The Underworld's Child

14 | Family And Friends

"Nico?" she called as she walked around the woods.

Fifty paces ahead of her lie Zeus's Fist. But Nico wasn't in her sight.

"Nico?"

"Leave me alone," the kid replied.

She jogged around the boulders stacked up and found the di Angelo kid staring out into the trees.

Nico was sitting on one of the boulders looking sad. His expression was tight and he was tense.

Elora went to console him.

"Hey, Nico."

"I said, leave me alone!" Nico yelled.

Elora didn't falter and she stood her ground. Nico turned and faced her.

"Hey, Nico," she said. "I'm Elora."

Nico sniffled. "I know."

"Do you need someone to talk to?"

He didn't answer.

"It's okay Nico. I know what it's like to be alone and having no one. Trust me. I know the pain it cause," Elora said.

She walked closer to the boy and sat next to him.

"I don't like it," Nico suddenly said. "Bianca's gone and I don't like it."

He looked like he was about to cry so naturally, she pulled him into her arms.

"It'll be okay," she murmurs as droplets of tears wet her shirt.

Her heart went out to him and she felt her heart contracts painfully in her chest. Seeing him like this makes her wonder how her family's doing after she left.

☀︎︎☽︎☾︎☀︎︎

"Thank you," Nico said. After his tears stopped, he quickly pulled out from her embrace and wiped his tears.

"I'm here Nico," Elora said. "If you need anyone to talk to, I'm here. You can come to me for anything. If you need to talk, when your bored, anything really. I'm here for you 'kay?"

"Why?"

"Because we demigods stick together," she answered. "And because you reminded me of my siblings."

"You have siblings?"

"Mhm." Elora nodded. "I have a sister almost three years younger and a brother almost ten years younger."

"Oh," Nico said. "How do you come here?"

"Hm?"

"You leave your family behind? Why?" Nico asked.

"It's not easy," she said. "But I needed the training camp provides."

"Can you teach me?" Nico asked as he looked up to her. "Please," he pleaded, giving her puppy eyes.

Gods, he's adorable, she thought. "Okay."

"Yay!" Nico cheered.

She smiled at him in return.

☀︎︎☽︎☾︎☀︎︎

They stayed there for hours. The sun was slowly sinking as they talked about everything and anything. Friends, school, life, siblings. Their favorite food, color, and all that.

Dinner was pretty eventful for her.

The food was excellent as usual. You can't go wrong with pizzas, a never-ending plate of desserts, and goblets of tea. Or coffee. Depends on her mood. The torches and braziers kept the outdoor pavilion warm, and they all had to sit with their cabin mates. Since she was the only one and she didn't have a cabin in camp, she would sit with Percy or whichever cabin table. Both Chiron and Mr. D didn't care to prohibit her from only sitting with the other Hermes kids. She saw Nico sitting with the Stoll brothers, Percy alone at his table, and Thalia too.