Here's the next chapter! Enjoy!
Disclaimer: I don't own Percy Jackson & The Olympians or Ranger's Apprentice. All rights go to their respectful owners.
Alyssa shifted uncomfortably in her seat. The demigods were gathered around the bonfire. The Apollo kids were leading a sing-a-long half-heartedly, but no one was really into it. Their minds focused on the previous events that had occurred yesterday.
The cold night air made Alyssa shiver, and she wrapped the thick fabric of her cloak around her. She wished that she could go to bed. Solace, Annabeth, Alyssa, and Leo were to begin their quest tomorrow morning, and Alyssa wanted a good night's sleep.
Leo, who was sitting beside her, saw Alyssa's uncomfortableness and awkwardly wrapped an arm around her. Alyssa turned her head slightly and shot a look at the half-blood. For a moment, Leo thought that she would hit him. It was, after all, the same reaction he got every time he got close to a girl. Instead, Alyssa looked back down at her hands, hiding the small smile that touched her face, but she never broke contact.
As the last song came to an end, the Apollo kids set down their instruments and sat back down in their seats, and Chiron came up in their place.
"Now, I have a few announcements to make," Chiron began. "The incident that had happened
yesterday will be dealt with. I have already-"
Chiron stopped in mid-sentence. His gaze was focused directly on Alyssa. In confusion, Alyssa looked around her, and everyone was staring at her with their eyes widened slightly.
"What?!" She demanded, narrowing her eyes suspiciously.
Before anyone could reply, Chiron's booming voice cut them off. "Hail, Alyssa Cardon, daughter of Apollo!"
Alyssa gazed over her head, and a golden glowing figure in the shape of a lyre was hovering over her head. Her jaw dropped.
Leo smiled at her. "You're...a demigod."
The campers burst into cheers and applause. Alyssa was still at a loss for words. Her cheeks coloured slightly with all the attention. Solace came up to the newly claimed demigod and pulled her into a hug.
When they broke apart, Solace's face split into a grin. "Welcome to the family, Sis."
The sun was rising just above the horizon, and the sky was painted with shades of purple and orange. Alyssa's eyes fluttered open. Today was the day. She rubbed her eyes and sighed softly to herself. The majority of the cabin was empty already, so she assumed that everyone was already eating breakfast.
Alyssa threw on her usual, comfortable training clothes, and her leather satchel that held first aid supplies, along with other necessities. She grabbed her weapons from where it lay on the nightstand as she went out the door.
People were gathered around the breakfast tables on the pavillion. She sat down next to Solace at the Apollo table.
"Good morning," she greeted as her empty plate automatically filled itself up with pancakes, laden with syrup.
Solace gave a half-smile. "What's so good about this morning? We're on a quest to our possible doom," he replied. Alyssa raised an eyebrow, a habit she had picked up from Will.
"Well, aren't you optimistic," she remarked, her tone dripping with sarcasm.
Solace smirked before continuing to shovel pieces of pancakes into his mouth.
Alyssa felt a presence behind her and she turned to see Leo standing behind her, with a small smile on his face.
"Someone's looking happy," Alyssa noted as Leo slid in the seat next to her.
Leo shrugged. "I mean, if we're going on a quest that could possibly kill us in every painful way possible, someone needs to stay positive in this group," he replied nonchalantly, as if a deadly mission was part of his daily routine.
Alyssa turned to Solace and gave him a meaningful look. Solace merely rolled his eyes, but smiled slightly.
"So, about this 'Nico', who is he, and how do we find him?" Alyssa asked Leo, changing the subject.
Leo scrunched his eyebrows together. "Nico is a son of Hades, the god of death and ruler of the Underworld. If Hades really was the one that has Percy captive, then Nico will be able to shadow travel with us to the Underworld. Annabeth Iris Messaged him last night, and he agreed to help us, so he'll be here sometime this morning," he answered.
Alyssa opened her mouth to ask a question, but Leo answered for her. "An Iris Message is a messaging system where we can talk to other people, face-to-face, no matter where they are," he replied.
Alyssa nodded in understanding. "Do you think it would work if I sent a message back home?"
Leo shook his head. "I doubt it. Iris Messages only work with people in the same...er, dimension as you. I don't think it could make a call all the way to your homeland."
Alyssa accepted that as an answer and finished up the remains of her meal.
After Solace and Alyssa finished up their meal, they began walking over to the Athena cabin with Leo, but they bumped into the exact same two people they were looking for.
"Hey, Annie," Leo greeted. Annabeth rose an eyebrow.
"What did I tell you about calling me Annie?" she defended. Leo rolled his eyes in response.
Alyssa eyed the boy standing next to Annabeth. He was dressed in complete black clothing and a leather jacket, despite the warm weather. A crude, black skull ring adorned on his right hand, completed the outfit. The boy looked to be around fifteen or sixteen years of age, with messy, black raven hair that swept into his dark, mysterious-looking eyes.
The boy held out a pale, slender hand. Alyssa shook it hesitantly. The boy made her uneasy. The glint in his eyes told her that he would make a dangerous enemy.
"My name's Nico DiAngelo," he introduced. His voice was hollow and deep.
"Alyssa Cardon," Alyssa replied back, releasing his hand.
"Alright, everyone's ready?" Annabeth asked, and everyone nodded. Annabeth and Solace carried a small backpack, and Alyssa had her satchel slung over her shoulder. Leo, of course, had his trusty tool belt around his waist. Nico had nothing, with the exception of his scabbarded sword on his belt.
Everyone joined hands with Nico and braced themselves as Nico prepared to shadow travel to his father's dimension.
After a few seconds, everything went black.
Erm…sorry for the short and kinda crappy chapter :/ I was writing bits and pieces of this during Christmas.
Also, I don't know if it's just me, but does anyone think that my chapters are a bit...rushed? It's just that whenever I read my chapter after writing it, it seems like it.
Anyways, hope you all like it nonetheless!
Feedback much appreciated! Thanks for reading :)