Bewitched || P. Jackson

𝔹ig, big Giant Man

Leo hoped the taxi could take them all the way to the top. Nicki had bet him that it wouldn't and it would stop halfway up.

Leo lost the bet and Nicki won two drachmas.

The cab made lurching, grinding sounds as it climbed the mountain road, and halfway up they found the ranger's station closed, a chain blocking the way.

"Far as I can go," the cabbie said. "You sure about this? Gonna be a long walk back, and my car's acting funny. I can't wait for you."

"We're sure." Leo was the first one out. He had a bad feeling about what was wrong with the cab, and when he looked down he saw he was right. The wheels were sinking into the road like it was made of quicksand. Not fast—just enough to make the driver think he had a transmission problem or a bad axle—but Leo knew different.

The road was hard-packed dirt. No reason at all it should have been soft, but already Leo's shoes were starting to sink. Gaea was messing with them.

While his friends got out, mimicking a clown car as six people spilt out of three seats, Leo paid the cabbie. He was generous—heck, why not? It was Aphrodite's money. Plus, he had a feeling he might never be coming off this mountain.

"Keep the change," Leo instructed. "And get out of here. Quick."

The driver didn't argue. Soon all they could see was his dust trail. Nicki crossed her arms over her chest, unimpressed by the driver's hasty retreat. "Lame." she spun around, wide-eyed. "Okay... not so lame."

The view from the mountain was pretty amazing. The whole inland valley around Mount Diablo was a patchwork of towns—grids of tree-lined streets and nice middle-class suburbs, shops, and schools. All these normal people living normal lives—the kind Nicki had never known.

"That's Concord," Jason said, pointing to the north. "Walnut Creek below us. To the south, Danville, past those hills. And that way..." He pointed west, where a ridge of golden hills held back a layer of fog, like the rim of a bowl. "That's the Berkeley Hills. The East Bay. Past that, San Francisco."

Nicki found herself searching for Ethan's hand as she stared into the distant fog. It wasn't uncommon for the two demigods to freeze up at the mention of their old home.

"Jason?" Piper touched his arm. "You remember something? You've been here?"

"Yes... no." He gave her an anguished look. "It just seems important." Leaning forward, Ethan rested his free hand reassuringly on Jason's shoulder. The younger boy squeezed Ethan's hand.

"That's Titan land." Coach Hedge nodded toward the west. "Bad place, Jason. Trust me, this is as close to 'Frisco as we want to get."

But Jason looked toward the foggy basin with such longing that Nicki felt uneasy.

Leo tried to move his foot, but his heels were now completely embedded in the dirt. "Hey, guys," he said. "Let's keep moving."

The others noticed the problem. "Gaea is stronger here," Hedge grumbled. He popped his hooves free from his shoes, then handed the shoes to Leo. "Keep those for me, Valdez. They're nice."

Leo snorted. "Yes, sir, Coach. Would you like them polished?"

"That's varsity thinking, Valdez." Hedge nodded approvingly. "But first, we'd better hike up this mountain while we still can."

"How do we know where the giant is?" Piper asked.

"He's a giant." Ethan deadpanned. "You'll see him"

Jason pointed toward the peak. Drifting across the summit was a plume of smoke. From a distance, Leo had thought it was a cloud, but it wasn't. Something was burning. "Smoke equals fire," Jason said. "We'd better hurry."