~ ☼ ~
It took us around a half hour to reach the National Mall.
Even by the time we left Union Station, I was exhausted. My confusion over my powers, frustration over the situation, and fear of what would attack us next combined with the burning in my legs and lungs made a perfect misery cocktail. To make it even worse, it couldn't have been less than 90-something degrees out, and with the humidity of the Chesapeake bay, it felt like 100°. Sweat drenched my skin like a wet blanket, and I was sure I was getting a nasty sunburn under my eyes.
Alec, Riley, and I had been bouncing ideas off of each other for nearly 20 minutes, but to be honest, I don't think any of us knew what to do. Dusk had now fallen, we had nowhere to go, and the only money in our possession was the 5 dollar bill Alec had given me earlier for food - which I never even got any food out of!
I was still holding that ivory violin the Muses had given me, which I couldn't bare to part with, but I'd already seen a few buskers get yelled at by security guards, so playing for money was out of the question. All we could do was just keep walking.
We'd passed the Capitol Building and 2 or 3 museums, but we were getting nowhere. All that laid at the end of the mall was the Lincoln Memorial, and as nice as I bet Honest Abe was, I don't think a large marble statue would've been able to help us. There was no such thing as a demigod embassy, and it turned out there wasn't a big hitch-hiking scene in our nation's capital. Completely, utterly, basically: we were stranded.
And without food, water, or rest, I was getting salty.
"This is pointless." I kicked the sidewalk, which only made my toes hurt. "We should've never left camp."
Alec, who had been whistling God Bless The U.S.A. on loop for the past 7 minutes, stopped and said, "To be fair, you were the one who said yes to Apollo's offer first." He gave me a smug look, his tan skin glowing in the remaining sunlight.
He was right. In response, I just crossed my arms and hmph'd. Maybe I would've retorted with some smart comeback, but then Riley stopped right in the middle of the sidewalk, forcing Alec and I to pause as well. Her eyes were on a building to our right, across the street, one of the many museums that had closed hours ago.
Nudging us in the arms, she hissed, "Guys, do you see that?"
I followed her gaze, and saw nothing out of the ordinary. The museum was large and stony, plain as can be with architecture straight out of the 1960s. Down in front of its main steps, a man with a bright yellow food cart was peddling falafel and gyros. The heavenly scent of meat and spices wafted through the summer air, and I sighed. "Food."
"What?" Riley gave me a strange look. "No, past that. On the roof."
Dramatically, I groaned. Then, I tilted my head up, and saw exactly what my sister was pointing to: two bright gold creatures, crawling around like drunk bar patrons at 2 a.m. They almost looked like snakes, except with large wings sprouting out of their backs that glinted when the sunlight caught on their scales.
My heart skipped a beat, and slowly, I said, "Are those what I think they are?"
"They're dragons," Alec answered, confirming my suspicions, "Actual, real dragons. Holy Hades."
"Great! We've left ancient Greece and ended up in Middle Earth!"
I threw my hands up, and Riley frowned. Lifting a bronze hand up to block out the light of our father's chariot, she peered closer, and after a moment, gasped. "I think they're looking for a way in."
Just as she suspected, the dragons leaped into the air and flitted down to the ground, landing beside the main doors. No passerby were paying the creatures any attention, even as entrance to the museum opened to welcome them. Apparently, some employee had forgotten to lock up.
"Oh my Gods," Alec breathed, "What if there are still security guards in there? Or even tourists?"
My skin went cold as I realized what he was implying. If these dragons were malicious, and there were people in there, then they were screwed. Looks like Night at the Museum wasn't just some upcoming movie.
I knew what my siblings were going to say before they said it. They were going to drag me in there, and we'd have to fight the monsters with what little energy we have left, dooming us to near-fainting levels of fatigue in the name of protecting the innocent.
As if on cue, Riley suddenly exclaimed, "We have to go make sure, or at least kill the dragons. We can't have some monsters terrorizing the Smithsonian. Think of the tourists!"
A scowl formed on my face, perfectly in sync with the rumbling of my stomach. "Have either of you actually fought dragons before? Wouldn't this be a suicide mission, a waste of br-"
Before I could finish my ultimately selfish excuses, Riley grabbed my wrist and started pulling me across the street, Alec following right behind. We passed the falafel truck, and I jerked my hand away to reach for a kabob, but then Alec groaned, "Escapee, c'mon!"
Yeah, c'mon, A.J., you run away from everything, the rational half of me told myself as I was forced away from the middle eastern cuisine. Sometimes you have to fight, even if you're tired.
The other half of me shouted frustratedly, But I'm not just tired, I'm hungry, too!
It was futile. Within a moment or two, we left the heat of the June evening behind and stepped into the museum. In here, the air was cool and dry, a small relief for a complaint that was only one of many. Even as I took a deep breath and savored the cold in my throat, my stomach continued to lurch.
We were standing in a completely empty lobby. With its high ceilings and lights turned off, the place almost felt abandoned. There was a gift store to our right and a welcoming center to our left, each with grates pulled down over their entryways. Directly across from us was a staircase down, and beyond that, a large wall decorated with a metal sculpture of the American flag.
But our eyes were on the dragons; I could see their tails bobbing as they sneaked down the stairs, eventually disappearing under the floor.
"They're going downstairs," Riley whispered, as though we couldn't already see that.
"Do we even know what museum this is?"
Alec chuckled, and gestured to the flag on the wall. "Based on that display, I'd say this is the National Museum of American History."
I huffed. The least we could do was be fighting in a cool museum, like Air and Space. Somehow, those spectacularly shiny reptiles had chosen perhaps the most boring one. I'm sure my outdoors-y, history obsessed, vaguely redneck father would be proud.
Then I remembered - Thomas Hood is not my real father. My stomach soured even more.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw my siblings wandering to the stairs, hands gripped tightly around their weapons. My own hand fell to Liakada, and a rush of warmth and fluid adrenaline bolted through my veins.
Maybe the sword was enchanted to give its owner a shot of mental energy, in order to strengthen them for battle. All it succeeded in doing for me was heightening my sense of hunger.
"AJ!" Alec hissed from the stairs, "C'mon!"
With feet like lead, I dragged myself over to him and reluctantly followed he and Riley to the lower level. Down here was another large atrium, and just ahead, I could see a flash of gold as the dragons turned into an exhibit.
Riley paused and shivered violently, her eyes widening. "There's something powerful down here. Something either godly or primeval or somewhere in between."
Warily, Alec glanced at me. I glared back. This is why we don't go into random museums to fight random monsters!
I had no idea who or what the source of Riley's psychic gut feeling was, but we were all about to find out.
Slowly, we crept to the wing the dragons had invaded. Large letters above the entryway said HISTORY OF AGRICULTURE, and right inside was a giant, red, old-fashioned tractor.
Beyond that, the wing was dim and eerily quiet. As we continued, I could just make out the shadows of rusty hoes and crumbling old plows. It was like something out of a found-footage indie horror film, a veritable Blair Witch Project for all the farmers and museum junkies out there. I could just see the tagline already... Death By Tractor: a new movie based on the true story of three teenagers mercilessly slaughtered in the Smithsonian, coming soon to theaters near you!
"AJ!" Alec repeated, snapping his fingers at me to get my attention, "Come. On!"
Huffing, I picked up my pace, coming up beside them. Just as I did, a large bang sounded from behind us, like metal on linoleum. Funny enough, because that's exactly what it was - in the entrance way, a security grate had just dropped down and hit the floor. My eyes widened as all three of us whirled and saw that wasn't all. The dragons were back, standing guard on either side of the entrance, and between them was a woman.
She had golden brown skin, like sunshine on stover, and wavy blonde hair piled up into a bun. With her shimmering green dress and her aura of warm confidence, I would've thought her a pop star or cult leader, but then she spoke.
"Half-bloods, children. Welcome to the District of Columbia!"
My neck went cold. Okay, not a celebrity. Just like Riley predicted, this had to be someone mythological, but I couldn't begin to guess who. She kind of looked like what would happen if Beyoncé and some farmer had a baby, who later grew up to confront random half-bloods in closed national museums.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Alec was just as confused as I was, but Riley must've been smarter than us both, because she dropped to her knees. "Lady Demeter," she proclaimed, "How honored we are to, uh, make your acquaintance!"
Demeter? Isn't that the wheat lady? I thought to myself as Alec and I too kneeled without thinking. Well, the Agriculture section makes more sense now!
"Oh please, the honor's all mine!" The goddess replied, although there was a saccharine in her voice that made it sound disingenuous. She gestured for us to rise, and as we did, she said, "Ever since my nephew gave you this foolish quest, I've been watching you, and I've taken pity on your plight. You haven't been eating enough grains, and it's starting to show!"
Right then, as if in time with the dialogue, my stomach growled. Color flushed through my skin, but Demeter's eyes softened. "See? I knew you were suffering. So I used my dragons to lead you in here. Their names are Tony the Tiger and Toucan Sam," she said simply, as if this was normal.
Alec narrowed his eyes. "Like the cereal mascots?"
"Yes, what else?"
With that, she snapped her fingers, and suddenly a table appeared between us. It seemed like a nice table, with 4 chairs and a smooth mahogany finish, but my concern was not on the carpentry. Immediately, I inhaled sharply and whimpered in relief, because spread out on the wooden surface... was a luscious, carb-filled feast.
I practically lunged forward, my eyes flickering from the basket full of fresh-baked bread to the steaming pie giving off a sweet perfume to the literal cornucopia in the middle of it all, overflowing with produce and flowers. In front of each chair sat a china plate, just waiting to be filled with food. This almost felt like a trap to me, or at least a major real life deus ex machina. There had to be a catch... but did I care? No, not really.
Riley, too, stepped forward, her mouth parting in awe. "This is for us?"
"Indeed it is." Demeter pulled the chair closest to her out and promptly sat down. Eagerly, I followed her lead, setting the violin in my left hand down on the floor. Riley did the same, although there was something just a bit more wary in the way she moved.
Then there was Alec. He stood cautiously still, hesitance and distrust plain and obvious in his eyes. In this dim lighting, he looked less like a ray of sunshine and more like a golem of gold, ready to defend his post.
"How do we know you're actually Demeter?" he asked. "You could be anybody pretending to be her. This food could be poisoned for all we know."
"Please, please," the goddess pleaded gently in reply, her voice like soft, golden, bread just out of the oven. "Eat. I'm tired of seeing so many half-bloods... lose themselves."
A dark shadow passed over her eyes, and I was reminded of what my siblings had explained to me at the train station - how there were demigods who were so tired of the way gods treated them that they rebelled. Gave into the will of the Titans.
I wondered if Demeter had lost any of her children, and this was her trying to make up for it. Or perhaps, she wanted something in return, and she just wasn't telling us yet. Either way, I was too entranced by the food to think about it too hard.
"Alec!" I spit, my tone more biting than I meant for it to be. "Just sit down."
Alec looked at me and rolled his eyes before finally, slowly, sitting down across from me. "I thought you said you were an expert at escaping things," he muttered across the table at me as we finally began to eat.
"I am. This is me escaping my hunger."
In response, he chuckled, which surprised me a bit in the moment, but made sense considering it's Alec we're talking about.
Finally content, I began to look for what I wanted to eat. Riley, seemingly more comfortable now that our group skeptic had given in, had already piled a good amount of mashed potatos on her plate and was now drizzling molten gravy over top; next to the starches sat a slice of what I believed to be some sort of pie.
Riley caught me staring and explained, "It's Derby Pie. I'm from Kentucky, so I kinda grew up eating it. It's actually my favorite dessert."
I was surprised to learn this. Not her food choices, but that she was from Kentucky. With her beautifully natural hair and flowing, Bohemian style, she didn't strike me as the type to listen to bluegrass or watch horses run.
However, now that I thought of it, there was a natural, honeyed twang to her voice. I'd always mistook it for calm confidence.
"Oh." My eyes flicked to Alec, making sure he was eating - he was, but slowly, taking like 5 minutes just to thumb open a roll and spread butter across it. Rolling my eyes just like he did a few moments ago, I turned back to Riley, and said, "I'm from upstate New York, more or less. We don't really have any signature desserts like that. But I think German chocolate cake is my favorite dessert."
"There's some sitting out for you," Demeter interrupted. She gestured to a spot near the cornucopia that I hadn't noticed, where, sure enough, a small German chocolate cake was sitting.
AH! I screamed internally. My skin is clear! My crops are thriving! I have 20/20 vision! I have a reason to live!
With a small gasp, I eagerly reached for the cake, lifting up the whole sliver platter and placing it on top of my plate. It looked warm and fresh, oozing with gooey, golden, coconut-pecan icing. I reached for the fork sitting next to my plate and eagerly started to cut in as Alec said, "How did you know to have that for her?"
"Oh, I'm good what that kind of stuff," Demeter replied coolly. "I can look at a half-blood and immediately know their favorite food. For example, I know you like lemon-flavored things."
She flourished her smooth, golden hand in the direction of a plate of lemon squares, sitting nearly out of my view just behind the Cornucopia. A light formed in Alec's eyes as he slowly set down the roll and grabbed one. In return to the smug smile I then gave him, he glared, before giving up his guard and chuckling again, gently.
I shoveled a bite of cake into my mouth, savoring the sweet bolt of energy it gave me. I don't know how long my siblings and the goddess of agriculture and I sat there for, as I lost myself in the food I had been so desperately searching for. If there was one silver lining to this whole mess - aside from the sense of adventure I'd joined the quest in the first place for - it was this. If I were at home, I'd probably just be eating tortilla chips and wishing I was somewhere else.
That being said, I knew this wouldn't last forever. Even as I devoured everything on my plate, I felt myself getting full. I knew that soon, we'd be out on the streets again with no money and no direction. Riley must've been thinking the same thing, because out of the corner of my eye I watched her slowly set down her fork and take a deep breath.
"Lady Demeter," she started diplomatically, "This is amazing, really. Thank you very much. But is there any other way you can give us some... guidance relating to what we should do next? We're kinda stuck."
Demeter laughed gently, the sound as sweet and comforting as the purr of an old barn cat. "I already have you covered. I rented a vehicle for you to drive the remainder of the way; it's waiting outside for you when you're done. I'll also give you a little bit of extra currency in case of trouble."
Riley's eyes widened, as did mine. Alec almost spit out a lemon square, a little bit of powdered sugar dusting his lips. "You got us a car?" he asked, gulping down his food.
"Oh, and one more thing," Demeter added, as if she didn't hear Alec's incredulity. "I have a gift for you, children."
She reached behind her and seemingly conjured something out of thin air; as she handed it to me, I saw it was... a bundle of wheat. My excited smile disappeared as I went through the possible reasons she'd be giving me deconstructed bread. What am I supposed to do with a bundle of wheat?
"Uh..." Riley started, then frowned.
"Like I said, growing half-bloods need grains. Especially to fight terrible beasts." The goddess' eyes narrowed, and her voice grew serious. "And besides, though it looks simple, sometimes wheat holds secrets. Sometimes it changes its appearance so that it does not fall into the wrong hands."
My siblings and I glanced at each other, confusion and suspicion plain on all of our faces. I could tell Demeter was trying to imply something, as if the wheat was actually a useful gift in disguise, but I didn't know exactly what.
Without explaining any further, Demeter stood up and snapped her nimble fingers. Just like that, the gate behind her started to creak open as the table and its food vanished, leaving Alec, Riley, and I sitting on 3 lonely chairs. I blinked and quickly got up, my brother and sister following suit. Soon, the chairs dematerialized as well.
After leaning down to grab the violin, I faced Demeter, and she gave me a warm smile. "Well, children, this has been pleasant. I must be going, but I'm glad I was able to assist you on this asinine mission. I apologize for the way my nephew acts sometimes; he is beyond my, or anybody's, control. He has been feuding with Python for years. You'd think he would just go down to Kill Devil Hills and kill the devilish thing himself, but..."
Alec chuckled at her accidental pun, as a small smile formed on my face.
"Is that where Python is? Kill Devil Hills?" Riley questioned, ever practical.
"I believe so. Good luck."
And then, like the roar of a combine harvester itself, Tony the Tiger - or was it Toucan Sam? - let out a low-pitched whine, and the goddess of carbohydrates evanesced into a flurry of buttery light. Within a moment, all the lamps in the exhibit went out, and I was left in the dark clutching a priceless violin and a bundle of wheat.
Outside, it was now completely night. The moon peeked out from behind the clouds, letting a stream of moonshine in so I could just barely make out the silently awed shapes of Alec and Riley.
"Well, that was a nice reprieve from our life-or-death situation," I said, trying to make conversation.
"That was weird," Riley corrected. "Gods don't usually just appear out of nowhere, give you a bunch of food, and then disappear. Especially when they're not out to get something in return."
"Well, I mean, like you guys said... about all those demigods who betray the gods. Maybe she's out to make sure that doesn't happen again."
Alec snorted. "Doubtful. I wouldn't be surprised if she shows up a few years from now and asks for something."
"Like what? My firstborn? She's not Rumpelstiltskin." I rolled my eyes. "Besides, it's not like it all went completely perfectly. Like, what am I supposed to do with this?"
I held up the wheat as best I could, hoping the twine loosely tied around the middle wouldn't unravel and spill it all. There were about 8 or 9 ears, few enough that I could hold it in one hand, but that didn't make it anymore understandable.
"I think she was trying to tell us something. Maybe it's a weapon with some sort of glamour on it," Riley suggested, cocking her head to stare at it. "Can I see it?"
"Be my guest." I handed her the grains, before putting my hands on my hips. "Well, whatever it is, we probably won't be able to find out until we get to Python. Shall we move along?"
---
Our makeshift trio exited the museum, only to find Madison Drive and the surrounding National Mall practically abandoned. Although it wasn't freezing out, the air had cooled considerably, and with all that food in my system, I felt much better. Still, my feet hurt, and now that I was out of the air conditioning and radiant presence of Demeter, I remembered how tired I was. Even though I'd napped on the train earlier, all this walking and fighting and even eating was starting to get to me.
Fortunately, Demeter hadn't lied to us. There was indeed a vehicle waiting outside for us - specifically a light blue crew cab pickup truck, looking like it came straight out of the year 1970. I raised my eyebrows. "I'll take what I can get, but can I just say that this is a weird choice of car?"
"Well, she is the goddess of farming, and this is a very... farmer-y car." Alec shrugged. "Can you drive?"
"No. In New York you have to be 16 to get your permit."
My brother gave me a look. "Well, yeah, I know that. I live in Brooklyn, remember?"
"Kentucky's the same way!" Riley piped up. "But my dad's been taking me out for lessons."
"My grandma's been doing the same," Alec said. "I technically don't have my permit, but I'll drive. I've been to the Outer Banks, so I know the way to go, and I doubt there'll be many police out at this hour, so I don't think we have to worry about getting pulled over. Maybe after a couple hours we can switch so I don't fall asleep at the wheel and kill us all."
The image of said event actually happening - Alec drifting off after hours of fighting sleep, causing the car to swerve into oncoming traffic and all of us to die in a blaze of glory - flashed before my mind for a morbid second.
"Oh gods, don't say that," my sister chastised, furrowing her eyebrows. "We'll be fine. Just get in the car. We have a giant snake to fight."
~ ☼ ~
How many months later... I finally update. This chapter was a nice break from the battles and godly drama of the past few, and you got to know more about Riley! She's from Kentucky, how about that?
I know people don't really keep up with this as much as they used to, but in case anybody's feeling in the mood to comment today... what's your favorite dessert? Mine is either BeaverTails or beignets.
Happy second day of summer/day after the Summer Solstice! Please vote, comment, and check out my other works!!