"No…I can't serve Kronos!" I gasped.
"You are! Oh dear gods! This makes PERFECT sense!" Annabeth covered her mouth.
"But…but"-
"Of course. Eris and the Titans would be unstoppable!"
I took a deep breath and looked at Annabeth. "How do I escape it?"
Annabeth looked at me, eyebrows furrowed.
"I…I don't know," she said. "We can look for a loophole!"
"What do you mean?" I egged her on. I could see the brain whirring.
"Percy…fight fire with water," she grinned. "I know someone who can help!"
"Who?" I cocked my head.
"Harmonia," Annabeth said. "Of course, Harmonia! She's Eris' opposite! But sadly, she's been missing for a couple of years. Rumor is Eris scared her off with SOMETHING. Plus, here's the catch…many say she is the rumored daughter of Aphrodite and Ares! But Aphrodite says it's Hephaestus's daughter so she can escape her husband's wrath!"
"No way!" I sat cross-legged. Maybe we were getting somewhere.
"Yes. Legend has it when she married Cadmus, he presented her Hephaestus's necklace, which Hephaestus made for her. It's called"-
"I know this!" I said excitedly. "It's called The Necklace of Harmonia, and it brings misfortune to those who posses it!"
"Yes!" Annabeth nodded. "If we can find her and the necklace, we might be able to get Kronos or Eris to wear it!"
"How?" I whined. "Eris probably knows it by heart,"
"True…then we need to disguise it…" Annabeth sighed. She threw the covers off her and stood up. "Percy…what happened to the REAL Hades?"
"…good question," I nodded.
Thalia and Grover came back, breathless.
"What happened?" Annabeth squeaked.
They had cuts and bruises.
"Percy! Poseidon isn't there!" Grover managed to say.
Loud thuds came in the palace. I inclined my head towards Annabeth. She was pale. I jumped out of the bed and stood beside her.
"OCEANUS IS!" Thalia screamed.
My ears were popping. The thuds became louder.
"PERSEUS JACKSON!" the voice called.
"DUCK!" Thalia dived by the bed. Annabeth, Grover, and I did the same. And just in time too. The door and the ocean marble by it came crashing down.
"Ouch!" grimaced Grover, a rock hitting his bared arm.
"Keep calm," Thalia hissed.
"Oh yeah, calm!" I glared.
"PERSEUS, I SEE YOU!" the Titan cackled. I looked up and stared in fear and disgust. He had the upper body of a muscular man, two horns sticking out from his head. His tale and hands however, were odd. One hand was normal, and another was a crab's claw. His lower body was a tale, a mermaid's.
"Erm…I see you too, Sir," I chuckled weakly.
"Shut up Percy!" Annabeth groaned, fumbling in her pocket for the compressed, invisible baseball hat.
"Sorry," I hissed. "I couldn't help it!"
"PERSEUS!"
"STOP YELLING, DANG NABBIT!" I covered my mouth. Who said DANG NABBIT anymore?????
Suddenly, I felt myself being picked up from the floor. Thalia, Annabeth, and Grover could only watch, helpless. Thalia couldn't muster any electricity here, and Annabeth was still looking for her cap.
"HEY!" I fought at the hand that had lifted me. "PUT ME DOWN NOW!"
"No," the titan cleared his throat. "Lord Kronos would like to see you,"
"So Luke did fulfill his deed?" I spat.
"No. He actually tried to stop Kronos,"
I looked down to Thalia's face. It now became emotionless.
"What do you want from ME?" I whined.
Suddenly, the same piercing pain that had happened on my arm when I got the first slash happened again. I looked down, shaking slightly. A fresh cut was on me. Two years worth of serving Kronos.
"Let's go," the Titan roared.
I cringed as he walked out with me.
"Annabeth!" I yelled.
"Percy!"
"FIND THE NECKLACE! FIND HARMONIA! IT'S THE ONLY HOPE!"
"DON'T SAY OUR PLANS YOU IDIOT!" Thalia roared.
"Oh…right,"
"Quiet!" Oceanus flicked my head with is crab claw. That was enough for me. I blacked out.
-x-
I awoke on the Underworld's floor. I blinked at it a couple of times.
"Whoa," I shakily got up to find myself staring at Hades.
"Percy," his voice became sad. "Back so soon?"
And suddenly he morphed in front of me. The pale skin melted, being replaced with a reddish tan. His cloak became pure white with not a speck of dirt on it. In his hand, was a sickle (or a reaper for those of you who don't know what it is) and his face was illuminated. I could see the boldness of Zeus, the eyes of Poseidon, and the firmness of Hades in it.
"Y-you're"-
"Kronos," he said, his voice light. "And I believe you owe me two years of loyal service, Perseus Jackson,"
"No way!" I snapped. "I was talking to Hades, not you!"
"But it isn't my fault you did not know me from my son," Kronos frowned.
I glared at him, fists clenched.
"Perseus, do you wonder why Luke was so firm in his judgment…and was so passionate in trying to stop me?" Kronos stood up, looking at the sickle.
"No," I glared.
"He also owed me years of service. Five, to be exact," Kronos said. "I always give you something to turn your thoughts to MY loyalty, not the Olympian Gods and Goddesses,"
"What do you mean?" my mouth was slightly agape. "Luke was under some sort of spell?"
"Tsk, enchantment, dear grandson, enchantment!" Kronos said. "And when his five years were over…he came back to his senses. And tried to defy me,"
"What did you do to him?" my voice was etched with genuine fear.
"Tartarus," Kronos said simply. "What other way? He became immortal, you know. I tried to convince him to come back to me when I turned him into a god, but it brought the complete opposite effect,"
"You SON OF A-"
"Don't insult me, Perseus," Kronos yawned and brought his sickle to my neck. "I know YOU are not immortal,"
"If you kill me, I will be!" I hissed.
"Hm," Kronos pretended to be in thought. "Now why would I do that? You still have two years of service ahead of you…and I'd like it to begin now,"
"You can't make me," I shook my head.
"Did you not listen to a word I was saying about Luke?" Kronos' voice rose.
"W-what do you mean?" a sickening feeling was in my stomach.
He grabbed my face and stared at me.
"Perseus," he whispered.
His voice was melancholy, calm, and despairing. I wanted to help him. I was lost in his swimming blue eyes, which reflected my Dad and his kingdom.
"Y-yes?" I half whispered.
"Join me," his left hand moved from my face to my arm, where the cuts were. He touched the two slashes.
I screamed in pain. They burned like fire and burning iron combined, with hot water. But…the pain only lasted a minute. Maybe less then a minute. But when my Lord released me…
"Any feelings?" Kronos asked.
"Feelings?" I barked. "Oh yeah. Where's Zeus?"
"Why do you want to know?" Kronos cocked an eyebrow.
"'Cause I want to kick his"-
"Ah…Percy, don't use vile language!" Kronos tsked.
"Whatever," I cracked my knuckles. "Tell you what…I'd like to see Annabeth, Thalia, and Grover first,"
I didn't feel evil. Just powerful…and boy, did it beat working for the sore loser gods.