WORLDS BEYOND ( pjo )

𝐱𝐯𝐢𝐢𝐢: just come home

Ethan nodded uneasily, but didn't say anything else.

She hadn't realised yet just how much she'd regret saying that.

Together, they walked backed to the Big House, chatting idly about random things. They talked about mundane things like what each other's favourite colour was, what they thought was the best flower, the prettiest bird, who could make the best treehouse, what the proper steps were to make the ultimate friendly (or in Ethan's case, bitter) snowman—all the things little children would speak about while discussing their shared favourite fairy tale (of course, the conversation obviously included one of Ethan's top of the line snarky remarks from time to time; read: every single topic).

"Maybe you'll fly away on a bird one day and I won't have to hear your annoying voice ever again nagging me to get up at three in the morning," Ethan said hopefully, in the rueful way he would whenever he joked.

"That wasn't one time! Get over it, besides," Kia said, waving him off, "who would annoy you and bring out your core's most irritable nature?"

"No one. That's kind of the point. Were you even listening to what I said—"

Just then, they heard voices, one urgent and pleading and the other hateful and angry. They took a look at each other, and in silent agreement, they came closer to where the voices were. At one point, they came close enough to hear the voices distinctly. One was Percy, desperate and urgent, and the other was a younger kid with brown eyes that tugged at Kia.

"—should've known it earlier," the kid said. "She's in the Fields of Asphodel, standing before the judges right now, being evaluated. I can feel it."

Connecting the dots, Kia realised this was Nico, Bianca's younger brother. The one she had told Kia to take care of.

"What do you mean, you can feel it?" Percy asked Nico.

As Kia was about to come into their view, she heard hissing and chattering noises, ones that made her already pale skin ink with further white.

Percy drew his sword and Kia went for her bows, but Ethan halted her, handing her a bronze dagger, maybe sixteen inches long, with a brown leather hilt worn down with finger indents; ironically, it fit her hand almost perfectly. It didn't look very special, but it seemed so natural in her hands that she immediately felt the need to twist it around and use it.

"Arrows won't be useful in close combat," Ethan said. He looked a little eager, like he wanted to try and kill these things, but he made sure Kia was properly armed first.

"What are you gonna use?" Kia said unsurely; she couldn't leave him undefended at her expense.

He patted the side of his thigh, where suddenly a scabbard was, with a wicked sword, a tip as sharp as an ice pick.

He drew it and said, "Now, come on. No time for chit chat."

With that, they jumped in and stood protectively in front of Percy and Nico, both of who gasped at the sudden entry.

In total, there were four skeleton warriors, which would have been easy to defeat if they weren't dead already and couldn't be wounded. This could be a problem, even with two and a half trained demigods and one angry child.

"You're trying to kill me!" Nico screamed, which Kia thought was kind of stupid. Why on Earth would they be trying to kill him? "You brought these... these things?"

Ethan gritted his teeth. "No one's trying to kill you, kid. Just be quiet and stay back or run. We'll handle this."

"No!"

"Is this kid trying to die?" Ethan muttered under his breath, his stance rigid and attentive, ready for any course of action or plan of attack.

"They followed me—us. Nico, run! Go get help!" Percy said, trying to get him to safety.