The Dissonant Notes Of Fate

Seventeen

A/N: Welp, here's chapter seventeen of The Dissonant Notes of Fate. Hope you enjoy. Vote, comment, all those other stuff. Have a great day. I'm going to stop these author's notes pretty soon. I almost always repeat myself each time. From now on, I'll only include A/Ns when I have some new information to share. If you haven't, check out my personal profile and give my other works a look. Thanks!

-TripleHomicide.

NICO tried to wrench his arm out of the hold of the demigod, Eurytion, who held him. But he was too weak, and the man was far too strong. Nico snarled under his breath, trying to reach out to Minos with his mind. The ghost had been leading him for almost a month, which was how long he had disappeared from Camp for. He had taught him how to control his powers, and how to wield a sword and a lot of other things, but immediately danger came, Minos vanished and it was starting to grate on Nico.

The ghost had shimmered back into wherever he came from when Nico had stumbled into the ranch a few minutes ago from the Labyrinth, and had been grabbed by the burly man and the two-headed dog. Nico had been struggling to escape and free himself, even trying shadow-travelling at a point—but nothing had worked. Somehow, the ranch had been warded to prevent any form of escape.

Nico stiffened when he saw the cattle guard move, and his eyes widened like saucers when Clarisse moved out, grunting. Behind her came his sister Bianca, and then Grover, Thalia, and finally, Luke.

"What—" Nico blinked in shock. The others looked damaged, bruised and tired, with bags under their eyes and dust and dirt covering their bodies.

"Nico," Bianca surged forward, her relief and worry mixing in the single word.

Clarisse's arm shot out and she grabbed his sister by the shoulder, pulling her back. Some anger and rage passed over Bianca's face but Clarisse stepped forward, ignoring her. Her eyes were narrowed as she took in the cowherd's hand on Nico's shoulder, who had been about to lead him to the house in the distance. "Who're are you?"

The man's grip on Nico's shoulder got tighter and the son of Hades let out a small cry. At that, Bianca surged forward and it was only through the united efforts of Grover and Thalia that she remained where she was. A look of unadulterated rage overcame her features as she snarled at the man clutching Nico like a lifeline. "Let my brother go!"

The man didn't respond, choosing to examine them in silence and tilting his head to the side. Finally, he said, "You must be the demigods Geryon spoke about."

"Give me my brother back," Bianca said, her voice going dangerously low. "Or so help me I will—" Nico felt warmth erupt in his chest as Bianca drew two hunting knives as long as his own arm. The fact that she was prepared to take on a man three times her size for him made him feel glad. His sister looked furious and angry and if he was the cowherd, he wouldn't want to cross her. No. Not at all.

"Bia—"

"Don't worry, squirt," Clarisse said, her spear forming in her hand. "We're getting you back to Camp." Nico wanted to say he couldn't go back to Camp. He wanted to argue. But at that moment Eurytion, took a step back, pulling Nico with him. Nico watched in shock as the ground before them exploded and the first of the drakons appeared. And then Eurytion was dragging him away.

-X-

BIANCA screamed out when she saw the man dragging Nico away. He was struggling, kicking and fighting against the man's hold, but he wasn't strong enough. She shouted his name just as the ground before them exploded. Three giant figures, like snakes, with blue scales and teeth dripping with green liquid burst out of the ground, letting loose roars and snarls. Bianca turned to Clarisse and shouted, "I'm going after Nico!" As she took off, she could hear the several explosions and felt the ground shaking beneath her. Monsters seemed to appear out of nowhere around them, converging towards the demigods and snarling menacingly.