chapter fourty-one

─── killer whales aren't all that killer when you get to know them

          𝔄pparently guy called Luke who's really hot and got a cool scar down the side of his face wasn't specific enough for an Iris message. Apparently, I needed a location as well.

What I got from this is that the gods hated me.

"Stupid location." I muttered as Hazel gave me some water. I'd downed Iris' medical tea, but still felt like shit and I knew that I needed water to rebalance me once more. "Stupid fucking location."

"That's a bad word." Hazel muttered. I cocked an eyebrow at her, sipping the water through the metal straw that I'd been given as she closed her mouth quickly.

"I'm pretty sure you were cussing people out earlier."

"I said schist. It's a type of rock, duh." Hazel pointed out as I hummed. It wasn't like I hadn't said worse, well mentally I'd definitely said worse, but I'd been controlling my language pretty well around the children. "What would you do anyway? Wash my mouth out?"

"I'd be such a hypocrite." I pointed out, before standing up. Leaning over, I began to stretch my body out, recounting in my head what I knew. My name was Andromeda Jackson, I was about twenty-one, I had a mom called Sally and a brother called Tyson. There was someone called Luke, and someone else called Grover, who were both looking for me and a Mrs O'Leary. I had no memories.

"Frank is outside." We both paused, turning to look up at Iris, who was grinning as if she hadn't just told us that she left Frank outside with basilisks that were going to try and kill him. "Fighting basilisks."

"By himself?" I shot back upright. "Gods above. He's sixteen!"

Hazel and I bolted out of the shop, slinging our packs over our shoulders. 

"I can't see him." Hazel worried as both of us twisted. "Wait, wait, there's this sense of death coming from there."

"Take me to it." She led me through the grasses, in the direction of a clearing. We raced for it, trying not to trip over anything in the process, before we came out into a clearing. Frank stood in the centre, his spear in hand, looking a little shell shocked.

"Are you alright?" Hazel called as I span around the clearing, looking for the basilisks that Iris had been talking about. "Iris told us you were out here battling the basilisks by yourself and we were like, what? We came as fast as we could. What happened?"

"I'm not sure." Frank still had his voice which was a good sign. I stopped spinning to turn on him, reaching for his face as I looked for injuries. "I'm alright."

"Taking on three basilisks by yourself?" I shook my head, before flicking his ear.

"Ow!"

"Don't ever do that again!" I growled.

"I think he killed the basilisks." Hazel piped up. "Either that or my brother's been here."

Frank shot me a sheepish look, as I narrowed my eyes before humming.

"You're not forgiven for running off and trying to do it alone. We are in this together, on this quest. I can't have one of you dying by yourself." I ruffled his hair. "It's more fun if all of us die together."

"Is it?" Frank looked confused, before shaking his head as if he was questioning my mental sanity. "We've got to get to Portland. There's a blind man we've got to speak to."

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I was back to driving the boat. As soon as Hazel and Frank had got back onboard, they'd become sea sick, so it was once again left to me to drive. I used that time to try and clarify my memories, to work out what my brother looked like, not just his name.

I didn't want to forget anything, terrified that I could lose them for good and yes, whilst I knew that I had to focus on the quest, I could multitask. The site of the enemy army had shown me what we were up against. We were cutting it fine with the time limit on this quest, and whilst I'd never admit it outload, we had four days to get to Alaska, find Thanatos, locate the legion's standard and then make it back to Camp Jupiter before night fall.

Meanwhile, the army had only a few hundred miles to go, which seemed a bit unfair.

I guided the boats into the stronger currents, using them to give us an extra boost from the North California coast. The wind was cold, but it felt good, clearing the last bits of confusion and pain from me. I think being near sea water helped too.

The hull of the boat rattled as I pushed it faster still. Hazel and Frank had their back s to me, taking turns explaining about what had happened at the weird store. Frank explained about this blind seer called Phineas in Portland and how Iris had said that he might be able to tell us where Thanatos was holed up. Frank wouldn't say how he had killed the basilisks but I had the feeling it was something to do with the spear. Intuition and all that (plus Frank's voice shook when he talked about the spear).

When he was done, Hazel told him about our girls time with Fleecy.

"So this Iris-message worked?" Frank questioned, both turning around to look back at me.

"Apparently vague descriptions aren't helpful." I shot them a grin, trying to wave off their pitying looks. I don't think disappointment was a new thing to me. "Hazel got in contact with Reyna."

"Yeah, it was so weird. You have to throw a coin into a rainbow and say this incantation and there's like the right way to do it and then Fleecy gave us her private, well Fleecy gave Romy her private line to use." Frank shot me another look as if to ask what I thought of it, but I shrugged. "I felt kind of stupid, but it worked. Reyna appeared in the rainbow, like a two-way call. She was in the baths. Terrified her."

"You managed to scare Reyna?" Frank sounded incredulous. "I would have paid good money to see that."

"Frank!"

"Not in that way!" Frank went red to his ears, looking mortified as I began to laugh. Hazel looked horrified, trying to move the conversation on.

"We told Reyna about the army, but like Romy said, she pretty much already knew." Hazel sighed, fiddling with the ends of her hair. "If we don't complete this quest and get the eagle-"

"The camp will fall." Frank and Hazel both slumped. I wished there was something that I could say to make them feel better, or to raise their spirits, but there was nothing that I could say. Not when my own mind was back on Luke, Tyson, Grover and the dreams that I'd been having. 

Reyna had thought that I came from somewhere, saying that I was with Luke last time. So, where had we come from. Had he and I just been on our own? I wished that I could call him, that I could call anyone and ask for help. The soldiers in Camp Jupiter were kids, barely teenagers, and they were going to have to fight and die in this battle.

I reached up for my necklace, running my fingers over the four wooden beads, the lead probatio tablet and the two rings that were on there. I could try and talk to Reyna's sister in Seattle, see if she could send help, but I wasn't holding out hope. Expect the worst, hope for the best.

After a few more hours of navigating, my vision started to blur and I was sure that I was going to pass out from exhaustion. I managed to catch a break, something black and white appearing in my vision. 

An orca, with a large dorsal fin came swimming up beside us, inquisitive eyes watching me as I dangled my hand in the water.

A daughter of the sea god. It began to whistle and click. What can I do for you?

"Any chance for a ride up north? I haven't got much, but you can have my thanks." I spoke to it softly. The whale considered it for a moment, clicking and whistling to the others in her pod as she spun around. 

Help us heal the other and you have yourself a deal. I agreed quickly, as another swam up to the boat cautiously. I slowed it to a stop, the others looking up, eyes wide.

"Romy, there are killer whales round the boat." Frank whispered. "Why did you stop?"

"Relax, Frank." I waved him off, setting my pack down as one came up beside us, staying at the surface. "I'm just helping out. They're going to help us out, because I need to sleep. What happened?"

Fishing boat. He got too close to it and got nicked. The whale explained as I looked at the dorsal fin. It had a large chunk taken out of it, still bleeding as I huffed. Reaching over, I did my best to fix it up, healing with what energy I had left and working quietly.

"How are you not scared?" Hazel's eyebrows furrowed, squeaking as she made eye contact with one of them. "What happens if you fall in?"

"I'll get out." I shot her a look. "Hazel, it would be like me saying what happens if a tunnel falls in on you. The sea is my safe place, my domain, my father's domain. I'm not scared."

Finishing up, I grabbed a rope, making a makeshift lasso and attaching it to the top of the boat. 

"There." I dusted my hands, before handing the rope carefully to one of the whales. "Thank you for this."

They chirruped, whistling back, as we took off once more. I settled down, listening to them talk about their travel towards Canada for the fish up there. It only took a moment for me to pass out.

My dreams were as weird as last time, which wasn't great. I could see myself on Mount Tamalpais, hunched over in pain as I seemed to try and back talk someone. I knew I hadn't been there with the Romans, because I think they would have remembered me, but I could see it clear as day. The girl was beside me, holding me up and pleading with me to stay awake. Luke was there too, fighting someone with a two-toned sword. He fought like me. It was the same strokes, the same moves.

There were a few others, a boy and a girl fighting by the cliff edge, another girl, who seemed to die moments later. I had been with her, standing behind Luke. My hand was on his shoulder.

Then, I saw the warship again. It was in its dry dock, people scrambling all over it to make it. The bronze dragon figurehead glinted in the light, watching my every move as if to say 'don't break it'. A hatch in the deck was open, smoke pouring out of some kind of engine. One boy, with dark curly hair was cursing, flipping the engine off in annoyance as two other girls stood around him. The girl with the longer darker hair sighed.

"We're not going to be leaving today." She turned, looking up at the other girl. This one was smaller, blonde hair tied back and her shoulders squared.

"I know that." The boy pulled himself out, turning to the blonde girl. "I'm really sorry, Cress. I've tried everything."

Cress. I knew that name. Vaguely, my dream self picked up on it because I was pretty sure this was my cousin. She was alive.

"It's not anything that it should be. I think I'm being sabotaged." He shot the girl a sorry look.

"How long?" 

"Two, three days tops." The boy promised as Cress sighed and shook her head.

"I don't think they'll have that long." They were talking about Camp Jupiter, I knew they were. The scene shifted again, and I immediately perked up. It was a dog. A big Shepherd type breed with pricked ears and a wagging tail. Her head was to the floor sniffing around as if searching for a scent. 

It made me grin. What a good dog trying to find their owner. I hope they found each other.

Then, my dreams went back to doom and gloom. It was that voice again, calling to me and whispering in my ear. I was in the mountains and it was cold, so cold. My fingers were turning blue and despite the snow around me, I couldn't feel water. I couldn't feel connected to my family.

Come north little girl. I will preserve you for now. I looked around, the voice in the wind tugging at my hair and clothes as I stumbled to the edge. I have great plans for you, little girl.

Below me, in the valley, lay a field of ice. The edges plunged into the sea which seemed to tear at the side of the palteau, pulling huge chunks of ice off of it. On top of the field stood a legion camp, three times larger than Camp Jupiter, but destroyed. At the crossroads, a figure was shackled to the ice and a giant, even bigger than the one we'd just seen earlier. He lounged around, frozen banners of Roman legions and a giant golden eagle laid around like a throne of death and despair.

We await you. The voice whispered in my ears. Try to find us. Whilst you do, my armies will destroy your home. You cannot win. Give up

With that chilling, despair inducing quote, I woke up. 

"Romy!" Hazel was shaking me, rain smattering across my face and hands. "I thought I slept heavily. Welcome to Portland."

I sat up onto my elbows, looking around in confusion. The orcas had dropped us off, or must have done so before the river, letting us float down in through the middle of a city. Heavy clouds hung low overhead, industrial warehouses and railroads to my left, clusters of towers on my right.

"How'd we get this far?" I don't think a pod of orcas swam all the way here.

"They took us as far as the Columbia River then they handed us over to these huge fish. They pulled us for a long time and we got some sleep."

"Then we got to the Willamette." Hazel added onto Frank's words.

"Right, and then the boat kind of took over and navigates us here all by itself. Sleep okay?" I pulled a face, sitting up and cracking my back in the process as I began to explain my dream. "Cressida's alive?"

"Yeah, seems it. She was there with the warship." I took a sip of water. "I think they're trying to get to camp, but they're delayed. There's more though. The giant, he's on the glacier in this ruined Roman camp. The eagle's there and someone was chained up, so I assume that's Death."

"So, he's on a glacier?" Hazel hummed. "That's not making it any easier. Alaska has hundreds of those! Where are we supposed to start."

"Let's hope this Phineas dude can tell us which one." I urged the boat to dock itself at the wharf, clambering out and tying it up. The others followed, all of us pulling rain coats on as Frank shook his hair free of water.

"So, let's go find a blink man in the rain." Frank didn't look greatly happy. "Yay."

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Hiya,

I love orcas, they're so cool, but Andi's still got people fawning over her, she's also having dreams so that's fun and we should see what happens from there. Love that for them, can't lie bit out of it cause work's drained all my brain power. If there's anything wrong, let me know.

Let me know what you think,

Love Li xx