Nico's fingertips pressed gently against the trodden grass around him as he straightened to watch Erin getting carried away in a stretcher. She was still fighting to stay conscious, and Annabeth was walking along side of her, passing bits of ambrosia. The rest of the campers either followed the girls or returned to their friends, babbling about the excitement. Nico stood still, switching his eyes from Erin's limp form out to look across the lake, the dying light of sunset glimmering across its dark waters.
The blond slowly stepped beside him, also silent. Nico looked to his left to see him staring at his open palms, which were bright red and glistening wet, crimson drops of blood rapidly sliding down his forearms.
Nico's eyebrows furrowed and he glanced up to actually look at the boy's face for the first time, having been too wrapped up the, you know, dying to examine his fellow rescuer.
His sun-bleached dirty blond hair was short and tousled, he had a well chiseled nose, long lashes, cloudy blue eyes, and when he finally looked up to see Nico observing him with concern, he cracked a gorgeous genuine smile that must attract girls like flies to honey.
He chuckled lightly and bent down to wipe his soaked hands in the grass, adding to the clumps of sticky red already there. Once most of it was off, he stood up again and stuck out his right hand, the cheerful grin still spread across his face.
"Tristan Hotchs, son of Apollo," he said brightly.
Nico shook Tristan's hand briefly.
"Nico di Angelo, son of Hades."
Tristan's eyes lit up.
"Oh yeah, heard about you and the Titan War four years ago."
Nico grimaced a bit.
"Yeah," he mumbled, eyes flitting to Tristan's Camp Half-Blood necklace, which displayed two pearly beads, one yellow, the other dark blue.
"Two summers?" Nico voiced his words as a question, even though he already knew the answer.
The blond nodded, lightly fingering the woven strand around his throat.
"Yep, this will be my third," Tristan paused, light eyes briefly passing down from Nico's face to his bare neck and back up, "And you…?"
Nico half shrugged, turning back out to look across the water.
"I'm not really a camper, just here helping out."
"Oh, ok; that's cool."
The pair stood in silence for a moment or two before Nico crammed his hands into his pockets and started back down the hill towards his abandoned sword.
"Well, see you around, Tristan," he called over his shoulder.
"Yep, see ya," responded the blond as he turned and jogged off towards the cabins.
Without speaking to anyone else, Nico gathered up his fallen belongings and trudged to his own lodging. Suddenly discovering that he was exhausted, he tossed his weapon onto one of the many empty bunks, and flopped face-first and fully clothed onto his own. He was drained from dueling with swords all day, totally kicking butt at Capture the Flag, and not to mention the random bleeding chick who had been this close to dying on their front door.
Muscles aching, completely buried in his pillow, Nico pondered the odd girl. They had taken her immediately to the hospital wing to give her more medicine and a good night sleep. Nico hadn't followed, so all he knew was her name: Erin.
Hm. He'd ask Annabeth in the morning how she was doing.
But for now, he was happy to pass out on his soft bed…
Sighing softly, Erin rolled her head to the side, experimentally tugging at the cricks in her neck.
Damn, I'm sore. Why am I so sore?
Her eyelids fluttered in the warm sunlight spilling across her face, and blearily, the girl blinked once or twice before the world came into focus.
She was in a bed. It was an indescribably wonderful feeling to wake up in a bed, and Erin had truly missed it. However, the circumstances of how she ended up in a bed were still rather obscure, and this worried Erin a bit.
There were plenty of other beds around her, all in crisp white sheets like her own, and Erin came to the realization that she was in some sort of medical facility, although it certainly wasn't a hospital due to the lack equipment and nurses
Speaking of nurses, there was actually no one to be seen. Which only served to make the mystery more puzzling: how did she get here? Where was here?
Footsteps skipped through the open doorway, and Erin turned her head sharply to see a athletic blonde girl round the corner. The girl's face lit up in a smile, bringing memories of yesterday crashing back down on Erin, and suddenly, she wished she could pretend to be asleep to avoid all the questions and hassle she was sure to receive.
Ah Zeus' beard, I came to Camp Half-Blood! I was that desperate that I actually came to Camp Half-Blood, of all places!
Gingerly, Erin flexed her right shoulder, and was surprised to feel only a gentle soreness. At least her last ditch attempt wasn't for nothing - they sure had fixed her up good. If only she had some of that ambrosia or nectar of her own…maybe she would have time to nab some on the way out.
By now the other girl – the one who had been with her last night, her name had been Annabeth, no? - had reached her bedside and was standing above her, a friendly smile on her face, but grey eyes full of churning thoughts.
"Hey there, Erin, you feeling any better?"
The corner of Erin's mouth twitched.
"Seems so."
"That's good. You kinda passed out again after we got into the Sick Bay - a bit of an overdose of nectar. But we had to; your injury was really bad. Anyway, it made setting your shoulder a bit easier."
Erin nodded slowly, left hand trailing across the freshly healed area.
"Thanks," …Annabeth."
"Oh, no problem. We really try to avoid having people die right outside the boundaries."
Erin would have expected this to be a statement delivered with a bit of sarcasm or humor, but Annabeth's voice was dead-serious, and Erin had to pause and wonder how many times that had happened before.
"Still, I know I wouldn't have made it without you guys."
And I owe you, was the unspoken subtext.
Annabeth nodded a bit before taking a step or two back.
"I'm going to go get Chiron; I just came to check up on you, we didn't think you were going to be awake just yet."
Annabeth turned and walked quickly back out of the doorway. The moment her shining blonde curls had flounced out of view, Erin sunk back into her pillows and ran a hand across her face, dreading her return.
She was friendly, yes, but Erin could hear the curious mistrust in her voice, and Chiron, the legendary demigod teacher, was only going to be ten times worse. They had taken her kindly in, treated her wounds, brought her back from the brink of death, and it was only reasonable that they were going to want answers - answers Erin was not going to provide.
Normally, Erin was not one for feelings of guilt. What she did, she did to survive. Lions feel no pity when they take the life a gazelle – it's the natural order of things. "The circle of life" as Disney has dramatically, yet, aptly put it. And she applied the same logical rules to any other crime she was forced to commit. If she was clever enough to pick pocket a man, then the best to her.
But throwing herself at their feet, bleeding and broken, and then not cooperating bit a little differently. Her pride was wounded – an unpleasant and unfamiliar sensation – and Erin did not handle either well.
All too soon, Annabeth returned with a man in a wheelchair, and it took Erin a few seconds of staring to realize he had the same face as the centaur who had asked her name. They held eye contact for a few seconds, just long enough to make Erin wonder if he was going to say anything at all, when he finally did.
"I'm glad to see you have recovered some. We were a bit worried, but it seems you passed a good night?"
His voice was gentle, deep, and far older than he appeared.
"Yeah, you guys worked your hocus pocus well."
She hoped he would hear the thanks in her voice. The smiles lines around Chiron's eyes said he did.
"Of course. So, do you mind if I ask how you got in such a state?"
"Well, same story most demigods tell - big monster, no backup, barely escaped with my life."
Chiron nodded and Annabeth pursed her lips in understanding.
"I see you already know you are a demigod…interesting," he raised one shaggy brow, "Have you been claimed?"
"No."
Chiron obviously didn't believe her, but for whatever reason, he didn't push the issue right away. Annabeth shook her head slowly, biting the corner of her bottom lip.
"How old are you, Erin?" she asked in a slow voice.
"Fifteen, almost sixteen."
"I just don't get it…Olympus promised to claim all demigods by the age of thirteen. Why hasn't Erin?"
Erin chuckled sarcastically.
"Promises, ain't that what our divine relatives excel at?"
A gentle boom of thunder echoed, despite the clear blue sky outdoors. Chrion winced.
"Point taken, but insults against Olympus aren't going to be well received up there…"
Erin shrugged apologetically for Chiron's sake. If her mother was going to neglect her and hide her in shame, then, by her book, the gods and goddesses didn't deserve her respect.
Annabeth continued to peer at the younger girl.
"It might not be too hard to narrow down; do you know your mortal parent?"
"Nope," Erin announced, popping her 'p' for effect.
"Hm," Annabeth mused, trailing off into thought. Chiron spoke up again, asking an obvious question.
"Not to say you're not welcome here – all demigods are, especially those who need us – but seeing as you're not a camper and could still find the camp, well, you'll understand if that's a bit of a security concern."
"One hears rumors. I was close by and desperate enough to try."
Not a total lie either. She'd heard stories of the camp, and it had been a last ditch attempt to save her life. Chiron, however, didn't look satisfied. Erin maintained eye contact evenly, as if daring him to call her out – while secretly praying he wouldn't.
In the end, either her bluff won out, or he had discerned enough of an answer for himself, because the subject was dropped.
"Ah well, and just in the nick of time. But all that's passed for now."
"For now"…the polite way to say "This is not the last you will be hearing about this…"
"Are you hungry?" asked Annabeth, clasping her hands behind in her back.
Erin paused for a second to take note of her cavernously empty stomach. Styx, another way to indebt herself to them, but a body's gotta eat when a body's gotta eat…
"Yeah," she admitted ruefully, cautiously switching her gaze from the silent centaur to the other girl.
Annabeth opened her mouth to say something but Chiron beat her to it.
"Would you care to join us at lunch in the Dining Pavilion? I believe your injuries shouldn't be hurting too much anymore."
Erin's heart dropped like a stone. Join them? At lunch? With a all the campers who saw her, uh, dramatic (to say the least) entrance last night?
Suddenly, something clicked.
Zeus's beard, was he trying to get her claimed? In passing, she'd heard accounts of traditions and norms of Camp Half-Blood, and apparently, meal times were a god-favorite to claim their child in front of all their peers.
How horrendous, she could barely stand the thought. Ha, well, on the upside, Erin knew the fat chance of that. If her godly parent wanted her to have fellow demigod friends, that would have been taken care of long ago.
"Ok, I guess," Erin agreed in a flakily pleasant voice, secretly wanting nothing more than to scarf down something and bolt out of the camp, free from questioning stares, interrogations, and people.
"All right then! Lunch should actually be about," Chiron looked out the window, reading the time from…the sun?
"Five minutes," he finished, turning back to smile kindly, but with a guarded air of suspect that chipped away at Erin's confidence.
"See you in a few," Annabeth called back as the two left the room. As soon as they were out of sight again, Erin let out a little groan, face palming her self lightly. How was it she always managed to tangle herself in the most undesirable of situations?
All thanks to the legendary luck of the demigod, she supposed.
Right shoulder wincing, she pulled herself into a sitting position and swept the thin, white sheets of her legs, finding herself dressed in jean shorts and…oh, Olympus forbid, one of those obnoxious orange CHB t-shirts…
What had they done with her clothes? While she was unconscious nonetheless!
Staring astonished down at her pale thighs, a rush of memories came back.
Tightly grit teeth against a searing pain that consumed her every thought…thick, sticky warm blood coating her body, terrifyingly slow, stumbling steps forward…a blurry look at the lake, the forest, a large group of orange clad people…the sensation of her knees giving way, her dizzy head colliding with the crisp grass… footsteps, firm hands, a worried masculine voice…
Sighing at her predicament, Erin run a hand along her face as she realized her own clothes must be having her pints of blood washed out of them. Coming to think of it, her dark brown hair had been washed too, since it was cleaner than it had been in months. She patted the soft braid, wondering briefly if Annabeth had restored it to her preferred hairdo. The thought was both endearing and mildly off-setting.
Experimentally, Erin swung her legs over the edge of the bed and rolled onto her feet. She swayed a little, but her head was clear and a few teetering steps were all she needed to right her balance. She cracked her neck and reached down to touch her bare feet to stretch her back out. Her empty belly clenched on itself, crying out for food.
Shut up, I'm working on it…
To her pleasure, she found a pair of tennis shoes laid out at the foot of her bed and she slipped them on.
If it hadn't been for her growling insides, and the campers she could hear nearby, Erin would have been sorely tempted to make a dash for it, but knowing she'd never make it out without being caught, she stood her ground and gingerly slipped out of the door, down the hall, through a pair of elegant old fashioned doors, and finally out into an enormous pavilion with many large tables.
1, 2, 3…twenty in all. Twenty tables for twenty cabins…a lot of campers. No wonder Olympus worked so hard to keep Camp Half-Blood in line - it was quite an army to fear.
Awkwardly, she stood there, watching kids pile in to their tables, laughing and talking loudly. More teens were filing up the path to their midday meal. Annabeth's bobbing blonde head was in the mass, talking animatedly to a serious-looking buff guy.
Erin shifted her weight from one foot to the other, frantically wondering what she was supposed to do. Which table should she go to? All these people, great gods of Olympus, they would notice her any second…then would come the questions, the lies, the slip ups, the battle, the pain…
Calm down, and think. They healed you, they aren't going to turn on you just like that…right? Oh, where to go, where to go?
She wished she could run off to be alone, in silence, preferably in the woods…alone, in the moonlight…blissfully away from the eyes of so many kids how were now just beginning to notice her…
Instinctively, her right foot begin to slide forward, her muscles tensed to run, mind dancing with her escape options - when two hands clapped themselves on her shoulders from behind.
"Hey!" she yelped, jerking away from the touch and spinning around to see two identical boys, wearing matching grins and traditional orange camp shirts.
"Hi there," they chorused with a chuckle, taking a few steps back from Erin, who was still poised for attack. In fact, their grins grew only wider as Erin stared blankly back at them, mind still whirring at top speed to process what they had just said. The one on the left snickered.
"Little jumpy still? Sorry, didn't mean to scare ya," he said.
"Let's introduce ourselves? I'm Conner, that's Travis," said the other, poking his living replica in the chest as he introduced him.
"We're twins, Stoll brothers, Hermes head counselors, and a bit of a legend around these humble parts," Travis chirped cheekily, brushing his brother's finger away from his chest.
Erin thought she finally had a hold of her tongue again, but Conner continued smoothly where Travis had left off, leaving her no room to interject.
"Oh, don't worry, we know all about you and how you crashed Capture the Flag yesterday evening, Erin…Erin what? Annabeth mentioned you were unclaimed."
"What the – yeah, yeah, unclaimed, and just Erin. Nice to…meet you guys? I think?" she said, lowering her hands and giving them a hard stare. Her paranoia only seemed to amused the boys more.
"So, you, Sweetheart," teased Conner, wrapping an arm around her slender shoulders to lead her into the crowd, "…are going to sit with the Hermes Cabin, being unclaimed and all. Hermes's kids are the hospitable ones, after all."
Erin stiffened, but followed obediently. Travis noticed and laughed lightly, pushing his flirty brother off of her.
"We don't bite, promise! Lighten up."
"Sure…" she mumbled as she followed new-found guides, who showed her to her food, before leading her over to a small fire. Erin hesitated, fork in hand, eyes glued to the flames, unsure of what to do.
Connor and Travis exchanged a glance.
"You give the gods some of your food, for respect and stuff," offered Travis.
"Here, like this," Connor said, leaning around her to push a chunk of his cheese of into the flames.
"For Hermes," he announced, flashing Erin a grin as a wonderful smell wafted back up, not at all how she would have imagined burnt cheese to smell. It smelled more like…new running shoes, and crisp papers…how odd.
"Normally you give some to your parent, but seeing as you don't know yours, you could politely ask they claim you," Travis explained, also pushing a portion of his food into the fire.
"Hermes," he repeated after his twin.
Erin still wavered, juggling her options.
Pissing off her mother was not a good idea…should she whisper her name so softly they couldn't hear? But if they did, she'd be in some serious hydra shit. Play dumb? Or was that disrespectful too…Erin had never been in this position before, and the idea of burning some of her food for neglectent mom was quite foreign indeed, but whatever she did, she had to pick fast.
"To my godly parent," she finally mumbled awkwardly, tipping a bit of food into the fire. The faintest whiff of wet pine needles touched her nose, but it was so brief and, Erin could almost pretend it was nonexistent.
"There ya go," encouraged Conner, leading the way to a particular table, full of rambunctious kids who all vaguely resembled the Stoll brothers.
"Hey there, troops!" Travis called out to them. The orange clad kids waved happily to their elder half-brothers, before locking their eyes on Erin, whose grip clenched around the edge of her plate.
With gusto, the brothers plopped down side by side on a bench, gesturing for Erin to take a seat next to them.
As quickly as she could, Erin jumped next to Conner, wishing they would all stop staring, for Zeus' sake…
"Aaaand, this is Erin," Travis pointed out, leaning around Conner to give her a nod. Erin blinked unmovingly.
"Hey Erin." "Hiya." "Hello," were the few responses. Erin gave a short wave, judgmentally scanning the faces around her. All happy, all well-fed, all bright eyed and bushy tailed with not a scar on their little pink bodies. Erin resisted the urge to curl her lip. Soft, coddled babies. What lucky constellations had been shining for them to be born to Hermes, a father who cared?
Conner shoved two spots out for himself and Erin, and she obliged, wanting to be ignored. Anything but all these eyes on her, it was unnerving and distracting to say the least. But within a few quick bites, she managed to forget the attention, relishing only in the joy of stuffing her face.
She crammed her mouth full with the delicious food, until she struggled to even chew properly, appreciating every morsel. Every scrap of protein and nourishment felt like heaven on earth to her starved body. In a few hasty swallows, her painful midsection had already ceased it's groaning, but she didn't stop to breathe until her entire plate had been picked clean. When she finally lifted her eyes back up to the table, feeling a lot heavier and content than a moment ago, Erin found all eyes were still on her, and a few mouths were hanging open.
"Damn," a scrawny-looking boy whistled in appreciation.
"Erin, this might be a wild guess, but were you hungry?" joked Connor, who nudged her in the side with his elbow.
Erin shrugged sheepishly, a small smile stealing across her face.
"Maybe," she drawled, earning a few giggles from her companions.
This…this isn't so bad…she mused cautiously, observing the Hermes' kids chow down on their own lunch. Her mind wandered, imagining the far off day dream of having a cabin of her own, friends she could count on…
After a second, she realized what she had just thought, and cursed her softness. Attachment was not only foolish, but dangerous. She had to leave at the first opportunity, before she had her mother breathing down her neck to keep her out of sight.
Besides, the Hermes' Cabin didn't want to restart the vicious cycle of having unclaimed, unwanted godly brats crowding up their cabin…not to mention she wasn't accustomed to having so many people around her all the time.
Stick to the plan. Get in, get healed, get out as fast as she could scamper away. Less pain all around, and she'd never come back to explain.
Once again, lunch time found Nico lounging on the frightfully empty Hades' cabin bench. Bored, he tossed a grape at his own face, opening his mouth and tilting his head back to catch it midair. The ripe fruit exploded in a burst of flavor in his mouth. Nico rolled his head back down to languidly sweep his gaze around the bustling Dining Pavilion.
Is Erin here? he pondered absent-mindedly. He'd asked Annabeth that morning, but she'd reported that a minor overdose of ambrosia had conked her out again, and at the time, she was just sleeping peacefully. I wonder if she's woken up yet…
He scanned the crowd for several moments, not sure where to look. Her location would entirely depend on her godly parent.
His eyes focused and locked on a petite figure, a long dark braid trailing down her back. She sported a CHB shirt now, but unmistakable.
Hermes? Really?Not his first guess to say the least…
He watched her flash a tentative smile at one of the Stoll brothers, who grinned broadly down at her, his playful siblings goofing off all around them. Nico quirked an eyebrow, throwing his head back again to catch another grape.
Not what I had pegged her for in the least…
A sudden chirp of joy made Nico swivel his head sharply around, cheek bulging with the yet un-popped grape. His eyes instantly landed on Annabeth, who was standing up with a huge grin, jumping happily into the arms of tall, muscular boy in a light green tee.
"Heya, miss me much?" Percy chuckled, wrapping his arms around his girlfriend. Annabeth pulled back to give him a peck on the cheek.
"Shut up, Seaweed Brain," she retorted. Percy rolled his eyes at the age-old nickname
"Get a room!" complained Clarisse, although with a good humored smirk. Hoots of laughter followed, and the reunited couple pointedly stuck out their tongues at their friends.
"All right, back to the tables," called Mr. D grumpily, sipping at a deep red liquid that looked suspiciously like wine. The couple stepped back and Percy sidled through the crowd, returning hello's and waving to friends as he pushed his way through to the centaur.
Nico slowly chewed and swallowed his grape as Percy's grin melt into a look of concern and seriousness that was uncharacteristic to see on him. Chiron listened intently as Percy spoke earnestly to him for a few minutes, before Chiron leaned over and whispered a few words in his ear. Percy nodded and rejoined the crowd, his usual happy-go-lucky smile once again appearing on his face, but Nico couldn't shake the feeling that his older friend was hiding something.
The Big Three's tables were all close together, so when Percy finally arrived at his, Nico was within calling distance to him.
"Yo, Percy-pie!" he called out.
His "Big Kid Cousin," (as some kids had dubbed them) followed his voice, bright green eyes lighting up in recognition.
"Nico, my man! How goes it?"
"All right. And your dad?"
"Eh, you know. Nice to get some real time with him for once. Tyson wanted to stay and fool around with the other Cyclopes, so he's staying for a bit," Percy replied, stuffing his face with food. Nico's eyes narrowed in concentration.
"So…what's up?" he asked, pushing away his empty plate and scooting a few feet across the bench to near himself to the son of Poseidon. Percy met his suspicious gaze with a wide eyed look of innocence, fork halfway to his mouth.
"AHEM - whaa?" he quipped, voice an octave higher than usual.
Good gods, he was honestly one of the worst liars Nico knew.
Nico locked the other dark-headed boy with an unamused stare. Percy shoved his fork into his mouth with a resigned sigh, rolling his sea green eyes back into his head in exasperation.
"Nico, you're impossible…" he mumbled grumpily around the utensil.
Nico's deadpan look didn't alter, and finally the older boy cracked.
"All right, all right, there's something going on, but you'll hear about it soon enough," he muttered darkly, casting a shifty glance to Chiron and Mr. D's table, before scooping up another bite.
"Hm," Nico grunted, picking up his fork and twirling it around his empty plate. Percy made sure to keep his mouth extra stuffed with food to avoid any further interrogation, but it was all just as well because their lunch ended in a few minutes anyway, but before all the campers could disperse to their Saturday activities, Mr. D called back the head counselors of all cabins, for an impromptu meeting.
Still chewing, Percy jerked his head at the camp director, silently declaring, 'See?'
Nico bounced up and followed the select group of senior campers into the shadowy interior of the Big House. He squeezed into a stool around the ping pong table, Annabeth and Percy on one side, and Lou Ellen of the Hecate cabin on his other.
Mr. D lounged at the head of the table, looking angry and bored – per usual – and Chiron rolled up to the other side, horsy legs bound in wheelchair form. When it seemed clear Mr. D wouldn't be starting the meeting, Chiron cleared his throat and began.
"Well, as you all probably noticed, Percy is back,"
Everyone murmured in agreement.
"And he has a bit of troubling news. Poseidon sent back a message with Percy, about a sudden series of attacks and disappearances spreading eastward. Exact details on the attackers are vague, but all reports have a few details in common – a large, canine beast with amazing agility and strength. Clearly a monster, but surprisingly, the victims are not limited to demigods."
Chiron paused, letting his words sink in.
Violent monster attacks, what else is new?Nico was confused. How was this so important again?
"So, since all these attacks are similar, one can logically jump to the conclusion they are related. Olympus is concerned, and as am I and Mr. D."
All eyes swiveled to look at Mr. D, who was anything but concerned as he shot them all a dirty glare.
"Yeah, yeah, very concerned, mortals dying, blah blah," he snapped, swirling his drink around his cup.
"Yes," said Chiron dryly, "So, we've decided to send a group to follow the beasts' tracks."
This, is where he caught their interests. Of course, everyone was going to be pleading their case to get a spot on the mission team. Nico opened his mouth eagerly, but Chiron held up his hands in front of him in protest.
"Wait, wait, yes, you all want to go running off on an adventure, and I'm proud of your bravery," Chiron smiled wearily at the deflating campers, but before his next words could leave his mouth, a shrieking gasp filled the air.
Everyone turned sharply to see Rachel leaning against the doorway, mouth open wide, eyes rolled back into her skull, a green mist swirling from her drooping figure.
In an odd manner of lurching and gliding, Rachel practically threw herself into their midst, brushing past the first few rows of counselors, who scrambled out of the oracle's path. Nico also hopped off his stool and backed against the wall in an attempt to get out of the way, but to his utter surprise, as soon as he did, the possessed girl redirected her course to corner him. She grabbed him in a death-grip by the shoulders, leaning up to speak directly into his face.
Back flush against the concrete, dark eyes wide, hair ruffled, and mouth slightly agape, Nico was sure he looked absolutely cool receiving the prophecy. Yeah, real cool and manly. As manly as terrified five year caught with his hand in the cookie jar by his scary-ass mom. Way to go, me.
"Three shall voyage west, to the base of the throne.
You shall discover the beasts, to fail hopelessly alone.
The Broken Oath no longer outcast, you shall rely upon her past.
Maidens of the moon hold the silver key, a dance with death to end in tragedy."
Rachel rasped, her fingers tightening their grip around his shirt, before her lids shut over her blank eyes, and she tilted backwards. Just before she hit the ground, Percy jumped forward to catch her, and with Annabeth's help, they propped her unconscious body up on one of the stools.
Nico couldn't move a muscle, so all he did was gape wordlessly at Rachel. After a second though, his brain began to function again and he let out a soft breath, and maybe a curse word or two.
A lingering, sickly stench of the green fumes settled in his nostrils and threatened to steal his lunch from him right then and there, but a few gaspy breaths later and he found his insides ceasing their unhappy dance, thank Olympus.
He finally closed his mouth and took a step towards Rachel, whose frizz, red head was still drooped over. Gently, Percy used two fingers under her chin, but at that exact moment, their future-foreseeing friend opened her eyes widely, looking around in confusion.
"Ah…what am I doing down here?" she asked, more to herself than any of in the room Nico supposed, because she leapt to the correct answer before anyone could say anything, "Did I say something? What?"
Percy and Annabeth looked to Nico, and a quick glance around confirmed that the rest of the room was too.
"Uh, yeah," Nico muttered.
Rachel smiled ruefully at his tone of voice.
"Erm, I'm thinking a sorry is inline because, heh, you don't look so great." She looked back at Chiron. "But really, what's going on?"
Chiron nodded slowly, still looking at Nico.
"I do believe…you have selected the leader for our quest."
Percabeth. Because everyone loves it. Don't even try to deny it.
Yes, this story is moving slower than a snail on weed. Second chapter and they still haven't gotten out of Camp Half-Blood. Well, sorry folks, that's just they way I roll. Slow and steady wins the race after all :D
Review please? It would really make my day!…Zeus' beard, have I sunk so far as to beg for reviews? Yes, it appears I have….