Daughter of Wine

Callida

After I'm over the fence, I hear yelling from the warehouse. I turn and see the three cyclopes have already reformed. It sends chills down my spine. Worst part is, I lost my backpack. I have no money, extra clothes, or, worst of all, I don't have my iPhone with all my music.

This trek through the woods is a lot less fun. It's littered in trash, and I have no music to keep me distracted from the smells and sounds.

I have to find a way to Chicago for free now. Today makes three days until the solstice, and the sun is starting to set. I sit down on a log. I want to cry. This whole quest has been a massive failure. I've been a massive failure. How am I supposed to get anywhere without my stuff? I can't even call camp because my drachmas were in my backpack. 

I want to give up, but that's not me. I force myself back up. I'm a demigod. I'm on a quest. And I can't let my dad down. He trusted me with this quest. He believes in me. And if something big is coming and the gods need Hera, I'm going to return her. I march on.

Once I'm in the city, I find it's pretty easy to get a ride. I just have to steal a car.

I've never stolen a car, sure, but, let's say the driver goes nuts for a day or two. They end up in the hospital, and they can't search for their car. Boom! Problem solved.

It's a four and a half hour drive to Chicago. I make sure to steal a high gas mileage car from a gas station. One that's filled up on gas. It should be just enough to get me there, if there's no traffic. I've also never driven a car. But, I drove a crane. A car should be a piece of cake.

It's not. I very dodgily drive the car out of the gas station. I make sure to keep speed limits, but people drive like maniacs here. I mean, gods. I feel like it's everyone's first time driving. Somehow, I make it onto the highway, which is ridiculously easier to drive on. And I'm on the road again. I watch the sun setting ahead of me as I make my way. Tomorrow will be three days until the solstice. And I still haven't even found the storm spirits. I feel like a massive failure. There's no way I make it in time. I mean, what if Aeolus is on the other side of the country? I can't steal cars all the way there. And I still haven't faced this woman that is sure to kill me.

I'm suddenly struck with an enormous feeling of loneliness. I turn on the radio, but it doesn't help much. I've never gone this much time alone. I live at Camp Half-Blood. I'm always surrounded by other campers, Chiron, my dad, my siblings. Even before then, I was with my mom. Now, it's been three days, and I'm dying to see my friends. I'm dying to see another demigod, honestly.

I pull into the City of Chicago late at night. Or, early morning, depending how you look at it. My eyes are so heavy. I find a parking spot in some lot and lean the seat back. I close my eyes, but keep thinking about my friends.

I miss Annabeth the most. She's so different from me. Outside of this quest, when everything isn't riding on me alone, I tend to be a little... aloof. I don't really take things seriously. It's always just been fun and games at camp. Even capture the flag. If my team loses, I don't mind. It's a game. Sword fighting is dangerous, yeah, but we're not fighting to the death. If I lose, it's whatever. Annabeth, on the other hand, is so serious. We keep each other in check. She makes sure that I don't goof off too much, and I make sure she loosens up. Now, I feel like I need someone to loosen me up.

I notice my knuckles are white on the armrests. I try and relax my grip. I'm not used to having this much pressure on me. 

I miss Percy, too. I'm worried about him. He went missing a week or two before I left. Nowhere to be found. Unreachable. Annabeth has been going nuts. I love Percy. He goofs off with me. He taught me to control water better. I miss Chiron too, with his stern looks. He's taught me so much. He made me a better fighter, a better student, and through that, I learned how to speak multiple languages, I learned how to get better at all the things I wanted to at camp. I miss my dad, too. He's kind of awful to the other demigods, but I think he likes me. He told me once that I remind him of himself. To most, that wouldn't seem like a compliment, but I think my dad is good deep down. I've heard him make jokes on occasion, offering me a glimpse into what he used to be like before Zeus punished him with his stay at Camp Half-Blood.

Oh gods, I miss Camp Half-Blood. I miss the smell of the strawberry fields, and the sounds of the Apollo kids playing basketball, and the dinners. I miss dinners so bad. My stomach rumbles again. I still haven't eaten since those grapes in the warehouse. I miss the sounds of the monsters in the woods, and the threat of a giant metal dragon coming out of the wood to roast us. I miss the campfire, and the songs, and the chariot races. I love the chariot races. After I learned how to work in the Hephaestus forges, I souped up our chariot big-time. We've even been winning a few races every now and then.

I drift off to sleep again.

This time, I don't dream of queen dirt-face. I dream of a large, empty courtyard. There's a reflecting pool of sorts in the middle, with two spires on either side. The smaller one has a figure inside, and the larger one looks like it could be forming a figure.

"Callida." The figure in the spire speaks to me. I climb into the reflecting pool and make my way over. It's a woman, shrouded by a black hood. But I know who it is.

"Hera."

"Yes." She looks up at me and smiles weakly. "You are doing well. Me, not so much."

"Yeah, I can see that." I note. She looks weak. The cage she is in seems to be draining her of her power.

"I wanted to show you what awaits you." She nods to the other spire. "That there is Porphyrion, king of the giants."

I frown. "That's a giant rock."

She sighs. "He is being born."

"Oh." I look at the spire again, If I look closely, I can make out a humanoid figure. "Gross."

"Yes, gross." She inspects me closely. "You approach your destiny quickly."

"What do you mean?" I ask her.

"The Great Prophecy has begun." She tells me.

I stumble backwards. "Wait, what? The one that Rachel spouted?"

She nods solemnly.

"Oh, gods." I mutter. "Eight half-bloods shall answer the call." I remember. "I'm one of them?"

She gives me an almost apologetic look. "Yes, Callida."

i can't help but laugh. "I'm a child of Dionysus. I'm not a great hero. I make wine."

"You can do so much more than that." She insists. "You know that. You have made it further than most demigods would have already."

"But I don't want to be part of the Great Prophecy." I tell her. I know I sound like a whiny kid, but I don't care.

She shakes her head. "That is not for you to decide. That was decided for you many years ago. You are bound to these other seven demigods in ways you cannot yet understand."

"But why?"

"Because fate has decreed it." She looks back at the statue. "And I'm afraid, you shall bear a great responsibility."

"What do you mean?"

"You will know when the time comes." She looks back at me. "Your fate awaits you. But first, please, come rescue me."

"I'm trying." I admit. "I really am."

She smiles. "Your help arrives tomorrow. As does your fate."

"My fate arrives tomorrow? Should I be expecting a package?"

She purses her lips. "I'm being serious, Calli. I have been planning for this for many years. I have been watching you since you were a baby, as I have with the others. I know what you are capable of. You cannot fail. The fate of the world depends on it."

"Okay." I exhale. "No pressure."

"You, Callida, are going to be integral. You must know it. I cannot emphasize it enough. When the Greeks meet the others, you need to be ready. You need to be prepared to do what you know is right, despite what your heart tells you."

"The others?"I ask. "Like, on Lost?"

She ignores my question. "Your road ahead is difficult. But the ones you meet tomorrow, they will be your support. You can trust them."

"Hera." I insist. "Please, tell me what's going on. Who am I meeting tomorrow?"

She smiles, as if she has some dirty secret on me. "Your fate."