Hello! I'm back with another chapter. This time it's ALL original content. And will continue to be... at least 4 more chapters? Maybe longer? Still working out some details near the end... anyway! Please enjoy.
I woke up with a start. The same sensation of falling, darkness and laughter from nowhere. I was almost disappointed that I woke up. I was getting morbidly curious about where I was falling to, about the owner of the voice. But my gut was telling me I didn't want to know.
The smell of cooking meat reached my nose as the light of the dying sun came meekly through the grimy window. Sitting up, I groaned a bit from the stiffness that had settled into my muscles from my sleeping on a wooden floor. The front door was open and I could see Alabaster cooking over a small pit fire while Nico sat stone still by the fire, simply looking into it. I got up, rolled up the blanket and stuffed it into my backpack before joining the boys.
"Anything without meat in there?" I asked. Alabaster looked up, green eyes tired.
"Nico found mushrooms, so I'll fry them up for you after the bacon." I peered into the pan and saw dried up pieces of meat.
"… isn't that jerky?"
"Close enough." Alabaster shrugged before turning back to the pan. "Still waiting for Lord of the Shadows over there to explain about this other demi-god camp."
"I'd rather explain only once. We had to wait for her to wake up." Nico replied. I sat between the two, the fire's light mixing with the orange-red-gold rays of the dying sun. Nico's gaze flickered to me before settling back to the fire. "As I mentioned; there are two demi-god camps. Specifically Greek and Roman. The Gods have two aspects, since the Roman Empire absorbed a good amount of the Greek pantheon when they took over Greece. Because of that, along with the light of humanity shifting to Rome, they changed. So when they have kids, they can be either Greek or Roman. However…" Nico paused, seeming to search for the best words to use. Alabaster took the jerky from the pan onto a plate before putting in the mushrooms. "…the Greek and Roman demi-gods have a bloody history. I can't say why or how it's cropped up through history but believe me; it's written in blood."
"How do you know all this?" I asked. Nico seemed to hesitate, as if debating whether or not to answer.
"…I have a half-sister who is Roman."
"Did you run across her while you were hopping between the Underworld and here?" Alabaster asked. Nico looked at him, half surprised, half angry. "My mother watches the Crossroads. As her child, I can sense when powerful creatures are going through the major crossroads." He explained.
"Yes… that's how I found her. In the Underworld. When I brought her to the Roman camp, I had my father explain what's going on. It's… messy." I simply nodded to show understanding. Alabaster handed me my mushrooms and I ate.
"So what's an Auger exactly?" Alabaster asked as I practically wolfed down the food; I hadn't eaten in over a day.
"The Roman equivalent of the Oracle. Except more… well, you'll see. We'll need to buy a stuffed animal first."
"Huh?" I could always count on myself to be the most articulate when it came to confusion.
"Wait, why?"
"The Auger reads the stuffing of the toy. In ancient times, they would use live animals. Be glad we don't have to steal a cow or something." Nico took a piece of the jerky and took a small bite, chewing slowly. I was tempted to have a piece myself despite being a vegetarian.
"I'm so hungry…" I muttered, resting my forehead on my pulled-up knees. The light was quickly giving way to the dark, the twilight atmosphere soothing.
"Then eat some jerky." was Nico's irritated reply.
"I'm vegetarian."
"Figures."
"Sorry for caring about animals."
"Everyone and everything dies. HOW it dies is no concern of mine." was Nico's curt reply. I simply sighed. What's with him?! He offers to help, then berates me over every little thing! I take another small square of ambrosia and take a few bites. Last night I had taken some but since I'd thrown it up, it would be best to re-start the healing processes again. My black t-shirt covered the white bandages that wrapped around the injury on my torso. A little further on, towards the tree line of the clearing, there were dried blood stains and coming from those splotches was a new tree. I'm so sorry I couldn't save you.
"Why not back to Camp Half-Blood?" Alabaster asked.
"I'd rather not…"
"They'll be searching for her now." Nico confirmed. "Not only that, but the Oracle isn't consistent. When it speaks, it speaks. It's not like the Auger who can ask directly, right now. It's just as vague as the Oracle though." Nico finished is measly strip of jerky and didn't grab for another. "And I have… errands to run over there. Two birds with one stone."
Nico had shadow-traveled us to Las Vegas and we were now in a toy store, browsing the stuffed animal section. Or rather, I was. Nico needed to rest since he wasn't used to going so far with three people and even then he had done his best to get us as close to San Francisco as he could. Fuzzy unicorns, alligators, bears and a myriad of animals lined the shelves and stuffed metal bins full to the brim. Little kids looked and cooed at the soft creatures and I could feel myself smiling a little, despite myself. At least they are happy. I have to stop this prophesy… I couldn't live with myself if these innocent kids were killed.
He had explained that I would need to pick an animal I was drawn to; the deeper the connection, the more clear the reading. "If it's a childhood toy, that's best but we don't have that." And that's how I had come to this situation. Alabaster was staying behind, keeping guard over Nico to Nico's displeasure. I spotted a little plush of a wolf and picked it up. It had white and grey fur, the bead eyes a bright blue. Wolves and dogs are a symbol of Artemis… wolves are a symbol of Hekate as well, I think. And of course, Hades has Cerberus… this should do. I turned around to go back to the aisle entrance to find my travel companions but I saw a dog blocking the entrance. It was quite large and I wouldn't be able to get past it. The other kids and mothers in the aisle didn't seem to notice it. A monster?! Oh no… I had left my back pack with the boys while we'd been forced to let Alabaster hide our weapons since they didn't transform. The dog took a step forward and I took one back. I'm trapped. My mind kicked into overdrive and my eyes darted around for a way to escape. It wasn't ideal, but climbing on top of the shelves was the best I could do; my back was to the wall that was lined with additional shelves. Seeming to sense I had a plan of escape, the dog leapt, jaws open to bite. I grabbed the right self and began to climb while holding the stuffed wolf with my own teeth. Fluff and plush rained down behind me as I climbed, trying to keep balanced on the cheap metal shelf; one false move and I would either tumble off or the shelf itself would fall. If you're really my mother, PLEASE help me! I managed to get to the top but the shelf wobbled from my weight, teetering side to side to fall. If I had it fall away from the dog, it would still chase me. However, it would also kill and injure the normal humans. If I had the shelf fall away from everyone and the dog, it could still hurt others but they had plenty of room to escape since this is an end shelf. And the monster dog would have full access to me.
My blood was flowing with adrenaline. Away. I have to protect the children! I leaned forward and the shelf fell away to the floor below. "MOVE!" I screamed, but luckily people had scattered away without being told. I braced myself and let out a cry of pain and the fall re-opened my still-unhealed wound. Another scream came from my mouth as I felt strong jaws grab my ankle, the strength almost bone-crushing. "Mommy!"
"A Huntress knows when to fight and when to stay her arrow." A voice seemed to ring in my head through the pain. "Continually staying the arrow is as foolish as mindless slaughter." On the other side of the shelf I'd toppled, were toy weaponry, like Nerf guns. Including a bow and arrow set from the Nerf Rebelle© collection. "But it's just following orders!" I called out loud to the voice in my head. "It's not its fault."
"Do not be a simpering child. Fight. Or do you value your life lower than the life of those who wish you harm?" I swallowed hard. Pain I cannot even describe wrenched through me and I both heard and felt my bone snap. And with the snapping of the bone, my anger boiled over. I let out an almost primal scream and grabbed a nearby toy arrow. It was blunted for protection but I didn't care. I took it and rammed the arrow hard into the eye of the dog. It let out a howl, letting go of the right ankle it had held. I blindly grabbed another toy weapon – this time a knife – and rammed it into its torso. Except it went easily into the creature. I didn't think and just stabbed violently. The dog cried out and then after several more stabs, finally dissolved into golden dust. My face and arms were covered with the blood of the monster dog and my leg covered in monster dust and my own blood.
My breath was ragged and shallow. A cool hand covered my own. "Good job; you made your first kill." The voice was quiet and gentle, an undercurrent of sad understanding. I didn't need to turn around to know who it was. As the high of battle wore off I dropped the weapon in my hand; a dark iron sword.
"I…" Hot tears came to life in my eyes. "I just…"
"That was Laelaps. She always finds and kills her prey. Always. You had to." I began to sob and something soft was placed into my arms; the stuffed wolf.
"We need to leave. Now." Alabaster scooped me up, causing a shock of pain through me. "Can you get us to the camp?" Nico simply nodded. The shadows enveloped me and – maybe it was my imagination but – it felt as if one of them whispered "sorry" in Nico's voice.
So, it looks like Nico isn't a total Ice King (well, duh, we all know that but anyway.. XD). I know the chapters are a touch short but that will slowly change... preferable soon. ^^;
Like always, let me know how it is and any minor spelling mistakes. Thank you!