Bandits and Sheriffs

Everything happens much too quickly. One minute Nico is standing between Sheriffs and Spiritual, and the he's next tumbling down a mountain side, the side of his boots scraping off against the rock and dirt. He keeps a hold of the tall gangly prisoner out of instinct. A thought crosses his mind that this is the second time he's seen the treetops from this angle, only this time the spiritual won't be waiting at the bottom to heal him.
"Hold onto me!" he shouts, and jumps out away from the cliff face. The sensation of free fall is the same as last time, his stomach rising up to meet his beating heart in that split second where everything seems to stand still. He readies them to shadow travel the minute they hit the shadowy forest floor, breaking a few branches on their way down. He shields his passenger from the worst of it without much thought and they pass through the ground and then out of a tree, rolling and skidding until Nico's back hits another tree trunk and the spiritual hits his front. For a few moments Nico thinks he'll never breath again.
Alabaster groans and is about to say something but instead rolls away so he can vomit into a bush.
He spits and cricks his neck before he kneels back down next to Nico "are you alive?" He asks
Nico wheezes something approximating a "Yes". The hurling is nothing new, Percy does it regularly when Nico takes him side by side shadow traveling. "mfnn" he manages, and sides his bandanna down over his nose to rest around his neck so he can breathe properly.
Everything aches in a way Nico hasn't felt since his last bar fight. "You're heavier than you look."
"I didn't...mean to pull you," Alabaster says and then whips his head around, scanning the forest, a confused expression covering his face; like he's lost.
"S'too late for that." Nico groans and winces as he sits up. His shoulder feels dislocated, and he takes a few deep breathes. "Hey. You. I need you to.. Relocate my shoulder now." he points with his good right arm.
Alabaster angles his hands as best as he can with the cuffs. "Ready?" He asks but it's more as a formality because he doesn't wait for a response before he pops the arm back into its socket.
Nico screams and tapers off into unintelligible curses. "You...! You and your lack for forewarning!" Nico swallows down more forceful insults, and glares. "I don't like you." he says and slowly rotates his shoulder with a hiss. "Too bad you don't have any of your handy healing skins."
Alabaster shakes his head "Maton, last time I healed you, you were awfully fussy about it, I needed to be quick because if you hesitated or pulled back knowing it was coming it could have damaged your arm even more," he says condescendingly, shooting Nico a look with sharp green eyes, as if daring Nico to disagree.
"Well I wanted to bite down on something that wasn't my own tongue. Thanks." Nico says sarcastically, accepting his silent dare. "And the only reason I was 'fussy' was because you didn't tell me what you were doing!" Nico tries to use only one hand to gesticulate, but it doesn't work very well and he ends up hissing in pain at the end of his sentence. He hopes it doesn't swell too much. He takes a moment to look around, noting the cliff is nowhere in sight. He has no idea where in the forest he took them. "Shit. We need to find the others." he glances at the cuffs. "Specifically, Percy."
Alabaster feels a tree and heaves a sigh of frustration. "I cannot sense anything," he mutters.
"Well-" Nico starts when suddenly something in his stomach stirs, something...doesn't feel right, and even blocked from his powers Alabaster has a look on his face that shows he senses it too. He's about to ask when thunder echoes through the sky, and hail falls at them like daggers from the sky.
"Hera's hairy fuckin' tits!" Nico drags the spiritual further under the tree. "It was sunny literally five seconds ago!" a cold wind blasts through the forest, sending chills down his spine. "We need to find some place to wait this out, Freckles. I don't know about you, but some of that ice looks like it's the size of a fist, and I don't feel like getting a concussion on top of everything." Even if it means searching for Percy will have to wait.
Alabaster scans the surrounding forest. "The gods are angry they didn't get their... Tribute" he holds up his cuffs. "There!" He points to a cave not too far down.
"So basically it is because of Hera's tits." Nico mutters, and follows a staggering path to where Alabaster pointed, avoiding the ice shards as best they can. "They aren't supposed to get human sacrifices anyway, so you'd think they could do without." he keeps talking to himself. "With how many women and girls that die from the mist sickness you'd think they could justify that as a fuckin' tribute."
Alabaster follows along the same path Nico is taking. "What are you," he dodges a large piece of ice, "talking about?" He asks after he manages to somersault into the safety of the cave.
Nico brushes pieces of ice off of his shoulders and out of his hair. "The sickness. you know. That the staff can supposedly heal. Which." he glares, "You have to explain to me properly, because skinny as you are, I'm not seeing a staff." he drags Alabaster further into the cave so the wind has a harder time to get to them. "Now talk." Nico absolutely refuses to let go of the one chance he has for Hazel's survival.
"I meant what are you talking about, human sacrifices?" Alabaster rolls his eyes. "Because I know all about the mist sickness," he says.
"If you know so much about the mist sickness, then you should know why the spirit train was built too." Nico snaps, impatient to get his answers. "Sprit train brings tribute of technological goods. Gods are happy. Gods are supposed to do their fucking jobs, but end up just fucking mortals all the time. But hey, at least nobody has to go on the "spirit trail" and die to make the gods happy. It's not complicated."
Alabaster laughs mockingly, "You think that's what the sprint journey is for?" He says with a raised eyebrow as he leans against the cave wall. "You Matons are even more ignorant than I thought."
Nico wants to say he's not a Maton, he's a Bandit, but it's not important. Spirituals don't know the difference anyway. He brushes it aside, "and you're arrogant, so I guess we're even. Now explain about the staff!
"I am 'the staff.' It is my title, I am Alabaster of mist and magic, the Staff of my people." he says "what more do I have to explain?"
Maybe how the fuck someone came up with that translation for one. Nico's eyebrows furrow. "So I didn't mishear. The staff is a person." he feels like punching someone. He'd been hoping the Spiritual "had the staff" not "was the staff" so he could just take it. This didn't work half as well. It meant he had to get the cuffs off first, and Percy was lost. He sees his new companion shiver and takes off his vest, wrapping it around the other's shoulders and sliding down the stone wall with a small groan. "Nothing is ever easy." he laments quietly. "Though it explains why Hera wanted you so much." he says, recalling the conversation he heard between Octavian and the Goddess of wives and weddings.
Alabaster says a small, "Thank you" upon the receipt of the vest. He sounded almost confused when he did, as is he was not expecting kindness of any sort.
"That is how the spirit journey works" he smiles, an air of arrogance permeating his features, "as soon as you overcome your fear of death...that's exactly what they want to give you." he chuckles and shakes his head, a sudden chill making his teeth chatter.
Nico isn't really listening, too preoccupied with thoughts of Hazel. He knows she's fine. She has to be, with the new medicine, and Frank by her side. It doesn't make him worry less. "that's nice, Freckles." he relies absently. "We need to head toward the River." he decides. "that's where Percy will gravitate."
Alabaster nods and shudders again. "I take...you have someone in your life who has the sickness then?"
"Yes." Nico looks out the entrance. "I need to get you free, and take you back with me." He's not giving Alabaster a choice. For Nico it's a simple fact that now that he has a cure, Hazel is going to get it, and be free and happy again. "Are you the only one that can... cure it?" he wonders if it's some special spiritual "Staff" power, or if it can be taught. He knows Hazel would want to learn, want to help, especially after the cloud of death that stands over her head like a guillotine, splinters apart around her so she can walk on her own two feet.
"I have not gotten the chance to teach it," Alabaster says and shivers again, this time making it difficult to say the rest of his sentence, "but it can be taught."
That's good, Nico thinks, watching Alabaster shiver. Nothing but a loin cloth and Nico's vest on, he has to be freezing. Nico isn't the warmest himself, and he's naturally cold... "You're... Alabaster?" he asks uncertain. The female Spiritual had called him that, but maybe it's some strange Spiritual title or endearment he'll get cursed for using. It's still hailing, and the temperature is only going to get lower as the sun sets.
"Yes, that is my name. " he says "what is yours?"
"Nico." He gets up. "Also can you make a fire?" he's ashamed to admit he's only ever used matches.
"Not with these handcuffs." He frowns and tries to rubs his hands together in the way one would make fire with sticks, "but...you are blessed in death and shadows, no? You can use the mist to power a rune if I draw it?" He suggests.
"Just to warn you, I've never meddled with runes in my life." Nico answers when he gets back, throwing pieces of wood on the cave floor. After dodging hail stones the size of bricks, Nico isn't as cold, or as grumpy. The ice wasn't melting so most of the wood Nico managed to break off of trees is dry.
Alabaster shivers again. "I'll..t-t-talk you thhhrough it-t," he says through chattering teeth as he huddles up more closely against the cave wall. It starts snowing which is less violent, but colder.
Nico nods, resigned. Damn snow and hail is slowing them down. "More importantly, can you get us to the river bank?" he ask, stacking sticks into a cone.
"I d-d-don't know..." He says "I can't...f-f-feel the m-m-missst"
Nico frowns. "I have no idea what that actually means, but I'm going to guess that it's important." The Forest is usually a maze at the best of times, and often, anyone who isn't a Spiritual that goes in, doesn't come out. it's ever shifting, changing, with monsters, which are the least of Nico's current worries. "now the rune thing." Nico watches Alabaster shiver with increased concern. he can't have Hazel's last hope freezing to death after all.
Alabaster slowly inscribes a rune in the dirt, "C-copy it and then...ch-channel...channel your mist energy" he instructs.
"My what?" Nico practices the scribble in the dirt a couple times, and then cuts it into a piece of wood with the small dagger in his boot.
"When you use your shadow power, you u-use m-m-mist energy..." He explains, "You don't kn-now it but you do...try and ch-channel that into the r-rune"
The first surge of energy he tries to use only makes his finger go through the wood to know knows where. He withdraws it and tries again, only the wood is the thing that's swallowed up by the shadows, vanishing somewhere Nico doesn't know. "Hephaestus's hammer." he curses as he grabs another piece to copy the rune onto again. "Can you give me more specific instructions?" looking back at Alabaster he sighs, and after a moment's hesitation, sits by his side to block the wind and share a small amount of body heat.
Alabaster unconsciously snuggles against Nico's arm, too cold to care about personal boundaries. He holds Nico's hand, and traces the inside of Nico's palm with his finger, he looks him in the eye. "Maybe if you used your death magic instead that's more production based," he suggests.
"I only work with shadows." Nico snaps, going ridged, and tries again, holding the piece of wood. He has to stop the shadows from swallowing both of them up, and brushes them off and away back to their places. "I don't deal with death." It doesn't deal with me. It just takes.
"You are a son of Hades, ne?" He asks.
"Hades, son of Shadows." Nico says with emphasis. and at the stick to explodes violently in his hand. "Hermes' ball-sack!" Nico shakes his stinging hand, glad it exploded outward and not toward them. "You didn't mention it could do that!" he growls.
"I'm sorry" he flinches but snuggles deeper into his arm. "Your are angry" he frowns, "that's the only way that happens... I cannot describe it to you anymore than that I'm sorry. Just..," he angles his hand so that he can cup the outside of Nico's hand and tries to make eye contact again. "Just feel it, and try not to think"
Nico looks down and Alabaster's eyes have the same effect as last time. He feels instantly calmer, and self conscious of where they're touching; which is ridiculous, because the only person Nico feels that way about is Percy. I should be angry about this manipulation Nico thinks and sighs.
A flickering in the corner of his vision draws his attention away from Alabaster's green eyes. He doesn't remember sending out any kind of "mist energy" but shrugs it off, shoving it into the center of the cone to light the kindling and get the fire started.
"There , you did it." Alabaster says and scoots closer to the fire.
Nico's side feels colder after Alabaster leaves, but he moves to the opposite side of the flames. "Don't set yourself on fire." he recommends, and lays down, hoping everyone is as safe as he is in this moment.
Alabaster moves deeper into the cave instantly missing the warmth of the other. The fire is warm but..."You think this is my first time with fire?" He grumbles.
"No. But for all I know, it could explode again." Nico pats down his pockets for something to eat, but finds nothing. His stomach grumbles uncomfortably.
"We should sleep" Alabaster says, "It will make the hunger hold off until the cold is gone" he walks over to where Nico is and sits near enough that he's not touching him, "Do you want your vest back?" He asks.
Nico shakes his head. "I at least have pants." he says. "And I can't have you freezing to death. My sister needs you."
Alabaster scooches closer to Nico. He looks at the fire, the flames dancing in his bright green eyes. "You know" he says "I did it for my sister...I understand....do anything to keep them alive"
"Yes." Nico agrees instantly, and adjusts the vest so it's not on the verge of falling off. "Only, you've already succeeded. And Hazel's time is slowly running dry.
"It was not easy," he says and holds Nico's hand again. "Your fingers are very cold" he says and cups his hand "sleep" he says.
"What about you?" Nico doesn't pulls away, there's something about this man, unlike anything Nico has ever experienced. "You've been kidnapped for a few days, haven't you? That must've been exhausting."
"They fed me little and kept me in that car for days....the white haired man...he came and took me...right after I healed a new little girl showing symptoms....it was night time...and Piper and a few others were helping another village....we were outnumbered." He frowns eyes glued to the fire as if he was re-watching the incident in the embers.
"Doesn't mean that it wasn't exhausting." Nico pulls his hand away and holds it toward the fire. "Worrying always takes up more energy than seems possible. I'm sure even if she's healed, you still worry." And even if she's married to a man you trust...
"Yes, always worry...she's," Alabaster smiles at the thought of his little sister, "So silly and young" he says as he gets closer again. "How old is your Hazel?"
"Sixteen" Nico answers, "and just got married" he smiles fondly, "She's happy I think." He wonders if it's snowing there as well or if Hazel is safe and warm in her bed.
Alabaster has not seen the Maton smile since they met but he had to admit it looks good on him. "So how do Matons stave off the sickness? Do you also use tree root t-t-tea?" He asks as a sudden chill gets to him. "S-sorry."
"There's a medicine you can...buy." Nico's smile fades. "But that costs... too much. Not everyone can get it." He rubs his wrist, touching the black rings as he remembers Sally, Bianca and his mother.
"That is...not good, it should be available to everyone...if Matons are going to mess with the natural order of things and then not compensate for the gods' reactions then why even do anything at all...for the sake of 'progress'" he says bitterly.
"You mean Hera's reaction." Nico matches Alabaster's bitterness with his own, "She should be the goddess of jealousy and cruelty." everything would be fine if it weren't for her.
"Yes.... because it was her idea to start the spirit train.. " Alabaster spits and then groans, he really was exhausted. "We should sleep...Gods cannot keep the weather out of balance like this for too long... when the winter leaves we'll need our strength to get to your sister" he says.
Nico sighs, but agrees. He's going to need all the strength he can muster for tomorrow. "Fine" he glares at the calm Spiritual and lays beside the fire. It's warm, he thinks, almost as warm as Percy would be next to him. He knows the idiot isn't dead. He doesn't want to think about how he knows this, only knowing that its true. I hope you landed with someone capable, Percy. You'd barely survive by yourself.

Notes

co-written with thomas-life on Tumblr.
Disclaimer: We do not own any of these characters they belong to Rick Riordan, Hayley Riordan, and Disney Hyperion