Titan's Curse: The Promise

After the (amazing) spectacle with the Oracle during Capture the Flag, tension had run high around the camp especially for the Hunters. Nico had seen their depressed, even crying, faces as they worriedly thought about their goddess, Artemis, who needed saving. If it wasn't for the fact that somebody was captured and could possibly die in the quest, Nico would have been jumping for joy that he had witnessed the beginnings of a new Greek demigod adventure.

If only he could go, then he would be able to commit to memory every single challenge and obstacle he'd face in the quest. Then again, there'd be a chance of Nico dying since he had zero training and would need to be in the level of Percy to qualify in a quest.

I bet Percy's going to be one of the five, Nico thought as he walked back to the Hermes cabin after cleaning himself up in the public shower rooms. He didn't believe not for one second that Travis and Connor hadn't placed some silly prank in the Hermes' cabin bathrooms, just waiting for him to activate it. Despite liking the Stoll brothers and their pranks, the jokes weren't really funny when they were directed at him.

Nico entered the cabin finding no one inside. He wondered a few seconds where the brothers might have gone to but shrugged, not caring if they were out pranking again and went to his bag to play his long unused Mythomagic card game.

Just as Nico started on his 3rd round, Travis and Connor entered the cabin, identical Cheshire smiles on their faces which made Nico almost hesitate before asking, "What's with the strange smiles, guys?"

Travis, if possible, smiled wider as he crouched down to Nico's eye level, "We just extracted our revenge to the Hunters."

Nico's eyes lightened in mischief. His dislike for the Hunters grew just as much as the campers after their humiliating defeat in Capture the Flag. "What did you do?"

Connor chuckled, "We sprayed centaur blood in the inside of an Artemis Hunting Tour t-shirt that we gave to Zoe who's going to give it to Phoebe."

"The girl who whacked us really hard in the heads." Travis explained.

Nico nodded, remembering the brothers' painful incident in the game.

"I still can't believe they accepted the shirt from us boys though!" Travis said high-fiving Connor then Nico.

"Cool! But what does centaur blood do? Where'd you even get those from anyway?" Nico inquired.

The bothers grinned mysteriously at him, "Well, Nico, it was a combination of 'accidental' archery lessons with Chiron and immediate first aid kits."

"Also, it doesn't hurt to pay attention in Greek mythology classes once in a while." Travis said.

Nico nodded, impressed. "So how did you give it to her?"

Connor leaned against wall, saying, "Oh, we went to a council meeting to discuss about the quest and Zoe just happened to —"

"Wait, you guys had a meeting about the quest?" Nico cut in before he could finish— his excitement suddenly switched to a different topic. "What was it like? Did you talk about Artemis? Ohh, who are the people going? I bet Percy's gonna be—"

"Woah there, squirt." Travis said, holding his hands up to signal Nico to stop talking and breath.

Connor laughed amusedly, "We can't tell you everything that goes on in the meeting, Nico. Head cabins sworn duty and stuff." Lifting his right hand mockingly as he rolled his eyes.

Nico slumped his shoulders. "Aww, I just wanna know who are going on the quest. Please?" He even shamelessly used his puppy dog eyes on the brothers, hoping it would work on them just like it always did with Bianca.

Travis and Connor exchanged a glance, an unspoken agreement passed between them before they faced Nico again.

"Well, if you wanna know that bad, we can tell you who's not going." Connor started.

"And that unfortunately, my little friend, is Percy." Travis said.

Nico stared at them in disbelief before exclaiming, "What!? Are they crazy? Percy's like one of their best fighters? Why wouldn't they choose him?"

Connor said, "Nico, you've only seen him fight once."

"Not the point."

"And these are the Hunters we're talking about." Travis interjected, rolling his eyes. "Anti-boy rules and everything."

Nico scowled, "Their dumb vows and rules are going to get them killed. They need Percy in this!" He huffed, exasperated beyond belief. Travis and Connor shared a secretly amused glance before turning back to the frowning little demigod.

"Who else are going?" Nico continued, arms crossing over his chest.

Travis started, counting on his fingers, "Well, there's Thalia, Grover— you know how that goat boy just adores Artemis—Zoe, of course, Phoebe and—" But he coughed when Connor suddenly jabbed him on the stomach.

Nico frowned, "That's only four, who else?"

"Oh just someone unimportant Nico. Anyway, it's bedtime now, so go get some sleep and we'll have lots of fun tomorrow." Connor started pushing Nico to his cot but the younger demigod wouldn't have it. He was stubborn for a reason.

Nico turned away from his hold, looking defiant, "Why won't you tell me the last one? If that person is so unimportant, then why not chose Percy? I mean, they can get through the quest better with him."

When he was met with silence, Nico looked to see that Connor and Travis were staring at him pityingly and then it suddenly hit Nico like a punch to the gut. A sense of discomfort coursed through him and he knew without saying— knew with every fiber of his being who it was on their minds that they didn't want him knowing.

Connor, seeing the look on his face, said, "Well I'm knackered, aren't you Travis? Come on let's go to sleep. You too Nico." He pushed Nico gently to his bed again which the younger boy did not protest this time. His earlier confidence suddenly losing him as denial swiftly replaced it at the thought of that one person going on the quest.

Of course, Nico liked the fact that heroes get to go on quests and tell the tale of their amazing adventure but when that someone happened to be his sister, his only living relation and comfort in this world— Nico could only feel a sense of danger and doom in her journey.

That and the fact that Nico didn't trust the company she was with. Grover was just a satyr, Thalia seemed reckless and mostly cared about herself and he wouldn't put his sister's life on the Hunter's hands just as far as he'd throw them.

He lied on his sleeping bag, finding it difficult to even get his eyes closed. He knew he should probably be proud of her since it's her first ever quest as a demigod; but that's just the thing. It's her first quest after a day or two finding out that she was part of this great Greek mythological fantasy where gods and monsters exist and she hasn't even been trained to fight against monsters yet, no matter her immortal girl scout's aura crap.

And, Nico thought ruefully, abandoning me again. Finding out he's a demigod really came as a double-edged sword for Nico; he got to live in the amazing fantasy life he wanted but now it meant his sister could finally leave the burden of caring for him to other people.

He felt a stinging in his eyes as his throat clogged up at the implication of his thoughts. Nico squeezed his eyes shut hoping none would fall out because Bianca always said that crying will get him nowhere.

He breathed out slowly and turned to his side, staring at the closed door of the cabin across the room. Maybe he could go out on a late night walk to ease his thoughts; but then, Nico remembered the Stoll brothers saying that the harpies might eat him because he was out after curfew. Though, it's a possibility that they could just be pulling his leg and Nico really can't sleep with his thoughts muddling his mind.

Suddenly light footsteps could be heard outside and Nico strained to listen when hushed voices neared his cabin. Extracting himself out of his sleeping bag, he tiptoed towards the door, careful not to wake the Stoll brothers and opened it to see Zoe and Bianca's shadows turning the corner of the Big House.

He made a quick decision before following them silently to the dining pavilion. He wondered what Bianca and Zoe could possibly be doing at this hour; then, Nico thought, grimacing, probably preparing for their quest. However, he couldn't go back now, not when he wanted to know if his sister was really going along with this— that she would leave him again, take even farther steps to distance herself from him. And a selfish part of him wished that she'd back out but Nico knew his sister, she was just as stubborn and determined as him.

He hid behind a Greek column when they stopped and carefully peeked around the corner to listen to their conversation. It sounded like they were arguing.

"It cannot be cured," Zoe was saying. "Not quickly, at any rate."

"But how did it happen?" Bianca asked.

"A foolish prank," Zoe growled. "Those Stoll boys from the Hermes cabin. Centaur blood is like acid. Everyone knows that. They sprayed the inside of that Artemis Hunting Tour T-shirt with it."

"That's terrible!"

Nico shared the same sentiment as he winced at the thought of wearing a shirt coated in acid. He mentally made a note on his head to never mess with the Stoll brothers unless he wanted to get a painful payback.

"She will live," Zoe said. "But she'll be bedridden for weeks with horrible hives. There is no way she can go. It's up to me… and thee."

"But the prophecy," Bianca said. "If Phoebe can't go, we only have four. We'll have to pick another."

Pick Percy! Nico immediately thought.

"There is no time," Zoe said. "We must leave at first light. That's immediately. Besides, the prophecy said we would lose one."

"In the land without rain," Bianca said, "but that can't be here."

"It might be," Zoe said, though she didn't sound convinced. "The camp has magic borders. Nothing, not even weather, is allowed in without permission. It could be a land without rain."

Nico doubted that but resisted the urge to shout it out lest he got discovered.

"But—"

"Bianca, hear me." Zoe's voice was strained. "I… I can't explain, but I have a sense that we should not pick someone else. It would be too dangerous. They would meet an end worse than Phoebe's. I don't want Chiron choosing a camper as our fifth companion. And… I don't want to risk another Hunter."

Nico drew his eyebrows at that. Why wouldn't they choose another? It'll be more dangerous when their number is so little. And, Nico thought at the back of his mind, there'd be little people to protect Bianca.

Bianca was silent. "You should tell Thalia the rest of your dream."

"No. It would not help."

"But if your suspicions are correct, about the General—"

"I have thy word not to talk about that," Zoe said. She sounded really anguished. "We will find out soon enough. Now come. Dawn is breaking."

Nico immediately scooted out of their way as they came rushing towards him on the steps. However Zoe froze for a second, her eyes narrowing at something in front of her. But then Bianca said, "The lights of the Big House are on. Hurry!"

And Zoe followed her out of the pavilion.

Now that Nico was alone, thoughts swirled in his mind at the guarantee that Bianca was really going and with only three other people along with her.

Bianca. Quest. Danger. Death. Alone. Those things zoomed in Nico's mind as he sat motionlessly for a few seconds before instantly making a decision. He took a deep breath and was about to follow his sister when suddenly, a voice behind him called him out to wait.

Nico almost slipped on the icy steps as he spun around to find Percy standing there.

"Where did you come from?" Nico said bewildered as to how Percy suddenly appeared out of nowhere.

"I've been here the whole time. Invisible." Percy replied.

Invisible. Nico unconsciously mouthed the word as his amazement for Percy grew tenfold. "Wow. Cool."

"How did you know Zoe and your sister were here?"

Nico blushed, for some reason talking to Percy made him both shy and excited. "I heard them walk by the Hermes cabin. I don't… I don't sleep too well at camp. So I heard footsteps, and them whispering. And so I kind of followed."

"And now you're thinking about following them on the quest," Percy exactly read his thoughts.

"How did you know that?" Nico looked at him warily.

"Because if it was my sister, I'd probably be thinking the same thing. But you can't." Percy said.

Nico grew defiant. "Because I'm too young?"

"Because they won't let you. They'll catch you and send you back here. And… yeah, because you're too young. You remember the manticore? There will be lots more like that. More dangerous. Some of the heroes will die." As Percy talked about all the dangers in the quest, Nico's confidence drained. He didn't have the strength and bravery to be able to defeat all those monsters and protect Bianca at the same time.

Nico shifted from foot to foot. But there was one person Nico could trust his sister to. "Maybe you're right. But, but you can go for me."

"Say what?" Percy said.

"You can turn invisible. You can go!"

"The Hunters don't like boys," Percy reminded Nico— as if he'd forget that. "If they find out—"

"Don't let them find out. Follow them invisibly. Keep an eye on my sister! You have to. Please?" Nico begged; this was his only chance.

"Nico—" Percy tried talking but Nico cut him off.

"You're planning to go anyway, aren't you?"

Nico looked determinedly at Percy's eyes, noticing distantly that they were a nice shade of sea-green.

"Yeah," Percy eventually said. "I have to find Annabeth. I have to help, even if they don't want me to."

"I won't tell on you," Nico said desperately. "But you have to promise to keep my sister safe."

"I… that's a big thing to promise, Nico, on a trip like this. Besides, she's got Zoe, Grover, and Thalia—"

"Promise," Nico insisted. He needed this. He needed to know that his sister will safely come back to him.

"I'll do my best. I promise that." Percy said.

Nico felt his heart soaring at those words. He grinned. "Get going, then!" he said. "Good luck!"

Percy suddenly looked flustered. He didn't have anything but his cap, his sword and the clothes on his back. Nico didn't worry; Percy will find a way to survive. "Tell Chiron—"

"I'll make something up." Nico smiled crookedly. "I'm good at that. Go on!"

Nico watched as Percy ran, going invisible on the way to the hill as the sun came up. Nico had faith that Percy would keep his promise. He's the best demigod there is— he can keep his sister safe. If not— if Bianca dies— he couldn't even finish the thought because how will Nico survive this new life on his own? He didn't know what it felt like when his parents first abandoned him and his sister but Nico guessed he didn't want to feel it a second time in his life.