Daughter of Wine

Frank

The Greek landscape below is inhospitable. The hills are strewn with boulders and stunted cedars, all shimmering in the hazy air. The sun beats down as if trying to hammer the countryside into a Celestial bronze shield. Even from a hundred feet up, I can hear the drone of cicadas buzzing in the trees. It's a sleepy, otherworldly sound that makes my eyes heavy. Even the dueling voices of the war gods inside my head seem to have dozed off. They've hardly bothered me at all since we crossed into Greece. 

Sweat trickles down my neck. After being frozen below deck by that crazy snow goddess, I thought I'd never feel warm again: but now the back of my shirt is soaked. 

"Hot and steamy!" Leo grins at the helm. "Feel familiar, Calli?" Leo elbows her, and her face reddens. She smacks his shoulder. 

I'm confused for a moment, before I remember Calli is from Miami. I'm sure she's an expert on hot and steamy weather. Why that would embarrass her, I have no idea. I'm glad she's doing better now, though. She had seemed a little iffy when we were sitting with Leo in Malta, but whatever it is that was bothering her, she seems to have worked it out. She finally looks like her usual self again. Happy, carefree, and full of life. It's been a while since I've seen her like that, but it fills me with a sense of hope. Seeing her and Leo manning the helm together again, it almost feels like we're not about to go into the House of Hades and close the Doors of Death. It just feels like another day on the Argo II.

"Makes me homesick for Houston!" Leo announces. "What do you say, Hazel? All we need now are some giant mosquitos, and it'll feel just like the Gulf Coast!"

"Thanks a lot, Leo." Hazel grumbles. "We'll probably get attacked by Ancient Greek mosquito monsters now."

"There!" Nico's voice rings out. As usual, he's perched atop the foremast. He points toward a glittering green river snaking through the hills a kilometer away. "Maneuver that way. We're close to the temple. Very close."

As if to prove his point, black lightning rips through the sky, leaving dark spots before my eyes and making the hairs on my arms stand up. 

Calli moves to stand in front of the helm, on the quarterdeck, where everyone can see her. She's changed out of the work clothes she's been wearing for the past few days, and is now donning a cherry-red silk tank top with black leather pants, which suits her very well, and looks both fashionable and intimidating. Her posture has corrected itself back to her usual confident stance, and her eyes glimmer mischievously. She's feeling like a leader again. "Everyone arm yourselves. Leo, get us close, but don't land. No more contact with the ground than necessary. Piper, Hazel, get the mooring ropes."

"On it!" Piper says. 

Hazel gives me a peck on the cheek and runs to help. 

"Frank!" Calli calls. "Get belowdeck and find Coach Hedge." 

"Yep!" 

I climb downstairs and head for Hedge's cabin. As I near the door, I slow down. I don't want to surprise the satyr with any loud noises. Coach Hedge has a habit of jumping into the gangway with his baseball bat if he thinks attackers are on board. I've almost gotten my head taken off a couple of times on my way to the bathroom.

I raise my hand to knock. Then I realize the door is cracked open. I hear Coach Hedge talking inside.

"Come on, babe!" the satyr says. "You know it's not like that!"

I freeze. I don't mean to eavesdrop, but I'm not sure what to do. Hazel mentioned being worried about the coach. She insisted something was bothering him, but I hadn't thought much of it until now.

I've never heard the coach talk so gently. Usually the only sounds I hear from the coach's cabin are sporting events on the TV, or the coach yelling, "Yeah! Get 'em!" as he watched his favorite martial arts movies.

I'm pretty sure the coach wouldn't be calling Chuck Norris babe.