The Quest to Rescue the Muse of Astronomy

Overview

• 1
• 2
• 3

The Questors

• Noel River [Mnemosyne- Astrid]- Leader
• Fleur Riviera [Kymopoleia- Fyloksenia]
• Skylar Lune [Eros- Thasirene]
• Raphaëlle Nystrom [Aeolus- TimeForTheTea]
• Ophelia Noori [Urania- Brocky292]

Monsters Encountered

A flock of sirens, Five scythian dracanae, 2 above average automatons.

Locations

Long Island Sound. Chicago Union Station (Chicago, Illinois). Phoenix, Arizona. Montezuma's Castle, Arizona. Unnamed trains between Chicago and Phoenix. Undecided route between Montezuma's Castle and Long Island.

Prophecy

PUT PROPHECY HERE

ENDGAME

Urania calls her sisters on a conference-Iris Message. They give the questors their thanks for returning Urania safely, when each of the other muses appear distressed at the same time. One by one their iris message fades, leaving the questors and Urania in silence.

Part 1 of Chapter 1

• Noel: She waited at the entrance of Camp, a large backpack in tow. Noel's fiery red hair sat in a functional bun and her clothes matched the style. The daughter of Mnemosyne worried at her lip as she awaited the other questers. Noel didn't know any of them, but was grateful for their volunteering to help with this quest. To say it was life or death, would be an understatement.
• Ophelia: Ophelia, needless to say, was worried for her mother. It was seemingly too coincidental that the second Ophelia shows up to camp, days latter Urania is sending out a distress Iris message. Just her luck, but what a better way to find a sense of belonging than being thrown right into a quest to save her mother. Walking up to the entrance of camp, Ophelia had all her essentials. A backpack full of supplies and a change of clothes just in case. Her hair was in voluminous curls and she was dressed in flexible jeans and a floral blouse. As she approached Noel, she smiled meekly. "You must be Noel?" She asked as she got closer.
• Fleur: Fleur has no idea what to expect. She was pretty sure she'd overpacked, but at least it wasn't completely on clothes. No, she'd stocked up on money and healing essentials as she'd heard some gnarly stories about Camp Half-Blood's quests. It made her all the more nervous, but if there was anything she lived by, it was by taking things one day at a time. Plus, really, it isn't her time to die yet. So all in all, she's faring a lot better than others might in her position. Fleur arrives shortly after Ophelia and grins at them both. "Salut! Je suis Fleur," she nods at the both. "Kymopoleia," she adds, as an after-thought, figuring it'd be beneficial for them to know that tiny detail.
• Rafe: Rafe was dressed in an oversized sweater and jeans with nothing but a backpack full of clothes and money on her. Sure, she heard how dangerous and wild quests could be but eh-how bad could they be? Rafe had seen a lot. She'll be fine. Plus, it'd get Jade out of her hair if she just disappears from camp for a while. Probably should have told her sister about the quest. Oh, well, too late now. She arrived when Fleur was saying her parent. "Aeolus. Rafe," she said, figuring that was the big trend of introductions. Usually was. Rafe pulled out a lollypop and threw it into her mouth, needing something to do as she waited for whoever else to turn up.
• Skylar: Fashionably late would be an understatement, a whole twenty minutes had passed before Skylar appeared on the horizon, duffle bag slung over his shoulder. What he wore was simple: a tank top, jeans, combat boots and a pair of silver aviators that complemented his complexion. He approached the group, pulling down his glasses and peering over them - his amber gaze surveying the group. "Is this everyone?" He uttered, not really bothering to introduce himself.
• Noel: She'd just got done introducing herself as a daughter of Mnemosyne and explaining how and why she received the quest.

Noel had been in a coma for years and the Gods were reluctant to help, her mother of course couldn't help if she wanted to. Hypnos only took pity on her, because of a dream Nymph, but in exchange she had to find the muses. "Oh, uh hi... I assume you are called Skylar," Noel greeted in a soft voice with a heavy french accent, "I am Noel, daughter of Mnemosyne... uh from what Hypnos told me, Urania is somewhere in Arizona... from what I have read, airplane may be a difficult way to travel there, so I took the initiative to buy us all train tickets." Noel removed her bag from her back, before awkwardly weeding through its contents of clothes, money, snacks, and her dagger. Finally, she removed five crisp tickets.

• Ophelia: Up until Skylar's arrival and Noel explaining a bit more about the quest, Ophelia hadn't really spoken rather than her brief introduction. She didn't dare mention her mother was Urania, the one they were going to rescue. After all only Noel knew, everyone else would find out when the timing was right. "Why Arizona of all places?..." She asked, looking at Noel.
• Fleur: The accent surprises Fleur, and she turns to look at Noel with interest. She wants to ask where she's from, but maybe right now isn't the best of times. She doesn't know what makes Arizona so remarkable - hell, she doesn't even know where Arizona is - so she nods in response to Ophelia's question. "Did Hypnos tell you anything else that will be useful?"
• Skylar: Arizona, Skylar was banned from many establishments in Arizona - hopefully the group would avoid a majority of them while on the quest, "The gods don't give us much to go on..." He shrugged, leaning up against a pillar, "They usually tell you some bullshit like 'Go to the Silver Spoon' and you have to figure that out for yourself..." It was clear Skylar had, at least, some experience with quests - albeit how much was hard to say. "That being said, everything's a clue. Did we get a prophecy?"
• Noel: Her cheeks matched the vibrant red of her hair, as she flushed with embarrassment. This was the most positive human interaction she'd had in years and to say she was overwhelmed would be an understatement. Noel tried to remind herself to keep it together, as she repeated the prophecy, having remembered it by verbatim.
  

"A world quelled and lost ambition
Many want to see it’s submission
A journey long with no end in sight
Carry with the song of a Muse’s plight
O children, make haste to their aid
Find out where their prisons are made
All must venture out to save the spark"

"So yes... the Gods are a bit cryptic, however Arizona is for sure the place to start. Hypnos said Urania wrote it in the stars," Noel declared, the confidence that grew in her voice, managed to make her accent all the more prevalent.

• Ophelia: Listening to the prophecy, Ophelia nodded along as she tried to unpack the cryptic message within it. This being the first time she'd heard a prophecy, she wasn't necessarily sure what she should be looking for. From how he was talking though, Skylar seemed to have experience with this kind of stuff and thus she looked to him.
• Fleur: "A journey long with no end in sight... it sounds a lot like a desert. The United States, ah... has one, right?" Fleur asks, turning to look at her fellow questers. "It does not seem to provide much more specifics, though. If it pertains to submission... perhaps the titans are looking to return?"
• Rafe: Rafe stifled a yawn. She needed another nap. Rafe had never been too Arizona. It seemed hot and she spent a lot of time withering away under the sun. But hey, she guessed it was a good time to go visit. "I hope not, we barely survived the last time," Rafe said as she stretched her arms. Thank the gods the girl bought tickets, Rafe could probably offer a crinkled $1 note and a chocolate bar. "Honestly, the gods' are cheapskates. So is the oracle. But we'll find out the meaning whenever, I guess."
• Skylar: He groaned at the mention of desert. "Remind me to get a parasol...I'm not ruining my complexion for this..." He'd already made that mistake before, his skin was peeling and he couldn't sleep for weeks, he swore there was still some redness on his back. He turned to Noel, "So where first, fearless leader?" He pulled the duffle bag up onto his shoulder.
• Noel: "Well yes, Arizona is in the desert," Noel said, directing her answer to Fleur. Her eyes scanned her team, once again thinking about how they all were relying on her. "The tickets are for Stafford Station, which is on the North Side of the Long Island Sound," She explained, her brain recalling all of the information instantly. "It's about a two hour hike to the nearest subway line, that will bring us to the station." With that, she hiked her bag further onto her shoulder as if to signal that they should all get going, before adding, "Our train is for 3pm, so we should arrive with at least two hours to spare... as long as we don't run into any hiccups."

The questors began on their trek towards the subway station. It took only slightly longer than the two hour estimate that Noel initially spoke about. The subway station itself was barely a blip on the timeline of the quest. They were forced to jump its turnstiles due to Noel not realizing that they need money for the subway as well, but managed to ride it unhindered to Stamford Station. Tall marble pillars and bricks pretended to hold up the station, an indicator that this station was built early in the 20th century. The interior, however, was almost completely different. Neon signs for sandwich shops and trinket shops shone over the crowded station. Tall LED screens were alight with departure and arrival times. Almost as if someone were watching them enter, the top billet on this departure screen changes to their train number, showing that it would be departing on time en route for Phoenix, with several stops before hand.

• Ophelia: While the journey to the station was rather seamless and simple, it didn't mean Ophelia was necessarily calm and collected. She was rather anxious the entire time, how could she not when her mother's safety was on the line. "Looks like we got here at the perfect time..." She said, noticing the change on the LED screen.
• Noel: She released a sigh of relief as she read the sign, "Grâce à Dieu, I thought all would be fucked after the subway mishap," she admitted. A blush flooded her cheeks as she read over her train ticket, it wasn't that she had forgotten what it said, she just needed to center herself again. "I think the platform is this way, oui?" She asked the group, pointing in the direction of platform "C," which was the one named on their train tickets. 
• Skylar: Skylar had got his parasol and was strolling alongside the group, nonchalantly observing the strangers they were walking past. "Is that the way to Platform C? Then yeah..." He was dreading the idea of going to Phoenix, the dry air...he shivered at the thought. "Do we know where we're going once we get there?" He asked, inquisitively.
• Rafe: "Maybe whoever's kidnapped her will be nice and kept her in a five star hotel. The ones that have free massages and pools, I think that'd be real nice of them," Rafe said as she followed the group. She liked trains-much preferred them than driving. Driving took ten years off her life and she was immortal, the universe didn't have any years to take from.
• Noel: Her lips tugged up at the end in amusement as she listened to their bickering and sarcastic remarks. It was quite the change from the silence of her mind, which she was trapped in for most of her teenage years. "I was thinking of praying to the Gods, however they aren't the most fond of me... so perhaps someone else should try for a response," she replied. Noel had realized in the middle of her declaration that perhaps making the Gods aware of her little mission, wasn't the best idea. She was not aware of to what extent they hated her. 
• Fleur: "Je suis dans le même bateau. My family has, ah, shall we say a very big misfortune with them," she admits, frowning. Perhaps it isn't in her best interest to be stating as much, lest she wants to worry her fellow questers, but... she's never cared before, so why start now? It's not like she'd die at their hands or the gods'. Fleur has never felt comfortable in train stations or travel hotspots in America before, being a foreigner, and it shows as she looks around warily, looking for anything out of place. So many bodies... "Perhaps someone will leave a sign along the way."
• Ophelia: Truthfully, the presence of Skylar and Rafe added some comedic relief to an otherwise dreadful situation for Ophelia. It was entertaining to just sit back and listen to their side comments and sarcasm. Hearing Noel's suggestion, Ophelia figured it'd be best for herself to pray to the gods. After all it was her mother they were rescuing. "I can do it," she started before looking around at the other four. "Do you think there's anything in specific I should ask?"
• Noel: Noel hummed in thought, considering  Ophelia's question. Meanwhile her eyes surfed across their train as they approached it, looking for their car number. "Perhaps a clear sign or direction, as long as it isn't anything cryptic, like that prophecy," she admitted with a strong nod of the head. "There we are!" Noel exclaimed, "cart number thirteen." With the discovery she moved forth to the car, expecting everyone to follow, and boarded the train. "... No ticket master, perhaps they check later?" She wondered aloud. 
• Skylar: "Maybe they'll give us a big map with an X on it..." He continued into the train, following after Noel, "Usually they wait until you're comfortable and then they start annoying you for your ticket..." Spotting a super good seat, he pushed past Noel and practically jumped into it - seeming way too happy about this simple thing.

The sliding doors close behind the group as they all make their way onto the train. A couple horn blows indicate that they made it just in time, and a heavy jolt rocks the car they're in as they finally begin on their journey. Noel leads them to their appropriate over-night cabins. Two rather roomy cabins on opposite sides of the hall. In each room is four beds, all dressed with boring navy blue sheets and white pillows, and a small table against the far side of the room, underneath a window that stretches from one wall to the other. The cityscape is beginning to pass more quickly as the train picks up steam until the foreground just beyond the window is just a blur of of greys, yellows, and reds as they pass buildings, crosswalks, and fire hydrants.

• Rafe: If Ophelia hadn't offered, Rafe might have done it. The gods knew that she spent so long being their little scout that they probably owed her a few favours here and there. Furthermore, Rafe didn't have any beef (that she knew of) so it probably wasn't too much of a risk to call on some god. "Comfy," she said after a moment of exploring, "not the five star resort but...at least it's beds, not seats. I can live with this. If my numbers are correct, though, someone's going to have to sleep on their own. I don't mind being that one."
• Ophelia: With there not being much time in between Ophelia offering herself to call out to the gods and them boarding the train, she ended up looking around for a good spot to do it in the compartment they were in. Figuring that one of the cabins would be the best place to do so, she turned to the group first. "I'll let you guys figure out the bed situation while I go ask the gods for something, hopefully they'll give us a sign or a direction." After flashing a short smile, Ophelia made her way to one of the rooms, leaving her bags with the other's for the time being so they didn't think that she was preemptively claiming a room for herself.
• Noel: She looked over the space that they were given, pleasantly surprised by the space. "This was not what I was expcting," Noel smile. So far, this quest wasn't going too bad, but she wouldn't dare say this aloud. "three people in one room and two in the other" she declared, before looking to Fleur. In their native tongue she asked, <<Souhaitez-vous partager une chambre, avec moi?>> (Would you like to share a room with me?)
• Skylar: Outside the window was fascinating but it took Skylar a moment to realise that the rest of the group had continued on into the cabin so he jumped up, taking his luggage with him and followed them on in. "What're our rooms like?" He called in after them, he was actually looking forward to this, it'd been a while since he got to stay in a place where he didn't need to tidy up after himself.

As the others settle in, the rythmic clacking of the tracks quiets slowly as Ophelia concentrates on her pray to the gods. A small melody matches the sounds of travel in her mind as a vision a Phoneix visitor center flashes at her followed by a desrt landscape at night with a large plateu in the distance, a bright star holding over it. As quickly as the images came, they pass, and the repeating sound of train over rail and bustle of the car return.

• Fleur: The French is what catches Fleur's attention, which had been previously occupied by surveying the room they were assigned. She turns towards Noel with a small smile, and nods. "Je serais heureux de partager une chambre avec vous!" She approaches one of the beds and drops her bag on top of it, released a relieved sigh at the lack of pressure on her back. "When is it safe to approach Ophelia about her prayer? I can't imagine the gods will let us go on blind - especially for a rescue mission."
• Ophelia: Ophelia wasn't sure what to expect when it came to her praying to the gods. She was honestly expecting the most vague of answers but was shocked by the information she actually received. Replaying the information in her mind, a Phoenix visitor centre, a desert landscape at night. She couldn't forget any minor detail. As she made her way back into the cart with the others, Ophelia smiled meekly. "So I have some information... They showed me images of a Phoenix visitors centre as well as a desert landscape at night, a large plateau in the distance, and a bright star held over it..."
• Noel: Noel’s response was interrupted by Ophelia, but it didn’t change much. “I feel as though I am too ignorant of the land, to completely gather the information,” she frowned, “is Phoenix not a village in Arizona?”
• Skylar: "It's the capital city if I'm not mistaken..." He pondered this for a moment, "There's probably dozens of visitor centres, do you have any idea what this one looks like?" For once he was actually being helpful, an uncommon occurrence coming from him.
• Rafe: "Phoenix? Yeah dessert sounds about right, it's desolate," Rafe said, though she kind of sound disappointed at this vision. She was hoping for someplace like, she didn't know, Hawaii. Rafe was being picky she knew. She needed to stop. "Hot as well, I always sweat like a pig there. And I don't know-I think there might just be one in the city centre? It's been a while since I've been there, though. It's probably grown."
• Noel: She gave a small huff, determination clear in her eyes. They knew the city at least and how big could it be? "I will do some research," Noel decided, happy that she brought some of her books along. "I'm glad I was right about Arizona, at least. We have some days to get there... for now we should eat, rest up, and get as prepared as possible?"