PERCY'S POV
A demigod's dreams are always interesting to say the least but this is just wierd he thought. He looked down on a scene with Nick and a beautiful woman he didn't recognize. Nick was standing in a cavern of stars and planets. It was distracting for him with his ADHD but he tried his best to focus on the pair in the middle of the room. "You must go to Camp, if you do not the camp will be over run and not only will Nico never know how you truly feel,he will most likely die with the rest of the demigods." the hauntingly pale woman was saying. What did she mean how he really feels about Nico? he wondered as he watched Nick's jaw tighten. Nick glared at the woman. The phrase if looks could kill comes to mind. "I'd rather die than see him dead." he growled dangerously. "Mom..." he began helplessly. "If you start my quest now you will arrive at camp shortly after Nico, but be warned..."Nyx began as Nick nodded in understanding, then tilted his head considering her,"Many gods will be interested in you,my son, I have never before had a child and the gods will be very interested in your development. This...situation...with Nico may even draw some unwelcome complications in your relationship in association with the other gods." Nyx continued sadly. "It doesn't matter anyway Nico would never like me." Nick said in a voice that knew pain and sadness well. Nyx seemed to consider as Nick began to walk away to the cavern's entrance which appeared to be a swirling galaxy of stars in the vacuum of space. "Because he couldn't be gay or that it's you specifically he wouldn't want?" Nyx asked as Nick stopped in his tracks. "Both" he said in a whisper I had to strain to hear. Nick stepped into the swirling mass of stars and the scene shifted.
Nick was fighting furiously with a group of maybe half a dozen Keres. Their leathery wings giving them a substanial advantage against one demigod. Nick spun a dance of death,his daggers flying around him as he sidestepped,stabbed and blocked incoming attacks. Some attacks didn't even get close to him,as if they bounced off an invisible shield of some kind and suddenly one of the Keres got him in the back and Nick screamed in agony. The Keres seemed to be propelled away from him with the force of a speeding cyclopes and he knew that feeling all too well from his half brother Tyson. Nick seemed to be fighting to stay concious as he thrust his arm out and his dagger flew by itself off the ground next to him and into the nearest monster which exploded in a pile of dust as he swung his arm in an arc and the dagger left in his hand flew straight through a second. The other four had recovered and started to converge on him. He thought Nick was done for sure,then the shadows around Nick swarmed into a scythe and Nick sliced the head off the nearest Keres which bellowed an otherworldy shriek. The other two Keres took his moment of distraction to swpie at his legs. They collapsed beneath him as he lost the stregth to stand and he slumped into unconciousness. The ground erupted around Nick forming a pyramid of black onyx and Nico came running his stygian iron sword slicing the air with quick effiency. The two Keres were reduced to dust in seconds. Nico wiped off his sword and returned it to his scabbard. He concentrated on returning the pyramid to the ground and walked over to Nick a look of surprise and tenderness crossed his face. He felt awkward seeing this odd display of emotion because Nico was rarely anything but sullen or moody. Nico knelt beside Nick and gently moved his hair from his face as he clutched Nick and they melted into the shadows.
When Percy opened his this time he was awake. It took him a second to remember what happened the previous day and how they had gotten here. Nick and Nico were sitting a few feet away with a bag of chips sitting to one side. He yawned and walked over to sit with the others. Nico nodded at the bag of chips and he dug in as his stomach growled. "So where are we?" he asked when he had finished eating, he assumed they had already eaten as they appeared to have been up awhile. Nick shrugged as Nico said,"No clue, We should get on the horses and keep heading west I figure we'll hit California eventually." He nods as they saddle up and watch as Nico and Nick fall into stride together. He hangs back lost in thought his horse just a few feet behind the others. He watched as Nico kept sneaking glances at Nick he seemed thoughtful,kind of confused,almost longingly. Nick would pretend not to notice but he would sneak glances when he was sure Nico wasn't. He knew for a fact that Nick liked liked Nico, that much was clear from his dreams,but Nico wasn't gay was he? As he considered this he wondered if Nico might have some conflicting thoughts on this matter being born over 60 years ago. He suddenly felt like alot of things made sense how Nico was always so distant from everyone making a point in fact not to get close. Was it really his sister's death that kept bothering him, he'd made peace with Bianca hadn't he? So many questions swirled through his head as their horses raced past a highway sign that read L.A. 60 MILES.
He looked around as the world raced by they were steadily moving through the edge of a forest probably redwood he thought. On their right however was the highway that seemed to cut a path through the earth itself. His horse started acting strange and pulled from his mental reverie he looked to the others. Nick's horse reared back as the Minotaur monster blocked our path. Standing behind him to either side were what appeared to be ghosts. Transparent apparitions of vauge people,all displayed signs of injury, as if they had died violent and suddenly. Nick began to fall but melted into shadow and reappeared several feet behind Nico and to the left. I raced forward and leaped from my horse, uncapping Riptide I head straight towards my old enemy, trusting in my friends to deal with the ghosts. The Minotaur rasied it's axe grining madly, he was going to enjoy this. He took a deep breath letting his instincts take over and he sidestepped the axe swing and skirted the beast running towards it's back. The Minotaur tried to retrieve his axe from the ground it had been lodged in when I drove Riptide deep into the small of it's back exploding into dust. The ghosts turned on me and I ran to meet their assault.
NICO'S POV
I slipped from my horse as Nick came running up to me. "Are you okay?", he asked me anxiously. I nodded dumbfounded that he would even care to ask let alone waste time in a fight to check. He ran off towards the ghosts the ones closest him flying back into their brethren. Apparetly they don't fly right through,interesting he thought absentmindedly,as he drew his sword running towards the ghost on the opposte side that Nick had chosen to deal with. I sliced and stabbed the nearest ghost and it was quickly absorbed into my blade. I didn't waste anytime and began to hack and slash the remaining ghosts. My body on auto pilot from all the monsters I inevitably attracted and defeated. I rolled to the side as another flanked from my right and brought my blade around in an arc catching the poor thing in it's face. Three more swarmed me and I felt the ground beneath my feet and rose a column from beneath five feet into the air and jumped down bring my sword down on a ghost's back. I let the ground rumble back into place as I turned to face the remaing two. The young female ghost on the left began to wail at the top of her proverbial lungs. I dropped my sword as my head erupted in pain my hands instinctively moving to protect them from the horrible sound. Realization dawned on me as I qucikly backed away fear coursing through my veins. Banshee,I thought turning to run and tripped on a upturned tree root. I qucikly squirmed onto my back looking around franticly for my sword. It was several feet back where I had dropped it and the remaining ghost was almost upon me. I reached down into my boot and pulled out a silver dagger, keeping it hidden. As soon as the ghost of a middle aged man got close enough to me and raised his ethereal pickaxe I stabbed up and he collpased in on himself silently. I quickly put my hands back to my ears as the banshee continued screaming, Gods somebody shut her up he thought groaning in pain. Nick ran up to me then and pulled me to my feet dragging me back to a safer distance. The pain eased, but only slightly. He turned quickly running in leaps that seemed to propel him forward. He stopped a safe distance and threw a black throwing star that had no effect. He frowned and began striding forward the shadows swarming into his hand forming into a scythe. He ran forward and slice his scythe in one quick fluid motion and jumped back. The screaming ceased as her ghostly head fell from her body and both parts dissapeared. I brought my hands gingerly to my ears and my fingers came away warm and wet. I looked down and was greeted with a wash of red on my pale skin. I tried to stand but darkness swarmed my vison as I fell into unconciousness.
