The dragon was well trained and knew where he should be flying, heading straight for the flying grounds. Halfblood was equipped with everything. They had their weaponry forge, the training grounds, the houses and cabins, and the endless fields of sheep, which they would sell for wool to neighboring towns. They also had the stables for dragons. Then they had the ocean nearby all the cabins, and the giant food hall, with a massive hearth nearby. Finally they had the meeting room, otherwise known as the Big House, plus the infirmary on the side.

As he burst out the door of his small cabin he ran quickly toward the Big House trying to make up time. By the time he actually got there he was over twenty minutes late.

He opened the door with a bang, realizing later that he probably should have caught his breath before entering, but it was too late now.

"That was quite an entrance"

Nico looked up, still out of breath, to see the smiling form a Will Solace.

"Shut up," he gasped out.

Will just chuckled and continued to wrap his patient's leg, who Nico recognized as Travis Stoll. He had just finished cutting the tape when he turned to Nico.

"You're late," he remarked, his easy smile back in place. "C'mon you can help me out" he said, strolling over to the medicine cabinet. He handed Nico a couple bottles and told them to administer them about to their respective patients.

It took a few minutes, because the infirmary was always packed with groaning people. The people of Halfblood tended to find trouble for themselves. Whether it was from dragon riding, monster attacks, or getting hurt in training, demigods were known to loose limbs and wear their scars proudly.

It was past one o'clock when things started to settle down. Other Apollo kids and volunteers had joined helping out giving Nico and Will a break. Nico shift would end soon, so they contented themselves with giving Nico a small checkup. Nico had been helping for almost five hours.

It was mainly a way to extend their break.

"When was the last time you put those herbs on your scars?" Will asked, leading Nico away from the emergency medical zone, and past the beds where villagers would stay for extended periods of time.

"Uh two days ago?" Nico said back trying to remember. He led him into a small room with a large, tall wooden table that Nico knew to sit on. He jumped up onto it and waited.

"What!?" Will barked, "Nico, honestly, I told you to do it about twice a day at a minimum. I mean it could get infected, or itchy and the scars will be all the more prominent if you don't use those herbs! They aren't easy to find, you know." Will ranted and soon launched into other medical problems.

Nico simply sat there with the hint of a smile on his face as will paced around. He grabbed a jar of herbs and poured some water into a bowl. Then he handed it to Nico, never ceasing to talk. Nico silently ground them, at this point is smile turned into a smirk.

"And in all honesty I get it's a choice to wear your scars, and it has become a type of custom, but it's my job to try and fix scars-" Will had finally turned to Nico after grabbing some gauze.

"I was ranting" he noted, taking in the look Nico was giving him. He looked so shocked that he had been talking so much, and the tips of his ears were slightly red.

Nico burst out laughing.

"Yes, haha," said Will, but he was smiling slightly to now. "Okay shirt off, please" Will said. It was now Nico turn for his ears to turn pink, but he hid it well. It was a much calmer reaction than he had first had.

Nico pulled the shirt over his head. Will walked around and took the bowl from Nico's hand,then started to spread the green-ish brown paste on Nico's back.

"They do look better, but that's because of me" Will commented. Nico laughed lightly. Will walked back around and and stared at Nico's most brutal scar.

"This one though," Will murmured staring at it intently. Nico stared at Will's face out of the corner of his eyes. Nico had gotten the scar on his shoulders when he had fought a werewolf dragon. The werewolf dragons looked very similar to wolves, yet their shoulders were broader and flatter, plus they were almost four times as big as a regular wolf. They had skeletal-like wings and long canines. Their powers were amplified during the full moon, and that was exactly when Nico had run into them. Their howls could make a man go deaf, and their teeth and claws were among the most powerful.

He shouldn't have survived.

Will glanced over at Nico's face and Nico quickly looked away. Will took a glob of the paste and spread on it over his arm.

"What do you have after this?" Will said, making conversation. It took Nico a second to realize he was talking to him.

"Oh, er- " Nico stuttered trying to make his brain think. "Lunch and training, then I'm off for the day."

"You going to the bonfire?" Will asked looking up and meeting Nico's gaze.

"Are you?" Nico asked. Truthfully he hadn't been planning to. His friends were staying at Jupiter and the bawdy tunes of viking demigods was always hard for him to withstand. The bonfires were loud and crazy sometimes, and Nico preferred his own solitude.

"I'll go if you come with me," Will smiled playfully and Nico felt his ears grow hot, and once again found himself hoping his hair covered his ears.

"Ya, sure" Nico said, trying to downplay the invitation, "I don't have much else to do." He didn't want to think much about what the invitation meant.

"Great!" Will smiled "Now put on your shirt. You need to eat. I would be willing to bet you didn't have a decent meal on your entire quest." Will smiled and chuckled and continued to talk. Nico could have sworn he caught Will staring at him as he pulled his shirt over head, but wrote it off as delusion when he saw Will staring fixedly at the medicine cabinet, looking at the contents he guessed.

What he said had been true. It was common knowledge that Nico had gone on a quest with the village leader of Jupiter and a satyr from Halfblood, and that it had greatly affected the outcome of the Second Dragon War. The statue that stood tall on the cliff's edge was a constant reminder of what he had done. After he brought it, it changed the villages atmosphere. The statue worked alongside their guardian dragon, since it had the power to repel monster dragons.

What people did not know was what had happened before that, and the hardships he bore. Everyone could see the statue, but no one heard his shouts in the middle of the night, awoken by nightmares.

Nico and Will continued to talk all the way until they reached the dining hall. At Halfblood villager were supposed to eat alone, yet will and Nico had worked it out with the village leader's to let Nico, or any children of the Big Three, to eat wherever they wanted.

Their case was that, even though they all had sibling, none of them were ever at their village. Jason became a nomad, traveling through cities on his dragon and building temples for dragons with his girlfriend. His sister, Thalia, had a similar path. She wandered the sea's on dragon back with a group of maidens, hunting for a living. They worked under the godess Artemis.

Then there was Percy Jackson. Nico had a complicated past with him, one he didn't like to relive. Percy was studying with his girlfriend Annabeth at a university in Jupiter. Jupiter was much bigger than Halfblood, and it had better school systems. Then Percy's brother, Tyson, had gone to work for Poseidon in the dragon forges. He would occasionally come back and visit his dearest friend Ella, along with his brother, at Jupiter.

Finally there was Hazel who also lived at Jupiter and worked to help her boyfriend, who was the village leader. That meant Nico was the only one at Halfblood. It was ridiculous for him to stay, yet he had been convinced by Will. He really didn't know why, since all his friends were in Jupiter, yet he stayed none the less. Along with his sister and Reyna, Will was one of his best friends.

Maybe more

They reached the dining hall and grabbed piles of roasted chicken, potatoes, and vegetables. It was a common lunch. They sat down at the Apollo table and started to eat, and talk. A few other kids were there, including Austin and Kayla who Nico liked a lot.

"Hello Nico," Austin said, swiping his dreadlocks out of his eyes "How're you?"

"Wonderful" Nico replied smiling lightly. "You going to the bonfire?" Kayla asked

"Ya, Will invited me" Nico stated as he continued to eat. "That's great," Kayla said, a wide smile breaking on her face "Find us there okay?"

"Of course" Nico said another smile appearing on his face. Kayla's attitude was infectious.

Nico missed Austin looking over at Will, a large smirk on his face. Will scowled and his face turned a light pink as his brother winked at him. They continued to talk for a long time until, all of them had finished their food. Nico stood up and grabbed his plate.

"I have training to go to. Cerberus is probably getting anxious. I'll see you guys tonight."

"I have archery with Lou Ellen in an hour." Will called out

"See you then!" Nico shouted back.

Not soon after the son of Hades left did an interesting conversation start.

And it was all about him.

~Enjoy my sunshines~