Hii. A shoutout to my friend/editor for getting me into Percy Jackson and complimenting my writing at the right time and moment and giving me inspiration. I love you!
NICO:
Nico knew where this dream was headed, almost at once.
The air was heavily sulphurous and a kind of stink he would never forget. Monsters and everything horribly supernatural that came here after they died.
His hair was sticking to his face and he could feel their claws on his shoulder and lower back. He couldn't see them but he could hear the soft beating of their leathery wings all around him.
His heart was beating like a bass drum in a concert. Even though he knew it was a dream, the terror was still real and as fresh as dandelion.
Oh gods, he hated dandelions. Ever since he had been turned into one.
He could feel the hot blood seeping down his back as the Arai carried him over the cursed body of Tartarus.
He knew where they were heading but adrenaline pumped through him and he tried to fight the Arai even though he knew it was no use. What was coming would come anyway. He was reliving the past. He couldn't change it.
But he still fought and the demons cackled as he struggled and screamed as they unleashed a dozen curses on him. But they wouldn't kill him. He was a plaything, a son of Hades. They would enjoy playing around with him. Basically torture.
Nico wished they would kill him. He had been wishing death on himself for however long he had been here. Too bad the Arai didn't grant death wished you wished on yourself. A pity, really. He didn't care if he reincarnated as a flower or ceased to exist. He didn't care of he was put in the isle of the blest or the fields of asphodel or the fields of punishment. Even that looked like a treat compared to everything he had been through.
Every time he thought of Bianca, his mother, Percy or even his father, his chest would convulse and he would start hyperventilating; his blood pressure would soar high at the thought of everything he lost or would never have.
He disgusted himself.
When the curses of the Arai had ceased, Nico hung limp from their claws, half conscious.
Then suddenly, the Arai released him and his stomach dropped as he fell hurtling towards the darkly glowing riverine form underneath him.
He knew which river he was going to fall in before he hit the surface of the river, even when he had really been in tartarus.
He fell into the river that was formed after the Styx and the Phlegethon joined in.
The river water was such that it didn't feel like a river of the underworld, for which Nico was grateful. Voices of the people who had wished upon the river Styx screamed as the Phlegethon burned oaths and wishes alike. The voices were deafening and physically painful to hear.
"Let me show you the way out", a voice said softly.
At first he thought it was one of the voices from the Styx.
"Son of Hades", the voice whispered, "Come along now"
Nico was paralyzed. Was this a trick?
You're in a mixture of two rivers in Tartarus, his brain told him, How could anything get worse, you dumbass?
Another voice retorted, oh I don't know, let's wait for a titan or a giant to find me and we'll find out.
Nico had no other choice but to listen to the two voices.
"Come on, child, unless you wish to die", the external voice replied silkily.
Did he want to die?
Yeah, why else would you always take so many risks, you nutcase?, one of the voices inside his head asked.
No of course not. You can't die, they need you, replied the other while the first voice laughed harshly.
Nico struggled and found himself rising. Some of the water seeped into his mouth as he gushed for air before he had completely reached the surface.
The horrible tasting water (if it was water at all. It could be Zeus's piss for all he knew) flowed down his throat, burning its way down his elementary canal. The marrow in his bones burned and he screamed as the river threw him onto the bank.
A shadowy figure stood on the bank.
No, correction. Not stood. She floated, her bare feet barely touching the black glass shattered ground.
She wore a short, loose dress with a princess neckline and around her neck was a silver interlocking chain. A similar one hung around her waist.
The look on her face was pitiful. She had soft silver eyes, pale skin and slightly pointed ears. Her jet black hair hung around her waist, floating around her.
Nico was almost jealous of that hair.
"Are you, too, here to push me around and see how long it takes to break me?", Nico asked in a way what he hoped was angry. But his voice shook.
"So angry", the girl replied distantly.
Nico coughed and spat blood. The girl didn't react.
"I'm Gorgyra. The nymph of darkness", she said softly, reaching out to touch Nico on the cheek.
His first instinct was to jerk back. But somehow he didn't. If it anger that kept him there, he didn't know.
"Impressive", Nico replied not sounding impressed.
Irritatingly, she laughed. "And funny"
"Well, if you don't mind, I have to leave this goddamn place, so I'll be on my way", Nico snapped. This girl was frustrating him, whoever she was.
But she did make him curious. Her name sounded like gorgons, automatically bringing a hideous picture of a woman in mind. But this girl was pretty. Really pretty.
"Well you will need my help if you are to do so", she said in a sing song voice, floating around him.
"And why would you help me?", sounding more curious and hopeful than he liked.
"Because I'm your father's orchadist", she replied, producing a peach from thin air. She tossed the peach into the air and the peach vanished with a pop.
Was 'orchadist' even a word?
"Then what are you doing in Tartarus?", he asked her, not daring to believe his luck. Did he finally have help?
She tutted as if he was a toddler making nuisance. "I'm the nymph of darkness. That's my primary occupation and helping out your father is the secondary"
"So, you can be wherever you want? If there's darkness?", Nico asked excitedly. He was starting to form an idea about his escape but he dare not put it into words.
The nymph looked at him sadly. "Yes"
That was the best thing he had heard in the longest time ever.
"Will you help me?", he asked in a low voice, trying to keep the excitement out of his voice.
"I could be punished for doing so", she replied, avoiding his eyes.
Nico didn't reply. He wasn't going to plead for her to help him if it meant her getting into trouble. He got himself here and he would get out, himself.
"Please don't look at me like that", she replied, as if scared.
"Like what?", he asked surprised. He hadn't done anything to her.
"I will help you", she finally replied and Nico wanted to jump around.
He knew he was pushing his luck but he couldn't help himself from asking. He had always had a bad habit of asking stupid questions. He remembered the first time he had met Percy and asked him all those stupid questions. The memory made him go red.
"Why're you helping me?"
He knew he ought to worry about the nymph. No immortal creature helped mortals out of the goodness of their hearts. Was she a spy for Gaia or some titan? Could he trust her? Did he even have an option?
"Being the nymph of darkness I see things", she replied so softly, Nico almost didn't hear her, "I see things that pass through darkness, that are made of darkness. I know things"
Oh. So she was helping him because she knew things. It didn't sound helpful. Or dangerous, actually. So Nico decided to go with it.
He nodded and she waved her hands and the shadows lifted Nico.
"This way we'll go faster", she told him, a slight smile playing around her lips.
"Don't you have, an easier name or something?", Nico asked.
"You can call me Ira", she suggested shyly.
He couldn't help but smile, wondering how darkness could make him feel this happy.
He woke up with a jolt, tears stinging his eyes. He wiped them off with the back of his hand.
He lay on a really fluffy bed, with silken sheets. The room was pinkish in colour with womens clothes littered around the floor.
"Haha, funny.", he said sarcastically, "Let's put the unconscious kid in the woman's bedroom"
He walked out barefoot, to the living room and into the kitchen. Jason stood in his boxers, his hair wet, making coffee.
"Put some clothes on", Nico suggested.
"Why, would you have to choose me over Percy, then?", asked Jason smirking. "I definitely have a better body"
"How do you know?", it was Nico's turn to smirk. He snorted as Jason couldn't find a proper answer and poured himself some milk from the pan Jason had been heating.
He opened a few cupboards till he found cocoa and sugar and a huge mug that said, "King of Hell"
He and Jason stood in the kitchen silently, sipping their beverages. "Go wake that idiot up", Jason said finally.
Nico frowned at him and shrugged, "Why me?"
"Because you slept the longest", Jason replied simply, turning to look for cereal. "Second bedroom on the right"
Nico pff-ed and walked out and into the second bedroom on the right.
It was circular and the wall was blue and grey, the floor dark and wooden.
Percy lay on the circular bed, his mouth hanging open.
Was he drooling?
Nico picked up a pillow from the ground and threw it at Percy.
Percy woke up, slashing his sword and then got misbalanced and fell off the bed.
Seriously. How was this guy even alive with this level of clumsiness?, Nico wondered.
Annabeth.
Nico forced that word out of his head and said to Percy, who was rubbing his butt gingerly. "Breakfast. Self-serve. Then a bath and we leave."
Percy groaned and nodded.
"Also", Nico continued before he could stop himself, "Thank you, for, uh, carrying me yesterday"
"Uh", Percy stammered, going slightly pink, "It's okay, I didn't mind"
Then he quickly added, "Uh, I meant, it's okay, you don't weight much. I mean I can easily carry you, no big deal- uh, I meant-"
Nico was sure he was beetroot in colour by now. "You should stop talking", he suggested.
Percy nodded. "I don't get why we have to hurry when you could just shadow travel us"
Nico had been heading to the bathroom, to take a bath. Instead, he paused and turned to look at Percy who was at the bedroom door.
He sighed and locked himself inside the bathroom.
He peeled his clothes off and let the shower run, wondering how he would tell his friends the real reason why he couldn't shadow travel properly anymore.
Note: Gorgyra was the nymph of Darkness and orchadist of Hades. And well, the other stuff, I made up because there was really less information about her and I think my imagination is passable :P
Also, since we do not know much about Nico's journey through the Underworld, I'm allowed to make stuff up, I think. :P
And, "Ira", i think would be pronounced as "Aaiira", but IDK, hehe
Thank you for reading and I hope I don't disappoint you guys! ^_^