AN: ...I feel increasingly depressed with this book day by day... Anyway, we need to trudge on and on. There's miles to go before I sleep.
Time: Next Day
Percy took a mental note to ask Hades for permission to directly flash into his new palace. After the old one was rebuilt, he had forgotten to grant him access.
So, here he was, haggling with Charon. The skeletal ferryman who helped the souls across the Styx wore a ragged purple robe for a change. His skull looked somehow gaunt, with a ghostly mirage of a face, which moved every time he spoke. With the hologramic lips and facial expressions, yet solid bone beneath, watching him talk for some time will give anyone headaches.
Percy sighed, dropping a sackful of drachmae on the table of the DOA studios. "Here you go." Even before he had finished the sentence, the greedy ghost had already scooped up the red velvet sack, cradling it to his thin body like a child.
He bowed, showing Percy through the door to a large, renovated ferry. The boat was modelled after one from Poseidon's old fleet. It was a large speedboat, with a fairly large engine at the helm. Freshly painted black and gold for a change, it looked no different than some of the best mortal boats. It had gold plated railings and the name of the boat was written in embossed silver letters on the side. "The Ferry Across the Styx". No points for imagination there.
Percy held his finger up. "I thought I said no more stuck souls at the studio." He tutted at Charon, waving his finger childishly. "You are being paid already by Hades, and I have personally checked your wages. Several people on Othrys get less than that! Besides, the mortals don't bury their bodies with drachmae anymore, and nor have they for many years. Why do you-" He was cut off abruptly.
The ferryman was not one to be perturbed. "You try standing here, alone, with only these souls for company, trying to get them across a river that hates you and everyone on the planet, trying to fight off the depression and loneliness, and then you tell me!" He argued, waving his arms about, and making the loose sleeves of the rag flap.
Percy waited for some time, racking his brain for ideas, but couldn't find any. He gulped slightly, ignoring Charon, and turned towards the grey souls that populated DOA studios. "Everybody aboard!" The fallen god shouted, making the stuck souls cheer. It was a ghastly sound, like the wails of a dying child, but...what did you expect?
After all the souls had rushed into the ferry, much to Charon's grumbling and protests, Percy stepped aboard, taking care to stand away from the souls. He did not particularly feel like being any more depressed today.
As they started on the journey, with Charon at the helm, he took his position at the prow, looking out over the river Styx. The black, murky water was no longer littered, having been cleaned up completely. It looked like any other sacred river. The air was oppressive, and on looking up, one could see the red 'sky', which was really a rocky ceiling, hazy through the coiling red tendrils of mist. Occasionally, a low hanging stalactite protruded from the haze, an enormous spike of black rock. However, even they were put to use. Every single stalactite that Percy could see, not that there were many, were engraved with images of Hades, Kronos, Iapetus and of him himself.
Even as they floated along, a female figure emerged from the black waters of the Styx, leaving a swirl in the waves behind her. A platform of water floated underneath her, holding her up to the level at which Percy stood, looking proud and regal at the prow of the boat as he was buffeted with the winds of the Underworld. His already messy black hair was ruffled further, and his black cloak billowed out behind him. Snow was curled around his neck, as usual, particularly enjoying the atmosphere of the Underworld for some reason.
Percy tilted his head in greeting. "Lady Styx." Snow's hiss mirrored his tone.
The Lady Styx was lying on her side on the platform of water that floated along her side. She sultrily stared up at the god, not bothering to conceal her arousal or her openly sexual pose. She kinda looked like Thalia, a gothic beauty, with black hair and eyes, black lipstick and pale skin. She wore a tight-fitting black silk dress that hugged every surface of her body, showing her shapely ass and curvy waist and thighs. Her breasts, clearly visible in the absence of a bra, jiggled softly with every breath that she took. Her erect nipples poked through the thin fabric of her silk dress, a fact that Percy's seasoned eyes did not have trouble picking up. Percy smirked, enjoying the effect that his mere presence had on every female.
Earlier, he would have been disgusted, repulsed, launching into a tirade on how loyalty was important and how he was already taken by a beautiful woman. Besides, it was not like Artemis had let any other woman close to him. After he was resurrected, he started taking great pleasure in stringing along women, toying with their emotions, but rejecting them at the last moment. He was still loyal, he had not had intimate contact with anybody but Calypso, but he loved to flirt with them.
"Hero..." Styx moaned sultrily, grinding her thighs together. "Come take me." She bit her lower lip, staring innocently up at him with the big doe eyes that was common knowledge he loved.
She was pleased to see Percy twitch, his self-restraint falter, if it was only for a moment, before the Commander resumed his cold facade. "I'm sorry, lady, but you are already married. I cannot commit infidelity, not help you to do so. Besides, I have important business to attend to. I'm busy at the moment." He spoke in a polite but firm voice, the epitome of a gentleman. Even Percy knew to tread lightly and carefully around Lady Styx.
Styx snorted. "Perses?! My husband!" She sneered at the word. "He is a prick and a boy, afraid of disappointing me, and has not slept with me even once, though he continues to whore himself among the mortals." Seeing Percy's incredulous look, she nodded. "Yes, I'm still a virgin, and I want you to take it." She pleaded, almost desperately.
Unfortunately for her, they were already at the fortified island where Hades' new palace lay. "Styx, leave us be." Hades waved his hand in dismissal, making the goddess pout as she dissolved back into the black water, but not before she repeated her request. "You know where to find me if you ever change your mind." She winked, before dissolving back into the river.
"Uncle Hades, I would request you to grant me permission to your castle," Percy spoke in a formal voice, as he watched Charon recede along the river, out of earshot. Once he was sure that they would not be overheard by the ferryman, he sighed in relief. "Fuck, being so formal sucks!" He gasped, making the two of them laugh. Snow hissed in greeting, making Hades laugh as he slightly rubbed the white snake's head. "You are granted permission, nephew."
"Percy!" Someone shouted, before a black blur tackled the Titan in a hug. The new appearance was short, clad in black armour not much different from Hades', and he hugged Percy tightly.
The black-haired Titan laughed, patting Nico's head, which reached only till his chest. "How are you, Nico? How is Jason? I hope he is treating you well."
Nico blushed, looking down. "You know."
Percy laughed as Hades led them through a path, "I knew since the start."
Nico blushed, trying to hide himself. "Where is Jason?" Percy asked.
It was Hades who answered. "The son of Jupiter is at Camp Othrys at the moment, Nico is only here to help me with the assessment."
They fell into a comfortable silence, Nico relishing in the energizing presence of his patron, and Percy and Hades enjoyed the presence of their friends as they walked through a familiar garden, following a familiar path to a new castle.
The path was gravelled with unpolished rubies, the dull gemstones crunching underneath the metal boots of the trio as they trudged along in silent companionship. A few snakes peeped out from neighbouring bushes as they passed, a few of a very small animal population on the island. Beyond the path lined with obsidian stones, lay fields of fine, soft and green grass that swayed slightly in the non-existent breeze. Every tree in the orchard, tended by Persephone herself, was tall, with golden bark and soft leaves that shined like emeralds, with succulent, juicy fruits of all kinds hanging from the branches, which bent low under their weight. Percy was sure that if he reached out with his hand, he would be able to pluck more than a few from his position on the ground.
The silence was broken by Nico. "What is that smell?" He stuck his tongue out, tasting the air, though less subtly than Percy did.
"Is that one of his powers?" Hades asked Percy with a raised eyebrow.
Percy nodded in confirmation, but his mind was not there, as he tried to taste the air too. There was a faint tangy taste...a taste Percy well recognized. "It's coming from there!" Nico shouted, before sprinting over to the direction, followed by Hades, who had drawn his pitchfork. Percy did not try to stop them, because Nico's still crude abilities could not pick the subtle changes.
As one, Percy and Snow turned their heads in the opposite direction. "Persephone, no use hiding behind that tree." He stopped, waiting for her to come out. When she didn't, he continued. "I don't know why, but know this, I'm serious. I'll not sleep with you, I love my Uncle Hades, and won't ruin my relationship with him because I slept with his whore of a wife." Not waiting for her answer, he turned to march up to the throne room, and wait for the rest.
"Its nothing!" He shouted at Nico and Hades, who were some distance off, searching in the bushes for the origin of the unknown smell. Hades looked confused as, well, himself, but led by his trusted Nico, he continued to ruffle the bushes with his pitchfork in an attempt to get at whatever danger or intruder that smell came from. Nico looked up from his search, stopping briefly to say, "It's not coming anymore."
Percy comforted them to the best of his abilities. "I said it's nothing. Now, come back here, to the throne room! We need to prepare."
Hades stood up. "We are already ready, and everything is in place. If you'll excuse us, Nico and I will go to our private chambers to get freshened up before coming." Percy nodded, waving his hand in silent dismissal.
Left to his own devices, Percy was angry once again. He stormed up to his assigned throne, flopping back into it.
He didn't even notice the beauty of the room he had stepped into. (I have already described Hades' throne room earlier, so I'll not repeat it.) Guards lined the room, from all time periods of history. There were even more jewels than before, making the entire room look like a treasury. There were gemstones of all kinds embedded in the walls, glowing slightly as they reflected the light. The intricate gold artwork, contrasting perfectly against the black obsidian background, shimmered slightly. The torches of Greek fire were still there, but the temperature was perfect. Not too hot, nor too cold. Percy guessed it had to do something with magic.
He flipped out his golden timepiece, rapidly clicking another button at its side. What wouldn't he give to have Calypso right now. He didn't know what had made him so worked up. Girls were constantly doing that. Aphrodite, Rachel, Styx, an unknown number of nymphs, naiads, dryads and minor goddesses, but when it was Persephone, Hades' wife... something inside him had finally snapped.
Sensing his anger, Snow had left him alone for the moment, going to get herself some rat or frog. How she hoped to find those in the Underworld, Percy didn't know.
He was snapped out of his thoughts with a bright flash, signalling the arrival of the Titan Council. Hades and Nico had arrived sometime earlier, somehow escaping his notice. His champion was standing behind his father, eyeing him worriedly. Hades was standing in front of his throne, his arms spread in greeting as he gave a speech.
The words were lost to Percy as he observed the Titans, gauging their responses. Most of them had impressed looks, or were gawking openly. Only a few had retained their senses at the wildly different world they had just entered, and had assumed their assigned thrones.
Percy caught Hestia's eye, and she smiled warmly, making him feel warm and comfortable, easing his anger, and calming him. Percy smiled gently back at the nine-year-old goddess, thanking her mentally. Hestia jumped up to her throne, sipping a pack of orange juice with a small straw, as she waved her feet childishly. Her feet did not reach the ground in her small, nine-year-old body.
Apollo sat beside Percy, in a golden throne as obnoxious as himself.
The Titan of the sun laid a hand on Percy's arm worriedly. "Perce, I know that look. Are you okay brother? What happened?"
Percy shook his head silently, making the blonde retract his hand, and recline regally in his throne as he saw that the rest had already sat down, and Hades was just finishing his speech. As he got up, Percy clicked his tongue lightly, before emitting a low hiss. Almost immediately, as if by magic, Snow was there by his side, climbing up his arm to curl around his neck. Several Titans watched in wonder as the white snake climbed the black armour, forming a beautiful contrast. Apollo sighed internally. That clicking sound was their secret indication that Percy was suffering from the usual problem. Too much female attention.
He laughed internally at the irony. Apollo, who did not have that much of a sex drive, or skill, wanted to sleep with many women, but got none. Percy, who was the literal epitome of a sex demon, was completely loyal to his girlfriend, but was chased around by the entire population of the Greek world.
Percy stood in the middle of the room, surveying the Titans before he began. "The Underworld, unfortunately, is not a civilian area, so there won't be much in the way of music and dance and food here. A purely militaristic unit, I have amped up the quality and numbers, too. The fields of Asphodel have been reformed as a garrison and a barracks. All souls sent to Asphodel are converted into these skeletal soldiers you see guarding us now." He waved his hand towards them. "They are taught by volunteers from Elysium, no one is forced, but the best warriors have taken up the job."
He paced the room as he spoke. "As for the Fields of Punishment, it has remained largely unchanged, save for increased supervision. The only major change has been the introduction of three 'paid' dungeons, which can be used by the particularly bloodthirsty to relieve stress, by torturing the sinners. A few of us have already availed of the services of these special facilities." At this, he glanced briefly at Perses, Hyperion, and Atlas' empty throne.
"As for Elysium itself, it has been reformed along the lines of Atlantis. With civilian services, arcades, restaurants and hotels, and such. With regular feasts, Elysium has improved to a higher level, and the Isles of Blest..." He laughed, "they have obviously become even better. If we enter the Isles of Blest during our tour, we will never be able to get out."
He sat back on his throne. Hades stood up. "We will start the assessment tour at the barracks at the Fields of Asphodel, before going through the rest, and ending with an hour at the Isles of Blest. My Lords and Ladies, if you will. Nico, lead the way."
AN: Ok, let me see. Chapter 37, then I know what to write till...maybe chapter 40? After that, I'll start having to make up everything as I go, due to lack of proper planning. There will be some sex scenes, with Rachel and Styx, because... drama. Percy will be angry with Calypso, and just to spite her, have some flings...and then some more drama. Bla bla bla. You people wanted that.Let's see if I can update again today. It'll be tough, but I'll try.Keep calm and CR7!! Keep calm and LM10!! (Messi)