"Sir," a shadow bowed, "His Highness requires you again." It was still dark out, Nico noticed. Fate wasn't on his side because had his father not wanted to meet with him, he could have found out who this mystery man was.

  Nico nodded and dismissed the shadow, but Nico noticed a pulling when the door closed. It pulled on his insides, pulling him eastward.

When he headed to the throne room, he had to push with all his might to put his feet in front of each other to move.

  "Father."

  "Son," The King rose from his chair and strode toward Nico. "Always be cautious." Hades disappeared into smokey black and the light from the room disappeared.

  It was training.

Nico panicked slightly, but he quickly built a solid shadow shield around himself.

  "Nico..." The voice was ghostly, seemingly dead. It was dreadful. "Sometimes, it is better to run and hide or fight back than to stay stoic or defend." Nico's shadowy walls cracked.

  The pulling east called more, whispering soft words of promised answers.

  The shield fell, and a powerful force knocked Nico down, cutting him with dark power, leaving crimson trails over his pale skin.

  Hades reappeared, disappointment evident. "Go heal. This will continue twice a day until you can deal with it. This is very important Nico. Shadows are your tool; they belong to us like our weapons."

Hades dismissed him.

"Screw that." Nico mumbled to himself. "I'm going east."

~~~

The stables were empty. His pack was filled. The darkness was welcoming him in.

  He would go east and would find whatever this pull was.

  "Maybe the mystery boy will be there." Nico wondered aloud quietly, but he shook his head at the absurdity. Impossible.

...or was it?

~~~

'Ashy white and blackened night,
The whole ground not visible to sight,
I watch, I wait,
As I am pulled to my fate.
Eastward I follow the pull,
Heading on like a charging bull.

I can not go back,
For to go home and I shall lose track.
This mystery is all I have to trace,
Who is that boy with a familiar face?
His skin is tanned, his hair of yellow,
I know now, I must find this fellow.'

Nico's notebook lay in his lap as he sat, camped out with his stolen horse beside him. The horse needed rest after all, but Nico had escaped a safe distance before the morning's dawn. That was all that mattered to him; however, now his mission was to head east.

The fates, his guts, maybe even the shadows, were pushing him there.

"C'mon bud, you've had enough rest." Nico stood and mounted the horse quickly. "It's time to go find out this mystery of why I'm so drawn to this place." Nico nudged the horse's side.

He had placed his journal safely in his pack and nudged again, firmly, and the horse began to gallop east.

Nico knew they had to make it farther now. His father may have the shadows at night, but Nico had his and was a few hours ahead. He knew his father would find out soon.

  The hunt was on, if Hades was to care, but Nico had the headstart.

Nico looked back only once during his whole ride that day, but not in regret, but fear that if he found this boy and his father followed, that the boy would die.

  Nico didn't know why yet, but he knew the boy would be important and he didn't want his father to ruin his chance.

~~~

  Hades thought himself a decent father; sure, he didn't tell his son some things and was a bit distant, but the boy was alive. That couldn't be said for the boy's mother and sisters, so the boy was strong enough to take on the powers.

Yes, Hades knew he had training to do, but Nico would be ready to be the new king.

Hades had one worry however: Nico had seen someone in his vision and clearly they were going to distract Nico if he went to look for her.

That's why he resolved to late and early practice with the shadows checking in on him at random day intervals. His son, his heir, must be ready for the day he fades.

"Your highness!" A shadow stumbles into the throne room. His son wasn't there.

  "I thought I requested the prince?" His tone was biting.

  "Yes Your Highness, you did." The shadow was trembling as they bowed, "But my king, he is gone."