Yeah, got to be fast and type while I have my muse. Welcome to chapter 16!
So this is going to be short guys, and please, review, it helps me build up my ego.
And I want to shout out to my new beta, my-silver-lining! Though, I'm sorry for not letting you beta this first. My cousin, Sam, came over and helped my story before I could wait for your response. But still, thanks for doing this! I'm forever grateful. And for everyone who reviewed, I would like to say that you guys are awesome!
Disclaimer: Me don't own it!
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Nico's POV:
We managed to have survived and still be in one intact shape. Luck day right?
The group managed to get to the other side of the forest. Me leading the way and the others close behind.
"Stop." I ordered as we approach a clearing. It looked awfully familiar, maybe in a dream or something, I really don't have time to remember. Across it was light. And I didn't trust it. There weren't supposed to be light here. It was deep in the underworld for Hades' sake!
"Not one of your premonition thing again Nico." Aaron said, walking ahead of us.
"No. I sense something evil in there." I said, taking my sword out and taking in a crouching position.
"Yeah, and you didn't sense your dad." He joked without humor.
"Stupid Hermes kid. You don't know the magnitude of the problem we have at hand." I growled.
"And what. You do? At least I have enough humor and sanity enough to know what happened. You got pissed off because of a little joke." He said, clenching his fist and turning around to face us. His grin turning into a smirk. He reminded me awfully of Kronos in that demigod Luke's body.
Half waiting for him to raise a weapon, or in my mind's case a scythe, I looked at him with a nearly angry, composed face. I lowered my sword in case my temper did brake.
"Shut up joker boy." I spat.
"Same thing death kid. If you know what's best, back off and shut up for once." He said. That was it. Before I could compose myself and do something calmly, I lunged at him, sword forgotten and fist ready. He didn't expect that.
I slammed a fist to his face. There was a sickening crack and then blood. I raised another hand but Aaron seemed to take over. He pulled me aside and the next thing I knew, he was above me.
He lifted his arm. "I'd like to hit you so badly Nico. You don't know how bad. But I will never, ever, go low enough to your level." He growled and stood up.
Kara rushed towards him, thawed out of surprise. "I bet you'll guys kill each other off than this quest. Gods, if you guys don't stop fighting soon, then I'll have to tie you both to a leash." She said while healing his nose.
"Or we could place you two in one cage and see who survives." Gavin offered from behind.
"Yeah. That's a great idea." I mumbled and walked back to my sword.
"As long as Nico here uses his brain more than his senses, I promise to behave." Aaron said.
"And as long as you keep your comments to yourself, I'm good." I said, crouching down behind the bush to look at the light that shines past the trees.
And in the light stood a mansion. Wait, mansion is too simple a word to describe it. Castle is the correct answer.
It has huge towers and gates that reached to the sky. It even had a moat! I wonder if there's crocs there. Speaking of crocs, what is the difference of crocs and alligators? I mean, they look the same and all but-
I mentally slapped myself.
Focus. I ordered and looked back to them.
"We're here at some castle." I announced.
Gavin walked up and crouched next to me. "Let me see. High towers, closed draw bridge and 24/hour security. Definitely their hididng something." He said.
I looked at him weirdly, like one would if another grew an eye in front of them. But he just shrugged. "Read 'The Art Of War' translated into perfect Greek." He explained and looked at the castle.
"Okay, general, since you know your way around castle security, now what do we do." I said sarcastically.
"You get in of course." A voice of a girl said from behind. I turned to Kara but saw her tense up next to Aaron as he did the same thing, only she was in his arms. I don't know if what their relationship has gotten into but I had not time to know…or care.
But one thing is certain. It was surely not her. I looked around and there she was. Golden, brown hair in princess like curls, covering her grey peral eyes, she sat on a tree stump at the middle of the clearing. She looked about 14? 13? My age and her copper skin glowed in the fait light of the castle.
"Who are you?" Kara asked, leaning away from Aaron's frozen grasp.
"The key inside." She said as a matter of fact.
"And you are?" she asked again. The girl stood up, rather gracefully, and bounded towards her, with a big grin plastered on her face.
"Aanastassia. Daughter of a minor god." She said with an air of innocence, it was hard not to believe her.
"Who exactly." Clearly Kara wasn't fooled. But Aanastassia just shrugged and looked at the whole group, looking at everyone at least 10 seconds per person.
"So, you guys awfully look tired. Want to come with me?" she chirped with enthusiasm.
I looked at Kara, who looked surprised and suspicious at the same time.
"Why do you want us to come?" I asked her. For a second, her eyes narrowed but she hid it well in the back of her hair.
"Because I need all of you." She said. Her voice seemed true and unlikely to lie with. I looked at the other two and saw them relax.
"Okay." Gavin said and stood up, brushing dirt off his pants. Aaron nodded and motioned us to come along.
And so, we trudged down into a unknown territory, with a stranger to lead and a friend in need. Gavin has somehow locked arms with out guide and Aaron walked further, looking like in a trance. His grey eyes flickering. Wait. Since when did Aaron had grey eyes?
"Are you buying this?" Kara asked by my side. I shook my head.
"She seems too suspicious." I answered. And we continued down the beaten path and through the draw bridge.
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KIARA'S POV:
"Why are you keeping me here? Let me out." I demanded, but it even felt weak to me.
I sat on the black marble floor, and keeping my legs to myself, preserving all the warmth left in me. There had been a temperature drop and I couldn't believe how Xavier take it with out even a shiver.
"Aren't you happy with the little family reunion?" he asked. He was now sitting on a chair, leaning forward and placing his face on his intertwined hands. He looked pleased, accomplished even, and it fuels my hatred for him more.
"I got no family." I said through clenched teeth. "They died the moment the monster appeared."
"But Kiara, weren't we family forever?" he asked. "Even in the god's side." He looked enlighten.
"Gods? You are not part of that family."
"That's where you're wrong." He shook his head and I felt my eyes widen.
"Y-You can't be!" I accused. He just gave me a loop side grin, held up his hand.
"Your not only the gifted one Kiara." He chuckled and closed his eyes. When he opened it back, his eyes, they weren't the sparkling grey I grew up with. It was already changing. From pink to blue. Creepy, but it made me feel sleepy. I had a hard time to concentrate.
Memories were brought up and pushed back away again, like someone's searching my mind. Flashes of the past flew past behind my eyes. The time we had picnicked under an old oak tree. The time we sprayed a part of the central park into purely red. And the last image was when I was leaning into the water, from the harbor too far and he came rushing by and hugged me before I lost my balance. I was young then. Immature and foolish, I was back then. And he was the responsible, kind and loving one. But then again, he taught me my maturity and opened my eyes into the cruel world.
"The blessing of Morpheus my dear." He smiled one last time and his eyes returned to their hard, cold and steel shade of grey.
I gritted my teeth. How could he pull up those memories. Those were the times he wasn't a traitor. We were happy. "No more confusing me Xavier. I want it straight. What. Do. You. Want?" I asked, hard.
"Well, for one, your powers are very useful." He nodded to the side, agreeing with himself. "Two, you may be kept hostage for Poseidon. And lastly because, if I threatened you, your boyfriend-" he said as if boyfriend was the most disgusting thing ever. A part of my mind wondered if he was still there, caring for me after all. "-will do anything for you."
"Who?" I asked, astonished by the boyfriend word.
"The Hades kid. And if Hades gets involved, well, this should be interesting!." He laughed with open air, as if this were the most exciting thing ever. I looked at him weirdly. He wasn't talking about Nico, was he?
He sighed deeply and rubbed his templates. "Kiara, I leave you alone for years and you turned into an air head. But no matter." He looked up again and grinned.
"What are you playing Xavier?" I asked and looked at him weirdly. He held up a finger to stop my words and held his palm up. And on his palm lay a silver, glowing orb.
Then, a image flickered in it. It was the time Nico and I got to be alone in the forest for a long time. It showed me and him leaning gradually towards each other. A part of my heart fluttered, because I finally saw that he may have liked me back, but my mind kept on slapping it out of fantasy.
A loud growl was heard and the image flickered. Battle scenes of a hellhound and ourselves swarmed the scenes. But the last image was of me, towering over the nearly disintegrated monster. The image flickered as the monster released the silver dust.
"You see Kiara, I've been looking after you all along. Letting the monster loose that night you went on duty, before the Hades kid could do anything unmoral. Keeping the lord of the dead busy so you don't have to come here struggling but come in your own will. And the last one was the hellhound. Well, a brother couldn't stand and watch as his own sister fall for a guy and break her heart, could he?"
"Brother. Ha!" I said with a lunatic chuckle. Then I remembered his plan. Me hostaged. Against my will, ha, it'll never happen.
"But there is a hole in your plan, dearest brother." I said with all the courage I could master.
"What is that?" he raised an eyebrow.
"The part where I won't be taken hostage. Or the part where I go down fighting to my death. And the fact that my friends are looking for me." I readied to take my sword from my waist, where I always place it but it wasn't there. 'Time for back up.' I thought and reached for a dagger hidden in my jeans.
"Friends? You mean them?" he asked and the silver orb appeared above his shoulder. And it showed the group, walking curiously into the castle. I wanted so bad to scream for them to run, but I know it wont be ay of use. It was a picture afterall.
"Your never gonna keep me nor my friends." I growled.
"Tsk, tsk. And here I am thinking this would end well. But no matter, this shall be done quite soon enough." He said and several shadows moved on their own. Actual shadows, without the physical bodies, emerged from the shadows and surrounded me.
"Stop it!" I screeched as they tried to lock my arms. And fro shadow freaks, they're pretty strong.
"Take her to Payton. He'd love some company right now in his, ah, predicament." Xavier said and walked out of the room casually. "I've got guests to entertain."
That left me at the mercy of the shadows. They started to walked, in perfect synchronization, to the darkest corner. I struggled to get free. But they still walked, like my struggling was nothing at all.
And then black. When we had come to the corner too close, there was nothingness. Only the endless darkness and the cold shiver down my spine.
And then, light came back too quickly. I had to close my eyes to adjust it.
"Aanastassia?" asked a weak voice. I didn't dare open my eyes to look yet. Maybe it was a guard. To torture me I suppose?
"Your not.. Oh my gods, what have they done to you?" it said again. It didn't seem to be big and buff, but sounded peaceful even in it's weakness.
I opened my eyes slowly and saw that no more shadows held my hands. But a mere face of a boy appeared. He looked battle stricken and battered. His boyish face was messy with grime. He had shaggy hair that stuck up everywhere and sparkling blue eyes.
"Where am I?" I asked and something sounded from behind.
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I'm evil! Cliffy is evil for me! Muwahahaha! Review guys and you'll know what becomes of our little heroes!
So, Payton and Aanastassia had finally joined in the play of Something Like That. Woot! Anyone who still wants their characters included, will either have to wait for the sequel, or be the lucky one to get the final spot I need!
So, like it? Love it? I'm gonna leave you guys to decide.
Oh! An happy valentines day people! Review! It'll be the perfect gift for me:]