A summoning.....(Open)

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Nyra Heather

[fmi- ('s around an italicized sentence is a thought, otherwise whispering or telepathy.]

Nyra...
My eyes flipped open, and nothing answered them but darkness, sudden inpenetrable darkness. I hadn't even remembered falling asleep...
Nyra...
I gently raised myself, and looked over at my cabinmates all of whom were sleeping.
(Ooo-kay...If they didn't say my name who did?)
Who's there? I whispered. But the words, didn't come out right. I thought them, rather than spoke them but I heard them as though they had come out orally.
Nyra....
What? I asked, blinking my confusion. As if I had drawn her from her resting place, a shade melted out of the darkness, a young women with flowing transparent hair and a dress made of shadows, which rippled as she floated over to where I sat.
The lord of the dead wishes to see you... she rasped,her voice hollow and well...dead sounding.
(What? What could Hades possibly want with me? )I wondered.
Come quickly,or risk your absence being noticed.This is extremly important child.The women seemed relaxed and detached in manner but something in her voice oozed anxiety. Just as well, she seemed (even for a shade) faded like a color photograph that's been soaked in chlorine and incredibly drained.(Thalia's tree not only protects us from other beings getting in, but apparently sucks the essence out of the dead. Though, I have no idea how she got in.)
Alright. How are we getting-WHOOSH! Like the inhaling breath of a sleeping giant, the air around me sucked in on itself, ripping open a swirling black hole in the floor. I blinked, here was a giant swirling crater in the earth and none of my cabinmates so much as lifted a finger in response.
Heavy sleepers...I mused.
Jump in young demigod.The shade urged. Oh, what cheerful instructions, jump into a swirling crater to the UnderWorld for a family picnic in the Fields Of Punishment! But Hades had summoned me so I felt obligated to go. (Apart from a mysterious longing feeling in my heart which I couldn't explain.And the fact that he'd be angry if I didn't come...*gulp*)
Taking a deep breath to steady myself, I rose from my bed. (Okay...One...Two...Three!)I jumped. A rushing, howling wind pushed me down...down...down, until...WHAM! I hit the ground vertically, and my feet slamed out from under me.
"Owww...."I groaned. "Hey! I can speak agai-" But then I saw the palace gaurds and my voice died on my lips. (Pardon the pun...) They had uniforms of varying law enforcement officials and soldiers, all tattered and faded like they had been cut up with lawnmower then bleached with something transparent. But they were all bone, with wicked souless, black eyes and cruel expressions on their scarred faces.
"On second thought,I'd rather be mute.."One of them approached me. He seemed to be the leader, dressed in a navy officer's uniform from the 1930's and carrying an F15, he wasn't the sort of guy I'd want to meet in a dark alley.He touched my hair, rubbing it between his fingers as if trying to identify who I waS.
"Uh, I'm Nyra...." I squeaked."Hades summoned me..."The commander turned sightless eyes to my face, then barked orders in ancient greek, Tell our master she's here.He offered a hand in a gesture that on anybody else would have appeared sweet but on him, (even though he was being nice) seemed to carry a powerful cruelty and frightened me.
"It's alright little girl, he just wants to talk." he leered at me, and I got up. I allowed myself to be led into the palace, looking around at the scenes before me. (And for some reason it had just occured to me that he could speak like a normal human!)
"What a cheerful place." I muttered. The commander knocked three times on the heavy stygian iron door at the entrance until a commanding voice replied, "Enter."And so the heavy doors swung open,giving way to the cavernous hall within.
"Wow.."I breathed softly as the spelndor of the palace hit me.
"You like it?" asked the Commander amused.I jumped.
"Uh yeah."I replied off-handedly.
"I should give you a tour but with the time we have.." He shrugged, so normal acting that having not seen him you would have thought he was a living breathing human bieng!"Come."
I followed silently, the longing in my heart growing in a creshendo(sp?) till I could stand it no longer.
"How much longer?" I blurted out. My companions didn't answer me."Gee thanks, you didn't have to answer so enthusiastically." I muttered.
We kept walking, the long cavernous room silent and empty but for ourselves. Then we reached another door, and it was opened, showing the magnificant throne room. It took me a while to see the splendor of the room itself, for my attention was caught by the figure in the throne. He had an air of elegance about him, a serious yet commanding expression and black eyes to match his hair. His features were sharp yet soft on him looking slightly young but for his ancient eyes.
"Nyra Heather." Hades stated blandly.
"Yes sir." I replied.
"Everything you hear tonight is not to be repeated to anyone else living or dead."he continued his eyes rock soft.
"Yes sir." I answered.His eyes narrowed slightly looking into my own which were full of determined innocence.
"My brothers would never understand why I did what I did. But I can see in your eyes you are determained and that is something of value."he drawled.
"Oh..thank you sir."
"Your Olympian grandfather is undetermained for a reason. And it is this: it is too risky for me to claim you. It would endanger your life as you are sixteen years of age."
"Wh-what?" I stammered my mouth hanging open like a door to a house.
"Let me explain." he held up a hand to silence me as I was about to speak."You know of the pact I made with my brothers?"
"Uh, yeah."
"It has been broken more than once as I'm sure you also know. My brothers broke their oath a few years ago. And yet I myself can be looked upon as guilty as well. I helped sire your father when your grandparents were having troubles with childbirth.They had your father, and he resembled me in many ways, I made them swear not to tell anyone. Many years later you were born, but your breath was sucked out of you and you would have joined me here in the Underworld early if I had not saved you." He sounded different than most would have heard him sound. But then again my cousin...well more like Uncle Nico informed me that he only acts the way he does because that is how many expect him to act. I felt sorry for him, I always had and now hearing it from him I could see how it all fit.He continued with the story, his voice bringing to my mind things I had forgotten long ago but had floated in the back of my mind; looking into his black eyes as a four year old child when I fell off my parent's bed, him reading me a bedtime story when I was younger, him being there on my birthdays, on christmas, easter, he was there in my life when I was young and couldn't remember it and the more he talked the more things made sense to me.
"Sir, I-i...it makes sense. And I know Zeus wouldn't understand but Poseidon seems more laid-back. Why do they hate you so much? It's not fair!" I cried.And then a rare thing occured, Hades smiled a wicked yet sincere smile.
"That is a question for another time. You must go child, or my nephew will notice your absence."he replied.It took me a while to realize he was talking about Mr.D.
"Oh..okay..." I turned to go but then I had an idea, "Grandfather?"
Hades studied me, "Yes?" (I could tell he wasn't used to being called that..) "Thank you. And for the record, I was kind of hoping it was you." Hades looked surprised as I was heading out of the door. Next thing I knew, I was back in my cabin and a a packcage lay on my bed with a note.
Be Careful....Inside I found a beautiful black burea.(SP?)