Author's Note: I had an idea so I wanted to continue this thought thread so here I go. I own nothing.
Runaway: The Underworld
Clarisse was very, very angry. Percy refused to tell anyone what really happened after she pulled Nico aside. Every day for a week she took Travis and they searched the woods for any sign of the poor girl. Chiron made them stop after the week but Clarisse was nothing if not stubborn. She kept claiming to be hunting for a challenge but she didn't seek out any monsters. She kept looking for Nico, she couldn't help it. The kid had been sweet and bouncy, not really fit for the war. Travis still joined her too. The kid had apparently been so bubbly that even the Hermes kids hadn't been able to steal from her, not that she'd had a whole lot to steal. But she'd had awful nightmares. Clarisse sat next to Travis who was watching his cabin train.
"I mean we all have bad dreams Travis." Travis shook his head.
"It wasn't like that though. It was like she knew something she shouldn't, certainly something she didn't want to. More like what dreams are supposed to be when you have a quest." Clarisse looked up from her spear.
"Do you think it was the other side, trying to turn her into one of them?" Travis shuddered, imagining what Kronos and his minions would twist the young girl into.
"Di Imortalis, I hope not. I think I'd rather she be dead than joined up with that back stabbing traitor." Clarisse nodded.
"It's what's most likely." She couldn't help but feel like they would be seeing Nico again though.
Nico raced down the dark passage not caring or knowing where she was going. All she knew was that there was a hissing growling noise behind her and she had to get away from whatever was causing it. Maybe running into a stone door in the middle of Central Park hadn't been her best idea but something told her that if she got to the end of the tunnel and out into the dim light she would be safe.
"You will not escape little godling!" The voice drove her to run faster. It was one she recognized. Dr. Thorne, the manticore teacher from Westover Hall was chasing her. She had to get away from him. She stumbled over something and felt something sting her shoulder. She kept going though and in moments found herself in a great earthen cavern. A black river flowed to her left and black poplar trees grew along its bank. A screeching hiss sounded from in front of her this time and she dove to the dark earth as a screeching hag in a floral dress with great bat wings soared her way. But it didn't attack her. It flew over her wielding a fiery whip striking out at her pursuer. Nico scrambled to her feet as her shoulder burned. She ignored it and ran away from the battle behind her as fast as her feet would take her. The problem was that she didn't get very far. Her legs seized and she fell headlong. Her veins were burning and she realized that the manticore must have stung her in the tunnel. She cried out as her blood seemed to burn and freeze at the same time. She was going to die, alone in a cave, surrounded by monsters. At least she would see Bianca again. Her vision was darkening as a figure landed in front of her and shoved a cup of something in front of her forcing her to drink. She coughed and gagged the liquid didn't taste like liquid should. It tasted like a tiramisu. The pain subsided slightly but her vision only cleared for a moment. She spotted the face of the lawyer that had taken her and Bianca out of the Casino. But she no longer had a tasteful suit on instead she was a twisted hag, holding a pitch black goblet. Spotting that Nico was still awake she spoke her voice rasping.
"You are safe little godling. Your father sent us." Nico blinked but was almost completely unconscious. Before she let herself go she heard the hag speak to someone she couldn't see. "Take her to the palace in Erebus." She blacked out to the feel of talons gently lifting her off the ground.
When she woke again she was very, very confused and more than a little scared. She was in an ornate bedroom. The bed she was in was covered in black silk. Semi transparent curtains surrounded the bed which was bigger than any she'd ever seen. She tried to sit up and hissed in pain. Her whole body was extremely sore. She glanced around. She was alone but an ornate black metal goblet sat on the intricately carved wooden bedside table. She carefully pulled herself out of the middle of the ridiculously comfortable large bed and sipped the contents of the goblet warily. She nearly dropped the cup. Again it didn't taste anything like what any liquid should taste like. It was like fresh Tiramisu, the flavor stirring a memory she couldn't quite reach. With nothing else she could do she finished the liquid in the goblet and felt suddenly much better. Her skin didn't sting every time she moved and even her headache had left. She had no idea where she was or who had brought her here. So quietly as she could she crept out of the bed and glanced around for a weapon. Only then did she take in the sheer size of the room she was in.
It could easily have fit the big house from camp inside with some room to spare. The doorways, covered with more black curtains, were arched and detailed in pure gold. There were no windows, the room was lit by golden brassieres filled with green fire. On the walls were carvings done in golds and silvers detailed with precious gems. They depicted the quiet burial grounds under soft diamond moons. Places from all over the world were pictured here. Mausoleums and intricately carved steles were pictured there. It was oddly beautiful. Nico stepped up to one of the images of a stele and found to her amazement she understood what all of the symbols on it meant, why they were there as if she had known the girl it was carved for. She didn't though. Someone cleared their throat in the doorway.
"My Lady. It is good you are well." Nico nearly jumped out of her skin. Standing in the doorway was a white pearlescent figure. He was dressed in an old English style suit. He looked like he'd been about fifty when he died, for it was clear to Nico that he was in fact dead. He bowed to her. "If you will follow me I will show you to the baths." Nico blinked at him for a minute before she followed him in a daze. A bath did sound nice. She could feel crusted blood on her shoulder and back and dirt had dug into her shirt and nails. She didn't remain in silent shock for long.
"Where am I?" The ghost in the suit nodded slightly.
"You are in Erebus." Nico's mind went a mile a minute. She recognized that name from her Mythomagic cards.
"The palace of Hades?" The ghost nodded.
"That is correct my lady." Nico blinked at him.
"Why do you keep calling me that?" The ghost bowed to her again.
"All will be explained once you have washed and been fed." He pulled back the curtain and motioned Nico past him. She hesitated but unsure of what else she could be doing she stepped inside the room. It was an ancient Greek style bath. The whole thing tiled in black, gold and precious stones. The bath stretched from one end of the room to the other, the shimmering water steaming. Nico hadn't had a proper bath in, well she honestly couldn't remember. Everything before Westover Hall and the Casino was a blur of white. She was left alone again, she would roll with this weirdness for a while. She honestly couldn't think of anything else to do. If this really was Erebus then she would never step out of it alive. But they didn't seem to be trying to kill her. In fact she was being treated very very well. She picked up a sponge from a metal cart that held all kinds of exotic bath supplies and threw it into the water. She was waiting for it to dissolve or explode or burn up but it didn't.
Unable to resist the draw of being clean again she grabbed a few other things from the cart and set them down by the edge of the pool. She quickly undressed and slipped into the steaming water. It was gloriously warm and the dirt and dried blood seemed to vanish from the water as soon as they were scrubbed off. She couldn't quite reach all of it though and she turned to look for something to help when she spotted a figure by the edge of the pool. She screamed and covered herself. The figure curtsied low.
"I am sorry if I startled you my lady. I am here to assist you." Nico blinked at her. The girl couldn't be much older than her, another ghost. This one though was dressed in ancient chiton. It was short, only reaching to just above her knees and she was barefoot. Nico blinked at her for a moment. The girl bowed again.
"If you wish I will leave. I am at your command. But if you wish I can help you cleanse the blood from your hair and back." Nico paused for a moment before she spoke.
"What's your name?" That seemed to take the ghost aback.
"My name is Anthea, I am the bath attendant that was summoned to assist you. Your father believed you might appreciate the company. But if you wish I can leave." Nico shook her head. It was too quiet here and Anthea seemed sincere.
"No please. I… I just don't know what's happening here." Anthea nodded and bowed again.
"An envoy is coming to explain everything to you my lady. He has been ordered to help you train your powers and skills. I am here to make sure you are well and comfortable before he arrives." Nico frowned gently swimming towards the girl. It was clear to her now that the ghost meant her no harm.
"Why is my father sending someone else, not coming himself?" Anthea handed her a black handled brush so she could reach the blood still on her back. "Thank you."
"Even he cannot directly help his children, he must work through others to do so." Nico nodded she remembered someone at Camp Half Blood saying something like that. She turned her back on the girl so she could dip her head back in the water without feeling the need to keep covering herself.
"May I help you with your hair?" Nico took a few minutes to try and get the blood out herself first but eventually relented and let the ghost untangle her hair and wash it. It felt nice. Her hands didn't feel like a normal persons. They felt like cool refreshing air. But there was a sadness with the feeling. She finished the bath in silence and Anthea collected her clothes. Nico frowned.
"Um, can I have those back?" Anthea shook her head.
"I have been told to provide you with new clothes." The ghost girl nodded to the top of the cart where there sat a small stack of clothing. Nico nodded.
"Can you leave so I can get dressed? Please?" Anthea nodded and curtsied again. She left Nico to change into the clothes. They were all black. A pair of well-made slacks and a black button up. They were very fancy. Much nicer than she was used to. She frowned but slipped it on and pulled on the sturdy boots that had been by the door. She was met at the door by the same ghost in a suit, his name turned out to be William. He led her past the room she'd been recovering in and into a large study. It was bigger than the room she'd been in with a large hand carven oak desk. A high back chair sat behind the desk which was covered in food. William said to make herself comfortable.
"Is this safe? I've read the myths about underworld food." William smiled.
"It is quite safe for you. The only underworld food you should avoid, pomegranates. None are present here." Nico nodded slightly and sat down in the chair. She poked at the food for a moment as William left. Eventually though her hunger got the better of her. Nothing bad happened, she didn't choke and die or feel the need to stay here for the rest of eternity. Honestly she wanted to leave now more than ever but she had to know if all of this meant what she thought it meant. Because if it did then maybe she could still save Bianca after all. It took a while but eventually William returned and bowed to her.
"My Lady, may I introduce you to King Minos, your tutor." A regal thin ghostly figure strode into the room and bowed.
"My Lady." Nico was getting fed up with this.
"Ok why does everyone keep calling me that! Why am I here!" King Minos smiled.
"Because you have found your way into your father's domain. No one has told you yet but you are the only daughter of Hades God of the Underworld and Lord of the dead. We are at your service." He bowed again, hiding his wicked grin from the girl sitting stunned in the high backed armchair.
