Characters belong to Rick Riordan.
15 - Nico
With a bang, the group was thrown out of the shadows of a large tree, tumbling to a halt some yards away from where they emerged. Nico's head spun, and he heard Percy groan. "What happened, Nico?"
"I'm not sure," he admitted, shaking his head to clear it. "It felt like the shadows… I don't know, shifted?" Nico frowned, trying to find the right words to describe the sensation. Normally, shadow travel felt like hurtling through a void at breakneck speeds. Dangerous, yes, but usually under control with Will helping him. This time though, it had felt more like a chariot with someone else at the reigns, whipping around corners and generally being a poor driver.
"Where are we?" a voice he didn't recognize mumbled. Nico turned to see the new kid sitting up, Will kneeling beside him making sure he was okay. Percy was sprawled out on the ground a few feet away. Annabeth glanced around at the dense forest around them before looking up. Nico followed her gaze, but the thick foliage blocked any sight of the sky. Sunlight broke through in sparse beams scattered around the area, letting in enough light for them to know it was still day, but not enough to tell the time.
"Not sure yet," Annabeth answered the kid. "The climate feels the same, so we can't be too far north or south. Lots of oak trees, so still probably somewhere in eastern North America." She turned to Percy. "I wish I knew that locator spell Carter was talking about. We could use it to find Mr. D and then camp from there."
"Wouldn't we need a map for that?" Percy asked. He groaned as he finally stood up and stretched.
"Theoretically, yeah, but we could probably get away with drawing a basic one in the dirt," Annabeth replied. "Do you sense any water nearby?" Percy closed his eyes for a couple of seconds. He blinked, then frowned and turned away.
"It feels like ocean this way. Hard to tell how far; this place is screwing with my sense of distance." He paused. "Also, if I had to bet, I'd say it's the Atlantic. Possibly even Long Island Sound."
"So we're right by camp?" Will asked surprised.
"We must be," Annabeth pondered, "but I don't know of any woods this thick so close. Maybe we could-"
"Hold up a second," Nico interrupted. The others all turned their eyes to him. "I'm very lost. Who's the kid, what location spell could you possibly do, and does anyone have any idea how we got here before we start trying to find a way out?" Percy and Annabeth glanced at each other for a moment.
"My name's Richard, but people usually call me Richie," the younger kid volunteered. "My dad's Hephaestus, apparently." Nico nodded at him. He looked to be about fourteen, maybe fifteen. It was always hard to tell with Hephaestus kids, given how bulky they usually were.
"Nico, son of Hades," Nico introduced himself. "The blonde who helped patch you up is Will, son of Apollo."
"And his boyfriend," Will cut in, "since apparently he won't say it."
Nico shrugged and smirked. "Didn't think it was important enough right now. He'd have figured it out." Will gaped at him, then scoffed.
"Don't you try to pull dark, spooky, and unemotional with me. I know better." Nico blushed slightly and turned back to Annabeth.
"Anyways," he said. "Location spell?"
Annabeth grimaced. "We had a run in with some Egyptian monsters a few years ago. Had to team up with some magicians from another pantheon to take down a megalomaniac and prevent apocalypse number three. We've kept in touch."
Will blinked in confusion. "Wait, another pantheon? You met other gods?"
Percy started to shake his head, then paused. "Well, technically, yeah. Nekbeht possessed me for the final battle, and Walt is currently Anubis' host in the mortal world." He shuddered. "I would not recommend that. It feels gross." Nico saw Will mouth possessed to himself before shaking his head in amazement.
"While we're on the subject, my cousin is a Norse demigod," Annabeth added. "Son of Frey, so he's got similar powers to you, Will."
"Sure, why not," Will muttered. "Even more craziness. I don't know how you two get dragged into everything." Percy shrugged.
"So you can do Egyptian magic?" Nico asked, interest seizing his attention.
"Somehow," Annabeth answered with a nod.
"That's not normal," Nico stressed. "Hazel's good at mist magic, but the few times I've had her try other magicks, nothing's happened."
Annabeth looked at him curiously. "You've met other pantheons, too?"
"The Afterlife is a small place," Nico admitted. "You tend to run into more than the average demigod. Our gods swore an oath of isolation a few millennia ago. Something about some cross-pantheon prophecy that had them scared."
Future turning, worlds are burning
Nico's head whipped up. "Did you hear that?" Percy was scanning the depths of the forest around them. Will had his arm around Richie, while Annabeth had her hand on her sword hilt.
Darkest hour, blood red power
Nico's gaze snapped to Percy, whose expression hardened at the words. Nico shivered at his intensity.
Mixing magic, curses tragic
Finally, Nico noticed a small wind chime hanging in the branches of the tree whose shadow they popped out of. His eyes widened as he watched the branches move without wind. Instead of the jingling bell sounds he expected, they heard another set of words.
Righteous fury, final jury
"Who are you?" Nico called out. The leaves on the trees rustled, but no voices responded. Nico turned to the others. "The voices were coming from those chimes."
Will frowned. "I don't remember any stories about talking instruments…"
"And the only talking trees I know are dryads," Percy chipped in.
Nico reached out to the shadows between the trees, trying to sense if anything was hiding among them. For a long moment, the shade was empty. Suddenly, something appeared in the shadows. He flinched at the suddenness and fumbled to draw his sword. The others fell into formation, Percy and Annabeth covering his right and back with Will to his left and Richie in the middle of the group. Weapon held high, Nico tried to get a sense of whatever was coming towards them.
He blinked in surprise at the tawny lioness that emerged from the trees. It blinked at him, golden eyes gleaming supernaturally. It seemed unconcerned with the demigods before it. Nico cautiously lowered his sword. The lioness met his gaze for a moment. As it turned to walk back where it came from, it paused, looking back at the group with an air of impatience. Nico relaxed slightly and sheathed his sword.
"Pretty sure it just wants us to follow it," Nico explained to the others. Percy grunted.
"With eyes like those, it's definitely a familiar to some deity," the son of Poseidon grumbled. He capped his sword but held the pen in his hand. Annabeth likewise kept her sword out, though she lowered it to appear less aggressive. Nico nodded and lead the group after the lioness. As they weaved through the trees, the forest got thicker and the trunks larger. Nico assumed they were headed deeper into the forest, but he didn't have any idea why.
When they finally cleared the trees and entered a clearing, Nico gaped at the massive tree in the middle. The trunk was wide enough at the base that his whole cabin could be hidden within it, and the canopy stretched far above the other trees. Nico could make out thousands of chimes hung among the branches, each glittering with movement in the false twilight of the deep forest.
At the base of the tree Nico could see the lioness greet a second one of its kind, which lay beside a women who stood watching them. Her hair was dark, and curled gracefully over her shoulders, framing her face and making her bright green eyes stand out even more. Nico glanced at Percy out of the corner of his eye, amazed at how close in looks he was to the woman. As they cautiously drew near, the woman smiled brightly, and Nico could feel a wave of calming energy sweep over him.
"Who are you?" he asked. "Why have you brought us here?" Her eyes seemed to pierce through him as she met his gaze, and he shivered slightly despite the calm she was emanating.
"I suppose I shouldn't be surprised that you don't recognize me," she replied. Her tone was light, as if she hoped for an air of nonchalance but wasn't quite feeling it herself. "My children so often refuse to share their knowledge."
"Lady Rhea, I presume," Annabeth said. The acknowledged titaness beamed at her.
"Correct, my dear. I'm so glad to finally meet you, Annabeth." Annabeth froze at her words, and Nico could see Percy tense as Rhea's gaze landed on him. "You as well, Perseus. I'm glad someone finally got my eyes. My, you are a spitting image of your father."
"Why did you bring us here, my lady?" Nico asked again.
"I did not," Rhea denied. "I felt you land in my grove and was curious. No demigod has graced my sanctuary in centuries."
"Your sanctuary?" Will asked. Rhea spread her arms wide.
"The Grove of Dodona," she replied. "I planted these oaks before humanity even existed, and they have long helped guide those who seek their wisdom."
"I thought Emperor Nero burnt your grove down," Annabeth said cautiously. Rhea frowned.
"He certainly tried, my dear. I was able to save the innermost part of the grove from destruction, and have spent much of my time promoting its regrowth." She pursed her lips and furrowed her eyebrows in thought. "You say you don't know how you ended up here?"
"No," Nico answered. "I was trying to shadow travel us back to Camp Half-Blood. Something went wrong; I'm not sure what."
"Perhaps…" Rhea trailed off, eyes unfocused. She stood still for a moment before her eyes refocused and zeroed in on Percy and Annabeth. "Have you ever heard about something called the Great Union?" The trees shuddered at her words, the wind rippling through the glade excitedly.
"Nope," said Percy with a sigh. "I'm assuming it's some sort of prophecy?"
"It is," Rhea confirmed. "I know you have not had much luck with those in the past. Why Apollo's oracles insist on so much drama is beyond me." Will snorted with amusement. Nico looked back at him and smirked at the faux innocent face he put on.
"What is the Great Union?" Annabeth asked. With a rush, wind swirled up and around the great tree, the chimes shaking furiously. Voices filled the clearing, rasping and groaning like branches in a storm. Nico clutched his head at the cacophony, the voices echoing around the clearing. With a start, it was silent again.
Then the great tree spoke.
There once was a Great Union of two
Who connected all things old and new.
Their questing unfurled
The end of the world
From which balanced creation grew.
The wind receded and the trees gradually stopped shaking. Nico struggled with a moment of vertigo and fell to his knees, catching himself before he face planted into the earth. He heard Will and Richie struggling behind him. Percy and Annabeth stayed standing, but given their paleness and trembling limbs, Nico was afraid they'd fall any second as well.
"That prophecy," Rhea began slowly, "as well as its many, many related prophecies, is why our pantheon isolates itself. The mention of a Great Union is found in practically every pantheon if you dig deep enough. Some offer more details. Some less. No prophecy contains the full picture, but what we could piece together was enough to make even my mother wary."
"So this is it?" Percy responded, voice strained. "The final threat? The one to finally end it all?"
Rhea eyed him carefully. "I do not have the answer to that. Seer I may be, but the paths to the future are many."
"Guys," Nico interjected. He flinched at the hollowness in his friends' gazes as they turned to him. "We don't know enough yet to start worrying. The last two lines contradict themselves, and while I can appreciate the natural elements of this oracle, Rachel usually gives us a little more information. If it's really a big deal, we should consult with her as well."
Annabeth turned to Percy suddenly. "At our wedding, you remember what happened with her?" Percy's eyes narrowed in thought and he nodded slowly.
"That's right; the oracle took her over and started to speak to us."
"But you asked it not to and it actually listened. What if it was going to tell us this prophecy – or at least its sister prophecy – but didn't because it's so important that we needed to really be on board before hearing it?"
"You speak of the oracle of Delphi, yes?" Rhea asked. Percy nodded. "That oracle was the only one of Apollo's to refuse the subject when asked. Other prophecies hint that it's the last prophecy Delphi will ever give."
Silence fell over the group as they realized just how important this Great Union was. Nico swallowed roughly and met Rhea's expectant gaze.
"You think this Great Union will be here soon?" he asked.
Rhea looked back at Percy and Annabeth solemnly. "I think it's already here."