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"WHY DOES everything smell like cough drops?" Percy asked.
"Eucalyptus." Zoë pointed to the trees surrounding them.
Kalani twitched in her seat, observing the incoming traffic around them. "I hate traffic," she complained. "Why can't I just get out of the car and clear the way for us with my good old fashioned axe?"
"'Cause then you'd look like a hulking madwoman," answered Thalia with a shrug.
"And that would most likely slow us down even further, which we cannot afford if we are to get to the Hesperides Garden before sunset," added Zoë from behind the wheel. "We are already running late. We cannot add any more unpredictabilities to the mix. Such as this horrible traffic!" She glared at the cars in front of her.
Kalani slinked to the front, and before Zoë could say anything, the girl was repeatedly smashing the horn. A few drivers ahead of them faintly yelled something in annoyance. "C'mon, show a little road rage, princess," she told Zoë with a wide grin.
Zoë swatted Kalani's hand away. "Stop honking the horn. It will only draw more attention to us."
"That's the point," Kalani shot back, but reluctantly lowered herself in the back again. She squinted ahead at the steep mountain looming into the sky. Compared to some of the other mountains, Mount Tamalpais wasn't big at all. Kalani knew there were much bigger ones, like Kīlauea. Which was technically a volcano but it was wayyy higher up than this tiny peak. It was a pretty big tourist attraction in Hawai'i, though Kalani hadn't ever actually seen it for herself. They considered it a normal part of their nature there.
"So that's the Mountain of Despair?" Percy questioned.
"Yes," said Zoë tightly.
"Doesn't look despair-y enough to be called that," commented Kalani, unimpressed.
"Why do they call it that?"
Zoë was quiet for an entire minute until she finally responded, "After the war between the Titans and the gods, many of the Titans were captured and imprisoned. Kronos was sliced to pieces and thrown in Tartarus. Kronos's right hand man, the general of his forces—"
"Wait, The General?" Kalani cut in, wide eyed. "Like the same general that—"
"Yes, the very same," Zoë said, seeming annoyed at having been interrupted. "Anyways, he was imprisoned too, up there, on that summit, just beyond the Garden of Hesperides."
"The General," repeated Percy. "So what's going on up there? A storm?" He pointed towards the mass of dark clouds that were swirling around dangerously at the peak of the mountain. Despite the rest of the mountain being fairly unimpressive, Kalani had to admit that was intimidating to look at.
Zoë didn't answer, which piqued Kalani's curiosity. She realized whatever was up there was something truly evil.
"We have to concentrate," Thalia said. "The Mist is really strong up here."
