Hey, Everyone!

SO sorry about not updating yesterday, I got held up by life! :P. But I'm back today, and unfortunately, this chapter is a filler chapter. Of epic proportions...sorry.

Enjoy!

Chapter 6

Nico

The longer they moved, the more dismal their situation seemed.

Nico didn't know if he was lost or if he was going in the right direction, he didn't know what state they were in right now, but the night air was thick with darkness that settled over Nico with unease.

He looked back to check on Reyna, who even in the darkness had prominent features like her eyes and her cheek bones and her grimace. She was obviously tired, and the way her arms would sometimes shake under the weight proved her muscles were strained.

Nico couldn't check on Coach Hedge because of the statue in between them, but he had a feeling he was as tired as they were.

"Coach, you want to take a break?" Nico asked as they trudged along.

"N-n-no!" Coach stuttered. "I can…" he sucked in a really deep breathe, "keep going!"

"Well, I need a break," Reyna said from behind him, and stopped walking.

"Well…" Coach said as they worked together to put the statue down without crushing each others' fingers, "if the girl needs a break then I guess it's okay."

Nico looked over at Reyna, saw her glare at Coach, roll her eyes, and cross her arms.

"So, who's sleeping and who's taking the first watch?" Reyna asked.

"I'll watch," Nico said.

"You sure, kid?" Coach asked. "We've been doing a lot of walking because you were too tired to shadow travel. I'd like to end the walking as soon as possible."

"It's not physical exhaustion," Nico spat. "Not anymore. Just let me take the first shift. I'll sleep later."

Coach's reaction couldn't be seen in the dark, but Nico watched him move a little ways away to rest against the statue, and he crossed his arms over his stomach and stopped moving.

"Want company?" Reyna asked as she sat down next to him.

"I want a fire," Nico grumbled, poking the ground with his finger. "Make this a little more bearable."

Reyna shook her head. "It'll attract monsters in this darkness."

Nico eyed her as she stared at him. "You seem really laid back all of a sudden; way more laid back then any other time I've seen you. Why?"

"How so?"

"At Camp Jupiter it was always you, frowning, barking orders, never laughing, never cracking a joke, never smiling, always working working working, like every little problem had a super serious solution," Nico drew a smiley face in the soft Earth to emphasize his point.

He circled it as well as possible in the dark as Reyna said, "Name one time."

"Remember when Cohort 3 was out of toilet paper?"

Reyna looked away from him, at her knee. "That was one time. I was having a bad day."

That small remark made Nico smile. "When weren't you? So why have you suddenly changed?"

She looked back up at him with a small smile on her lips, cloaked in the shadow of night. "I'm not having very many bad days anymore. I'm not leading an entire camp right now, or even this quest. I'm just a worker ant, not the queen. And I'm really enjoying it."

"But it's still stressful," Nico noted. "I should know."

"But not as stressful. Do you see my point?"

"Maybe. But I think being a follower is better, anyway, stress or no stress."

"Why?" Reyna cocked her head to the side as she watched him.

"Because the entire fate of everyone on the quest isn't on your shoulders," Nico whispered to the smiley face in the dirt.

He drew a couple lines through it. He suddenly never wanted to see it again.

Reyna's arm was suddenly draped around his shoulders, and he looked up at her.

Now that she was closer, her entire face was visible to her, and she smiled. "Hey, it's okay. You have experienced help. We'll help you through it."

"I have a trained solider and a goat that likes violence." Nico shook his head.

"And then you'll have the whole camp," Reyna promised him. "You don't need to think about it too much right now. Save it for later."

"Is that what you do?"

"Just because I dish out advice, Nico, doesn't mean I follow it," she winked at him. "Now get to sleep, I'm taking first watch."

Nico lay back on the cold ground and stared at the stars above him.

He would never understand Reyna. But, nevertheless, he could always enjoy her company.

Yup. A quick update with Nico and they rest of them. That's really all that was.

Thanks for Reading, and a better chapter should be up this week!