𝓑𝓾𝓻𝓷𝓮𝓭 - 𝓛𝓾𝓴𝓮 𝓒𝓪𝓼𝓽𝓮𝓵𝓵𝓪𝓷

𝒆𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕𝒆𝒆𝒏, 𝒃𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒌 𝒉𝒆𝒓

αυяσяα was being haunted. Not haunted spiritually but mentally. As soon as they stepped foot out the camp, all of the memories and horrors of her journey dawned on her once again. It wasn't the obstacles she had to overcome as a god hiking through new york. It was the meaning behind it all.

If she knew this is where she would be now, she would've had a harder time letting go. Aurora had always been cooped up in Mount Olympus with her siblings. Artemis was never there though. She thrived in the wild, it was her nature. Aurora, she trained and trained and trained. Until there was nothing left to be taught. Apollo and Artemis' powers were more simple and easy to manage. Aurora was gifted with the more complicated skills where she had to learn to prefect. Therefore, she never had the time to go out and explore the world below.

She currently trailed behind Luke and Connor, with Woe stuck at her side. Woe and her were a pair, never apart. Why Luke chose her? She still wasn't sure. Aurora was aware of her talent, but by picking her, he basically admitted she was better than him. That was the confusing part. Luke hated her. He hated her pride. He hated that she was right. He hated that she was a better at dueling. He hated how good she was at capture the flag. He especially hated how she was somehow good at everything?

"I've never been out of camp before. I forgot what the outside world is like." Connor admitted while picking up a daffodil he plucked from the grass.

"How long have you been at camp?" Aurora picked up her pace to match the Stoll boy's stride.

"Well i'm 16 now so 5 years I believe." Connor thought out as he tugged at the daffodil stems.

Luke didn't say anything. He was too busy thinking about this quest. Why him? His father abandoned him and then gives him a quest right after he gets to camp. Not to mention the fact that he ran away from home to get here. If the Stoll twins have been here for 5 years and have trained along with more preparations for attacks in mission, why didn't he assign them with the mission? He was beginning to overthink his confidence that he's shown.

One thing he knew was: He had to prove to his father that he capable without him, on his own.

Aurora knew where they were and where they were heading. Who they would face? She didn't want to mess with. A vicious one hundred headed dragon is not something Aurora preferred to encounter on her quest. But she knew this quest was meant for her. She knew a lot about the garden of hesperides and the golden apple it withheld. Hercules succeeded in his mission of retrieving an apple but it was nearly impossible.

Going back to her prophecy, she recited it a million times in her head.

"You shall travel between creation. Disguise as the pawns. Be dishonored by one who understood. Bargain with a thief that interferes. Dabble with a ticking clock. And sustain or rid of the ones you knew."

Aurora knew overthinking it would make it worse. But she couldn't help trying to dicifer it as her brother could interpret and write prophecies.

Connor came to a realization, halting. "Wait if mount tamalpais is in San Francisco, that means we have to travel across the whole country. BY FOOT?!"

"I'm so glad you finally learned some geography stud muffin." Aurora mentally face palmed at the older boy.

"Seriously Aurora. I think I might become paralyzed before we even make it to the next state." Connor wined.

"Stop being so dramatic branch. We are taking the train." Luke decided to join in.

"Ok you two. Enough with the trolls names this is getting out of hands. I'm literally older than both of you." Connor threw a temper tantrum at the pair in defense.

"You're 16? I would have never guessed. Maybe 12?" Aurora enthusiastically followed.

The boy nudged her shoulder and pouted. "I'm just going to stop talking."

They made it past the city, dodging the same sketchy alleys Aurora and Luke passed by on each of their ways there.

Right past the city, there was a smaller train station that was less crowded than the city. Their trains connected all the way to California. The trio planned to take that the whole way there. Aurora was nervous with monsters sensing her since her aura was the strongest as a goddess. Obviously she didn't announce in order to keep her identity hidden.

They all made their way up to the counter, voting three tickets. Owls nearby occupied the silence every once in a while. The darkness of dusk creeped up on them as they loaded themselves onto the platform. They made it into the bus without any interactions yet. Not to jinx it though.

Aurora had a weird feeling similar to the ones she felt while in the underworld, training her travelling abilities. It wasn't the usual gleam feeling when she visited Hades, it was the darker depths hidden within the forbidden place. Eerie feelings would shadow over her shoulders weighing her down at moments of training alone. She knew it would be prone due to the lingering death and spirits that would pass around her. Each time it still irked her and threw her off, feeling paranoid.

Shaking away the feeling, Aurora stepped in, following Luke and Connor walk down the aisle. They approached their room with a bunk and a side bed. It was small but would do for the days they were going to spend on there. They sat down, exhausted from the day they spent walking through New York with the scorching sun beaming down on them.

None of them talked. When Connor wasn't with his twin brother, he didn't yap as much.

A few whistles of the train filled the air, signaling departure. Aurora stared out the window of their bunk room. In the reflection she saw a disoriented looking man.

__________________________________________
a.n.

I haven't edited this story since february. school is awful but i just got back from an ap test and ate the house down so i feel motivated to write.