Nico lunged sideways to avoid the huge swing from the monster in front of him.
Why in Hades did there have to be demons in the grocery store?!
"On your left!" Anubis shouted in his mind.
Nico dropped to his knees to avoid the swipe from the Gello beside him. He rolled forwards to jab his sword into another Gello. It let out a shrill scream as its essence was absorbed by the blade.
"How did you know it was on my left? I thought you could only see what I saw?" Nico asked, kicking a third demon in the stomach to push her back.
"I don't really know how, I just felt it."
"Well, I'm not complaining."
He slid beneath the Gello that was launching herself into the air to get him, his sword slicing through her like butter as he did.
He clambered to his feet, and turned to the third and last Gello. She looked furious, no doubt the result of her sisters being slain in front of her. Nico wanted to use that anger to his advantage. An angry target was easier to kill at times, their fury clouding their judgement of what actions were smart or not.
"Y'know, this blade right here," he gestured to his Stygian iron sword. "It prevents monsters' essence from returning to Tartarus. So, you'll never be able to see your sisters again."
"Why would you try to make her more angry?" Anubis asked in his head with a hiss.
"Just wait and see."
The Gello snarled at him, her eyes flashing crimson as she lunged forward. Her claws swiped after his stomach, but he predicted her movement, and stepped to the side. They really were predictable when they got angry. As he stepped aside, he tripped the Gello. She landed on her face, leaving an open target on her back. Not wanting to waste any more time, Nico stabbed his sword through her back, breathing an exasperated sigh as she disintegrated.
"Hm, she seemed too occupied by her rage to care about being tactical with her attack, nice job," Anubis mumbled in his head.
Nico smirked at the compliment. "I'm just mad that they showed up out of nowhere when I was shopping for food for the trip." He picked up his shopping basket, ignoring the stares from the other shoppers as he made his way to the counter. He wondered what they saw in the mist.
"What do you mean "what they saw in the mist"?" Anubis asked.
Nico mentally cursed himself, he'd yet again forgotten that the god could hear most of his thoughts. "Um, it's a magic blanket, kinda. It shields the mortals from the supernatural. Instead of my sword, they most likely saw a pen, or a cane, or something."
Anubis hummed. "That's very interesting."
Nico paid the clerk before making his way outside. "Well, some can see through the mist. They see all the supernatural things around them. Percy's mom is actually like that."
"I see. That's the person you confessed to before, right?"
Nico almost tripped over his feet, earning him a look from the passers-by. "Dios mio. How did you know that?"
Anubis chuckled. "I woke up just before you did it." Nico could hear the amusement in his voice.
The demigod stuffed his supplies in his backpack and made his way out the door as he replied. "Yeah, I confessed the old feelings I had for him. It was some time ago that I had strong feelings for him, but that's behind me now."
Anubis hummed in thought. "Why didn't you tell him earlier, so that he might have returned your feelings before he got a girlfriend?"
Nico let out a dry, humourless laugh. He looked down at his map to find where he had to shadow-travel to. He walked towards an empty ally with thick shadows as he explained. "Well, I met him when I was very young, just as I'd been rescued from the Lotus Casino. That's a place where you're stuck in time, not ageing, as time passes in the world outside. My sister and I were trapped there for 70 years."
"When were you born?"
"In the 30's, and let's just say that me having an interest in someone of the same gender as me wasn't very accepted during those decades. It's better now, at least, but I couldn't bring myself to tell him."
As he spoke, he let himself melt into the shadows, the familiar sight of the Shadow Realm meeting his eyes. Anubis was silent in his head, waiting for him to continue.
"I lost my sister on a quest that Percy was on as well, and I kinda blamed him for not being able to keep her alive. I've made peace with her death, and I definitely don't blame him anymore, but I don't really have romantic feelings for him any longer."
He stopped in his tracks. Why had he said so much? He was usually very careful about telling others about his background.
"It's probably because I've spent so much time inhabiting your body," Anubis said calmly. "We also have very similar auras, so combined, that probably makes you feel comfortable talking to me."
The son of Hades pondered that for a second. "I guess that makes sense. I'm just a little wary of strangers."
Anubis hummed again. "I'm inside your mind, so I would probably have known at some point, anyways."
"So I basically cannot hide anything anymore."
Anubis chuckled. "Basically."
Nico started walking again, swiftly making his way through the shadowy landscape. He glanced down at the map to locate his point of exit.
"So, tell me about this place," Anubis said.
"What, this place?" Nico asked, surprised.
"Mhm."
"There's not much to say. It's a place between places, like that other place, what was it-?"
"Duat."
"Right. They're very similar. All shadowy and wispy." And lonely.
"You're not alone now. I'm here."
Nico actually smiled at that.
As he found the exit point, he let the shadows envelope him. He stepped out into a dark forest. Was this the right place?
"I think it's right. We should find the buttercups in a clearing in this forest," Anubis explained.
"Okay." Nico looked up, noticing that the sun still hadn't gone down. He started walking towards the place where the forest was thinning, hopefully that would be the best place to find a clearing.
He shifted his backpack slightly on his shoulders as he walked. The forest-floor was covered in dark green moss, a few flowers poking through the underbrush. The sun was shining in rays through the foliage, casting long shadows on the ground.
"It's beautiful outside," Anubis mumbled in his head.
"I guess. I've been stuck with shadow-travelling lately, so I haven't really spent the time enjoying my surroundings, y'know," Nico mused.
"It's important to take note of your surroundings once in a while, especially when it's hectic and you're busy."
"I suppose."
Nico walked along the path until the trees started thinning, and slowly opened up into a clearing. The ground was covered in flower buds, which Nico assumed were the buttercups.
"I'll just have to wait until the moon comes up, I guess," Nico grumbled. He sat down on a rock in the clearing, unpacking some food from his backpack.
He breathed out a sigh as he leaned back on the rock, munching on a sandwich. As he looked down on his forearms, he noticed how ashen his skin was. He really had spent too much time in the Shadow Realm, and way too little time in the sun.
"Don't worry. I've seen a lot worse. You're not that pale," Anubis said.
Nico rolled his eyes. "I'm sure the Egyptian gods are super pale, like all Egyptians."
He heard the god laugh in his mind. "Believe me, I know plenty of pale gods."
"Thanks for the pick-me-up, makes me feel so much better," Nico mumbled, sarcastically.
"We'll just have to wait for the moonlight," Anubis grumbled.
Nico nodded. He dropped down from the rock to lie on the ground.
As he lay there, he gazed up at the sky, trying to find shapes in the clouds. His eyes drooped before a minute had passed.
Nico found himself in the duat again. He looked out over the deck of the boat, his eyes finding the shape of Anubis' form silhouetted against the shadowy horizon.
He made his way over to the god, standing beside him by the rail. He placed his hands on the rail, leaning his weight on his palms.
"This place is so peaceful," Nico mused aloud. "It feels familiar somehow. Like it's right."
He could feel the god's gaze on him.
"I don't know why, it's just very-" Nico gestured with his hands in the air, trying to find the words. "Safe."
Anubis hummed beside him. "That's interesting, to say the least. I don't know why you feel like that, but maybe it's because I've inhabited you for so long."
Nico looked at the god. How come everything he said sounded so right, like that was the obvious answer. "I suppose that makes sense."
He glanced down at the dark waters beneath the boat. This place was so weird. "This place is so weird."
Anubis huffed a laugh. "Yeah, I agree."
"So," Nico started. "How will I know when I'm supposed to wake up?"
The god shrugged, "You don't. But I do." He turned around, leaning back with his elbows supporting him on the railing. "Time moves differently in the dreamscape here. You could dream a week long dream in less than a second, or you could not dream at all."
"Um, okay," Nico said, trying to wrap his head around that. "So, when should I wake up?"
Anubis pursed his lips in thought. "In about three minutes the moon should have risen at least."
"Huh, it's kinda cool how you just know that."
"I've been stuck in here for quite some time, so I've had some practice."
Nico laughed sheepishly, looking away. "Yeah, sorry about that."
"Hey," Anubis said, his hand on Nico's shoulder, making him look up at him. "It was my choice to inhabit you, so none of that, please."
The son of Hades felt relieved at the god's words, the other's hand a welcome weight on his shoulder. "Yeah, thanks."
Anubis withdrew his arm, a tiny smile on his lips. He turned to gaze into the darkness.
Nico felt the need to ask about their situation. Why had he saved his life? He shuffled his feet, trying to find the right words. He was opening his mouth to ask, when the god turned towards him. His question got stuck in his throat.
"You gotta wake up now," Anubis said, his finger poking Nico on the forehead. As his vision faded, he could've sworn the god grabbed his shoulders, cradling him and lowering him onto the ground.
Nico opened his eyes to a black sky dotted with stars.
He slowly sat up, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. The moon had indeed risen, casting its eerie light over the ground.
The sight of the clearing made him pause. The buttercups had all bloomed, their petals glowing yellow. The sight was breathtaking, almost surreal.
There were really places like this that he had never seen?
"It's not common knowledge," Anubis' voice sounded in his head.
"Still, it feels like I've missed out."
Nico got up. "Um, how many do we need?"
"You can grab a few, but no more than four," Anubis answered. "These flowers are rare so we should leave enough for them to release enough seeds for the next generation."
Nico carefully picked three buttercups. As the stem of the flower was cut, the petals closed again, keeping the glowing light inside. Nico grabbed a tall vial from his bag, placing the flowers inside and capping it.
"Um, won't the flowers wilt before the ritual?" he wondered.
Anubis chuckled. "No. They're magical, they'll be fine."
Nico placed the vial inside his backpack.
"Where to now?" Nico asked.
Anubis hummed in thought. "I think we should get the fiery fir seeds next."
Nico pulled out a map to see where he had to shadow-travel. "Where do they grow?"
Anubis was silent for a while.
Nico raised an eyebrow. "Earth to Anubis?"
The god cleared his throat. "The seeds grow in another plane of existence."
"What in Hades does that mean?"
"They grow in Muspelheim," Anubis explained.
Nico groaned out loud.