Gaea was stopped a decade ago, the monsters now reside in Tartarus, and the surviving heroes of Olympus have begun new generations of demigods. Fifteen year old Yvette Grimes doesn't know anything about this, but she does know something is different...
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"Thisis where the camp is?" I asked in annoyance.
Apollo was right that there was a giant camp a mile from that gas station, but what he didn't mention was that it was located somewhere in Yellowstone. Yes, that national park with the volcano that scientists still don't know when will erupt. The park was desolate, to say the least. I remember hearing something about the snow closing it until it cleared. Judging by the ripped off chain on the brick arch of the entrance, it hadn't been empty for long.
We didn't get a brochure, but I'm sure the giants and their camps aren't part of the attractions.
Gwen picked up the hanging chain lock, rubbing it with her thumb and index finger. "This is a really bad way to keep people out."
"The car entrance wasn't that guarded either, maybe they weren't expecting people to break in? Or the giants already destroyed it?" I was trying to think of any possible explanation that didn't scream 'it's a trap!' but I was falling up short.
"Or, it's a trap," Cash muttered, looking over the the price listings on the sign a few feet over. Ah, he took the words right of my mouth. "Fifty dollars for an annual pass? Who visits this place that much?"
"Come on," Gwen said, stepping over the chain on the floor. "We don't have time to waste, and I want to get out of here before the Winter Solstice."
We walked with caution, dragging our tired legs through the thick snow. Snowflakes came down lightly, resting in our hair and decorating our beanies. It seemed like, maybe my mom was letting this part of the mission be a bit easier for us. The visitor center was barren, thankfully. No sign of any of these giants.
Passing by several signs, we suddenly stopped at a fork in the road. The path was leading us toward two different things. The Biscuit Basin and the Mammoth Hot Springs.
"This place is huge!" I exclaimed. "How are we going to find the wheels in here?"
"Judging by the luck of demigods, they are going to be in the farthest spot in front of the biggest monster." Gwen rubbed her temples, and took a step toward the wooden sign displaying directions throughout the park.
"My legs still hurt from the car ride," Cash said, rubbing his calf. "Can we stop for a second before my legs fall off?"
"Do you think we have time for that?" Gwen snapped. Cash sighed, and took a bottle of water out of his bag.
"We could split up," I offered, running my gloved fingers over the indentations on the wooden sign.
"No," Gwen said, shaking her head. "It's not worth losing one of us. We just need to look for signs that the giants went a certain way."
I nodded. Sometimes it was like Gwen was leading this quest, and not me.
I looked at the path ahead of us. No footprints, which would be obvious. This place was shut down and the snow would have covered even the biggest of foot prints. My hand ran down the bark of a tree; no claw marks, nothing. I was at a complete loss here. We didn't have time to check both routes, and our luck isn't the best. We had a 50% chance of winning and losing.
