Book 2: Oaths and Victories.

Chapter 9: Retrieved.

I both love and hate how easy it is to write for this au when I actually sit to do it.

Τζασον

With two trips under his belt, he thinks he can safely say that he does not get along with the shadows. He barely manages to stumble away from the group and into the side of the Argo II in order to vomit.

Maybe it's a child of Jupiter thing.

Though, to be fair, even Nico himself seems to be affected, but no one else is puking, so he stands by what he said.

By the time he's emptied his stomach, he sees the others have gathered around the two figures still in the ground. Hazel wakes up easily when Frank shakes her, but Leo's sporting a nasty cut on his head, and doesn't react to the same.

Nico is at their side the next moment, fast as a blink, Piper's right behind him, already pulling some bandages from Leo's toolbelt. They manage to stop the bleeding but Leo's still down for the count.

Everyone's quiet on board, as the watch Hedge approach to take Leo and carry him below deck to the infirmary, Nico shadowing him. Piper lingers, moving to where Reyna is, close to Festus.

Between the two of them they get the ship flying.

It's not until the Necromanteion is no more than a speck in the distance for the whole thing to process in his mind, and he just... starts laughing.

It's not even particularly funny, but soon everyone's joining, one by one, and something untenses.

They're not even close to done, but they also have never been closer.

Κόουτξ Χεδτζ

As a guide, he's seen all sorts of demigods, sometimes in groups, sometimes alone, each with a slightly different personality, and different ways they interacted with their peers. And, loathe as he is to admit it, getting those demigods to camp is never easy.

So it's not that he is unfamiliar with the way young Di Angelo is behaving, but that doesn't stop it from being a hard swallow. Annoying as Valdez is, seeing him quiet like this is nothing short of disheartening.

Di Angelo fairs as he can, different than him in how they view Valdez, dragging a chair as close as the space will allow, and sitting himself down. And he knows he'll have to drag the kid away eventually, but he can allow it for now.

It's always difficult, this particular bit, the relief trying to come up front and center but having to swallow it down with the knowledge that it isn't over yet. Gaia is still rising, freeing the doors of death was only the half of it.

Still, one has to learn to take these sort of victories as they come, otherwise you'd run the risk of loosing your head, and turning into the very thing you were fighting against.

He busies himself with taking care of the unconscious boy in the room, making sure the bandages are clean and tight, and keeping a sharp eye on his vitals. Technically, Di Angelo would notice any worrying changes far sooner than he would, given his bloodline, but he needs something to do.

Once he's sure Valdez will recover fine, he coaxes Di Angelo into a checkup, the kid had clearly strained their power, and if he was gonna stay on the infirmary then he should've expected this. Di Angelo wisely doesn't fight him on it.

After that's done, he decides to let the kid have some privacy while he goes check on the other children under his care. He really deserves a good vacation after this, honestly.

Maybe he'll even retire, he thinks he's earned that much after being saddled with nine kids with zero self-defense mechanisms. He'll have to talk with Chiron about it.

A ripple in the air alerts him of an incoming message, and he moves into an empty room in order to receive it.

Λεο

There's a cavern, deep within a temple, deep within the Fields of Asphodels, though that's only one entrance to it.

The cavern is both indescribably immense, and impossibly small, in it there are three stone thrones, each occupied by a single figure. A golden distaff and spindle are held by the oldest of the three, she weaves the multitude of colorful strings from one to another and passes them onto her sister.

In the hands of the second sister, the middle, the strings become so long they could cover the whole cave, and yet so short that they can't be seen anymore. She examines each one with critical eye and passes it onto her sister.

The third, and youngest, sister holds a pair of brilliant gold scissors in her hands, and as each thread reaches her, she cuts them with undeniable precision.

All of these happens over the span of an eon, and yet faster than the blink of an eye.

He doesn't know why he's seeing this.

As far as he knows, mortals aren't really invited into the cave proper, the sisters prefer to move themselves, or at least a figment of themselves. He's starting to notice a pattern with the whole contradiction thing.

The fates, and here he chooses not to say their names even in thought, have made no move to acknowledge him. And he's a little reluctant to disturb them, if that's even possible, but eventually he has to move on.

Move back, he means, somehow, he's certain he isn't dead, despite where this is.

"Did y'all need me for something?"

They don't turn, but their voices fill the room one by one.

"Need, yes, but not from you" says the youngest.

"Something returned, our work fixed" says the middle.

"We do not like out work meddled with" says the oldest.

He swallows, feeling a little dizzy.

"Your work?"

The three voices respond at once.

"Chosen, fated, always ours"

The room starts glowing, brighter and brighter until he can only see white.

And then he remembers.