After a few hours, we started seeing a flashing light. As far as I could tell, it was a message. Harry started to turn into a parking lot. "Why are we stopping?" I asked. Was the light a threat? Larry laughed.
"It's Morse code. It said, "The pegasi need rest. So, we have to stop here. We'll land a few yards away just in case the cameras see something." I'm parking here since it's the only place." Looking around, he was right. We had gone at least 5 kilometers without seeing a single stop. It was also getting dark already. So, we waited while Skylar hid the pegasi in the field across the road. Looking at the sign, I felt an chill go down my spine. "Does that really say "Albanian Agrarian Anthros Hotel"? What does that mean?" Bill was even confused by this. Yet, once everyone got together, we decided to use a little stealth for extra help. I used a little power to make us look like an vacationing family. I aged myself and Omoro to look at least 33. Bill and Lucy were made into their 40s. And the rest of the group just jumped up or down a year or two. Only Loretta stayed the same. Once we entered, the man behind the counter came up to us smiling. He was in a wheelchair. "Welcome to Triple A Hotel!" he said with a smile, "I hope you all have had a nice trip around Albania!" Around his mouth there was a slight red tint, either from make up or he was a bigger fan of Kool Aid than Loretta. "All of you want rooms, yes? Don't you worry, I speak English, so I can help you. Each tourist destination in Albania needs a diverse crew so they can help all tourists!" All of this being said with that same smile. "So how many rooms?" he asked while moving back to the desk.
Looking at the group, I just realized we had no money. "Sir, we need 3 rooms. But, our money is currently being sent to the account. Can we stay tonight and pay tomorrow?" I know, it's a shady way for us to up and run, but I had to give it a shot.
"Oh, that's fine. Just write your account number down. We'll take it out once you decide to leave." His phrasing seemed a bit odd. In the end, we got three rooms. One for Omoro, Loretta, and myself. Another for Bill, Lucy, Harry, and Larry. And the last for Skylar, Jeremy, Billy, and Beverly. We were all lead to our rooms separately. Odd, but since the availability was spread out there was no choice. Once Omoro, Loretta, and I had gotten into our room the little girl in Loretta broke free. By that, I mean she found the TV remote and started changing channels. It felt like we were actually a normal family, but I noticed a slight smell from the room. Almost like bleach. I was about to say something when the TV caught my eye. "Loretta! Go back a few!" I yelled, catching her off guard, "Go to the last news station. I saw something important." Begrudgingly, the ten year old put it on. "If you guys are watching that, I'm going to take a bath. That pegasi smell is hard to lose." She left us to see something we thought was impossible. On the screen was the guy who was in the Confederate ship, all those years ago. The same one who jumped into the volcano after that.
"This is Percy Jackson. We have seen him once again going cross country with various teens. Just the last few weeks, he was spotted in various locations heading south then east throughout the United States during extreme pandemonium and destruction," said the man in the suit, "Could you in the audience believe his track record was wiped after this? Or would it be safe to assume that fight on the beaches of LA was for 'the right to rule'?"
"Even if that can be said, how much do we really know about the others? We know of the first two, but this time it was with many new faces," the anchor reached behind her ear, "Oh, this just in. Out of the entire group. Four are confirmed. Piper McLean, the daughter of actor Tristan McLean. Leonidas Valdez, a troubled youth who jumped from foster homes constantly. Frank Zhang, whose family mansion was burnt to the ground shortly after his first appearance with Jackson," with a tear running down her face, "The final one will shock many of you. The son of Beryl Grace, who died in a car crash over 20 years ago, has been missing since a young age is among the faces. Jason Grace has been found among this group." Omoro and I realized what that meant. The entire group was full of demigods. Maybe on a quest. "The last location of the group was at Fort Sumter during the chaos of last week. If anyone has any information, please call the number below." With that, the news was done. Then, we heard a scream.
Loretta ran from the restroom. "What is this?!?!" she screams while holding a large brush covered in hair. We both knew what kind. "You said you smelled like pegasi, right?" Her face was red. "I never said I had their hair on me! You're a jerk!" Running at me to kick me, I held out my hands. "It's a horse brush. That means this room had a horse in it. Or maybe something else..." I said slowly. Omoro knew where this was going. "Centaurs? But they have wheelchairs? And can't get up." Slowly, we all realized what that meant. "They're enchanted. They can package themselves in them or something. And we're separated by them while they can move faster."
We all looked at each other. "Can we fight?" Loretta asked. "Let's try to get some info first. Maybe I can reverse time in the room to see what they did here, but I need you guys to hold onto my hands." They both grasped my hands, and I willed time to reverse around us. Immediately, I regretted bringing Loretta. We saw the centaurs eating people with gusto. Afterward, they used the brush on each other to remove anything stuck in their horse parts. Loretta nearly threw up, not something I had ever tried with my time powers in action.
Once we returned, Omoro proceeded to burn the bed, carpet, and brushes. Loretta simply watched with a blank expression. "We have to kill them. All of them," Loretta said. We turned to look at her. Omoro started to talk, but Loretta decided to pull out her Kool Aid. "If you two don't want to, I'll do it," she started chugging Kool Aid, "Those people... they were half bloods... and that means... they were family." She turned to me once she was done. "What do we do for family? Do we let these centaurs go? Or do we avenge them?" With that, I summoned Interitus. "We won't let their deaths go unpunished. These centaurs won't get another chance at this. Omoro, you and Loretta go look for the others. I'm heading to check out for the manager."
We left in different directions. As soon as we separated, a blur was running at me. As it reached me, I slowed time and cut the centaur in two. "That was for leaving the brush," I said. After that, there wasn't any opposition. Omoro and Loretta might have been taking the brunt of the attack, but if I reached check out, I could stop the one dealing with security.
I finally made it to check out, and saw my family being held before me. "Hmph, leaving without pay? Attacking your hosts? What does that mean? The Son of Saturn has turned to the Olympians side! I offered you safety, and in return you choose to defy the will of Gaia. You're own grandmother and the mother of all life."
His rant was similar to the cyclops, but this time I needed to keep in control. If Gaia kept this up, that means she wanted more than our death. She wants Omoro, Bill, and I to take up the mantles of our parents. And the only way to do it was to increase our power.
"Enough. I won't fight alone. They are my family. If you choose to harm them, I will kill all of you. I doubt even you guessed who you caught."
Turning to the group, the lead centaur began counting. "Is one missing? Where is the one who was dressed like a rainbow?" That's when the ground began to shake. Smiling, I answered, "Beverly, the daughter of Pluto, has arrived." As I said it, multiple spikes went through the other centaurs. Each piercing forcing them in place and causing them to drop their captive. That left the lead centaur and 11 demigods that could corral and defeat him. "Raaaah!" Loretta screamed as every plant in the lobby grew and entangled the centaur.
Each of us placed a killing blow, yet he wouldn't return to Tartarus. "I told you! Gaia protects us! We can't die!" Then Beverly raised her hand. "But you can be trapped." Slowly, a spire of rock grew out of the ground. Once it covered the centaur, the spire conformed to the exact position it was in. Leaving it as a living statue, but Loretta wasn't satisfied. "Get me something to write with, I need to mark him up."
"That's a good idea. Beverly, help Loretta place a seal on him so he can't escape even with outside help."
After that, we headed back on the road. I felt like after today, the attacks would be worse. The centaur had to have alerted Gaia to the intentions of Omoro, Bill, and myself. That according to them, we're on the gods side. Not with the Titans, monsters, or even Gaia herself. That means we're in trouble.
Next stop, Tirana. Thank the gods those pegasi were okay.