A few of the Angels screamed as I arrived in the courtyard with Shadow. "Don't worry." I said, "this is Shadow. She's a dire wolf." Hope fainted. Shadow pawed the ground, obviously anxious. I patted her snout and winced as the Spirit egg in my pocket grew warm. I pulled it out my pocket and nearly dropped it because of the heat. I sat down and placed the egg on the floor. Bright light assaulted my eyes as the shell started to crack. A small, black wisp left the shell, which crumbled and disintegrated, leaving only a small gem. I put the gem in my pocket before scooping up the small Spirit. It curled up in my hand and promptly fell asleep. I chuckled as I saw the expressions on the faces of the Angels. They were all looking at me in bewilderment.
"Well, this has been a strange day. Why don't we all get some rest?" Halo said, breaking the silence. "Nico, you can't leave the island until the spirit can survive on its own. And can you please keep a limit on the amount of crea - uh, animals you take in?" I nodded and she smiled warmly. I went to my room in the palace and curled up in a pool of molten iron. "This is nowhere near how comfy the pool of gold is at camp." I whispered to Shadow as she curled up at the edge of the pool. I glanced down at the Spirit and decided to call it Wisp.
Nico's dream
(Third person)
The campers sat, bemused, in the dining pavilion. Finally, Percy spoke. "What the Hades just happened?" Chiron looked at him with sad eyes. "I fear Nico is in a difficult situation. Who knows when he'll come back." Will seemed the most affected by Nico's disappearance. He chewed his nails, seemingly in deep thought. "Chiron?" "Yes Will?" "Do you think Hades would know what's going on? I mean, he is Nico's dad." Chiron mulled over Will's suggestion for several minutes before nodding. "He might." Jason stood up. "Then we should ask him!" He said, a small smile accentuating the scar on his lip. Campers started whispering and nodding. "Well then, Percy, Jason and Will can go on a quest and ask Hades." The camp erupted into cheers.
(End of dream)
I gasped as I woke up. I never knew the campers cared that much. "Probably just keep me around to fight for them." I muttered. Shadow whined at me. "You hungry?" I asked her. 'FOOD!' was her response. I laughed and looked down at Wisp, shocked to see that the Spirit had doubled in size overnight. I put Wisp in my pocket and stood up, leading Shadow out of the room. I noticed Gold and Dawn walk past. "Good morning." I said, smiling politely. They smiled back and hurriedly walked away. I frowned and adjusted the hood on my cloak so that my face was hidden. Why were they all acting strangely recently? Trying not to think about it too much, I headed into the kitchen. I gasped as a flashback surged through my mind. Mamma, Bianca and I were stood in a small, cramped kitchen, baking. I clutched the table as the flashback left my mind. "Well then," I said to Shadow, "let's try baking." I gulped before closing my eyes. I gritted my teeth and focused my powers. I cheered quietly as a writhing black mass of shadows deposited ingredients on the table.
After three hours, two batches of exploding cupcakes and one tray of biscuits that were burnt on the outside and raw in the middle, I pulled a tray of chocolate chip cookies out of the oven. "Finally!" I cried. After cleaning the kitchen (by that, I mean summoning a couple of skeletons to do it for me), I sat down in the courtyard and tentatively bit into one of the cookies. "Mmm. I have to say, I feel very accomplished right now." I whispered to Shadow. She chuckled and plonked herself down next to me, quickly falling asleep. I gently reached over and stroked her fur. It was soft and silky, reminding me of how Bianca's hair felt. I smiled sadly as memories of braiding her hair (she never could do it herself) came to mind. "I have some pleasant news for you Nico." Halo said telepathically, interrupting my musings, "tomorrow, you may return to your friends."
