Finally updating this. Been a little busy as of late. I've got a few things in the works. That includes the new Halloween fic that I'm going to get a head start on. Fair warning on that, it'll probably be longer than the one last year, and still a one-shot. I'm not really sure how long this story has left, but I think I'm around or nearing the halfway point. As a reminder, I have links on my profile for other sites to find me on. You know, just in case. So, if anything were to happen to me, I have those to fall back to. Don't have too much to say actually this time. Enjoy the chapter.

Warning: Language? The use of drinking in this chapter is legal. Not because of age, because they are all 18 or younger, but because of social norms. Keep in mind that in olden times, teens and kids could drink wine. Now, this is set in more of a Final Fantasy-like setting, but the rule still applies.

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Chapter 18

"Are you two serious?" Percy hissed as he crossed his arms over his chest. He, Nico, and Thalia stood just outside of the Guild Masters' council room. To say they were being eavesdropped on was an understatement. The thieves and assassins had no qualms about making it known to the Arbiter, Imperium Mage, and noble girl that they were spying on them. Percy had given up on counting the eyes on them some time ago.

Nico rolled his eyes. "Have you forgotten that we have things we need to do?" Narrowing his eyes at Percy, he patted the pouch hanging at his side, where Percy knew the necklace was being kept.

Thalia, who had her hand on her hip, narrowed her eyes at him. "This is the quickest, and easiest, solution. You kill people all the time, why is it a problem for you?"

Percy let out a sigh, running his fingers through his hair. Ever since he had left the Empire, he had let it grow out. It would need to be cut again, as it now hung down in his eyes. "It does not mean I enjoy it. Who enjoys killing?"

"Twisted people," Nico mumbled. "The point is we have more pressing matters to attend to. Gaea is waiting, and I don't think any of us really want to make her impatient."

"I can't believe you two are in agreement over this."

Thalia and Nico glanced at each other before shrugging. "He's possessed. These people need to be helped," Thalia reasoned.

"But he's innocent," Percy countered.

Nico let out a sigh, massaging his temple. "Look, he brought this upon himself. He should have never hired thieves to steal a magic artifact. We know that he wanted the guilds out of power, and he used them to get it." The boy pursed his lips. "He got what was coming to him. People shouldn't tamper with things they don't understand."

"You're one to talk," Thalia mumbled.

Nico shot her a death glare. "Look, I'm not responsible for what the Imperium did years ago. But the mirror is fine where it is. It isn't hurting anyone." He crossed his arms and turned back to Percy. "But we're getting off topic. We need to do this."

Percy's brow furrowed. "There has to be a better way to do this. He shouldn't have to be killed." The Arbiter turned his upper body to stare at the, slightly open, council door. "Who are we to decide his fate?"

Nico stared at him like he had grown a second head. "Really? You kill people, deciding their fate all the time. Even if you don't like it, you still have a choice not to do it. Out of every person you've had to kill, you choose now to think differently on it?" The raven haired Mage took a step back and huffed. "What, is it because he's not a Mage?" The boy gave him an icy stare and turned to walk off.

Percy, however, was not finished. Jerking on Nico's arm, he brought the boy back to him. "What you're accusing me of is saying that I shouldn't have a concern for my own life. How does that make you any better than the rest of us?" Percy hissed. The boy glared up at him. "We can discuss this later. We're running out of time. If we don't do something, they'll probably act on their own."

Thalia threw her hands in the air. "Even better!" Percy tried to shush her, but she just rolled her eyes. "This doesn't concern us. We need to be on our way."

"The problem," Nico interjected, "is that you signed us up for all this."

"You two needed rescuing."

Percy groaned, ruffling his hair. "Just...just give me some time to think. I want to explore our options."

Nico frowned at him. "We don't have a lot of time."

Percy shot him a warning glare. "We will make time."

A throat was cleared behind them. Percy whirled around to find Hermes standing in the doorway of the council chamber. "I'm afraid your friends are right, there isn't much time. As we speak, the speaker for the Furies is proposing killing Dionysus herself."

So it was a female leader, Percy thought. If she was as cunning for Thalia, that possibly made her more dangerous than any man could be. He frowned, his stomach tightening. He hated what he was about to do, but it had to be done.

"Can we speak with her?"

His two companions eyed him funny, while Hermes just arched a brow. "I'm sure that could be arranged."

"I believe I can speak for myself."

From behind Hermes, the hooded woman that was the Furies' leader emerged from the council room. Her footsteps were silent and impossible to detect. Her hand glided gracefully along the intricate carvings that lined the large door. Her eyes were dark, the color of night. It was like Percy was staring into the void when he looked into them.

She moved with a perfect grace that Percy had only known nobles to carry. Her balance was perfect, her shoulders squared to perfection. But, despite all that, she watched him like a snake. And, yet, the air she could put off gave Percy a feeling of security. She was alluring, and she probably knew it.

She glided over to a pillar, a few feet away from Percy and his two companions, and pressed her back to it. "Tell me, why should we give you time? The people of this country are dying, being possessed. We suffer every day." Her dark eyes narrowed at him. "If we have the option to end it all now, why should we even consider giving you time to do anything? I'm sure I don't need to remind you of how little our people trust your kind around here, and that goes the same for your little girl here."

Thalia glared at the tall figure. "And how do you know anything about me?"

"Sweet child, it's my business to know everything about people." Her head tilted to the side, though her eyes fell away from the three youths. "You can't honestly believe that you haven't been watched since the moment you set foot in this country."

Percy frowned at Hermes. "Did you tell her?"

Hermes did not look at Percy. Instead, he kept his eyes locked on the assassin leader. "No, I did not." The masked figure smirked at him with her eyes. "How did you find out?"

"Hermes, are you really surprised? The shadows tell me all I need to know." She closed her eyes and, with a feline grace, slid around the pillar. "I know all I need to know." Those dark eyes of hers raked across each of the teenagers. "And I find myself unimpressed."

Thalia sneered at the masked woman. "Who cares what you think anyways?"

The second the leader's eyes landed on her, Thalia clamped up. The woman's eyes were like the very dagger that was strapped to her lower back. It was a chilling gaze, something that would probably cause even the fiercest warrior to take pause. And, in the blink of an eye, she had moved towards Thalia and placed an arm around the girl's shoulders.

"Dear sweet child, perhaps you should learn to hold your tongue," her eyes narrowed at Thalia, "before someone cuts it out."

Percy immediately went for his sword, which fell to the ground. He blinked and looked down. The Stolls had swiped the blade from the ground before he could even react. They grinned at him before stepping behind their father.

Hermes smirked and crossed his arms. "Sorry, it's just that you're forbidden to draw weapons in here."

Percy frowned at the man. "And what would happen if I did?"

"Then she," Nico nodded towards the assassin leader, "has every right to kill you where you stand, and no one would do anything about it."

Percy let out a sigh and crossed his arms. No point in dying, he thought. But what happened if she was not able to kill him? One glance around the room, where all the assassins had a hand resting on their daggers, told him exactly what would happen. These people were ready to die for their leaders.

"I just don't want to kill an innocent." The Arbiter shot Nico a warning glare to keep his mouth shut. "Just give us until the morning."

"I do not mind giving him that." Janus now stood in the doorway, staff held in his hand. The man stepped towards them with a slight limp in his right leg. Percy could tell that the staff was more than just a weapon for this Mage. "And I would like to extend my invitation to let them stay with me for the night."

Hermes's lips tilted down. Thalia brightened. "So, we won't have to stay in a sewer tonight?"

Nico rolled his eyes. "Actually, he was just talking to me and Percy. Only Mages are allowed at the Mages' College."

Percy scrunched his lips. "It's all of us, or none of us."

Janus sighed, taking a few steps past them. "I'm afraid it'll have to be none then. I'm already taking a risk bringing you in. Many of the professors have cautioned against this invitation."

Percy let out a heavy sigh. Did everyone dislike Arbiters and the Empire out here? But why should it really get to him like this? Haval, while very liberal with whom it did business with, had always had a blatant distaste for anyone from the Empire.

His eyes found Nico, who was staring off at something else. At least one person seemed to be warming up to him. What would happen to the boy, though? He and Thalia had probably cost Nico his home. And, for whatever reason, the boy had felt he should assist them. Whether it was the right thing to do in his mind, or due to feelings that the boy was in denial about, Percy would never know.

"Sorry," Percy mumbled.

Janus shrugged. He squeezed Hermes's shoulder before heading for the exit. "Make sure they are taken care of, old man."

Hermes narrowed his eyes. "Who are you calling old? You're practically old enough to be my father!" The sky pirate grunted and crossed his arms. "We'll find you some food and a place to rest at my place." He arched a brow at Thalia. "Out of the sewers, if it pleases her grace."

Nico and the Stolls snickered as Thalia huffed and followed after Hermes. Percy stepped in behind her, though his eyes often sought out the shorter, raven haired boy beside him. Nico caught him at one point and blinked at him. "What?" He asked.

The Arbiter shook his head, smiling. "Nothing."

Nico eyed him briefly before turning his attention elsewhere. What Nico had probably not realized was that, in the few seconds he had been staring at Percy, his eyes had dilated. It was amusing, knowing the boy was probably on the verge of caving, which was fine by Percy, as he was starting to have a hard time holding out.

It was just now really occurring to him that this was probably the longest he had gone without sex. Ever since he and Kronos had decided to help each other out with their needs, Percy had had a, somewhat, constant source to turn to. And then he had been immediately roped into bedding Nico upon his arrival at the Imperium.

The worst part? Nico probably had no idea he was torturing Percy without even trying.

But, unlike Nico, Percy had discipline. And, while the majority of him wanted to push Nico up against the nearest wall, his training held him back. In the long run, it would be better this way. Nico just needed to get the sense knocked into him. Figuratively speaking, of course.

It was not so bad, in times like these, when he had something to distract himself with. He was, however, concerned with his willpower when they got back to traveling. There would not be much to keep his mind preoccupied, and Nico would be in constant close proximity. He narrowed his eyes to glare at Nico's hips and the slight sway that they held.

Percy leaned back in his chair and covered his mouth with the back of his hand to suppress a burp. Hermes's actual home was quite different from the guild headquarters. The man owned a rather impressive home, part of it on the beach, while the part they were currently in sat over the ocean. And he had definitely made use of past heists. Percy observed that much of the decorations were paintings, artifacts, and jewels, which Hermes had no shame in admitting to them that he stole.

Nico was staring at him from across the table, eyebrow raised. "Do you have four stomachs, or something?"

Percy chuckled. "I was just hungry."

Nico raised his goblet to his lips. "You eat like a pig," he mumbled before taking a sip.

Percy smiled over at the boy, bringing a light pink tint to his cheeks. The Arbiter's smile grew and he slid his leg out under the table. He stopped and stared when he felt it make contact with Nico's. He watched in amusement as the boy nearly choked on his wine.

"Can you two take that somewhere private?" Thalia mumbled, spearing a piece of cake with her fork.

Percy just smiled, while Nico huffed and pulled his leg away, glaring at Percy in the process. Three sets of eyes glanced towards one of the shut windows in the dining room. Bells were ringing outside, signaling the setting of the sun. While everything had seemed fine for a time, Percy had to remember at the danger this place currently was in.

Hermes stood up and cleared his throat. "If you'll excuse me, I have some business to attend to." He gesture to the rest of his crew at the table. "But, if you need anything, feel free to ask Leo or my boys. And you can feel free to roam the house at your own leisure." He eyed all three of them. "Just make sure to stay indoors."

With that, Hermes took his leave. It did not take long for the others to follow, though. They just sat quietly in their chairs in awkward silence. And, one by one, Travis, Connor, and Leo got up and left. It seemed like the oncoming of the night changed them. Not in the way that many people seemed to be changing in the city, but it definitely put everyone in a dark mood.

The three companions poked at their desert, each of them making eye contact from time to time. But the room remained silent, as none of them knew what to say. Percy, on his part, knew what the other two wanted to discuss. He watched closely as Thalia and Nico exchanged glances. The girl would give him a certain look and nod her head towards Percy. Nico would respond by shoving a piece of cake into his mouth.

Thalia finally sighed and stood up. "Well, I'm going to go to my room."

Nico frowned at her. "You don't want to explore the place?"

She shrugged. "Can't go outside, and we already got a tour of the place."

The Mage shrugged as the girl pushed her chair into the table. "Well, I'm going to spend my night in the library." He too stood up, but stopped when he saw Percy frowning at him.

"You need to get some sleep," Percy reasoned.

Nico let out a sigh, not looking at Percy. "I'll be fine. I'll get some sleep, don't worry."

Thalia waited for the boy, but he remained standing at the table. She finally arched a brow and gave a questioning look to Percy before leaving the room. Her boots echoed in the room as they stepped across the marble floor.

Percy sighed and leaned back in his chair. "You don't need to stay up late."

"I won't. It's just now getting dark."

Standing to his feet, Percy frowned at the boy. "Are you going to be coming to my room when you're done?"

Nico scoffed. "Why would I do that?" He asked with a careless wave of his arm. Percy gave him an unamused look. The boy seemed to be at least looking at him from the corner of his eye, since he bit down on his lip. "I just need some time to myself, okay? We've been around each other a lot lately."

The Arbiter placed his hands on the table. "And you're just trying to avoid your problems. Just like you and Thalia are trying to avoid finding a better solution to this. You're so worried about time, that you're willing to just kill an innocent man."

"Monarchies come and go in Haval, Percy. None of them last for very long. One of his sons, or perhaps someone else, will just take his place. And besides, it's the guilds that run the country."

"What is going on with you?" Slowly, Percy started to walk around the table. "I know you're not a heartless person. You just try and pretend you are. But this is not the solution. I don't want to kill this man. We can find another way."

Nico's lips tilted down. "But how long will that take? It's not like you aren't used to this stuff."

Percy raised his arms, now on Nico's side of the table. "It doesn't mean I like it!" Nico flinched at the Arbiter's raised voice. Percy sighed and rubbed his face. "Look, I don't like what I have to do, but I don't have much of a choice. How could you even think I enjoy or have no problem with killing another Mage? I was taken in as a baby and raised in this way."

"I'd rather die than do what you do."

Percy stared into Nico's dark eyes. The boy did not seem happy with him right now. His eyes looked nearly black, and the flickering of the fire could be seen within them. The Arbiter slid his fingers along the wooden table to brush his hand against Nico's own. The boy looked down and frowned.

"So you'd rather I die?" Percy asked, tilting his head to the side to meet Nico's eyes.

"I...I didn't say that," the boy whispered. "But it doesn't make what you do right."

"I never said it did." He reached up and tilted Nico's chin up to meet his gaze. "I don't enjoy what I do. I remember the face of every person that I have had to cut down. They are seared into my mind, and sometimes even haunt my dreams. If I could change it, I would."

Their eyes finally met again. Nico stared at Percy curiously. "Would you? Even if your Covenant did not approve of it? You would give the Mages their freedom, their lives, back?"

Percy sighed and rested a hand on the table beside him. "It would mean turning on the Empire. I'm not a traitor. Things take time." He reached up with his other hand to brush Nico's cheek. "Just give us some time. I'm sure things will change."

Nico turned his head with a frown. Percy let out a sigh and let his hanging hand fall to his side. The boy's brow furrowed, his body turning to face the fire. "Change is coming to the world," he moved a few steps towards the flickering flames. "Many fear change and will fight it with every fiber of their being, but sometimes, change is what they need most. Sometimes, change is what sets them free."

Percy's brow furrowed as he stared at Nico's back. Percy knew what he was talking about. The prophecy. Percy just was not sure what he wanted at the moment. The Imperium had worked to gather the children and bring change to the continent, to give Mages back their power. The Empire would seek to keep both of them under watchful care, probably even going as far to make sure Nico would not be a problem. And Gaea, she wanted them to take the step over the ledge. And every step Percy took, he was allowing the other two to bring about this great prophecy.

Nico spun around. "Can you give them that? Can you give them change? Can you give them freedom? You know what has to happen." The Mage placed a hand on Percy's shoulder. "Or will you stand in the way when the time comes? Is that why you're here?"

"I don't know," Percy whispered. "I don't know why I'm here."

A pale hand reached up to grab Percy's chin. The Arbiter did not resist as his face was tilted towards the boy. His eyes seemed to focus on their own on Nico's pale pink lips, which were closing in on his. Percy leaned in, his eyes now half-lidded.

"If you want something to change, you need to do something about it," Nico whispered before pulling away and walking off.

The Arbiter let out a heavy sigh and let his head fall back. Who was right in all of this? Any way it went, it felt like something was wrong with the outcome. In his pocket, his relic weighed heavily on him. He felt quite guilty, not having contacted his home for several days. Not since he had left the Imperium. It was not like he really had the chance to, though.

With a frown to himself, he took off towards the rooms they had been given. Nico was right about one thing, they were spending too much time together. Ever since they had left Gaea's hut, and really even before that, they had barely left each other's side. He could use some privacy, and it would give him a chance to let Hestia know that he was doing well.

But he never made it to his room. Something in Thalia's room caught his attention. The door had been left open; whether intentionally or not, Percy did not know. Regardless, Percy stopped and leaned on the doorway.

Inside, Thalia sat on her bed, staring down at her lap. Her hands kept turning over the ring that Luke had given her. She looked to be in deep concentration, her eyebrows furrowed. She groaned in frustration and made to throw it, but her hand never released the small band.

"You okay?"

She blinked and looked up, surprised to find Percy there. "How long have you been standing there?"

The raven haired Arbiter shrugged. "Just got here, actually." He smiled and stepped into the room. Pulling out a chair, he turned it around to sit in it and face Thalia. "So, what's on your mind? What's wrong with the ring?"

Thalia pursed her lips, scowling at the ring. "He's a jerk."

"He's a jerk for giving you a nice present?" Percy chuckled.

"That's the problem!" Thalia huffed and slammed the ring onto the mattress. "Who does he think he is, doing something nice like that? I mean, it's not like anything can happen between us. Besides, I barely know him."

"But you like him, don't you?"

"That's not the point!"

Percy smiled. "I don't see what the problem is. If you like him, make it work."

Blue and green eyes met, the blue looking upset. "Who are you to talk? You have your own problems." She sighed and stood up. "Regardless of how it goes, we'll be going home soon. Something tells me that the people in the Covenant aren't going to approve of what you have going on with Nico."

The Arbiter shook his head. "Nothing is going on between us."

The girl rolled her eyes. "You're an idiot, just like the rest of your kind."

"My kind?" Percy chuckled.

"Men. The male species. You're all stupid."

He grinned and poked at her. "You're just mad because you like Luke. Aside from him throwing us into prison, he doesn't seem like that bad of a guy. He did help us escape, after all."

Thalia crossed her arms and began to pace. "Don't take his side in this!" She went to go to the window, but then seemed to remember it was sealed, as she stopped and scowled. "You and Nico are both being stupid. I don't need your opinion on my romance, or lack thereof, when you can't even get your own sorted. He's being resistant, and you're letting him. If you really don't want anything to happen, then let him be. But if you like him, and I know you do, even if you're too blind to admit it, then you need to keep pressing him."

"Why do you care?"

The girl frowned to herself. She began to rub her arm as she paced. "Maybe because people should choose who they want to be with, instead of having society dictate it for you." She finally turned to face him. "He likes you, a lot, if you haven't figured that out."

Percy let out a sigh, running a hand through his hair. "And why do I have to be the one to make a move on him? If he likes me so much, why can't he be the one to do something about it?"

"Because he's scared. I don't know about what, but it's easy to see he's nervous. Maybe he's scared of you, of what you are."

Percy frowned at the raven haired girl as she sat back down. "I wouldn't hurt him."

"Are you saying you'd neglect your duty because of him? You know as well as I do about what they will probably want of him, if we bring him to the Empire." She paused, which only served to unnerve and frustrate Percy. "Would you kill him?"

"I...I don't know." Percy sighed and slid his fingers into his hair. "This is all a mess. When I first met him, I would have. I feel that, through most of our stay in the Imperium, the same answer would have held true. But, it just feels like things are getting more clouded as we go along." He rested his chin rest on the back of the chair. "I honestly don't know any more if I could."

"They would probably kill or imprison you for defying that kind of order," Thalia whispered.

The Arbiter's brow furrowed as he stared off into space. "It doesn't change my answer any." He scowled and turned his attention back to the noble girl. "We were talking about you."

Thalia smiled at him. "Yes, but it made me feel better to talk about someone's problems that had nothing to do with me."

Percy rolled his eyes and stood up. "You're horrible, you know that?"

"Yep."

Again, he rolled his eyes. "And you shouldn't give up on Luke. From the sounds of it, I don't think we've seen the last of him."

"That's what I'm worried about," Thalia mumbled.

He clapped the girl on the shoulder with a smile. "I'm sure it will work out."

She let out a huff before collapsing onto her bed. The Arbiter took this as his cue to leave. This time, he made sure the door was shut, so Thalia could have her privacy. He was fairly certain that it was still early in the night, but it did not change the fact that his body felt exhausted. It had been a long day. And he now found himself very glad that the Covenant tried to stay out of politics. Though, at the same time, he wished they would take a stance on it. Perhaps it would make a difference.

He stepped into his room. Without much enthusiasm, he pushed the door closed. Whether it actually did or not, he could not find himself to care enough to check. He fell onto his bed and groaned into the mattress.

With a heavy sigh, he flipped himself over and pulled out his golden relic. He turned it over in his hands a few time, studying the ancient symbols on it. Whatever was etched on it had to be long forgotten. As many times as he looked at it, none of the old symbols stood out to him.

"Hestia," he whispered.

The relic began to glow, until its surface was barren of symbols. Within the glowing, white surface of the relic, a room began to swirl into existence. He found the woman sitting out in the Grand Cathedral's garden. Several roses were in her arms, while she was in the process of finding the next, perfect one to pick.

Percy smiled. "Your Grace."

He laughed when the woman nearly dropped her bouquet. She mumbled something under her breath and handed her flowers off to someone. Clearing her throat and straightening her attire, she bent forward, over what Percy was going to assume was one of the garden's bird fountains.

"Percy, you nearly gave me a heart attack," the woman hissed. She sighed when Percy laughed more.

"It's good to see you too."

He blinked when he heard grumbling. Hestia turned her head. "I'm sure he was going to contact you as well."

Percy tilted his head to the side. "Is that Kronos?"

Though upside down, Kronos's head appeared above Hestia's. "You know, it's only been over a week with no contact, but it really is no big deal. You know, we were just worried about you."

He smiled. "I miss you, too."

The Justicar narrowed his eyes. "I hate you sometimes."

Hestia sighed. "Percy, what news do you bring? How are things in the Imperium?"

The Arbiter rubbed the back of his head. "Well, um, I'm not exactly there anymore?"

There was a long silence, which Kronos finally decided to break. "What?" He practically yelled. "Where have you been? Where are you? You left the enemy's city, and you didn't even tell us? What have they done to you? What-"

Hestia sighed, now holding a hand over Kronos's mouth. "What happened, Percy?"

The Arbiter blew out a breath. "Well, I sort of got caught. And, well, it's really hard to explain after that." He scrunched up his lips. "We ended up in this hut of this old crazy woman. From there, we traveled to Gragh, and Nico and I-"

"You're still with him?" Kronos was now glaring at him.

Hestia shoved him out of the reflection. "Ignore him. Continue."

"Well, the war-chief took us prisoners for being Mages. Thalia helped us escape. And, um, well, we're sort of in Haval now."

"How did you get there?" Kronos yelled from wherever he was standing.

"Sky pirates."

Hestia pursed her lips in an attempt to hide her amusement. "That is quite the journey. May I ask what you are doing exactly? I figured you would be on your way home by now."

"Um." Percy scratched his head. "Well, you see, we have a bit of problem." He chewed on his lip a few times. "Actually, it's Haval that have the problem. Fae are here."

Kronos's head was thrust back into the image. "Did those Imperium bastards use the mirror?"

"No." The green-eyed young man shook his head. "It's the monarch's own doing. The guilds are trying to sort things out, and they requisitioned our help." His eyes returned to Hestia. "And I want to help them."

"I see no problem with this." Hestia let out a quiet breath. "Just make sure the two children remain safe." She quickly tapped a finger to her lips and mumbled something, which Kronos did not even seem to hear. The Justicar gave her a quizzical stare. "No matter. See to it that the Fae are dealt with. Once you have wrapped up all outstanding business, you should get back to us. There are Arbiters in Jahara, you should head there for transport."

Percy slid off his bed. "They haven't found the mirror yet?"

"We think we're close. It would also be a great help if you were there to assist them. Perhaps you could...persuade your little...friend to help us."

Kronos grumbled, but Percy chose to ignore him. "I don't think Nico will want to help Arbiters find a Fae mirror. But I'll head there as soon as I can."

"Good, leave him behind," Kronos mumbled. "He'll just be a problem for us all." There was a brief pause, in which Kronos shifted his eyes. "Or bring him here. A Mage like him needs to be dealt with before he becomes too big a problem."

"Kronos," Percy said warningly. "Nico is a nice person. You just need to give him a chance."

Hestia straightened herself and cleared her throat. "That will be all Kronos."

Kronos went to say something, but thought better of it. He clamped his mouth shut, looking frustrated, and marched off, still holding the flowers that Hestia had been picking. Percy let a lazy smile spread across his lips. However, that did not last long. Something felt odd to him all of a sudden.

"Is everything all right, Percy?"

He blinked and focused back on Hestia. "Yes, everything is fine. Sorry, just...something. I'm not sure. Ever since I've been here, my senses have been reacting to almost everything. It's like the entire city is covered in magic." He paused. "But...something just...doesn't feel ri-"

The Arbiter clasped his hand around the relic, its light immediately fading, while his other hand shot for his sword. In a flash, he spun around and pointed his blade out.

He was quite surprised when he found a young girl standing in front of him, looking shaken. "Sorry," he quickly apologized. He sheathed his sword and let out a breath. "Didn't hear you come in." His brow furrowed as he inspected the door, which was open. "Guess it didn't shut."

The Arbiter placed a hand on the hilt of his sword and stood there, observing her. She was rather tall and slim. Her silky black hair hung down past her shoulders, while her skin was as tan as copper. Her nose was also small, cute and upturned. If not for her attire, Percy would have guessed her for a noble. However, she dressed in loose, somewhat raggedy clothing.

She was quite stunning, in Percy's opinion. "Uh, sorry if I scared you."

"I apologize for my intrusion. I had just come to see if you needed anything." Her voice was like a harp, ever as enchanting. She spoke in a quiet voice, and seemed reluctant to meet Percy's gaze.

Percy cleared his throat. "No, it is I that should be apologizing. I should not have drawn my blade on you like that."

"In these times, I would not blame anyone for such an action, sir."

She was quite elegant and fair. Her behavior, while probably customary, was endearing, in some way. "Do you work for Hermes?"

The girl nodded. "I attend to his home while he is away, and just to keep it maintained."

"And how did you find yourself in such a position?"

There was a small blush in the girl's cheeks. "It is custom for pirates to bring back captives in their journeys."

Percy's brow furrowed. "That's sad. Where were you from?"

She smiled and shook her head. "It doesn't matter. I was very young when I was brought here." She laced her hands together. "Would you like anything, sir?"

The Arbiter smiled. "No, I'm fine. May I inquire as to your name?"

"Zoë, my lord."

The green-eyed Arbiter chuckled. "You can just call me Percy. I'm no noble."

She blinked at him, finally looking up. "Are you an Arbiter, my-Percy?"

The young man tilted his head to the side. "Yes. How did you know that?"

She smiled and pointed to the suit of armor at the foot of his bed. "It was just a guess." She smiled again, which made Percy do the same. "There has also been talk of one being in the city. Possibly to help us?"

"I'm hoping to."

Zoë stepped farther into the room. "And how, may I ask, are you going to do that?" She let out a breath. "They are quite dangerous, and no one has yet to succeed." Her lips pursed as she looked up at him. "I'd hate for someone as nice as you to get hurt."

He rubbed the back of his neck. "Oh, um, I think I can take care of myself. Even if it has been rare, I have had some dealings with the Fae."

Her eyes lit up. "Oh? Have you vanquished High Fae?"

The Arbiter chuckled nervously. "Well, not quite that high. Um, some lesser ones here and there. But that has sort of been rare." He cleared his throat and stood up straight. "I think I'll be fine, though. I do have help."

Zoë nodded. "Them, yes. The short boy, he seems taken with you."

"Oh." Percy blinked, a fresh blush dusting his cheeks. "Yes, I suppose he is. But we, um-nothing is going on between us right now."

There was a small knock at the door. Both of them turned to find Hermes standing there, eyebrow raised. Thalia stood beside him, a hand pressed to her face. And behind her was Nico. The boy's stare was like ice as it bore into him.

Percy nearly tripped over a chair, trying to put distance between himself and the girl in the room with him. "Nico, I-"

"Thank you for clearing that up for me, Percy," Nico spat venomously at him before disappearing down the hall.

Percy fumbled with his mouth before trying to take off after him. Unfortunately, Hermes blocked him. "I do hate to interrupt this entertaining experience, but we have a problem." His eyes flickered up to Zoë. There was a quiet click of his tongue. "Sweet child, why don't you give us some privacy? I'm sure you can find something to preoccupy yourself with."

With a quick bow, Zoë hurried out of the room. Percy groaned and sat down on his bed. "What's the problem?" He mumbled.

"Some fires have been set in the city." Hermes nodded his head down the hall. "As much as I hate it, I am being summoned to the Grand Hall for an emergency meeting. As my guests, you are to be brought along."

Thalia, who had her lips pursed as she watched Percy, grunted. "And you're just going to take us onto the streets, where those things can grab us?"

Hermes sighed. "We do have tunnels underneath the city." He snapped his fingers. "Hurry, hurry. Girl, go fetch the grumpy boy."

Thalia huffed, but went off in search of Nico. Percy frowned to himself and let his head drop. "All right, I'll be right there. Just give me a moment to get changed."

"Nico," Percy whispered in the darkness.

Nico took in a deep breath before releasing it. If he just kept quiet...

"Be quiet," Hermes hissed. The man turned around to glare at the Arbiter. Percy just sighed. "If you're trying to get us killed, then by all means, keep it up."

The entire way to the Great Hall, Nico had not even glanced at Percy. That, however, did not stop Percy from looking at him like a kicked puppy. It was not so much that Nico was furious about the situation, though. Sure he was upset about it. There was that, but the reason he refused to look at Percy was because he knew he would cave and forgive the Arbiter for what he had said in an instant.

It was those damned eyes.

It was unfair, even if the Arbiter did not even know he was doing it. So, Nico just kept his eyes focused anywhere besides the Arbiter, who was keeping very close to the young Mage. That, too, did not help. He narrowed his eyes into the darkness as he felt Percy bump into him.

The tunnels were rather quiet, save for the dripping water and rats. Every now and then, they would hear the sounds of footsteps and whispering, but they never ran across anyone. Travis, Connor, and Leo all held torches, each of them positioning themselves throughout the group. Part of Nico wished one of them was standing between him and Percy.

In the young Mage's opinion, the journey through the sewer took too long. Thankfully, though, Hermes finally pulled a lever and opened a stone wall. Nico stepped out first. The moon was not even able to shine its light from behind the clouds. He did, however, find where the fires were. Though, few in numbers seemed to be taking care of it. Along with that, he found the Fae. Or, rather, people being possessed by them. It was odd, he thought, that they were just standing around. Literally.

Like statues, they stood in groups throughout the streets. However, that did not make their group want to walk slowly. As soon as the stone wall had closed behind them, they took off sprinting. Children, adults, it did not matter to what the Fae had taken. The dark eyes and faces that Nico witnessed in the darkness that night unnerved him.

The children got to him the most. They reminded him of a nightmare, the dark, almost hollow looking eyes staring at them through the darkness. He just wanted them to move, or blink. Something. But they just stood there like stone golems.

They found the Great Hall guarded by many warriors. They quickly let Hermes and the others by them. Inside, the hall had assassins stationed every so many feet. The heavy security was a clear reminder who the most important people in the country were.

As soon as the council room's doors opened, Nico was met by shouting. Several of the guild masters, including Hephaestus, were pacing around the room. Lupa sat quietly in her chair, sword placed carefully in her lap. The leader of the furies sat on her haunches, like she was ready to pounce at any moment. Her eyes were unfocused, a blank stare as she stared at the ground.

Janus was the first to notice them, hobbling over to them with a serious look. It was also at this point that Nico noticed the Mages in the room. "Ah, good, you're all here."

Hermes sat down in his chair with a sigh. "What news do we have?"

"The fires seem to be going to the edges of the city," Lupa supplied.

Heracles grunted. "Not to fear, I've sent some of my best to deal with it."

Lupa shook her head. "This was after I warned him not to. It's clear that this is a trap. We need our defenses here."

Hephaestus scoffed and waved a hand. "Bah. What are we supposed to do, let the city be destroyed? This is what they are after." The chainmail under his armor rattled as he took his seat. "We have a chance to deal with them. Heracles was smart to take it."

"Or he doomed us all." Everyone seemed surprised by the assassin leader's voiced opinion. The room was now silent as everyone stared at her. She did not seem bothered by this. "I know a trap when I see one, and you're playing into their hand. We-"

There was some yelling in the entrance hall. Nico swallowed the heavy lump in his throat. His skin tingled, each hair on his arms standing up. Magic began to radiate heavily in the air. Though there was no breeze, each candle in the room began to lean away from the door.

What followed next, Nico would never forget. The very sound would chill his worst nightmares. A screech that could wake the very dead echoed throughout the Great Hall. The Mages in the room readied their staves. Nico found himself missing his own staff at this moment. No one sat anymore. Knives, swords, bows, and staves were all drawn, ready to fight against whatever was happening outside.

Blood curdling screams came from the entry hall. The door was thrust open, and what Nico found made him pale. The possessed stood in the doorway. The skin around their eyes was black, and the darkness seemed to expand with every passing second. They bent and cracked their fingers in a sickening fashion, grinding their teeth as the dark voids of their eyes stared at them.

With a simple flick of the hand, the lead possessed shot a bolt of lightning out. It would have struck Nico and everything behind him, if not for Percy. The Arbiter shot in front of the boy and raised his shield. The bolt reflected and shot back at the Fae that cast it. A dark howl poured from its mouth before it was blasted back out the door.

Nico glared at the back of Percy's head. "I can take care of myself."

Percy turned his head and gave Nico a look, telling the boy to shut up. The Mage huffed, but did not make another snarky remark. He was still mad at Percy, though, even if the Arbiter had protected him.

The possessed came at them like animals. A very literal statement for some, who bent over and used their hands to run. The very magic in Nico's veins coursed at the presence of Fae. He drew his hand towards himself and closed his fist, meeting heavy resistance from the spell as he tightened his fist. Outside of small practice, he had yet to get to use this spell.

When he thrust his hand around, bright balls of light shot out from his palm. A resonating sound was heard from each sound, right before it jetted off and struck someone. The small barrage knocked down several of them, but there was too many to deal with using such a new spell.

It was Percy's sword that made many finally come to a halt. As the Arbiter held it out, pointing the tip at each of them, they hissed and clawed at it, but would draw back each time it was pointed at them. The Arbiter, though, did not seem surprised, or even phased by this. He just held their gaze.

When the others saw this, many of them tried to copy Percy. However, most did not halt the Fae. Several guild leaders went crashing to the floor, some being toppled over chairs. Hephaestus seemed a mix of confusion and frustration at this strange turn of events.

"You flee at his blade and not mine? Bastards," he swung it wildly at them, "I crafted this sword from the finest steel on the island."

Percy sighed and shook his head. In one swift motion, he slammed the flat end of his sword into the stomach of one of the possessed. A howl so loud that Nico had to cover his ear exploded from the possessed civilian's throat. Smoke came from the spot Percy pressed his sword against until it was removed.

The Arbiter quickly drew his sword away and swung his leg out, causing the howling man to land on his back. Before any Fae could respond, he already had his blade ready to use again. "They hate cold iron. Steel and other metals have no effect on them. It may not be as fancy as yours," he received a glare from Hephaestus as he spoke, "but they hate it and is why we use it for our weapons."

When Thalia drew her bow and drew back the string, producing a bright bolt, it drew another reaction from the Fae. Those that were disemboweling guild leaders, warriors, and Mages hissed and covered their eyes, falling off of their dying victims. Percy quickly noticed this, his brow furrowing. Thalia finally released the arrow. Each Fae that it passed dived to the floor. An explosion of light came from the entry hall.

Percy turned to Thalia. "Did you know to use that arrow?"

She shook her head, blinking down at her bow. "Still trying to figure this thing out. I was hoping for an ice arrow, or something."

"Interesting," Percy mumbled to himself. He quickly raised his shield to block a possessed that was trying to jump on him. The woman quickly received a shield to the face before crumpling to the ground.

"Kill them," a large possessed man growled.

Throwing caution against the swords and bow, the possessed citizens dove upon the nearest person. Nico gasped as he was thrust against a pillar, held by his neck. The touch burned him; the very magic in his blood boiling.

He had never dealt with a Fae before. The only thing the Black Palace had taught him about them were traits, behaviors, and things of that nature. What he did know about them was that they were magic at its core. They were powerful at the arcane arts, and their word was to never be trusted.

Focusing his willpower, Nico connected a kinetic blast to the chest of the slender man that held him. When the hand released his throat, he found himself in a coughing fit. The touch, even though gone, still burned his flesh. It was like the oxygen had almost been pulled from his lungs.

He tried to jerk away when a hand got a firm grasp on his arm. It did not work, though. He was quickly yanked to his feet, where he was met by Percy's green eyes. The Arbiter did a quick inspection of him, letting his fingers rest on Nico's neck momentarily. He frowned before running back into the heat of the battle.

In his hands, Nico crafted a fireball. A woman went flying by his head, her head making a sickening crack upon making contact with a stone chair. Bringing his hand back, Nico flung the fireball at a group of Fae trying to corner a short female Mage. This drew two of their attention, while the final kept trying to lunge at the girl.

Nico glared at the approaching Fae, who snapped their teeth at him. The raven haired boy slammed his palm to the ground. A concussive force sent the two Fae flying backwards. An arrow of green light whizzed past Nico's head. The boy blinked with wide eyes as the arrow made contact with a young girl. The green light enveloped her and locked her body up, which fell to the side like a rock.

Thalia grinned at him, giving him a salute with the hand that held the bow. Nico spun completely around, readying another fireball. Thalia's eyes went wide as he sent it in her direction. The girl ducked and the fireball blasted an elderly man into the nearest chair. The boy smirked and wagged his eyebrows, receiving a glare from the girl.

Yet again he was grabbed by Percy. "Don't kill them," the Arbiter hissed in his ear. "I want to save as many as we can."

Nico jerked his arm away. "They're possessed, Percy. And they are trying to kill us. We have other things to worry about."

"I can help them." The green-eyed Arbiter pointed to an unconscious girl on the ground. "See? I expelled the Fae from her body."

Nico chewed on his lips. His eyes met Percy's again and the two stared at each other for a brief moment. Nico finally nodded his head. "Okay, we'll do it your way."

Percy smiled at him. Nico let out a breath and brought a green light to his hands. Since he could not kill them, he would just stick to incapacitating them. Now that Nico knew what Percy was doing, he kept the Arbiter in his peripheral vision. The green-eyed young man knocked by Fae, but kept behind Nico's path of paralyzed people. He crouched down and pressed a hand to their heads. White lines spread across each unconscious person's skin, removing any trace of darkness from their body.

Percy had to hold some of them down as he worked. Those that were not paralyzed by Nico fought back, even if they had been unconscious. They thrashed about and tried to scratch at Percy's eyes. But the Arbiter did not release them. His face was set in determination, his brow furrowed. And, while it was slow, Nico began to notice each person's complexion brighten.

The problem was that there were still many more Fae that were still mobile. Bodies lay on the floor, some guild members, others guild masters, and many more corpses of fallen civilians. Percy did not seem happy when he noticed this. But what could he do? The warriors did not seem as concerned as keeping the attackers alive as Percy did.

Even though Percy was not cutting down everyone that came across him, Nico found the Arbiter's movements to be entrancing. His movements were like water, flowing smoothly down a brook. As bad of a time as it was, Nico's hormones began to kick in. Percy was arousing, even in the middle of combat.

Thankfully, Percy was not letting himself get distracted. If he had, Nico probably would have had his throat sliced open. But Percy noticed the Fae approaching from Nico's right and tossed his shield, nailing the young man in the side of the head.

"What are you doing?"

Nico's cheeks went red at Percy's question. "Sorry. I was just-never mind."

Percy gave him a strange look, quickly picking up his shield. "Keep focused."

While it probably was not the best time, Nico reached up and grabbed Percy's face. The Arbiter's eyes were wide as Nico pulled him down for a kiss. A small moan escaped from Percy's lips as he pulled back. He seemed a little dazed.

He opened his mouth several times before speaking. "We, um...we'll talk about this later, yeah?" Nico nodded his head, eyes hazed over. "Can you, uh-" Percy blew out a breath, his eyes on Nico's lips. "I don't suppose you could work a mass paralysis spell, could you?"

Nico blinked and cleared his throat. "Yeah. I'll just need a few minutes to cast it." Percy nodded. "Can you buy me some time? I'll need you and Thalia to keep me protected."

The Arbiter gave a nod. "Understood." He whistled over to Thalia, who stood on her toes to look over at them. "Thalia, I need you!"

The girl nodded and vaulted over a nearby Fae. She pulled her bowstring back and released an icy arrow at two possessed people, freezing them solid. "What's up?" She asked upon arrival.

Nico was already working on the spell. He held his hands in front of himself, like he were holding an invisible ball. Percy glanced away from the boy. "I need you to help me keep Nico guarded. Don't let anything near him." Thalia nodded again and pulled another magical arrow from thin air. Percy had to catch her when she stumbled. "You okay?"

Thalia looked down at her arm. "It's like I can feel my energy draining."

Percy frowned at her. "It's probably where the magic is drawn from, your energy." He squeezed her shoulder. "I'd be careful using it too much, too often."

Green essence began pulling from Nico's palms. The strands swirled around between the boy's hands, slowly forming a sphere. Percy and Thalia took stances around the boy. More strands of magical essence seeped out of places across Nico's body, all of it joining with the small sphere in his hands. Little by little, the orb of green light grew. Tendrils of green light began to creep out and wrap around Nico's arms.

It was at this point that the first possessed attacked. He made a dive straight for Nico, but Percy and his shield deflected him. Percy slammed the man onto his back with a heavy force. The next was dealt with by Thalia. An arrow of light slammed into the woman's chest. Nico had little time to watch as the woman writhed in agony on the ground; his concentration was needed elsewhere.

The tendrils were now reaching out to wrap around his upper body. And the more it grew, the more the Fae took notice of his spell. More and more began to charge them. But each one was met by Percy's shield, the flat end of his blade, Thalia's arrows, or her bow.

Nico chanced a look at his surroundings. Arachne was up against a pillar, not moving. Blood was pooling around her. Lupa was fending off three possessed civilians, a gash on her left arm. Sweat and blood covered her face. Heracles flung a young girl from his back. He raised a hand to press against the bite mark she had just given him. Janus was knelt beside a fallen Mage. He shut her eyes before lowering his head in reverence.

If something needed to happen, it needed to be now. The hall would not hold out much longer, not from this many people.

Nico's magic began to fight him. This was a costly spell, he knew that much. He probably should have explained that his need for protection could be needed even after the spell was cast. His body was going to have no energy left after this was done.

Small orbs of green light were now floating around Nico. The orb in his hands had grown and was now emitting a humming sound.

"Any time now, Nico."

Nico was breathing heavily as he looked up at Thalia. The Fae were swarming her and Percy. Thalia had given up trying to shoot her arrows. She now held the Fae back by using her bow as a shield. Percy had his shoulder against his shield, his feet staring to slide backwards on the floor. There would soon be too many to hold back.

"Nico, now," Percy ground between his teeth.

Nico's eyes became unfocused as he held his hand up. A bright green light flashed from the orb. All of the tendrils and small orbs were sucked into the large orb. A few seconds later, the thing exploded, sending out a wave of green magical essence. Nico crumpled to the floor as Fae after Fae seemed to freeze and fall over. The boy's head lulled to the side, his eyes shutting.

The next thing Nico knew, he was being sat in one of the guild leader's chairs. He coughed as water was poured down his throat. He opened his eyes to find Percy in front of him. "Drink," the Arbiter whispered, holding out a clay cup.

Nico took it in his hands and raised it to his lips. Percy carefully watched him as he drank every last drop. Nico groaned and rubbed his face. The sight he found before him did nothing to help his current feeling of nausea.

Bodies littered the floor. But not as many as Nico remembered, or even figured, there being. It was then that he noticed the civilians that were being treated by the remaining Mages. He looked back to Percy, who smiled at him.

"Don't worry, everything is fine." Percy slid his fingers through Nico's hair. "I took care of them all." His smile faltered. "But I don't think this is over just yet."

Janus was now at Nico's other side. "That was quite astounding, Nico. You allowed us to save lives tonight."

Thalia, who was not far away, shrugged. "I suppose you did all right."

Janus squeezed Nico's shoulder. "Chiron taught you well. I was very impressed," he looked up at Percy, "with both of you."

Lupa stepped around a crowd of people. She stepped up to Thalia and placed her hand on the girl's shoulder. "I was impressed as well. The girl here is quite skilled with her bow, as Perseus was with his weapons. You both fought with skill and honor."

"Yes, Percy was quite impressive." Nico nearly jumped at the sound of the assassins' leader's voice beside him. She sat, perched on the arm of the chair beside Nico. Her eyes sparkled in amusement at his reaction. "You seem to be as good at what you do as I heard."

Percy narrowed his eyes. "I thought you said you weren't impressed with me?"

"Rumors can always be misleading. Seeing you in action showed me that rumors did not quite do you justice. You are quite good at what you do."

Percy eyed her carefully. "I didn't kill any of them."

"In my profession, it isn't always about taking a life that makes you a good assassin." She swung her legs around to actually sit down. "Knowing when to take a life, and not to, are both important. By not killing these people, you saved us many unnecessary casualties."

Thalia scoffed. "What do you care? You kill people for a living."

Her eyes seemed to shut Thalia up. The assassin leader hummed to herself as she played with a small knife. "I kill when it is necessary. I kill when it is requested. I kill for profit. What profit is there in meaningless slaughter? I seek to protect the people of Haval, the same as everyone else."

Thalia did not seem to buy it. Hephaestus, who had an arm in a sling, grunted. "We cannot sit idly by and let them gather their strength."

Lupa nodded. "He's right. We need to strike them now, while they are licking their wounds."

Heracles smirked. "Let's gather our men and move out then. We can end this tonight."

Percy rose to his feet with a disbelieving look. "Are you kidding me? We need to rest, wait out the rest of the night."

Heracles sneered at him. "No offense, since you helped us and all, but I think we can deal with the rest of them."

"You're an idiot, aren't you?" Everyone fell silent. Heracles glared at Percy, who was not going to relent. "They will slaughter anyone you take in there. I will not take myself or my friends into that. We wait until day."

Lupa's brow furrowed. "Why?"

Percy looked around, like it was obvious. "Do any of you know anything about Fae?"

Hermes rose to his feet. The man seemed relatively unscathed, save for a cut on his cheek. "Only what is in the stories. They are dangerous, we know that." Travis and Connor, who sat at his feet, nodded. Connor had a bandaged leg, while Travis's shirt was torn. Several cuts lined his chest.

Percy sighed. "These Fae thrive in the darkness. Haven't any of you made that connection? More activity at night, stronger in darkness, a distaste for any kind of light?"

"The light, yes." Hermes rubbed his chin. "It's why we put the torches everywhere. But we didn't know it would have as great an effect on them."

"We need to go in during the day, they will be more vulnerable."

Hephaestus stroked his beard. "And what should we do until then?"

Percy shrugged. "Get some rest, build back some defenses, sharpen your weapons. I'm going to need to talk with my group before we get some rest." Nico's brow furrowed. "I need them as ready as I can get them for what we are going to face tomorrow."

All right, there's the first look at the Fae. Sort of. They are all possessing people, but you get the jest of them. Though, these were also the lowest of Fae, so keep that in mind. And we will be seeing them in their true forms eventually. I'm already working on the next chapter, but I'll probably hold on to it a bit before releasing it. I'm trying to build up chapters for when Bragi leaves, but that hasn't gone that well yet. But I'm going to try and start on the next chapter of Children as soon as possible, since that's all I'm hearing about lately. I hear your pleas and I'll get to work on it soon, I promise. Well, let me know what you thought of the chapter. I'd love to hear thoughts on what you think might happen. I'm going to go order a new computer and watch my roommate play the new Final Fantasy 14.