Darkness & Sea Go Hand-in-Hand [Hiatus]

12

So on they went, down the moon lit tunnel and onward.

Nico looked over his shoulder at the window where the light originated from, hoping to maybe see how the moon was shining in during the middle of the day.
But all he saw was a beam of white-blue light shining in and a dark blue void beyond.

May not have been the weirdest thing in his life, but something about it still sent a shiver down his spine.

In his working arm, he felt a hand slide into his own, making him smile slightly.

As Annabeth led, scanning the area, Percy whispered "How are you feeling?"

How was he feeling? He hadn't really focused on that at the moment.
But now that he was, he could really feel it.

His spine felt like spiders were running up and down it.
His heart was pumping faster than a race car.
The ringing in his ears made him question if a gun had been shot close by.

With a shiver, Nico said "I don't know. I might get Bianca back. Like I've wanted. But...there's the whole thing with Artemis turning Hunters who quit into animals, and that maybe that this isn't Bianca, just a trap to kill us."

Annabeth, still scanning, asked "But how did Minthe know about you, that you two are Hades kids? She's been trapped for centuries, right?"

Nico reached out to the stoney wall; miniature waterfalls dripping from some of the cracks between the stones.
"I don't know...maybe...well, you know how I can open the ground sometimes to let dead out?"

The other two remained silent, either not remembering if they've seen him do that, or they haven't seen him do that.

He sighed.
"Well, I can. Anyways, something felt...off, last time I tried. An emposa tried to make herself look like a guy and get close to me. But I knew what she was. So I tried to summon some skeletons to pull her down to the earth and...it sort of felt like it was out of my control. Like it was trying to close up before I pulled her down."

As he tried to get his other hand to move, Percy remarked "Oh, that's not weird at all! Just a normal day in the life of a demi-god."

Nico elbowed him with his good arm.
"Seriously, that has never happened before! Not for me. Usually, the ground gives when I pull. But something, or someone, is...preventing it. After centuries, Minthe may have learned something, ir someone with powers over the earth is aiding her."

With a smirk, Annabeth asked "But did you make it out alive? The suspense is killing me!"

Nico rolled his eyes.
"No, I died. But then I, as you kids today say, 'respwaned at my last checkpoint'."

If Percy could face palm, he would.
"Nico, you sound like a grandpa trying to be cool with the grandkids."

The shorter glared up at him.
"Well, maybe teach me this stuff so that I don't make a fool of myself! I'm basically eighty years old! I don't understand this time, okay?"

Percy laughed heartily, nudging Nico with his elbow.
"Well, when this quest is over, guess we'll have to change that? Huh, grandpa?"

In front of them, Annabeth began dragging her knife against the wall, mumbling something.

Nico leaned closer to Percy's ear, lowering his voice.
"Percy, I-...I'm worried about Annabeth. Are you sure she's okay with you and me? I sense a...a darkness in her."

Percy tilted his head in surprise and asked "You can sense darkness in people?"

Nico nodded.
"The darkness doesn't go to just the shadows. Humans, demigods, and even gods, all have a darkness in them."