To right opinion- I see you were asking a genuine question and I am more than happy to answer it. But don't start a review that goes 'I haven't read this story and I don't plan to' because that just shows you might not stick around for the answer. This does link to Percy Jackson and all that- unfortunately, with the name changes, it is a little confusing, and I understand that because it confused me when I started writing this. Nidas is Leo Valdez. Isa is Louisa, my OC that is Percy's twin sister. Percy and co, they're not in the story as of yet, but I have mentioned them in a couple of places. I'm actually quite close to them coming in, so you've kind of asked your question on the cusp of the answer itself. Give the story a read, you might surprise yourself! It's a second generation, AU type of thing that will and already does link to Percy Jackson. So I hope that helps. Any other questions, feel free to ask, but again, don't start with the 'I haven't read this story', it came across a little confrontational (even if that wasn't your intention).
"And you said it would be dangerous."
"Will you keep your voice down?" Angea hissed. Nidas smirked at her. "By the stars, how are you still alive?"
"Isa." He replied simply. "It was part of our marriage vows- the only way someone would get away with killing me, is if she was that someone. No-one else even gets close."
"I envy your relationship."
"That sounded sarcastic, but I will take it sincerely. So thank you. Now, which way?" Angea peeked through the foliage, Nidas peering around a tree trunk. They had found a fae encampment, deep purple tents arranged in a circle in two lines around one larger command tent of golden hues. Guards were stationed outside it, more were scattered about, either on watch or on break.
Angea hummed indecisively.
"The guard has tripled." She noted solemnly. "I do not see how we are to get through."
"Tripled? Are you sure?"
"Yes. Perhaps they are aware your wife has crossed the border."
"Mm, yeah, that'd do it." Nidas drummed his fingers on the bark, biting his lip as he thought. They ducked back into hiding as a trio of armoured guards marched past, armed with spears and swords in their belts. "OK, I have an idea." Nidas whispered. "You're not going to like it though."
"Why do I get the feeling this is how it always is with you?"
"Because it is." Nidas grinned. "Now I need your best tap dancing…"
"-around here somewhere." The voice caught Isa off guard and she ducked behind a line of bushes. A dark-skinned fairy was poking through the plant-life with his spear and a frown, eyes almost black in the shadows beneath his helmet. "The Fae Queen wants her alive, remember. She has to pay for what she did."
"And how does the Queen expect us to bring her in? If she can wipe out a village, just like that-"
"We'll have to find the bitch first, don't forget. By the sun, I hope we don't find her."
Isa felt strange. She could not see this guard's buddy, could only hear him roughly searching through another patch of forest, maybe twenty paces away? The guard closer to her was almost within arm's reach, she watched his advance with a blank mind. She did not recall how she got here, to this part of the forest. She did not recall when the visions had stopped plaguing her or when Luke's voice had wilted away. Her limbs felt light, as though suspended in water, her mind felt disconnected from her body but, at the same time, was aware of her every prickle on her skin, of every heartbeat and low breath, coming to a decision all on its own.
The guard closest to her, she would name him G, only had to look down. He was talking to his partner, looking over his shoulder as he stabbed at the bushes still. "-heard there's a reward if we bring her in. Heard rumours that it'd set you up for life. Can you imagine? We could retire early, live our lives, feed our families…"
"Don't believe all the rumours." His friend chided softly. "Our luck never runs that way."
Their luck was about to change.
G startled as his spear was almost wrenched in his grip, fingers scrabbling to maintain his hold, yanked forward two steps, teetering over the lines of bushes. Isa smirked at him, hands secured around the weapon, the pointed tip a handbreadth from her face. The colour seemed to drain from his face, the whites of his eyes expanding in terror. He croaked, squeaked, tried tugging his weapon free.
Isa rose from her crouch, twisting as she did so. G's feet left the floor, launched into a pole vault. He landed on his back on the hard earthen floor, clattering in his armour and wheezing at the impact.
"Mal!" There was a clanging. Isa spun the spear and thrust out the end of it and sweeping it. Just in time for the second guard to be caught in the chest with it. He disappeared from view, a cacophony of armour and breathlessness.
Isa dropped the spear, feeling the disconnection again. Her hands did not feel like her own, but as she moved her fingers, as she saw her feet take her from her hiding place and begin to run again, she realised she did not mind this disconnection. It was a great improvement on her last state of mind.
"I can't believe that worked."
"Hey, have a little faith." Nidas pouted. Angea quirked a brow at him. Nidas stared back, not seeing what her problem was. They stood in one of the tents, knee-deep in unconscious, bound guards.
"I'm sorry, but I think you're the only one that can combine tap dancing, hayfever and a sauce pan into a plan that takes out…" She did a quick head-count. "Thirty-seven fairies."
"I'm not following."
"That's witchcraft."
"I'd say thank you, but Ward has a run-in with a witch, he does not speak very highly of them." Nidas grimaced, shaking his head. "Anyway, which way to Lody?" Angea stuck her head out of the tent, frowning.
"Someone will notice soon, we must move quickly. But Lody is below the command tent. That's where the Fae Queen is."
"Below the tent?"
"Yes. The Queen always likes to keep her enemies underground."
"Bit morbid."
"It is." Angea agreed. "Come along." Nidas followed after her, adjusting the stolen helmet. He had donned the Fae Guard armour, but this set was too big for him and the spear did not settle in his hand. He had left the sword behind- past experience with swords told him it was for the better. Angea did not stray any further beyond his arm's reach, constantly looking left and right, her wings buzzing gently. "Stop." She breathed, retreating sharply. Nidas halted, the helmet bumping the top of his nose as he did.
He heard the thumps of boots on the ground and mentally swore. He was very clearly still wearing his totally, not-even-hidden-a-little-tiny-bit, imp boots. He tipped his head up a tad, just enough to see, hoping they would not see his very-much-imp-marked face.
Angea dived and hid behind him, two fairies rounding the corner and almost colliding with Nidas.
"What are you doing?" One of them demanded hotly.
"Um, got lost." Nidas replied brilliantly. "Looking for the latrine. I'm new."
"What unit are you assigned to?"
"Three. Uh, the third unit?" Behind him, Angea hissed. Nidas sighed. "Oh, to hell with this." He smacked one, then the other, on the head with the spear. Both crumpled instantly.
"I question you." She admitted as he dragged the thirty-eighth and thirty-ninth unconscious guards into the nearest tent.
"Everybody does." He nodded, swearing as the helmet bruised his nose once more. "Let's find Lody and get out of here."
Lody was watching her feet when the crashing started. She had lost herself to her thoughts, tipping her feet away from each other and then back the other way to tap the toes of her boots together. She didn't notice the first crash, as distant as it was. But the second crash made her jump, and it was accompanied by guards yelling, weapons clashing and the roar of fire.
And then silence.
"Shit, are we in the right place?"
"Of course we're in the right place! I told you, the Fae Queen keeps all her prisoners underground!"
"I thought this was a temporary camp?"
"It is."
"Why so many doors then?"
"I don't know, do I look like a fae architect?"
"Y- actually, I'll give you that one, that's a fair point. Oh, hey, there's someone in this one!" Lody lurched backwards as a silhouette appeared in the small barred window of the door. "Lody, is that you?"
"Who… who are you?"
"I'm Nidas, duh! Who else is this awesome and dashingly handsome?" Lody couldn't formulate a response to that. The second voice hissed at him to hurry up. "Oh, right, right. I'll have you out in a sec, Lody. Ugh, this stupid helmet, I swear…" The silhouette moved, flinging something from his head and launching it out of sight. The resultant crash and bang of hollow metal on stone had him swear again. "Don't repeat that." He warned.
A moment later, he had the door open, grinning broadly. Lody squinted and blinked in the sudden light, raising a shackled arm to shield her eyes. "Angea, keep watch." Nidas instructed as he rushed in, falling to his knees. He freed Lody's hands just as quickly as he opened the door, sliding the lock pick tools back into his belt.
"How-?" Lody began.
"Later, we need to get out of here, find Isa and Bibi and somehow get away from the Fae Queen and the thirty-nine guards with raging headaches."
"Forty-six now." Angea called in.
"I stand corrected." Nidas helped Lody to his feet. Her eyes had now adjusted to the light, examining his face. He had the same kindly eyes as Bibi, the same crooked smile and curly hair, although not as dark. His orange-red markings glowed faintly in the dimness of her cell. "Are you hurt? Ooh, you look like you need fattening up. We'll get you out of here and then you can enjoy some of my wonderful cooking, sought out by many." He beamed. Angea whistled, motioning to them. "Cool, cool, let's go."
Lody held onto Nidas's sleeve as they followed Angea out. They did not encounter anymore guards, not ones that were conscious anyway.
"Do you know where Bibi is?" Lody asked.
"No, but I'm hoping we'll get a sign."
"A sign? Like what?" Lody puzzled. Nidas opened his mouth to respond when the ground erupted a hundred paces to their left. Water shot skyward, twisting and roaring with force. It doubled over unnaturally, slamming into the ground, bringing up panicked screaming and bellowed orders to stand their ground.
Nidas laughed.
"Like that!"
Isa had found Bibi easily enough. She just looked for the most guarded tent in the vicinity and attacked that. The tent was empty, save for a trapdoor. She dropped down, hands skimming down the ladder as she fell. She could not see down here, cold and damp.
Damp.
Extending a hand that still did not feel her own, Isa took a breath. She could sense the water in the earth, felt the shape of a tunnel leading further onward. The water was undisturbed by life, so far at least. She drew her sword and started down the path, keeping her hand out. Her element responded to her in a continuous stream of information, framing the tunnel dug out by magic. It grew hotter the deeper she moved into the tunnel, the water she used began to peter out. There was one room at the end, her senses tingled, feeling a change in pressure somewhere in her gut.
Not water, not with it drying up. The other one.
That was Bibi.
The tip of her sword bumped along the wall, brushing against soft dirt. Ten steps later, there was a screech of metal on metal. A door. She turned to face it, pushing the blade into it. Sweat traced a line down her back. With a twist of her hand, the remaining water in the dirt reacted, contorting the door with a series of groans and pained creaks. She flung it to one side, her mind see-sawed between clarity and this weightlessness that had overtaken her.
"Bibi?" She called. "Bibi, mija, say somethin'." She stepped into the room, moving slowly, hand outstretched. The air in here was akin to a furnace, lapping up the oxygen in her lungs. She could feel Bibi's presence, could hear ragged breathing. She crouched, shuffled forward, her fingers brushing flushed skin.
Bibi groaned, tipping her head towards her mother's palm. Isa's senses overloaded at the contact, a lump of ice toiling in her gut.
Her daughter was dying.