XVI

We Bust Out Of Prison

Nico

I woke up groggily to find myself chained to a wall. Jason was next to me in the same situation sitting with his knees to his chest, arms folded across them, with his chin resting on his wrists. Jason's electrifying eyes stared at a spot in the wall intensely, like he was deep in thought.

"Think of any escape plans?" I asked. Jason just shrugged.

"I was hoping you could shadow travel us out of here, but I don't know if you'll be up to it after you hear about the spell they placed on us. Jason went on to explain this "draining" charm. I knew I felt a little strange when I woke up.

"I'll at least get us out of this cell. I'm not going to wait for Percy to save did get away right?" I asked. Jason nodded, but he didn't look happy.

"I don't think you should risk it. We don't know what this spell could do to us. It's better to be prisoner than to be dead." The son of Zues pointed out.

"Come on Jason every captor knows that their captive is going to attempt to break out. Obviously Galbatorix wants us alive or they would have killed us when they had the chance, so there's no way they'd put a spell on us that has a high possibility of killing the two of us." I said matter-of-factually.

"Nothing I say is going to change your mind is it?" he asked sounding defeated.

"Nope" I said with a grin as I offered him my hand.

~)*(~

Jason grasped my hand firmly, and I closed my eyes in concentration. I felt the shadows, and darkness bend to my will as I transported us out of our prison. When I opened my eyes I immediately felt an immense drain in energy, much greater than it usually is. Jason was looking at me in concern.

"Hey I'm not dead yet, I'm fine." I said reassuringly. We decided that before we begin looking for a way out, we should find our weapons. Sneaking around this place was easy. I could sense the living, and dead around me, like Percy can sense the presence of water. Whenever someone was to close for comfort, Jason and I would hide. Luckily we found our weapons in the first room we checked out. Suddenly I felt a large procession of magicians coming our way.

"Duck!" I hissed as we both hid behind a stack of shields.

"We should have killed the demigod's companions when we had the chance." A male voice growled bitterly, as he grabbed a sword from the rack.

"Cayden shouldn't have split up the demigod's in the first place! If they were all together we wouldn't be one short." Another voice spat.

"Don't worry about the sea child. They say that he'll come looking for his companions, and fall right into our waiting hands." The first voice chuckled. I swallowed that was how people were able to manipulate Percy. I hated the thought that I would be the cause of his capture… again.

"The boy isn't going to come alone. He's going to come with those stragglers we let go. He may come with Eragon and Saphira on his side!" the second voice said sounding frightened.

"The demigods are being relocated today anyway, so if the sea child brings a rescue party here they're not going to find anything, but us ready to finish the job." The first one said with mirth. "Now come grab your weapon we're already late to meet the rescuers."

We waited till both men left the room, before rushing out of there in attempt to find an exit. We couldn't just escape knowing that Percy and the Varden were here. We had to find them, and then leave this magician infested city altogether.

"Couldn't you just shadow travel us to where Percy is?" Jason asked as we ran through various corridors.

"I thought you said that using our powers will kill us?" I answered. I already felt myself tiring faster than usual, like I decided to run 5 miles after being sick from the flu. I wasn't going to stop anytime soon though. I noticed Jason's bright life force was getting dimmer, as we kept running.

Suddenly we ran tight into two cloaked magicians, as we turned a corner. Faster than the magicians could yelp in surprise we had our swords out, and at their necks as they still laid on the ground confused.

"Jeez, I never thought I'd have both of you pointing swords at me, and here I am trying to save you!" The taller figure joked as he removed his hood.

"P-Percy? This isn't the time for jokes we have to get out of here!" Jason whispered furiously.

"The imperial magicians are already aware of your escape they'll be swarming this area within minutes." Blodgharm the other cloaked figure with Percy said.

Just as Blodgharm finished speaking a group of magicians spotted us, and began their strange chanting. They only let out couple of words before Jason, Percy, and I made waste of them.

"Percy put your hood back on they are mainly after you. They know you're here!" Jason hollered over the screams of a man he just stabbed.

"Story of my life." Percy grumbled in response, as he swiped at a man's chest and dutifully pulled his hood over most of his face. After the four of us finished the magicians, we continued running. Jason and I were noticeably lagging behind Percy and the elf.

"Guy's what's wrong? Jason I know for a fact you're in better shape than I am. Why are you in the back?" Percy asked half concerned half teasing. I was about to tell him the truth, but Jason beat me to the chase.

"Nothing we're fine Nico and I are just tired." He said quickly. Percy and Blodgharm just glanced at us skeptically, as we finally got out of the tunnels and into the sunshine. It took my eyes a couple of seconds to adjust to the bright light. We were in the same court yard as yesterday. The other members of our special operations team, Eragon and Saphira, and some of the Varden's magicians were in an all out brawl with the magicians. Most of the magicians didn't have experience in hand-to-hand combat, so if anyone got close enough (without being withheld by magic) it was an easy kill.

I wanted to join the fray, but Blodgharm led us away to where our horses were waiting. Before we could I felt the stabbing pain of a mental attack in my head again. I was so surprised and angry that someone was trying to get into my mind again that I turned and threw my sword like a javelin in the direction that the attack came from. My sword struck a man in the heart, as it went through the man burnt to ashes. I doubled over, as I suddenly felt a wave of dizziness come over me. Percy was immediately at my side, while Jason ran to grab my sword.

Percy pushed me along, but let go and ran off somewhere. Blodgharm came to me to help, but I waved him off proceeding to my horse. Percy apparently thought Jason needed help, and went attacking with vengeance. The son of Poesidon in battle has always been a frightening spectacle to behold, but it was chilling to watch him now. The black cloak he wore with the hood pulled up made him look like the grim reaper, as he slashed away at people with that flamboyant dance-like style of his, the cloak flapping, and rippling in the wind.

Jason was nearby fighting with both my sword and his gladius. The gladius had tendrils of yellow electricity trickling up and down it, as he fought. It was weird watching him fight with the swords of light, and darkness.

"Gods" I muttered to myself. You could never keep Jason and Percy out of a fight for long, and it was up to me to save their butts.

I kicked Cobalt in the ribs as he rushed forward into the battle. Cobalt knocked over any magicians that got in our way, as I plucked Jason out and he climbed on as we continued galloping away. I looked back to see Blodgharm and Percy behind us. When I turned back to where we were going I immediately felt another injection of pain in my mind.

"Gods, where are all these magicians coming from?" I thought desperately. I remembered that Arya told us that sometimes if you just focus on one person, place, or thing really hard it could act as a shield from attacks. I started focusing on the two women I loved most in the world at the moment Bianca, and Angela. While I thought about them I hacked at any magicians near us with a new found vengeance. I heard arrows whistling past my ears, as I pushed cobalt as hard as he could. Jason was holding on to me desperately. Later I would realize how awkward, and weird I felt having Jason hugging/squeezing the life out of me. I like my personal space, and no one ever openly violates that. Except Thalia who doesn't care about anyone's personal space, or Percy when he's really pissed off and wants to strangle me.

Anyway when I started to think that one of these arrows was bound to hit us eventually, I felt a prickling heat behind me. I turned and watched as Saphira unleashed a ten foot tall wall of blue flames separating us from our adversaries. We continued to follow Blodgharm and Percy as we crossed through the gates of the city I hoped to never visit again.

~)*(~

When I felt I was about to drop dead from exhaustion, the elf and demigod above us decided to stop and take a rest. Jason and I basically fell off of Cobalt, and didn't get up. Percy and Blodgharm came running towards us.

"Liars, I knew there was something wrong with you two." Percy said angrily, and a little hurt. I didn't have the energy to retort. Blodgharm came and put his hands over us, and the next thing I knew I was floating in a black sea of nothingness.

~)*(~

I woke up feeling really drained, as if someone just sucked the life out of me. I'm used to doing that to others not it happening to me. A lady that appeared to be in her early 60's came up to me.

"How are you feeling?" she asked putting a hand on my forehead. I resisted the urge to flinch from her touch.

"Really tired, but other than that I'm fine." I said sitting up and rubbing my eyes.

"You're awfully cold, are you sure you don't want a blanket." She asked. Being the son of Hades my body temperature is naturally lower than average, it's to feel comfortable in the frigid air of the Under World. I shook my head in answer.

"My name is Gertrude if you need anything," she said sweetly. I nodded before she continued. "You and your friend are lucky to be alive. It took many magicians and elves to come up with a spell to counteract this hex that was placed upon you. They said that this hex made you tire…"

"Our captors told us thank you." I interrupted. She looked perturbed at my interruption. "I'll be looking after the wounded if you need me just holler." She said the friendliness left her voice. I just sighed; I was never any good at making friends anyway. I looked over at Jason who was sleeping soundly in the cot next to mine, before drifting off into another dreamless sleep.

~)*(~

The next time I woke up I felt much more rejuvenated, and I was starving. Jason and I thanked Gertrude for her trouble before making a beeline for the mess tent. We sat down with plates overflowing with barbeque. Percy and Eragon came in both sweaty, and flushed.

"What have you two been up to?" Jason asked with a smirk. Percy drained his waterskin before answering.

"Shadeslayer here wanted a rematch, and wouldn't stop until he beat me." Percy grumbled.

"Well did he?" I asked this time.

"Yes, I did and I was able to keep up my winning streak several times afterword." Eragon answered looking pleased with himself. I resisted the urge to laugh. Percy looked annoyed. While I was failing to control my amusement at watching Percy pout, a messenger ran up to us.

"Nasuada would like to see the four of you in her pavilion asap." The boy said. I groaned at hearing this. The leader of the Varden was really starting to annoy me. No one ordered me around this much except my father. And so far her orders led us to getting betrayed and captured. I really didn't want to hear another one of her bright ideas.

~)*(~

"I'm terribly sorry for Cayden's betrayal, your unpleasant night in captivity, and this terrible hex that was placed upon you. Although the mission didn't go as planned we the goal was achieved in that the magician base at Bellatona has been irrevocably crippled. I thank you for your service. I called you all in here today because I have another mission for you…" Nasuada began.

"Hold up. Before we go on another quest together I think we should get to know each other and make sure one of us isn't working for the empire." I said angrily. Nasuada narrowed her eyes not appreciating the interruption.

"I can assure you that Cayden's replacement is trustworthy. In fact I think you'll get along smashingly." Nasuada said with a smirk.

"Hello everyone sorry I'm late." Angela's voice sounded from behind me. Nasuada looked at me expectantly, I'm sure my face was bright red.

"Um yes Angela is good…err." I muttered looking at my feet wishing I could just whisk myself out of here.

I saw Percy put his hand on his mouth in an attempt to muffle his laughter. Nasuada even cracked a smile.

"As I was saying there is another magician stronghold in Teirm that I would like this group to go bust. This time Eragon and Saphira will be joining you." She went on to describe some other stuff, but I was mainly focused on the fact that Angela would be joining us. Angela the first girl to truly accept me (besides Thalia but she doesn't count since I never had feelings like this for her), and not be uncomfortable by my heritage and powers.