Emelie

I couldn't believe it. After all those months of praying and hoping, I finally got a quest. A long one, at that. For once, I might actually be useful. All the training, the late-night strategy sessions—it was all about to pay off. This was my chance to prove that we're not the villains in this story. We're just pawns in a bigger game. I don't know if it was Dad who casted the curse or even if Zeus had a hand in it. All I want is justice for myself and my siblings. And this 'truth' may just be what we're looking for…

 "Emelie! Where's the forge hammer?" A voice called out. I rushed over almost immediately. "Don't tell me you lost it, Em."

 "I did not," I huffed, rummaging through my fanny pack.

 Give me the hammer… give me the hammer…

 Finally, I felt the familiar cold surface of the metal against my fingers and pulled it out, setting it down on the forge. "There. Happy, Leo?"

 "I gave you that for a reason," Leo said with a chuckle, casually tossing the sledgehammer over his shoulder. A small flame danced in his hand.

 "Sometimes, I wish I was you…" I sighed and peeked over his broad shoulders. "Whatcha doing?"

 "Making a shield for you. Figured you could use it." He set it down on the forge, and the sizzling continued until the glow faded. There it was: a bronze shield, delicately crafted with my name engraved on its shiny surface—thin as paper, yet as solid as rock."Y'know, even though I've got fire in my hands, you've got fire in your heart, warming up every day. You've got things I don't. You've got friends, a life, a soul, and happiness. And all I have is the ability to quicken global warming."

 "But you have Calypso."

 "I don't see her much anymore after she went aboard, but man, is she gorgeous." There he went again. When I first met Leo, I was practically his personal love guru, dealing with his lovesickness more often than any actual injuries. Our conversations always circled back to Calypso—Calypso this, Calypso that. It was like he had a one-track mind. Sure, she's amazing, but come on, Leo. There's a time and place for that kind of thing. 

 "Alright, off you go," He said with a grin. "I've got like 5 orders due tonight, and I haven't (he means can't) even written them down. Guess I'm just going to have to wing it." With a giggle, I took off, leaving him to juggle his fiery creations (cringe, but yeah). I'll see him tomorrow anyways, when we go.

***

 The rest of us lined up at the arch, and Esmé looked so nervous I half expected her to either faint or, worse, pee her pants right then and there. I was ready, shield up and sword so sharp it could slice through a hair in mid-air.

 Christal was the one I had the highest hopes for, mainly because she had real powers—something actually useful for combat, unlike the ability to forge stuff. I mean, Leo's powers are cool and all, but he's not here, so why even mention him? 

 Neb's powers were pretty decent, I guess. But we were still stuck trying to figure out whether she could actually shadow-travel or summon anything cool. 

 Meanwhile, the boys were already off in their own world, starting a side-kick brawl the moment the action began. They might be a few years older, but I was definitely more experienced. I'd been training since I was 8, while they started at the age of… whatever. Now that I'm 13, that's 5 years of training under my belt.

 "So, first stop is… some kind of desert, I think," Esmé mumbled, then added, "But which one? The Sahara?"

 "That's way too far off," I replied. "We need something closer. Maybe the Mojave Desert? Or something more local, like the Negev?"

 Christal scrunched up her nose. "Mojave? Negev? Are we just throwing out names now?"

 I shook my head. "Let's consider this first: why would we need to go to the desert? What's the point of this quest?" Most of the others just nodded, but no one actually bothered to answer my question.

 'So, that's what this is really about, huh?' Jasper said, sounding like a kid trying to sound all grown up (not that any of us weren't).

 "True…" I glanced around the trees, like maybe the answer was hiding in the branches somewhere. "I'd hate to even think it, but... do you think my father had something to do with it? Like, what if some of those rumors were true all along?" 

 Silence. Everyone just stared at me, confused. "I mean, Hephaestus might actually be behind the disappearance of magic at camp—that could be the "truth" we've been missing." It was possible, right? We needed to figure out why the magic was disappearing, and fast.

 It took them a moment to process what I'd said. "Wait, so... you're basically proving the rumors right and throwing your dad under the bus?" Christal said, giving me a look that was somewhere between confusion and judgment.

 "Yes—no! …maybe?"

 Esmé shrugged. "It does make sense… kinda. There's a bit of truth in everything, to be honest. Some of the rumors might be right… Keyword: Some."

 "So, any objections?"

 No one batted an eye, so I guessed that everybody agreed… somehow. "Great, so, Father's mainland is in the Sonoran Desert–I got that from Leo–so we've got to take a train or two to…"

 Helen shot me a dirty look—and honestly, I couldn't blame her. I'd spent most of yesterday morning taking my frustration out on her cabin over the rumors, only to turn around and admit they might actually be true. So yeah, all I could do was awkwardly stare at the ground and pretend she wasn't there.

 "Well, that sums it up!" Jasper clapped his hands together. "Now that we've got that settled, we can get moving."

 Alex tilted his head, still pondering on about the prophecy and said, "No, let's think more about the other clues first. 'Release a sorceress from her cage, who shows the path of the ancient sage.'"

 Helen jumped in, totally brushing aside what I'd just said (that forgetfulness does come in handy sometimes), "Wait a minute, isn't Circe we're talking about? It can't be Calypso, since Emilie said that she's Leo's girlfriend, and Circe's another well-known sorceress. She's not in a desert, but she's definitely hiding out in some remote place. Maybe that's a good place to start looking." 

 Everyone stared at Helen for a moment, and then the realization hit us like a ton of bricks. Of course, she was the daughter of Athena, so obvious.

 "If it's Circe, then the sage is probably Tiresias," Nebby said, and everyone nodded in… sudden (? or was it subtle?) agreement. After all, the only time we really see Circe in Greek mythology is in the Odyssey, where Tiresias is the only sage we see.

 "But we're still not 100% sure it's Circe," Esmé said, her nerves clearly getting the best of her. "There are other sorceresses too, like Medea."

 Helen nodded reassuringly, though it felt like she was adding more confusion. "True, and don't forget the Seven Sages. I'd be able to conclude more, but I kind of forgot who Tiresias was. Don't worry, this is just a theory… A GAME THEO-"

 "Exactly," I said, cutting her off. It would've been hilarious… IF WE WERE STILL BACK AT CAMP. "That's why we need to focus on the second line instead of the third and fourth! 'Unraveling the truth by the light of moon,' or something…"

 "You mean the Arte–?" Christal began but was quickly interrupted.

 "NO!" Jasper cut her off, clamping his hand over her mouth. "I mean, yes, but don't just say her name out of nowhere like that!"

 And just like that, we were somewhere far from camp. Great—apparently, our endless chatter managed to get our feet moving on their own.

 "Where are we?" I unfurled the map, spreading it out in front of me. "Uh… I can't read. Why did we even bring this stupid map anyway?"

 "We could use my phone, if you want?" Helen offered. I was like, wait—how does she still have a phone? 

 "How? Like, how do you still have your phone?" Esmé asked, practically standing on her tiptoes just to be at eye level with Helen. "That's not fair, Hel."

 "Wait, what? Where is your phone?" Helen said, glancing up from the bright screen. "I got it back from Emelie's brother after his sister was bugging him for taking stuff for granted."

 "Helen, put that down this instant. I'm quite serious," Alex said, throwing up his hands. "I had a feeling this new system wouldn't hold up."

 "But this is a brand new model…" She grumbled.

 "Look, let's handle this logically, okay?" Christal said as she moved closer, gently taking Helen's phone from her hand. I slowly pulled a dagger from my fanny pack and surveyed the surroundings. Where there's a phone, there's usually a monster lurking. "Guys, please don't. Look, there's a post office nearby. We can just mail it back to her parents."

 "Nice work, Christal! You're actually useful for once!" Nebby said with a hint of sarcasm which made Christal cringe so hard, I swear on the River Styx, I'm not lying to you. "Actually, it's a pretty good idea."

 "No, no, no, wait!" Esmé protested, pulling the phone back from Christal. "I need to look something up. Emelie, where's Circe?"

 "Um… somewhere around… I forgot," I said, knowing that it didn't really help.

 "Near Florida, I think," Jasper jumped in. "Last time anyone got to her island, they came through the Sea of Monsters."

 "So… we have to go through there?" Christal said, then added with a sarcastic smile, giving a slight nod. "Sounds like so much fun!"

 "The sea of what now?" Nebby asked, raising an eyebrow.

 "The Sea of Monsters," I filled him in before Alex could with his usual scary stories. Oh, and I just now realized we hadn't even bothered to explain the nicknames to them yet. Classic us. "You know, the Bermuda Triangle."

 Helen grabbed her phone back. "Esmé, no! What happened to my search history? And no way am I mailing it back to Mom. I do not trust her with my texts." 

 "Helen, it's too risky," I said, snatching the phone from her again. "Jasper, wrap this up and send it back to wherever her address is."

 "Yes, ma'am," He said with a playful salute before taking off. Moments later, he ran back with a confused look. "Uh, where's her address again?"

 I let out an exhausted groan while Helen repeated her address to him... several times… after being forced to, of course. No way she did that willingly. 

 We're spending way too much time on this... I started making a wheezing noise, and Esmé turned to me with a weirded-out expression.

 "Are you okay?" She asked, placing a hand on my shoulder.

 "Yeah, yeah," I shrugged her off and replied. "We gotta get going right now before monsters catch up."

 "Montauk Station is nearby. Also, from what I found, there might be a train going from the edge of the Montauk Branch of the LIRR to Penn Station in NYC." Esmé hoisted her backpack onto her shoulders and took off west, yelling. "IT CAN GET US TO THE DESERT SOMEHOW, JUST TRUST ME! No… uh, DON'T TRUST ME, DIDN'T SEARCH THAT UP!"

 After about an hour or so of traveling (I don't really keep track of time while we're on the move), we finally arrived at the train station. Of course, now we have to wait an extra three hours because we missed our first train by just five minutes.

 I flopped onto a metal bench nearby, wincing as the heat from the sun seeped into my skin–it was a very bad idea to wear shorts on a day like this. I fished a rubber band out of my pocket and pulled my hair back, struggling with its awkward length. It wasn't quite long enough to stay neatly in a bun nor short enough to not do anything, so it ended up in a messy, half-hearted ponytail with bits of hair sticking out. 

 I unzipped my bag—yes, I brought a bag even though I had a perfectly good fanny pack—and pulled out my lucky bracelet. The thin string was adorned with jade beads, each one glimmering softly. Dangling from it were rings of chipped bronze. I rubbed one of the jade beads until it gleamed and felt smooth under my fingers.

I dug through the pile of tools in my bag, checking off my mental list. Hammer, check. Toolbox, check. Money—not quite enough, but still, check. Clothes, check. Ambrosia, WOO, a lotta them. Drachma, wait, where's that one damn thing… oh here. Should I go grab a pistol? Nah, probably not; it might be a hassle and I'm already running late anyway. 

 I leaned back against the backrest, my whole body going limp as I let out a long sigh.

 Oof… I'm feeling pretty sleepy…

 What happened next was a blur—I must have dozed off right there in the middle of nowhere.

***

 "EMELIE! Wake up!" someone shouted, their voice pounding in my head. It sounded just like my mom, which was weird because I knew it couldn't be her, but I missed her anyway.

 "Stop it, Mom!" I moaned, trying to swat the person away as I groggily woke up.

 "What the hell?" The person scowled, shaking me by my shoulders. "Эта девушка такая растерянная." 

 Wait… crap. Is that Nebby?

 "I'm awake, I'm awake!" I yelled, rubbing my eyes as I struggled to wake up. "Are we late again?"

 "5 minutes until the train departs, so get it together. Бог." Nebby yanked on my arm, pulling me along as she hurried us toward the platform. We're heading to platform 2. Esmé's got a plan all set for us." 

 I didn't wanna argue back at her for 2 very obvious reasons. First, she was practically trying to dislocate my shoulder. Second, I was so tired I could barely think straight then and there. 

 "Hey, my bag…?" I mumbled, my voice raspy from thirst.

 "Don't worry, I've got it," She replied, and I saw my leather bag swinging behind her legs.

 So, it turns out the 'plan' Neb told me about wasn't much of a plan after all. We were hitchhiking, and Esmé was gonna try to fake our way onto the train. Not the best idea, considering we're literally children. Plus, I really didn't want to end up with a criminal record at such a young age.

 She managed to get us onto platform 2, the only one without a security guard on duty, and snagged us some seats in the middle. I immediately called dibs on the window seat, thinking I'd scored the perfect spot. But my excitement took a hit when I found out Nebby was sitting right next to me. I guess it wasn't a 2-in-1 deal after all.

 When the real passengers who actually bought tickets boarded the train, I thought we were toast. But wow, I gotta say, this whole strategy might work out after all.

 "Sir, ma'am," Esmé said, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "Those are my tickets."

 The man hesitated for a moment, then nodded slowly. "Those… are… your tickets." He extended the tickets, and she snatched them up immediately.

 "Thank you so much, dear sir. Now, you and your family should head back home, it's raining." She smiled sweetly, though there wasn't a single drop of rain outside. 

 "Home… Head back home… Raining…" They mumbled, shuffling off the train in a daze.

 Out of nowhere, I heard the sound of rain tapping against the window. I turned to look, only to see nothing outside. No rain, no wind, no snow—just the empty, clear view of the tattered old station. What just happened? Has her words somehow affected me?

 Charmspeak? I thought, pressing my cheek against the cold glass window. Probably…I'm not really sure… BUT UGH, CAN SOMEONE PLEASE SHUT THAT BABY UP!?

 The next few hours were of me trying to nap and me waking up to that screaming baby across the aisle. Every time I opened my eyes, I shot the kid my best death glare, but it didn't help. I guess babies are immune to death glares.

 Honestly, after a while of trying to figure out the plan in the prophecy, I started feeling like this was too easy. I mean, I know that most prophecies that end up getting people killed actually spell out where it's going to happen so that we try to avoid it. 

 Anyway, back to the point: usually, in between the nonviolent moments, there's some kind of trouble waiting for us. You'd think we'd be stuck in some monster lair by now, getting ready to fight our way out. So why have we been on this train for about 2 hours and there's still no one trying to kill us? I mean, come on, where are the monsters? Did they all take a vacation? Not that I don't enjoy not being attacked but, to be honest, it just kinda felt weird being… safe.

 Turns out, that feeling was short-lived. I was right. It was the calm before the storm. 

 Rattle, rattle.

  I felt the train shaking beneath my feet, the vibrations buzzing through my whole body like an electric current. Let me tell you, this wasn't your normal "Oh my gods, trains do that all the time" kind of vibration. It was almost like standing on a giant, moving massage chair, but way less relaxing and a lot more terrifying. Screams and cries erupted around me, and of course, the baby—that dang baby—started wailing again just as a voice blasted through the speakers.

 "We are going through some turbulence. Please fasten your seatbelts and brace for impact. I repeat, we are going through some turbulence, please…"

 The voice was drowned out by the stampede of panicking passengers. I highly doubted this was just normal turbulence. The train lurched violently, and I could see the floor beneath me buckling. Overhead luggage compartments sprang open, showering bags and personal items onto the passengers. People were clinging to their seats or each other, their faces pale with fear.

 And I was pretty sure it wasn't anything 'natury' either. Maybe a monster, maybe a god. Poseidon wouldn't be causing this mess with his own daughter standing right here? I had no idea what was going on either, so don't question me. But… I'm pretty sure it's an earthquake. I mean, looking out the window, I could see the ground splitting open, cracks snaking through the earth like some giant, angry god had decided to draw on the landscape, though it wasn't possible.

 "Ah [censored], ah [censored]," Nebby panicked. "Is this normal?"

 "Yep, super duper normal. We totally deal with earthquakes like it's an everyday thing," I shrugged, grabbing my bag. "Let's go. They're after us, not them."

 As I hurried off, trying to find an exit, the others trailed behind. "Excuse me! Coming through!" I yelled over all the noise, pushing through the crowd. Suddenly, the lights flickered and went out.

 In the sudden darkness, I felt a tug on my wrist and instinctively yanked it back, oblivious to my team zigzagging in every direction but the exit. Frantically, I tried kicking my captor, but it didn't work. Instead of a pained grunt, I heard a gruff voice say, "Watch where you're goin', kid!" Definitely not the kidnapper.

 "What the heck? LET GO OF ME!" I shrieked, digging my half-bitten nails into the stranger's skin. They flinched but didn't let go.

 Suddenly, my screams were muffled by a piece of fabric pressed against my face. It felt… silky and soft, with a strange, unfamiliar scent. My legs gave out as the sleeping drug took effect, and darkness began to close in.

 I could feel my body going limp as I tumbled down a flight of stairs, landing on a sandy surface. The last thing I registered was the rough texture of the sand against my skin before I blacked out completely.