[A/N] Hits are cool. Reviews are cooler. Review. :D
[DISCLAIMER] I Don't own PJO and I never will.
They had started walking again, the forest around them was growing darker, the trees blocked the fading light of the sun. The noise of insects was pleasantly lacking due to the cooler weather, while small animals were heard scurrying through the underbrush.
"It would be easy for something to sneak up.." Thalia let the thought go unsaid, Nico shrugged.
"We can stop in the first clearing we find." he said, it was the best they could hope for. "They continued walking at a brisk pace. The sound of leaves crunching was clear behind them. Thalia peeked over her shoulder, nothing was there. They sped up. A tree branch shook and both of them snapped toward it.
"Did you just see that?" Thalia asked, Nico shook his head nothing other than the limb shake.
"I don't know what it was, but I definitely saw something.." she continued, Nico shrugged and they continued, both on the alert. A branch snapped a couple feet away from the first one, Thalia had her spear and shield out, Nico put a hand on her shoulder to keep her from going to investigate. He held a hand out to the ground uttered a silent prayer to his father and brought a single skeleton up. The only sound it made was a slight scraping noise from the shifting dirt.
It had an old decaying toga on, it stood and looked toward him for guidance, he pointed in the direction of the noise and it shambled off. Lets go he mouthed at her and they began at a slight jog. It was much darker now and they were forced to slow down. The underbrush grew thicker together and they began to struggle.
"Shit." Nico huffed as he stopped struggling to be quiet and started to hack his way through.
"What is it?" Thalia asked speeding up her progress as well.
"Whatever was making those noises took care of my skeleton," he said tensely, she felt nervousness bubble up "now would be a great time to find a clearing." She nodded her head and moved to take up a defensive position behind him as he hacked through the underbrush. He didn't question the movement.
A few minutes later they were past the thick underbrush and out in a more spacious area. The trees were taller and spread further apart though it was almost to dark to see anything.
"I think we may as well shadow travel." Nico said hoping she would accept the proposal. She turned to face him. She really didn't want to if it wasn't absolutely necessary. She could make out his shape but none of the features. There seemed to be a long slightly curved shape lowering behind him, it must have been the shadows playing tricks.
"Well?" he asked a hint of impatience seeping into his tone, he crossed his arms.
"Is it dark enough?" she asked hoping to forestall the inevitable just a moment longer.
"If it's so dark we ca-" but he got no further, the long curved shape had wrapped around his torso "What the fuck?" he shouted as the thing continued to coil around his body. Thalia rushed forward not knowing what to do. She pulled out her knife, she couldn't use her spear because she might hit Nico. She lashed out in a slicing motion at the form it let out a hissing noise. She was knocked across the middle by what felt like a very thick length of cord, she stumbled back winded.
"I'm sorry Nico!" she yelled at she shot a bolt of lightning at the form, the scene was instantly illuminated. A snake at least 13 feet long was partially coiled around Nico. It was now convulsing. The bolt had knocked the snake out and thoroughly shocked Nico, who was now trying to lift the heavy coils off him. Thalia ran forward and started helping. He was winded but otherwise fine and stood up after the snake was off him.
"I'm so glad your ok!" she exclaimed throwing her arms around his neck and burying her face in his shoulder. He wrapped his arms around her waist without thinking and pulled her tight. They both seemed to realize what they were doing at the same time and separated quickly.
"We need some light." Nico said . Thalia broke off a leafy low hanging branch and dropped it on the ground. She then proceeded to grab three more just like it. She placed them in a pile and shot a bolt of lightning at it, it caught fire instantly. Nico looked a bit haggard. He was pale, his hair was standing straight up, and his clothes were ruffled from the struggle. The snake still looked deadly, there'd be hell to pay when it woke up. They both stared at it for a moment.
"Should we kill it?" she asked him, turning to look at him not knowing what she wanted him to say.
"Well seeing as how I don't think I'll be able to shadow travel with the two of us," he said sounding as though he were trying to be logical. "this is the closest thing to dinner we have." She had never had snake before, so she had no idea how to cook it, she looked at him skeptically. He held his hand out palm down mumbled a prayer to his father and summoned three basic skeletons their bones yellowed with age. All three wore simple rags around their waists. They looked at him for direction.
"You," he said pointing to the one closest him "get some firewood. You," he indicated the one furthest from him "kill and skin that." he tossed it a knife that had been on his side and indicated the snake. Thalia was amazed at how easy it must be to accomplish tasks with minions.
"You," he said indicating the only one left "keep up a perimeter, if something gets passed you and your still here I'll make you wish you had never been resurrected." the skeleton nodded and moved off. The one that had been collecting fire wood had a decent pile. The snake was dead its head cut by the minion, that was now slitting it along its underside.
"How are we gonna cook the snake?" Thalia asked hoping it wouldn't involve her playing with snake guts. He smirked probably knowing what she was thinking.
He placed his hand against the ground and muttered a quiet prayer, while he did that she added branches to the fire. As he lifted his hand a two handled skillet came with it. She helped him fashion legs to hold it above the fire. A quarter of the snake had been skinned and cleaned by one skeleton, a sizeable pile of fire wood had been gathered by another, and the last one keeping perimeter had picked up a stick that it was carrying like a club. Nico grabbed two cuts of snake meat and put them in the skillet.
They sat down on the ground a few feet away from he fire and in arms reach of each other.
"Almost like camping." Thalia mused lightly, brushing her spiky black hair out of her eyes and behind her ears. Nico smiled at the thought.
"Too bad we don't have a tent, any supplies, we're lost, and I was just attacked by a big ass snake." he said sarcastically, she snorted.
"At least we have your minions to do the dirty work." she said with a smirk, it was a really convenient trick. He smirked, it was one of the biggest perks of being a son of Hades. The snake meat sizzled, and Thalia flipped them with her knife. The pile of fire wood was big enough to last them till mid-morning tomorrow so Nico ordered the skeleton to take up a perimeter with the other, it to armed itself with a club.
"I think it's done." Thalia said handing him a piece, it was hot but he juggled it from hand to hand blowing on it. She chuckled lightly at him, she had hers on the end of her knife. When it was cool enough he took a bite, it was good it did taste a bit like chicken but more gamey. The skeleton that had been cleaning the snake finished and came to stand next to him.
"Go help them with the perimeter." he told it, it nodded and joined its compatriots, still wielding the knife. They had finished their pieces and had put more in the skillet.
"Will your father get mad at you if you don't wash the dishes before you return them?" Thalia asked only half-joking. He looked at her to see if she was serious, he couldn't tell.
"No," he said smirking "but if I don't give him an offering he'll probably be mad." she nodded, they had not given them an offering before they had eaten, though everything left would most likely be offered. The pieces of meat sizzled and Thalia flipped them. Sadly they had no water and as it was too dark to look for it this would have to do.
"Thanks for earlier." Nico said earnestly, locking eyes with her. She smiled at him and he smiled back.
"Oh it was no problem," she said modestly "you'd of done the same thing for me." she smiled at him again to show she meant it.
"That and you'd be stuck out here without me?" he replied smirking at her, he was leaning back on his hands.
"Thanks." he said as she handed him a piece of meat and he started to juggle and blow on it, she got hers on the end of her knife and held it up to cool. She could only eat half while he ate his quickly.
"You want the rest of this?" she asked holding out her uneaten portion, he took it gratefully and ate it.
"I've had enough." he said after finishing hers and licking his fingers clean. They gathered up the uncooked scraps and tossed them into the fire as an offering, then Nico rolled up the snakes skin and with a rubber band that had been on his wrist held it like that. He put it and the snakes head on top of a tree branch. His skeletons could be heard circling them.
"I don't think I'm going to sleep good tonight." Thalia said thinking out loud, it was chilly and all she had was a light jacket the fire would keep her warm but..
"I agree," Nico replied calmly "we should probably sleep back to back to conserve body heat." he hoped she would not think he was trying 'something' but it would be more efficient. She nodded her head.
"Should we take watch?" she asked, as he out his hand to the ground and muttered a prayer to his father. As he raised his hand two skeletons clawed their way up. They each had bleached white bones and carried celestial bronze swords. He left her question unanswered and smirked at her.
"You two guard us while we sleep, and don't let the fire get any smaller than it is now." he commanded them, as he flipped his hair out of his eyes and pointed. She had to admit there was something attractive about how in control he was. She had been sitting down while that had been going on and he plopped down beside her. He pulled out his pack of cigarettes and offered her one. She took it, lit it, handed it back and repeated the process. Inhale. Exhale. Repeat.
"Aww, that's nice." Nico said sighing contentedly. She chuckled but couldn't agree more. Inhale. Exhale. Repeat.
"What a day it's been." Thalia said casually. Nico nodded his head a smile tugging at the corners of his lips. They sat in comfortable silence. Inhale. Exhale. Repeat.
"Goodnight." Nico said flicking his cigarette into the fire and laying down on his side.
"Night night." she said doing the same thing. The skeletons stood silent watch over them as they fell asleep back to back, while the corpses should of made it hard to sleep she found Nico a comforting enough presence she could ignore it.
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