Word Count: 1150 exact

RECAP: And at about 10 o'clock, they found the perfect spot next to a flowing creek and set up camp. "Let us all now eat!!" Adri announced as she brought out some pie and sandwiches and put them on four paper plates. Alex looked at her in amazement. "It hasn't gone bad??!!" "No. When things enter my bag, it's like they're frozen in time. So, they'll always be fresh." "Man, that's awesome." Alex replied and happily dug in. Magnus followed suit. When Nico had made certain Magnus and Alex wouldn't die from the food, he, too, took a bite and ate it.

     "Who made the sandwiches?? They're seriously divine!!" Magnus praised as he gobbled up a sandwich. "Thank you!! I made it myself." "But, honestly. It's delicious." Adri smiled brightly at the compliments.

     "Now that that's aside, should we set up camp and leave a few hours later or should we get moving now so we can save daylight??" Nico asked. Since he was still munching on his sandwich, Adri took that to mean he liked her sandwich.

     "We should probably leave as soon as we're done eating. We'll just follow the garnet??" Magnus nodded, subconsciously touching the garnet in his pocket.

*Time skip brought by your depressed, sleep-deprived author. 10:40 AM*

     The four demigods followed the garnet as it kept pulsing. "This is like some weird compass." Adri said as they trudged along the woods, swatting away mosquitoes. When they neared a particular spot, the garnet rose a couple centimeters off of Magnus' palm and started rotating. "Why is the garnet doing this??" Magnus asked nervously as he held the garnet away from his body.

     No one had an answer. He took a step forward and suddenly, the garnet flew out from his hand and hit something about five feet ahead of the group. With an ear-splitting crash of glass breaking, in the area they previously thought was empty, stood a homely stone cottage. The stone was worn as if the cottage stood there for centuries. On the small wooden door was a horseshoe nailed onto it. It was turned up, like a bowl, to collect goodluck. 

     There were a few inscriptions on the stone walls that were barely decipherable. But they could still make out runes and... Ancient Greek spells of protection. "Should we go knock??" Alex asked, uncertainty lingering in her voice. "Why don't two of us go knock?? The other two can hide and come to your rescue if things go south." Nico suggested.

     The other three thought about it and agreed to it. Magnus and Adri walked over to the door and knocked quietly, hoping no one would answer it and they could just say, 'Well, we tried!!' They were about to turn back as the door didn't open for multiple seconds, but then they heard a meek voice from inside.

     "Identify yourselves, demigods." It sounded like the voice of a young woman but it wasn't scary. It was nice and warm, like that of a twenty year old. Adri and Magnus glanced at each other. "Uh.. Lily Smith and Simon Jones." Adri said, hoping she'd buy it. "Real names, dearest." Magnus gulped and answered. "Magnus Chase and Adrienne Morte."

     "That's not all, what about your other friends??" The woman asked. By now, she opened the door and they could finally get a good look at her. She was about as tall as Adri, which meant 5"3. Her dark brown eyes complimented her porcelain and flawless skin. Her startling red hair billowed behind her as a wind wafted through the clearing.

     "Alex Fierro and Nico di Angelo." Adri told. The woman snapped her fingers and Nico and Alex came forward as if pulled by an invisible string. "I have been expecting you demigods. My mother informed me you might come here." The gears in Nico's head turned. Mother. That must mean Hecate, unless she was talking about another goddess like Hel, who knew the quest they were on.

     "Come in." she said, but aftering noticing their reluctance, she added with a chuckle, "I'm not going to turn you into stew." They stepped into the threshold and looked around. The walls had amulets hanging from nails on the walls as well as shelves and racks lined up with various herbs and goodluck charms.

     "Sit down, sit down. Why are you standing in such an awkward manner??" she asked as she got a few books and some bowls out. She waved her hand and the bowls and books floated to the table where the four were seated. The books landed in front of Adri and she grabbed a book. She flipped through it and her eyes widened in surprise.

     "Nico. The dagger of darkness!! It's mentioned here." This caught Nico's attention and he turned to face Adri. "The dagger was last seen in  Iceland and has been lost ever since." she read out. "That's where we need to go then!! The garnet led us to exactly where we need to be." 

     "That is no coincidence, demigods. My mother foresaw that you would come to me and told me to guide you." the woman spoke as she boiled some liquid in a kettle and grabbed plates. "Your mother is uh.. Hecate??" Magnus asked. "She is, Magnus Chase. It isn't possible for your party to get to Iceland within four days by any mortal means possible. So, let us make a deal, daughter of Death." She now turned to Adri and her gaze turned a piercing green.

     Adri looked around as if to say, Why am I the leader?? "What's the deal, miss??" she asked, not knowing what to call her. "You tell me your stories. Life stories. It gets quite lonely here in woods when you are shrouded in invisibility for centuries." This raised a few questions, but the woman continued. "I'd like to know what happened in your lives. Are your lives as tragic as mine or are they not??" she asked inquisitively tilting her head to the side. 

     "And then you'll let us go??" The woman nodded. "Give us a second." Adri told her as she huddled close to her friends. "You think we can trust her??" Alex asked, throwing a glance at her from above Adri's head. "Well, I don't know. But we can ask her to swear upon the Styx. Then she is bound to hold her end of the deal. If she breaks it, the fates play with her fate." Nico said.

     "If you're sure that happens, then I guess we can make a deal with her." Magnus said. Adri nodded and turned back towards the woman. "We've struck a deal then. Just, you must swear upon the river Styx. That way, we can be sure you'll hold your end of the deal." "And you must swear that you'll tell me stories until I deem fit." Adri seemed unsure, but knowing it was the only way, she agreed. "I swear upon the Styx that we'll stay and tell stories until you are satisfied and let us leave." Then the woman continued. "Likewise, I swear on the river Styx that I'll safely transport you to Iceland when I am satisfied with your stories."

     Thunder rumbled outside and the bond was sealed. "Well, then demigods. Go ahead. Impress and enchant me with your tales of bravery." They all looked at each other and wondered the same thing. "Can we tell you any story of our lives? Funny, sad, angst, happy, whatever??" Alex asked for everyone. "Of course." And thus, they began.

Yours,

Helene