From Shadows You Shine: Bianca Di Angelo
Apologies for not posting for a long time. I have my reasons but their personal so I wont be sharing.
However, I do plan on rewrting the entire plot. I wont change the plot that much just some minor changes.
That's all, hope you enjoy!
By: Illyria Chrysa 🌸
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After sun down, the group found themselves in an outskirts of a little ski-town nestled in the mountains. They all glanced at a sign that read, “WELCOME TO CLOUDCROFT, NEW MEXICO”.
Most were surprised with how far they’ve traveled but after Bianca pointed out some hints about Apollo’s possible involvement during the quest, with the sudden appearance of the freight train and the duration of their travel being from sunrise to sun down, the rest fell silent and secretly thanked the god for his forbidden intervention.
It did save them some time and aided them greatly during their travel - so who were they to complain?
The group continued their journey and stopped in the middle of town. Bianca noticed that they were able to see everything from their current location; a school, a bunch of tourist stores and cafes, some ski cabins, and a grocery store.
“Great,” Thalia said, looking around. “No bus station, no taxis, no car rental - No way out.”
“There’s a coffee shop!” said Grover.
“Yes,” Zoe said. “Coffee is good.”
“And pastries,” Grover said dreamily. “And wax paper.”
Thalia sighed. “Fine, how about you two get us some food. Percy, Bianca and I will check in the grocery store. Maybe they can give us directions.”
Sounds of agreements were heard and the group agreed to meet back in front of the grocery store in fifteen minutes.
Bianca walked closer to Percy and whispered in his ear, “Apollo mentioned something about Old Man Nereus in San Francisco. He said it should give us the answers we seek.”
Percy nodded, “That’s good, about time we get some answers but we have to find a way to get there first.”
She placed a hand on his shoulder, “It’ll be fine, we’ll get there. I don’t know how but I know we’ll get there.”
“...How can you be so sure?”
“I just do - when have I ever been wrong.”
Percy grew silent, he had known Bianca for only a few months but he knows in that short time that the young girl is reliable, acting like an older sister to everyone in camp despite being one of the youngest there. She was a shoulder everyone could rely on, a person who would silently sit down beside you listening to all your woes and worries.
They had a positive effect in camp, he noticed: campers became more open with one another, pranks from the children of Hermes became more light-hearted and hilarious, time spent huddled around the campfire became more festive and lively, and for just those moments - they were all finally kids again, not demi-gods but genuine kids who were in their own little world, happy and content, without any fear of the upcoming war against the Titans.
The camp became more lively and united in a way, like a barrier between them came down, opening new possibilities for all of them. It strengthened their familial bond with one another - something that disappeared when Luke had betrayed camp all those years ago.
It brought him great comfort to know that somewhere out there, there will be a place they could call home and people they can call family.
Along the way towards the grocery store Bianca subtly glanced at Percy then to Thalia noticing the tension between two - She hoped that the two would take the time to sit down and talk about their differences. No one wanted a mini Poseidon and Zues fight, if the quarrel they had during capture the flag was anything to go by…
… she truly hoped it wouldn't come to that.
Inside the store, they found out a few things about the little town, Cloudcroft: there wasn’t enough snow for skiing, the grocery store sold rubber rats for a dollar each, and there was no easy way in or out of town unless you had your own car.
“You can call for a taxi from Alamogordo,” the clerk said doubtfully. “That’s down at the bottom of the mountains, but it would take at least an hour to get here. Cost several hundred dollars.”
Percy reached out for a rubber rat and handed it to the clerk along with a dollar bill.
The three demi-gods headed outside and stood on the porch.
“Wonderful,” Thalia grumped. “I’m going to walk down the street, see if anybody in the other shops has a suggestion.”
“But the clerk said-” Percy spoke.
“I know,” she told Percy. “I’m checking anyway.”
And with that, Bianca and Percy were left alone in the company of the other.
‘This two really do take after their fathers,’ Bianca thought absentmindedly.
“Nice rat” she spoke, hoping it could break the tension. “Though, the ones that Connor and Travis have are much better.”
Percy set down the rubber rat on the porch railing. “So… have you thought about the offer Artemis gave you?”
She nodded her head. “Yes, I have.”
“Are you going to join the hunters? Zoe looks like she will be greatly pleased if you were to join, she may even consider you a hunter already.”
“Truthfully, I felt compelled to join the hunters, then and there.” She admitted, “but… I couldn’t be so selfish as to leave my little brother alone in a world we barely knew existed a few months prior… I don’t even know if I wanting to join is actually true - it's confusing because I don’t feel like joining the hunt is actually my choice.”
Percy frowned, “What do you mean?”
Bianca pursed her lips and gazed into his sea-green eyes. “... Have you ever felt like you have no control over your life? That your fate is set in stone and you can do nothing to change it, no matter how hard you try.”
“I… I suppose, with the prophecy looming over mine and Thalia’s heads, I guess I somewhat do.” he confessed.
She shook her head, a frown marred her face. “No, no like that… never mind, it's useless anyway.”
Bianca gazed out into the snow covered town. The residents would leave their homes and greet one another with familiarity, a smile on all of their faces. Children would run home from school free from any worries, laughing along with their friends. Even the humble stores served freshly baked goods that spread a fragrant smell lingering in the air.
It was a humble town that didn’t hold a candle compared to other tourist locations in America but it had its charms, and above all else, it felt like home.
Bianca smiled solemnly, she too had high hopes that her and Nico could once more find a place to call home and people to call family.
It was her only greatest wish…
…Since their previous home died along with their mother.
In the distance she could spot Zoe and Grover with pastry bags and drinks, she waved at them both with a smile.
“So… what’s the story with you and Nico?” Percy asked, frowning slightly when he too noticed the other two approaching. “Where did you go before arriving at camp? Now that I think about it, I barely know anything about you or your past.”
“...We stayed in a hotel after our mother’s death, somewhere in Los Angeles. We stayed there for sometime, it had facilities that covered our academics and extra curricular. After that, three old ladies came to tell us that we have to leave, but they didn’t tell us why. They just handed me my diary with a letter from our mother inside it.”
“Three old ladies?” he asked with a frown, an ominous feeling settled in his stomach. “What was inside the letter? And how did they have your diary?”
“I don’t know, they disappeared after threatening us for not leaving the hotel the first time.” She began, clenching her fists. “I… the letter told us about our past, some answers to things that didn't make sense. It was how we found out about our heritage and camp half-blood.”
Percy thought it was a strange story. Then again, Bianca and Nico were half-bloods. Nothing was normal for any half-blood - but the three old ladies from her tale brought goose-bumps to crawl on his skin, and he didn’t know why.
“So you’ve been raising Nico pretty much all your life?” he asked. “Just the two of you?”
“Yes, I have. It can be challenging at times but I love him, I always will.” she replied. “è il mio fratellino, la ragione per cui vivo.”
(His my little brother, the reason I live)
“What does that even mean?” he asked, thinking about last summer the way he’d felt when she found out he had a Cyclops for a baby brother. He can relate to what Bianca was saying. Though he would love to learn about the last part, it wasn’t in English or in Greek, so it had to be another language, French perhaps?
Zoe and Grover arrived with the drinks and pastries. Hot chocolate for Bianca and Percy, while coffee for them. Zoe handed Bianca a chocolate croissant and Grover handed Percy a blueberry muffin.
“We should do the tracking spell,” Zoe said. “Grover, do you have any acorns left?”
“Umm,” Grover mumbled. He was chewing on a bran muffin, wrapper and all. “I think so. I just need to -”
He froze, Percy was about to ask what was wrong, when a warm breeze rustled past, like a gust of springtime had gotten lost in the middle of winter. Fresh air seasoned with wildflowers and sunshine. And something else - almost like a voice, trying to say something. A warning.
Zoe gasped, “Grover, thy cup.”
Grover dropped his coffee cup, which was decorated with pictures of birds. Suddenly the birds peeled off the cup and flew away - a flock of tiny doves. Percy’s rubber rat squeaked. It scampered off the railing and into the trees - real fur, real whiskers. Grover collapsed but Bianca managed to catch him before he could land on the ground, next to his coffee, which steamed against the snow.
The group gathered around him. Percy lifted his friend off of Bianca and into his arms not wanting to burden the young girl. He tried to shake him awake but it didn’t work.
Grover groaned, his eyes fluttering.
“Hey!” Thalia said, running up from the street. “I just… What's wrong with Grover?”
“I don’t know,” Percy said. “He collapsed.”
Grover continued to groan.
“Well, get him up!” Thalia said. She had her spear in her hands. He looked towards Bianca who swiped her golden bracelet that was adorned with crystals and crimson rubies. It glowed to life, once the light faded her rapier majestically appeared in her hands. She glanced at where Thalia came from and frowned.
“We have to get out of here,” was all she said, urging Percy to get on his feet and carry Grover with him.
They made it to the edge of the town before the first two skeleton warriors appeared. They stepped out from the trees on either side of the road. They wore blue New Mexico State Police uniforms, but they had transparent gray skin and yellow eyes. They drew their handguns and pointed it at the group.
Thalia tapped her bracelet. Aegis spiraled to life on her arm, but the warriors didn’t flinch. Their glowing yellow eyes bore right into Percy. He drew riptide, though he wasn’t sure what good it would do against guns.
Zoe drew her bow and Bianca readied her stance, pointing the rapier towards one of the skeletons. Zoe had trouble because Grover kept swooning and leaning against her.
“Back up,” Thalia said.
The group started to - but then Bianca heard rustling of branches. Two more skeletons appeared on the road behind them. She took a quick glance at Percy, understanding that he was questioning the whereabouts of the rest of the skeletal army.
Personally, Bianca was relieved that there were only four of them for the time being, any more than that and she knew their chances of escaping would grow slimmer by the minute. Deep down, she didn’t know how, but she knew none of them could actually win against them - none of them but her.
One of the warriors gazed at her, it raised a cell phone to his mouth and spoke into it. Except he wasn’t speaking, he made a clattering, clicking sound like teeth against bones.
‘Not good,’ Bianaca thought. ‘It’s calling for back-up.’
“It’s near,” Grover moaned.
“It’s here,” Percy corrected.
“No,” he insisted. “The gift. The gift from the Wild.”
No one knew what he was talking about, Percy worried about his condition. It was apparent that Grover was in no way capable of fighting.
“We’ll have to go one-on-one,” Thalia said. “Four of them. Four of us. Maybe they’ll ignore Grover that way.”
“Agreed,” Zoe said.
“The Wild!” Grover moaned.
A warm wind blew through the canyon, rustling the trees, but Percy kept his eyes on the skeletons. He remembered the General gloating over Annabeth's fate. He remembered the way Luke had betrayed her.
And He charged.
Bianca followed soon after, keeping an eye on the skeleton in front of her. She need not worry about Percy’s safety since he had the fur of the Nemean Lion - It was bullet proof and near indestructible if she remembered correctly.
She had to worry about the others, but she knew they could hold their own for the time being.
‘Now to find a way to destroy the undead - they're supposedly unbeatable unless you're a child of Hades.’
Bianca frowned, surely they had to be another way. She glanced down on her rapier, it was a gift from her grandmother, Hestia - the goddess of witchcraft and wizardry. Enchanted in a way that allows her to channel spells into it, while it simultaneously allows her to incorporate different potions into the blade acting like a poisoned needle.
A single slash was all it took for her to incapacitate her enemies - the reason why Percy had an even harder time dueling with her recently.
The rapier shone a dim blue, she readied her blade and charged at her opponent.
The skeleton readied its gun and began firing at her, she mumbled a shield spell under her breath that protected her from any attack. In the background she can hear Thalia screaming Percy’s name, she stumbled for a bit but continued her pursuit.
When she reached the skeleton close enough, she thrusted her blade and struck the skeleton dead center. It erupted in flames, leaving behind a pile of ash and a police badge.
Bianca stumbled. “What-”
“How did you do that?” Zoe asked, interrupting the young girl’s thoughts.
“I don’t know.” Bianca replied, anxiety building up inside of her as a thought solidified in her head. “Lucky stab?”
“Well, do it again!”
And with that, she leaped into action, aiding Zoe in defeating her adversary. She thrusted her blade into its chest, the blade reflected the dim light from the sun and shone a beautiful bronze. The blade connected to the skeleton and the same thing happened, it erupted in flames and became a pile of ash on the ground.
Bianca looked down on her rapier - Evlogia - and a daunting realization dawned on her.
“A little help over here!” Thalia spoke, breaking the young girl out of her thoughts.
Bianca turned around and ready her stance, but by then the remaining two skeletons grew weary of her and began keeping them within a baton’s length. They managed to press the group back.
“Plan?” Percy asked while they retreated.
“I can do the same move I did when dueling you back in camp that one time-” Bianca suggested.
“No!” Percy exclaimed, looking her in the eyes. “I nearly decapitated you when you pulled that move on me!”
“Yeah, but I won!” she yelled back. “And besides I’ve gotten-”
“Too dangerous!” he said, making sure that she didn’t do anything reckless. “Besides, I promised Nico I’ll keep you safe-”
“You promised him what?!” she exclaimed, glaring at the boy, her eyes gleaming a faint crimson. “You know how dangerous these quests are. How can you promise him something like that?”
“Regardless, a promise is a promise and I plan to keep it!” Percy replied. “You're not dying on me on this quest, I won’t let you.”
Bianca fell silent, a haunted look dawned on her face. The look on her face freighted Percy to his core, he reached out to the girl before him.
“Bianca?” he questioned, barely above a whisper. “Hey, what’s wrong? Talk to me.”
“I-”
“The gift!” Grover exclaimed.
A mighty roar, the largest pig they have ever seen came crashing into the road. It was a wild boar, thirty feet high, with a snotty pink snout and tusks the size of canoes. Its back bristled with brown hair, and its eyes were wild and angry.
“REEEEEEEEET!” it squealed, and raked the two skeletons aside with its tusks.
The force was so great, they went flying over the trees and into the side of the mountain, where they smashed to pieces, thigh bones and arm bones twirling everywhere.
Then the pig turned to them.
Thalia raised her spear, but Grover yelled, “Don't kill it.'”
The boar grunted and pawed the ground, ready to charge.
“That's the Erymanthian Boar,” Zoe said, trying to stay calm. “I don't think we can kill it.”
“It's a gift,” Grover said. “A blessing from the Wild!”
The boar said “REEEEEEET!” and swung its tusk.
Zoe and Bianca dived out of the way. Percy had to push Grover so he wouldn't get launched into the mountain on the Boar Tusk Express.
“Yeah, I feel blessed!” Percy said. “Scatter!”
They ran in different directions, and for a moment the boar was confused.
“It wants to kill us!” Thalia said.
“Of course,” Grover said. “It's wild!”
“So how is that a blessing?” Bianca asked.
Percy nodded in understanding, but the pig seemed to have been offended and charged at her. Bianca quickly rolled out of the way of its hooves and came up behind the beast. It lashed out with its tucks and pulverized the “WELCOME TO CLOUDCROFT” sign.
Somehow along the way, Percy managed to get the boar stuck in snow. Bianca wasn’t going to question how a giant-rampaging boar was a blessing, and she didn’t plan to, after nearly getting trampled over by the creature.
‘I would never understand how gods give out blessings to us mortals - and from the looks of things, I never would.
A few minutes later, Zoe, Bianca and Grover joined Percy and Thalia. The group stood watching the wild boar struggle in the snow.
“A blessing of the Wild,” Grover said, though he now looked agitated.
“I agree,” Zoe said. “We must use it.”
“Hold up,” Thalia said irritably. She still looked like she'd just lost a fight with a Christmas tree. “Explain to me why you're so sure this pig is a blessing.”
Grover looked over, distracted. “It's our ride west. Do you have any idea how fast this boar can travel?”
“Fun,” Percy said. “Like… pig cowboys.”
Grover nodded. “We need to get aboard. I wish… I wish I had more time to look around. But it's gone now.”
“What's gone?” Percy asked.
Grover didn't seem to hear the question. He walked over to the boar and jumped onto its back. Already the boar was starting to make some headway through the drift. Once it broke free, there'd be no stopping it. Grover took out his pipes. He started playing a snappy tune and tossed an apple in front of the boar. The apple floated and spun right above the boar's nose, and the boar went nuts, straining to get it.
“Automatic steering,” Thalia murmured. “Great.”
She trudged over and jumped on behind Grover, which still left plenty of room for the rest of the group. Zoe and Bianca walked toward the boar.
“Wait a second,” Percy said. “Do you two know what Grover is talking about—this wild blessing?”
“Of course,” Zoe said. “Did you not feel it in the wind? It was so strong… I never thought I would sense that presence again.”
“What presence?” Percy asked.
Zoe stared at him like he was an idiot and Bianca fought hard to hold back a chuckle.
“The Lord of the Wild, of course. Just for a moment, upon the arrival of the boar, I felt the presence of Pan.”
Percy looked at the huntress as if she grew an extra head, and Bianca broke out in a fit of laughter.
She truly wanted their time together to last, for fate to never catch up…
.. but such thoughts were nothing more than foolish dreams.
