Demigods Discovered ) (Percy Jackson No Mist)

The Mountains

Piper

School dragged on and on. It felt like years before the bell rang, signaling lunch. To make matters worse, all anyone could talk about was the possibility of a demigod amongst them. Theories had spread around the school like the wildfires in Wyoming. Teachers, students, even the janitor. All anyone could agree on was someone in the school was a demigod.

I made my way out to the front hall near my locker and quickly grabbed the essentials: silver nail file, dagger, metal exoskeleton, ambrosía and néctar. Yep good. Percy may tease me about the whole 'daughter of Aphrodite' but I'm not going to let another pack of werewolves get the drop on me.

I walked out of the front doors before doubling around to the back of the school. I jogged the short distance to the woods and sat down on a moss covered rock to wait for Jason. I fiddled with the exoskeleton until I finally positioned it on my back and secured it. Jason had Gym before lunch so it would take him a bit longer to shower and change.

I waited for about five minutes until I heard the sound of footsteps approach. A blond head came around the corner and a smile stretching the scar on his lip.

"You must be excited. You already have the wings on."

I stuck my tongue out at him in a childish manner. " Haha, very funny. It's not my fault you take forever. I'm bored and I need some action. ADHD remember?"

"I know Pipes. Let's get going before the sun sets."

I grinned. I lifted my arm and pushed a small button of my wrist. The exoskeleton hardened and expanded, layering on silver coats of metal. Soon, I was encased from the forefingers to my back in a metal suit. Metal feathers soon jutted out from the back and the machine stilled. "Ready when you are, Sparky."

Jasón lifted off the ground and shot toward the tree tops. He hovered over them before giving me the all clear. You could never be to careful with mortals.

I jumped up like a kangaroo and thrust my arms together like I was playing the cymbals. It might look weird to anyone else, but it was the most effective way to get, and stay, in the air. I flew up to Jason and we turned North. We traveled deeper into the mountains with Jason scanning for the magical signature. The trees streamed beneath us, greens and browns of every color. More than once we passed over a monster or dryad, but we were to high for them to see us.

We followed a long river that lean us to a small, barren valley between two mountain peaks. We landed and I deactivated the suit. "Are you sure this is the place?"

Jason looked around before nodding. "Yeah. Whatever magical person or thing should be right here." I put exoskeleton down. Jason then started walking the perimeter of the valley and I followed his example. The air was bitter and there was no sounds of life. No birds sang, no rustle in the bushes, even the river to the south didn't babble. It was as if all life was gone.

After ten minutes we had successfully circled the entire valley with no sign of life. "What now. Do we go back or keep searching."

"I don't really know, Hecate could be here or something that could lead us to her. We just need to-"

He was cut off by a cold cruel laugh. "You children go in search of the great Hecate. It laughable. I should kill you for even attempting to disturb my mistress." The sound bounced off every tree and blade of grass. Everywhere, yet no where at all.

Jason and I looked at each other before drawing our weapons. Jason his Gladius and me Katoptris. "What do you want?" I scanned the woods for any movement, but saw none.

The laugh sounded again, except this time it had a body. A short women with a long brown cloak and hood that covered all her features stepped out of the woods. "Why, this my dear you should already know. I want to kill you."