LOST AT SEA | jason grace

𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧.

𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧. 𝐹𝑒𝑠𝑡𝑢𝑠

𝚆𝙸𝚃𝙷 𝚃𝚆𝙾 cages in his claws plus four people on his back, Lorna was worried that Festus was over working itself. Even metal dragons had limits.

"We're going to have to put down soon," Leo warned his friends. "Couple more hours, maybe, to make sure Medea's not following us. I don't think Festus can fly much longer than that."

"Yeah," Piper agreed. "Coach Hedge probably wants to get out of his canary cage, too."

"Why are we going to the Bay Area if it's dangerous for demigods?" Leo asked.

"Piper's dad," Lorna put in. "Something's happened to your dad, right? He got lured into some kind of trap."

Piper let out a shaky breath. "Look, Medea said you would both die in the Bay Area. And besides ... even if we went there, the Bay Area is huge! First we need to find Aeolus and drop off the storm spirits. Boreas said Aeolus was the only one who could tell us exactly where to go."

Leo grunted. "So how do we find Aeolus?"

Jason leaned forward. "You mean you don't see it?"

He pointed ahead of them, but Lorna didn't see anything except clouds and the lights of a few towns glowing in the dusk.

"The sky? I've been seeing the sky so much, I'm not even scared of heights anymore." Lorna said.

"That's a dumb thing to be scared of," Jason said.

"It's a real fear!" Lorna defended herself. "Especially if the Lord of the Sky hates you."

"Why does Zeus hate you?" Piper asked.

Lorna rolled her eyes. "I'm too great for him. He's jealous."

"Maybe he's helping us," Jason said. "Do you guys not see it? That ... whatever it is, in the air."

"Could you be any more specific?" Lorna asked.

"It's like a vapor trail," Jason said. "Except it's glowing. Really faint, but it's definitely there."

Lorna squinted, only to see nothing. "Are you schizophrenic?"

"Yes," Jason played along. "I've been imagining this quest the whole time. You guys are just a fragment of my imagination."

"And why have you only decided to tell us about the trail now?" Piper asked.

"We've been following it since Chicago, so I figured you saw it." Jason said.

Leo shook his head. "Maybe Festus can sense it. You think Aeolus made it?"

"Well, it's a magic trail in the wind," Jason said. "Aeolus is the wind god. I think he knows we've got prisoners for him. He's telling us where to fly."

"Or it's another trap," Lorna said shakily.

They continued flying for a while, Jason directing them.

𝙵𝙾𝚁 𝚃𝙷𝙴 second time in the quest, the four of them were falling. They spiraled through the dark in a free fall, still on the dragon's back, but Festus's hide was cold. His ruby eyes were dim.

"Not again!" Leo yelled. "You can't fall again!"

Leo managed to pull open the panel on the dragon's neck. He toggled the switches. He tugged the wires.

Lorna saw the lights of a city below them- just flashes in the dark as they plummeted in circles. They had only seconds before they crashed.

"Jason!" Leo screamed. "Take Piper and Lorna and fly out of here!"