Again the beta was done by Yesthisistori (tumblr) whom I role-played this story out with.
I do not own PJO or HoO
I hope you guys enjoy! ^ ^ Thank you for the review and follows by the way.
Will sat cross-legged on a rock near the front entry of the camp a few yards from the Big House. He was watching the first streaks of sunrise break across the sky. Breathing deeply, he closed his eyes in prayer to his father, speaking aloud since as far as he could tell, Will was alone. "Dad, I don't know how this quest is going to go. I just. I don't want to let you down." His eyes opened and he saw more of the sun. It was just climbing up over the trees. A soft breeze ruffled his shaggy blond hair and Will for a moment thought about a father reaching out and rubbing the top of his child's head in encouragement.
A shaky breath escaped him and Will nodded. "I'm going to prove myself on this quest," he said with resolve, giving the sun a lopsided grin.
"Of course you are," Nico's voice came up from behind Will, scaring him half to death. "I didn't mean to scare you."
"Really?" Apollo's son asked with sarcasm. "So what, you want to talk to me now?" He was blunt, trying to serve back some of the icy demeanor his friend had given him the night before. With an eye roll, Nico joined Will, sitting to lean his back against the same rock.
"About last night. I was angry about not being allowed to go," Nico explained. He pulled up his knees and rested his elbows on them, fiddling with his fingers. "I just, no matter who it is, I'm not going to trust anyone pulling my sister into another quest."
Will glanced down. That's right, the last time one of Nico's sisters had gone on a quest she didn't make it back and it destroyed the boy he used to be. Of course he'd still be hesitant about her risking her life. "She's not going to leave Camp Jupiter, you know," Will reminded him.
"Yeah, but if the Mist fades enough for the monsters... Will, there are legacies and families near that camp. If Chiron was worried about three demigods going on this quest, just think about the beacon that would be going up there."
"Oh." Will looked out to the sunlight again. "You're right." He sighed.
"Will." The boys turned, Will more than Nico, to see Chiron galloping towards them. "It's time." They both stood and headed for their mentor, who lead them back to the Big House. Before it two pegasi stood, tethered to the freshly repaired flying chariot.
"Won't these guys be a little noticeable with the Mist not working right?" Clarisse asked pointedly.
"I'm leaving early enough in the morning that there shouldn't be a lot of air traffic. Not to mention the route I'm going to take will be in line with the sun itself so I can use that as camouflage." Chiron nodded in approval to the plan.
"Alright." Clarisse nodded. "This is from our armory," she began tossing Will a flash light, "Flicking it forward turns it on, pulling the switch all the way to you... well, try it out."
Will did as he was told and the flashlight transformed into a good sized bow with a fully loaded quiver in his hand. "Nice! Thank you." He nodded, laughing a bit out of excitement.
"Well, no one in my cabin was going to get much use out of it." The Daughter of Ares shrugged. "Also there's twenty five arrows and they don't regenerate, so you'll have to collect the arrows after a fight to keep them." Will nodded in understanding pulling out one of the arrows and tossing the quiver over one shoulder. He notched an arrow and drew back. "It's a twenty pound draw weight." Will found the switch on the main grip of the bow and flicked it back to the center. Immediately the weapon collapsed to a simple black flashlight he could fit in his short's pocket.
"That's what I'm used to. Thanks again Clarisse." He glanced over to Chiron.
"Annabeth, did you have a map for Will?" the centaur asked turning.
"Yes." Athena's daughter stepped up and opened the map out showing it to Will. "This is Camp Jupiter." Her finger tapped a purple dot in California. "This is Danvers, Massachusetts. The sight of the original Salem Witch Trials."
"Salem Witch Trials? You mean like out of The Crucible?" Clarisse asked a bit stunned. She noticed a few of the looks she'd been given. "Yes, I do actually read in school," Ares's daughter hissed at the small group.
"Yes," Lou Ellen cut in. "That was a massacre of Hecate's children. That's also what the story was based around. It's not much to go on, but it's a start anyways."
"A start is all I need." He reached out, rubbing Lou Ellen's back before giving her a quick hug. She returned it lightly and Will nodded, stepping away. "Well, I packed last night. So… I guess I'm ready to go."
"Very well." Chiron nodded and gestured to the Chariot. Will jogged over to his backpack and flung it over his shoulder. He also clipped a small red pack around his hips, a mini first aid kit. (His full sized one was in the bottom of his backpack.) Tentatively, Will stepped onto the chariot and took his place behind the reins. "Remember to leave them at Camp Jupiter," he was of course speaking about the pegasi and the chariot. "They will be far too risky to travel by once the sun has fully risen."
Nerves began to attack at Will's stomach and he nodded. "Right."
Nico noticed the change. Will was trying to keep his spirits up, but now that the moment was here, it was suddenly hitting him. "Wait a second." Nico reached to his hand and pulled his skull ring off. "If anyone in Camp Jupiter questions you, show them this. Tell them you're on a quest and that the Ambassador of Pluto gave you his blessing." Will's eyes widened as he was handed the silver ring. Glancing down into Nico's dark and tired eyes, he realized he was trying to also encourage him. "Good luck, Will. Also I'm only loaning that to you. It comes back with you."
"T-Thank you, Nico." He took the ring and slid it onto his ring finger. "I'll bring it back." Will promised and Nico stepped back. The gesture brought a spark of determination to Will and he took a deep breath. "Hiya!" He snapped the reins and the winged horses began to run and eventually ascend.
They watched Will leave and Annabeth's loud shameless yawn broke the silence. "I. Am. Going to bed. If Percy comes looking for me, please someone make him clean the stables or something, but I am not here until well after lunch today." She threw her hands up and Clarisse laughed.
"Let me walk to you back to your cabin, Brainiac." Annabeth didn't fight the offer and nodded, the two of them walking away side by side. Lou Ellen left a few moments after Will was nothing more than a dark speck in the sky.
"That was very honorable, what you did, Nico," Chiron offered when they were alone. "I know that ring means a lot to you. Seeing that he needed encouragement and sacrificing that to him-"
"You don't need to praise me, Chiron. Will's a friend. I would do it for any of my friends," he lied with a nod. "I'm going to get some more rest, too." He nodded and turned, leaving for his cabin. Once there, he laid back down, his eyes falling on his own back pack ready and waiting, hidden by the leg of his bunk. He'd try to get at least a few hours of sleep which Nico had known to be futile.
Jason had pointed it out the other day, that Nico seemed to sleep better when he was near Will. His eyes narrowed at the ceiling of his cabin. It had really started the previous summer after the battle against Gaea. Spending the three days with Will actually was the longest Nico had spent with someone beside him at a time of peace and healing. In fact, even now when a particularly long infliction of insomnia had struck him, Nico would go help out in the infirmary for a few hours if Will was there, because for some reason his aura and life force always calmed Nico.
Hades's son rolled to his good side and stared out the window, glaring at the few strands of sunlight. Did he miss him already? No, he couldn't. Yeah, he had feelings for Will. They started when the son of Apollo took his hand and held it. Nico stared at his hand. He could almost still feel the tremors Will had when he gripped it. He felt his face go warm and his stomach roll with butterflies and Nico groaned. If he missed Will this much already without ever admitting to the other male that he had feelings for him, or even allowing himself to admit them to himself, Nico would dub himself an idiot.
He did already miss that annoyingly happy medic and now he wasn't going to be able to sleep without him. "Styx. I am an idiot."
Someone knocked outside his door a few hours later. It was Percy. "Come on, Nico, are you going to sulk all day?" Nico rolled on to his stomach and winced. His ribs were aching horribly. "Nico, are you in there?"
"Yeah, just. I'll be out in a few minutes," he answered. Nico slowly swung his legs over and stood up. He made his way to the bathroom within the cabin and lifted his shirt. On his left side, he noticed a small lump. It was painful to the touch and it had risen up more as if the area had swollen, though so far though there was no sign of bruising. "Styx," Hades's son cursed. He'd have to sneak some ambrosia or nectar, which ever would help heal the wound faster.
"Nico!" With a huff, he figured that would have to wait and the son of Hades quickly stepped outside, getting annoyed by Percy's whining. "Finally! Wait, grab your sword. Literally no one is at the arena and you and I haven't gone toe to toe in forever."
"Uh..." Nico hesitated.
"Ha! Dude, are you worried I'm going to beat you? Cause I am, but if you're-"
"Wait. Here." He couldn't just not fight Percy, otherwise it would be obvious something was up. Nico resigned himself to the pain that he knew he was going to feel later, but he needed to be able to sneak away when no one was expecting it. Also he couldn't let Percy get away with acting so cocky.
Will felt great flying with the sun over head. Already the son of Apollo was reaching his half way point. So far, so good. He'd kept his eyes out for anyone that looked like he'd drawn the attention of, but there was nothing. More than once, he found himself looking down and smiling at the skull ring on his finger. Nico's ring that he'd loaned him.
He liked Nico, and yes, it was in that way. Will remembered seeing the younger demigod's bravery during the battle of Manhattan, watching him charge fearlessly and summon the dead without hesitation. Then there was everything he did to ensure the safety of both camps and making sure that the Athena Parthenos made it in time to stop the war between the Greek and Roman demigods. Nico was selfless and brave and really (gods help him) cute.
Yeah, he was crushed when Nico didn't stop by to check on him at the infirmary. Will didn't go sabotaging onagers with just anyone. Besides, he'd meant it when he told Nico that he wanted to be friends with him. Friends just happened to turn into something more than, well, just friends.
Will hadn't wanted Nico to know just yet. He wanted to wait until himself and the son of Hades were on far better terms before he told him. However, Lou Ellen and Cecil both knew and figured it out on their own. He glanced down to the ring. It was still there and still filling him with a sense of relief. Nico believed in him and his ability to complete the quest. Will hardened his gaze on the horizon. It had already been a year since he started to feel this way towards the other demigod.
"I'll tell him when I get back," he resolved, determination welling up into his stomach.
Nico was regretting going along with Percy and their stupid sparring match. Thankfully at the arena there was no water, but Nico could still use his own powers. The son of Hades stabbed his blackened blade into the ground. He was nowhere near as skilled at Hazel in manipulating the earth, but he could still make a wall of spikes, keeping Poseidon's son from attacking him directly.
This was going against his plan entirely. With Percy keeping him here exerting himself continuously using his powers in place of blade-to-blade combat, Nico was only going to be tiring himself out more. He still needed to Iris message Hazel and make a request of her, hopefully before Will made it to the camp.
Percy found a way in through Nico's defenses. A few other campers cheered on the sidelines. Keeping his tender side away from his friend's strikes was becoming harder and harder. At one point, Nico tried to duck and roll, but he hit the ground on the wrong side and halted. Riptide was at his throat. "Best two out of three?" Percy asked him breathing heavily.
"I can't, Jackson, I have other stuff to do." Nico swatted the blade away and slowly stood, once again using his sword to help him self up.
"I'll take you on, Jackson." Percy turned to see another camper, blade drawn and ready to challenge him. Nico took his chance to get away and did. He thankfully could hear the battle picking up behind him and that gave him more than enough energy to struggle back to his cabin. In a quick motion, he'd locked the main door and then the bathroom door as well. There wasn't a shower so he had to improvise. Nico turned on the tap and took hold of the end of the faucet, taking a few tries to make it not spray on him.
He positioned himself to see the small awkward rainbow and fished out his gold drachma, saying the incantation and flipping the coin into the rainbow. "Show me Hazel Levesque, please."
"Oh!" Hazel jumped back from whatever it was she'd been doing. "Hey! Nico, h-how are you!?" She smiled widely and Nico returned the grin. "Sorry, I was doing some paperwork for the Legion, well, more of filing it for Reyna."
"You're fine, Hazel," Nico gave slightly. "I'm fine, too, but listen. Will Solace. He's on his way via pegasi and a flying chariot. I need you to do me a favor and message me when he gets there." Nico's voice had dropped to a low whisper.
"Okay." She shifted, looking around nervously. "Nico, is everything okay?"
"Yeah." He nodded. "It will be. He's on a quest and I need to go with, but until I know he's there, I can't leave Camp Half-Blood."
Hazel's eyes suddenly took on a motherly look and they hardened. "Should you be leaving camp? I heard a bit about what happened yesterday from Reyna when Jason called. Nico, is this something you should stay-"
"No." He drew in a deep breath and sighed. "Hazel, I can't get into the why, but there is something that I know, there is something about this quest that's trying to pin itself on me and I can't let Will go alone." A sudden icy draft made him tense and look around. "I-I gotta go. Just IM me when he's there. Please."
Hazel nodded and Nico let go of the faucet. With the rainbow gone, the message faded and he stood up to begin peeling the now damn clothes off of himself. Which was fine, as he needed to clean up and be ready to head out as soon as Hazel messaged him. Half way through changing, though, another familiar voice was at his door, knocking away. "Hey, Nico."
"What is it, Grace?" He heard the doorknob jiggle and Nico sighed, walking over, and undid the lock, stepping behind the door to let Jason in. Nico faced the wall while pulling down his shirt.
"Dude!" Jason gasped. "Your back is messed up, Nico."
"Yes, I know, I can sorta feel it." Nico pulled the shirt down and held it in place at his hips for the moment after his sarcastic reply. "I already had some ambrosia and nectar." A lie, but he figured it would make his blonde friend willingly drop the subject. "Jason, I'm fine. What are you here for?"
"I-I, uh, I wanted to see if you wanted to help with a few of the afternoon stealth training sessions? I'm not particularly good at it and Chiron suggested you." Jupiter's son shifted nervously and Nico eventually nodded. He still had a while until he would get the call from Hazel. They walked back silently down near the woods. "You sure you're going to be up to this?"
"I'm fine, Grace," Nico answered pointedly. They could see the first round of campers waiting and Jason cleared his throat. The small crowed turned and Nico stood, Stygian iron blade on his hip.
"Hello, everyone." Jason waved and the campers all turned, going silent as he spoke. "Nico and I are going to be in charge of your training this afternoon." Nico glanced over to Jupiter's son and watched him explain the route they were going for training. "In short, we're going to be playing Hide and Go Seek." Jason finished. "Nico and I will be 'it.' However, we're going to be in the woods. You guys have to sneak in past us without getting tagged. Otherwise you come back out here 'til the round is over."
"On our signal," Nico directed, turning along with Jason. The two demigods separated; Jason took to the sky and Nico found himself hiding out. He found his airborne friend nodded and whistled loudly, indicating that the first round had begun. It didn't take long for them to end not just the first round, but the second round as well.
The third round started and Nico traveled deeper into the woods, encased in shadows. "Nico?" He nearly jumped out of his skin. Hazel floated above him in a rainbow. "Hey… What are you doing?"
"Is he there?" Nico asked hurriedly. He heard the sound of Jason whistling and knew any minute now he'd be found speaking to his half sister.
"Not yet, but he's been sighted. It shouldn't be too long now. I still don't know if I like this idea… Nico, why can't you tell me more about this? Shouldn't you just listen to Chiron and stay put?"
Nico sighed and wordlessly reached up to run his hand through the message, but stopped. Pluto's daughter sighed as well and Nico looked up into her eyes. They were pleading with him to stay put at Camp Half-Blood, but instead he offered her a small, soft smile. "I'll see you soon, Hazel." He dissolved the message and then, for the first time since his injury, allowed himself to fall into the shadows.
He emerged back at the Hades cabin on his knees. "Styx." Nico had to rub his eyes to get the stars out of them. This was going to be very, very difficult. Still, the son of Hades stood and placed his sword at his hip, grabbing his black hooded zip-up sweater and throwing it on before he grabbed the black backpack and took a look around the cabin.
One last breath and he stepped into the shadows. His eyes narrowing on something just as he began to lose the image of the Hades's cabin: a white feather next to his bed. Nico figured it came from one of the pillows and turned away, drifting into the icy bleak shadows.
Will landed the chariot as close to the entrance to Camp Jupiter as he could. Thankfully, they got the memo that he was going to be flying and had set up tarps making it look like the maintenance tunnel that lead into camp was just under construction. He walked alongside the pegasi as soon as they were covered in a sea of blue and white plastic. Two of the armored campers greeted him. "Hi." He nodded to the both of them and the smaller of the two offered to take the reins and lead the winged horses. "Thank you. I'm Will Solace, I'm here from Camp Half-Blood."
"You don't say?" The elder camper laughed, pointing at his bright orange shirt.
"Oh." Will joined him in the laugh and asked their names. The smaller of the two female campers was Jessie. The elder of them was Ashley, and they were sisters. "So you guys grew up here?"
They both answered in unison and then broke off telling him bits about the camp as they walked through the long darkened tunnel. This was going to be his first time seeing the other camp. Will was excited. He'd heard stories about it from Jason, Percy, and a few of the other campers that had visited because they lived in the area when the summer session had ended. Now it was his turn. Stepping out into the sunlight from the tunnel, Will whistled lightly. Camp Jupiter was huge. In no time, they were nearly to the heart of it when he heard a familiar voice shouting to them. "Will?" He turned to face Nico's half sister Hazel. "You guys are relieved. I'll take him to Reyna from here." The sisters respectfully bowed their heads and dismissed themselves.
"You're Hazel, right? I remember you visiting Nico a lot before you left last year," he stated. Hazel nodded.
"Thank you for helping him," she replied. "As well as remembering me. It's been a while." They walked together, Will following her as she lead him to Reyna. "Is he doing better there now?" she asked him. "I mean, is he..."
"He's still Nico," Will answered. "I mean, I think he's been doing better. He talks to Percy and Jason a lot more and stuff. Every once in awhile he pops in and helps out in the infirmary, but that's been getting rare, kind of like he's avoiding me sometimes." Hazel noticed the slightly pained sound in Will's voice. She changed the subject and began pointing out the other structures. "Nico and Percy said this place was huge."
Hazel grinned. "It is, I guess, though I'm probably just used to it now," she replied. They approached the Principia and she removed her helmet, tucking it under her arm, and pulled the door open. "Reyna, this is Will Solace from Camp Half-Blood."
Will recognized Reyna instantly. They never really talked, but she had Iris messaged Nico a few times while he was recovering, checking on him and making sure that he was listening to Will. "It's nice to meet you in person, Reyna, I mean Praetor Reyna."
The praetor stood up and Will gulped. She was an intimidating woman with ink black hair and glassy black eyes and the way she held her head up high on her shoulders demanded respect. However, the warm smile she offered Will made her look more like a protective older sister. "Please, just Reyna is fine, Will."
Still Will reached out his hand to her and Reyna took it, giving it a firm shake. Reyna made a face while holding his hand. "What is it?"
"This ring, doesn't it belong to Nico Di Angelo?" she asked him turning his hand and revealing the smiling skull to the two of them. Hazel blinked a few times before nodding, confirming that it did belong to her half brother.
"Yeah, he loaned it to me at the start of my quest, kind of a joke. I mean, he was joking that I have to bring it back to him, I'm not allowed to fail," Will stammered. "Anyway." He cleared his throat. "I'm here to ask you about the Mist and how it's, if at all, been affecting the camp."
Reyna nodded grimly. "Our scouts have noticed an alarming amount of empousai trying to find an entrance into the camp, but our defenses are strong and they never make it in." She took her place behind her desk once more and crossed her fingers together. "Trivia's children have also reported their abilities over the Mist to be waning. One of my colleagues has returned from leave, visiting family in Alaska. She told me that the state is in a panic." Her eyes scanned from Will to Hazel. "They say Alaska has plunged into 'eternal night.'"
"That's out of season," Will boldly commented. "Alaska does have sessions of days in which there is no daylight or sun, but those are in winter months." He blinked a few times, surprised by his own knowledge of the subject. He chalked it up to a strange child of Apollo thing and moved on, putting the thought of 'eternal night' on the back burner to not bring up his own anxieties about lack of sunlight.
"Aren't empousai the servants of Hecate?" Hazel asked. Will nodded. "That would explain the sudden amount of them trying to break into camp. If she's silent, then there's nothing keeping them from attacking demigods."
"This is alarming," Reyna nodded. She looked distant for a moment as if already attempting to prepare a battle plan. "We'll have to pull many of our 'weaker' male soldiers, as well as some of the females, from patrols on the front lines." Hazel nodded in agreement knowing that empousai would try to seduce their way in.
"We'll have to announce it after dinner tonight," Reyna explained. "Will, was there anything else that you needed?"
"Yes, actually. Hazel, I wanted to talk to you as well." Will turned to Pluto's daughter. "Piper, she mentioned that Hecate had sought you out on the quest of Great Prophecy," he began. "You can manipulate the Mist. I didn't know if you would have any idea as to where Hecate would go, as it sounds now it would appear that Alaska is in my future as well."
"Hecate showed me how to use the Mist, yes, but I haven't since then. It's not exactly something I liked to do," Hazel explained to the two of them, Reyna looking a bit surprised that Hazel hadn't yet mentioned to her she had this ability. "Messing with people's visions and minds, it bothers me." She shrugged.
Will nodded, feeling a bit crestfallen. "Thank you," he offered.
"However," Hazel cleared her throat, "Hecate did appear before my mom. She gave her the spell that summoned Pluto, it's how they met. That was in New Orleans. I think Hecate may still have powerful ties there."
Will's eyes lit up and snapped his fingers. "You're right!" He laughed. "If I'm right, there's still a lot of voodoo and Old World magic practiced there."
Reyna nodded, agreeing that Hazel was on the right track with her suggestion. "Very well. I suggest, Will, you eat before leaving. You'll have a long road ahead of you." He nodded and they turned to leave when Reyna noticed the look on Hazel's face. "Hazel?"
Hazel paused and turned. A moment later there was a knock on the door. The trio stood still and stared at the door. Hazel sensed Nico's Stygian iron blade on the other side of the door and walked over throwing it open. "You really couldn't just let it alone?" she asked the figure in a grim voice.
I'm excited, I've been so pumped to work on this and I'm liking the way this has been turning out for the most part! Thank you for reading. ^ ^