*Hecate*

"On the road again," I hummed as the magic carried us up at least fifty feet. "Like a band of gypsies we go down the highway. We're the best of-"

"Hold on," Hatchet said form the seat besides me. "I don't think those are the lyrics."

"I wouldn't doubt her," Quin said from the seat directly behind me. "She's usually not wrong, as surprising as it is."

"No," Hatchet said, "no. I'm calling you out on your bs. Those aren't the lyrics."

The car hit the ground and we started rolling forward. I waved my hands and the magic took the wheel. I could've done this before but if I fell asleep the magic would've stopped working and we might've crashed. So I drive to keep me awake.

I popped my phone out of my pocket and turned on the Bluetooth.

I clicked On the Road Again and the lyrics started blasting through the speakers.

"Dammit," Hatchet said, floating the rock in his hand again. "How are you always right?"

I laughed, my hands falling back on the wheel.

"So," Heather said, "remind me of our schedule."

"Righty-O!" I said, finding my way back onto the nearest road heading in our direction. "Right now, the closest city to us is Norwich. We're heading to Johnstown first. We spend two or three days there and explore the ruins. I need all you non-magic guys for this, so stick close. Well, stick close anyways cause there might be traps. Them we're gonna definitely make a stop in Gloversville. They've got a lot of Black Hands creeping around there and causing trouble, so I figured I'd stop bye and help. After that, we're heading to Troy."

"We're going to Troy?" Hatchet asked, his voice stern. "Why're we going there? Why the hell are you bring us to-"

"Enough!" Heather said from besides Quin. "I asked her to take us."

"Why the hell would you wanna go back there?" Hatchet yelled. Uh-oh. I sense mommy and/or daddy issues.

"I want to talk to my dad and just tell him I'm okay. Quin, don't you want to tell your mom what happened?"

"I was going to," Quin said, his voice a low grumble, "but after a few years. I don't know if I can-"

"Alright," I yelled, clapping my hands together. What can I say, I like using my hands when I talk. I'll let my magic drive for a while. "That's enough. If you wanna see your parents I can take you, if you don't then don't."

There was silence in the car so I turned the radio back up. Bruno Mars' song Uptown Funk started playing this time. Really good song, by the way. Listen to it sometimes if you can.

---

"So, Mrs..."

"LeeChester," I said, looking up at the checkpoint lady. "It's LeeChester."

"Mrs.LeeChester," she repeated. "Mind if I ask why you're going to Utica?"

"Actually, we're going through Utica. We're on our way to Johnstown. Sightseeing, you know?"

She peeked back into the van through her glasses. She took that extra second like she was trying to make me tense or freak out, but I stayed perfectly still. It's not like I'd lied or anything.

She passed me back the magiced ID and gave the top of the van a pat. "Have a nice day."

I gave her a gentle smile and drove off. When we were out of sight, I unmagiced the van and everyone inside.

"Alright all," I yelled back, my hands on the wheel, "we're gonna stop for food. Any suggestions?"

"How about pizza. We could get a hotel and order pizza."

"Nope," I replied, popping the 'p'. "We can stop for food but no getting a room."

"We short on money or something?" Hatchet asked.

Jacins loud laugh rang from the very last row. "Yeah right! Her Majesty's loaded. She makes money off all the cities she reforms. Partial income."

"Wait," Quin said, "so you're in this for money?"

"So accusing," I mumbled. "No, I don't do it all for money. After a month goes bye, any money over ten thousand gets donated back to the cities. What I earn goes towards food, clothes, living space, even though I usually just hide myself in some cheap motel. Come on, Mr. Grumpy Pants. I thought we were over the whole Evil One thing."

There was no reply, so I kept quiet. Pizza, I thought, pizza sounds good though.

I watched out until I found a small pizza joint called Slice a' Life. Sounds good to me. And catchy. That's sounds like it took someone a good hour to think up.

I pulled into the parking lot.

"Welcome to Slice a' Life Pizzeria!" I yelled, turning to look back at the rest of them. Jacin was smiling at my usual antics, like normal. Heather was trying not to smile, I think, and so was Quin, I think. Probably. Quin's better at being neutral than Heather who really just doesn't care. Quin's former life as Mr. Grumpy Pants made this perfect Mr. Grumpy Pants mask that he could put on whenever.

We ended up getting five whole pizzas and finishing three of them. The rest we threw in boxes and took along with us. Jacin snacked on the ones in the back until he fell asleep with a slice of pizza in his hand.

"Someone grab that pizza before it hits the floor. I don't wanna get up to magically clean up pizza stains in the back of a van that might somehow find its way back to Niquie and Wynnie," I said to no one specifically. Yeah, they're all sleeping.

---

"You're still awake?" Hatchet mumbled from next to me, rubbing his eyes. "Didn't you sleep last night?"

"Nope. I'm too busy to sleep. Got things to do, people to meet, lives to save. You know, stuff like that."

He nodded, humming an 'okay'. "How much further's Johnstown?"

"We're basically here, but I figured I'd let you guys sleep in. Last time you all yelled at me." I took one hand off the wheel and snapped my fingers.

I felt a quick surge of weak electricity leave me. Three yelps came from the back of the family van.

"What the hell, Hecate!" Heather yelled. "What was that for?"

"We're here," I chirped. "I let out all sleep in this time, despite how close I was to dying of boredom, so no complaining. We'll park the car, pick up some breakfast and then get moving. The sooner we get to Gloversville, the better."

I pulled into a back alley parking space and stopped the car. The others were getting out while I walked around to the back.

"What're you doing?" Jacin said, watching me pick up a layer of carpeted floor and move it.

"You'll see."

With the carpet out of the way, I fit my finger into the little divot and opened the hidden compartment. The little secret compartment was filled with guns.

"Take this," I said, passing a small one to Jacin along with a holster. "Just in case. Since you can't really fight unless you touch someone."

I pulled out two larger guns and handed them to Quin and Heather who both gave me suspicious looks.

"What?" I said, snapping a small pistol on my waist. "Guns are legal these days. You know, in case of a magician attack. I mean, hide them as best you can cause you guys are scary carrying those things. I mean seriously, you scream murder or mass shooting. Keep them hidden as best you can. Actually," I snapped my fingers, "even better."

Next, I took a small pistol and tied it to my waist. Better to be safe than sorry, especially when I got more than just me to worry about.

"Why do you have a gun and not me?" Hatchet asked. "Do you even know how to work a gun?"

"You need to practice your magic. And yes, padawan, I do know how to work a gun. You pull the thing back and then you pull the trigger. And what happened to your dirt?"

"Well, you're not wrong," he grumbled. He lifted up his hand and showed me the little ball of dirt. "Didn't wanna walk around with magic."

"What happens from here?" Quin asked, swinging the gun over his shoulder. "We walk?"

"We walk!" I confirmed, pointing my finger forward. "Oh, wait, hold on a second. I forgot something."

I crawled back into the front of the van and grabbed my bag.

"Onward!"

---

"Are we there yet?" Jacin complained through a breakfast burrito. "I'm tired."

"Almost."

I glanced forward at the scenery. It was so oddly green here. Especially after everything that happened in New York. After the capital was moved to The City, formerly New York City, there were a lot of wars between magicians and non-magicians. Most of the land became desolate and ruined. Some places were even deemed to poisonous to-

"We're here!" I yelled, stopping suddenly.

Jacin bumped into my back.

"Where are we?" Heather asked. "Cause I don't see anything."

I laughed a little. "Of course not. There's nothing to see up here. If the old magicians, I call them the ancients in my work, put all their runes and tunnels above ground they'd all be destroyed or, worse, looted by people with no idea of the beauty of magic. Who knows what non-magicians could do with this power. Like the president. He'd kill all magicians faster than he already is if he figured out how to read these things. Or got someone to read them for him cause that's what presidents do."

"So, where's the runes or tunnels?" Hatchet asked.

"Below ground," Quin answered, landing a firm kick on the ground. "But how are we going to get there?"

I smiled. "Never underestimate the Queen of Magic." With a snap of my fingers, the ground blow us began to shake. A circular platform was made as we were slowly carried deeper into the earth.

It seemed like all we would be passing was solid earth. There was no signs of any runes, but I could feel them. The distinct pull at my magic.

"Don't use magic here," I told Hatchet. "Could be dangerous."

"Yeah," Jacin said, crossing his arms. "I can feel it."

The platform gave a little rumble and, instead of earth and dirt, we were suddenly surrounded by open space. Without light, I couldn't make out anything.

I raised my hand and focused on my palm. Careful that my magic wouldn't spill, I called on light. Two little streams fell in from above and circled in my hand until they formed one solid ball of light.

I examined the room, looking up and down until I found what I was looking for. Above me, there was the glyph for light. Four lines pointing up, left, right, and down.

I gave the ball a toss and let it hit the glyph. The room lit up completely, like there main light source was the room itself.

With a snap of my fingers, I imagined the hole I made, and then I imagined a film covering it. It wasn't real, even. Solid so that people could walk over it, but the film would also let air in so we wouldn't, you know, suffocate.

I looked around at the room. It looked exactly like it did last time I was here.

The walls were covered in glyphs, some that, as made as it made me, I couldn't read. I'd figure then out while we were here though. I had time, now.

Each glyph was the same size. They covered from the ceiling of the rounded room, to where it met the floor. The ground had nothing special on it, and I didn't feel anything under it last time I was here.

On the north and south sides of the room, there were two glyphs, each with hand prints under them. To the north, magic. To the south, non-magic. I had a pretty good idea of what I needed to do.

"What is this place?" Quin asked, trying to keep his jaw from hanging open in amazement.

"This, my friends, is the first non-magic rune I've ever discovered."

-Authors Notes-

Hey, readers! How's it been? Sorry that I haven't updated in so long. It takes a lot to convince myself to start writing.

Anyways, this wasn't for nothing. I wanted to ask all of you a question. Actually, questions.

Is there anything you guys wanna see? Anything I need more of? Anything I need less of?

Anyways, thanks for reading.

Love you all,

~Q