(A/N: Back for the third one! How's that for fast? I guess it's like that; depends on my mood. I can whip up a chapter in 30 minutes if I'm fired up and while I can also take a month off or more becaus of writer's block. It just so happened that I still had plenty of time and when I checked, I already have my first batch of reviews which got me going. Many thanks to Katie Gardner for not only being the first but also the second reviewer of this story and also to Saphira786 for being the third. Your feedbacks are much appreciated. As for the writing style, since this is my own version of Rick's sequel, I've decided that I should write it in the same format while incorporating Rick's writing style with mine but I'll keep it on the minimum. Thanks again! Anyways, this chapter would be about Nico and of course the introduction of some of my OCs. Read on!)
III
Nico
"Wakesssy up, Underworld sssssscum…" A voice hissed somewhere in front of him as he heard the rusty metal door creaked open. He opened his eyes and winced at the sudden bright light that shone from the Dracaena's oil lamp. "My missssstresssss…issssss here to sssssssseeeeee you…."
Nico faintly remembered what had happened. It started off with his vision of Bianca. Or at least he thought it was Bianca. Before he knew what was going on, he found himself walking by the edge of the River Styx towards the shores packed with Stygian Ice. Bianca's voice urged him to follow her further through the outer regions. At this point, he was beginning to wonder why but Bianca snapped at him and told him to do so. He grew suspicious because of this. Bianca would never do that no matter how annoyed she is at him way back. But by then, it was too late. The illusion vanished and there was a sudden bright blue light that hit him right on the face making him black out. When he regained consciousness, he was chained in some dark dungeon. He could've broken out easily except that the chains were made of silver; one of the few natural metals that negates demigod and magic powers.
Nico tugged at his bonds but he slumped after a few tries. He already knew it was hopeless as he glanced at his scraped up wrists. He'd been doing it for hours now without any luck until he succumbed to exhaustion.
"Still alive? Good." A female's voice spoke in utter delight as she entered the room. "We're going to need you for the ritual. Oh, would you look at that? It's time! Take him to the ceremonial hall!"
"Yesssss, missssstresssss!" The dracaena hissed and two more dracaena entered to help drag him out.
The group dracaenae dragged his half-dead body through the seemingly endless dark winding corridors. His arms and legs were still bound. As long as they are, he is weakened and unable to do anything but occasionally raise his head and catch a glimpse of his rather blurred surroundings. They climbed a long spiral staircase and through a large room with tall worn out columns, tattered gray and silver carpets lay on the floor and a caved ceiling. In the middle was a large stone table with rounded edges and four braziers that burned blue flame on all four corners. A pair of Laistrygonians each hefting clubs flanked the only door. Nico was confused. He can still sense that he is in the Underworld but he never knew such a place like this existed. It looked like some sort of a hall of a small castle once.
They stopped in front of the stone table and the dracaenae tossed him on it. The woman tilted his chin up with her fingers so he was facing her. She was beautiful with her wavy dark hair that fell on her shoulders, those mystical blue eyes sparkling with malice. Her red lips smiled with anticipation. Nico had seen her. She was no other than the sorceress Hecate.
"You…" Nico managed to speak. "Kronos has lost. Why keep on fighting?"
"Yes we all know he has been defeated. A thing of the past." The sorceress rolled her eyes and waved her hand dismissively. "I have found a rather much more able employer. She had provided me so much and promised even further more if I aid her in achieving her goals."
"Let me guess…it's Gaea." Nico said unceremoniously. "Who else would it be? What about her goals?"
"Ah ah ah. Not the time to spoil surprises, my dear!" She tapped his cheek. "For now, I need you…"
"Need me?" She stared at him; those glistening blue eyes boring into his. So pretty. Like tiny pools of water by the moonlight. So...hypnotizing…
It wasn't long before he was under her spell. He was too weak to resist. He barely noticed the two dracaenae cutting his wrists as blood freely gushed out of his wounds and into the two pithos right below the table.
"We need your life force, young demigod, all of it. Only your kind possess that energy we seek." She strokes his hair. "It takes a soul to seal the Barrier. It also takes a soul to break it!"
Her monologue was interrupted when two dracaenae burst into the room. "Misssstressss! It's that sssssssson of Posssssssssseidon! They have broken in!"
"HOW?" Hecate snarled. "Impossible. My illusion cannot be detected even by the highest forms of magic!"
Percy. Nico thought. His mind was swimming. His vision was doing slow 360s as he feels himself being emptied; spiraling into nothingness.
"They will be here sssssoooon missstressss!" The dracaena hissed. "What musssst we dooo?"
"It seems that we cannot complete the ritual." Hecate decided. She picked up the two pithos or more like levitated them. "What we have is insufficient but it will have to do. It's better than acquiring nothing at all. Besides, it's not them I'm mainly anxious about. If they have found this place, it won't be long then. We will never be able to stand a chance once the Black Legion arrives. Gaea certainly will not be pleased."
Suddenly, there was a woosh sound and a girl dressed in a black vest, white tank top and dark jeans, materialized in the center of the room beside the stone table and the barely conscious Nico. She drew a pair of daggers from her belt and attacked the surrounding dracaena. Nico could barely make out any of it. Her weapons seemed invisible or more like blended with her dark outfit. He watched as the dracaenae which had been slashed slowly dissolve as their essence flowed out.
The girl dodged Hecate's blue fireballs that rocked the whole place along with a bunch of nasty curses he never heard his own father say even on his worst days. The two giants charged and that's when another girl, this time a tall blonde, materialized behind them and engaged. It was when she drew her sword that he confirmed his suspicions. It can't be. They were using Stygian Iron! And the way they simply appeared. It's more like they shadow-traveled.
The dark haired girl leaped up with such grace and finesse, stepped on the giant's shoulder before spinning upside down in midair while slashing her daggers in a fluid circular motion around the giant's neck; decapitating it while the blades absorb its essence. The blonde simply drove her sword into the other giant's back and let her weapon finish the job.
"Curse you Underworld maggots! Gaea will flay you all alive!" Hecate spat and disappeared in a column of blue flames along with her pair of pithos.
"You're not getting away…not this time. Cera?" The blonde turned to the dark haired one.
"Hang on, Liz." Cera simply stared at the place where Hecate disappeared. "San Francisco Bay."
Liz nodded and sighed. "First was Morpheus, now her? I'll take Brandon with me. We can't let her escape with those. Whatever they are." And with that she shadow-traveled away.
The girl named Cera turned to Nico. He could hear rumbling and chaos not too far from here. He glanced at her. She was pretty, about his age or maybe a little older, pale, with dark green eyes that seem to see everything. He doesn't know how but he definitely felt a connection; as if they were related.
"Hey, I'm Cera. You must be Nico. We've been watching you for a long while now." She smiled and checked his arm. "It doesn't look so bad. Hang on."
A deep rumble like the sound of some raging rapids shook the room. It was getting louder by the second. Cera took out something from her belt. She then wrapped it around his wrists. They felt wet and cool. "As for the chains, hold still."
She took out one of her daggers, definitely Stygian Iron. She spun it in her hand and then stabbed the silver bonds. They broke away almost instantly and he was free. At the same moment, he felt his energy return to him bit by bit.
"Here, it will help you get better sooner." She tossed him an ambrosia square.
"How do you know me? What are you?" He finally asked; chewing the last bits of the god food that tasted like homemade bread with honey which made him slightly nostalgic.
She looked a little offended and she punched his shoulder lightly with her gloved hand. "We're practically the same, silly boy. We're-whoa!"
The ground shook and before either of them can react, the ground opened up and swallowed Cera whole. The ground then closed up and Hazel appeared from behind one of the columns; her golden spatha on one hand.
Nico frowned as he recognized her. "Hazel? You're here. How?"
"I'll explain later, somehow. Sorry I'm late. Are you okay?" She asked; out of breath.
"I guess. But she-" Nico was about to say, pointing at the ground where Cera was swallowed, but Hazel cut him off.
"Whoever she is, good riddance. She can't hurt you anymore." Hazel tugged at his shoulder. "We have to go. Percy's in danger!"
"But-"
"C'mon!"
Nico had no choice but to follow her. His mind filled with a million things running all at the same time. But one thing nagged at him the most. He's not a hundred percent sure, but he and Hazel had probably just met their sister.
(A/N: This is the part I'm talking about with my two fics being related in a way. Of course, if you read the other one, there would be spoilers and stuff but not that much. Anyways, hope you enjoyed and don't be shy to leave your comments. See yas! Iron Raven out…)
