They sat on a bench outside the terminal, hands wrapped around paper coffee cups. Neither said much. Thalia stared at the sky, watching the clouds pass by. Luke rechecked the map, marking the first day's leg for when they reached Europe. As the time approached for their flight, Thalia finally looked down; her eyes were sharp. "Let's get it over with."
They flew into Frankfurt just before dawn. The January skies were dark and streaked with frost; winter still hadn't left Germany. Thalia didn't speak during the flight, not because of nerves, but because she hoped to reduce any chance of Zeus spotting her.
She could feel it: a quiet pressure on the edge of her awareness, like something standing just outside of sight. The moment the plane pierced the cloud line, she had tensed instinctively. Flying, even in a mortal aircraft, meant crossing into Zeus' domain.
But Hecate had warned her. The spell would hold so long as she made no contact with Olympus, no invocation, no touch of divine relics, not even speaking their name. Her presence would be veiled, not erased. This gave her hope to travel by plane; the only other option would be the sea, meaning entering Poseidon's domain, but that was something she would never wish to do.
They landed without issue. By midmorning, they were on the road, traveling by car through southern Germany and into the Balkans. Luke volunteered to drive on the first day, and Thalia would drive on the second. They avoided the coasts, staying inland and using old highways and half-forgotten roads.
It wasn't smooth.
Their first disruption came outside Graz.
They were driving on the road through Austria; Thalia was curled up in the back of the car, asleep, and Luke was keeping his gaze on the road ahead, anticipating their arrival in Croatia, when they would exchange positions to allow him to rest. Just a few hours more. Unfortunately, Luke's quiet ride was interrupted.
A two-headed manticore leaped from the roadside, Luke's quick reaction allowing him to swerve to the side and brake, avoiding the ramming of the monster, sparing both them and the car. Thalia was up, shield raised, ready for combat without knowing what was attacking them.
Luke jumped out of the car with his shortsword already in hand. Thalia climbed out of the passenger seat at the back, spear now in hand.
The beast was fast. It scuttled sideways on clawed feet, then sprang forward, one head quiet, the other snarling with blood-flecked teeth. Its scorpion tail lashed from behind, first jabbing, then firing three spikes in quick succession.
Luke deflected the spikes with his blade While Thalia leaped forward, using Aegis to shield them from the poison that the manticore secretly spat out from the second head.
"Poison?" Luke gasped.
"Don't let it touch you," Thalia snapped.
She flanked right, spear low, shield high. The manticore adjusted to keep one head facing each of them. The manticore kept the tail erratic, keeping the demigods on guard from a random attack. Strangely, the fear projected from the Aegis shield only caused the beast to be wary of Thalia, for there was no fear in its pupils.
The monster saw how they tried to circle it, forcing it to choose who to face and who to keep at its back, so it changed tactics. It fired a few spikes at Luke to stop him from attacking while it charged at Thalia, using its agility to pounce on her before Luke could adjust.
Thalia promptly rolled aside, jabbing her spear up into the soft belly of the monster, stabbing deep into its ribs.
Ichor sprayed, but the beast didn't falter. It spun, its tail whipping toward Thalia, who was unable to move with her spear lodged in the beast's body.
Luke gritted his teeth, slashing at the tip of the tail in time for Thalia to withdraw the spear and escape. The spiked pincer at the end of the tail was cut off, leaking poison and ichor. The pain seemed to anger the manticore, for after a brief shriek of pain, it turned its furious gaze at Luke, ignoring Thalia.
It raised its front right claw and swung it at Luke, causing him to retreat, when suddenly it quickly turned, spitting poison from one head at the sneakily approaching Thalia and catching her off-guard. Fortunately for Thalia, her body instinctively raised the shield, blocking the poison on instinct alone.
Seeing how he had been tricked, Luke frowned and ducked low, slashing at the rear leg and cutting a tendon. The manticore roared, its balance suddenly shifting to compensate for the injury, but Thalia quickly took advantage of the opportunity.
Lightning surged down her spear as she drove it forward, pinning the manticore to the ground by driving her spear into the beast's left mouth, through the throat, and into the ground.
The monster bucked, tail lashing wildly, its second head aiming to spit poison again, but Luke appeared, slicing through its neck and beheading it. The bucking slowed, turning into twitching before the manticore collapsed.
They stood still, breathing hard. The monster turned to gold dust and was sent to Tartarus. All that remained was a glass vial filled with the same green poison the manticore used.
"You good?" Luke asked, quickly checking on Thalia for any injury.
"I'm fine," she muttered. Picking up the vial and putting it safely away. A deadly momento to remember their trip.
They drove until nightfall, then stopped in the woods to rest, setting up their campsite and relaxing against each other and staring into the flames, deep in thought. The fire crackled low, and Thalia tossed another log in without a word, watching it spark.