' spit of land, surrounded on all sides by endless blue waves.

From the earliest memory that the young girl could recall, she had hated the resort. Though not confined to any one spot on the island, the feeling of being trapped and isolated gnawed away at her year after year. Distracting herself in her Greek learnings and studies of magic under Circe herself, she was able to stave off some of the emotions for a little while, immersing herself in her own power and what she was capable of.

Still, despite the accrument of knowledge, the caged feeling continued to grow and fester. It got to the point where Autumn was ready to snap and take matters into her own hands, carving out a path towards her goal of leaving the island her own mother had so graciously dropped her on.

But, just before she could enact her plan to free herself of the resorts clutches, she overheard the arrival of someone named Chion Pagos.

And, she opted to stay. At least to observe the latest victims of Circe's guinea pig drink, or the ShakeOver as she called it.

It was probably the best decision she had ever made.

Even with all that had happened, meeting Annabeth and chatting with her, meeting Chion and capturing him in vines, the appearance of the Kraken, the stealing of the pirate vessel. It was the most fun she had had in a long time and maybe even her whole life. The danger, the sense of adventure, the heart pounding thrills. If she had left too soon, she would have missed it entirely and she might not have even managed to get away without getting caught.

Now, as she slowly steered the pirate ship in the direction Annabeth had directed, Autumn couldn't help but wear an ear to ear smile as she soaked in the spraying seawater.

For the first time since her birth, she was free. The shackles that had tied her down and prevented her from moving forward had shattered, shattered by a ragtag group of demigods.

"So. You guys wanted to hear about my past right?" Autumn assured the ship was on course before locking the turning apparatus in place. "I can tell you now if you'd like."

Annabeth shut the lid to Sparrows Compass before tucking it into her pocket. "I suppose that's fine."

Luke nodded, looking towards the girl with curious eyes. "Might as well. I have a few questions for you anyways."

Autumn didn't immediately respond to the two of them, instead taking the time to take them in. She had so beforehand upon their first meeting, but now that things had calmed down considerably, it was much easier to digest it all.

First there was Luke. Older, more built. A strong upper body, mainly focused around the biceps and forearms. With a sword attached to the hip and the way he held himself confidently, he likely knew his way around a fight. His clothes were nothing special nor did he possess any special features aside from the scar travelling across his eye. If Autumn had to make an assumption, he was the second strongest fighter after Chion, more than likely better in terms of swordplay and battlefield experience.

Then there was Annabeth. Analytical grey eyes, a dagger on her waist, a small but agile framework. Just like her friend, she didn't wear anything special, and the only distinguishing and note worthy parts were her eyes and curly blonde hair. It was hard to say what she was, but it was logical to assume she was the brains of the group. This was backed by how quickly she came to understand the ship despite how she had never set foot on one before.

The two of them made for an odd pair, but that only managed to peak Autumn's curiosity even further the more she thought about it.

Who were they? What were their stories? How strong were they? By extension of that, who was Chion? How was he strong enough to entail Circe's entire island in such a thick blizzard? What was HIS story?

"I'd be happy to answer any questions you might have," Autumn replied as she made her way onto the main deck, having decided to stow away her own inquiries for the time being. "I don't think I can be of much use to your own quest for the Golden Fleece but I'm happy to tell you about Circe's Island."

"I would actually like to know who you are." Luke cut right to the chase. Though relieved to have made it out of the situation without a scratch, they couldn't afford to relax just yet. "I'm sure you can understand where we're coming from."

"A girl we just picked up, from an island that was hostile to men." Annabeth piggybacked off of Luke, stormy grey eyes locked onto the young daughter of Demeter. "We'd be idiots to treat you like an ally when we know nothing about you. I appreciate your help in escaping the Kraken, however we need to assure our own safety moving forward."

Autumn nodded. "Of course. I can tell you guys all about me if you want. For starters, I raised on that island from almost the time I was born."

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"And that's pretty much it."

As Autumn rounded off her story, she leaned backwards from her spot on the floor. Somewhere in the midst of the hour long summary of her own past, the young daughter of Demeter had gotten comfy and plopped down close to the ships main mast. Following suit, the other two Demigods had also taken the chance to get situated, taking seats in front of her after pulling up some old wooden crates that had almost completely fallen apart.

"So. Born and raised on the island. Wanted freedom. Joined us because you couldn't stand the Resort." Annabeth frowned slightly, eyes fixed onto Autumn's visage. "Did I leave anything out?"

"Nope. A perfect summary." Autumn smiled, giving her a thumbs up.

"So, the reason you squeezed those women in such a way...." Luke's voice trailed off, recalling the psychotic grin the young woman had given.

"I didn't like them," Autumn readily answered. "They thought too highly of themselves since they worked closely with Aunt Circe."

"Aunt Circe?" Annabeth raised an eyebrow.

"That's what most people call her."

The three of them fell silent after that, just looking at each other, seemingly lost in their own thoughts.

Annabeth wasn't too sure how she felt about the newest addition to the group, even after hearing the entirety of the girls upbringing and teachings. There were far too many variables and even more unknowns to deal with. On top of that, Chion was still facing off against the Kraken, if not already dead, which wasn't exactly the most uplifting situation.

In truth, had Chion not vouched for Autumn the way he did, Annabeth would've been fine in dropping her off at the next island they came across. Obviously it wasn't very logical to drop off potential assistance, even if it was from someone as sketchy as the new arrival, but she didn't care within that moment. Her own failures and the thought of abandoning someone she was just starting to genuinely care for was eating away at her.

It was like Thalia all over again.

"I think-"

"We're gonna pass on your help." Luke spoke up, cutting Annabeth off before she could fully voice her opinion. "You can ride with us until we find the Fleece. However, we don't know you well enough to fully trust anything you say or do. Obviously we'll need you to help us steer the ship, but nothing beyond that until Chion returns in one piece."

Annabeth opened her mouth to add to the conversation, but immediately closed it, unable to properly form the words.

"What if your friend doesn't return?" Autumn questioned. She didn't seem to be affected by Luke's decision in the slightest, retaining a cheerful smile. "What then?"

Luke scoffed. "You clearly never met the kid. That white-haired freak of nature is far too stubborn to die, especially not to some overgrown octopus squid monster. He'll be fine. The only thing we need to do is hold up our end of the mission and find the Fleece. We can't let that idiot do ALL of the work."

Autumn shrugged. "Works out either way for me. Though, I will say that your confidence in Chion Pagos is quite admirable."

As the two exchanged words, Annabeth rose back onto her feet and began making her way to the back of the ship, whipping Sparrows Compass out of her pocket. She needed to keep her mind on the task at hand. Remaining in one spot for too long would only force her to replay the scenes of the past over and over again, both from now and all those years ago. The last thing she needed was to break down when they were so close to their goal.

"If you guys need me, I'll be steering the ship for a bit." Annabeth turned her head slightly as she walked up the small flight of stairs leading towards the upper deck. "Let me know if you spot anything.