CHAPTER TEN
( WELCOME TO CLOUDCROFT )

        DAVINA'S BODY ACHED from how horrible she'd slept as the group walked through Cloudcroft, a ski town in the mountains of New Mexico. Along with her achy body, she was also freezing by the time they reached the middle of the town.

"Great," Thalia looked around. Cloudcroft didn't have much in it. A school, ski cabins, tourist shops, cafes, and a grocery store. "No bus station. No taxis. No car rental. No way out."

"There's a coffee shop!" Grover pointed out gleefully.

Davina wrinkled her nose. She hated coffee. It was either too sweet or too strong.

"Yes," Zoë nodded. "Coffee is good."

"And pastries," Grover was practically drooling. "And wax paper."

"How about you three go get us some food," Thalia motioned to Davina, Zoë, and Grover. "P–"

"No," Davina protested. "I hate coffee."

Thalia sighed. "Fine. You can come with Percy, Bianca, and me to the grocery store. Maybe they can give us directions."

The six of them agreed to meet back in front of the store in 15 minutes and went their separate ways.

Cloudcroft was depressing, Davina learned. The grocery store clerk had looked like he was about to pass out from boredom when they walked in because the store was so empty. He told them that there wasn't much snow to actually go skiing, that it wasn't easy to get in or out of town without a car, and the only way they would be able to get out would be to call a taxi that would take several hundred dollars and an hour to get to them.

He'd been so engaged in their conversation, like it was the first one he'd had all day, that Davina hadn't slipped anything into her bag and bought herself a bag of chips and a soda out of pity. Percy even bought himself a one-dollar rubber rat.

"Wonderful," Thalia grumbled when they went outside. "I'm going to walk down the street, see if anybody in the other shops has a suggestion."

"But the clerk said–" Percy started.

"I know," Thalia cut him off. "I'm checking anyway."

With that, Davina, Percy, and Bianca were left alone.

"Nice rat," Bianca complimented Percy – who'd set his rubber rat on the porch railing – after a few minutes of silence.

"It kind of looks like you," Davina commented, earning a small glare from the boy. She shrugged and opened her bag of chips. "So, Bianca, how do you like being a Hunter?"

Davina could see Percy furrow his brows at her from her peripheral vision.

"You guys aren't still mad at me for joining, are you?"

Davina shrugged and opened her soda. "I mean, it was your decision and there's not much I can do now, is there?"

The younger girl's gaze flickered to Percy. "Nah," he shook his head. "Long as, y'know. . . you're happy."

"I'm not sure happy is the right word with Lady Artemis gone," Bianca told them. "But being a Hunter is definitely cool. I feel calmer somehow. Everything seems to have slowed down around me. I guess that's the immortality."

Davina was still annoyed at Bianca for leaving behind Nico, but she could still see how well the girl fit in with the Hunters. She seemed more confident, more sure of herself.

"Nico didn't understand my decision," Bianca murmured. She looked at the two of them like she was waiting for assurance.

"He'll be okay," Davina told her. No, having the camp counselors wasn't the same as having his sister, but she knew he'd learn to be okay. She was speaking from experience.

"Camp Half-Blood takes in a lot of young kids," Percy told her. "They did that for Davina and Annabeth."

"And Cassie," Davina added. "Cassie was 10 when she got to camp."

Bianca nodded. "I hope we find her. Annabeth, I mean. She's lucky to have friends like you guys."

"Lot of good it did her," Percy remarked. Davina looked down at her bag of chips, suddenly finding them very interesting.

"Don't blame yourselves," Bianca shook her head. "You risked your lives to save my brother and me. I mean, that was seriously brave. If I hadn't met you guys, I wouldn't have felt okay about leaving Nico at the camp. I figured if there were people like you two there, Nico would be fine. You're good people."

Percy looked surprised. "Even though I knocked you down in Capture the Flag?"

"Hey, I wanted to help you," Davina defended herself. "But Jackson was being an idiot."

Bianca laughed. "Okay. Except for that, you're good people."

"So what's the story with you and Nico?" Percy wondered. "Where did you go to school before Westover?"

"I think it was a boarding school in DC," Bianca frowned. "It seems like so long ago."

"You never lived with your parents?" Percy asked. "I mean, your mortal parent?"

"We were told our parents were dead," Bianca answered. "There was a bank trust for us. A lot of money, I think. A lawyer would come by once in a while to check on us. Then Nico and I had to leave that school."

"Why?"

Bianca's eyebrows furrowed. "We had to go somewhere. I remember it was important. We traveled a long way. And we stayed in this hotel for a few weeks. And then. . . I don't know. One day a different lawyer came to get us out. He said it was time for us to leave. He drove us back east, through DC, then up into Maine, and we started going to Westover."

"So you've been raising Nico pretty much all your life?" Percy tilted his head. "Just the two of you?"

"That's why I wanted to join the Hunters so bad," Bianca replied. "I mean, I know it's selfish, but I wanted my own life and friends. I love Nico, don't get me wrong, I just needed to find out what it would be like not to be a big sister 24 hours a day."

Davina understood where Bianca was coming from, she really did, but the little girl who'd been shunned by her mom was still angry at her. 

"Zoë seems to trust you," Percy noted. "What were you guys talking about, anyway – something dangerous about the quest?"

"When?"

"Yesterday morning on the pavilion," Percy responded. Davina, mid-sip of her soda, shot him a look in an effort to get him to shut up. "Something about the General."

Bianca looked confused. "How did you. . . the invisibility hat! Were you eavesdropping?"

Percy's eyes widened as he realized his mistake. "No! I mean, not really. I just–"

Thankfully, Grover and Zoë approached them with the food and drinks, saving the son of Poseidon's ass. They handed Bianca, Percy, and Davina hot chocolates. As they ate their food, Davina tried to avoid looking at Bianca, who was sending a nasty glare Percy's way.

"We should do the tracking spell," Zoë suggested. "Grover, do you have any acorns left?"

"Umm. . ." Grover got out through a mouthful of wrapper and muffin. "I think so. I just need to–"

The satyr froze. A warm breeze rustled past them, like a gust of springtime was sent their way even though it was the middle of winter and they were in the mountains.

Zoë gasped. "Grover, thy cup."

Grover dropped his coffee cup, which was decorated with tiny pictures of doves. Then, the doves peeled off the cup and flew away. Percy's rat squeaked from its spot on the porch railing. It ran off the porch rail and into the trees.

Grover collapsed onto the ground, unconscious. The four of them kneeled next to him and frantically tried to wake him up.

"Hey!" Thalia called, running up to them. "I just – what's wrong with Grover?"

"We don't know," Percy responded.

Davina shook the satyr's shoulder. "He just collapsed."

"Well, get him up!" Thalia glanced behind her nervously as she held her spear in her hand.

"What happened?" Davina stood.

"We need to leave," Thalia told her. "Now."

They'd made it to the edge of town before everything went wrong. Two skeletons appeared in front of them, wearing police uniforms. They drew their guns from their sides and pointed them at the group.

Everyone drew their weapons. Thalia held up Aegis, Percy and Davina had their swords, and Zoë and Bianca held their bows – Bianca seemed to have a bit of trouble as Grover kept slumping against her.

"Back up," Thalia instructed.

Davina looked behind her shoulder when she heard branches rustling. Three more skeletons appeared on the road behind them, leaving them surrounded. One of the skeletons started talking into a phone, but it wasn't really talking. It's teeth chattered together.

"It's near," Grover mumbled.

"It's here," Percy corrected.

"No," Grover argued. "The gift. The gift from the Wild."

Thalia ignored him. "We'll have to go one-on-one. Five of them. Five of us. Maybe they'll ignore Grover that way."

"Agreed," Zoë nodded.

"The Wild!" Grover insisted, but nobody was listening to him.

Davina narrowed her eyes at one of the skeletons. She charged forward. The skeleton fired its gun at her as she went down, the icy road helping her slide toward it. She swung her sword, sending its gun flying while also splitting it in half.

Much to Davina's dismay, the skeleton began to reform. As two more shots went off, she turned to see Percy collapse face down in the snow.

"Percy!" she yelled, running over to him. There wasn't blood. Why wasn't he bleeding?

He looked up, confused. "You just called me Percy. You've never called me Percy."

Davina sighed, realizing his new coat must be bulletproof. "Don't get used to it." She looked over. Both her and Percy's skeletons were almost already done reforming.

There was a crash in the forest to their left.

"Come on, Jackson," she stood up, watching as Skeleton One and Skeleton Two moved toward them.

Skeleton One pulled out a baton, swinging it at her. She blocked it with her sword. She and Percy continued fighting, their backs facing each other. Neither she nor the skeleton were letting the other get close enough to them with their weapons.

Eventually, Davina hit the skeleton's hand, sending it flying off its body along with the baton. Now that it was defenseless, she swung her sword at its neck, chopping its head off.

As the skeleton began reforming, Davina knew that there was no way to kill them. Cutting off their bones wasn't working. Zoë and Bianca's arrows were useless, only going through Skeleton Four and Five's skulls.

Skeleton Five lunged at Bianca, but the girl reacted quickly. She pulled out her knife and stabbed it in the chest. The skeleton burst into flames, leaving behind nothing but a pile of ash and the police badge from its uniform.

"How did you do that?" Zoë demanded.

"I don't know," Bianca stammered. "Lucky stab?"

"Well, do it again!"

The four remaining skeletons were wary of Bianca, keeping the group at baton's length as they pressed them back.

"Plan?" Percy asked.

Davina's eyebrows furrowed as she tried to think of something. The trees in front of them shook as branches cracked.

"A gift," Grover murmured.

Davina went to ask him what the fuck he was talking about when a giant boar came crashing into the road. Her eyes went wide. "What the–"

The Erymanthian Boar stood at least 30 feet tall with massive tusks. Davina was getting really sick of these oversized animals. First the lion? Now this ginormous pig?

The pig squealed and raked the skeletons to the side with its tusks, sending them flying over the trees and onto the side of the mountain, where they broke into pieces. Then, the boar focused its attention on the group.

Thalia raised her spear and Davina slowly lifted her sword. How they were going to kill the monster pig, she really didn't know.

"Don't kill it!" Grover shouted as the boar pawed the ground, gearing up to charge.

"That's the Erymanthian Boar," Davina could tell Zoë was trying to keep her voice level, but she was failing. "I don't think we can kill it."

"It's a gift!" Grover announced. "A blessing from the Wild!"

"Did you hit your head when you fell?" Davina shouted just before the boar swung its tusk. Zoë and Bianca dived out of the way.

"Yeah!" Percy remarked. "I feel very blessed! Scatter!"

The six of them ran in different directions, only momentarily confusing the boar.

"It wants to kill us!" Thalia yelled.

"Really, Thalia?" Davina shouted. "I had no idea!"

"Of course! It's wild!" Grover danced around the pig.

"So how is that a blessing?" Bianca asked.

Apparently, the boar didn't like that question. He charged at her, but she was fast. She rolled out of the way of its hooves and came up behind it as it destroyed the welcome to cloudcroft sign.

"Keep moving!" Zoë ordered as she and Bianca ran in opposite ways.

Grover continued to dance around the pig, playing his pipes while it tried to kill him.

It seemed that Thalia, Percy, and Davina had gotten the shit end of the deal. When the boar turned toward them, the daughter of Zeus made the mistake of raising her shield. The beast squealed, enraged at the sight of Aegis, and then charged at them.

The sole reason they weren't crushed by the giant pig was because they bolted uphill. They also weren't slowed down by having to plow through trees.

"This way!" Percy grabbed Davina's arm. Ahead of them was a half-covered tunnel that led to an old trestle bridge that spanned a gorge. "Follow me!"

Davina didn't have time to protest. The three of them ran through the tunnel.

"No!" Thalia screamed.

They were standing at the edge of the bridge, staring down at the snow-filled gorge. If she thought the few-story fall at the museum was bad, this was worse. It was roughly 70 feet below them.

"Come on!" Percy urged. "It'll hold our weight. . . probably."

Please don't let Percy kill me.

"I can't!" Thalia protested. 

Behind them, the boar ripped through the tunnel.

"Now!"

Thalia didn't budge. Percy grabbed Davina's hand and tackled Thalia off the bridge. They slid on Aegis like a snowboard down the side of the mountain and slowly skidded to a stop. Davina and Percy were covered in cuts. Thalia had gotten fortunate and only had pine needles in her hair.

The boar was next to them, stuck in the snow. It squealed and fought, but it didn't seem to be going anywhere anytime soon.

Percy looked at Thalia. "You're afraid of heights."

The fear in Thalia's eyes had been replaced by its usual gleam. "Don't be stupid."

"That explains why you freaked out on Apollo's bus," Percy continued. "Why you didn't want to talk about it."

Thalia sucked in a deep breath and brushed the pine needles out of her hair. "If you fucking tell anyone, I swear–"

"No, no," Percy shook his head. "That's cool. It's just. . . the daughter of Zeus, the Lord of the Sky, afraid of heights?"

"Hello?" Grover called out.

"Down here!" Percy hollered.

Zoë, Bianca, and Grover found them a few minutes later. "A blessing of the Wild," Grover looked annoyed as the six of them stared at the boar.

"I agree," Zoë nodded. "We must use it."

"Hold up," Thalia blinked. "Explain to me why you're so sure this pig is a blessing."

Grover turned toward her. "It's our ride west. Do you have any idea how fast this boar can travel?"

"Fun," Percy commented. "Like. . . pig cowboys."

"I was thinking more like bull riders," Davina muttered.

Grover nodded. "We need to get aboard. I wish. . . I wish I had more time to look around. But it's gone now."

"What's gone?" Percy wondered.

Grover didn't seem to hear him as he walked over to the boar and jumped on its back. They watched him take out his pipes and start playing something before he tossed an apple in front of the beast. The apple floated above the boar's nose, making it strain to get it.

"Automatic steering," Thalia murmured as she trudged over to the pig and jumped on behind Grover. "Great."

Zoë and Bianca moved toward the boar. "Wait a second," Percy stopped them. "Do you two know what Grover is talking about – this wild blessing?"

"Of course," Zoe answered. "Did you not feel it in the wind? It was so strong. . . I never thought I would sense that presence again."

Davina tilted her head. "What presence?"

Zoë stared at them incredulously, like they were stupid. "The Lord of the Wild, of course. Just for a moment, in the arrival of the boar, I felt the presence of Pan."

𝒎𝒆𝒍 𝒎𝒆𝒍 !!