Chapter 9 the Unseen Things and I Challenge You

Alexander was surprised to see Hephaistion again after they had agreed not. He was wearing the same blood red chriton that Hades wears and he had added more Kohl.

"Hephaistion," said Alexander smiling "I didn't expect you to be back so soon."

Hephaistion gave him a little flirtatious grin and walked around the table his finger wondering around the wood as he came to stand in front Alexander.

"You've changed something," Alexander said with a hint of puzzlement in his voice

Hephaistion put his arms over Alexander's head and linked his fingers.

"How do you mean?" he asked as he brushed Alexander lips with his own

He was about to replied but Hephaistion silenced him with a rough and passionate kiss.

Ok this is strange Alexander thought Hephaistion is never this rough.

Hephaistion ended the kiss by sucking on his lower lisp Alexander opened his eyes and found himself looking into black brown eyes instead of blue.

He pulled away and put the table between him and Hades.

"You have no idea how long I want to try that." said Hades licking his lips and smiling

"Where Hephaistion?" Alexander asked sharply his eyes blazing with anger

"Our little whore was careless and got found out." Hades replied "Now he being punished."

Alexander bang his fist down on the table "He was never yours to begin with you bastard you have no right to do this."

Hades laughed a malevolent laugh and in his hand he held a scroll.

"You see that is where you are wrong."

He unrolled the scroll and pushed it over to Alexander.

Alexander picked it up and read it at the bottom of the legal agreement there was a mark a little broken line that didn't look like muchbut it had been enough.

Alexander shoulders slumped and he let go for the scroll then he stood up and lent forward over the table

"This isn't over yet," he said "I will find away to get him out of this."

With that he pushed passed Hades and stormed out of the room.

He was going to the only people that can help.

When he reached the Elysian Fields he walked towards the top of the stone building. But no matter how far he walked him never got a closer to the building so he began to run towards instead but still he was getting now where faster.

He stopped and looked around he was back at the place where he had started from he began to shout as loud as he could hoping that somebody would hear him.

He collapsed to the grass crying tears of fustrastion; he drew his knees up to his chest.

He didn't know who long he laid there but he was to numb inside to care. He had been buffing when he said that it wasn't over if fact he had no idea how to help Hephaistion, he didn't even know where to start.

Suddenly he felt himself being pulled on to a horse.

"Alexander wake up," said some shaking him

He woke and found Achilles and Patroclus looking down at him.

"What happened?" asked Achilles stepping back so he could sit up.

He was inside the wooden hut next to the stone building.

"He's taken him." said Alexander said almost bursting in to tears "And I don't him to get him back."

He looked at them "He showed me the scroll he made Hephaistion sign." he added

Achilles and Patroclus looked at each other and signed

"The only way you could get Hephaistion back is if you can prove that he belonged to you first and challenge Hades for that right." said Achilles

Alexander looked down at his finger for the ring that Hephaistion had given him but it was not there then he remember that had given it to Ptolemy just before he died.

He couldn't think he looked up at the two heroes for help but they just shrugged and Alexander mentally cursed. He pushed his hair behind his ears something Hephaistion would do when he was deep in thought and his finger brushed the pendent around his neck.

He pulled it out and looked at it and twisted the green stone at the end with his finger He turned around to see the curved name of Hephaistion.

For the first time ever he took it off

"Will this do," he asked "Look it has Hephaistion's name on it and he has one with mine one it."

"That is perfect," said Achilles taking it off him and study it".

"There is just one problem I didn't see Hephaistion wearing his when we meet and like me he never takes his off." said Alexander worried that without the other half of the pendent then he would be able to challenge Hades."

It was then that Patroclus spoke

"I know where it might be," he said "Hades Has a room where he keeps anything that belongs to his lovers before he changes them."

Alexander jumped up "How do we get it." he asked

"Well it won't be simple the room is guarded by unseen things" said Patroclus "But we came help you get it."

He pulled out a map "This will help you find the room, and these will help you to over come the unseen things."

He put a dagger on the table and Alexander's eyes went wide. It was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. The blade was long and thin and the handle was silver decorated with nude female water carriers and the pommel held a blue gem that went all different shades when he turned it, at the top was a lightening bolt.

"Where did you get this?" Alexander asked

They both smiled "Let just say that we are not the only ones who are helping." Said Achilles looking up

Alexander followed his gaze "You mean they… they are watching."

"Indeed but they can't help Hades has refused them entrance to his domain." said Achilles "but they will help any way they can."

Alexander put the pendent back around his neck and tucked into his robe

They rode him back to the edge of the Fields they got down for their horses and the horses went back they way they had come and Achilles and Patroclus stood next to him.

"We are coming with you." said Achilles "By order of Zeus."

They followed the map to somewhere in the south wing of the building and found the door locked.

"Use the dagger," whispered Achilles

Alexander pulled out the dagger and slipped the blade into the lock round key hole and turns which caused the door to open.

"This as far as we go." said Achilles "Good luck."

Alexander sucked in a long shaky breathe then let it out slowly before entering the room.

There were hundreds and hundreds of shelves and Alexander didn't know where to start looking He pulled out one of the touch and began his searches. In the room every so often there was a little mad laughing and out the corner of his eye he caught something smoky float passed he turned around but there was nothing there. He moved from one shelve to the next up and down , side to side but still he hadn't found Hephaistion's pendent.

And he felt the unseen things moving closer just then suddenly he found it.

It was lying next to a box and a set of keys. He picked it up and turned it around to see his name.

He afford a silently prayer to the gods and turned around.

He came face to face with a think smoky nightmarish face. It had huge bulging eyes and a wide mouth fill with sharp teeth. It hissed at him and Alexander quickly brought up the dagger and swap at it causing it vanished, he quickly ducked passed it and ran off the exit.

The unseen things came at him from all sides and he swiped at the with the dagger. One of the landed on his back and bit into his shoulder, he cried out in surprise, he stabbed the dagger through its face and it let go. The door was almost in sight so he ran faster; he flung open the door and dived out then slammed it shut behind him.

"Did you get it?" asked Achilles

Alexander opened his clenched fist and showed him the pendent.

"Let's go." he said standing up and squaring his shoulders

He pulled opened both sets of black door in to Hades throne room. It was a Black throne that was in the shape of a lion with it mouth open and Hades was sat in back in a red cushion with two Black dogs with red eyes were on either side.

Alexander moved forward with Achilles and Patroclus on either side of him.

He held up both pendants.

"Hades Lord of the Underworld ," he yelled his voice echoing around the room " You took something that was mine I Challenge You!"

Hades stood up and laughed

"I accept." he said