It was a really dark. Like, really dark. Which was fine by Nico since that was just what he needed. He didn't know where he was going to be meeting the mysterious person who had set up that appointment but he had to do it pretty quickly, too. He was due to talk to Annabeth tomorrow about some conclusions, and shadow travelling across the world from Long Island would be exhausting. Not including the fact that Annabeth was literally red-faced (he had to remember to throttle the twins for giving Travis and Conner skin-coloring pigments) , the situation was indeed quite very interesting. Nico was glad Annabeth didn't really bombard him with questions and solutions because he already had enough to worry about (although he wouldn't admit that).
Cloaked in shadow and darkness, he advanced. A pop beside him made him cautiously avert his eyes. Instead of tensing, though, Nico found himself sighing in relief at the sight of Xavia, the black Camp raven he'd been lent. Xavia had pretty much grown on Nico, but he felt like he needed and animal of his own- an owl, most probably, which could be considered his, just in case. Maybe when things cleared up, he could get one.
Xavia crowed soundlessly. She spread her dark wings, letting a breeze ruffle her ebony feathers, and took off. Nico, unsure of what to do, and deciding it was better to follow before his dark friend camouflaged even mroe into the shadows, swiftly started walking after Xavia.
She led him through flights of stairs, alongside portraits which were pretending to be asleep, and on top of the castle, all the way to the astronomy tower. Nico was surprised to be stopping at, what was coincidentally, his favorite spot at Hogwarts. A bright half-moon shone down on demigod and raven, casting even more mysterious shadows that before.
"Is this the palce?" Nico whispered to Xavia, feeling kind of stupid, but convincing himself that he'd done weirder stuff. Xavia looked at strangely, and then dispersed, leaving only curling black wisps of darkness where she ones flew.
Another popping noise startled him out of his thoughts. This time, he snapped up to the sort of the voice to see a cloaked figure. Nico raised an eyebrow in surprise. He was pretty sure no one could apparte on Hogwarts grounds. But then again, what did he know about his new...ah, what was this unknown person mean to him, anyway?
"You came?" said the silky voice. It was smooth, but not old- a late teen, maybe? He couldn't tell since the stranger was covered by a cloak as dark as his own one made of shadows.
"Only because I had to," Nico said calmly. "What do you want?"
The figure seemed to smirk behind his hood. Probably deciding it was way too boring to be incognito, he ripped off his cloak. It swirled in the cold night air, but didn't fall to the ground- it blended into the blackness, and simply became one with the air currents.
The stranger's head seemed a dark auburn in the dark, but it might have been red in clear day light- it was flickering and moving,nd not just dancing in the wind. He had a fairly muscular build, but not as much as Percy or Jason or some of the demigods Nico knew- or heck, even Charlie. With a black leather-holder, a golden Celestial-Bronze dagger was strapped to his waist, with two wands a little further from it. Nico's guess about the guy being a late-teen was correct- he was nineteen, twenty at most. His eyes widening, Nico realized that this was the figure he had seen in his foe-glass.
"To make a deal." he spoke. "A choice- I was not lying when I said you would despair if you didn't come. Evidently, you decided not to take the risk." Nico opened his mouth to say something, but the man from his foe-glass spoke instead.
"I'll answer your questions. Yes, I'm a demigod. Yes, I am always a wizard. Of course, that is possible, and my name is Tskia, although I go by many others."
"Tskia?" Nico said, narrowing his eyes. It didn't take his much to believe a demigod and a wizard could exist...What were they, demiwizard? Wizagods? He'd grown used to weird things, but he faintly recognized the name...
Nico realized that this was the guys Mera was supposed to be stalking- of course, he wasn't stupid enough to point that out, least the daughter of Thanatos' quest be for naught, but he took caution with that fact, and decided he couldn't trust this guy. His hand twitched toward his Stygian Iron blade, until he remembered he didn't have it, and then he realized he still had his wand, which he could use. However, he decided to begin with a threatening gesture- he had to see what Tskia was up to.
Tskia laughed quietly. "I'm not here for a fight- trust me, I've got a lot on my plate these days. My whole life is practically an entire war plot-" he looked at Nico with a strange gaze, as if wishing he could pick up on something-",but I'm here to make a deal. The next few weeks, something unexpected will happen. Something that could screw up your quest- yes, I do know about that. I'm going to offer you something now- I'll change your path, and I'll make sure to alter events, and in the end, no matter how rough the road, you'll be able to go smoothly. Have we come to an agreement, then?"
Nico laughed humorlessly. "You must think I'm stupid," he stated, all previous signs of a laugh fading. "I don't trust you- who ever you were. And I suppose you aren't answering how you supposedly know this?"
Tskia shrugged aimlessly. "I'm a son of Nemesis- her mortal heir of revenge. She lets me look into the future. And if you won't believe me now, let me tell you this- someone you deeply care for shall die. I swear that on the River Styx. You can save them." The strange light in Tskia's eyes intensified . Thunder boomed in the distance, confirming the oath.
Nico sighed reluctantly. "How can I trust you?"
Tskia's eyes were burning now. "You can't. You'll just have to take the risk- or tell me, do you care so less about your friends that your not ready to take a simple risk for them?"
Tskia had hit a nerve there- Nico's eyes hardened. He pondered this for a few seconds, not willing to take an unnecessary risk- but he knew he would do anything to protect someone he cared about. Nico just couldn't afford losing anyone else. But was it a rash decision? Was Tskia really bating him, and using a soft spot to provoke him into agreeing.
"What's in it for you?" Nico replied cautiously.
Tskia breathed loudly through his nose, then let it out slowly. He said, "That doesn't matter right now. Do you agree, or not?"
Deciding it was probably the stupidest decision of his life Nico stared at Tskia carefully. "I'm not...disagreeing."
Tskia smiled, evidently satisfied. "He pulled out one of his wands, and Nico reached for his immediately. "This is only the first step to start the process, Di Angelo." Tskia explained patiently. "Follow the shadows, Nico Di Angelo. This time, they will guide you."
Without further warning, Tskia slashed at Nico with his wand, and a searing pain exploded across his chest. The Son of Hades let out a sharp gasp and tumbled backwards, which was clearly a mistake- the next thing he knew, he was falling off the astronomy tower. Panicking for a brief moment, he called the shadows to him- every bit of hollowness and darkness was being summoned. Trying his best to ignore the creeping pain that was slowly spreading into his body.
Let the shadows guide you, he thought, as those very same shadows enveloped him.
Woooh! So, thanks every one for the suggestions! Yes, don't worry I won't name his cat em, if I give him a cat. I'm a cat person, and a girl, but I have to remember that Nico isn't. I've got this strange strike of information, and decided Nico needed two animals- they're birds, but I still can't choose which kind. I just have a general appearnce in mind- one if bright fiery orange-red, and one is dark purplish-black. I've thought through names, and I find that the names Helios and Nyx are pretty cool for them. What do you think? Of course, I'm still thinking about it, so suggestions are open! (I know Nyx is not really the best of goddesses, but you've gotta admit the names have a ring to them!)
Here are some answers to reviews-
Kerowyn6: Thanks for your amazing reviews! Oui, je parle française, but only a little bit- I think I scored a ninety-something precent on the mid-year exams, though. Anyway, yes, D'Artagnan is sooo cool. I might name something else after him. I'm imagining Harry doing that right now, and smirking like crazy! And about the Lares? I'm so glad you're picking up on it- but have you ever thought about it a little more? Wouldn't you think it's a bit too obvious for me to have them mad over that? Vtellius says it isn't Nico's fault, but he's somehow involved isn't he? And okay, I'm foreshadowing way too much! Lou-Ellen's around 16-17, and Nico's as fourteen as ever- I'm taking a wild guess and saying his birthday's somewhere around winter since in BoTL, he was 11 and it was winter... So maybe, he'll be fifteen on Jan? Just deal with me, kay? Oh, the GT will definitely be suspicious, just not in a way that they suspect Nico of being a traitor or something, Like Fouquet did with D'Artagnan. As for why Dumbridge didn't try egtting him expelled? Well, I'm waiting forthe right moment- when she's headmistress. Do you honestly think she'd let him stay at Hogwarts after that? And do you honestly think she'd just stop at innocently expelling him and not something worse? Oops. More foreshadowing!
Anyway, I'm sorry for the delay and all, but, CIAO, PEOPLE!