Chaos' Chalice
-Aero-
Meet me, aero, Greek child of boreas, I had three brothers and sisters all but my little brother vent are roman. I've been at camp half blood for six years, though I wasnt claimed until this last December, the large white ash cabin dedicated to my father was actually very warm, open air, lots of windows, wind chimes hung from just about everywhere and the semi-living polar bears are a nice touch. Now meet my best friend Lou Ellen, Lou is the oldest daughter of Hecate, she was 17 like me, she had been at camp for two years, ever since the initial Titan war, she was dumped in the Aphrodite cabin even though she had been claimed. And finally meet the person I care the most for in the whole world is... Nick. Nick has been at camp for less than a month, he's the son of Nike, he has amnesia but not in a Jason kind of way, he just stumbled across the camp border, bloody and bruised. He remembers a bit of his old life, and. Just. Don't want him to remember, maybe he'd leave, maybe I... I sat up after staring at my ceiling for an hour, I showered and dressed in jeans and a blue v neck Lou had given me, I woke vent up and after he had showered and dressed we went to the pavilion, we ate together, I was almost Christmas now, snow was falling slowly as everyone woke up, Lou and nick came over and sat at our table not worried about the rules *head campers privileges* "morning" "g'morning frosty" I looked at nick, he was the same height as me, 6'1, he had a deep beautiful tan spread Over taught well muscled skin, he had black hair but random streaks of gold ran through it, his eyes were the same beautiful copper, it was no surprise the son of the goddess of strength and victory was the hottest- never mind that thought... We finished eating and just as activities were starting Rachel ran up to me, "aero, come on!" "what? What's going on?" "you'll see!" I ran with her back to the big house, Dionysius and Chiron were already there as well as nick who ad somehow beaten me and rachel here and some blonde guy with angel wings. Angel wings, blonde stud... Nick, blonde stud, nick... "what's going on?" and then Rachel started glowing green and the oracle spoke from inside her, "the longest day is nigh at hand, the faded gods alive again, go forth my champion into eternal night, let wind and flicker be your guide, stand together side by side, and triumph or else die." at first I didn't know what was going on but there were too man allusions to victory to be coincidence, nick had a quest and I think I was a part of it, Rachel sank into nicks arms nearly fainting while I was lost in thought, I looked at Chiron and he scratched his beard thoughtfully "well Nicholas you obviously have a quest, issued by Eros himself, you are allowed to chose your quest members." I looked at him then back at the pretty Boy Eros... Nick spoke first, "aero will you come with me?" "you didn't have to ask." he looked back at Eros, "what's this quest about?" the gorge- handsome blonde god spread his wings and spoke "the wars are over and it's time to start anew, gods fade as they're dominions do, I've always been one of the most popular and have never had to face that problem, but there are those like my twin brother who were not. Anteros was the god of requited love, he faded as western civilization began to grow, as did pan, and rhea, this quest is just curiosity, there is something the fates mentioned to me about a way to reverse the fading, that is what your after." nick shook his head and I squeezed his shoulder reassuringly, "why me, I can't even remember my own last name what qualifies me for a quest!" his gold eyes were dark with thought and the god merely shrugged he handed him a white feather, I led nick away from there, he and I already knew he would choose Lou as his third member. We found her at the forges carving runes into a dagger, she slid her welding mask up and looked at us worried "what's the matter pudding?" I patted his back as he told her what had happened, "I accept, totally, let me finish up a few projects and well get to it." we left her there and split up to pack. I went back to my cabin and packed a light grey nap sac with what I thought could come in handy, to flake of nectar, some ambrosia, tw changes of clothes, a small first aid kit, a small set of throwing knives, and one of my only magical items a gift from my dad, being born to the god of ice, snow and the nor wind meant I should love the cold, wrong. I loved a cool breeze but as for winter not a fan of ice, he had given me a cure all wind breaker for my last birthday, it looked like any normal north face but it could change into a full length trench coat, parka, suite of armor, pretty much any "coat". A handful of drachmas and some mortal money before finally reaching to the alcove under m bed and picking up my other magical item, hauteclere. It was a gift from him when I was little, it had protected me countless times and had a few little quirks of its own, I unsheathed I staring down at the crystal blue blade, it was a wind sword, it was just as good for throwing as for slashing and always returned when thrown. I shrank it down to its ring form and slid it on my pinky, I ran out and found vent, he was with our adoptive older brothers Conner and Travis, "guys. Need to talk with vent for a while, They nodded already hearing about the quest, I lead my ten ear old brother by The hand "vent I have something I have to tell you..."he nodded and sat on a stump, "you know about quests, I' have to go on one with nick and Lou." "yeah but..." "well nick is my bed friend, and I really want to help him..." and then he was clinging to me, "please take me with you." "no you need to stay here, when your big like me you can go on quests too..." he sobbed against my chest, "does nick like you too?" "no he likes girls but he's still my friend, promise me you'll always be there for your friends." "I promise, but if you don't come back I'm taking your bunk." I Laughed and ruffled his ice blonde hair, "I'll be back I promise." "in time for Christmas?" err..."yeah for sure." I lead him back to the archery range and met nick and Lou at the crest of half blood hill, I looked back worried Id never come back when I felt nicks hand on my shoulder "come on, well be home for Christmas." I smiled at my two friends as we headed towards the border.
-Nick-
Well it was not the best way to start a quest... No sooner than we had made it to manhattan than this giant green fox comes barreling past us just as Lou is buying a hot dog, It leapt up nabbed it from her hands and ran on, immediate afterwards a huge grey dog ran right into me in the process of chasing the fox, "what the-" I felt the feather struggle out of my bag and flew after them, "that mangy cat stole my weenier!" "um I think that's a sign were supposed to follow them! We bolted after the floating feather, ducking traffic and bicycles "nick stop!" I turned t see them nearly a block behind me, "we can't keep up..." I ran back to them... "we can't loose it..." I looked around "damn..." I looked down at them, aero was an inch taller than me, he had a slim but built profile, he had pale skin a shar chin ears and nose, his eyes were icy blue and his hair was nearly white it was so blonde, it was close cropped and in a wave plastered by sweat to his forehead. Lou was half a head short than me, she had Bronx skin, a lithe profile but full figure, her hair was dark brown with green streaks in a pixie cut, she had forest green eyes and a warm smile, "let me triumph, let me be the fastest, the strongest, and the only victorious." my body was surrounded by a golden aura and suddeny I had all the energy in the world I could run a hundred miles, hold up the sky. I grabbed both of them around the waist, I hefted both ont my shoulders and ran madly after the feather, fox and dog. I ran for miles Barely closing in on the feather, the sun was setting agains the sky line and I felt my energy giving out, under normal circumstances I could maintain my victory form for almost twenty minutes but with two exhausted demigods on me I knew I'd barely last another two, each stride made the distance of ten, almost galloping, "nick how are you doing this!" i want sure who even said it, I ran down an ally after the feather suddenly turned and my aura faded entirely, I collapsed on the ground somewhere between dead and beyond exhausted, Lou jumped up and started jumping up and down "let's go again! Let's go again!" aero crouched over me I was staring up at the cloudy sky barely able to get n enough air. "nick are you okay?" "I...am...just... Re... Ally... Tired...". they managed to sit me up and I saw the feather was floating above an open man hole, "would ambrosia help?" I managed to shake my head, Still huffing in breathes"I just burned a huge... Amount of calories...I just need a minute to rest..." my eyes slowly closed. The next time I opened them I was in a dark tunnel, there was a fire infront of me and me head was in someone's lap, I looked pa nd saw Lou holding my head, "Lou?" "hiya baby, you kinda passed out and me and aero had to take turns dragging you down here" I sat up clutching my stomach, I was starved,"where's aero?!" "he went to get food meanwhile I've been pitching tents and watching the fox and hound go at it, I followed her gaze and saw the green fox, the dog ran at it and it leapt out of the way, it went on forever until finally aero came back,"hey your up!" I nodded"yeah, though I can't walk... Food... Food!" he reached into his bag and pulled out burger king bags, " I grabbed one and ripped the wrapper off the first burger I could get to, I swallowed it in one bite then another then another and suddenly I was there with French fries sticking out of my mouth with them staring a me, I covered my mouth and swallowed feeling a blush run up my neck, "ummm... I'm really hungry..." they laughed, "it's okay what you did was amazing, what was that back there?" "victory magic, Nike doesn't have many powers through I can cheat physics for a while and become nearly invincible though I'm like this afterwards. So where are we?" " Down in some kind of abandoned tunnel, though I can tell we're nowhere near new York anymore." "wait we were still n new York when I was still running? How long was I out?" she shook her head "no it's not that, it's something about this place, I think we're in the labyrinth." I looked at aero who looked confused "didn't Percy say it collapsed behind them?" "he did but I think someone is supporting it, I can feel the magic in the air." I nodded trying to nder stand it, then again it was Lou. I saw her give a yawn and it chained to Aero, "you guys get sme rest, I can take the first watch." "you sure?" I nodded and they went into they're tents, I was sitting there scolding myself, what wasn't there t be angry about, I'm so much of a failure I don't even know myself! I'm a great leader all right, chase after bunch of mangy mutts who were just going t stop anyway and collapse." I just wish i Could do something right. Come on mom... Help me out!"
-Lou-
"lou, wake up. Lou-" I shot up and bashed my forehead into something that obviously wasn't supposed to crack, "ow!" I looked and saw that I had smashed into aeros nose "I think you broke my nose!" I rolled my eyes "it's not even bleeding! God men are such babies." I got up and began packing my tent I looked over when I hear nick say take off your shirt to aero "why the hell-" "just do it, need to reset it and that's gonna make it bleed." I walked over as aero took it off, nick leaned him back a bit and put the base of his hands at either side of the bent nose. I heard nick muttering under his breath and then *snap* "ooooowwwww!" blood began pouring from aeros nose but then it stopped suddenly, "what just happened?" looked at nick and saw his nose was broken too now, not nearly as bad, I looked at aero and minus the blood the two breaks were minor and identical. I raised an eye brow in a silent question and he blushed "I just split the pain, can't have Him whining like a baby all day can we?" I nodded and we finished up packing camp, the fox and hound were waiting for us after all and as soon as they saw we were moving they led the way again, after a few hours of walking we came to a serger room... Well less a room than a jungle. Exotic flora filled everything but a small clearing, and then I saw it, ghosts, all over the place, barely Isabel white shades of animals, dodo birds, elephants, is that a two headed giraffe? "were not in kansas anymore" "what told you, the mysterious underground forest or the jack-a-lope that's staring at me?" I slugged aero in the shoulder and walked up to a futon that lauding the middle of all of it, I sensed it from fifty feet away, there was something powerful. I saw that on the velvet was a set of reed pipes, "this is it. This is where Grover found pan." I picked up the pipes and an earthquake shook the room,the fox and hound darted for the exit on the other side as the room began collapsing around us. "Lou run!" aero grabbed my wrist as we bolted for the exit, the ceiling of the tunnel ahead was slowly moving down like a door "faster!" nick ran ahead of us and the gold aura wrapped around him again, he out p his hands and held the ceiling up "hurry I can't hold it long!" we ran last him out into the next room, he dropped the ceiling and rolled out with us. "Lou what did you pick up!?" I held up the reeds "pans pipes." "great, now even dead gods want to kill us." "sorry blondie, Eros mentioned pan in the gods he wanted us to restore, the pipes must have been holding the room together, imagine what it must have been like when pan was there."