Cassandra's Curse

{20} SECRET TUNNEL

*Hypnotist voice* "there's no war in Ba Seng Se."

...

I've been watching a lot of avatar lately?

*Extremely creepy unnaturally massive grin* "I'm Ju Di, I'll be your host as long as you're in our wonderful city."

Fucking creepy, guys. 

READ ON

***

"So what you're saying is, you need a way into Hephaestus' forge."

"Yes."

"To try and find this guy, who is a son of Ares, who is your dad."

"Pretty much."

"And your mum is also Aphrodite, you're basically three parts god, and you're travelling with the son of the guy that's your natural enemy."

"She never said she had any connection to Athena-"

Thwack, "OW! Cassie, what was that for?" Zianna rubbed her arm.

"For insinuating that I'm stupid."

She rubbed her arm, muttering to herself under her breath, "What does 'insinuate' mean..."

"Anyway, you need a way into the volcano right?" Nico shook his head at us, and then turned to Leo, "I can get you both in, my dad is the god of the underworld."

"Hang on a second," turning away from Zianna, I joined the conversation, "Your dad is Hades?" Raising my eyebrows at Leo, "Do you think he's 'The Living Death'?" 

"Probably,"

"C'mon, let's quit yackin' and get going- I want to go back to my home river." 

Nico cocked his head to the side, "You're a naiad?"

Zi giggled, "What, did you think I was a fish?"

"No I thought you were a half-blood." 

"We all make mistakes," She reached up and patted Bob on the head to shush the impatient screeching noises.

"So we're going underground?" I motioned around us, "Lead the way." 

We start walking away from the beach, slightly up hill and brushing bugs and leaves out of our way as we went. 

"So why haven't I heard of this tunnel?" Leo, pulling me along behind him and me pulling Bob along by the tail as he tries to fly backwards towards Zianna who's brining up the rear.

"Well, technically it used to be part of Daedalus' Labyrinth. A lot of the structure collapsed, but the part near the forge didn't cave in because it's partially protected by Hephaestus." Nico explained, holding up a branch and letting the rest of us through. 

"Oh..." 

 It's a good thing that I brought my backpack; otherwise we'd have been walking for hours with no food or water. And as a girl who has been on many a hike in my day, I know you have to keep your water up and your energy up otherwise you could drop like a mannequin in this heat.

A girl scout is always prepared.

Not that I'm a girl scout, I've never even sold cookies. 

As it was, I had two one and a half litre bottles full of water, I made sure Zianna carried one -as a naiad she needed a lot more water than we did- and Leo carried the other. Passing it in between us when someone got thirsty.