Nico's Dark Task

And he'd liked it.

Pain was something Nico was used to. He'd experienced physical pain loads of times, as well as emotional pain, especially emotional pain. The feeling of absorbing Saltus' soul was an entirely new kind of pain.

Nico grit his teeth and hissed as the golden glow inside the dagger sank into his skin, traveling up his arm like a searing heat. Once the essence had disappeared into his chest, the pain subsided.

"Ah! Haahh-" the demigod gasped and inhaled quickly. His body spasmed against Anubis as waves of pleasure spread from his chest. The god seemed slightly surprised at his reaction, but tightened his arms around Nico nonetheless.

The demigod's head tipped forward to rest against Anubis' shoulder as he waited for the waves to pass. He couldn't keep himself from moaning while arching slightly into the god's chest.

"...Hhhhahhh..." Nico breathed out, seemingly having found his voice. "That was.. unexpected."

Anubis loosened his grip a bit, letting the demigod have some space. "Yeah, that was surprising."

Nico curled his fingers before unfurling them again, trying to test if his physical functions were any different. He noticed that the wound he'd just cut had healed, leaving no scar behind. He brought a finger up and traced the spot where his skin had been cut open not a minute before. It felt warm to the touch, like there was a small hot spot underneath the thin layer of skin.

"Do you feel any different?" Anubis asked.

Nico glanced up at him, his dark eyes meeting the god's. "I dunno. The only thing I can tell is different is that I'm not as tired as I'm used to, from the not sleeping and all." He slipped out from Anubis' grasp and stood up, jumping slightly on his feet. He stretched and felt his joints pop. He then picked up Hades' scepter and felt a shock travel up his arm. The obsidian glowed purple for a second before returning to its ebony colour, however, a buzzing feeling remained, like energy thrumming along the scepter and into Nico's palm.

Nico stared at the black stone, "That was weird..."

Anubis came to stand beside him, his hand rising to rest on the demigod's shoulder, "What happened?"

Nico glanced over at the god. Anubis looked curious, and his voice held a slightly hopeful tone.

"...It glowed and now it's filled with dark energy," he said after a moment's hesitation. He wasn't entirely sure if he should be telling Anubis everything. The god's expression looked triumphant, smug even, like this was what he'd hoped would happen.

"May I hold it?" the god asked, his eyes shining with want.

Nico instinctively started raising the scepter towards Anubis. But he hesitated. What was this feeling? Unease?

He frowned and decided to trust Anubis with holding the scepter, even though he wasn't sure that was a wise move.

The god's fingers closed around the silver metal of the scepter. Nico kept a close eye on the obsidian. He noticed the light dimming, until the purple glow subsided entirely. The demigod then focused on Anubis' facial features. The god stared intently at the black crystal, his expression disappointed.

Anubis lowered the scepter before handing it back to Nico, "I believe it only responds to the bloodline of Hades."

The demigod took the offered scepter, the purple light returning instantly. He noticed Anubis frowning, his eyes fixed on the obsidian.

"Why don't we go outside and try figuring out what this thing can do, huh? I bet it does something special, otherwise my father wouldn't want it back so badly," Nico said. He started walking towards the door, stopping briefly to make sure Anubis followed. He did.