And Farther Still Than That
Chapter Four: Camp Jupiter.
"An explanation would be sweet," Pandora remarked sarcastically, stumbling slightly as Nico dragged her through the Fields of Asphodel. "Nico? Slow down!"
"Sorry," the son of Hades murmured, glancing around and twisting his head so rapidly that Pandora worried it'd snap off. "This way. I see her."
Something burned in her chest but Pandora mustered a smile, unaware of how terrifying it was. Her grip tightened on Nico's hand which prompted a quick glance in her direction. He gulped, ready to run all of a sudden.
"Who is she?" she asked innocently.
Nico winced, "Ouch, ouch, ow—" he hissed in pain but was unable to pry the girl's fingers off him. "My sister, half-sister, Pluto's daughter!"
Instantly, Pandora's mood changed. "Jason told me about the gods' aspects too. He said he was a son of Jupiter."
Now, it was Nico's turn to feel something hot and irrational burn in his heart but he turned his head away before his face can express what he was thinking. "Yeah," he said. "Now we got to find her, Hazel and get out of here. As soon as possible."
"Uncle Hades wouldn't approve of our leave, right?"
"Yes," Nico glanced up quickly and cussed. "Shit. Alecto's here!" He started pulling Pandora away from the spot, prompting her to run along with him. "This way!"
Pandora glanced up at the sky, spotting the monster's form. She glanced at the Math workbook in hand, she'd never released it for once. She took a deep breath, ready to accept life again. She hurled the book in Alecto's direction and—miracles of miracles!—it struck her. "Sorry!" Pandora called up. "My time as a hero isn't over yet! Mind keeping it longer for me?"
"Keep what longer?"
"Just my—is that her?" Nico glanced at her then at the direction she was pointing in. Surely enough, resting her back against a dead grey tree, was a young girl that seemed to be in her young teens. Cocoa hair and skin the color of teak-wood and golden eyes, Pandora didn't think Hazel seem at all like a child of Hades/Pluto who was pale as corpse.
The pair skidded to a stop and the girl, Hazel, glanced up at the couple who was holding hands and breathing hard. "Yes?" she asked hesitantly but politely. "Is there something I can help you with?"
"Come with us!" Pandora insisted, holding out her hand. "We'll explain later."
"Why? Where are we going?" Despite her multitude of questions, Hazel stood, as if she could tell that something was wrong. "What's happening?" she asked again when there happened to be a loud screech in the sky.
"Don't you want to live again?"
Hazel looked stunned. "I...can?"
"Yes, if you come with us!"
Hazel hesitated only a moment before she took Pandora's hand and together, the children of the Big Three ran like the wind, out of the Fields of Asphodel and away from the Furies and shades.
"My name," the brunette wheezed. "is Hazel Levesque! What's yours?"
"Nico di Angelo, son of Hades—Pluto's counterpart, I suppose that'd make you my sister."
Hazel turned to the other girl. "Are you my sister too?" She looked as pale as Nico, if not, more paler.
She laughed. "No," she said, sea-green eyes full of mirth. "I'm a daughter of Poseidon, my name's Pandora Jackson. My middle's name Perseus so sometimes, people calls me Percy. You can call me by either name."
"Girls," Nico said, drawing both their attention. "We're here."
"I don't see any door." Pandora remarked.
"No," the son of Hades said evenly. "Remember Odysseus' myth? About how he tried to bring his wife back to life?"
"Yes," answered Hazel. "I've heard of it but... shouldn't it be you the one to worry?"
"I'm warning you two: don't do anything to distract me."
Pandora and Hazel exchanged glances. "Of course not."
And together, hand in hand, they walked beyond the fields and farther still than that.
NxP
Pandora's eyes fluttered open, shutting immediately when sunlight streamed into her eyes, blinding her momentarily. The Fields of Asphodel did not have any sun so she was not accustomed to seeing the sun so soon again. She turned to her side, her hands stretching out to find someone—Nico, Hazel, Jason, Luke, Annabeth, Mom and Dad—or anyone she wanted so badly to see. Her hand sought for a source of warmth of another person's body and she nearly cried when someone caught her hand. Blinded momentarily, she couldn't see who it was.
"Nico?" she called out hopefully, her heart beating hard long and she loved the feel of it—to have a beating heart meant that she was alive. And being alive was simply great; she'd been ready to sacrifice herself for the sake of the world, completely eclipsing the fact she loved life and wanted to live. Now she had another chance...even if she had to save the world again as the price of living anew.
"Yeah?" the son of Hades answered her call instantly, squeezing her hand reassuringly. "You need anything?"
In response, she threw her arms around him and hugged him tightly. He didn't protest and as her eyes were closed, she did not see the blush overwhelming his face.
"Thankyou," she whispered, her eyes burning with the sensation of tears.
"Wha—what did I do?"
"You gave another chance to live again," Pandora grinned, pulling back, disregarding the warm tears of joy streaming down her cheek.
Nico flushed, but he reached out to wipe her cheeks. "It's nothing," he mumbled. "But, listen, Pandora. We're not at Camp Half-Blood."
The smile slowly slid off her face but she didn't seem angry, merely astonished. "Why not?" she asked.
"We're in Camp Jupiter... you know," the son of Hades lowered his voice to a whisper. "...the Roman Camp?"
"They accept Greeks?"
"They don't know we're a bunch of graecus—the word here for Greeks and you best start using that—you see. Hazel can fit here and she's outside waiting for you to see the augur together. Your father is Poseidon, Neptune here and I have to warn you about him—"
"Nico?" Hazel's voice, muffled by the thick wooden walls, came from outside. "Is Pandora awake yet?"
"Yes," Nico called back. He grasped Pandora's hand and pulled her to her unsteady legs. But after stumbling a while, she managed to regain a steady footing. "Um, Hazel will guide you. She knows a lot about Roman things, yeah?"
"Does she know I'm a Greek?"
"Yes. She knows we're both graecus but she won't tell on us."
Pandora rolled her eyes; she didn't miss the special emphasis in the sentence.
"Can we go now?"
"Yes."
Nico didn't release a hand, helping her walk. Hazel shot them an odd look but didn't comment as they walked towards the augury.
"So..." Pandora said to break the awkward silence that had settled between the children of the Big Three. "This ogre—"
"Augur." Nico snorted softly, ignoring Pandora's pout. "What about him?"
"Is he really a ogre?" she asked innocently.
Hazel giggled despite the situation she was in. "No, he's a descendant of Apollo, or so Reyna—and before you ask, she's the praetor, the leader here—says. He can tell prophecy by consulting the gods...I think."
Pandora hummed. "Sorta like Rachel. Speaking of our Oracle, how's she?"
"Sad that you're dead." Nico answered honestly.
"You didn't tell them about my revival?" the daughter of Poseidon frowned heavily, unhappy that her friends were sad and partly blaming herself for dying in the first place. But now that she's back...
"After I make sure Octavain doesn't slaughter the both of you."
"Is he that bad?"
Nico didn't answer his cousin's timid question but merely guided them to the temple that Nico said belonged to Jupiter/Zeus.
"Maximus and optimus," mused Pandora. "What about Neptune's title? The coolest and most awesome?" she asked excitedly.
Hazel coughed awkwardly. "I may have little experience to the demigod world you've both experienced, I must say though, I don't think the Romans like your dad much. There's proof too."
"Where?"
As an answer, Hazel pointed to a ruined shack. On first glance anyway; Pandora's jaw dropped as she saw the symbol of her father, ruined and old and uncared for, hanging above the shack. "Oh." She said sadly; she supposed she wouldn't be accepted in this place then. She had to hope that she'd be able to scare the Romans good enough to live up to her father's name then for recognition.
Nico tapped her head sharply. "Don't be so depressed, silly. It will all work out fine."
With a nod, Pandora started walking again and the children of Hades/Pluto followed her.
"I'm curious..." Hazel said after a moment. "Are you two... dating?"
Nico choked, flushing and shaking his head rapidly from behind Pandora who had turned to glance at Hazel curiously.
"What would you do if I said yes?" the green-eyed demigod asked innocently.
"Then I'd be very happy for the both of you!" the daughter of Pluto answered honestly, smiling because she thought they looked good for one another.
"Thankyou." Pandora grinned, elbowing Nico. "Hear that? Your sister approves of me."
"Dad wouldn't," the son of Hades mumbled but was ignored by the two girls as they approached the temple first.
When Pandora first saw the scrawny descendant of Apollo, she thought he was Luke. But then she looked closer and instantly noticed that the boys only shared the same coloring. Luke had a warrior's build, this Octavian guy didn't seem as if he could lift anything heavier than the teddy bear he's holding.
Octavian stepped off the dais. He was probably about eighteen, but so skinny and sickly pale, he could've passed for younger. At first he looked harmless, but as he got closer, Pandora wasn't so sure. Octavian's eyes glittered with harsh curiosity, like he might gut Pandora just as easily as a teddy bear if he thought he could learn something from it.
"Pandora, Hazel," Nico said, voice strained and face tight with concealed anger and resentment. "Meet Octavian."
Octavian didn't even spare Hazel a glance but his gaze fixed, seemingly permanently, on Pandora which earned him a brief glare from the son of Hades. "The graecus," he said, pointing at the girl with a cruel smile. "How interesting!"
"Uh, hi," Pandora said. "Are you killing small animals?" She glanced meaningfully at what Octavian held in his hands.
Octavian looked at the fuzzy thing in his hand and laughed. "No, no. Once upon a time, yes. We used to read the will of the gods by examining animal guts—chickens, goats, that sort of thing. Nowadays, we use these."
He tossed the fuzzy thing to Pandora and Nico was starting to grow alarm at how much attention that crazy blonde was giving her. It was a disemboweled teddy bear and not the only one, Pandora noticed that there was a whole pile of mutilated stuffed animals at the foot of Jupiter's statue.
"Seriously?" Nico asked.
Octavian narrowed his eyes. "You seem nervous." But of course, he ignored Pluto's children.
"You remind me of someone," Pandora replied, fiddling with the remains of the stuffed animal. "I can't remember who."
"Possibly my namesake, Octavian—Augustus Caesar. Everyone says I bear a remarkable resemblance."
Nico snorted, more likely, Pandora was recalling either Rachel (for the guy's prophetic abilities) or Luke (his looks).
"Why did you call me 'the Greek'?" Nico shot Pandora a warning glance but was ignored. He sighed, of course she wouldn't heed his advice. She wouldn't be Pandora otherwise.
"I saw it in the auguries." Octavian waved his knife at the pile of stuffing on the altar and Hazel allowed herself a moment of pity for them. "The message said: The Greek has arrived. Or possibly: The goose has cried. I'm thinking the first interpretation is correct. You seek to join the legion?"
"Duh," Pandora muttered sarcastically. But before she could say anything, Nico stepped forward and explained everything. By explaining, she meant that he was lying—or maybe it all happened when she was unconscious. Pandora didn't know anything about Juno appearing before Nico, Pandora and Hazel when they were struggling towards Camp Jupiter. Thinking about the fact that Hades' children had to drag her sorry ass while fighting monsters to protect her made Pandora feel useless.
When he mentioned Juno, Octavian looked surprised.
"Juno," he mused. "We call her Juno Moneta. Juno the Warner. She appears in times of crisis, to counsel Rome about great threats."
He glanced at Pandora, as if to say like mysterious Greeks, for instance.
"I hear the Feast of for tuna is this week," Nico said. "The gorgons warned there'd be an invasion on that day. Did you see that in your stuffing?"
"Sadly, no." Octavian sighed. "The will of the gods is hard to discern. And these days, my vision is even darker."
"Don't you have…I don't know," Pandora said, "an oracle or something?"
"An oracle!" Octavian smiled. "What a cute idea. No, I'm afraid we're fresh out of oracles. Now, if we'd gone questing for the Sibylline books, like I recommended—"
"The Siba-what?"
"Ignore him," Nico said. "Can they join or not?"
Octavian smiled coldly, his eyes assessing both girls as if to see how much each of them worth. He extended a hand eventually and with a grunt, Nico grabbed something from his backpack and hurl it at Octavian. Pandora thought it a pity the blonde boy caught it.
Octavian then turned towards the altar and held his knife up. The girls' jaw dropped but Nico sighed as if this was a normal occurence and he'd seen it happen daily. For him to have such resentment, Pandora supposed so.
Octavian slashed open the panda's belly and poured its stuffing over the altar.
He tossed the panda carcass aside, muttered a few words over the fluff, and turned with a big smile on his face. "Good news!" he said. "Pandora and Hazel may join the legion. We'll assign them a cohort at evening muster. Tell Reyna that I approve."
Hazel's shoulders relaxed. "Uh…great. Come on, let's go."
The children of the Big Three left without much protest, not wanting to stay in the mad man's presence any longer.
"I'd hate to meet more Romans if they're all like this," Pandora grumbled until Hazel cleared her throat loudly and looked at her pointedly.
Smiling sheepishly, Pandora rubbed the back of her head. "Eheh. Sorry."
"Let's go see Reyna."
"Oh, eager aren't you?" Pandora shot Nico a cold smile as she walked ahead with Hazel.
Nico sighed. It would be a terribly long and weary day...
NxP