The other Grace/HoO fanfiction

(19) Mount Diablo

"Far as I can go," The cab driver they had hired said. "You sure about this? Gonna be a long walk back, and my car's acting funny. I can't wait for you."

He was telling the truth. The closer they got to mount Diablo, the slower the cab went. It also made weird noises. It must have been Gaia messing with them.

Layla was half-expecting someone of her friends to say 'No, we were kidding. Could you please take us back to the city.' But this quest had to be done.

"We're sure." Leo replied on behalf of all of them. When they stepped out of the cab Layla noticed that the wheels of the vehicle were sinking slowly as if the road was made of quicksand. One of the many thing Gaia could do.

Unfortunately for them, their shoes were sinking too. They would have to move constantly, unless they wanted to be stuck there forever.

"Keep the charge. And get out of here. Quick." Leo said as he paid the driver a generous amount of money. The driver had gotten himself in so much danger by driving them there and this was Afrodite's money, so why not?

Layla looked below as the cab disappeared in distance. The view from up there was amazing. The daughter of Zeus looked at the little houses of the nearby towns. She found herself wondering how would life be like if she wasn't a demigod. If she was just a normal teen that lived with her family in a house like this unaware of the fact that the end of the world was approaching.

Jason voice interrupted her thoughts. "That's Concord. Walnut Creek is below us. To the south, Danville, past those hills. And that way-" He pointed a ridge of golden hills completely hidden by a thick layer of fog. "-that's the Berkley Hills. The East Bay. Past that, San Fransisco."

"Jason?" Piper eyes lit up. "You remember something? You've been there?"

"Yes... no." He said. "It just seemed important."

"That's Titans land." Layla remembered. "Bad place, Jason. Trust me, this is as close to Frisco as we want to get." Jason just stared at the place she had pointed at. He looked as if he recognized the place.

The way he looked towards the Titan land made Layla wonder who he was before he lost his memory. What if he wasn't a friend? What if he suddenly remembered everything and realized that he actually hated them?

She waved the thoughts aside. Jason wasn't like that. He was their friend. Her brother. She trusted him. Still, the gleam in his eyes was starting go creepy her out.

"Hey, guys." Leo said. "Let's keep moving." Only then did Layla realize that her foot up to her knee was completely buried in the ground.

"Gaia is stronger here." Jason said. "We have to move while we still can."

"How do we know where the giant is?" Piper asked him.

"Smoke equals fire. We have to follow the smell." Layla said. "But we'd better hurry. We don't have much time."

Until that day, Layla had considered herself to be in shape. However, hiking presented so much a challenge to her that she began to doubt it.

The jeans Afrodite had given her wasn't the best for the situation, pretty but not at all practical. Still, Layla felt grateful she wore that and not Leo's pinstripes trousers. They weren't yet halfway up the mountain and he was already sweating like crazy.

Finally, after what seemed years of climbing Jason, who was first, crouched behind a rock. He had seen something. Layla, Piper and Leo followed his example.

"Oh gods." Leo whispered to Piper. "My shirt got dirty, your mother's gonna be so pissed."

"Shut up!" Piper warned him.