"And, so the first moment I laid my eyes on the spear, I instantly knew it was for me. It's definitely the ultimate killing machine!" Nico nodded with fervour, addressing his family who sat with him in the living room.
Leon was also there, although he squirmed a little under Charlotte's constant scrutiny. A small smile tugged at his face, which looked more like a grimace than anything… the half-blood's dreadful attempt at trying to befriend his friend's little sister.
Nico smirked subtly, paying a little attention to the half-blood's plight from the corner of his eyes.
"Well, you're not wrong, kid. The spear is the king of weapons for a reason…" Beverly's lazy voice resounded, "however in a life-or-death battle it's about making sure you end your enemy, before they end you. A weapon helps tremendously with that, but don't forget to sharpen your skill, body, combat sense, footwork, cunning, among a myriad of other things, to ensure you come out the victor."
Nico wore a thoughtful expression, ruminating over his aunt's words.
"What she said is very important, honey, but another piece essential to combat is team synergy. If you're fighting alongside people you've met for the first time, it's imperative you increase your chemistry with each other, particularly in battle, as that could help you if you ever find yourself in a sticky situation… like say, for example, the Awakening Ceremony," Cynthia added, gazing warmly at her dear son.
Ross nodded to show his agreement with his wife's words. Even as the topic sent a wave of sadness and regret through his heart, he smiled towards his son hoping Nico could sense the immeasurable belief he had in him.
The silver-haired woman sighed to herself internally. She hoped Nico could take something from their words - no matter how small - and assimilate it into the nexus of his approach to combat.
Nico straightened at the mention of the Ceremony. He mentally counted the dates and found he had roughly around ten days left until the fateful event which would decide his future.
Between now and then, he had to familiarise himself with the third form of the Reaper of Shadows, as well as continue tempering his body through body-weight training.
Not to mention completing his preparations, of which included purchasing suitable clothing and weapons. The latter being very important.
Just then, the chime of the doorbell rang, breaking him out of his thoughts. Nico sent a quizzical glance towards the door, his body rising on instinct. However, he found Cynthia already striding towards the entrance, a guarded expression on her face.
The brown-haired boy trailed after his mother, curious of who had rang the doorbell.
Cynthia slowly opened the door. Nico noticed her shoulders were tense. He shrugged it off as him imagining things as he cast his gaze towards the entrance.
There, he spied three figures. The first, a hulking man dressed in clothes that barely fit his muscular frame. His unruly black hair gave off an appearance of unrestrained savagery.
Nico flinched under the man's blood-red gaze. He suppressed the sudden sense of fear that sprouted within him and examined the other two figures.
The one in the middle, had a mop of white hair and a scar that travelled across the left side of his face. He exuded a grim aura.
Nico's eyes slowly widened, recognising the individual.
'Instructor William…'
He then flicked his gaze toward the last individual, expecting to see another familiar face.
… And sure enough, he was right.
Standing beside William, a black-haired man with an eyepatch adorned with two inverted swords, peered intently at him. His one good, icy blue eye scrutinised his frame carefully.
Nico swallowed, taking an unconscious step back. He did not expect his former instructors to arrive at his doorstep.
Glancing at the bulky man who appeared to be the leader - Phantom and William were a step behind, seemingly out of respect - the sense of fear he felt earlier came barreling back tenfold.
This time, Nico had no control over it.
"How can I help you?" his mother's composed voice gave the brown-haired boy some measure of reassurance.
"Cynthia Redlret, under orders of His Highness, the First Prince, I have come to question your son regarding the circumstances of his encounter with the White Cobras. His instructors are here to corroborate his story and make sure that his account matches up with the others…" the well-built man's tone was firm, brooking no argument.
Especially so, after he had involved the First Prince in the matter.
The silver-haired woman gritted her teeth.
Before she could usher these 'guests' in, a familiar voice resounded behind her.
"Vesaf, to what do I owe the honour of your mighty self deigning to visit this humble abode?" Beverly spoke sarcastically, walking past the little rascal to stand beside Cynthia.
The crimson in Vesaf's eyes deepened as he gazed at the ginger-haired priestess. A blood-red hue leaked out of his body.
Nico shivered under that aura. He staggered back, his face contorting in dread.
It was as if a mighty beast was staring hungrily at him, ready to devour him at a moment's notice.
In response, a vast presence erupted from Beverly's figure.
"None of that," her voice streamed into everyone's ears, full of a biting edge.
Vesaf clicked his tongue and begrudgingly withdrew his bloodlust.
Nico sighed in relief, a bead of cold sweat rolling down his back. He sent his gaze towards his former instructors and found that both had inscrutable expressions that did not give away any of their internal thoughts or feelings.
"Now, if you want to come in and have a POLITE and PLEASANT conversation with my nephew, then there will be no problem," The priestess continued in a cold tone, glaring at her former acquaintance.
Vesaf ground his teeth but otherwise remained silent. He nodded to show his agreement to her terms.
Beverly turned around and flashed Nico a reassuring smile. The brown-haired boy sighed, controlling his emotions to the best of his abilities.
He put up a neutral mask similar to the one Phantom and William displayed and took a deep breath, as he headed inside, ready to be interrogated.
***
Within the confines of the spacious living room, a tense silence enveloped the place. The stakes of this upcoming discussion did not need to be made clear.
If something went wrong, then Nico could find himself not taking part in the Awakening Ceremony.
Which would be crushing.
Arguably worse, however, would be the possibility that they might jail him should he not give any satisfactory answers. He didn't know why he felt that way.
Only that deep inside him there lay an urgency to make sure that he be declared innocent.
He sat on one of the leather sofa's, his mother's best friend seated beside him. Opposite them, the three figures of his Camp and Spear Instructor, as well as the man named Vesaf, sat.
A formal and professional air surrounded them. Especially among the duo who had interacted previously with Nico.
Just then, a silver-haired lady strolled into the sitting room, carrying with her a tray of refreshments. She politely offered a cup to each of her son's former instructors.
She did not, however, offer anything to the hulking man who had come to question her child.
Vesaf didn't show any outward reaction of being offended by the gesture, either. He was used to people being angry at him, or even have an intense dislike of his presence.
All in all, he could not care less about such a trivial thing.
Once the boy's mother retreated - not before sending a pleading glance towards the red-robed priestess, to which he internally scoffed in return - he straightened and turned his gaze towards the former trainee.
"Which end of Camp trial did you choose?"
Nico stared blankly in return, not expecting that to be the first question. Beverly rolled her eyes, "That has got nothing to do with the bandit encounter."
"Doesn't matter. I ask the questions here, and I expect them to be answered. Now, answer me boy!" Vesaf replied, still looking at Nico.
The brown-haired boy gulped under the weight of the man's gaze, before he responded in as clear a voice as he could muster, "I chose the trial of Hope,"
Vesaf shifted his gaze towards the white-haired man, who nodded subtly in return.
What the boy had said was true.
The bulky man hummed softly, before stroking the polished ring on his right index finger. Instantly after that action, an intricate-looking glass appeared in his hands. A dark type of wood covered its exterior, several runes and other unknown engravings covering the area where the glass and wood met.
Nico unconsciously paled, the memories of that sinister weapon still haunting his mind.
He shook his head and inhaled, recalling the divine power that had settled in his soul. A sizable portion had already dissipated from early morning. However, Nico had an intuitive feeling that his aunt was right… it would last until nightfall, and hopefully help him during this 'investigation'.
The corner of Vesaf's lips curled triumphantly sighting the brown-haired boy's reaction. He idly played with the mirror in his hands. "I take it the Boss used this against you and your peers during your run in together?"
Nico nodded. He did not see the need to verbally answer such an obvious question. He was sure the man interrogating him was well aware of the looking glass's capabilities.
William signalled it was an honest reply.
"What did the mirror show you?"
Nico glanced at Beverly raising an eyebrow in silent question. The ginger-haired woman inclined her head, encouraging him to go on, even under her growing irritation of Vesaf's antics.
The boy turned his head and looked the hulking investigator in the eye.
"Death," he replied simply.
The inflection of his voice did not fluctuate in the slightest. It was as if he was talking about the weather, or some other mundane topic, instead.
Vesaf raised an eyebrow. A curious look crossed his features.
He rubbed his chin with his left hand, appearing to be deep in thought. However, his next words were too precise to not be pre-planned. The man straightened and asked, his gaze sharp and deadly.
"What happened after you were ensared?"