Nico and I walked in silence for a few more minutes.

"So why did you cuss her out?"

I sighed.

"You really wanna know?"

"Yes."

I sighed again and explained briefly our trip through the labyrinth, into the nursing home and Ikea and then the party, finding our missing Titan god and what happened to Raph, our second stay in the nursing home- which was more like an emergency hospital. What happened with Helios and then what happened with releasing him and then what happened with Raph, setting him off and then yelling at Aphrodite and her cursing me.

"Ya. Valid."

"I thought so."

I turned into a tunnel and saw light up ahead. The gold path led us right to it. It stopped abruptly in a patch of very added sun, it was still very dark stormy and cloudy, I could see patches of sky through a set of bars above my head.

"What's with the sky?" Nico was looking up through the bars.

"Zeus is trying to cover the fact the sun is missing. I'm on a time crunch. We should-

A shadow fell across the grate and a cow stared down at me. It looked like a normal cow except it was a weird color- bright red, like a cherry. I didn't know cows came in that color.

The cow mooed, put one hoof tentatively on the bars, then backed away.

"What in Hades?"

"It's a ranch. They have weird animals."

"Red cows?" I frowned and looked at the boy. He looked almost transparent in the dime cloudy day.

"Isn't your dad Apollo?"  His scoff was real. And I wanted to shove his head.

"Ya? And? I'm still learning all of this."

Nico shrugged. I shook my head. I don't think I'd ever get used to this world.

"Okay, up we go!"

I wasn't sure how to get the grate off. Nice brought his sword out and slammed it into the ground and I saw him say something, but couldn't figure out what he said, but there were suddenly three skeletons clawing their way out of the ground. I watched fascinated as they climbed on top of each other, like a weird deathly version of Cirque du Soleil.

They finally managed to undo the grate and move it. They locked their boney hands together and made some kind of boney stairway. Nico gracefully ran up then and leapt through the hole, he turned and leaned down, reaching a hand out. I climbed out, using the skeletons as Nico helped pull me up. He was surprisingly strong. But as soon as I was up the skeletons collapsed and sunk back into the earth.

Nico flopped to his back panting and sweating. I pulled out a Nectar Aid juice box and forced him to drink it.

"Drink it or I force you!"

"I'm fine!"

"Says the death boy who looks like he's about to die. I can see your panting and sweating, I can feel your heart struggling. Nectar Aid now."

He scowled at me but took the juice box. I could see a bit of colour returning, well, he was less transparent now. He sat up and looked better.

"Better?" I asked with a slight smirk.

"Better."

"Don't lie to me again."

I saw him roll his eyes as he got up. I stood up and finally got a look around. We were on a ranch, all right. Rolling hills stretched to the horizon, dotted with oak trees and cactuses and boulders. A barbed wire fence ran from the gate in either direction. Cherry-colored cows roamed around, grazing on clumps of grass.

"Red cattle," I marveled. I walked up to the closest one and patted its head.

"The cattle of the sun."

"What?" I asked.

"They're sacred to your father, Apollo." He explained. He was watched one of them leerily. It kept trying to smell Nico's pants and kept mooing.

"Holy cows?"

I saw the sly evil glint in his eye and "You mean Holy Hera." He said dryly.

It was my turn to cackle I threw my head back and silently laughed so hard I had tears in my eyes and my stomach hurt.

"Okay that was the best. Seriously. I haven't laughed that hard all quest. Thank you."

He was looking at me weird, like he didn't know what to do with a compliment or the fact he made someone laugh. He looked a mix of uncomfortable and amusement.

"So. If you were a sun chariot hose...where would you be?"

"Umm... probably over there ..where there's literally fire and a crowd of monsters..?"

Nico pointed. Far in the distance between a hill and huge boulders was a very large horde of monsters. And they were all gathers around what looked like the biggest bonfire I had ever seen. Looking closer, there were actually four beautiful horses.

"Oh Styx."

🔆

Nico and I crept as close as we could without being seen. We hide behind a few bigger boulders. I peeked out and around. I tried counting, but there were too many. They all moved and shifted.

"They will be on us in a minute. We smell to strong."

"Hey. I showered recently. Thank you!"

Nico rolled his eyes.

"But...we don't really have the element of surprise. We vaporize a monster-"

"They go poof. Yes. And I'm glowing, and don't know how to turn it off. So.."

"Have you thought about unplugging it?"

"I'm not a night light!" I did shove his head this time. He swatted my hand away with a glare.

He shrugged. "Well...I guess we just...kill stuff."

I guess my face must have packed because Nico looked at me and pulled his dark eyebrows together. I felt my heart slam into my chest and I hand to slid down and sit my head pressed to my knees for a second.

"Uhh? Nora?"

"It's...it's just... I'm okay." I was gasping trying to calm the ragged shallow breathing before I became a panic attack.

"Lier."

"Raph..used to say Geeks, let's kill some stuff. Sorry. It...it just caught me off guard."

I saw the way Nico's face became stuff and sullen, his walls and guards went back up, I wasn't sure why.

"Nico. It wasn't your fault. Blam the other holy cow."

"You mean vial hag?"

I snorted "holy vial haggy cow."

"Perfect."

While we were sitting and I had my mild panic attack, we hadn't been watching. Clearly I couldn't hear, so I didn't hear the monsters. But Nick perked up and held a finger to his lips.

"Dude we can speak with our minds no one can hear us."

"Oh...right." I saw him give me a sheepish side eye. "Monsters approaching."

I pulled the bow off my charm bracelet as Nico pulled his sword out.

"Ready?" He gripped his black sword tightly. I'd say white knuckled, but his skin was so pale already.

"I have way too much pent up anger... I'm so ready!"

"Same."

I stood up and spun around. My arrow already loosed.  "This is for you dad ..I could use all the help in the shooting department!"

The arrow sliced through three monsters in a giant poof of dust. Nico moved like a shadow, quiet and deadly. He spun and had sliced through the remaining 2.

"Okay...not so bad."

"Well...here the rest come!" Nico nodded. I looked to my left and saw about a hundred monsters running towards us.

"Oh Styx."

Nico opened his mouth and ran, I guessed it was a battle cry. I planted my feet and had my arrows flying one after another. The fact that the quiver never ran out was a blessing. Truly. I just kept reaching behind and nicking the arrows, letting them fly one after another, without stopping. I spun around and around in circles, one hell hound jumped at Nico, but it was a cloud of dust before it even touched him.

It was Nico and I and a hundred various monsters. Until I saw something that didn't look monster at all.

"Nico! Mortal...wait..no demigod- none monster!"

"Ya!" He yelled back as he sucked under an out stretched claw. I shot my arrow, exploding it. "That's Eurytion, the cowherd for this here ranch. Son of Ares."

"Note to self. Don't kill him."

Eurytion was pretty savage in a fight. He looked like Raph when he had a weapon in his hand. He held a wooden club about the size of a nuclear warhead, with six-inch spikes bristling at the business end. He swung the club into anything that moved.

So now it was the three of us against 40 monsters. I ducked under another one but wasn't fast enough. I felt my back seer with pain. I dropped my bow and my back arched and I fell forward.

I tried to scream but it was just a scream in my head. Nico spun around so fast, fear flooded his face. Sprinting towards me I saw some half snack monster dart after him.

I pulled out my knife and threw it. It sailed right past Nico's left shoulder and sunk into the snakes forehead.

The monster behind me exploded in dust and I rolled over and Eurytion stood over me. He held a hand out and I was yanked to my feet. Nick slid to a stop and the three of us went back to back. I pulled my bow back off my bracelet and it was ready. The last of the monsters were leery of us now. We took down about 80. They must have been the slower and not as smart ones, because how could we have taken down 80 monsters?

The last group attacked, but in the fight a few started to flee.

"Stop them! They'll tell Luke!"

"Pffff. Please." I sassed. I pulled the string back and the arrow flew across the open dusty ground. I had four more flying one after another. I took out the fleeing deserters. Nick watched my back, and Eurytion took care of the rest.

Finally there were no more. And I lowered my bow and Nico sheathed his sword. I turned to look at the boy. We were both breathing hard.

I grinned and held my hand out for him to shake. "You had my back. And I had yours. Dream team!"

He took my hand gingerly, like he was scared I'd flinch or something. But I gripped his freezing hand and shook it. "Still hate that name!" He grumbled.

"You love it." I smirked.

Nico turned his head and spoke. I turned and watched Eurytion and Nico. Their body launge was clearly familiar, but he was now pointing at me and talking.

"Tell him to speak up, I'm having a hard time hearing him."

Nico snorted. I watched as he struggled to hold a straight face. Eurytion frowned and kept talking, but now he was throwing his hands wildly around.

"Dunno. The hand gestures aren't working, maybe he should try acting it out. I'm really good at charades."

"Shut up!"

I smirked at the kid. I saw the wild sun horses in their cage. They were wild and frenzied. I pushed past the two and started walking over. My arm was grabbed and I was pulled back. Eurytion held my arm tight and he was yelling about something, his hand gestures indicated the horses. I tried to pull my arm free but he had a solid grip. I scowled at him.

"What's his problem?"

"Basically ... those are sacred horses. As pollo will rain down all Olympus. They are made of heat and energy, like the actual sun..."
"Great. I know that. Tell him to let me go."

Nico was saying something but Eurytion had a firm grip and wouldn't let go.
"If he doesn't let me go! I swear-"

My hands became hot and tingly. I could feel the power radiating through me. The glowing power set my veins alight. I could use the words, but I think it was enough of a none verbal que to let me go. Especially when my hands went up in fire and the tounges of flame liquid up my arms. The narrowed eyes and bares teeth probably also helped. He let go real fast with a yelp. He stumbled backwards with a look of shock. Nico looked about the same. I probably had the weird glowing eyes and the glowing blood in my veins. He had got used to my night light glow in the dark maze, but seeing someone glowing and on fire is very different.

Nico said something with a shrug, despite how shocked he looked. And Eurytion looked at me with something like fear. I spun on my heel and walked over to the fence. I didn't understand why these beautiful powerful creatures of the sun were trapped. I understood when I went to unlatch the gate and my hand burnt. I yanked it back with a cry. My hand was smoking and the palm of my hand was blackened. I had never been burned before.

This wasn't normal burning the longer I looked at the raw skin. It was black and had some kind of weird white design to it. Magic. These fence was reinforced with dark magic. Hera had said something like the minor gods were turning. This was the proof. It was like some kind of metal but so cold it curled with smoke.

"Nico. Do you know anything about curses?"

"Uh..I can get around them usually. Why?"

"Because the fence has dark magic. I can't touch it. I have the same sun in my veins, so it burns me the same way as it does them."

"If I get close they will Fry my to a crisp. Do you understand what's going on right now? Look around!"

Frowning. I looked up. The four horses had come closer, fire ragged from their tails and mains, it flared like the surface of the sun. Fire shot from their nostrils when they huffed. But they were so close to the fence without touching it, but their fire seemed to engulf me, the heat must have been intense because everything around me flickered in the shimmering waves. Nico and Eurytion were just dark bloobs in the shimmering heat.

"Hey cool..."

I turned back to the horses. I stretched out a hand. And one of them, the biggest, he threw his main of fire, and sauntered over.

"My lady."

His voice echoed in my head. It was deep and regal and full of authority.

"You...you can talk to me?"

"We understand a daughter of Light. You have his blessing and his heritage runs in your veins."

He bowed his head and bent his front knee. When he did so did the other three.

"Why are they bowing to you?" Nico asked. He still kept his distance, but seemed shocked.

"Another secret my friend...but I have the gift of Sight and I can do this. I thought you were an expert in Mythomagic cards?"

I turned to look at his distorted shimmering form. He was silent for a minute and then I could feel his realization. His gasp must have been out loud and in his head.

"No way! How in fucken Tartarus is that possible?

"Nico Di Angelo, language young man!" 

He flipped me off and I winked at him.

"May I properly introduced myself? I am Eleanora Blofis, Daughter of Apollo and Helios the all seeing Titan god of the Sun. Fucken awesome, ya?"

"You know he's like the trump card, like pick up four in uno! Dude you have the biggest attack number! You can do all kinds of damage! No way! You're probably stronger then Percy is!" His face immediately went pink. I raised an eyebrow but I didn't say anything about his reaction. 

"Nico, now you know my secret."

"It's safe with me."

"I know. I trust you. But...I need to get these guys free."

"Oh ya. Well can they like turn off the fire?"

I turned to look back at the horses.

"Uhh..sorry, I don't know your names."

"My lady!" The big stallion said inside my head, it wasn't like he spoke to me, more like his voice rattled in my mind, it was a different feeling then heading Nico.

"My name is Sunny, this is Blaze, Flash and Sparkle."

As he introduced the horses they flipped their fire mains and bowed hair heads. Two males and two females. I could stare at them all day. Their coats where pure white, their mails and tales were fire but flickered with fire and white light; meaning white violet, indigo, blue, green, yellow,  orange and red.
I understood it was the seven colours of the sunlight which gives the earth warmth, sustains our life and balance our solar system. It was just knowledge that I had that I knew and understood, that I didn't know before.

"It's a pressure to meet you. Umm, not that I don't love your mains, and stuff you are beautiful. However...if you guys want out...I don't know if you can, but my friend Nico, he can get you out but your a little too hot for him."

One horse whinnied, Blaze I think, shook his main and reared up on his hind legs. "ya we total are to hot for him. Me more then most. I'm the best looking one. Right my Lady?"

"Yes. Absolutely. The most muscles and..."

"Oh stop. Your making it worse! This bone head screamed like a baby when we were horse-naped!"

"Did not!"

"Did too!"

"Shut up you two! I still have my child to find!"

"Sorry! Sorry my pretty lady. Didn't mean to get side tracked."

Sunny, who seemed to the the leader got them in order and they all somehow just flicked the fire and heat off. Turning into regular horses.

"Thank you."

I turned back to Nico. He was staring at me and to the horses in disbelief.

"They won't hurt you."

He inched closer, clearly unhappy about this. 

"Nico, your not a vampire, they wont vaporize you!" I rolled my eyes as I  saw him glare at me. But I chuckled at him. The horses got antsy, and pawed the ground.

"Death child needs some sun!"

"He looks like death!"

"He smells like death!"

"Death child...He needs medusa's SPF 3000 sun screen to bask in our glorious presence!" 

"Guys!" I scolded. "He's here o help you." 

"Sorry my lady." 

Nico took his sword and sliced through the gate with no issues. He immediately backed up.  As soon as the gate swung open, the fence went back its its regular wood. I pushed it open and the horses whinnied. 

"I need to find my baby! They took her eons ago! She might be here!"  The horse named Sparkle cried. I could feel her anxiety. 

Great I thought. Another side quest for this side quest.