(POV Toby)
Nico overshot their next shadow jump and passed out. They ended up on top of a building, but it turned out okay. Coach Hedge grabbed Reyna before she could fall and Toby was dexterous enough to get a grip on the Athena Parthenon, lowering himself and dropping the one story to the ground without any injury. It was the coach that climbed back up to get Nico down.
Nico was mumbling in his sleep. None of them could catch anything until he suddenly murmured "Clovis!" In a slightly louder, very exasperated voice. Toby started laughing immediately making Reyna and Hedge look at him curiously.
"Clovis is a child of Hypnos." Toby explained. "I know about him because Nico gets updates while he's away from camp from Clovis through their dreams. But sometimes when Nico tried to get places in his dreams he just ends up there. I think that's what happened there."
"Okay." Reyna said with a tight smile. "Now where are we?" They all looked around. They had no idea, the best hint came from the language that the few people in the park around them were speaking. "It's almost Spanish. But not quite." Reyna said tilting her head in confusion.
"Isn't that kinda like Portuguese?" Toby asked "Spanish but not quite?" Hedge and Reyna looked at him. He looked away with a shrug.
"It's the best guess we have right now." Reyna sighed. "Either way it looks like we're staying for a bit. Coach?"
"I'll take first watch." Hedge started. "You and Toby can get some shut eye if you want, I'm going to try some busking!" Reyna shook her head in tired amazement, then looked at Toby.
"I couldn't sleep if I tried right now." Toby said shoving his hands in his pocket, shrugged and twitched. Tourettes was supposed to fade with age, he wondered what had gone wrong with him. "If coach's awake I might do some exploring, see if I know anyone in the area, but I won't go far."
"Sure." Reyna said shrugging and then lay down making herself comfortable on the grass. She hadn't managed to get much sleep before Nico had woken up and they had decided it was time to get going again. Now she fell asleep again quickly.
Toby stuck around for a bit longer to watch Hedge busk. It was very entertaining and he soon drew a small crowd. After that, Toby made sure the bandage covering his scar was there and secure and then wandered off. He didn't really expect to know anyone around here, but it didn't take him long to find signs that Skin Taker had taken this area as a hunting ground. Toby ignored them, he didn't get along with Skin Taker very well and he didn't think Nico or Reyna would either.
Toby lost track of how long he walked and then realized he was very lost. He had forgotten that this wasn't like Slender's woods where he could walk as far as he wanted and still be able to get home easily when he wanted to. By the time he got back the sun was up.
"I thought you weren't going far." Hedge greeted Toby in amusement. "Or did you find someone you know?"
"I got lost. Didn't see a sign of anyone I wanted talk to." Toby explained. Looking around the park he noticed Nico wasn't there. "Where's Nico?"
"Off doing his underworld thing." Hedge said gesturing vaguely. "A fiery ghost thing showed up about an hour before dawn. When he woke up he followed it. It wasn't that long ago, you can probably still catch up to him if you want to. They went that way." Coach Hedge pointed towards an archway to a alley.
"Thanks." Toby said and took off after Nico. When he had Nico in sight he stayed back a little bit. As the coach had said, Nico was doing his 'underworldy thing' his aura had gotten strong enough that animals and humans wouldn't go near him. He was following some sort of ghost that was outlined in fire. When the ghost walked through a wall of a building that looked like a church Nico hesitated, pacing in front of the door like a caged animal twice before following the specter into the building through the door.
Toby wasn't sure whether he should follow Nico in there or not. Nico was the Ghost King, this was his thing, but through the course of the trip Toby had started to think of himself as just as much Nico's proxy as Slenderman's, and in that case it was Toby's job to accompany and protect him. He hadn't told Nico that though, he knew Nico wouldn't like it. He still didn't understand Toby's world well enough to accept it.
Hesitantly Toby compromised by going to the doorway. He stayed outside but now he could hear from the echoes what was happening inside. He peaked around the door frame into the room long enough to see that it was one of the bone cathedrals many of the creeps spoke very highly of. He saw a tall man appear next to Nico and he ducked back out of sight.
"A beautiful room isn't it?" Toby heard the man ask.
"Getting some redecorating ideas?" Nico asked cooly, not at all surprised by the man's appearance. Whoever he was Nico seemed to know him. "Maybe you could do your dining room in medieval monk skulls."
"I can never tell when you're joking." The man commented softly. His voice was smooth and dark, pleasant to listen to.
"Why are you here father? How are you here?" Nico asked and Toby started. That man was Nico's father. Wasn't Nico's father Hades, the lord of the underworld, did that mean that Hades was?
"You're a hard mortal to find son. For several days I've been searching. When the scepter of Diocletian exploded… well, that got my attention." Hades commented humorlessly.
"Breaking the scepter wasn't my fault." Nico objected and started to explain but Hades cut him off.
"Oh, the scepter isn't important. A relic of old, I'm surprised you got any use out of it." Hades said grandly. "The explosion simply gave me a moment of clarity. It allowed me to pinpoint your location. I was hoping to speak to you in Pompeii but it was just so… Roman. This chapel was the first place my presence was that I could appear to you as myself – by which I mean Hades, god of death, not split with that other manifestation.
"I am very drawn to this place. The remains of thousands of monks were used to build this Cathedral of Bones. It serves as a reminder that life is short and death is eternal. I feel very focused here. Even so I only have a few moments."
"So tell me father." Nico said cooly and respectfully. "What do you want?"
"Can you entertain the notion that I might be here to help you? Not simply because I want something?" Hades sighed heavily.
"I can entertain the notion that you might be here for multiple reasons." Nico replied and Toby was surprised to hear some humor in Nico's voice. None the less, he was obviously very serious.
"I suppose that's fair enough." Hades said heavily. "You seek information about Gaia's hunter. His name is Orion." There was a small silence. Toby tried to figure out what was happening, he thought Orion was a group of stars. How could a group of stars be hunting them? If there was a legend about it he didn't know or remember it.
"Orion. Like the constellation? Wasn't he… a friend of Artemis?" Nico asked. Okay so obviously there was a legend.
"He was." Hades acknowledged. "A giant, born to be the opposite of the twins, Apollo and Artemis, but much like Artemis, Orion rejected his destiny. He sought to live on his own terms. First he tried to live among mortals as a huntsman for the king of Khios. He, ah, ran into some trouble with the king's daughter. The king had Orion blinded and exiled."
"My friend dreamed of the hunter with glowing eyes. If Orion is blind-"
"Was blind." Hades interrupted. "Shortly after his exile Orion met Hephaestus, who took pity on the giant and crafted him new mechanical eyes even better than the originals." Toby wondered if that god, Hephaestus could build him a new nervous system. "Orion became friends with Artemis. He became the first male ever allowed to join her Hunt. But… things went wrong between them. How exactly, I do not know. Orion was slain. Now he has returned as a loyal son of Gaia, ready to do her bidding. He was driven bitter with anger. You can understand that."
There was a heavy silence. Toby wondered what Hades was talking about. He was starting to realize just how little of Nico's world and life Toby understood, or even knew.
"How do we stop him?" Nico asked leaving whatever anger Toby was sure he had unspoken.
"You cannot." Hades replied bluntly. "Your only hope is to outrun him, accomplish your quest before he reaches you. Apollo or Artemis might be able to slay him, arrow against arrow, but the twins are in no condition to aid you. You won't have the luxury of more rest from here to camp Half-Blood."
Toby felt a twist of anger. Nico needed rest! Even with the amount of rest he had, he was killing himself to complete this quest! What more could the gods possibly ask of Nico!?
"I need to get back to my companions." Nico said quickly, worry evident in his tone. Toby felt even more anger build up in him, wasn't Nico even a little worried about himself? Couldn't he be just a little more careful with his own life?
"Indeed." Hades agreed quickly. "But there is more. Your sister." Hades voice caught with grief and Toby realized he must have thought of Bianca. Hades cleared his throat and continued. "I mean your other sister, Hazel… she has discovered that one of the seven will die. She may try to prevent this. In doing so she may lose sight of her priorities."
"Is Hazel alright?" Nico asked after a momentary silence.
"For the moment."
"And the others? Who will die?"
"Even if I were certain I could not say." Hades said, deflected the question. "I tell you this because you are my son. You understand that some deaths cannot be prevented. Some deaths should not be prevented. When the time comes, you may need to act."
"I understand." Nico sighed and there was another long silence.
"My son." Hades said and his voice took on a new caring tone. "Whatever happens, you have earned my respect. You brought honor to our house when we stood together against Kronos in Manhattan. You risked my wrath to help that Jackson boy. Guiding him to the river Styx, freeing him from my prison, pleading with me to raise the armies of Erebos to assist him. Never before have I been more harassed by one of my children. Percy this and Percy that. I nearly blasted you to cinders."
Toby felt an unwelcome twist of jealousy but he pushed it away. Anyway you looked at it Nico had chosen him, not Percy.
"I didn't just do it for him." Nico objected. "I did it because the whole world was in danger.
"I can entertain the possibility that you acted for many reasons." Hades joked. "My point is this: you and I rose to aid Olympus because you convinced me to let go of my anger. I would encourage you to do likewise. My children are rarely happy. I… I would like to see you be an exception. Even if the one who makes you happy is that Toby boy." Toby winced when he heard the way Nico's father spit his name.
"It sounds like it's a good thing I don't ask your opinion on my relationships." Nico laughed and Hades scoffed, then cleared his throat.
"Ah yes this is Brother Paloan. He's one of the hundreds who were burned alive in the square near the old Roman temple. The Inquisition had its headquarters there you know. At any rate, he suggest you and your eaves-dropping boy leave now. You have little time before the wolves arrive."
"Wolves? You mean Orion's pack?" Nico asked. He hadn't balked at all at the mention that Toby was listening. Had they both known?
"My son, what you are attempting… shadow-traveling across the world, carrying the statue of Athena… it may well destroy you." Hades murmured softly, though the echo still carried it to Toby's ears.
"That's for the encouragement." Nico snapped and then there was a moment of silence in which Toby could not see what was happening.
"I will see you again." Hades promised. "I will prepare a room for you at the palace in case you do not survive. Perhaps your chambers would look good decorated with the skulls of monks."
"Now I can't tell if you're joking." Nico half laughed.
"Then perhaps we are alike in some important ways." Hades said. There was a small whooshing noise and then silence
"Toby he's gone. You can come in now." Nico called after a moment and Toby slunk into the bone Cathedral shame faced. Nico was staring up at the architecture his expression unreadable.
"We, the bones that are here, await yours." Nico said pointing at words written above the door that Toby hadn't noticed. Toby shivered. "I've often looked forward to the day I could die and join my father in the underworld permanently." Nico sighed dropping his arm down to his side. "Now I'm not sure again. So many people I want to save that I can't save." Nico sighed and rubbed his face tiredly. Toby wasn't sure if he could approach Nico or not. When Nico looked up again his eyes were dark, hollow and sad.
"Sometimes I wish I wasn't such a true child of the underworld. Sometimes I wish I truly believed the judgment of the underworld was avoidable. Or at least didn't know what they were likely to be." Nico pressed his hand against the forehead of one the skulls staring out from the wall. Toby didn't say anything. "Anyway we need to go before the wolves arrive." He lead the way out of the cathedral and back to his friends since Toby had managed to forget the way again.
When they got back, Reyna and coach Hedge were having lunch. Nico and Toby joined them even though neither of them were very enthusiastic. Nico seemed to have lost his brief appetite and Toby was busy trying to figure out what Nico had said in the church. Nico recounted what had happened in the church with a few edits.
"Most wolves are friendly to Romans." Reyna pointed out. Toby gave up on trying to figure things out for now. "I've never heard of Orion hunting with a pack."
"It could have been a figure of speech." Nico suggested pushing away his half eaten sandwich. "Very little time before the wolves arrive." "Perhaps Hades didn't literally mean wolves. At any rate, we should leave as soon as it's dark enough for shadows." Nico seemed to get lost in his thought after that.
"So will Camp Half-Blood wait until August first, or will they attack first?" Reyna asked jarring Nico out of wherever his mind had wandered to.
"We have to hope they wait, we can't… I can't get the statue back any faster." Nico said. Toby noticed that Nico didn't mention that Hades had said he still might not survive. Nico and Reyna kept talking mentioning people Toby didn't know and things Toby didn't understand, a lot about wolves. The only thing Toby really understood was when Reyna told Nico that the greatest burden lay on him, it made Toby want to punch her. He knew Nico wouldn't like that though, so instead Toby shifted closer to Nico and wrapped an arm around his shoulders glaring at Reyna surreptitiously.
Silence stretched out, Nico looked like he might be sick. He looked away from them, but in reality Toby knew Nico was just looking away from the entire world around them. He wished he could know where Nico was looking instead.
"Nico." Reyna prompted softly. "How can we help you?" Nico blinked in shock and looked back up at Reyna.
"I'm not sure. You've already let me rest as much as possible. That's important." Nico said it as if it was something he didn't deserve, it made Toby angry at everything. "Perhaps lend me your strength. This next jump will be the longest. I'll have to muster enough strength to get us across the Atlantic."
"You'll succeed." Reyna said sounding more confident than Toby thought any of them really felt. "Once we're back in the U.S. we should encounter fewer monsters. I might even be able to get help from retired legionnaires along the eastern seaboard. They are obligated to help any Roman demigods who call on them."
"If Octavian hasn't already won them over. In which case, you might find yourself arrested for treason." Hedge pointed out. Toby felt Nico tense. He had heard a lot about Octavian.
"If you get the chance you'll kill him, won't you?" Toby whispered in Nico's ear so soft the others couldn't hear. He had never known Nico to want to kill anyone but Nico nodded now, Toby gave his shoulders a small squeeze.
The rest of the conversation was interrupted by the wolves arrival. Toby realized how glad he was with Nico and Reyna. They snapped into combat mode faster than even most of the creepypastas. He could see Nico's mind moving 100 miles a minute.
"Coach can you climb?" Nico asked and once he received confirmation continued briskly. "Get up to the statue and secure the rigging. Make a rope ladder and drop it down for the rest of us."
"But the wolves." Hedge started and Nico cut him off.
"Reyna and her dogs will have to cover our retreat. Toby I need you with me.
"Understood." Reyna responded grimly and turned to face the wolves.
"You can't stop us." The wolf called Lycaon snarled. Nico didn't bother to answer, instead he spread his hands out over the earth and it erupted, bones forming cages around all the wolves. Suddenly Toby was very worried, that was a lot of power Nico had just used and he would be using more to jump soon. Even more than he usually used on jumps because it was day time and there were no shadows dark enough to be a proper door.
"Coach go!" Nico yelled and Hedge, who had apparently been stunned by the show of power, snapped into motion running towards the temple thing. When a few of the wolves broke through Toby tried to lunge into the fight but Nico yanked him back. "Don't. You can't do anything you'll just get yourself killed."
"Go I'll cover you." Reyna yelled at the two of them and Nico dragged Toby with him. After a second of hesitation Toby began running under his own power as well. Nico scooped up a knife from the ground as he ran, the one Reyna had dropped, the silver plated one.
"Hurry." Nico yelled at Hedge.
"Oh really? I thought we had tons of time." The coach yelled back and Toby snared up at him. Now was not the time for goat sarcasm. He looked back at Nico and saw him watching the fight, again he could almost see his thoughts racing
"Reyna get up here!" He yelled and Reyna ran to them immediately. It was important insinuations like this to obey commands coming from anyone on your own team. Toby was impressed when Reyna vaulted up onto the roof.
"What's the plan?" She demanded
"Show off." Nico mumbled, obviously he was less impressed.
"Climb you silly non-goats!" The coach yelled and Toby felt the pressure, if not the pain, of the knotted rope falling on his head. He grabbed it and held it out to Nico.
"Go, both of you." Nico ordered shaking his head. "Once you're up there, hang on tight to the rope."
"Nico-" Reyna started.
"Do it." Nico snapped and she grabbed the rope climbing up quickly.
"But you need-" Toby started still hesitant but Nico practically snarled at him.
"No! You'd get in the way. Up!" Nico snapped. Toby felt the words like, what he imagined stab wounds must feel to people who could feel pain, but he obeyed. He grabbed the rope and started up after Reyna, reaching the top quickly and holding on tight.
"You will suffer son of Hades." Lycaon yelled as he broke free of the last of his bone cage. Fear gripped Toby's throat and made it impossible for him to breath. He looked down and saw that Nico was standing his ground looking determined, probably too full of adrenalin to be scared. Toby prayed Nico knew what he was doing, though he had no idea who he was praying to.
Nico grabbed one of the ropes as the wolf man leapt at him. Toby yelped when he saw it's claws sink into Nico's arms, but Nico didn't yell, instead he snarled again.
"Be a good dog." He spat into the wolf king's face. "Back to shadows." And indeed Toby watched as the wolf collapsed into a pool of darkness and then snapped his eyes closed as the familiar cold rush of shadow travel overtook them. Nico had been right. If Toby had stayed below with him he would have gotten in the way. His instincts wouldn't have let him do otherwise. That realization almost made him want to cry but he didn't, as soon as they were out of the shadows Nico would need him. There was no doubt that Nico had used too much of his power, he would need a energy boost.
A/N updates will be slow or nonexistent for the rest of this month because I'm doing NaNoWriMo. I'll be back in December. See you all then.