In an Endless Sea (A Leo Valdez and Calypso Fan fiction)

In an Endless Sea [Chapter VIII: LEO]

Chapter VIII:

LEO

It's dawn of July 25th.

We only have one week until the feast of spes.

The day Gaea, the Earth Mother. Plans on sacrificing two demigods from the Argo II and the day she plans on waking.

In any other circumstances, I might want to go to Greece and have a nice and relaxing vacation but with this pressure and that dirt face planning to kill us I might as well not go to the place if it weren't really needed. But there's no turning back now. I have to do this. WE HAVE TO DO THIS.

I haven't talked to my dad since, I don't know, forever? He never spoke to me during the quest. I have never experienced the way Frank described Mars and Ares arguing inside his head. I might as well think he's going insane but I believe his dad is really speaking to him. But hello, dad? Just a simple sign.

Yeah. I know it's hard. I tried sacrificing part of my food to him. I use my own fire. But I never got any replies. I don't know if the food even reach him.

In normal situations I might like him ignoring me but not situations like this. I need a parent, particularly a father. i need him right now.

I wasn't able to sleep the whole night. I was trying to avoid nightmares and dirt face. She always shows up in my dreams and I don't like that.

I got out of my bed and went above deck. I saw Nico di Angelo standing in the middle of the deck. He seems deep in his thoughts.

I walk up to him.

"Hey." He greeted me without looking back.

"How'd you...." I asked.

"I can feel people's life force. I'm a son of Hades. I can do that, remember?" He said as if it's a normal thing. Maybe it is normal for a child of Hades but it still creeps me out.

"Yeah. How could I have missed that? So what are you doing here?" I tried to change the topic in a very subtle way.

"Thinking about things." I honestly can't read through this guy. I don't know if the mist is blocking it or maybe it's one of his demigod powers. I don't have the slightest clue.

"Yeah. I just hope I understand what you meant, Mr. Man of few words." I turned towards Nico and saw a very familiar look on his face.

Sadness, grief and fear.

The same thing I saw on my face when I lost my only family

Only then I remebered he lost his only sister... Or the only sister he has before he knew about Hazel.

"I don't want to lose my sister again, Leo. I want to help in this quest. That's why I volunteered to help Reyna. I know the Parthenos will play a huge part on this quest and I want to help even if I just help Reyna bring it to camp." He bowed his head maybe letting tears flow without me seeing it.

"I don't know how to make you feel better. Cause honestly, I have felt that way before and nothing seems to ease the pain and the fear." I said with sympathy.

I never felt this connected to Nico. I used to be afraid of him but now I understand why he keeps his distance he don't want to lose anyone close to him again like he lost his sister.

"Reyna and I will be leaving later. I just hope I could help her fight off monsters in the series of jumps we'll make but I'm afraid I won't be strong enough to do so." I can hear fear in his voice. He also sound shaky.

"Let Coach Hedge go with you. I know he'll be more than happy to kill monsters in your journey back to camp." That thing, I'm sure of.

"You think so?" Nico is now looking at me but still with that blank look on his face.