Will’s eyes were getting heavy, but he knew he had to keep going. He knew he was close to San Antonio and the sun was starting to go down. The fight had tired him out a little, even though it was in water. It could have been the scimitar’s poison working out of his system or something, but the sooner they got to San Antonio, the sooner he could be done with this. He looked down and ahead of him was the bright lights of San Antonio and his eventual destination, but he needed a break. He looked for a place to land and right below him his eye rested on a comfortable looking campfire. From his position he could see 2 figures and a horse.
“That must be Kyle and Marina.” Will said with a yawn. “Let’s go.” Hurricane nodded then made his descent, gently landing next the campfire. Will slid off and walked toward them only to be met with Marina’s arms around his neck.
“I was going to take us all the way to San Antonio, but she had us stop here.” Kyle said, walking up behind her. Marina pulled away and then punched Will in the chest.
“Don’t be stupid!” She said, pointing a finger in his face. “Do you have any idea what could have happened?! You know who’s the one that would end up telling Penny that her boyfriend is dead? ME! Tell her that boyfriend is dead because he jumped off a flying horse and landed in a smear on the ground? ME!” She punched him again and Will put his hand on his chest, rubbing the sore spot. “Think next time!” She said with a sigh before hugging him again and going back to the fire. Will opened his mouth to speak, but just ended up groaning a little and rubbing his chest.
“I kill Kampe and she punches me in the chest.” Will said, rubbing his chest. Kyle took a deep breath.
“I’d punch you, too, but I know how hard she punches.” Kyle said before walking back to the campfire, sitting down next to Marina. Will grabbed his bag off Hurricane’s back. He walked over to the campfire and knelt down, slipping off his shirt. He hunched over his bag, looking for clothes and some ambrosia.
“Will, did you get hurt?” Marina said, sitting up and looking at his back. Will put a hand on his back and felt the thin white scar, streaking across his back.
“Uhh…Yeah. I’m fine.” Will said, pulling out another shirt and slipping it on. “I promise.” He yawned and sat back, taking a bite out of a square of ambrosia. It tasted like a deep dish pizza from Pizzeria Uno back in Chicago. He took a deep breath and looked up at the sky. “We should get back in the sky soon. We can get to the Alamo and then head back to camp tomorrow morning.” Marina looked at him for a second with a concerned look, leaning back into Kyle’s side. Will sighed a little and wished that Penny were here with them. He rubbed his eyes. The ambrosia was helping him wake up and he was starting to feel a lot better.
“We only camped here because Marina forced Petunia to land. She thought you were dead.” Kyle said, rubbing Marina’s arm. “We can take off whenever you’re ready.” Will looked at them across the fire and ran his fingers through his hair.
“I’m sorry, guys.” Will said, hanging his head a little. “I didn’t want you guys to get hurt and I knew I’d be fine. And I am. See? Fit as a uh…What is it?” He flexed and paused, trying to think of the word. “Thingie.” Marina and Kyle laughed a little and then a lot and Will smiled, taking a deep breath. He was glad. “So, can you forgive me? I promise I won’t go and worry you like that again.”
“I forgive you, but I’m positive that if Penny knew what you did she would kill you herself.” Marina said with a little laugh. Will took a little breath.
“And that’s why we’re not telling her, okay?” Will said with a grin. He hopped to his feet and then shouldered his bag. “Let’s get going, alright?” Kyle and Marina laughed a second then stood up. They put out the fire then walked back to the pegasi, vaulting on top then getting back into the sky.
“So, what are we to expect with this?” Kyle said, looking over at Will. “I hope I’m not the only one who has a bad feeling.”
“No, I feel it, too.” Will took a deep breath. “We’ll just have to find out.” It wasn’t long before they were landing in San Antonio, right outside the Alamo. Will slid off and grabbed his bag, shouldering it and tying Hurricane off in one of the courtyards. Will drew his sword, holding it tightly, his nerves forcing his hand into a white knuckle grip. It was late in the day, so the plaza was more or less empty. Marina quickly moved to the front of the group and placed a hand on the lock to the shrine.
“Door’s unlocked and alarm is disabled.” She whispered before opening the door. The shrine was silent, the only sound was the slight rustling of them walking inside. It opened to a small room with a small booth to the left for confession and an old looking baptismal to the right in its own concave, a small silver bowl on top of a pedestal. Will looked inside. There was no water and he grimaced a little in disappointment. Past the confessional was a room with tombs in it.
“How about we stay out of there?” Will muttered, making a little face at the prospect of seeing some dusty old monk bodies. They walked past and the room opened up a little. Will looked around and shrugged. There was nothing there. It was completely silent except for the sound of their breathing. Will sheathed his blade and shrugged. “What are we doing here?” Will said, his heartbeat, slowing back down.
“According to the prophecy, we’re in the hearty southern fort and we’re supposed to seek wings and overwhelm an enemy.” Kyle said, leaning on his scythe a little. Will rubbed his eyes and sighed. He looked over at Marina who was leaning up against a wall, tinkering with some scrap metal. She made a little helicopter that buzzed around Kyle’s head once before landing back in her hand. She looked up and saw Kyle and Will both looking at her.
“Oh, sorry.” She said, slipping it into her pocket and standing up straight. “So, what’s the plan?”
“You three can stay right here forever.” Will whipped around and saw a woman with crazy hair approaching them. She wore a dark black robe and Will could tell she had a big pair of sunglasses on from her silhouette. “You smell like the ocean. You Poseidon’s kid?” She asked, a smile on her face that seemed to glow with fangs and eyes that glowed red. As she approached, Will noticed something. Her hair wasn’t crazy. It was moving and hissing. They were snakes. She moved closer and was finally illuminated by the chandelier that hung in the middle of the room.
“Yeah. What about it, Medusa?” Will said, looking at her, knowing her gaze wouldn’t work through her sunglasses.
“Well, I just think that you would make a darling collectible. You and your brother and your father: All so handsome.” Will shuttered a little. Crazy snakehaired lady and she decides to flirt with him.
“Sorry. No can do.” Will said with a sigh as he drew his trident. She looked up and down. Will wasn’t sure if it was at him or the trident, but either way was gross.
“Why don’t you just leave it up to me?” Will watched as she reached for her glasses and Will ran off to a corner.
“Don’t look! You’ll turn to stone!” Will shouted, but Kyle and Marina had already taken cover.
“I don’t understand why you godlings always make it so difficult. You’re brother, Percy…” Medusa made a disgusted little grunt. “And they call me the monster.”
“Yeah. They do.” Will said, venturing a glance back, keeping his eyes low. She was slowly walking toward them, trying to decide who to attack first. She chose Kyle who was hiding around the corner in a little alcove. Her serpent hair, hissing as she grew closer. Will took this opportunity to slide out from his cover and run toward the front. He knew how medusa had been defeated. He needed a reflection. He entered the baptistry and tried to grab the silver bowl, but it was encased in the stone. He glanced back as Kyle and Marina blindly swung, trying to fend off the medusa. With a quick movement, she grabbed Kyle’s scythe and threw it to the side.
“Look up at me! Just a little look…” She said calmly before clawing at Marina, knocking her sword out of her hand. Will could tell that Kyle was trying to use some plants, but there was no source. They were surrounded in rock. Will turned back to the bowl.
“Hey, ugly!” He shouted back as he stuck his trident in the stone and attempted to pry it out. “I talked to my dad. He said that you were the worst he’s ever had.” Will heard and angry hiss and scowled a little as the bowl didn’t move.
“Lies! Don’t speak to me that way.” She hissed and he heard her moving closer.
“Out of his lips!” Will said. The bowl wouldn’t move. “Medusa was the ugliest, most foul, smelliest piece of monster crap—Oh forget it!” He shouted as he slammed into the pedestal, shattering it and sending cracks throughout the ground into the next room. The silver bowl clattered to his feet. He grabbed it and held it up, not wanting to turn around. Medusa quickly appeared in the view. He swung at her with his trident, only now realizing that his trident was really no good for slicing off a gorgon head. She snatched it and threw it across the room. She pinned Will to the wall and he shut his eyes tight. He’d rather be disemboweled then turned to stone.
“Hey, snakebreath!” Medusa let go of Will and turned and Will opened his eyes. Vines shot into the alcove and wrapped around Medusa’s eyes and arms and legs. In a flash she was yanked out of the room and Will stepped out to see her pinned against the ground.
“Release me this instant!” Will looked up and saw the chandelier right above her. He was about to speak, but Marina was already ahead of him. She released her helicopter and it flew up, severing the chain and releasing the chandelier which fell with a crash, slicing Medusa’s head and disintegrating her into dust. Will leaned on his trident a little.
“Well, that was fun.” He said with a small chuckle as he kicked the head which rolled face down into the corner. “Alright. Enemy overwhelmed. Now what? We need to find wings, right? She might have been here guarding them.” Kyle and Marina nodded.
“Let’s start looking.” Kyle said, sliding his scythe in trowel form into his pocket. Will turned immediately toward the tombs. What better place to hide something than with a dead body? He entered the room and he felt a cold wave pass through him. It creeped him out an the last thing he wanted to do was bust open one of these tombs and steal something. He had to complete the quest though. He raised his trident and braced himself to break it open.
“In here!”
“Oh, thank gods!” Will shouted, letting out a heavy sigh and leaning against his trident. He ran out and turned into a little storage room. There were robes hung on the wall and other miscellaneous things strewn about, but in Marina’s hands was a metal box. It seemed incredibly out of place, considering the Greek lettering on the side.
“The box has traps all over it. That’s how I was able to find it. I’ve disarmed them all, so it shouldn’t be a problem.” Marina slid the box open and inside were a pair of red converse sneakers, a little white wing by the heel. Will blinked a few times.
“That was so not worth it.” He said, glancing back toward the room where the medusa’s head was.
“No, no, no.” Kyle said, grabbing them out of the box. “Percy had a pair of these. I remember him mentioning them.” Kyle said, once again exhibiting his membership in the Percy Jackson fan club. He quickly kicked off his shoes and with an eager little laugh he slipped them on. “Right. We need a running start.” Kyle said before rushing out of the storage room. Marina sighed and stood up, holding the box under her arm. She walked out with Will and watched as Kyle burst out of the room. Medusa’s head still sat in the corner. Will looked at the box a moment then at Will and then the head.
“Alright. Head goes in the box.” Will said, walking over and picking up the head, spinning it a little like a basketball. He didn’t realize he was doing it until he saw the look on Marina’s face. “Oh. Right.” He said before placing the head in the box and taking it from her. He slipped it into Hurricane’s saddle bag and then looked over at Kyle. He was at the other end of the courtyard and was running right at the door. He had picked up speed, but nothing happened. “Maybe you need to say please.” Will suggested, teasing Kyle who was breathing heavily. He cursed at Will a moment before freezing.
“It needs a word or something. A magic word.” Kyle ran his fingers through his hair then ran back to the other end. He took a little breath and then sprinted at the doors again. He was up to a good speed when he took a deep breath. “Maia!” He shouted and the shoes’ wings popped out and started flapping, lifting him into the air on unstable wings. He had said it too late and instead it slammed him into the doors, knocking him on his back. Will burst out laughing and Marina ran to his side, laughing as well. “Alright. Let’s go now.” Kyle said with a groan as he lay there in a mix of pain and surprise.
“Yeah. Let’s go. Hunter and Philippa and Denny are probably back by now.”