plague bringer - a heroes of olympus insert

𝗑𝗏. 𝗀𝗂𝗋𝗅𝗌' 𝗍𝗋𝗂𝗉!

Aria woke up the next morning feeling kind of out of it. She no longer felt like she wanted to cry in her cabin for the next few hours, but she still wasn't feeling entirely right. As she ran to take a shower and threw on a cute outfit, she tried to shake off the negative feelings. She knew that she wasn't going to be fine until this whole threat was over, but she couldn't afford to have her friends worrying about her instead of the quest. She pasted a smile on her face and started to head over to the rest of her friends.

Leo had docked the ship at a pier in Charleston Harbor, right next to the seawall. Along the shore was a historical district with tall mansions, palm trees, and wrought-iron fences. Antique cannons pointed at the water.

By the time Aria came up on deck, Jason, Frank, and Leo had already left for the museum. According to Coach Hedge, they'd promised to be back by sunset. Piper and Hazel were ready to go and Annabeth was talking to Percy for a little bit before they left.

She walked over to the two girls, who were sending her matching looks of concern. Aria could definitely understand why, but their expressions were making her a little bit uneasy. Like if they looked too hard they could figure out what was bothering her.

"Are you alright, Aria?" Hazel asked.

"Yeah, don't worry about me," Aria smiled, but she knew it didn't quite reach her eyes. "I know I was a little bit upset yesterday, but I'm doing fine now."

"Are you sure?" Hazel continued. "Whatever the whole Gaea thing is, we can help you. You don't have to shoulder it alone."

Aria paused as Piper chimed in. "I know you don't like to bother people with the things that are bothering you, but we don't mind. We're your friends, and that goes for everyone on the ship. You're stuck with us whether you like it or not."

Aria felt her eyes starting to water again. Dang friends showing they cared about her, making her want to cry. She gave a watery smile, "Thanks guys. I promise I'll talk about it, it's just..." She glanced to the side, mind swimming with the threat Gaea was posing to her personally, "this is one of those stories I'd prefer to just tell once if I can help it."

Hazel and Piper nodded as Piper gave her a side hug. "I'll hold you to it," the taller girl replied with a small smile. The group was ripped from their discussion by Annabeth turning around, ready to go on their quest. "Okay, ladies. Let's find the ghost of the Battery."

They left and Aria was enjoying hanging out with the other girls. At first, they had a pretty good time walking along the Battery. According to the signs, the seaside park was called White Point Gardens. The ocean breeze swept away the muggy heat of the summer afternoon, and it was pleasantly cool under the shade of the palmetto trees. Lining the road were old Civil War cannons and bronze statues of historical figures. Aria wasn't a huge history buff by any means, but she could appreciate the amount of history that was present around them.

Charleston Harbor glittered in the sun. To the north and south, strips of land stretched out like arms enclosing the bay, and sitting in the mouth of the harbor, about a mile out, was an island with a stone fort. She turned to see Annabeth staring out towards the ocean, seeming lost in thought. Aria gave her a small nudge as the group turned away from the seawall and sent her a small smile. Annabeth returned it before they explored the inland side of the gardens.

The park wasn't crowded. Aria imagined that most of the locals had gone on summer vacation, or were holed up at home taking a siesta. They strolled along South Battery Street, which was lined with four-story Colonial mansions. The brick walls were blanketed with ivy. The facades had soaring white columns like Roman temples. The front gardens were bursting with rosebushes, honeysuckle, and flowering bougainvillea. Aria was staring at the place with awe, appreciating the beautiful scenery.