Chapter 24: I confirm my suspicions.
After his little hiccup with Cerberus, the demigods arrived at the entrance to the Fields of Asphodel. Honestly, he'd thought of a huge mastiff from the Disney Hercules show, when imagining the guard dog.
They crept along the lines of new arrivals, carefully avoiding the patrol ghouls until they reached a huge, black gazebo with a banner: JUDGMENTS FOR ELYSIUM AND ETERNAL DAMNATION.
The pavilion led to two smaller lines. The one on the left led down a rocky path flanked by security ghouls, watching over the torture and punishments: Fields of Punishment. It resembled a battlefield with cracked land, filled with lava rivers and blown-up minefields. The wasteland was surrounded by smoke, dust, and barbed wire, which served as a barrier between the various punishment zones. He could faintly hear hellhounds chasing after dead souls and see people burning at lava stakes, among the other things he didn't want to go into detail about.
"Look," Piper pointed at a hill, where an ant-sized figure struggled to move a massive boulder to the top. "That's Sisyphus."
"Sissy—what?" he squinted at the tiny figure. It was a man, dressed in rags, pushing a massive stone—the size of a house—atop the hill. He remembered the legend. Sisyphus, the king of Corinth, had twice avoided death. As a comeuppance, he was punished to roll an enormous boulder up a hill, only to have it roll back every time it got close to the top, for eternity.
Hades could really come up with mean punishments.
Percy craned his neck to the right side of the pavilion. The view was—infinitely—better than the Fields of Punishments. The path led down towards a small valley surrounded by walls, much like a gated community surrounded by slums. It was the only place in the Underworld that was not associated with the words gloom, dark, and cold. The neighborhoods beyond the security gates were filled with beautiful houses from every era of history. Roman villas with courtyards and central fountains, medieval castles with high fort walls, and Victorian mansions surrounded by beautiful gardens...
Unlike the Asphodel fields, the grass rippled in different colors. A heavenly aroma of Barbeque wafted over the walls. The air was filled with the sounds of tinkling bells and laughter. It was the earthly manifestation of heaven.
Elysium.
"There," Piper pointed to the gleaming blue lake in the middle of the valley. Three small islands are located in the lake, similar to vacation spots in the Bahamas. She cast a longing gaze at the blessed souls luxuriated in eternal bliss.
Isles of Blest. A gated community for souls who had earned Elysium and had chosen to be reborn three times. Percy faintly wondered if the heroes from the myths were currently partying on the vacation islands.
"That's what it's all about," Piper murmured. "That's the place worth dying for."
He shook his head. "That's not a privilege that everyone is entitled to. At least, not us." he led them down the deeper parts of Asphodel.
The surroundings darkened and the air became chilly. Even the colors faded from their clothes. The crowds of chattering spirits began to thin out. A dark obsidian palace loomed on the horizon. It glistened faintly, and Percy realized the castle stood near the Styx, surrounded by a moat of red-hot lava. From the mainland, a long, narrow pathway led to the entrance gate. The castle parapets were crowded with skeletal soldiers watching for intruders.
A familiar screech echoed in the distance. Above the castle, three bat-like creatures swirled. Furies. Percy had a faint promotion that Hades was waiting for them.
This is it. They made it to Hades' palace before the summer solstice deadline. They have neither the master Bolt nor the Helm of Darkness. And somehow, they must assure Hades about his missing Helm and persuade him to call off his armies. They must use whatever at their disposal to end the three-way war and benefit the mastermind behind the scenes.
"Too late to back out now." Piper comforted.
"We'll be okay," Percy tried to sound confident.
If the diplomatic approach fails, Percy will have to swear another oath on Styx to clear his name first. They could use the pearls to leave the Underworld before resuming their hunt for the master bolt. He could only bother with the Helm after delivering the bolt.
Everything turned on its head when they got closer to the palace. Percy passed the blue fate plaque to Piper and told her to keep it safe. When he turned her back towards Hades' palace, Piper pulled away from him.
She yelped as her sneakers sprouted wings and lifted her off the ground, only her body didn't follow. She fell on her back in the grass.
"Piper, stop messing around." Annabeth chided. Of all the places to play a fool...
"But I didn't—ahh!" She took off, screaming in surprise. Her sneakers dragged her forward like an invisible noose around her feet.
Annabeth lunged for her, but she missed. The shoes had taken a life of their own. They dragged Piper towards the palace, levitating her off the ground, face down. Percy and Annabeth raced after her.
"Maia!" Piper commanded, but the magic word seemed to have no effect in the Underworld. "Maia! Nine-One-One! One-One-Two! Stop, dammit!" Everything appeared to be invalid.
"Untie your shoes!" Annabeth yelled.
Piper tried to sit up and reach the shoes even before the warning, but it wasn't easy when your shoes pull you along feetfirst at full speed. She couldn't get close enough to the lace to untie it.
The demigods sped through the crowds of spirits and burst out of Asphodel fields, towards the palace gates. The disturbance caused a lot of security ghouls to notice and chase after them. When Percy was certain the shoes would drag Piper through the palace gates, they veered sharply to the right and dragged her down a steep slope into a dark tunnel.
As they descended deeper into the cavern, the walls constricted around them. Piper's shoes picked up the pace, pulling her away from the sprinting demigods. She was starting to disappear from view.
"Pipes! Hold on to something!"
Percy heard scraping against rocks and Piper's panting as she tried to grab hold of the tunnel walls. His hair stood up on end as the temperature dropped ten degrees. Their surroundings began to change. The black grass and poplar trees from the Asphodel disappeared. The dim light from the stalactites above was their only source of light.
His legs suddenly felt like lead, feet slipping into the rocky gravel underfoot. His backpack seemed to grow heavy as if the girls had filled it with rocks to prank him. Annabeth overtook him, picked up a celestial bronze dagger—the one Piper had used for purchase—that had stuck to the ground and dashed forward.
The tunnel got darker and colder. The cavern at the end reeked of evil and foreboding. The surrounding eerily reminded him of things he shouldn't remember—the foul breath of murder, hot blood spilled on an ancient stone altar, bloodlust during a carnage.
Piper came into sight again at the edge of a sharp drop-off when the tunnel widened into a huge cavern. She clawed at the ground desperately, scrambling for purchase against the power of the flying shoes. They were dragging her closer to the edge, which opened up into an even darker, deeper pit.
It looked slightly different from the cliff he'd seen in his dreams not long ago, but somehow he knew it was the same. The evil voice that had spoken to Luke from below the fog lived there. The shoes kept dragging her towards the edge, and it didn't look like they could get to her in time.
Percy's eyes turned bloodshot, his face contorted as a white-hot rage coursed through him. He slung his overweight backpack and tossed it back into the cavern and pulled several flying knives from his arm guards.
"Piper! Cut off those wings!" he screamed and dashed forward. They wouldn't have made it in time if Piper hadn't sliced up a pair of wings on one shoe. The remaining shoe, just as he predicted, wasn't strong enough to carry her weight, especially not when she managed to dive her sword into the ground. It significantly slowed her drag.
Percy aimed his knives at the swooping shoe. He was fully prepared for his aim to miss and injure Piper, but he was out of time, and Piper was still in danger. He could treat her later with the last of their godly food.
Percy's flying daggers were as thin as an onion layer. Their negligible width made the daggers look non-lethal, but that was only to fool the enemy. A weapon that didn't look imposing had already won half the battle. A head-on attack can be nullified with brute force or tackled in multiple ways. A surprise or sneaky attack is to be wary against.
He flicked his hand, and the daggers flew past Annabeth. Even in such a dire situation, his aim was unsurprisingly precise. The daggers ripped the shoes apart—wings, wedges, tongue, and all. The bare shoe remains staggered midair before they took off and disappeared into the pit.
Piper was ten feet away from the edge when the demigods caught and hauled her back up the slope. Once they were a safe distance from the edge, the demigods collapsed on the obsidian gravel, exhausted. Their breath came in ragged gasps.
Percy stood up and neared the edge once they were out of danger, looking at the vast expanse of the cavern and the gorge below them. Annabeth stood behind him, staring at the cavern in a daze.
She felt like crying. The magic shoes...Hermes' winged shoes...Luke's shoes... How could they, of all things, have gone nuts?
Percy glanced back at her before his focus shifted to Piper. The latter was badly scratched. Both her arms and legs bled from the brutal hauling. Her hair had come undone and resembled a rat's nest. The rocky gravel ripped her clothes off and stained them with splotches of blood. Her eyes had turned obsidian black, slit-pupil like a frightened cat.
No words were exchanged between them.
"What happened—" she sniffed.
Percy's rage went beyond his tolerance. He pulled Hurricane and roared. "Come out, you coward!" A black miasmic fog curled around his sword.
His roar echoed off the cavern walls. The chasm shuddered, and its ominous and evil aura faded slightly. The silence following the roar was deafening. From somewhere beneath the mist, he thought he heard a burst of cold, spine-tingling laughter.
"Percy, this place—" Annabeth started shakily.
"Shh,"
A low, malevolent chanting rose from the darkness below. It had no words he could have possibly recognized—not Greek, not English, not any language he'd ever heard—but somehow understood to be a deep, ancient tongue.
"Wh-what's that noise?" Piper stammered.
"Tar-Tartarus" Annabeth shivered. Her body turned ice-cold. Even her heart turned cold. "The entrance to Tartarus." It was the idea her brain didn't want to entertain before, the conclusion it still didn't want to reach although they were standing on the edge, giving her no choice.
"We have to get out of here," she stressed.
An all-engulfing aura surged from the dark abyss. The malevolent chanting grew louder and angrier. A cold blast of wind pulled at them. Percy felt like a scrap metal being enticed by a magnetic force from the depths of the gorge. He'd have collapsed and given up to let it suck him in if it hadn't been for Piper and Annabeth.
They held each of his hands tightly, a look of pure determination on their faces. It centered him, reminding him to struggle till the end. It was harder than breaking out of the Lotus Casino. The entire pit resembled a high-powered vacuum, pulling at their backs. Their feet slipped into the gravel, obstructing their movements but the demigods kept struggling.
Together, they found the strength to reach the tunnel and stumbled back into the cavern where the Fields of Asphodel came into view again. The wind that had been tearing at their backs died. The cold, murderous aura receded followed by an angry wail of outrage.
The demigods stumbled upon a rock protrusion and collapsed on the black grass. They lay on the ground, both physically and mentally drained to move around immediately. They reached a silent agreement to take a break before resuming their journey.
Percy put his sword away and stood up. "Stay here, you two." he turned in the direction of the cavern they'd fled from. His action frightened the girls; they've yet to calm down from their adrenaline rush.
"Where are you going?" they screamed in unison.
"Huh?" he asked stupidly. "Just to get my bag." he pointed at the faint trace of an object at the entrance to the dark cavern.
"No need," Annabeth immediately objected. "Don't go anywhere near that place." her mind had finally, reluctantly, put together the pieces. But she couldn't respond. Talking about it would make it real, and she was even more reluctant to talk about it in the Underworld. She feared one wrong word out of her mouth would turn her into another blind, sad soul in the Asphodel Fields
She thought Percy got the picture because he didn't push it. "I'll just grab my back. It's not far away." he comforted.
He broke into a sprint once the girls reluctantly agreed and carefully approached the backpack. It'd weighed a ton before he tossed it, and Percy genuinely wondered whether the girls had slipped a bowling ball into it. The hair on his arm bristled when he touched the bag.
"Oh," he wondered and hauled it up with difficulty. He almost staggered under the weight multiple times.
Percy faintly heard Piper's angry wail—a feral, guttural cry of agony. He sighed and waited for a while before making his way back. He saw Annabeth standing there with ambrosia and nectar in hand and stared at Piper as if she didn't know how to approach the girl.
"I'm going to friggin' kill Chris Rodriguez!" he sat down and announced in a flat tone.
"Percy—"
"No," he interrupted Piper. "Think about it. It's an elaborate setup. Everything fell into place. Don't you get it?"
"Percy—" Annabeth approached him.
He shot her a look. She halted in her track, her face morphed from confusion to terror, and froze in it. She gulped down and stepped back, away from him.
Percy averted his gaze. He'd been rather anxious the entire time, that all the pent-up stress burst forth at the edge of the gorge. His whole being still reeked off murderous intent.
He took a deep breath and tried his hardest to disperse the foul air around him. When he looked back, he was his normal, stable self again. "I'm sorry," he told her. "I'm a little stressed out."
"It's okay," Annabeth appeased but kept her distance from him. "I understand what it's like."
"Um, little hep here," Piper called.
He got up and went to work on her immediately. He tossed her a half squished ambrosia square to chew on, and sprinkled the last remained nectar on wounds too deep to heal quickly. Within no time, her injuries rapidly healed, leaving behind faint scar lines.
He rummaged through Piper's bag and pulled out a clean shirt and her old sneakers. Once her arm healed up, Piper began to unbutton her tattered shirt.
Annabeth immediately jumped before him, her arms wide open. "Percy, turn around. You just can't stand there and watch her change!" she spluttered.
"Wha—" he raised his hands in surrender and turned around. He faintly heard Piper giggle and Annabeth stomp her feet. "Geez, I've been with her when she was still a pipsqueak."
"Whatever, jerk." Piper rolled her eyes and tossed the ripped shirt back at him.
A nervous tension silently enveloped them. They have yet to talk about their recent side trip to the edge of Tartarus.
"What was that?" Piper asked the inevitable.
Percy exchanged a glance with Annabeth, silently willing her to not speak about the Titan churning in the pit. "We have important matters to attend to." he sidestepped her question.
"Percy, let's not jump to conclusions with only a few clues..." Annabeth started. Her nonchalance sparked a tinge of annoyance inside him.
"Look," he tried to keep his voice normal. "I'm not...irrationally accusing him of trying to sabotage the quest or anything." he went on. "What if Piper didn't have a longer weapon? What if you had taken the shoes? What if I missed my mark?" the more he talked, the more incensed he became.
"Any one of those missed coincidences could've dragged one—if not all—of us, into that..." his voice trembled.
It was the testament to just how terrifying the ancient voice he'd dreamed could be. His heart dropped into his stomach, but it wasn't because of the missing weapons due for the solstice deadline, or their close shave to the depths of Hell.
He couldn't run from the prophecy any longer. The voice in the pit wanted two items brought to it, the two great symbols of power that went missing.
You shall uncover the one, who bid time for many a year. The prophecy line rang in his head.
Remember, this was the weapon that destroyed the king of the Titans.
Kronos, his mind reminded. The father of the gods.
"If it was just to sabotage our quest, I wouldn't have much to say in this. Personally, I wouldn't have cared whether the master bolt was returned to Zeus or not..."
"Which we have yet to find," Annabeth remarked.
Percy nudged the backpack with his foot. "No need. It's in there," he said. The girls exchanged a shocked glance.
"It's... it's in the backpack?" Piper stared at him, dazed.
Annabeth reached for the bag and unzipped it with trembling fingers. She held it open and light burst out, dazzling them all. The gloomy and dark Asphodel Field suddenly gained a new light source, illuminating the dark caverns.
Zeus' master bolt crackled with power. The raw power caused the hair on Annabeth's arm to stand. She immediately zipped the bag. "But, how..." she croaked.
Annabeth didn't know what to say. For a moment, she had a small doubt creep up her brain. She suspected if Percy had really stolen the bolt and came down to threaten Hades with it, but she shook it off almost immediately.
Percy nervously checked their other bags, wondering if it would spontaneously produce the Helm of Darkness, just as the bolt had mysteriously appeared in his backpack. He could've sworn it hadn't been there when he'd checked their supplies in the zoo truck.
Unless there had been a secret compartment. But why, and who...?
Ares.
He had given them the backpack. Had he been siding with Kronos all along, against the rest of his family? It was a simple explanation, but something was still missing. Ares was still a god. He couldn't be persuaded to switch sides without enormous benefits.
Piper handed him a couple of tissues and pointed at his injured left hand. "Clean up."
He undid the tapings to clean up the blood. He'd been hasty while drawing his daggers back in the cavern. And whenever he was extremely angry or someone had managed to piss him off, the sword seal on his left hand would resonate with him. It'd throb uncontrollably and egg him to erupt his bloodlust and killing intent, rivaling the cold aura back from the cavern.
To cover it up, he'd taped his completely during missions, and it'd proved practical. Until then...
"Guys, let's leave. We have the master bolt. We need to complete the quest before the deadline." Annabeth exclaimed. The master bolt seemed to have brought relief to her.
"No, we need to have a word with Hades. We're in his domain and he wouldn't let us off easily. We must convince him to call off the war." he countered.
"Hades didn't have the bolt, Percy.." Annabeth froze. She seemed to have realized the implication behind his words. "Why would Hades want a war now? What are you not telling me?"
Percy sighed. "Look, it's not that I don't want to tell you this; I just don't want to implicate you. You have to take my word for it." A silent staring contest began. A while later, Annabeth tactically agreed with him and didn't push further.
It's not that he didn't want to tell her about the missing helm. The Helm of Darkness was Hades' symbol of power; a physical representation of his domain. The matter regarding its theft carries divine revelations, and anyone publicizing the facts would incur karma. Although Percy was surrounded by bad luck and didn't mind adding on some more, he doubted Annabeth could survive the retribution. It was better for her to learn on her own.
He quickly gave the girls, a rundown of Hades' army from his dream. It was so mighty and strong, capable of razing a city in the mortal world in a breeze. If the god of the Underworld wasn't accounted for his missing Helm, he might pop a bloodstream and take drastic measures.
Percy cast a glance at the backpack and briefly considered using the bolt to threaten Hades to retreat his armies from swarming the mortal world. He brushed it off immediately. It was almost impossible to gain the recognition of the master bolt, a divine weapon with sentience and spirituality when he'd trouble controlling his weapon.
But he was confident now. They have the bolt and a certain lead for the Helm. He could convince Hades to let them leave the Underworld unscathed. He could finish his quest.
"Let's keep going," he stood up and dusted his clothes. "Can you walk?" he asked Piper.
"Yeah, sure." she hobbled to her feet and limped towards the palace.
oOo
"The circumstances around the master bolt are complicated. Zeus didn't go to war with Hades, even though it had been six months. But it would change if things remain unresolved. They wouldn't let Poseidon reap the benefits while they fought each other." he said while looking out for the security ghouls.
"That makes sense," Piper remarked. "Something like that wouldn't benefit anyone. But if Poseidon were to start the war, the other two wouldn't have to hold back. But what could break the chain? I mean, why would Poseidon make a move needlessly? It's not like he wanted this war." she wheezed.
"Sure, Poseidon hasn't lost anything yet, so he wouldn't instigate a war. And the things he could lose this time was..." Annabeth trailed off, sneaking a glance at Percy.
Under the faint light from the palace, Percy's face was unreadable. He clenched his fist. Despite being aware of the situation, he too had been played along from the start. Unless they find the stolen weapons, things would—more or less—turn out the same way.
Hades' palace stood on the banks of the river Styx. Under the faint light from the glistening river, Percy found several tents and pavilions, with military barricades not far away from the castle. A large number of skeletal soldiers and other pale creatures hurriedly milled around the barracks. They were decked in armors and patrolled the surroundings for eavesdroppers.
The demigods crept along the dark path leading to the palace, keeping away from the military perimeter. They crept along the outer walls and arrived at a richly ornamented back gate leading to a backyard. The Furies circled the parapets, high up in the darkness.
"See, that's what I'm talking about." he reminded Annabeth. "Those guys could turn Los Angeles into a land of no Angles in a day." he shuddered. If she was doubtful about Hades gearing up for war without any particular reason, she didn't show it.
They reached the wide-open bronze gates painted with scenes of doom, bereft of skeletal guards. The courtyard led to a strange garden filled with multicolored mushrooms, poisonous shrubs, and glowing plants. Precious jewels glittered in place of flowers. Grotesque statues—courtesy of Medusa—stood in the garden, making up for the guests.
A pomegranate orchard stood in the center of the garden, lighting the garden in neon colors. An overwhelming fragrance wafted over, begging the demigods to pluck the juicy fruits for a taste. Percy even had the sudden urge to sneak one, but then he remembered the story of Persephone. A single bite of Underworld food and a modicum of hospitality would render you to stay in the Underworld forever.
"Keep moving," Piper prodded him. "The farther the better."
No matter how much the fruits tempted him, the idea of staying in the Underworld for eternity snapped him out of his stupor. They trudged through the black marble portico, and into the house of Hades. The palace floor was polished bronze that shimmered in the torch lights. Skeletal guards in different soldiers stood guard on several doorways to the side.
They sneaked past several doorways, trying to find out the throne room. They opened a side doorway and entered a wide hall. It was decorated with black columns, leading to the cavern roof. Each column held a brazier filled with a green flame, illuminating the hall.
At the base of one of the columns lay two torn backpacks. "Our bags!" Annabeth exclaimed and dashed forward.
Though the badly burnt backpacks still had their spare clothes intact, the nectar canteens had been long since damaged. Annabeth rummaged through her backpack and pulled out a half-burnt book. She sighed in relief. "Thank gods!"
Percy and Piper stared at her skeptically.
"It was my dad's." she defended sheepishly. They stowed their spares and prepared to search for the throne room. Just as he stepped out of the room, Percy felt a pair of eyes staring at him from the darkness in the hall. He could feel it, the hair on his nape tingled as a pair of anticipated eyes bore into him.
Percy scanned the room, trying to pinpoint his stalker. After a moment, he shrugged off the uncomfortable feeling that something was amiss and left the room. But the feeling resurfaced in his heart even after leaving the hall.
"What happened?" Annabeth asked in concern.
"...Nothing," he waved offhandedly.
Mistaking his distress for something else, Piper began, "Percy, it wasn't Chris. He didn't know anything about the shoes. I know this precisely. We can assume that someone had pushed him to take the flack or he was meant to be an unlucky scapegoat. Let's talk about it later, okay?"
"Um...what exactly are you talking about?" Annabeth chimed.
"Don't play dumb now. It's not like you haven't figured it out," he remarked. Annabeth nodded glumly.
It was one thing to retrieve the stolen weapons, but to accomplish that with potential backstabbers—who weren't even considerate to another fellow demigod—was asking too much of him. If not for his backpack weighing a ton all of a sudden, he'd have caught up with Piper before the cavern itself.
Piper had been lucky to equip a sword with her, but what if she didn't? If something untoward were to happen to her, he definitely would've set his sights on Camp Half-Blood. He'd have hunted that bastard Luke Castellan and everyone related, even if it was the last thing he'd to do. He'd turn into a devil incarnate and prove first-hand why the demigods of the Big three were to be feared and sworn off.
Olympian gods, be damned.
The long walkway to the throne room was guarded by skeletal soldiers in military gear. Two U.S marines grinned and leaped aside on their arrival, the palace doors swinging open. A hot wind blew down the corridor.
"I guess that means Entrez-Vous," Annabeth drawled. Percy guessed she'd been right about Hades waiting for them to get there.
He cast a glance at the girls. They were still shaken up from their previous escapade and the current grandiose. He couldn't let the psychological burden oppress them. He flashed a peace sign with a winning smile. "Leave everything to me, guys, err—girls." Piper stifled a laugh.
He tried not to think about what would happen when Hades discovered that they didn't have what he wanted.
The throne room was long and wide, made of black marble. It was decorated with black columns, and braziers filled with red flames. A throne fused with bones was at the end of the hall, with a figure lounging leisurely on it.
Hades was waiting on his throne. His posture was relaxed but at the same time, there was an underlying tension to his form, like a coiled spring ready to burst if he pressed the wrong button.
He was at least ten feet tall, dressed in a black silk robe, and a crown of braided gold. His skin was albino white, with shoulder-length jet black hair; a sharp contrast feature. His fathomless eyes regarded them coldly. Percy had the feeling that the god had observed every moment of their journey through the Underworld—including their side trip to the edge of Tartarus.
The fact that he seemed unbothered by it actually made him feel better. Between Hades and the Titan churning in the pit, he'd take Hades any day.
"You are brave to come here, son of Poseidon," Hades spoke at last. "Or perhaps you are simply very foolish to come alone," he said in a rich, smooth tone.
Percy felt his bones numb, tempting him to lie down and rest forever. Hades' aura was affecting him, just as Ares' had. The lord of the Dead resembled pictures he'd seen of Adolf Hitler and other terrorist leaders in documentaries. He had the same unfathomable, mesmerizing eyes and the charisma to make people commit suicide in his name and take pleasure from it.
Percy fought down the urge to cower and stepped forward. "Lord and Uncle," he stayed respectful. "I've come here with a request."
Hades leaned forward. Percy thought he'd seen tormented shadowy faces shimmer in the folds of Hades' robes. "Only one? Speak then. It amuses me not to strike you dead yet."
Percy didn't know whether to be grateful for Hades' willingness to hear him out or be mad at the underlying accusation in his tone. It appeared Hades had been dead set on him for his missing weapon. He gulped and glanced at the empty flower throne beside Hades. it was inlaid with golden threads and diamonds.
Persephone's winter seat.
Percy recalled something about Persephone capable of calming her husband's mood. But it was summer, and queen Persephone would be above in the world of light with her mother Demeter, the goddess of Agriculture. According to Greek, Persephone's visits cause the season's change, not the planet's tilt.
Seconds ticked by. Hades waited, but he wouldn't stay patient for long. Annabeth prodded Percy and cleared her throat awkwardly.
"Lord Hades," he paused. "Look, sir, there can't be a three-way between brothers. It would be..." he searched for a proper term. "...bad"
"Really bad," Piper chimed.
"Call off the war. Please, sir. Let me finish my quest. I shall search for what's rightfully yours." his fingers nervously drummed against his thighs. Annabeth and Piper waited with bated breath.
"You dare keep up this pretense, after what you've done?" Hades didn't exactly raise his voice. He remained languidly in his seat but the entire room seemed to vibrate with anger.
"Um...sir, I believe there's a misunderstanding here," Percy said hesitantly. "It's not what you think—"
The angry vibrations exploded into an earthquake so strong, that they probably felt it upstairs in Los Angeles. Debris and dust fell off the palace ceiling. The palace doors burst open all along the walls, and skeletal soldiers thundered from the outer perimeter into the room. They raised their weapons and blocked the exit.
"Do you think I want war, godling?" Hades bellowed. He spread his arms as if to say, look at this!
Well, these guys don't look like peace activists. Percy thought to himself.
"You're the lord of the Dead. A war would expand your kingdom, right?" Annabeth said.
Percy had to give her credit for how steady she managed to keep her voice. But it was a dangerous answer, given the circumstance. Hades looked ready to shoot bolts from his eyes. Or perhaps snap his fingers and have his soldiers crush them into dust.
Hades snorted. "A typical thing for my family to say! Do you think I need more subjects? Do you not see the sprawls in Asphodel Fields."
"Well," Annabeth stammered, but Hades was on a roll.
"Have you any idea how much my kingdom has swollen in this past century alone, and how many subdivisions I've had to open?" He went into a long rant about his manpower issues, overpopulation and congestion problems, and the ridiculous expenses of over-expansion.
Percy thought of the DOA brochure: downsizing in the Underworld has reduced the number of staff at major security checkpoints.
"And the dead keep arriving! No, godling. I need no help getting subjects. I did not ask for this war."
Percy hoped that meant Hades wouldn't be so keen to kill them and add to his inflated population.
"But you mobilized your forces," Annabeth said stupidly. Percy felt like smacking her. It seemed obvious at this point that Hades wasn't preparing to invade the mortal world.
"Lies," Hades was so incensed, he actually stood up and advanced on him. "Poseidon may fool Zeus and the council, but I'm not stupid. I see his plan."
"His plan?"
"You were the thief on the Winter Solstice. Your father thought to keep you his little secret. He directed you into the throne room on Olympus to take the master bolt and my Helm." Hades went on, and Percy was forced to put his questions on hold. "Had I not sent the Fury after you at the school, your father might've succeeded in his schemes. You've been forced into the open now. You will be exposed as Poseidon's thief, and I will have my helm back." he continued to harangue Percy, but one point stuck out like a red flag.
So Hades had been in the dark regarding the true culprit. Why didn't the Olympian council update him?
"But.." Annabeth started, her mind piecing the puzzle. "lord Hades, your helm is missing, too?" she connected the missing dots. It wasn't that the helm was invisible; it really wasn't there and hadn't been since the winter solstice.
How could it be, though? She thought inwardly. Chiron hadn't given any indication whatsoever that anything else had been stolen. But Percy and Piper knew about it beforehand...
"Don't play innocent with me, girl!" Hades roared. "Just because you've tamed Cerberus once, don't even think about persuading me as you've done to my dog. You've been helping this hero—coming here to threaten me Poseidon's name, no doubt—to bring me an ultimatum. Does Poseidon think I can be blackmailed into supporting him?"
"No," Percy protested. "Lord Hades, this is a misunderstanding. I didn't take your Helm. I told your Furies about it. What actually—"
"Misunderstanding," Hades snarled. "I have said nothing of my Helm's disappearance because I had no illusion that anyone on Olympus would offer me the slightest justice, the slightest help." he gave a humorless laugh. "I can ill afford for the word to get out that my most powerful weapon of fear is missing. So, I searched for you myself. I had intended to take drastic measures, but when it was clear you were coming to deliver your threat, I did not try to stop you."
"Oh, yeah. What are you going to do then?" Percy snarked. He probably should've been terrified of Hades' threat, since Hades had intended to snatch something of equal worth to make an exchange. And the only thing—err, person—Percy had...
All thoughts to persuade Hades went out of the window immediately.
"Return my helm now, or I will stop death," Hades threatened. "That is my counterproposal. I will open the earth and have the dead pour back into the world. I will make your lands a nightmare."
"How laughable," Percy barked. "You're as bad as Zeus, all high and mighty. I've told Mrs. Dodds about the stolen Helm and everything. Just because I killed her, you sent monsters after me." A cacophony screech reverberated the throne room, as three winged bats perched on Hades' throne.
A slurry of words exchanged between them, and then with Hades—in a language, Percy was unfamiliar with. Hades' eyes smoldered, looking at the Furies as if he was reprimanding his subordinates for their failed duties.
"Lies," Hades fumed. "You can fool others with your sophistry, godling. But I'm not stupid. You came here with the bolt to threaten me!"
The demigods were speechless. "Who told you that?" he asked suspiciously.
Hades looked taken aback. He recomposed quickly though. "What makes you think I must answer you?!"
Annabeth's mind raced with questions. Her heart leaped to her throat. Not because of the threats Hades started to make, or even the back-and-forth argument that Percy had idiotically picked with Hades.
She couldn't run from her terrifying conclusion any longer. The voice in the pit wanted two items to rise against the gods.
The Titan of Time. her mind supplied. The Father of the gods, The Titan King, Kronos
Annabeth felt like vomiting. She took a deep breath to clear her mind, and look past the obvious. She must uncover the truth, and see things clearly. The three Olympian brothers had been fixated on their rivalries, convinced that one of them must be the culprit, so much so that they had targeted Percy, the only known son among them.
It had blinded them to the possibility of someone else orchestrating the entire debacle. Her own fears had kept her from seizing on the terrifying truth. It had been so much easier to convince herself and the others that Hades was the mastermind, like Chiron had deduced.
Because she didn't want to believe that a primordial force was awakening in Tartarus, planning his rise to power. And he had a servant. Someone had carried out his bidding but failed to deliver the bolt.
It wasn't Percy, she knew that. But there had been a group of demigods on Mount Olympus at the Winter Solstice. She wondered why the finger of blame hadn't descended on them earlier.
"I did not," Percy insisted. "I don't have your helmet. I can only search for it if you let us go." he wasn't quick in his promise to return the Helm to Hades. Who knew where it was...
"Why did you bring the bolt, you little fool, if not to threaten me?" Hades thundered. The surrounding soldiers raised their weapons threateningly.
"Where—in the Hades—did you read about a demigod threatening a god with another godly weapon? Do you believe Zeus would be lenient enough to let me hold onto his prized possession, just so Poseidon could threaten you to rally against him? It's an amazing story. I want a copy."
"Me!" Piper raised her hand, "Me, I want one, too." she chirped.
Annabeth looked appalled. These two are rather bold and have no sense of discretion about the impending war. Any newcomer would conclude that they were pouring oil on the fire. Hades looked ready to cast them into Tartarus.
"You heroes are all the same," Hades laughed mirthlessly. "Your pride makes you foolish, thinking you could do anything because the ancient laws permit you. I did not ask for Zeus' master bolt, but since it is here, you will yield it to me. I am sure it will make an excellent bargaining tool for my Helm. And now, about you..."
"I told you, I didn't steal your Helm. I can only find it—" A small commotion made him pause. The palace shuddered lightly as if a powerful entity was trying to force its way from every direction.
Hades' expression finally changed; he was no longer enraged. The palace continued to rumble, like a volcano trying to explode into the palace.
The soldiers blocking the exit parted ways. Something exploded outside, rocking the palace with it. A middle-aged woman appeared at the hall entrance. She was clad in a black silk robe, almost translucent like the rest of her being.
Hades looked at her, his surprise morphed into anger, making him tremble in fury. "You...why have you come here? This is my castle, and you dare to barge in here unannounced."
The lady refused to respond and searched the room. Her eyes finally settled on Percy. An incongruous joy flitted past her eyes. She sauntered into the hall, completely disregarding Hades, and stood before the demigods. There was only Percy in her eyes.
As she stood before him, Percy got a clear look at her. She had black chapped lips and heavy eyeliner around her obsidian eyes. One of her eyes smoldered with rage and loathing, while the other held pity and disappointment. Her smoky dressed billowed at the helm, making her look ethereal.
Hades shook from anger, "You dare ignore me! What are you doing here?" he bellowed.
She didn't respond, as if Hades was absent from the throne room.
Percy felt a shiver run down his spine, looking into her obsidian eyes, bereft of emotions. She observed him, her gaze tilted down, and a ghost of a smile flickered on her face. She gently placed her hand on his face. It was cold as a frozen glacier.
Percy backed down. "Um...can I help you?"
"I'm here to claim a broken oath. All debts must be cleared on due."
"No," Hades protested. "He's my bargaining tool to get back my weapon. My domain is at peril, my subjects refuse to listen to me. And the war with the—" he froze abruptly.
"I'm not here for your permission. I came to exert my authority." she insisted.
None of the demigods knew what to say as the two entities continued to argue back and forth. Percy didn't know what to do. It felt like their original task had morphed into a totally different, but equally impossible mission. He tried to focus on the quest.
To get the master bolt, and return it to Olympus. They had the lightning bolt and apparently had had it all along, but now they had to get out of the Underworld if they were to return it—escape from Hades, who wanted the bolt.
And the lady, who was capable of sniping with the lord of the Dead. Surely, she must be another immortal entity in Hades' court. And she was bent on claiming some broken oath from him. It was good thing the immortals had intended to settle the score before they lay claim to the demigods.
Percy thought about the pearls in his pocket. He believed this counted as an emergency, and they could get them out of this. If only he knew what their actual purpose was...
The two entities ceased their arguments. Hades shook his head in pity and turned to the demigods. Then a strange glint appeared in his eyes.
"Ah, the pearls," he smirked. Percy froze. "Yes, my brother and his little tricks. Bring them forth, Perseus Jackson." His hand moved against his will, and Percy brought out the pearls.
"Only two," Hades mused in a faux-thoughtfulness. "A shame. You do realize each only protects a single person. Which of your companions will you leave behind to spend eternity with me? Go on, choose, godling." he egged.
No gift comes without a price, Annabeth's reminder rang in his head.
"We were tricked." Piper realized.
"Yes," Annabeth agreed. "but why? And the voice in the pit—" she halted. The strategy neatly fell into her head: steal two powerful weapons. Set brother against brother and render the world in warfare. Capture Percy and use him to claim the last weapon. Unite the three and rise from Tartarus.
Though there might be a few discrepancies, Annabeth was certain she was correct in her assumption.
"I don't know yet, but I intend to ask," Percy said grimly. His mind worked nonstop, veins popping on his forehead.
"Decide, godling!" Hades roared.
"Percy," Piper placed her hand on his arm. "We can't give him the bolt."
"I know that." The bolt really wasn't an option. He needed it to complete the quest. He could only move on and solve the rest of their problem after delivering the lightning bolt.
Piper took a deep breath. "Leave me here. I'll distract them until you escape. You two leave."
"No!" he was horrified at the idea.
"We don't have a choice. I can...can escape once you leave, find my way back to the mortal world. I can bribe Charon once again. Hades can't deal with me personally. It's the best way."
"No," Annabeth drew her dagger. "You two, go on. You came to the camp together. You're going to finish the quest together. I'll cover for you."
She couldn't take the idea of someone sacrificing on her behalf. Not after Thalia, eternally standing as a tree. Nor could she let Percy stay. He had to complete the quest. There was only one alternative.
She looked at the skeletal warriors, at least two dozen of them. She hoped the pearls would work quickly. She'd have to be really fast and even if she managed to hold them off, she'd probably only buy her friends a few seconds.
But this was it. Let your head guide you and not your heart. You're wisdom's daughter. her mother's advice echoed in her heart
Both Percy and Piper had already proven their mettle. This was her chance to show that she had what it took to be a hero, too.
Even if it was her last stand. "I plan to go down fighting," she told them, and to her relief, her voice came out steady and strong.
Percy stared at her, his heart heavy. He'd completely given up on her when she'd defended Chris—by extension, Luke—back at the cavern, and only thought of her as an obstruction on his path. And it changed quickly too. He'd even resolved to take her hostage to rat out Luke Castellan once they returned to camp.
But here she was, preparing to sacrifice herself for him, just for a week's worth of friendship. He genuinely felt a lot better to accept her request back then to join the quest. He couldn't ask for a more worthy companion.
"No way," Piper protested. "I'm staying behind."
"Think again, Pipes!" Annabeth challenged.
"Stop it, both of you." he decided. He couldn't leave either of them behind. He simply couldn't. He doubted the lady in black, staring at him like a snake, would let him leave willingly either. Not after the commotion she'd created for him.
"I know what to do," he shoved a pearl at each of them. "Take these."
"But Percy—" he stopped Annabeth.
"I'll find my way back. Trust me on this," he steadied himself before the girls.
"Godling?" Hades said uncertainly. The lady in black trained her eyes on him, everything else irrelevant to her.
"I'll find your helm, lord Hades," he promised. "Before that, I must leave. It wouldn't hurt to play with Cerberus once in a while."
"Do not defy me—"
"Now, guys!" he ordered. Annabeth and Piper flung their pearls on the ground. They shattered but nothing happened for a minute.
Percy's eyes bulged out in confusion, anger, and helplessness. He wondered if the Nereid—in turn, her mistress—had somehow managed to trick him. He pulled out his swords and launched at the surrounding skeletal soldiers.
Hades yelled in fury. "Destroy them!" The skeletal armies rushed forward, brandishing their weapons. The furies lunged, their whips bursting into flames.
Percy's dual wielding proved to be useful in dealing with large hordes. He deflected the spears and dodged the bullet rounds, all while leading the incoming troops away from his friends. For a second, everything went well. He was winning and led them to the exit.
Green light burst forth from the pearls. A gust of fresh sea breeze blew, momentarily enthralling him. Two milky white spheres encased the girls, and they started to float off the ground.
Spear and bullets sparked harmless off the bubbles. Percy lunged at the baronets, slicing through their ranks. A black mist curled around Hurricane, as more and more skeletons fell to his blade.
Hades looked startled. Percy's last strike was even stronger than he'd expected. As the ruler of the Underworld, nothing could defeat his minions and escape him in his palace. But before this, he hadn't sensed this immense from Percy.
At the same time, he had to admit that if Percy had suddenly unleashed that power at the start, perhaps he would have had the chance to escape the palace unharmed. But he only made his attempt to hold off the soldiers to let his friends escape.
A ripple appeared in his eyes when he thought of that. However, he didn't overthink things and focused his attention on Percy, rather the sword, once again. The demigod, his weapon, and the lightning bolt were still within his grasp, surrounded by his forces. Nothing could go wrong.
At least, he thought as much.
Something heavy slammed into Percy. He flew off the ground and struck one of the columns, hacking up a mouthful of blood. He slid down the column, painfully feeling his bones creak under the impact.
"Now, it's time." The lady in the black crooned. The surrounding troops parted ways for her. But before she could reach out to him, a brazier filled with red flames broke from the column above his head. The flames quickly engulfed the room, painting a picturesque image. The skeletal soldiers near the edge caught up in the fire and turned into nothingness—armor, weapons, and all.
The flames were red, but not the ordinary red. They were blood red. Even their form seemed similar to blood; as if they were alive.
For some unknown reason, Percy felt a chill upon seeing those flames. He didn't know what those flames are, but he knew at least that he wasn't supposed to get in contact with them. A small tongue of it, and he would be instantly incinerated.
As for Hades, he was horrified. Ignoring Percy, he rushed over to his throne. "Who opened the Hell flame purgatory and released the Karmic Hell Flames!" he roared. He turned to the lady, "You mad woman! To fulfill your whims, you unleashed the Netherworld's Karmic flames into my palace! My domain will devolve into utter chaos! Stop this at once!"
"Who said I was the one who brought them here?" she replied curtly.
It looked like more and more of the red flames were gathering from the outside. Hades screamed at the woman, but she was only interested in Percy. She watched in glee as a small tongue of the flames catch on Percy's sleeves.
He quickly discarded his jacket, but the flames had already snaked their way past his clothes. The demigods inside the bubbles watched in horror as the flames quickly engulfed him, resembling a human torch.
"NO!" they screamed in unison. The hovering bubble began to ascend to the ceiling. The demigods attacked the surface relentlessly but remained unsuccessful.
BANG!
The lord of the Underworld watched in shock as a column collapsed on the ground, the force flung the human torch at the escaping globes. He furiously roared, until his anger shook the palace and the cavern ceiling collapsed.
The two white bubbles, encased in red flames, shot up at breakneck speed, traveling through the solid ground, away from the Underworld and Hades' towering rage.
xXx
A/N: And done! Sorry, it took me a while. I've been a little preoccupied. You know the drill. Reviews are always appreciated.
