I know, long time but we're here!
I hope it was worth the wait and don't worry, more will be coming.
Enjoy!
CHAPTER 16: ON THE ROAD AGAIN
"...so, can we turn on the radio?"
And to Val's satisfaction, and without a word as usual, Argus fiddled around with the built in stereo and soon enough, Classic Pop hits filled the extremely silent van. It was practically pitch black outside besides the headlights that lit the way. There wasn't much conversation that took place in the first fifteen minutes of the journey. I assume much of that conversation was, instead, going on in each one of our heads.
So far, our first stop was Chinatown where we're supposed to meet this mystery figure that had been a big help so far. Though the nervous tension and anxiety didn't feel great, it practically forbade me from getting any sleep which meant I avoided any possibility of experiencing those nightmares again… so that's a win, I guess. I looked over at the two companions squeezed in next to me in the back. Val sat in the middle, I was on the right and Flip was on the left. I had the short end of the stick being forced to sit behind the mammoth of a demigod called Emile. I 'politely' asked if he could move his seat up in which he responded with a polite 'no'. Already, things are looking great.
Looking at the two, Val seemed her usual nonchalant self with the usual finger tapping on the side, like she was just waiting for something to happen. Meanwhile Flip probably looked the most agitated I had seen him. There wasn't anything really noticeable but he leaned his head up against his fist as he stared through the window at the scenery going by. I had gotten used to his presence by now that I could tell when things weren't to normal 'Flip-standard'.
"You alright?" I said to him softly over the radio music.
"Yeah, just… mentally preparing," he replied.
"I think all of us are," I admitted.
Though she was right in-between us, Val didn't seem to be paying attention to our little chat.
"What do you reckon is out there?" I added. "This is kinda my first time on one of these things."
"Well, usually, we'd mostly be running into the mystical and magical but I'm not entirely sure in this case."
"Right."
"Personally, I'd rather the odd monster, creature or even god after us."
"You think we'll have to fight other demigods out there?" I asked.
"Considering the parameters of our mission? The chances are up there," he said.
"What's the difference between having to fight them or a monster?"
Val's finger immediately stopped twitching as Flip drew one long breath.
"It's a different kind of dirt, Arthur," he replied, "and it doesn't clean out easily. I'm not excited to have to start digging that hole… again."
"Is there anything else on the radio?" Val asked.
"I'm plugging in my music," Emile said without hesitation.
He pulled out a thin black cord. We all watched as it miraculously transformed to the appropriate shape in order to connect to the stereo. Emile proceeded to pull out a black 1st generation iPod and plugged it into the other end of the cord. The moment he turned it on, the three of us jumped.
This guy is already going to get us killed!?
"Relax," he said. "It's a special one. You don't need to worry about monsters with this. It's sole purpose is for music, which is all anyone needs anyway."
Emile began scrolling through his playlists as Flip and Val stared almost in awe.
Me? Pfft. It's cool, I guess… impractical as hell but… who cares…
"Okay, now that's dope," Val admitted.
"What kind of music does it play?" Flip asked.
"Almost anything," Emile answered. "Like this."
He pressed a button as he turned up the volume on the stereo.
It was a silent start that quickly expanded into a jaunty ensemble of a guitar and drums followed by the voice of a soft but jovial southern accent.
"Oh gods…" Flip dragged his palm down his face.
Val looked in disbelief to what she was hearing, "...is this…?"
I took a big sigh. "Country."
"Yep." Emile leaned back, almost proud of himself. "Willie Nelson - On the Road Again. Deal with it."
The three of us groaned as we couldn't do anything other than listen.
'On the road again, just can't wait to get on the road again…'
I glanced over at Argus to see what he was doing amongst all this and he proceeded to drive in complete silence, his thumb tapping the steering wheel to the beat of the music.
The rest of the drive back into Manhattan was pretty uneventful, unless you counted Emile's driving playlist which consisted mainly of country and classic rock. I guess those genres were appropriate for the occasion. You had your Country Roads, Highway to Hell, Route 66, Life is a Highway, etc. I couldn't complain - they were good songs. Val was relatively silent for most of the trip. I thought she'd have more to say but I guess she's just a little tired. Going back into the hustle and bustle of the city nightlife was weird. It was close to midnight yet many people were still out and about. We went past Queens, past Brooklyn - my old 'stomping grounds'. I remembered at a certain point I could trace exactly where we were in relation to the apartment and the halls of Thornbrook High School.
Gods, it all felt like a lifetime ago. Still need to catch up with Mom over an Iris message some time.
Taking the Brooklyn Bridge, we arrived into the heart of the city and not too far away from our destination. After a few more turns and intersections, we came upon a block of bright red lights that hit us like a flash grenade. The streets were even busier as an array of striking neon colors lit the way. The massive archway structure that led into the district came clearly into sight. Argus started to slow down as the roads started to get a little more crowded.
Val looked on almost in amazement. "Damn… you know I've actually never visited this place. Only passed by it a couple times. And never at night."
"The archways are dope," said Emile.
"Welcome to Chinatown," Flip announced in grand gesture. "And Paifang, is what those archways are called actually. Just a little fun-fact for you there."
Argus dropped us off about half a block away from the large entrance. It had just rained earlier in the night so the dark concrete and stone buildings had a little extra shimmer to them as they reflected the various lights hanging from all directions. Before he left, I personally thanked Argus who gave me one last thumbs-up. I smiled and gave a hearty thumbs-up back. He drove off and it was just the four of us now, alone and outside camp supervision. Suddenly everything felt freeing but not in a fun way. We were surrounded by the unfamiliar and the unexpected. This was the real world. Anything could happen. The four of us just sort of stood there, waiting for the next move and basking in this new environment. I felt a slight tug around my neck coming from the pendant.
We should probably get moving.
I comfortably adjusted my rucksack on my back and looked at the other three. "Alright, where to first?"
"We're here to meet the mystery person right?" Emile crossed his arms.
"Chiron only told us he'd meet us in Chinatown," Val said. "Didn't really give us the specifics."
"Then what, we just wait? I said.
Val looked immediately disgruntled.
"Well if waiting's our game, we might as well get used to it here," Flip concluded. "I don't know about you but I'm starving and I know just the place."
And just like that he was on the move, making his way into the market. Val simply shrugged and followed closely behind whilst Emile passive-aggressively brushed past me until it was just me standing there.
I suppose if we really are just here to wait…
Giving myself a moment, I took that first step of the journey as the four of us moved as a group. I made sure to tag along from the back so I could keep a comfortable eye on everyone and the bigger picture. I felt more safe knowing I can keep better track of everything in my peripheral. It felt very easy to get lost in here and I didn't like it. It'd be incredibly easy to miss the details, like anyone watching or following you. So far this mission was a secret, so I don't really know if anybody would be after us but from what I've learned about being a demigod - you can never be too careful.
Turned out that Flip's 'food spot' was a quaint little street vendor placed in one of the more populated centers of the entire block. The line was fairly long and the menu seemed to contain a wide variety of foods. By the end of it; Flip went for an interesting stir-fried noodle combination, Val just got some dumplings, Emile decided to go for the ramen and I picked the only thing I was familiar with which was fried rice. All paid for by the pocket money Argus distributed to us during our drive. And Flip was right - we all seemed to thoroughly enjoy the food, especially since it was different to the usual we get back at camp. The vendor seemed a little harsh though. Apparently, Flip says that the ruder the service, the better the food. How does that logic add up? I don't know but he wasn't wrong so far.
We had picked a little spot to huddle around in order to plan our next step. I still made sure to keep an eye out.
"What's our next move?" I asked.
In which Emile, being the asshole that he is, replied, "you've already asked that."
I was this close to smacking him across the mouth. "Well somebody has to."
"Again, maybe we just wait," Flip answered. "I'm sure the person we're meeting is competent enough to find us. Chiron seems to trusts them."
"Yeah, I'm sure Val would appreciate more waiting, huh, Val?"
I turned to my friend who was surprisingly quiet amidst our conversation. The three of us turned to the daughter of Hermes, waiting for an answer but nothing came out. It took us a moment to notice the sudden paleness in her face. I felt like she was acting a little 'out of it' lately and this only confirmed my suspicions. Out of nowhere, the small tray of dumplings slipped out of her hands and crashed against the wet pavement. Flip called out her name but she didn't respond. I tried shaking her out of her frozen state but she was as solid as stone. Her breath began to tremble and I saw something glide over her eyes. My confusion quickly turned into worry as I saw an emotion I'd never seen on her before. Fear.
Emile immediately started scanning all around us, reaching for something in his backpack. Flip and I weren't sure what to do. Flip grabbed her by the shoulders, trying to snap her out of it almost in disbelief as if she was just messing around. But as soon as it was very clear she wasn't, Flip got really nervous. More so than I. He continued trying to get her to say something, increasingly growing desperate but it was almost like she was lifeless. Seeing that she was unresponsive, I started darting my eyes everywhere on high-alert.
It has to be coming from somewhere. Maybe something she sees? Maybe she's under a spell?
The more I looked, the more I saw nothing but the same. I slowly raised my arm, readying my shield. An uneasy feeling flew over me, like a cold breeze. I wonder if everyone else felt it too.
Then, after almost a minute of complete silence, Val began to speak. Her voice was shaky but she managed to utter one, singular word.
"...Theo?"
A name?
I expressed my confusion with Flip who had a grim realization on his face. Flip held onto Val even tighter than before but he wasn't prepared for the sudden burst of life that erupted from her. Like a bullet out of a gun, Val sprinted forward out of Flip's grip and right through Emile and I.
"Shit… Val!" Flip cried out, immediately going after her.
"Wait!" I called out in my desperate attempt to find reason but the two of them were already barrelling through the crowds.
Emile and I exchanged a similar look and followed suit, chasing after our companions in hopes we don't lose them on the first day.
We quickly caught up with Flip. Val was thankfully still in sight but she was fully going for it and she was fast. She slipped through the bodies of people at a graceful pace.
"Flip!" I yelled. "What's going on!?"
"She's not thinking straight!"
"That's for sure!" Emile panted.
"We need to help her!" Flip said.
He began to pick up the pace as I forced my legs to take me further and further. But no matter how fast we were going, Val just didn't seem to slow down. She kept shouting out that name, 'Theo', over and over like she was looking for them. We almost lost her, trying to weave through the crowds and not crash into anybody. What's worse was whilst all this was happening, I still had that uncomfortable feeling that this wasn't just a coincidence. I felt like something or someone was watching us.
Are they somewhere above us? Hiding in the shadows? Lurking amongst the crowds?
I didn't know and that's why I hated it.
"Steady your mind, Arthur," D spoke. "Help your friend. The rest comes later."
Dienekes was right. My mind can't be everywhere at once. Val is in trouble, that's our priority.
However, it wasn't too long until the three of us would run out of breath despite our demigod stamina. We had to stop for a minute. My heart was pounding my chest like a trampoline. Flip, in between gasps, still called for her name but it was hopeless expecting any response from her. Then, she was gone. Now, the panic began to set in. We peered over the sea of heads, trying to find where she possibly could have gone off to but I saw nothing. The dread was slowly taking over.
We just got started… how could I let this happen!?
I didn't want to start thinking of the worst case scenario. Luckily, I think Emile was able to catch a quick glimpse of her last location. Probably thanks to his height, Emile managed to spot Val dashing into one of the side alleyways that broke away from the main road. Without delay, we pushed through some more pedestrians, who shouted some pretty non-pg remarks, and found ourselves staring down one of the only places in Chinatown that was nearly entirely dark. We were only able to see due to a singular light, placed just above a door that looked to have been busted open, half-way down the alley. Any sane person would probably think twice about just strolling down the dark, creepy alleyway but not us. Flip was the first to go, Emile closely behind whilst I made sure no one was following us. I still couldn't shake that growing suspicion. I scanned my surroundings again. The windows, the rooftops, the shops…
There! Something in the crowds. Thought I saw something strange. A dark figure? Multiple? Maybe a shadow? Am I hearing… hummi–
"She's in here!"
Shit!
Emile and Flip were already at the door. As frustrating as it was, I had to put that thought on hold. Call me paranoid but none of this felt right.
I hastily regrouped with them. As I got closer to the door, I could definitely hear sounds coming from inside the building. The whole thing felt ominous and we were out of sight. I summoned my shield, the broad circular mass of bronze and bark appeared in front of me. I elected to go in first as the first line of defense if anything were to happen. Slowly inching forward in what was essentially a conga line, we found ourselves in some warehouse type building. All around the sides were various packed boxes, dusty chairs covered in a massive tarp and no windows. It felt like some sort of storage unit for some of the local shops. There were no windows and it looked like the only way in and out was that one door.
Ohhh yeah, my demigod senses were tingling and it seems like Dienekes is agreeing with me.
Everything was dimly lit by a grid of hanging lights above us so things weren't exactly clear. My heart nearly leaped out of my mouth when I thought I saw a mass of silhouettes in one of the corners but they only turned out to be mannequins. I think all of us suffered from that jumpscare but did our best to play it off.
"Oh, hell nah," Emile exclaimed. "I do not trust that shit."
That made me smile. "What? Scared of a couple of dolls?"
"Hey. Captain America? There are certain things you don't mess with. Especially dolls, constructs, machines. Not every object is inanimate – well maybe except for you."
"Did Bob the Builder just call me inanimate?"
"Guys, come on." Flip interjected, which felt weird to be on the receiving end of. Also, I think this was the most serious I've seen him.
"Theo?"
We all spun around to the sound of her familiar voice. Walking out of the shadows was Valerie Aldara, still in that terrified manner but it had died down, replaced with more confusion. Flip grabbed her by the arm which had stunned her for a moment until there was a sense of recognition on her face.
"Flip?" Then she turned to me as I took her side. "Arthur? What the– how…?"
"You just started running, Val." I told her.
She thought hard, trying to find words but she struggled.
"We had to chase you, roadrunner," Flip joked to lighten the mood.
"What, was I too fast for you, Ganzorig?" Val reciprocated, her senses seemed to be returning to her.
Flip got a little offended at the usual surname remark but I think he let it slide just this once.
"What happened?" I asked her.
Val blinked a few times. "I… I thought I saw–"
"A ghost," Flip finished her sentence.
At that moment, we were all confronted with a chilling sensation. A cold night breeze flew into the warehouse, despite there being no windows, and carried with it a sinister cackle. It was a deafening shrill that put us all on edge. A foul voice filled the room.
"Poor, little, girl," it whispered into our ears. "Such a fragile mind, oh but how strong you try your hardest to be."
Already preparing himself, Emile rolled out a strange leather bundle from his backpack and laid it out on the ground in front of him. I could see it contained the pieces of his crossbow and various other attachments and extra ammunition. How it managed to fit all of that was a mystery.
Flip pulled a dagger hidden away inside his jacket. "Listen, uh, we'd really like to get going so how 'bout you stop with the bullshit."
The response was only more laughter. "That confidence doesn't fool anyone, boy. Sooner or later, your luck will run out."
I held my shield firm, checking all angles around me to possibly find where this voice could be coming from.
"Ah, the child of war. Such passion, such rage. Always ready for a fight. I wonder… is that all you're good for?"
"Do not listen to its poisoned words," Dienekes said but it was already getting to me.
This voice knows a little more than it should.
Emile had armed himself, already loading a bolt into the crossbow. He placed his mini mobile arsenal in a safe spot to the side as he tightened the bandolier around his torso.
"And what does the forgotten one have? Ah, yes… nothing."
The Hephaestus boy paused for a moment, before plugging in his earphones. I took a glance at Flip and Val. It looked like the voice had gotten to them as well. The door we came through slammed shut from an explosive gust of wind that carried itself inside and complete silence filled the warehouse. We all looked at each other, unsure of what just happened and especially uncertain of what was going to happen next. The sudden quiet made it all the more nerve wracking. The only thing we could hear was our own breathing.
Then, footsteps. Slow, sluggish, tapping against the stone floor. The four of us turned to the right and watched as one of the mannequins came steadily limping its way towards us. What was once a faceless figure, had two eyes like swirling black voids. It made no threatening advances, other than its disturbing little shuffle as it got closer and closer. Out of nowhere, like a flash of lightning, a loud sound like wire scraping across wood echoed through the room as a bolt slammed itself into the face of the mannequin. The head came clean off as the rest of the body fell limp on the ground. We all turned to him as he loaded another bolt.
"What?" He raised an eyebrow. "I told you so."
It didn't take long until there was another set of footsteps, and then another, and another. One, two, four, seven mannequins emerged from the shadows and more kept coming until we found ourselves surrounded by these lifeless human-sized figurines, all with the same swirling black voids. They all just stood there, watching us like vultures.
Instinctively, the four of us huddled together. I grabbed the hilt of my knife as I braced forward with my shield.
"Val, you got a weapon on you?" I asked her.
She took a deep breath, steadying herself. "Always."
I watched as she took out one of the hairpins from her bun and saw it miraculously take form into the celestial bronze rapier.
I exchanged a look with Flip who fiddled with the platinum coin he always had with him.
"Don't worry about me, slick. This ain't my first rodeo."
I steadied my breathing as the pendant hummed with warmth. "You guys, ready?"
"Hold up."
The three of us turned to Emile in utter confusion who was nonchalantly scrolling through his little iPod.
"Are you serious right–"
I was cut off by a quick shush.
"The fuck!? Don't shush me–"
"Shut up."
At this point I was just too stunned to even respond.
"Okay, got it. I'm ready," he said, satisfied with his song choice.
"Ay, man. You're truly something you know that?" Flip said, almost in awe, but Emile was already locked in. Flip chuckled to himself. "This guy's nuts."
That's one way to put it.
Another round of laughter occurred but this time it was coming from each individual mannequin, creating a terrifying wave of sound. We all began to brace ourselves for the inevitable fight we were about to get into and no help seemed to be coming either.
First day out and shit's already gone wrong.
Then, the laughter stopped. Then, the mannequins rushed us.
They swarmed us in waves. The moment we'd take one down, another one would just replace it. They weren't exactly all that skillful, but they just threw themselves at you like zombies. Eventually, something was going to give. Once a mannequin was struck down, we saw the swirling voids fade away as if its soul was ripped out. We did our best to stick together as one but with the sheer amount of numbers, we were naturally spread out.
I swung left and right, dodging blows as best as I could and returning the favor by completely decapitating them with the rim of my shield. I slammed one in the chest with my foot, knocking it to the ground. I grabbed one of its legs and threw its lightweight body into another three that were charging in. Trying to see if anyone was close to me, I saw Val, dancing through the dozen or so mannequin's like a ballet dancer. She pierced and slashed through each of them all the while refusing to get hit but more kept coming.
"Val!" I called out to her.
The girl nodded as I barrelled through a line of mannequins with my shield as she slid on the ground alongside me. I planted myself in front of her as she poised her rapier.
"I block, you strike!"
Using my shield like a bubble, I prevented incoming blows as she countered with a swift attack. When coming up with this manuever, I figured that with my defense and her offense, we could create a pretty foolproof shell and it turned out to be quite useful in situations against hordes of enemies.
"Any ideas on how to stop these things?" she said in-between lunges.
"Funny, I was going to ask you the same thing."
I tried looking for the answers in the mannequins once I struck them down. It was difficult to spot amongst the chaos, but I noticed when one went down, a lifeless mannequin in the back would proceed to turn on almost instantaneously. These mannequins didn't have those eyes until after the voice spoke, so maybe they were being possessed somehow. Still, if that's the case, that just means whatever's possessing them has to run out of mannequins before we run out of life and doesn't look like they'll be running out anytime soon.
Flip had the right idea of going for the higher ground, locating himself in the upper walkways of the warehouse but soon enough, mannequins began clambering up the boxes and leaping onto the second level. Flip was doing fine so far with the minimal mannequins that reached him but more were coming and there was no place to run up there. I don't know how, but it was like something innate helped me spot these little details.
"Hey," I said to Val, gesturing to Flip, "mind giving him a hand?"
"Up there?"
"I'll give you a boost."
She looked at me skeptically as I positioned my shield in front of me, almost like a little platform for her to step on.
She stared up at Flip and then at me. "You got me?"
"Yeah, come on, it'll be fun," I reassured.
She gave one of those half-hearted laughs that gave me the answer I needed. With a small running jump, she leapt onto the wide base of my shield as I pushed just at the right moment to give her enough of a boost to grab onto the railing where Flip was. I heard a little conversation ensue between the two just before they got right into fighting.
"Arthur, behind."
Dienekes' warning came just at the right time but I was a bit too distracted, causing a mannequin to latch onto my back. Grabbing the back of its neck, I used all my strength to rip it off and slam it into the ground in front of me. As extremely fragile as they were, taking down one almost meant nothing. It's like we weren't even killing them. Whatever essence was inside them simply transported itself to the next.
Assessing the situation mid-fight, it was me and Emile on the ground with Flip and Val up top. I tried concentrating back on my own fight but the pendant was ringing inside my head along with Dienekes' voice warning me of something. I noticed Emile stranded from the rest of us, surrounded by a mound of mannequin limbs and pieces. He had dropped his crossbow after swinging it like a club non-stop, using only his bare hands and whatever else he could wield. A mannequin behind him, picked up his crossbow and snuck up behind him with the two blades that protruded from its front. I waited for Emile to turn around and smash its head but there was too much going on.
With little time to think, I pulled out my combat knife and threw it at the sneaky mannequin. Its body crumpled to the ground along with the Emile's crossbow. It was all one quick-jerk reaction.
The fighting didn't cease and soon it became a war of attrition. I shattered mannequin after mannequin but my arms and legs were starting to slow down. The weight of the shield grew heavier and heavier despite how much I've trained with it. Dienekes' voice drilled me, urging me to keep standing. The four of us ended up regrouping in the middle. Flip and Val jumped down, saving me from a group of them after I had stumbled on my footing. Flip almost got knocked out by a mannequin but the joint that connected its arm to its body was somehow just loose enough that it fell off before the moment of contact allowing him to strike it down with his dagger. The whole thing was a bit of an anti-climatic moment. How, Flip does that - I don't know. Emile had retrieved his crossbow and for the first time, actually struggled trying to pull back the string in order to load it.
"This is the first day, right?" Flip heaved.
Val tried to collect her breath. "...yeah… first day."
After a few more went down, the attacks began to slow down until everything ceased entirely. For a split second, I thought we had finally managed to do it. That we finally managed to destroy all of them but that quickly went away as I stared at the wall of them surrounding us, glaring at us with their empty forms. For some reason, they were just waiting.
Hey, maybe they're giving us a breather?
Then, that same voice spoke like a cold blade. "So, very, very brave, but ultimately futile."
Flip cleared his throat. "Hey, maybe we could talk this out? Huh? How about over some nice Tsuivan? I know a good place just a few blocks from he–"
"Quiet."
"Alright, worth a shot," Flip sighed.
The voice laughed again. "Do you really think this mission of yours means anything? What do you possibly hope to achieve?"
The mission? How do they know about the mission? I thought it was a secret?
"Your small mortal minds really are adorable, aren't they?" they said, making me think twice about my thoughts which was harder than it sounds.
I clenched my fist, standing firm. "Who are you? What do you want? What's up with these stupid mind games!?"
The mannequins mocked me as the voice carried on in its enjoyment. "Temper, temper. Me? I'm nothing new. I've always been there. Oh, you mortals. So righteous, so full of hope, full of memory and dreams - especially you half-bloods. What do I want? All I've ever wanted to do was to simply add a touch of fear…"
"Enough!" Val screamed, a fury in her eyes. "I'll show you fear."
"Aww, cute," the voice replied. "I wonder what he'll think. Shall I ask him?"
With a spiteful yell, Val threw her rapier so ferociously, it impaled a mannequin and the one behind it. The mannequins only cackled like a pack of hyenas.
"I think you're right, Arthur." Hearing it say my name felt like a curse. "Time to end these little games…"
The mannequins tilted their heads.
"...kill them."
The mob descended on us like ants. Their eyes expanded as if they were going to consume us. I did the only thing I could do, and readied my shield. Just as I was waiting for the impact, something unexpected happened. What looked almost like a wall of shadow, appeared directly in front of me. It was only there for a moment before disappearing. Simultaneously, I found myself seamlessly standing behind a dark figure with a fairly small frame. The person's hair was extremely disheveled and nearly as black as the rest of their clothes. The only other things noticeable about them was the large skull-head symbol plastered on the back of his trench coat and the pitch black sword he held to the side.
"No, shit…" Emile muttered to my left.
The mannequins halted as the voice shrieked in anger. "Cursed boy! How dare you–"
"Yeah, yeah, bring it up with my father," the figure said in exhaustion.
He then tapped the tip of his sword on the ground as the remaining mannequins dropped to the ground. I watched as their swirling eyes floated off their faces and above them, shaping into horrifying shadowy spirits.
The boy turned to us with his pale-white skin and tired eyes. "Knock yourself out."
My three companions wasted no time, charging from our little huddle towards the ghosts. Still a little confused, I joined them in cutting down every single one of the vulnerable wisps of shadow and this time they didn't come back. Our celestial bronze made quick work of them as they had little to defend themselves or any more shells to possess. One solid swing of the edge of my shield was enough to slay them and for the first time, we felt like we were making progress. Cleaning up the last of the ghosts, the building returned to its former non-haunted self as everything fell quiet once more. We all began to relax a little.
"You missed one," the boy said as he slashed his sword at a ghost that was trying to hide in the shadows.
I stared in awe as the essence of whatever held that ghost together was sucked in by the darkness of the boys' sword. After that, the boy slumped over, taking a seat on the ground looking more out of breath and fatigued than the three of us combined.
I couldn't tell if Flip was laughing or coughing when he addressed our savior. "So you're who we're supposed to meet."
"Sorry for being late. Shadow travel... nasty stuff. That and having to manage fifty other things this year."
"I don't think I've seen you since the war," Val added in a combination of relief and surprise.
"Yeah, well… hi," he said rather awkwardly.
He looked like he was ready to fall asleep but managed to catch himself.
"Hey, Melinoe!" he shouted into thin air. "Still there?"
There was no response. The boy laid his head down in a moment of satisfaction.
The four of us stared at each other as if we found it hard to process the fact that the voice we were speaking to was the goddess of nightmares herself. I must have been the most shocked. After another second of lying down, the boy got up on his feet leaning on his sword, thanking Emile who offered to help him up but ultimately refused his request.
"Thanks for saving our ass," I managed to conjure up after being left speechless
"You're welcome."
"I don't mean to be rude, but... who are you exactly?" I asked as the only one here that seemed to be a little out of the loop.
In response, the boy simply gave me a weak smile.
