Ataraxia (a Nico di Angelo fanfiction)

1|Welcome to Camp Half-Blood

Lost.

That's how I felt, stumbling around in a dark alleyway. I had been asleep a while ago, it was the only way to stop the noise. Where's my bed? Where was I?

You'd think I would have figured out by now that I was in a completely different state, that towering buildings didn't exist in my family's small island in Hawaii.

I would've called out for help, except right before I could even turn a corner there was a snarling noise. It sounded like a large rabid dog and a screeching bird were trying to harmonize. If I didn't have a mind blowing headache before, I surely did now.

Slowly, I tried to back off and head toward the other direction. Whatever was making that noise, I will not stick around to see.

It would have been a smooth escape if I hadn't slipped and fell on my backside. I yelped, trying to grab on to the wall beside me. Just my luck, the wall was rough to the touch, giving my left hand a sweet little graze. My palm began to get sticky, as the familiar scent of blood filled my nose.

Hissing, I used my right hand to prop me up. I stood, but the noise I've made seemed to attract whatever was around the corner. Thundering footsteps are now lumbering around the corner, and I finally saw what was making the noise.

To be fair, if it were any normal sized dog I would have pet it. Standing before me was the biggest rottweiler I have ever seen. It looked exactly like the dog, except not small. Not small at all. Snarly the big dog bared its teeth at me, inching closer and closer. I don't get why he wouldn't just pounce at me and get it over with. Its teeth were now about two inches from my forehead.

I didn't dare move. I don't know if the dinosaur rule applies for big dogs that eye me like a five foot three long treat.

Just as Snarly was about to turn me into a chew toy, he made a confused noise (at least that's what I thought 'rooo?' translated to), whimpered, and backed off.

I wonder what I had done to prevent my untimely and weird demise. To my surprise, the creature wasn't even focused on me. He was looking somewhere behind me, and Snarly actually looked scared. It scampered off, probably going to find another girl in another alleyway to terrify.

I breathed, relieved. I turned around and saw a guy who looked no older than 18, I couldn't make out much of his features with my hazy mind but I knew he had his arms in the air and was slowly approaching me.

"Back—back off!" I tried to sound confident, mustered up my courage. Unfortunately I think Snarly took it with him. I was slowly stepping away from the guy. My voice sounded shrill, and it wasn't fooling anyone. "You don't wanna mess with me."

He looked like he was studying me, like he found what I said amusing. "I'm not going to hurt you, I've got my arms up, see? You can trust me. I don't know how you got here, but I sensed the hellhound from a few blocks away. Let me help you, I can take you someplace safe."

"No, I—" honestly, what was I about to say? I'm fine? I don't need help? Hellhound? Whatever it was, I didn't get the chance to continue my sentence as I slipped into unconsciousness and fell.

•••

My head was pounding, and it felt like I was being dragged by someone. I groaned, opening my eyes to look at the person who has been hauling me like a sack.

It was the same dude in the alleyway, I can tell that much. He was wearing a brown jacket, and on his free hand there was... a sword?

I blinked, surely it was one of those moments where I thought I saw something but it wasn't really there. When I opened my eyes, he was still holding a blade.