It's strange isn't it? To be so close to your final destination and yet have no idea where you are? The three demigods spent the night staring into the distance, where the sign welcoming them to Montana lurked, as if taunting them, jeering at their misfortune. Drake didn't really sleep, too worried about Lucia to stop checking on her throughout the night. He changed the bandage on her leg a few times, fed her little bits of ambrosia and woke her up to have her sip some nectar. When Thomas woke up as the sun was starting to peek up over the mountains, Lucia was sitting up, leaning against Drake's shoulder, flexing her ankle with a relieved smile on her face.

"You good?" Thomas asked with a yawn.

"Yeah," Lucia answered him. "Drake was pretty amazing through the night. Made sure I was okay, and gave me ambrosia and nectar throughout the night." Lucia shot Drake a grateful look and rested her head on his shoulder. Drake gave a nervous smile.

Thomas glared at the two of them, muttering something under his breath. Standing up and stretching, he glanced at the Montana sign. "Well, we should get going lovebirds." Faces bright red, Drake and Lucia scrambled to their feet and grabbed their packs. "Maybe Montana will have a half-decent place to stop for breakfast."

The three of them made their way carefully down the slope towards the road again, walking in single file, silently. No one spoke, each of them too lost in thought about what would be waiting for them at the end of their journey. Drake, who was at the front of the small line that the three of them made up, stopped and looked up at the sign. It was faded and worn with weather, but was still easily readable. Taking a deep breath, he stepped across the state line. Thomas and Lucia followed suite, and they stopped.

In a split second, they were blasted with wind from every side, thunder crashing overhead, and the wind howled so fiercely they were forced to their knees. When it died down, a deep voice spoke, sounding slightly amused. All three kids looked up, shocked to see the person speaking.

"Welcome to Montana, young demigods," said Demeter, her face gentle. Her voice sounded proud, and she looked only mildly amused at their reactions. "Won't you join me for breakfast? We have some things to discuss."
  Stay tuned for the next series of Violently Victorious Variants!