CHAPTER 6: LEARNING NEW THINGS IS TERRIFYING (THAT WAS WHY I NEVER LIKED SCHOOL)
PETER POV
Well, I just saw a huge three headed dog get disciplined. What about you?
"Peter look at this," said Katie. What was I seeing?
Imagine the largest concert crowd you've ever seen, a football field packed with a million fans.
Now imagine a field a million times that big, packed with people, and imagine the electricity has gone out, and there is no noise, no light, no beach ball bouncing around over the crowd. Something tragic has happened backstage. Whispering masses of people are just milling around in the shadows, waiting for a concert that will never start.
If you can picture that, you have a pretty good idea what the Fields of Asphodel looked like.
The black grass had been trampled by eons of dead feet. A warm, moist wind blew like the breath of a swamp. Black trees—Katie told me they were poplars—grew in clumps here and there.
The cavern ceiling was so high above us it might've been a bank of storm clouds, except for the stalactites, which glowed faint gray and looked wickedly pointed. I tried not to imagine they'd fall on us at any moment, but dotted around the fields were several that had fallen and impaled themselves in the black grass. I guess the dead didn't have to worry about little hazards like being speared by stalactites the size of booster rockets.
Annabeth, Katie, and I tried to blend into the crowd, keeping an eye out for security ghouls.
I couldn't help looking for familiar faces among the spirits of Asphodel, but the dead are hard to look at. Their faces shimmer. They all look slightly angry or confused. They will come up to you and speak, but their voices sound like chatter, like bats twittering. Once they realize you can't understand them, they frown and move away.
The dead aren't scary. They're just sad.
We crept along, following the line of new arrivals that snaked from the main gates toward a black-tented pavilion with a banner that read:
JUDGMENTS FOR ELYSIUM AND ETERNAL DAMNATION
Welcome, Newly Deceased!
Out the back of the tent came two much smaller lines.
To the left, spirits flanked by security ghouls were marched down a rocky path toward the
Fields of Punishment, which glowed and smoked in the distance, a vast, cracked wasteland with rivers of lava and minefields and miles of barbed wire separating the different torture areas. Even from far away, I could see people being chased by hellhounds, burned at the stake, forced to run naked through cactus patches or listen to opera music. I could just make out a tiny hill, with the ant-size figure of Sisyphus struggling to move his boulder to the top. And I saw worse tortures, too—things I don't want to describe.
The line coming from the right side of the judgment pavilion was much better. This one led down toward a small valley surrounded by walls—a gated community, which seemed to be the only happy part of the Underworld. Beyond the security gate were neighborhoods of beautiful houses from every time period in history, Roman villas and medieval castles and Victorian mansions. Silver and gold flowers bloomed on the lawns. The grass rippled in rainbow colors. I could hear laughter and smell barbecue cooking.
Elysium.
In the middle of that valley was a glittering blue lake, with three small islands like a vacation resort in the Bahamas. The Isles of the Blest, for people who had chosen to be reborn three times, and three times achieved Elysium. Immediately I knew that's where I wanted to go when I died.
"That's what it's all about," Annabeth said, like she was reading my thoughts. "That's the place for heroes."
"That and living your life to fullest," said Katie from beside me. Annabeth looked at her as if she had grown a second head and Katie just shook her head.
But I thought of how few people there were in Elysium, how tiny it was compared to the Fields of Asphodel or even the Fields of Punishment. So, few people did good in their lives. It was depressing.
We left the judgment pavilion and moved deeper into the Asphodel Fields. It got darker. The colors faded from our clothes. The crowds of chattering spirits began to thin.
After a few miles of walking, we began to hear a familiar screech in the distance. Looming on the horizon was a palace of glittering black obsidian. Above the parapets swirled three dark batlike creatures: the Furies. I got the feeling they were waiting for us.
"I suppose it's too late to turn back," Katie said resignedly.
"We'll be okay." I tried to sound confident.
"Maybe we should search some of the other places first," Annabeth suggested. "Like, Elysium, for instance ..."
"Come on, Bird Brain," Katie grabbed her arm, taking on a confident persona before she yelped. Her sneakers sprouted wings and her legs shot forward, pulling her away from Annabeth. She landed flat on her back in the grass.
"Katie," Annabeth chided. "Stop messing around."
"But I didn't—"
She yelped again. Her shoes were flapping like crazy now. They levitated off the ground and started dragging her away from us.
"Maia!" she yelled, but the magic word seemed to have no effect. "Maia, stop! Don't get me eaten! Help! I will burn you if you don't stop"
I got over being stunned and made a grab for Katie's hand, but too late. She was picking up speed, skidding downhill like a bobsled.
We ran after her.
Annabeth shouted, "Untie the shoes!"
It was a smart idea, but I guess it's not so easy when your shoes are pulling you along feet first at full speed. Katie tried to sit up, but she couldn't get close to the laces. Hell she could barely sit up.
We kept after her, trying to keep her in sight as she ripped between the legs of spirits who chattered at her in annoyance.
I was sure Katie was going to barrel straight through the gates of Hades's palace, but her shoes veered sharply to the right and dragged her in the opposite direction.
The slope got steeper. Katie picked up speed. Annabeth and I had to sprint to keep up. The cavern walls narrowed on either side, and I realized we'd entered some kind of side tunnel. No black grass or trees now, just rock underfoot, and the dim light of the stalactites above.
"Katie!" I yelled, my voice echoing. "Hold on to something!"
"What?" she yelled back.
She was grabbing at gravel, but there was nothing big enough to slow her down.
The tunnel got darker and colder. The hairs on my arms bristled. It smelled evil down here. It made me think of things I shouldn't even know about—blood spilled on an ancient stone altar, the foul breath of a murderer.
Then I saw what was ahead of us, and I stopped dead in my tracks.
The tunnel widened into a huge dark cavern, and in the middle was a chasm the size of a city block.
Katie was sliding straight toward the edge.
"Come on, Peter!" Annabeth yelled, tugging at my wrist.
"But that's—"
"I know!" she shouted. "The place you described in your dream! But Katie's going to fall if we don't catch her." She was right, of course. Katie's predicament got me moving again making me forget about the creepy voice who offered to give me my dead mother back at the same pit.
She was yelling, clawing at the ground, but the winged shoes kept dragging her toward the pit, and it didn't look like we could possibly get to her in time.
Then suddenly a pair of vines protruded out of the ground and caught onto her.
The flying sneakers had always been a loose fit on her, and finally Katie had something to try to stop her or at least slow her down enough for the left shoe to come flying off. It sped into the darkness, down into the chasm. The right shoe kept tugging her along, but not as fast. Katie was able to slow herself down by grabbing on to the roots or veins or whatever and using it like an anchor.
She was ten feet from the edge of the pit when we caught her and hauled her back up the slope. The other winged shoe tugged itself off, circled around us angrily and kicked our heads in protest before flying off into the chasm to join its twin.
We all collapsed, exhausted, on the obsidian gravel. My limbs felt like lead. Even my backpack seemed heavier, as if somebody had filled it with rocks. It was the same since we got past Charon.
Katie was scratched up pretty bad. Her hands were bleeding. Her eyes had gone wide in fear and disbelief before managing to become more confident and speak even though she was terrified
"I don't know how ..." she panted. "I didn't..."
"Wait," I said. "Listen."
I heard something—a deep whisper in the darkness.
Another few seconds, and Annabeth said, "Peter, this place—"
"Shh." I stood.
The sound was getting louder, a muttering, evil voice from far, far below us. Coming from the pit.
Katie sat up. "Wh—what's that noise?"
Annabeth heard it too, now. I could see it in her eyes. "Tartarus. The entrance to Tartarus." I uncapped my sword. Nothing special about a standard Celestial Bronze Sword I had Beckendorf make.
The bronze sword expanded, gleaming in the darkness, and the evil voice seemed to falter, just for a moment, before resuming its chant.
I could almost make out words now, ancient, ancient words, older even than Greek. As if ...
"Magic," I said.
"We have to get out of here," Annabeth said.
Together, we dragged Katie to her feet and started back up the tunnel. My legs wouldn't move fast enough. My backpack weighed me down. The voice got louder and angrier behind us, and we broke into a run.
Not a moment too soon.
A cold blast of wind pulled at our backs, as if the entire pit were inhaling. For a terrifying moment, I lost ground, my feet slipping in the gravel. If we'd been any closer to the edge, we would've been sucked in.
We kept struggling forward, and finally reached the top of the tunnel, where the cavern widened out into the Fields of Asphodel. The wind died. A wail of outrage echoed from deep in the tunnel. Something was not happy we'd gotten away.
"What was that?" I panted, when we'd collapsed in the relative safety of a black poplar grove. "One of Hades's pets?"
Annabeth and Katie looked at each other. I could tell she was nursing an idea, probably the same one she'd gotten during the taxi ride to L.A., but she was too scared to share it. That was enough to terrify me and Katie.
I capped my sword, put the pen back in my pocket. "Let's keep going." I looked at Katie and asked.
"Can you walk?"
She swallowed. "Yeah, sure. I never liked those shoes, anyway"
"Where did the root come from?" asked Annabeth.
"Desperation," I answered for Katie and she nodded.
"When desperate enough we do things, we have never done before and so do our powers," I told them.
PERCY POV
A truer statement has never been spoken.
A beach is not a good place for a slaughter. The Harbour not far from it even more so.
Me and the Hunters were hiding on the roof of a renovated beach house not far from the Harbour which was bustling with activity at the crack of midnight and no one seemed to realize it.
Then again, the people who were making sure a huge cruise ship was getting loaded were Laestrygonians, Cyclops, Dracaena and Empusa. There were hellhounds and two headed snakes milling around all over the place.
There was a tall (like seven foot tall) black haired man standing in one corner ordering the monsters about while the Minotaur brought up the rear and made sure everyone picked up supplies to get loaded.
There were a few armed teenagers in the mix. They either carried swords or spears. One of them had a hammer. A few harpies were also flying in the air.
They were moving in organized lines towards the huge cruise ship which was named Princess Andromeda.
The ship was huge and white in colour. There was a figurehead of a sixteen-year-old girl chained to a rock in the front of the ship. The ship had four decks and I could feel the Engine room all the way from here. It was pumping with magic.
Another tall man descended to the harbour. This man was even taller than the man before. He had long blond hair. Atlanta's breath caught in her throat and Joanna's hand tightened around her bow. Phoebe was scowling at the figure.
"It's not him," said Zoe ducking beside me and looking at the three.
"Are you sure?" asked Cersei.
"He looks a lot like him," said Joanna.
"It's not him," concluded Phoebe angrily. "I really wish he leaves that dumbass Island of his.
"Who is it we are discussing?" I asked bewildered.
"It's none of your business," said Phoebe, glaring at me and I fell back in shock at her expression. I hadn't seen that expression on her face for so long I almost forgot how angry she could get.
"Peace Phoebe. It's Percy. You get nothing by doing this," said Atlanta, placing a hand on her shoulder.
"That is Orion, though," said Zoe suddenly.
"What?" said the four of us at the same time.
"Orion, the black-haired asshole. I was chasing him for close to 2000 years now. I would recognize him from a mile off. It's him alright," she said after which she spit in his general direction.
"What is he doing here?" asked Atlanta.
"Better yet, I thought he was dead," I asked them.
"Not exactly. He didn't die per say. He was a giant Percy. He reformed and came back," said Atlanta.
"And before you say it, Lady Artemis never 'loved' him," said Phoebe glowering in the man's direction too.
"She might have respected him," said Atlanta, "But that was gone when we discovered how much of a dick he is."
"Who is Blondie and who did you think he was?" I asked them .
"I told you…" started Phoebe but Zoe stopped her.
"It has to do with my past. I will tell you later," said Zoe. I will hold her to that. I might hold her to that. In reality I was pretty sure if she said I wouldn't tell you I wouldn't mind.
I nodded to her and looked down as a truck drove into the harbour and a woman descended from the car. Not a single vehicle was nearby the Mist working overtime to make sure none of this was discovered and the car drove in like it owned the place.
The Woman, who got out of the car, was in essence breath-taking. She had long straight raven black hair. Her eyes, unlike my sea green or Katie's Chlorophyll green (I could stare at them for hours) were toxic green. She was easily six foot tall. Her dress was pure black in colour and hugged her like it was a glove. It opened at her legs in a slit to her right and the dress had a plunging neckline. She wore a necklace with a black pear hanging with it.
Surrounding the women with all sorts of creatures. Goblins, pixies, headless horsemen, a bunch of large pigs (Like big pigs that's all they were), something that looked like Orcs from the Lord of the Rings, and all sorts of creatures.
"Oh, this is not good," said Zoe and Phoebe nodded her head in agreement.
"Why what's wrong?" I asked them,
"Who the hell is she?" asked Atlanta.
"Stay down all of you, don't say a word," Zoe commanded and Phoebe did it immediately which was enough to get us down. Phoebe might walk into a burning house if there was a fight to be had and she was scared. That was good enough for us.
"That is Morgan Le Fay," said Phoebe and I had to do everything in my power not to burst out laughing.
"Wait you are serious?" I asked her when the other three looked ashen faced.
"Yes, Percy. She is dangerous and if you don't shut up, we will all die," said Zoe in a hissing voice.
"But,"
"Shut up Percy," said Cersei and I did it. She was never one to stay stuff like that so I listened immediately.
I had to stay down and look on as Zoe and Phoebe took turns to look up. I tried once but Atlanta kept me down and shook her head.
I knew enough Myths to recognize Morgan Le Fay as the half-sister of Arthur Pendragon and the most dangerous Witch of all time. I was more scared of Meade since she killed her own children but whatever.
Are the Greek Gods responsible for Camelot too? Merlin and Lancelot. Percival and the Holy Grail. Indiana Jones too. What have they not interfered in? Everything from the invention of fire (Well that was Titan but whatever) to the invention of the Internet seems to have the Word Greek God written in it in secret.
I wonder if the Wizarding world is true too and JK Rowling is a witch and the Gods created that too.
"Why is she such a big deal?" I whispered to Atlanta.
"Not the time Percy," said Atlanta.
"We will tell you when this is done," said Zoe in a tone that brokered no argument.
"Okay," I mumbled.
I waited a few more minutes. I turned to the side to see the beach.
The beach looked calm at the same time polluted and unclean. I had an unexplainable feeling of wanting to clear the place. I was about to walk up and do it but managed to contain myself at the last moment.
Cersei looked at me with a stink eye and I pointed to the waste all over the beach and in the water. She immediately understood and nodded.
We waited for a long time but finally the Witch left alone and all the multiple creatures she brought along with her stayed and helped the people. The Goblins who were about three feet tall got into the ship directly along with the Pixies.
The Orcs started carrying supplies to the ship up the plank. The headless horsemen were moving around the harbour without problems and guiding the monster's along (By using a whip made of what looked like vertebrae but can I judge).
"Now can you answer," I asked Zoe.
"Yes. She is gone," said Zoe.
"Morgan Le Fay is a dangerous woman. Born to Hecate and probably the strongest witch ever she wanted the throne of Camelot but Arthur who was actually not even a Pendragon and a Son of Poseidon stole it from her and her sons who she had with multiple gods…" I interrupted her.
"More than one God," I asked and she nodded.
"How did she manage that?" I asked and Phoebe shrugged and said
"She spread her legs far enough and the God's can't keep it in their pants,"
"Yes, now let me continue," said Zoe. I chose to not say anything until she was done because she looked irritable.
"She wanted to oust Arthur from the throne but she couldn't because all her Children flocked to his round table and he also had a son of Zeus named Lancelot to support him. It all went to hell when Aphrodite got Lancelot's lover and her daughter Guinevere married to Arthur who didn't really like her. At the same time Mordred, born to Morgan and Hades took his place to kill Arthur and take over the throne for his mother. He lost Lancelot and his power weakened due to what happened with his wife and half the power shifted to Mordred. In the fight that ensured neither of them survived. The demigod race was almost wiped out of existence during the war. Morgan blind with rage made a deal with the Devil…" and I interrupted her.
"Devil," I asked her, unsure of where she was going.
"Lucifer, Samiel, Satan," said Joanna helpfully.
"But that can't be right," I told them. The world I knew was slowly starting to expand and blow up.
"It is Percy," said Cersei empathetically.
"There are things out there Percy not even I can completely understand Percy," said Lady Artemis from behind her and I turned to see her standing there with the rest of the Hunt looking at me empathetically.
I started to hyperventilate and my breathing became quicker. My eyes started blurring out and I could hear my name from some direction. It was difficult to breathe now and before I knew what was happening, I lost consciousness and just fell to the ground like a sack of potatoes.
PETER POV
Katie tried to sound brave about it, but he was trembling as badly as Annabeth and I were. Whatever was in that pit was nobody's pet. It was unspeakably old and powerful. None of the monsters had given me that feeling. I was almost relieved to turn my back on that tunnel and head toward the palace of Hades.
Almost.
The Furies circled the parapets, high in the gloom. The outer walls of the fortress glittered black, and the two-story-tall bronze gates stood wide open.
Up close, I saw that the engravings on the gates were scenes of death. Some were from modern times—an atomic bomb exploding over a city, a trench filled with gas mask-wearing soldiers, a line of African famine victims waiting with empty bowls—but all of them looked as if they'd been etched into the bronze thousands of years ago. I wondered if I was looking at prophecies that had come true.
Inside the courtyard was the strangest garden I'd ever seen. Multi-coloured mushrooms, poisonous shrubs, and weird luminous plants grow without sunlight. Precious jewels made up for the lack of flowers, piles of rubies as big as my fist, clumps of raw diamonds. Standing here and there like frozen party guests were Medusa's garden statues— petrified children, satyrs, and centaurs—all smiling grotesquely.
In the centre of the garden was an orchard of pomegranate trees, their orange blooms neon bright in the dark.
"The garden of Persephone," Annabeth said. "Keep walking."
I understood why she wanted to move on. The tart smell of those pomegranates was almost overwhelming. I had a sudden desire to eat them, but then I remembered the story of Persephone.
One bite of Underworld food, and we would never be able to leave.
We walked up the steps of the palace, between black columns, through a black marble portico, and into the house of Hades. The entry hall had a polished bronze floor, which seemed to boil in the reflected torchlight. There was no ceiling, just the cavern roof, far above. I guess they never had to worry about rain down here.
Every side doorway was guarded by a skeleton in military gear. Some wore Greek armor, some British redcoat uniforms, some camouflage with tattered American flags on the shoulders.
They carried spears or muskets or M-16s. None of them bothered us, but their hollow eye sockets followed us as we walked down the hall, toward the big set of doors at the opposite end.
Two U.S. Marine skeletons guarded the doors. They grinned down at us, rocket-propelled grenade launchers held across their chests.
"You know," Katie mumbled, "I bet Hades doesn't have trouble with door-to-door salesmen."
I was thankful I brought her along. Her attempt to lighten the mood helped and even Annabeth looked a little better now.
My backpack weighed a ton now and kept increasing. I couldn't figure out why. I wanted to open it, check to see if I had somehow picked up a stray bowling ball, but this wasn't the time.
"Well, guys," I said. "I suppose we should ... knock?"
A hot wind blew down the corridor, and the doors swung open. The guards stepped aside.
"I guess that means entrez-vous," Annabeth said.
The room inside looked just like in my dream, except this time the throne of Hades was occupied.
He was the third God I'd met, but the first who really struck me as godlike.
He was at least ten feet tall, for one thing, and dressed in black silk robes and a crown of braided gold. His skin was albino white, his hair shoulder-length and jet black. He wasn't bulked up like Ares, but he radiated power. He lounged on his throne of fused human bones, looking lithe, graceful, and dangerous as a panther.
I immediately felt like he should be giving the orders. He knew more than I did. He should be my master. Then I told myself to snap out of it.
Hades's aura was affecting me, just as Ares's had. The Lord of the Dead resembled pictures I'd seen of Adolph Hitler, or Napoleon, or the terrorist leaders who direct suicide bombers. Hades had the same intense eyes, the same kind of mesmerizing, evil charisma.
"You are brave to come here, Son of Zeus," he said in an oily voice. "After what you have done to me, very brave indeed. Or perhaps you are simply very foolish."
Numbness crept into my joints, tempting me to lie down and just take a little nap at Hades's feet. Curl up here and sleep forever.
I fought the feeling and stepped forward. I knew what I had to say. "Lord and Uncle, I come with two requests."
Hades raised an eyebrow. When he sat forward in his throne, shadowy faces appeared in the folds of his black robes, faces of torment, as if the garment were stitched of trapped souls from the Fields of Punishment, trying to get out. The ADHD part of me wondered, off-task, whether the rest of his clothes were made the same way. What horrible things would you have to do in your life to get woven into Hades's underwear?
"Only two requests?" Hades said. "Arrogant child. As if you have not already taken enough. Speak, then. It amuses me not to strike you dead yet."
I swallowed. This was going about as well as I'd feared.
I glanced at the empty, smaller throne next to Hades. It was shaped like a black flower, gilded with gold. I wished Queen Persephone were here. I recalled something in the myths about how she could calm her husband's moods. But it was summer. Of course, Persephone would be above in the world of light with her mother, the goddess of agriculture, Demeter. Her visits, not the tilt of the planet, create the seasons.
Annabeth cleared her throat. Her finger prodded me in the back.
"Lord Hades," I said. "Look, sir, there can't be a war among the gods. It would be ... bad."
"Really bad," Annabeth added helpfully.
"Return Zeus's master bolt to me," I said. "Please, sir. Let me carry it to Olympus."
Hades's eyes grew dangerously bright. "You dare keep up this pretense, after what you have done? After what your father made you do?"
I glanced back at my friends. They looked as confused as I was. What my father made me do.
"Um ... Uncle," Katie said. "You keep saying 'after what you've done.' What exactly has Peter done?"
The throne room shook with a tremor so strong, they probably felt it upstairs in Los Angeles. Debris fell from the cavern ceiling. Doors burst open all along the walls, and skeletal warriors marched in, hundreds of them, from every time period and nation in Western civilization. They lined the perimeter of the room, blocking the exits.
Hades bellowed, "Do you think I want war, godling?"
"Well, these guys don't exactly look like peace enthusiasts," said Katie looking around the Skeletons.
For a very small second Hades's mask slipped and his lips twitched before he brought it back into his normal aggravated expression.
"Demeter's, are you?" he asked looking at Katie.
"Yes, sir" said Katie unsurely.
"I will give you one chance child. Run out of here and I might let you live," said Lord Hades.
I wanted to scream at her to run. Go save yourself. But I couldn't bring the words to my mouth. I just couldn't and Katie stayed as defiant as ever. I was very grateful for her.
Hades raised an eyebrow towards her and then looked at me and his face was burning with rage again. Was it his time of the month or something because he was very cranky?
"You didn't answer my question, Godling," he said, spitting out the words from his mouth.
I stepped back instinctively.
"You are the Lord of the Dead," Annabeth said carefully. "A war would expand your kingdom, right?"
"A typical thing for my brothers to say! Do you think I need more subjects? Did you not see the sprawl of the Asphodel Fields?"
"Well..."
"Have you any idea how much my kingdom has swollen in this past century alone, how many subdivisions I've had to open?"
I opened my mouth to respond, but Hades was on a roll now.
"More security ghouls," he moaned. "Traffic problems at the judgment pavilion. Double overtime for the staff. I used to be a rich god, Peter Benet. I control all the precious metals under the earth. But my expenses!"
"Charon wants a pay raise," Katie blurted, just remembering the fact. As soon as she said it, she looked like she wanted to sew up her mouth. Better yet Annabeth might do it for her.
"Don't get me started on Charon!" Hades yelled. "He's been impossible ever since he discovered Italian suits! Problems everywhere, and I've got to handle all of them personally. The commute time alone from the palace to the gates is enough to drive me insane! And the dead just keep arriving. No, godling. I need no help getting subjects! I did not ask for this war. "
"But you took Zeus's master bolt."
"Lies!" More rumbling. Hades rose from his throne, towering to the height of a football goal post. "Your father may think he has the Council and my brother and sisters fool, boy, but I am not so stupid. I see his plan."
"His plan?"
"You were the thief on the winter solstice," he said. "Your father brought you into Olympus under the pretence of the field trip and helped you steal my Helm. He then pretended to have his own weapon stolen and diverted his attention to my brother and the proud idiot fell right into the trap of his. How long has he been planning this, boy? I will have his head if there is a scratch on Poseidon," he said raging at us and growing taller. Almost twenty feet tall.
"But ..." Annabeth spoke. I could tell her mind was going a million miles an hour. "Lord Hades, your helm of darkness is missing, too?"
"Do not play innocent with me, girl. You have been helping this hero—coming here to threaten me in Zeus's name, no doubt—to bring me an ultimatum. Is Zeus so daft he thinks he can blackmail me into letting go of my brother. Let him come godling. I will hold you here and join my brother for the war. He has gone along long enough."
"No!" I spoke. "Zeus didn't—I didn't—"
"I have said nothing of the helm's disappearance," Hades snarled, "because I had no illusions that anyone on Olympus would offer me the slightest justice, my brother ignoring me and Hestia trying for diplomacy, Hera busy with her husband. I can ill afford for word to get out that my most powerful weapon of fear is missing. So, I searched for it myself, and when it was clear you were coming to me to deliver your threat, I did not try to stop you."
"You didn't try to stop us? But—"
"Return my helm now, or I will stop death," Hades threatened. "That is my counter proposal. I will open the earth and have the dead pour back into the world. I will make your lands a nightmare. And you, Peter Benet—your skeleton will lead my army out of Hades."
The skeletal soldiers all took one step forward, making their weapons ready.
At that point, I had no idea what was going to happen but two things were certain: Katie and Annabeth became bargain chips against my dad's forces and my dad was going to lose if Lord Hades joined Lord Poseidon. The war would wreck Olympus to shreds or more like it's king and his allies.
It was Katie who spoke finally.
"My mother said you were better than this. Aunt Hestia said you could be made to see reason. I guess they were wrong weren't they,"
PERCY POV.
Well, the boundaries of what was to be believed and what was not to be believed were just folded into a ball and kicked into outer space if there ever was such a thing.
I woke up a few minutes later and just stayed there as I tried to come to terms with what was said to me.
Satan. That can't be real. That must not be real.
I could barely comprehend my dad being a Greek God and it took me almost six months before I came to terms with it. Now this. My brain might have melted into goo right in my skull.
"You should have seen Zoe when I told her about the existence of other forces than the Greeks. She freaked out so bad it was hilarious," said Artemis, taking a seat beside me.
"This is not payback for the thing with the cake right," I asked Lady Artemis as I felt Winter place his head on my chest and lick my face.
"It isn't but you will get payback. Trust me on that," said Lady Artemis with an evil glint in her eyes.
I didn't know which scared me more, the promise of payback or the existence of the one True God.
"How can this be true?" I asked Lady Artemis as I rose up on my elbows and then placed my head into Winter's soft fur. Winter let out a whine, a little one it was, before curling into and around me.
"I can't say Percy. I never really understood how it happened, only that it did. Athena would be better equipped to explain," said Lady Artemis.
"How come I wasn't told before or for that matter noticed anything out of the ordinary," I asked them.
It was Zoe who answered.
"We did the jobs related to them when you were with either Lord Hermes or Lord Apollo or with Lady Athena,"
"In all honesty we never wanted you to find out anything about any of them," said Lady Artemis.
"Any of them. There is more," I asked her, surprised.
Zoe shook her head at ashen-faced and guilty looking Lady Artemis.
"Please milady tell me," I asked her with as much pleading I could muster.
"Yes, there are more of them. To be precise, the Romans as you know, the Egyptian, the Indian, the Norwegian. They are the strongest and the highest probability to run into even if it is very low. The Angels and Chinese are still stuck in their heaven while the Japanese stay as far away as possible. The last traces of Persians and the Scottish are vanishing," Lady Artemis told me.
"There is an actual chance I can run into them."
"There were borders. Strong magical boundaries around the regions we were strong in to prevent interactions. Greek for us. Persia for the Persians. Scotland for the Scottish and so on but that idiot Xerxes broke it apart for the first time. It was forever weakened by Alexander and Rome. It barely manages to hold the worlds apart from one another. We the Gods know but there are rules that stop us from interacting but that isn't stopping the dark elves from burning Camp Jupiter to a crisp,"
"How is this even possible?" I asked her even though I knew she had no answer.
"I can't say Percy. I really can't. I could try explaining their power and cause of existence but how it came to be or more exactly why I don't know," said Lady Artemis shaking her head.
"So, what now?" I asked her.
"Nothing Percy," said Artemis. "Even if you told anyone about this no one would believe you,"
"I guess you are right. So, I have to be prepared to deal with them," I asked her.
"No, that is the purpose of the Hunt," said Zoe.
I went to argue but I was stopped by Lady Artemis. "You are as much a Hunter as any of us but you know why you can't be a part of the Hunt,"
I nodded my head in understanding and then looked down to the dock. The added numbers from the Morgan La Fay made work easier. Some of the things she brought with her were so grotesque it was difficult to look at.
"What are those things?" I asked pointing at the creatures I couldn't place with any of the Myths of Greek or the geek and nerd culture from Hermes.
"Demons. Nasty Creatures. Lucifer's servants. They escape from his realm from time to time and we have to hunt them down. I think there is more to her deal then we know my lady," answered Damini.
"Isn't Lucifer a bad guy?" I asked Joanna as Lady Artemis went to front with Zoe and crouched down like a panther ready to strike.
"He is," answered Joanna.
"Then why isn't he causing more problems?" I asked her.
"We locked him up, Percy. After he gave Morgana powers, she transformed into a dragon. She went ahead and burned Camelot to the ground. She wanted vengeance against the gods and led Lucifer's army of demons to attack us. If it wasn't for Merlin and the aid of some Roman demigods and Thor there wouldn't have been anything left of us," said Phoebe shivering as if remembering a particularly nasty memory which is completely possible because she was probably there when it happened. I decided not to concentrate on the thing about Thor.
"After the fight, our gods met up with the Angels. The angels didn't intervene saying it was not their fight but they agreed to help our Gods lock Lucifer and prevent these kinds of incidents. Along with our own magic and the Angels and some help from the Primordial Tartarus we placed a seal on the entrance to Hell," finished Atlanta.
I realized she capitalized Hell and understood what she meant.
"How does the Underworld work exactly in that case?" I asked.
"It's not like we go around asking Lord Hades, do we Percy," said Phoebe with a slight amount of amusement.
"Why did the Primordial decide to help?" I asked them but before they could answer the Earth beneath us shook. I knew enough about earthquakes to say this wasn't from the sea. The buildings shook but the harbour was relatively unharmed but the same couldn't be said about the city. Some buildings collapsed into themselves and fires started up some time later.
The monsters started hustling and bustling faster and the headless horseman smacked them with whips making them go faster. The people at the head were also shouting at them.
"The negotiations aren't going as well as we might hope," said Grace after all of us got up after hitting the ground due to the tremor.
"Way to be a downer, Grace," said Xing after looking out at the harbour.
"All right here is the plan, we split into five groups. The Youngest of the Hunt will stay in this building with their bows out. You take down the larger targets like the horsemen of the grotesque creatures or any of the heavier and lesser in number targets. I would rather not engage any of those things in Combat," said Lady Artemis.
"What are they?" asked Chloe.
"Bad things Chloe. Things I hoped would never walk the earth again," said Zoe cryptically, only making the thing more terrifying.
"The headless monster is called a Dullahan and it's of the Irish Mythology. To those of you who have not dealt with creatures from the other Pantheons this will be your first test. The rest of them on the other hand are demons. Specifically fighting demons. They are dangerous and not to be engaged under any circumstance," said Lady Artemis, making us nod.
"Phoebe take our best spearmen. Deal with the Minotaur and the Pigs keep your distance and poke them full of holes," said Lady Artemis, making Pheebs nod and start picking a group. I went to join her but she stopped me and gave me a look that said wait for Lady Artemis's order and stop being stupid at the same time.
"Zoe take Naomi and Damini and enter the ship. Find out what you can," said Lady Artemis.
The three of them were gone before I even turned my head.
"Atlanta pick out the best Archers of the leftover Hunters and cover me and my group as we engage the rest of the enemies on the ground along with us," said Lady Artemis and Atlanta nodded and started picking them up leaving me alone.
"Milady, what am I to do?" I asked Lady Artemis.
"I think I made it clear, Percy. the younger ones stay here and use your bows," said Lady Artemis calmly.
"But milady..." I wanted to protest.
"No buts Perseus. My decision on this is final," I tried my best not to scowl too much as I heard that. Lady Artemis had given me a place in her Hunt and trained me. I should be grateful and stop being petulant but I was trained...
I could see him descending the ship on the harbour. After almost three years the thing that took my mother away was standing there. The same blood red broadsword, the same fiery red hair and the same bloodshot eyes. Everything else became insignificant as my eyes took in the man who was still breathing while my mother wasn't and before I knew it I let out a guttural roar of rage and jumped off the building onto the harbour running into an army of monsters hoping to kill the Titan Menoetius.
PETER POV
"Speak carefully in my presence child," said Lord Hades as what Katie said sank in with me. He looked so angry I lost my ability to speak. My mouth was dry and I felt like I was going to pass out.
Annabeth yanked Katie back and hissed at her, "Are you trying to get us killed?"
"He is, isn't he. He speaks like he is better than the Olympians but in reality, he is just as bad. He has no evidence of the fact Peter did this but he still accuses him of stealing,"
"Who says I don't have evidence child. It's right there in his bag," said Lord Hades pointing at the bag Ares gave me.
A horrible feeling struck me. The weight in my back-pack, like a bowling ball. It couldn't be...
I slung it off my shoulder and unzipped it. Inside was a two-foot-long metal cylinder, spiked on both ends, humming with energy.
"Peter," Annabeth said. "How-"
"I-I don't know. I don't understand."
"You heroes are always the same," Hades said. "Your pride makes you foolish, thinking you could bring such a weapon before me. I did not ask for Zeus's master bolt, but since it is here, you will yield it to me. I am sure it will make an excellent bargaining tool. And now ... my helm. Where is it?"
I was speechless. I had no helm. I had no idea how the master bolt had gotten into my backpack. I wanted to think Hades was pulling some kind of trick. Hades was the bad guy. But suddenly the world turned sideways. I realized I'd been played with. Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades had been set at each other's throats by someone else.
The master bolt had been in the backpack, and I'd gotten the backpack from ...
"Lord Hades, wait," I said. "This is all a mistake."
"A mistake?" Hades roared.
The skeletons aimed their weapons. From high above, there was a fluttering of leathery wings, and the three Furies swooped down to perch on the back of their master's throne. The one I stuffed my sock in her face grinned at me eagerly and flicked her whip.
"There is no mistake," Hades said. "I know why you have come-I know the real reason you brought the bolt. You came to bargain for her."
Hades threw a ball of gold fire from his palm. It exploded on the steps in front of me, and there was my mother, frozen in a shower of gold, just as she was at the moment when the doctors told me she was no more after the attack from the Cyclops.
I couldn't speak. I reached out to touch her, but the light was as hot as a bonfire.
"You can have her. She is not dead. Not completely. She is at the brink of it and if you return my helm, I might just let her live. I took her knowing who she was and what she was worth to both you and your father. Give it back to me and she will live,"
I thought about the eagle feathers in my pocket. Maybe they could get me out of this. If I could just get my mom free ...
"Ah, the feathers," Hades said, and my blood froze. "Yes, my brother and his little tricks. Bring them forth, Peter Benet."
My hand moved against my will and brought out the pearls.
"Only three," Hades said. "What a shame. You do realize each only protects a single person. Try to take your mother, then, little godling. And which of your friends will you leave behind to spend eternity with me? Go on. Choose. Or give me the backpack and accept my terms."
I looked at Annabeth and Katie. Their faces were grim.
"We were tricked," I told them. "Set up."
"Yes, but why?" Annabeth asked. "And the voice in the pit-"
"I don't know yet," I said. "But I intend to ask."
"Decide, boy!" Hades yelled.
"Peter." Katie put her hand on my shoulder. "You can't give him the bolt,"
"I know that."
"Leave me here," she said. "Use the third feather on your mom."
"No!"
"My mom is Demeter. I might have the best chance of survival in this place," she told me.
"No." Annabeth drew her bronze knife. "You two go on. Get his mom out of here. I'll cover you. I plan to go down fighting.
"No way," Katie said. "I'm staying behind."
"Think again, garden girl," Annabeth said.
"Stop it, both of you!"
I felt like my heart was being ripped in two. They had both been with me through so much. I remembered Katie attacking the Blemmyae from air in Indianapolis and Annabeth saving us from Cerberus; we'd survived Hephaestus's Waterland ride and the Lotus Casino.
I had spent thousands of miles worried that I'd be betrayed by a friend, but these friends would never do that.
They had done nothing but save me, over and over, and now they wanted to sacrifice their lives for my mom.
"I know what to do," I said. "Take these."
I handed them each a Feather.
Annabeth said, "But, Percy ..." I turned and faced my mother.
I desperately wanted to sacrifice myself and use the last feather on her, but I knew what she would say. She would never allow it. I had to get the bolt back to Olympus and tell my father the truth. I had to stop the war. She would never forgive me if I saved her instead. You will fail to save what matters most in the end.
She was here for almost three years. She just had to wait for a little more time.
"I'm sorry," I told her. "I'll be back. I'll find a way."
The smug look on Hades's face faded. He said, "Godling ...?"
"I'll find your helm, Uncle," I told him. "I'll return it. Remember about Charon's pay raise."
"Do not defy me-"
"And it wouldn't hurt to play with Cerberus once in a while. He likes red rubber balls."
"Peter Benet, you will not-"
I shouted, "Now, guys!" We threw the feathers into the air.
For a scary moment, nothing happened.
Hades yelled, "Destroy them!" The army of skeletons rushed forward, swords out, guns clicking to fully automatic. The Furies lunged, their whips bursting into flame.
Just as the guns were about to fire the Feathers tansformed into giant eagles. They picked us up by their beaks and flew us out of the Hades's Palace.
The next ten minutes were horrfying to say the least.
The furies along with a bunch of Harpies follwed Eagles danced around all their enemines with extreme agility and nimbleness. Each of them was as large as a sedan and looked capable to tearing us apart without a problem. They had golden brown feathers and sparks flew out of their body at random moments keeping the monsters at bay.
Katie kept screaming at the top of her lungs as they took us out of the Palace. We flew across Hades's realm and on our way out Cerebrus let out a whine of betrayal and sorrow. I had half a mind to stop just so I could turn around and play with the poor guy but the Eagle didn't let me.
"How do we tell them where to go?" asked Annabeth as they took us away from the styx and the boat enterance.
"I don't think we can tell them anything," I told her over Katie and the winds screaming.
They kept flying around dodging the monsters and Katie kept screaming until they found a tunnel. They went straight in and flew so fast even I started feeling a sligh amount of vertigo and I never get vertigo. The tunnel started turning and diverting. The Eagles gave sharp turns accordingly. I am pretty sure Katie threw up at some point.
After a few minutes of vomit inducing flying we made it out and into the streets of Los Angeles leaving behind a fuming Lord of Underworld causing Earthquakes that shook all of the city.
Well that's wrap. Please do review and tell me how you feel and where I can do better. Things are going to get more intresting from now on and be ready for it.
dxlxtxd xccxxnt: I am sorry but I couldn't move the story forward without the pairing determined. Thank you for your kind words.
Tijn Peters: I will try writing a different story with Reyna in it.
Radiant Arabian Nights: I will speed up my writing and screening process. I'll try to update faster. Please keep enjoying the story.
thompil000: I will take it into consideration and maybe draft up a backstory for Peter Benet. I wanted to go in a different direction for the story but went with something else. So, the title is different.
avidPercyXReynafan: That was a happy coincedence. I just wrote the first two names that came to mind.