Nero is a funny character. I'm really not sure how to play him. He's not acting like he did in the book, what a surprise! But, I'm just pulling on the histories that character supposedly experienced, so very cynical and manipulative. What a charmer. And, yes, he WAS in the books.

Lyfeberry

The uniform issued to the Radiative Corona was a long orange jacket, patched with grey paddings on elbows and shoulders. The design was simple, however flashy as it capture Lord Apollo's famous gracious sense of fashion enforced on his subordinates. The cloths were a bit big on Percy, but that was only natural as he has "yet to finish growing", as his mother have said countless times before.

Percy was quite warm from his rinse in the small washing courter. He didn't like the feeling of nakedness and definitely not while others were there as well. He was escorted back to their little room where two beds were suspended on the wall, one above the other and a small square table at the center with two chairs on opposite sides. This felt more like a prison than a room.

Percy was never too fond of embellishing his environments, like posters or pictures, however the dullness of this cubic cell seemed to be only bested by its sense of haunting.

After the seemingly never-ending day, all Percy wanted was to lie on the still cot and contemplate all his failures thus far. This all seemed so surreal to him as if he was simply dream and he wanted to wake up badly, yet a part of him didn't.

Percy shifted in his bed until his face was hurried in the pillow. Never before had Percy felt such a longing for familiarity in company.

The door opened and closed quickly. Percy sat up to find Annabeth had slipped into the room. She was in a simple undershirt and skirt. She shuffled over to the beds, leaning over the first bunk, over Percy. Her skin was soft and flawless, her hair was damp and draped over her shoulder. There was a faint sent of honey, which laced her skin. Percy's eyes wondered along her slender neck and prominent collarbones.

Annabeth plucked her dagger from the sheets and straightened up, acting as if nothing had happened. For some unfathomable reason Percy was at a lost for breath, his chest pounded under his ribcage.

"I didn't mean to take your bunk." Percy coughed out, trying to lighten the awkwardness.

Annabeth hopped on the edge I Percy's bed. She scowled intently into her hands that lied on her thighs. She did not answer or even react as if she didn't notice Percy's presence. Her fingers curled together loosely before unfolding, yielding a disappointed grunt from Annabeth.

"Are you alright?" Percy asked, knowing too well that frustrated look.

Annabeth nodded in surprise, her eyes flickered to Percy as if finally noticing him. She crossed her arms, her eyes darting from side to side.

"I- uh." She fished for words but it didn't come.

"Lost in thought?" Percy asked. "I had a friend back in Athens that always seemed to do that. He would simply star down on his assignments and bore holes into the parchment." Percy shuffled so that his back leaned against the wall.

Annabeth stood from Percy's bed and took a few steps back, holding onto her hands close to her chest.

"He was really smart," Percy continued, following the flow. "You remind me a lot about him."
"Do you think I'm smart?" Annabeth asked, almost challenge in her quiet voice.
"Yeah, you are." Percy said.

"How do you know?"
"I just know."

"You don't even know me."

"I do." Percy froze; the words trapped behind his teeth before he even realize what he was saying. He didn't know her, not in the least bit, he just met her for the first time two days ago, and how can he claim to know her. I do know you. Parts of him seem to whisper, but simple rationality won over and Percy simply smiled widely.

"If I'm so smart, why don't I know what's happening?" Annabeth breathed out beside Percy. He turned to see the girl slumped on the bunk bed, her eyes cast on the floor. As if some external force, she looked up and met his eyes. "C-Can you answer me?" She asked in embarrassment.

"What do you want to know?" Percy smiled half-heartedly.

Annabeth wanted to yell at him, scream all her problems and tension, however she bit back.

"Let's start with the basics." She scooted aside and patted the mattress beside her. Percy eased down, feeling the grind of his tired bones. "Who exactly are these people? Aren't they the men of the king? Why would they disobey the orders of the king?"

Percy thought for a moment, pulling out all of the Valhalla governmental system as he could.

"Well, Valhalla's governing system is very much like the feudal system. There's the king and his noblemen, except there are significantly less numbers of nobles. Another difference is the loyalty of the army to the nobles and the king. In the feudal system, the soldiers are loyal to the king above all, whereas here the noblemen all have their respective armies.

"Lord Zeus banners over the Knights of Gold, and Silver, and Bronze. In this case, the Radiative Corona are men of Duke Apollo De Grantz."

"So this whole peace treaty is duke Apollo's doing?" Percy nodded. "And Lord Zeus, the king, isn't apart of the scheme?"

"I doubt it." Percy shrugged. "Or else—"

"We wouldn't have the choice." Annabeth finished Percy's sentence.

"Anymore questions?" Percy asked cheekily.

Annabeth shook her head defeated.

"I gave up asking the important questions." She mumbled.

"Look on the bright side…" Annabeth seemed surprised by Percy's words. "… At least you'll have plenty of time to remember, or create a new history. So you don't have to ask about the past anymore." Percy flashed a big smile, an innocent smile. Hearing something so absurd and stupid would have blown Annabeth's mind if it were anyone but Percy.

"That sounds lame." Annabeth said instinctively. She bit her tongue and shut her eyes, cursing herself. This was simply a defense when she felt wordless.

"Really?" Percy sounded carious rather than angry. "That's what mom always said."

Annabeth opened one eye and stared astonished at Percy.

"That's Lame."

The Argo 2 lumbered onto the wide-open grassland on the outskirts of Lyfeberry Ridge Town. The long, deep grass folded under the massive mass of the ship's metal, swaying back and forth by the ship's running propellers like the ripples of the disturbed sea.

Nero led the brigade off of the extending bridge of the ship. Percy and Annabeth followed behind Nero, 6 spearmen marching behind them in strict unison. Nero led the group into town, following a wide dirt road along the trees.

Two wooden gate spread open, hinged on a tall white stone wall that surrounded Lyfeberry Ridge. Two dull metal guards met the colonel at the foot of the gates. They quickly recognized the without so much as an introduction, and offered to escort the brigade to the central office.

Nero declined the offer and preceded though the small town. A 3 story white building loomed over the other wooden houses that were stout and low. The building was what Percy can only imagine as the justice building, where the mayor or other authoritative figure could meet with the Colonel.

The inside of the building were very old fashioned, bare white walls and old wooden tables and cabinets, creaking floorboards and candle lamps posted on walls.

This might be one of the very rare times Percy has visited such a dismal town, so quiet and naked. He didn't feel comfortable here; it was as if the silence could swallow him. He felt lonely, in a strange place without guards to protect him.

Whenever Percy was back in Athens, there was always the presence of security, in the forms of Luke or other attendants. Every citizen in the city was security, in fact. But here, there was a foreign feel to the faces of the few people meandering in town.

Nero spoke briefly with the attendant sitting at the greeting counter before returning to the others.

"It seems Mayor Dolin is absent at the moment, I'm afraid there will be a moment of wait before we can proceed." Nero informed Percy and Annabeth as if he had to. His eyes moved over the two youngsters quicker than either of them could realize. "Why don't the two of you have a walk around town? After being cooped up in the Argo, you're surely stiff."

"Yes," Percy answered for the two of them. "That would be great."

Annabeth shot Percy a look before compiling.

Nero waved for one of the guards to escort the two, and then turn over to the reception desk once more.

Annabeth's eyebrows pinched together, her eyes lingering on Nero as if trying to unravel his nature as he had so easily done with theirs'.

Percy waited for Annabeth to follow before making for the door.

"Make sure you don't make for any of the other exits." The colonel spoke out from the counter without facing them. "It is quite dangerous in the Zero Zones around these parts."

Annabeth's irritated expression did not leave her face, even as they are exposed to the fresher air of the summer breeze.

"Is something bothering you?" Percy probed.

Annabeth eyed Percy, hesitating for a moment before speaking.

"I don't get him." She finally said.

"What do you mean?"

"Why is he letting us go out like this?" Annabeth wonder out loud. "I thought this was a serious matter, why is he…" She trailed off, leaving Percy to frown to himself. Annabeth mumbled to herself.

"I don't think he's that bad." Percy shrugged off. Annabeth gave a look. "I don't think he's that bad, he's bad, but not that bad." Percy waved his hands to calm her.

"He's using you, Percy." Annabeth said dryly.
Percy stayed silent, looking on the ground.

They made their way to the center of town, where a small market constructed of stands and tables. Many of the stories displayed fruits and vegetable, most of them common, but some of them were stranger.

Percy weaved through the shops, shaking his head from one side of shops to the other side of stands. Percy stopped momentarily, looking back to Annabeth who was in turn looking over her shoulders. Annabeth bumped into Percy giving a small yelp.

Before Percy could apologize, Annabeth took hold of his hand and continued through the small crowd of people.

"Where are you going?" Percy asked as he was being dragged through the market.

"Shhh!" Annabeth hissed. "I'm trying to lose to guard." Percy bit back a question and followed Annabeth onwards.
"The gate is right in front of the justice building, surely we would get caught if we tried to run away." Percy called out.

"But that's only the front gate." Annabeth said slyly. "Remember what Nero said; 'don't make for any of the other exits'? That means there are more than just the front gate."

"I'm not sure if leaving town is the safest option." Percy said slowly.

Annabeth bit her lips, her jaws tightening. After a moment, Percy knew that she didn't have a reply and that meant they would have to risk their lives again in the wilderness.

Annabeth's guess was correct, there was indeed a back exit in Lyfeberry Ridge. However that did not mean that they exited town, as a small crowd of townsfolk corralled the area. It was not the people that kept them from leaving, rather it was the source of they're interest that kept the two.

15 or so paces from the back gate there was a large rip. A deep scratch across the ground like lightning carved into the dirt. The hollow was wide enough to engulf Percy, and stretched nearly across half of the open road and burrowed into a shop to the left of the gate. The building was asunder, bricks flung onto the street, wooden planks snapped into pieces, blistering outwards like a brush.

Annabeth glanced at Percy who returned her curious look.

"An earthquake?" Percy guessed. Annabeth nodded in agreement.

"Not exactly an earthquake." A stranger's voice answered, a softer voice that did not provoke surprise in the two. Percy and Annabeth turned to find an elderly man standing close behind. Long curled white hair the swept down behind his ears, giving way to his richer youth, a gruff mass of white beard foaming from his jaw, and lines of deep crescent wrinkles that characterized his experience through feeling more than any actual recordings.

"There is a legend in this little old town, well, more of a folklore than legend." The elder spoke with slow and soft patience that compelled Percy to listen. "Once upon an ancient twilight Lugh, the Colossal slayer took upon a long journey to riddle the lands with seeds of life after the Second Coming of Ruin. Upon this very land, Lugh trekked into the heavy mountain, a forest weighed with the curse of the Colossal that were conspired upon the First Coming of Ruin. There, Lugh pulled upon the ground and took hold of a Colossal of the Coming Ruin, and six days passed as Lugh battled the Giant."

The elder turned gestured to the chasm with a long sleeved cloak. "It is said the with every strike the ground pull apart by the voice of the Giant. Upon the sixth day, the ground shook as the clock stuck twilight, Gaia's titanic fangs split open and swallowed the small town that lied at the base of the heavy mountain."

Percy waited, as time passed, it seems the elderly man won't continue.

"What happened with Lugh after the town's destruction?" Percy finally asked.

The elderly man smiled, stretching his wrinkly face.

"Oh, but who said the town was destroyed?" The elder's eyes seemed to gleam with curiosity as if he was truly asking Percy a question.

"It was consumed by the earth, crushed." Percy seemed to be reassuring himself.

"It is true that the ground open its mouth," the elder stroked his beard. "However it was not soil and clay that met the townspeople. It was the abyss. A prison that is bottomless. Some say it was a bottomless prison under the ground that swallowed the town. The Gulf of Nog."

"A Celtic mythology?" Annabeth suddenly spoke up, Percy turned to her with raised eyebrows.

"What?"

"The legend of Lugh, are you referring to Celtic mythology?" Annabeth seemed more confused by the question itself then the subject she was questioning on. "But I don't recognize the story about the seeds or Giants under the mountain."

"Not quite." The elder smiled astonished. "This tale in particular originated 300 years ago, dug up in the ancient excavations by the wise Trien the Historian. The text itself is quite old, but not nearly as ancient as Celtic lore."

"Oh," Annabeth seemed tangled in the story; too distracted to even capture the real situation they were in.

"I see you two have acquainted yourselves with the town quite briskly." A daunting voice pricked the null muffle of the town chatter.

Annabeth and Percy collectively shivered by the chill the voice carried.

Nero strolled up to the four with measured charisma, his thin scarf trailed behind him like a brave flag that encompassed his immense presence. He came to a steady halt before the three and bowed, arching low, his right hand placed on his chest above his would-be heart, his left folded behind his back.

"Master Dolin, my humble apologies for the latency." Nero spoke before he rose once more, a good foot taller than the shorter elder.

Percy nearly jumped in surprise as his head darted to the elderly man that appears to be the Mayor Dolin.

The old mayor laughed heartily either at Percy's reaction or at Nero's manners.

"Well, I have long awaited the return of the Great Lieutenant Nero De Deva." Dolin seemed very familiar with Nero, enough to ignore his icy sharp gaze.

"It's Colonel now, Dolin." Nero seemed relaxed somewhat, his tight manners eased some.

"Colonel?" Dolin brushed his beard as if pondering, taking up the cliché old forgetful front of the elderly. "Time sure has passed since last you've visited."

"And yet, nothing seemed to have changed here." Nero replied speedily in a fashion that only closer friends did.

"Nothing but the lengths of my beard." Dolin gave a loud howl of laughter, holding his stomach in some desperate attempt to hold his old body solid. His laughter brought a nervous smile to Percy's face, still uncomfortable by Nero's towering persona.

Nero simply smiled, his cool smile that gave the impression of eternal patience as he waited for Dolin to collect himself.

Dolin sighed, his eyes closed briefly before opening to the deep chasm that lay before the four, his expression suddenly older, more solemn and wary.

"Perhaps change is yet afoot." Dolin spoke to no one in particular, yet his word carried the aura of foreboding that was felt by all. He turned back to Nero, his laughter fainter in his eyes, he seemed to be eased by Nero's very presence somewhat. "There is little that can halt change, for change is progress, maybe I'm simply growing old." Percy felt as if Dolin wasn't exactly referring to the crater when he spoke, but he couldn't figure out Dolin's thoughts.

"Rest assure, Dolin," Nero spoke; his usually chilly voice seemed to garner confidence and comfort in an unusual way. "I will unmask this situation and resolve it personally."

"Yes, but who can I trust more than Lieutenant Nero?" Dolin said cheerily.

"I can offer you little aid in this matter, I'm afraid." Dolin spoke from his seat behind his desk. "As you can assume, we know very little of this bizarre occurrence."

"This doesn't seem to be an impossible string of events." Nero said with crossed arms. "As it cropped up once or twice more south in Pylos and once more in Thera. Although this region seems to be quite active comparatively."

"You've seemed quite familiar with these uncanny phenomenon." Dolin said.

"I have studied in this these matters after receiving your message." Nero answered without pause.

"Is that true?" Dolin grinned. "Or has the carious young Nero been snooping as he always have." Nero smiled at that. "Always interested in the stranger side of Gaia, you must be enjoying this far more than I am." "I seek answers, and this question is answerless be existing knowledge thus far." Percy seemed to have heard a sense of challenge in Nero's voice, but he couldn't be sure.

"Wise Trien searched for answers to all things and he was granted with misfortune." Dolin spoke with humor on his lips, but Percy could tell the serious tone behind his tongue, something nobles seem to be excellent in.

"A grand archive of knowledge was discovered in exchange for Trien's vessel." Nero answered in his usual tone. "Knowledge that covered hundreds of libraries, it seems all the worthy in exchange."

"Life if not meant to be forfeited dreams, it is the act of achieving the dream that life revolves." Dolin grew quiet. He muttered his words to himself as much as to Nero.

The meeting ended a few more exchanges later. Nero decided the day has grown too dark for the journey to the heavy mountains safely. Percy and Annabeth were assigned a bedroom in one of the few inns in Lyfeberry.

The inn consisted of a small room with wooden interior; a small, single, wool stuffed bed perched under a square window and a wood plank desk and chairs. An unlit fireplace built into the wall with grey stones coating the walls. It was just as empty as the room on Argos 2, more so now, even.

Percy lay on the bed, his Corona Jacket hanging on the wooden chair. He sniffed the sheets of the bed, dismayed by its stiff, unfamiliar scent. He wasn't home. He was lost and alone.

Two knows on the door startled Percy awake. He quickly stumbled to the door, welcoming company. To his surprise, for some reason or another, it was Annabeth who stood behind the door.

"Evening." She said simply, her eyes not meeting Percy's.
Percy stood there, holding the door's handle, he didn't speak, he couldn't register.

"May I come in?" Annabeth said to her hands.

"Y-Yeah, come in." Percy moved aside and allowed Annabeth to enter the room before closing the door.

Annabeth strode to the table to sat on the only chair with Percy's jacket on the back. Percy circled the table, unsure or uncomfortable of what to say.

Annabeth seem content with silence, her still breathing and low gaze gave off a calmer, sleepy impression.

"So—"

"I just wanted––" The blur of words tangled and dropped as suddenly as they picked up.

Percy gestured for her to continue and she gave a thin smile.

"I wanted to say…" Annabeth bit down on her lips, her eyes moved away, her mind racing a thousand thoughts in the briefest moment. "I wanted to say that I'm glad." She spoke as if it were a question. She quickly took back her words with a shook of her head. "I want to…" Annabeth fished for the word, clearly frustrated, to herself maybe.

Percy could tell how badly Annabeth wanted to leave this subject, how embarrassed she felt and how much t hurt her to continue. He wanted to stop her if that would ease her embarrassment, however he knew that would only damager a prideful person such as she was.

"I want to thank you." Annabeth said finally, her words were stiff and hard, squeezed out through the wall of humiliation and inferiority she felt.

"Thank me?" Percy asked, honestly clueless.

Annabeth made a face, as if ticked by Percy's slowness, or maybe because she had to elaborate on an embarrassing subject.

"Thank you for…" Annabeth turned away, her hands pressed on her lap, her fingers tangled in furious motions. "For saving me, back then." Her lips tightened up, her eyes shut close and words ceded. As much as Annabeth wanted to continue, as much as she wanted to fully express her gratitude, her pride covered her under an iron shell.

Percy smiled, almost grinned.

"Thank me?" He repeated it almost in question. "I don't think I deserve that much."

Annabeth was still turned away from Percy, unwilling to look at him.

"I shouldn't be thanked for acting so stupidly." Percy said offhandedly, his eyes lingered on the table; a soft smile replaced the grim expression he felt.

Annabeth looked up, but only met Percy's solemn guise and decided not to speak up.

Annabeth excused herself out of the room after a few more moments of silence, leaving Percy to soak up the quiet. What was he doing?

Wowie. What world building! So much excitement!

Dolin is non-important; he's simply there to serve as Nero side quest. That extends to Lyfeberry. It'll be important when Nero's name is revealed.

Annabeth's super mean now, what a horrible sloot. She should totes be in love with Percy. Which brings up the subject of any debates as to the pairing of this fic?

Leave a review and lemme know how you're feelin'!