The Wants of a Young Demigod Heart (Nico di Angelo, Leo Valdez x OC)

The Symbols of Ares

Merrily POV

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"Help!" David, Nico, Ryan and I all hear the cry for help. Quickly, we run towards the cry for help. The yelling continues and more voices join in the fray. I'm pretty sure the voices are those of Leo and Abigail. 

Our feet pound the pavement as we run through disgusting looking puddles and dodge smelly rats. Finally, rounding a corner, we come upon a rather deserted street where we see Leo and Abigail bent over a limp figure. 

"Hurry!" Abigail croaks. "It's Chey!" Running over to the trio, I get a good look at my friend. Her chocolate brown skin is pale and ashen and there are beads of sweat all across her forehead. The wound on her neck is just deep enough to be near fatal, but not enough to kill her instantly. 

"Nico!" I turn to the raven-haired boy. "Do you have ambrosia, nectar, anything?" I know I'm beginning to panic, but I don't care. I can tell, Chey is on the brink of death. 

Nico rummages through his pockets and pulls out a small baggie of ambrosia. Kneeling, he begins to slowly force-feed Chey the magical pastry. Her skin begins to regain its healthy glow, but the wound doesn't fully close. It does close somewhat, however, and the bleeding stops. Her eyes crack open revealing the dark orbs underneath. 

"Ni-co?" Chey's voice cracks over the name. 

"Yeah, yeah I'm here," he mumbles. "We're all here." At his words, I feel a twinge of jealousy, though I'm not entirely sure why. Nico gathers her up bridal style and we rush her back to Festus. 

"I'll stay with her," Leo volunteers. "You guys go on and find the helm. Besides, two demigods aren't going to attract many monsters." I nod reluctantly, having heard all about demigods' scents and how the safest was to travel was in groups of three. We'd already broken that rule by traveling in groups of three and four. 

We re-enter the town and go back to the center of the square where Nico's house used to be. Nothing has changed. 

"Looks like di Angelo lead us to a dead end, huh?" David sneers. "Guess he's not so smart after all."

"Shut up Geltz," I scowl. "There's got to be a clue around here somewhere." I turn around in circles when I see it. The symbols of Ares. Directly in front of me, I see a dog carved into the wall of an apartment complex. Then I see a spear, a statue, standing in a window. Next a shield that has been weaved onto a flag. And finally, a vulture, carved out of stone, sitting atop a red flag, hanging from a shop. 

Then I look to the center of the square. The square is a circle, about ten feet in diameter. Around the edges are four prominent stones, dusty, bright red against the yellow bricks. At the center, there is a dusty red stone. Stepping forward, I dust it off. A carving of a helm stands out. 

"Guys," I say. "I think I figured it out."

"What do you mean?" Nico asks, rushing towards me. Out of the corner of I my eye I notice David about to step onto a red stone. 

"Don't!" I cry out. "Quick, dust those off!" Nico, Abigail, Ryan, and David immediately kneel and dust the stones off. Each stone has a figure on it. Each one has a symbol of Ares on it, each nearly congruent with their counterpart symbols around the town square. 

"Doesn't anyone think this is weird?" Ryan asks. "These have obviously been planted. Whoever it was that stole the helm and other objects went through a lot of trouble to hide them. But they didn't think it all the way through. Now, what time is it?"

"Now?" Abigail asks. "Probably around six in the evening. Why?"

"I see what you're getting at!" I say, nodding at Ryan. "There's no way these stones would be covered in dust, especially seeing as this place was ridiculously busy today."

"Exactly," Ryan grins, looking ominous in the light of the setting sun. "Clearly, someone or something went through the trouble of hiding the helm." 

"I've got it," I whisper.

"What?" David asks. 

"I said I've got it!" Right as I'm about to explain my plan, ten, very large, very vicious looking hellhounds explode from the shadows. 

Quickly, I pull the dagger I had hidden in my boot, out and begin to attack. David is wielding a long spear and is trying to stab at the giant hellhound. Abigail has two hellhounds on her and is doing very well. One hellhound turns to dust, so I turn my attention to Ryan. Ryan is slipping in and out of view, confusing the two hellhounds after him, finally stabbing them both in the back with a sword. Nico is finished with his and goes to help Abigail.

I find myself facing three hellhounds at once. Ryan rushes to my aid. Together, we dodge and stab, eventually sending the hellhounds down to Tartarus. Exhausted, we regroup. 

"That was crazy!" Abigail gasps, a tired smile on her face. "It's getting dark out." I look up to see that it is, indeed getting dark.

"No @#$%Sherlock," David snaps. 

"Ahem, language!" I admonish him. 

"You used language on Festus," David counters. 

"Yes, but that was for good reason!" I frown. 

David opens his mouth to reply when Nico cuts him off. "What were you going to say, before we got attacked?" Nico asks me. 

"Stand up," I say. Everyone stands and looks at me confusedly, except David who glares at me. "David, go stand on the dog symbol. Abigail, you stand on the shield. Ryan can go to the spear. I'll stand here, on the vulture." As we step onto the stones, they begin to glow red. "Quick, Nico, go stand in the center!" I cry. Nico runs and stands atop the stone. Everything glows so brightly, it's almost blinding. 

Then I hear a cry and the lights go out, revealing a gaping hole where Nico once stood.

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I, CheyPaigefanfic, promise to never go more than two days without posting a chapter for fear that MerrilyE or Cheyenne1J will kill me.

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