✦ ༉‧₊˚⋆˚( ⁿᵒᵗ ᶠʳⁱᵉⁿᵈˢ )˚⁺✧₊˚.*♡
🍪 — 007. isa wants to murder the icy bitch.
ONE THING TO NOTE about Isa, is that she doesn't like the cold. She loves winter ─ the snow, hot chocolate, all the festivities that come with winter as Christmas approaches, but she gets cold really easily.
"This cannot be good," Jason muttered, but Leo spurred the dragon downward, and they swooped in after the Boreads.
They landed in what must have been the penthouse suite; but the place had been hit by a flash freeze. The entry hall had vaulted ceilings forty feet high, huge draped windows, and lush oriental carpets. A staircase at the back of the room led up to another equally massive hall, and more corridors branched off to the left and right. But the ice made the room's beauty a little frightening.
When Isa slid off the dragon, the carpet crunched under his feet. A fine layer of frost covered the furniture. The curtains didn't budge because they were frozen solid, and the ice-coated windows let in weird watery light from the sunset. Even the ceiling was furry with icicles. Red jumped from her bag and Isa scooped him up, putting him inside her coat as she tightened it around her body.
"Guys," Leo said, "fix the thermostat in here, and I would totally move in."
"Not me." Jason looked uneasily at the staircase. "Something feels wrong. Something up there. . ."
Festus shuddered and snorted flames. Frost started to form on his scales.
"No, no, no." Zethes marched over, though how he could walk in those pointy leather shoes, Isa had no idea. "The dragon must be deactivated. We can't have fire in here. The heat ruins my hair."
Festus growled and spun his drill-bit teeth."'S'okay, boy." Leo turned to Zethes. "The dragon's a little touchy about the whole deactivation concept. But I've got a better solution."
"Destroy?" Cal suggested.
"No, man. You gotta stop with the destroy talk. Just wait."
"Leo," Piper said nervously, "what are you ─ "
"Watch and learn, beauty queen. When I was repairing Festus last night, I found all kinds of buttons. Some, you do not want to know what they do. But others. . . Ah, here we go."
Leo hooked his fingers behind the dragon's left foreleg. He pulled a switch, and the dragon shuddered from head to toe. Everyone backed away as Festus folded like origami. His bronze plating stacked together. His neck and tail contracted into his body. His wings collapsed and his trunk compacted until he was a rectangular metal wedge the size of a suitcase. Leo tried to lift it, but the thing weighed about six billion pounds. "Um. . . yeah. Hold on. I think ─ aha."
He pushed another button. A handle flipped up on the top, and wheels clicked out on the bottom. "Ta-da!" he announced. "The world's heaviest carry-on bag!"
"That's impossible," Jason said. "Something that big couldn't ─ "
"Stop!" Zethes ordered. He and Cal both drew their swords and glared at Leo.
Leo raised his hands. "Okay. . . what'd I do? Stay calm, guys. If it bothers you that much, I don't have to take the dragon as carry-on ─ "
"Who are you?" Zethes shoved the point of his sword against Leo's chest. "A child of the South Wind, spying on us?"
"What? No!" Leo said. "Son of Hephaestus. Friendly blacksmith, no harm to anyone!"
Cal growled. He put his face up to Leo's, "Smell fire," he said. "Fire is bad."
"Oh." Leo said in a small voice, "Yeah, well. . . my clothes are kind of singed, and I've been working with oil, and ─ "
"No!" Zethes pushed Leo back at sword point. "We can smell fire, demigod. We assumed it was from the creaky dragon, but now the dragon is a suitcase. And I still smell fire. . . on you."
"Hey. . . look. . . I don't know ─ " he glanced at his friends desperately. "Guys, a little help?"
"How about we put our swords down," Isa said, walking to stand in front of Leo, "And talk about it. There must have been a mistake. Leo isn't a fire guy. Tell them, Leo. Tell them you're not a fire guy."
"Um. . ."
"Zethes?" Piper tried her dazzling smile again, though she looked a little too nervous and cold to pull it off. "We're all friends here. Put down your swords and let's talk."
"The girl is pretty," Zethes admitted, "and of course she cannot help being attracted to my amazingness; but sadly, I cannot romance her at this time."
He tried to poke his sword point into Leo's chest, but Isa didn't move. She held her hand in front of the sword point just as a rainbow barrier appeared between her and Zethes. He jumped back, not expecting anything to happen. The girl moved her head so she could speak, "Now, try that again. Leo's just a son of Hephaestus, nothing harmful about him."
"Right," Jason said, "Isa is the daughter of Iris, Piper here is a daughter of Aphrodite. I'm the son of Zeus. We're on a peaceful. . ." Jason's voice faltered, because both Boreads had suddenly turned on him. Isa dropped her hand and the barrier disappeared.
"What did you say?" Zethes demanded. "You are the son of Zeus?"
"Um. . . yeah," Jason said. "That's a good thing, right? My name is Jason."
Cal looked so surprised, he almost dropped his sword. "Can't be Jason," he said. "Doesn't look the same."
Zethes stepped forward and squinted at Jason's face. "No, he is not our Jason. Our Jason was more stylish. Not as much as me ─ but stylish. Besides, our Jason died millennia ago."
"Wait," Jason said. "Your Jason. . . you mean the original Jason? The Golden Fleece guy?"
"Of course," Zethes said. "We were his crewmates aboard his ship, the Argo, in the old times, when we were mortal demigods. Then we accepted immortality to serve our father, so I could look this good for all time, and my silly brother could enjoy pizza and hockey."
"Hockey!" Cal agreed.
"But Jason ─ our Jason ─ he died a mortal death," Zethes said. "You can't be him."
"I'm not," Jason agreed.
"So, destroy?" Cal asked.
"Okay, you really need to stop with that destroying thing." Isa said.
"No," Zethes said regretfully. "If he is a son of Zeus, he could be the one we've been watching for."
"Watching for?" Leo asked. "You mean like in a good way: you'll shower him with fabulous prizes? Or watching for like in a bad way: he's in trouble?"
A girl's voice said, "That depends on my father's will."
Isa looked up at the voice ─ her face instantly paled, "Oh, you got to be shitting me."
"Really?" Isa was the first one to speak up, her eyes turning orange as she rolled them. She was not enthusiastic about meeting Boreas now. Let's just say, there was bad blood between the demigod and the goddess of snow.
"Hello, Louise Kang, daughter of Iris," Khione spoke with a tilted head and smirk evident on her face, "We meet again. It's been long since. . . you know, Richmond."
"Oh, you bitch!" daughter of Iris went to go after the goddess, but a pair of arms wrapped around her waist, pulling her back. She wriggled in the grasp of a person, kicking her legs and arms, "Jason, put me down! Let me. . . uf. Fine, you win. Now, put me down. . . please."
The blonde boy put her down, but stayed behind her if she tried something else.
Then she looked at Jason, "Father will want to see the one called Jason."
"Then it is him?" Zethes asked excitedly.
"We'll see," Khione said. "Zethes, bring our guests."
Leo grabbed the handle of his bronze dragon suitcase, but before he could take a step, Khione froze him with a look. "Not you, Leo Valdez," she said.
"Why not?" he asked.
"You cannot be in the presence of my father," the goddess said. "Fire and ice ─ it would not be wise."
"We're going together," Jason insisted, putting his hand on Leo's shoulder, "or not at all."
Khione tilted her head, Isa really wanted to punch her in the face. "He will not be harmed, Jason Grace, unless you make trouble. Calais, keep Leo Valdez here. Guard him, but do not kill him."
Cal pouted. "Just a little?"
"No, and take care of his interesting suitcase, until Father passes judgment."
Isa, Jason and Piper looked at Leo, their expressions asking him a silent question: How do you want to play this?
"It's fine, guys," Leo said. "No sense causing trouble if we don't have to. You go ahead."
"Listen to your friend," Khione said. "Leo Valdez will be perfectly safe. I wish I could say the same for you, son of Zeus. Now come, King Boreas is waiting."
"Oh joy," Isa muttered as she followed Jason and Piper up the stairs.
As they climbed the icy staircase, Zethes stayed behind them, his blade drawn. The guy might've looked like a disco era reject, but there was nothing funny about his sword.
Every once in a while, Khione would turn and give Jason a smile, but there was no warmth in her expression. She regarded Jason like he was an especially interesting science specimen ─ one she couldn't wait to dissect. The hatred towards the goddess only grew in Isa's stomach. She really wished Jason would have let her go and fight the goddess.
A slight shiver ran down Isa's spine at the cold. Even as she hugged her coat tighter ( thankfully, she left Red with Leo, threating the boy to keep him safe ), the cold was pretty much present. One more reason to hate the goddess.
A warm hand grasped her own cold, and Isa looked up at Piper, who was walking in front of her, smiling softly, "You okay?" she asked.
"Just cold," Isa muttered, "I don't like the cold."
At the top of the stairs, the ice princess looked back and noticed them holding hands. Suddenly Isa's hand in Piper's turned ice cold ─ burning cold. She let go, and her fingers were smoking with frost. So were Piper's.
"Warmth is not a good idea here," Khione advised, "especially when I am your best chance of staying alive. Please, this way."
"I'm so going to murder that bitch." Isa said in a low voice, so only Piper heard her.
"You know her?" the girl asked.
The dark-haired girl nodded, "Unfortunately," she sighed, "Not a good encounter with her."
Zethes poked the girl in the back with his icicle sword, and they followed the princess down a massive hallway decked in frosty tapestries. Freezing winds blew back and forth and Isa could feel her hands numbing.
At the end of the hallway they found themselves in front of a set of oaken doors carved with a map of the world. In each corner was a man's bearded face, blowing wind. Isa was pretty sure she'd seen maps like this before. But in this version, all the wind guys were Winter, blowing ice and snow from every corner of the world.
Khione turned. "This is the throne room," she said. "Be on your best behavior, Jason Grace. My father can be. . . chilly. I will translate for you, and try to encourage him to hear you out. I do hope he spares you. We could have such fun."
"Um, okay," Jason said.. "But really, we're just here for a little talk. We'll be leaving right afterward."
The goddess smiled. "I love heroes. So blissfully ignorant."
Piper rested her hand on her dagger. "Well, how about you enlighten us? You say you're going to translate for us, and we don't even know who you are. What's your name?"
"Well, dear Louise knows who I am," Khione said and Isa sent her a murderous glare back, "And I suppose I shouldn't be surprised you don't recognize me. Even in the ancient times the Greeks did not know me well. Their island homes were too warm, too far from my domain. I am Khione, daughter of Boreas, goddess of snow."
She stirred the air with her finger, and a miniature blizzard swirled around her ─ big, fluffy flakes as soft as cotton.
"Now, come," Khione said. The oaken doors blew open, and cold blue light spilled out of the room. "Hopefully you will survive your little talk."
If the entry hall had been cold, the throne room was like a meat locker.
Mist hung in the air. Isa shivered, and her breath steamed. Along the walls, purple tapestries showed scenes of snowy forests, barren mountains, and glaciers. High above, ribbons of colored light ─ the aurora borealis ─ pulsed along the ceiling. A layer of snow covered the floor, so Isa had to step carefully, finally grabbing onto Piper so she wouldn't slip.
All around the room stood life-size ice sculpture warriors ─ some in Greek armor, some medieval, some in modern camouflage ─ all frozen in various attack positions, swords raised, guns locked and loaded. At least Isa thought they were sculptures. Jason must have thought the same because he tried to step between two Greek spearmen, and they moved with surprising speed, their joints cracking and spraying ice crystals as they crossed their javelins to block Jason's path.
From the far end of the hall, a man's voice rang out in a language that sounded like French ─ Isa now wished Vivi was here. The room was so long and misty, Isa couldn't see the other end; but whatever the man said, the ice guards uncrossed their javelins.
"It's fine," Khione said. "My father has ordered them not to kill you just yet."
"Super," Jason said.
Zethes prodded him in the back with his sword. "Keep moving, Jason Junior."
"Please don't call me that."
"My father is not a patient man," Zethes warned, "and the beautiful Piper, sadly, is losing her magic hairdo very fast. Later, perhaps, I can lend her something from my wide assortment of hair products."
"Thanks," Piper grumbled.
They kept walking, and the mist parted to reveal a man on an ice throne. He was sturdily built, dressed in a stylish white suit that seemed woven from snow, with dark purple wings that spread out to either side. His long hair and shaggy beard were encrusted with icicles, so Isa couldn't tell if his hair was gray or just white with frost. His arched eyebrows made him look angry, but his eyes twinkled more warmly than his daughter's ─ as if he might have a sense of humor buried somewhere under that permafrost.
"Bienvenu," the king said. "Je suis Boreas le Roi. Etvous?"
Khione the snow goddess was about to speak, but Piper stepped forward and curtsied. "Votre Majesté," she said, " je suis Piper McLean. Etc'est Jason, fils de Zeus et c'est Isa, fille de Iris."
The king smiled with pleasant surprise. "Vous parlez français? Très bien!"
"Piper, you speak French?" Jason asked.
Piper frowned."No. Why?"
"You just spoke French."
Piper blinked. "I did?"
The king said something else, and Piper nodded. "Oui, Votre Majesté."
Isa and Jason exchanged confused looks.
The king laughed and clapped his hands, obviously delighted. He said a few more sentences then swept his hand toward his daughter as if shooing her away. Khione looked miffed. "The king says ─ "
"He says I'm a daughter of Aphrodite," Piper interrupted, "so naturally I can speak French, which is the language of love. I had no idea. His Majesty says Khione won't have to translate now."
Behind them, Zethes snorted, and Khione shot him a murderous look. She bowed stiffly to her father and took a stepback. The king sized up Isa and Jason. Isa bowed down at him, the blonde boy following her.
"Your Majesty," Jason said, "I'm Jason Grace. Thank you for, um, not killing us. May I ask. . . why does a Greek god speak French?"
Piper had another exchange with the king.
"He speaks the language of his host country," Piper translated. "He says all gods do this. Most Greek gods speak English, as they now reside in the United States, but Boreas was never welcomed in their realm. His domain was always far to the north. These days he likes Quebec, so he speaks French."
The king said something else, and Piper turned pale. "The king says. . ." she faltered. "He says ─ "
"Oh, allow me," Khione said. "My father says he has orders to kill you. Did I not mention that earlier?"
Isa shot the goddess a deadly glare, her left eye now red, "Jeongmal juggo sipseubnikka? ( You really wish to die? ).
The king was still smiling amiably, like he'd just delivered great news.
"Kill us?" Jason said. "Why?"
"Because," the king said, in heavily accented English, "my lord Aeolus has commanded it." Boreas rose. He stepped down from his throne and furled his wings against his back. As he approached, Khione and Zethes bowed. Isa, Jason and Piper followed their example.
"I shall deign to speak your language," Boreas said, "as Piper McLean has honored me in mine. Toujours, I have had a fondness for the children of Aphrodite. A child of Iris. . . hmm, won't your life become a tragedy. As for you, Jason Grace, my master Aeolus would not expect me to kill a son of Lord Zeus. . . without first hearing you out."
"Aeolus is the master of the winds, right?" Jason asked. "Why would he want us dead?"
"You are demigods," Boreas said, as if this explained everything. "Aeolus's job is to contain the winds, and demigods have always caused him many headaches. They ask him for favors. They unleash winds and cause chaos. But the final insult was the battle with Typhon last summer. . ."
Boreas waved his hand, and a sheet of ice like a flat screen TV appeared in the air. Images of a battle flickered across the surface ─ a giant wrapped in storm clouds, wading across a river toward the Manhattan skyline. Tiny, glowing figures ─ the gods. They swarmed around him like angry wasps, pounding the monster with lightning and fire. Finally the river erupted in a massive whirlpool, and the smoky form sank beneath the waves and disappeared.
Shivers ran down Isa's back as she thought back to the war. She shook her head.
"The storm giant, Typhon," Boreas explained. "The first time the gods defeated him, eons ago, he did not die quietly. His death released a host of storm spirits ─ wild winds that answered to no one. It was Aeolus's job to track them all down and imprison them in his fortress. The other gods ─ they did not help. They did not even apologize for the inconvenience. It took Aeolus centuries to track down all the storm spirits, and naturally this irritated him. Then, last summer, Typhon was defeated again ─ "
"And his death released another wave of venti," Jason guessed. "Which made Aeolus even angrier."
"C'est vrai," Boreas agreed.
"But, Your Majesty," Isa said, "the gods had no choice but to battle Typhon. He was going to destroy Olympus! The fight was horrendous and we all fought so bravely, so why punish demigods?"
The king shrugged. "Aeolus cannot take out his anger on the gods. They are his bosses, and very powerful. So he gets even with the demigods who helped them in the war. He issued orders to us: demigods who come to us for aid are no longer to be tolerated. We are to crush your little mortal faces."
There was an uncomfortable silence.
"That sounds. . . extreme," Jason ventured. "But you're not going to crush our faces yet, right? You're going to listen to us first, 'cause once you hear about our quest ─ "
"Yes, yes," the king agreed. "You see, Aeolus also said that a son of Zeus might seek my aid, and if this happened, I should listen to you before destroying you, as you might ─ how did he put it? — make all our lives very interesting. I am only obligated to listen, however. After that, I am free to pass judgment as I see fit. But I will listen first. Khione wishes this also. It may be that we will not kill you."
"Great. Thanks."
"Do not thank me." Boreas smiled. "There are many ways you could make our lives interesting. Sometimes we keep demigods for our amusement, as you can see." he gestured around the room to the various ice statues.
Piper made a strangled noise. "You mean ─ they're all demigods? Frozen demigods? They're alive?"
"An interesting question," Boreas conceded, as if it had never occurred to him before. "They do not move unless they are obeying my orders. The rest of the time, they are merely frozen. Unless they were to melt, I suppose, which would be very messy."
"You help the gods, and this is what you get," Isa grumbled under her breath.
Khione stepped behind Jason and put her cold fingers on his neck. "My father gives me such lovely presents," she murmured in his ear. "Join our court. Perhaps I'll let your friends go."
"What?" Zethes broke in. "If Khione gets this one, then I deserve the girls. Khione always gets more presents!"
"Now, children," Boreas said sternly. "Our guests will think you are spoiled! Besides, you moved too fast. We have not even heard the demigod's story yet. Then we will decide what to do with them. Please, Jason Grace, entertain us."
Isa could see his brain shutting down. The girl stepped away from the blonde boy, moving to Piper's other side, making the said girl be in the middle. Piper looked at Isa with a raised eyebrow and Isa only smiled in return. Suddenly, there was loud pop, and Khione flew backward, skidding across the floor.
Zethes laughed and Isa didn't even try to hide her smile, "That is good! I'm glad you did that, even though I have to kill you now."
For a moment, Khione was too stunned to react. Then the air around her began to swirl with a micro-blizzard. "You dare ─ "
"Stop," Jason ordered, with as much force as he could muster. "You're not going to kill us. And you're not going to keep us. We're on a quest for the queen of the gods herself, so unless you want Hera busting down your doors, you're going to let us go."
He sounded a lot more confident than he looked, but it got their attention. Khione's blizzard swirled to a stop. Zethes lowered his sword. They both looked uncertainly at their father.
"Hmm," Boreas said. His eyes twinkled, but Isa couldn't tell if it was with anger or amusement. "A son of Zeus, favored by Hera? This is definitely a first. Tell us your story."
"Your Majesty." Piper sand and curtsied again with incredible poise, considering their lives were on the line. She told Boreas the whole story, from the Grand Canyon to the prophecy. "All we ask for is guidance," Piper concluded. "These storm spirits attacked us, and they're working for some evil mistress. If we find them, maybe we can find Hera."
The king stroked the icicles in his beard. Out the windows, night had fallen, and the only light came from the aurora borealis overhead, washing everything in red and blue.
"I know of these storm spirits," Boreas said. "I know where they are kept, and of the prisoner they took."
"You mean Coach Hedge?" Isa asked. "He's alive?"
Boreas waved aside the question. "For now. But the one who controls these storm winds. . . It would be madness to oppose her. You would be better staying here as frozen statues."
"Hera's in trouble," Jason said. "In three days she's going to be ─ I don't know ─ consumed, destroyed, something. And a giant is going to rise."
"Yes," Boreas agreed. Was it Isa's imagination, or did he shoot Khione an angry look? "Many horrible things are waking. Even my children do not tell me all the news they should. The Great Stirring of monsters that began with Kronos ─ your father Zeus foolishly believed it would end when the Titans were defeated. But just as it was before, so it is now. The final battle is yet to come, and the one who will wake is more terrible than any Titan. Storm spirits ─ these are only beginning. The earth has many more horrors to yield up. When monsters no longer stay in Tartarus, and souls are no longer confined to Hades. . . Olympus has good reason to fear."
"So you'll help us?" Jason asked the king.
Boreas scowled. "I did not say that."
"Please, Your Majesty," Piper said. Everyone's eyes turned toward her. She had to be scared out of her mind, but she looked beautiful and confident ─ and it had nothing to do with the blessing of Aphrodite. She almost glowed with warmth in that cold throne room. "If you tell us where the storm spirits are, we can capture them and bring them to Aeolus. You'd look good in front of your boss. Aeolus might pardon us and the other demigods. We could even rescue Gleeson Hedge. Everyone wins."
"She's pretty," Zethes mumbled. "I mean, she's right."
"Father, don't listen to her," Khione said. "She's a child of Aphrodite. She dares to charmspeak a god? Freeze her now!"
Boreas considered this. Jason slipped his hand in his pocket and got ready to bring out the gold coin. If things went wrong, he'd have to move fast. The movement caught Boreas's eye. "What is that on your forearm, demigod?"
Isa looked over at Jason. His coat sleeve had gotten pushed up, revealing the edge of his tattoo. Reluctantly, he showed Boreas his marks. The god's eyes widened. Khione actually hissed and stepped away.
Then Boreas did something unexpected. He laughed so loudly, an icicle cracked from the ceiling and crashed next to his throne. The god's form began to flicker. His beard disappeared. He grew taller and thinner, and his clothes changed into a Roman toga, lined with purple. His head was crowned with a frosty laurel wreath, and a gladius ─ a Roman sword like Jason's ─ hung at his side.
"What the fuck. . ." Isa said, her eyes wide at the flickering figure.
"Aquilon," Jason said.
The god inclined his head. "You recognize me better in this form, yes? And yet you said you came from Camp Half-Blood?"
Jason shifted his feet. "Uh. . . yes, Your Majesty."
"And Hera sent you there. . . " the winter god's eyes were full of mirth. "I understand now. Oh, she plays a dangerous game. Bold, but dangerous! No wonder Olympus is closed. They must be trembling at the gamble she has taken."
"Jason," Piper said nervously, "why did Boreas change shape? The toga, the wreath. What's going on?"
"It's his Roman form," Jason said. "But what's going on ─ I don't know."
The god laughed. "No, I'm sure you don't. This should be very interesting to watch."
"Does that mean you'll let us go?" Piper asked.
"My dear," Boreas said, "there is no reason for me to kill you. If Hera's plan fails, which I think it will, you will tear each other apart. Aeolus will never have to worry about demigods again."
"I don't suppose you could explain?" Jason asked.
"Oh, perish the thought! It is not for me to interfere in Hera's plan. No wonder she took your memory." Boreas chuckled, apparently still having a great time imagining demigods tearing each other apart. "You know, I have a reputation as a helpful wind god. Unlike my brethren, I've been known to fall in love with mortals. Why, my sons Zethes and Calais started as demigods ─ "
"Which explains why they are idiots," Khione growled.
"Stop it!" Zethes snapped back. "Just because you were born a full goddess ─ "
"Both of you, freeze," Boreas ordered. Apparently, that word carried a lot of weight in the household, because the two siblings went absolutely still. "Now, as I was saying, I have a good reputation, but it is rare that Boreas plays an important role in the affairs of gods. I sit here in my palace, at the edge of civilization, and so rarely have amusements. Why, even that fool Notus, the South Wind, gets spring break in Cancún. What do I get? A winter festival with naked Québécois rolling around in the snow!"
"I like the winter festival," Zethes muttered.
"My point," Boreas snapped, "is that I now have a chance to be the center. Oh, yes, I will let you go on this quest. You will find your storm spirits in the windy city, of course. Chicago ─ "
"Father!" Khione protested.
Boreas ignored his daughter. "If you can capture the winds, you may be able to gain safe entrance to the court of Aeolus. If by some miracle you succeed, be sure to tell him you captured the winds on my orders."
"Okay, sure," Jason said. "So Chicago is where we'll find this lady who's controlling the winds? She's the one who's trapped Hera?"
"Ah." Boreas grinned. "Those are two different questions, son of Jupiter."
Jupiter; before, the god called Jason son of Zeus. Isa didn't like that. Even his tattoos were giving her freaks even though she didn't know nor understood why. She felt like she should know what they are, but nothing was coming to her brain.
"The one who controls the winds," Boreas continued, "yes, you will find her in Chicago. But she is only a servant ─ a servant who is very likely to destroy you. If you succeed against her and take the winds, then you may go to Aeolus. Only he has knowledge of all the winds on the earth. All secrets come to his fortress eventually. If anyone can tell you where Hera is imprisoned, it is Aeolus. As for who you will meet when you finally find Hera's cage ─ truly, if I told you that, you would beg me to freeze you."
"Father," Khione protested, "you can't simply let them ─ "
"I can do what I like," he said, his voice hardening. "I am still master here, am I not?"
The way Boreas glared at his daughter, it was obvious they had some ongoing argument. Khione's eyes flashed with anger, but she clenched her teeth. "As you wish, Father."
"Now go, demigods," Boreas said, "before I change my mind. Zethes, escort them out safely."
They all bowed, and the god of the North Wind dissolved into mist.
niki speaks!
wow, isn't this chapter long
i love jason's protectiveness of isa
and her protecting leo, just them >>
there's backstory to isa meeting khione
so don't forget that it will be
explained later in hoo
it's not good
have a nice day/night!
bye!