Ailouros Tales book 1: Lost Relics

Chapter 10~ Carsick

We arrived in Japan late at night and landed in a big parking lot.

I pulled out the list to see if anything had changed. Artemis and Hephestus bow and hammers were crossed off leaving us with five items. Dad's trident, Hermes Caduceus, apollos car, Zeus's master bolt, and Hades helm.

Lightning crackled overhead causing me to wince and glance back longingly at the water.

"Okay, girls the car is in this parking lot. I have to go. The keys are under the front seat. Amaterasu you can drive it. You'll know what to do when you get inside." Apollo said before leaving us. Somehow he took both the pegasi and Shadow with him when he vanished.

It wasn't hard to find the car in the parking lot where it radiated such warmth. I was drawn to the warmth of the car. In the car, I turned to Amaterasu. "Let's stop and sleep for the rest of the night."

"I'm okay. You sleep while I drive us to a different parking lot so we don't attract monsters that may have seen the car here."

Nodding in agreement I remembered how we had fought monster after monster to get here. With a yawn, I curled up in the heated seat and promptly fell asleep.

***

Normally my dreams were fairly peaceful, but not tonight. Tonight it was a nightmare.

I opened my eyes to see Camp Half-Blood burning to the ground. A pitch-black dragon roared shooting hot white fire at campers who were trying to save their home.

Sudden anger surged through me as I charged down the hill and towards the dragon. On my way, I glimpsed Nico, Percy, and Ivy laying injured. Amaterasu and Tyson were thrown back covered in bruises. Changing my necklace to its sword form I screamed out a war cry and charged the dragon.

When the dragon saw me it shot a blast of white lightning racing towards me. Frozen in horror I watched the lightning come towards me. At the last second, I managed to make myself duck out of its way.

Then the dragon shot one at Amaterasu. I couldn't let her have the same fate as my mother so I leaped in front of her and barely managed to deflect the lightning into the stormy sky.

The dragon targeted Percy next. I couldn't reach him in time so I crumpled to the ground as grief for what I wouldn't be able to do washed over me.

When I managed to look at where Percy had been there wasn't a charred body like I thought there would be. I looked around anxiously and saw Amaterasu and Percy off to the side safely.

Relieved to see them okay I turned to the dragon changing into a black leopard with feathery wings. With a pounce, I raced under the dragon digging my claws into the soft scales of its underbelly. In perfect dragon, I snarled, "Never mess with my friends or family."

The dragon glared at me and took flight leaving the camp. Before he reached the boundary it turned to shoot one last blast of lightning fire at its flying target. A flying black leopard.

***

I woke with a start just before the blast would have hit. Relief washed over me as I realized it had all been a dream. Then it hit me that it could potentially be a sign of what was yet to come.

Amaterasu looked at me concern in her pale blue eyes. "Allycat, are you okay?"

"Im fine. It was just a dream." I replied uncertain of who I was trying to persuade.

"Do you want to tell me about it?" She asked gently.

I decided to answer with a question of my own. "How fast are you driving?" my stomach was threatening to make me throw up again and I felt light-headed.

Amaterasu glanced at the speedometer before replying. "About 865 miles per hour. Alley Cat you don't look that good."

Feeling sick I leaned out the window and threw up. Looking down I saw two things, One, we were flying in a car. Two, some little kid staring at his mom who was now covered in my vomit. I took a deep breath and savored the salty air.

"Are you getting carsick?" Amaterasu asked.

"First time of it actu-" I leaned back out the window to throw up again. "How long do you think we will have to drive?" I asked forcing down another wave of vomit.

"An hour or two at most. Look at a far off object that isn't moving too much. It'll help." Amaterasu instructed.

I chose to look up at where the water met the sky which seemed to help a little. Just to say it was probably the worst two hours of my life.