ᴾʰᵒᵇᵒᵖʰᵒᵇⁱᵃ [ᴶᵃˢᵒⁿ ᴳʳᵃᶜᵉ]

Λ.

Λ. Frigophobia - fear of the cold

Aza was surprised when Piper shook her shoulder gently, ripping from her half-asleep state. She shook gently, russet eyes dull as she tried to awaken. Her arm twitched, heading to the knife concealed in her belt, but she was able to prevent her instincts before she seriously injured any of her friends. Below them, a city was nestled on a cliff overlooking a long and winding river. Around it, the plains were dusted with snow, but the city seemed to be an epicenter of warmth - it glowed a magnificent orange in the setting sun. Buildings crowded inside a tall wall like a medieval town - in the center was a castle, or what Aza thought was a castle, at least. It was made of massive brick walls and square towers with a peaked, gabled roof.

"Tell me that's Quebec and not Santa's workshop," Leo said. Aza chuckled lightly and rolled her russet eyes. "Relax, Valdez, you're not exactly home yet." The joke seemed to go way over Leo's head, because whilst Piper and Jason stifled laughter, he just looked extremely confused on top of his sleep-deprived state.

"Yeah, it's Quebec City," Piper said once her giggles had subsided. "One of the oldest cities in North America. Founded around sixteen hundred or so?"

Leo raised an eyebrow. "Your dad do a movie about that, too?" Piper made a face at him, but Aza surmised that the effect was useless due to her glamorous makeup - instead, she looked like a beauty queen trying and failing to look ugly. "I read sometimes, okay? Just because Aphrodite claimed me, doesn't mean I have to be an airhead!"

"Feisty!" Leo exclaimed, chuckling lightly. "So you know so much, what's that castle?"

"A hotel," Piper hesitated, her eyes squinting as she looked at at the castle. "I think." Leo laughed as if it were the funniest thing he had ever heard and said, "No way."

Yes, way, Aza decided as they got closer - the grand entrance was bustling with doormen and valets, patrons bustling in and out with luggage. Sleek black luxury cars idled in the drive, and people in elegant suits and gowns and winter cloaks hurried into the hotel, eager to get out of the cold - it was clearly a hotel for the elegant and wealthy. "The North Wind is starting in a hotel? That can't be—"

"Heads up!" Jason suddenly shouted, pointing below the dragon. "We got company!"

Aza followed his finger and saw what he meant - rising from the top of the highest tower were two winged figures that she mistook for angels momentarily, then she realized that they looked pretty miffed, and they held two nasty looking swords. Aza quickly moved to run her index finger over the inscription of her bronze bracelet, which would instantly turned into her own rather nasty looking sword. From behind her, Piper grabbed her wrist and shook her head, mouthing 'Not yet'. Aza grumbled, but complied as Festus swooped to a halt midair, wings beating violently and talons bared as he prepared to protect his four riders. He opened his mouth and a deep rumbling noise emerged as he prepared to roast the angelic figures alive.

"Woah, Leo," Aza exclaimed, looking urgently to the boy. "tell your dragon to calm down." She had a feeling the angels wouldn't love being roasted alive, and would most likely enact her revenge.

"Steady, boy," Leo hushed rubbing Festus' metallic scales soothingly. Festus made a grumbling noise, like a child complaining about not being given a toy, but the dragon closed his mouth.

"I don't like this," Jason said, blonde brows furrowing deeply. "They look like storm spirits." Aza shook her head, turning around to respond, "They're not anemoi. I just can't tell - oh, crap."

As Aza looked closer, she realized what - or more accurately, who - the two angels were. They were far more solid than venti; not completely, but they were almost completely opaque. They almost looked like regular teenagers, were it not for the lilac wings that erupted from between their shoulder blades and beat steadily, keeping them high in the air. Their hair was a pure, icy white that shone blindingly even in the dim lighting, and they held jagged bronze swords that looked like they could cut through solid metal. The two shared the same features - a sharp, nose, bright crystalline eyes and rounded cheeks that appeared puffed out, almost like a chipmunks - they were brother, but most certainly not twins.