Nico POV
"I have a job for you. Don't ask questions."
"What is it?"
Hades rolled his eyes at his son, but calmed himself and gave Nico the answer. "A duty of mine as king of the Underworld is to make sure that not only do the damned souls receive punishment, but the blessed souls are happy. It has come to my attention that a certain soul in Elysium has not been at peace with himself since he got here, roughly three thousand years ago."
"Why would that trouble you?" asked Nico. Normally, he knew, his father didn't care enough about the souls under his care.
"This particular person has been here a while, is well known, and is greatly beloved by my brethren on Olympus. There would be great displeasure if nothing was done about this."
"What do you want me to do about it?" Nico said, annoyed at his father's indirect explanation.
"That is for you to find out. I do not know what will appease this spirit, and contact between the dead and living is forbidden. I doubt you would be able to get him to talk to you anyways," Hades said.
Nico stared in disbelief. "Why me?"
Hades sighed. "You are my son and one of the few living who are granted passage to the Underworld. My question for you, rather, is why not you."
"Can you at least give me a name?" Nico asked, annoyed.
"A name should not be relevant. He fought and died in the Trojan Wars, and that is all the information I will give you."
Nico stared. "How am I supposed to-"
Hades cut his son off with a loud sigh. "I do not know what he desires, so it would be best for you to be on your way."
Nico glared for a moment longer, but gave in. "Any other requirements for this dumb quest of yours?"
Hades returned the sour look. "You may bring three companions if you wish. I doubt you will need them; this quest should not be dangerous. You may have to fight of a very powerful water nymph, though. Also possibly a river god. Maybe some shades. Many people died and were never claimed after the war, but easy other than that."
Nico walked out of his father's throne room, head reeling. "Not dangerous. Yeah, right. Everything is dangerous with him."
He returned to camp by shadow travel, glad that the late spring sun provided shadows to jump through. He landed back at camp, so distracted that he had almost walked straight into Will Solace.
His boyfriend chuckled. "Hold up, sunshine. Where are you off to?"
Nico shrugged of Will's hand from his shoulder and mumbled something about speaking with Chiron. Will's face turned stern. "Are you okay? You look tired." Realization crashed over his face. "You shadow traveled, didn't you?"
"So what if I did? I'm fine. I just need to talk to Chiron.
Will shrugged and laced their fingers together. "Fine. I'm coming with you, though."
Nico almost refused, but he didn't want Chiron to be the only one to know of his quest. He turned and pulled Will in the direction of the Big House.
Chiron and Mr. D were deep in conversation when the pair entered the room.
"Ah. Hello," Chiron cleared his throat. "Can we help you?"
"Possibly," Nico grunted, flopping down on the couch, not having realized how heavy his limbs were feeling. He relayed his encounter with his father to the immortals, not sparing a detail.
Once he was finished, Dionysus and Chiron exchanged a look. "It seems like a done deal to me," Chiron said. "I expect you will want to set off as soon as possible?"
"That's just it, though!" Nico's anger shone through his calm demeanor. "My father didn't tell me who I was supposed to help, and I don't know where to start!"
Chiron glanced at him with a pitying expression. "Then your first course of action is to find which spirit it is."
Nico bit back a retort. "That's harder than it sounds, you know."
"Your father will grant you save passage to anywhere in the Underworld," Dionysus said. "You have nothing to fear, no time limit, and once you find the spirit, it may not be hard to appease it."
"Assuming I find the spirit," Nico grumbled. "My father only told me that he fought in Troy."
"So you know where to go if you don't find the spirit, then," Chiron said reassuringly. "Also, you may bring three companions. I think, if the right ones are chosen, this quest will be rather simple."
Nico wanted to throw something once he and Will left the Big House. This quest was so annoyingly vague, he had no place to start, and why would he care about a single unhappy spirit in Elysium?
Will took his hand. Nico calmed down a little bit, but it was only then he realized the grass around his feet had withered and died. "Oops."
Will gave a little smile. "No hard feelings." He turned to face Nico, holding both his hands now. "Don't let it get to your head. It's a simple quest."
"It's annoyingly vague. Even Chiron isn't helping," Nico snapped.
"We know where to start, though," Will said. "You must go to the Underworld and hope you find the spirit." Nico nodded, not meeting Will's eyes. "Who will you take with you?" he asked.
Nico paused. He hadn't thought about that, but now was almost dreading bringing three people with him. "I don't know," he muttered.
"Your father said something about a river god and a water nymph? Percy's back, you could bring him." Nico really didn't want to bring Percy though.
He pursed his lips, Will noticing. "Okay, then, you could bring Annabeth as well. She'd be helpful," Will said. Nico nodded, a little more at peace.
His thoughts were faster than his brain, though. "Will you come?"
Will gave his annoying thoughtful smile. "I'd go with you anywhere."
His boyfriend leaned in to lightly kiss him.
Of course, Nico would later deny eagerly kissing him back, leaning in and burying his fingers in Will's blonde hair, but for now, he was content right where he was.