the great wave | percy jackson

𝑥𝑖𝑖 - asphodel

After a nauseating high-speed chase through the skies, Festus landed in a park by the lake, a field of ice, snow, and salted walkways that crunched under their feet as they hopped off, shivering both from the cold and the spooky sleeping lady they'd seen in Crown Fountain earlier. Nevertheless, that very fountain was their next destination, as they'd seen several storm spirits go down its drain, when they'd finally torn their eyes away from Old Porta Potty Face, that is.

Ash was sad to see Festus go, but he needed to fly out of there before they got a major parking ticket. Piper, however, had other issues with their ride abandoning them. She took one step on that injured ankle of hers and nearly fell and broke it all over again.

"Ah!" Piper winced, but the grimace on her face quickly turned to an expression of shock as Ash promptly swooped her up into her arms, accepting Jason's windbreaker to drape over the girl as they began trudging through the snow.

Getting over her surprise and slight embarrassment at having to be carried around like a baby, Piper laughed and wrapped her arms around the daughter of Thanatos' neck. "What is with you and carrying people around, Ash? What are you, Prince Charming?"

Ash started, looking down at Piper with wide golden eyes. Percy had called her that once, Prince Charming, after falling 600 feet from the top of the Gateway Arch. The memory made her smile a little and bring her new friend closer into her body. "Anything for my princess," she winked, ignoring the twinge in her heart, and thankfully Piper's musical laugh made that just a little easier.

"Let's get out of the wind," Jason suggested, eyeing Piper worriedly.

"Down a drain?" the girl shuddered. "Sounds cozy."

"Maybe we'll meet the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles!" Ash said optimistically.

And so they wrapped themselves up as best as they could, clambering their way into the icy, evil-ass fountain, descending beneath the maintenance hatch into the sewer below.

₪₪₪

"Are all sewers this nice?" Piper wondered as they flicked their flashlights on. Surprisingly enough, they'd landed in a warm, dry brickwork tunnel, with only minimal scary sounds, smells, and/or pools of liquid.

"Nah," Leo and Ash said at the same time, the boy following up with a "Trust me."

Jason frowned. "How do you know–"

"Hey, man, I ran away six times. I've slept in some weird places, okay?" Leo huffed and Ash just shrugged, sweeping her flashlight left and right along the floor checking for rats (hey, she was a New York girl through and through). "Now," the son of Hephaestus continued, "which way?"

Jason tilted his head like a dog and then pointed south. "That way."

"How can you be sure?" Piper asked.

"There's a draft blowing south," he answered. "Maybe the venti went with the flow."

Ash shrugged again. Wasn't much of a lead, but she usually went with the flow anyways. And so they marched on.

₪₪₪

Eventually, they decided to set up camp and rest. Jason and Piper sat on a nearby ledge, talking quietly, while Ash leaned back against the wall next to Leo, one leg bent and the other extended in front of her. Leo started a fire and began pulling ingredients out of his tool belt.

"Damn flame brain, that tool belt really does everything, huh?"

Leo snorted. "Everything except a badass magical sword, apparently." He looked pointedly at the ring on Ash's finger.