𝐌𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐌𝐨𝐫𝐢━━Nico di Angelo

18

Ajax and Nico stared at the horizon from the ground. A mile away, on the crest of the next hill, a storm had gathered over some old stone ruins—maybe the remains of a Roman temple or a fortress. A funnel cloud snaked its way down toward the hill like an inky black finger.

"Let me guess, we have to go there?" Ajax sighed. He hated this whole demigod business.

"I'm not shadow travelling us" Nico said, as helpful as ever.

"Then how do you suggest we get there, asshole?"

"La-"

"If you say language , I'll-"

Unfortunately the rest of Ajax's sentence was cut off because of how surprised he was when Nico engulfed him in a hug. Well, he thought it was a hug. His surroundings, Ajax discovered had turned totally black and for a second he was freaking out because everything was so dark, then the shadows melted away to reveal the inside of the storm they had seen from so far away.

So that's what shadow travelling was.

Ajax thought it wasn't that bad. But he seriously considered throwing up on Nico's shoes just to make him mad.

When Ajax looked up, the summit looked like a different dimension. The world lost its color. The walls of the storm encircled the hill in murky black. The sky churned gray. The crumbling ruins were bleached so white, they almost glowed. And it wasn't much of a surprise to see that Nico was as pale as ever.

"What?" Nico asked, noticing Ajax's staring.

The green eyed boy tried to hide his embarrassment by scoffing, "I swear, white paint has more color than your skin"

Nico rolled his eyes.

In the eye of the tempest, the air was still. Ajax's skin tingled coolly, as if he'd been rubbed with alcohol. In front of them, an arched gateway led through mossy walls into some sort of enclosure.

Ajax couldn't see much through the gloom, but there was something inside pulling him closer like a magnet.

Nico placed a hand on his shoulders, which was when he realized he had actually taken a few steps forward. Ajax gave him a small nod.

The two boys walked through the stone archway. Ruined walls bordered a square courtyard about the size of a tennis court. Three other gateways, one in the middle of each wall, led north, east, and west. In the centre of the yard, two cobblestone paths intersected, making a cross. Mist hung in the air—hazy shreds of white that coiled and undulated as if they were alive.

Not mist, Ajax realized. The Mist.

The past week he hadn't stopped researching about it since he was supposed to have power over it, but he hadn't come up with much. Not that he knew what and how to do it.

The mist was the supernatural veil that obscured the world of myth from the sight of mortals. It could deceive humans, even demigods, into seeing monsters as harmless animals, or gods as regular people.

Ajax had never thought of it as actual smoke, but as he watched it curling around his legs, floating through the broken arches of the ruined courtyard, the hairs stood up on his arms. Somehow he knew: this white stuff was pure magic.

"Can you feel it?" Ajax took a deep breath. This whole place was alive with magic, this was his home turf. He felt like he was finally taking a deep breath after being in a binder for hours. It was freeing and energizing.

Nico didn't respond. That's when Ajax noticed something was wrong. He looked paler than usual, and like he was hiding some pain. His face was contorted weirdly and he tried to wave away Ajax's concern, "I'm fine"

"No, you're clearly not"

"I shouldn't have shadow travelled us both here"

"You really shouldn't have"

"It's taken a lot of energy"

"It really has"

"Will you stop agreeing with me?"

Ajax huffed, there really was no winning with Nico.

In the distance, a dog howled. Without meaning to, Ajax flinched, by that he meant he almost jumped ten feet into the air.

Even though Nico was currently trying not to laugh at him, Ajax felt better having him near. Being alone here sounded like a nightmare.

"Hello?" Nico called out.

"Hello" A voice answered.

The pale figure of a woman appeared at the northern gateway. No, wait...she stood at the eastern entrance. No, the western. Three smoky images of the same woman moved in unison toward the center of the ruins. Her form was blurred, made from Mist, and she was trailed by two smaller wisps of smoke, darting at her heels like animals. Some sort of pets?

She reached the center of the courtyard and her three forms merged into one. She solidified into a young woman in a dark sleeveless gown. Her golden hair was gathered into a high-set ponytail, Ancient Greek style. Her dress was so silky, it seemed to ripple, as if the cloth were ink spilling off her shoulders. She looked no more than twenty, but Ajax knew that meant nothing.

"Mother"

"Ajax Avery, son"

Even though it had felt like the beginning of a horror movie like five minutes ago, now Ajax was grinning from ear to ear. Son. Hecate had called him her son. 

Nico was still pretty confused about the trans stuff, but he could tell it made Ajax happy. He had a thought, that he liked seeing Ajax happy. His wide smile would make his nose scrunch up, and show his slightly crooked tooth. It was adorable. 

Ajax was unaware of Nico staring at him. He was too busy looking at the goddess. She was beautiful, but deathly pale. Kind of like Nico. Not that he was beautiful.

Nico looked more similar to her than her own son, which kind of bugged Ajax, but he didn't say anything.

The woman's eyes were open and completely black. When she tilted her head, she seemed to break into three different people again...misty afterimages blurring together, like a photograph of someone moving too fast to capture.

"Why did you call for me?"

Hecate raised her hands. Suddenly she was holding two old-fashioned reed torches, guttering with fire. The Mist receded to the edges of the courtyard. At the woman's sandaled feet, the two wispy animals took on solid form. One was a black Labrador retriever. The other was a long, gray, furry rodent with a white mask around its face, a polecat.

"We have much to discuss, if you live through tonight"