Restituito

Chapter16.

Umi ultimately decided to never enter the stables without some form of back up ever again. Although it probably wouldn't be necessary as Blackjack had refused to leave his "Boss'" side ever again, for fear that he would leave him again. The Pegasus had moaned and whined about how hundreds of other half-bloods had tried to ride him and he was sick of bucking the kids off.

Apparently they all felt like he would let them seeing as 'Percy' had disappeared off the face of the earth. Umi couldn't get a moment to himself. He loved Blackjack, honestly he did... but he was seriously considering tying him to a pole if he didn't leave him alone for at least half an hour.

And Nico still hadn't returned yet. He had been gone for three days now. Never in his life had Umi felt this frustrated. He was actually starting to get worried as he hadn't heard from the child of Hades at all. He was just walking towards his cabin when Dahlila appeared with her mother, Hathor. Both looked worried and Umi immediately became alert.

 Making his way towards them he thought of why the goddess had appeared. He knew she despised the Greeks and Romans, so she obviously had a good reason for being here. Spotting him, a look of relief washed across her face, but the worry didn't disappear.

"Umi," she exclaimed, "we may have a problem... I'm still not sure whether or not I should tell you either. Your reaction may not be a good one."

This made him even more worried. What in the world could be wrong?

"Nico has been kidnapped..."

"..."

Seconds later Umi had disappeared. Somewhere in the Sahara desert, a crater mystically appeared among the sand dunes.

In a flash he was back at camp half-blood awaiting further information from Hathor.

"What happened?" he demanded.

"He was searching for you again in Cairo. He was getting closer to one of the portals. Then these two titans appear and just grabbed him. Then the earth just swallowed them up and they disappeared. Anubis tells me his soul has not crossed but is on the edge. So he is alive but his soul is being suspended In-between. We don't really have any idea where he is being held but Thoth believes it is somewhere where the veil between life and death is near translucent. A cradle of magic of some description, where magic originated and is still acknowledged today. The real magic not that ridiculous crap those wannabes come up with. Real wild magic, that's free and unrestricted." She stopped and looked at Umi as if waiting for him to give her the answer.

He was silent for a moment with his head bent down as he thought. Suddenly his head snapped up his eyes wide.

"Ireland!"

"I'm glad to see that all those lessons have paid off. Yes, Ireland is the most potent cradle of magic on this earth in this millennium. It changes every so often, what with all the shifting currents, but Ireland has been and will remain to be for quite some time to be the most potent. Now, there are holes in the veil in Ireland but can you tell me what Irish people call these holes?"

"...Fairy rings right?"

"Exactly. These are where the veil has had a part torn out or it has faded all by itself. The Irish are so in tune with this magic that they subconsciously realise and avoid these places as best as possible after dusk because of this. Of course you always have the unlucky ones who are in for a rough night if they do get caught in the ring or court, but the 'fairies' are nice enough to let them get away in the morning, relatively unscathed."

"But Ireland has hundreds of these places and even more like them. Nico could be anywhere!"

"Which is why you are going to have to do some research before you go charging off after him like I know you are desperate to do so. You came to us all those years ago without an ounce of self-preservation or any planning skills to speak of. Over these years we have steadily beat that out of you. Any other situation and you would be assessing this situation like you are famed for. Do not let your feelings get in the way of your goal or compromise your own safety. This is why I am giving you this speech and not P'tah. Now use your brains and come up with a solution to the problem. It has already been discussed with the other gods and has been decided that you will take two other demigods with you. One from camp Jupiter and the other from camp half-blood."