Hello everybody. Schools been busy for me and its only into the second week. But I DID make a promise to finish all my stories, so I will persevere! :3

The previous chapter seemed to anger some of you a little. But what has been done has been done, like the sins of the past. We can't turn back in time and fix them, we have to deal with them.

Enough blabbering, lets hit the story where we left off. Just warning you all, this is a long one. the longest I've ever done. 4000 words. ZOMG

Herry:

Highschools. They're built like bomb shelters. In the Bejing earthquake of 2016, the last building standing in the western end of the city was a highschool. Breaking out of those prisons isn't the difficult part. It's breaking in. Theyre loaded with security cameras and janitors have been known to know more than just a little king fu. I remember in freshman year, I had left my binder at my locker so my dad dropped me off at around 7. I was told to leave the second I stepped into the hallway. I knew what to expect from this highschool. It was approaching midnight. Ashlynn and I were dressed in black with a few gadgets that we had found around the house. We found suits of black spandex and utility belts. I felt like a swat team scout or something.

Looking at a map of the school, I knew there was a back entrance. More subtle than a front entrance. The Janitors closet where the portal once was resided a few corners around it. The plan was in motion, we had to get into that closet. Sneaking around the lights of the football field, we approached the back door. It was dark out. The sky was starless as darkness cloaked the city, physically as well as in spirit. Even still, I could see that the school was very old. The bleachers were rusted and the grass was overgrown. The sports budget must have gone bust for this school years ago. It was unfortunate to see a school which was once fit for the gods to be in such disrepair.

Ashlynn and I were in position. In the dark outside the door. It was time for our plan.

Alright buddy, go for it.

Somewhere out there, a griffon was munching away on electric cables. The city power began to disappear the instance it happened. Once the school lights went out, we moved onto the door. Being superstrong, the doorhandle gave in to me within half a second. I knew we had exactly one minute to reach the closet before the generator lights went up leaving us in the open. How I knew, well Odie kept the school blueprints in his bedroom. You name it, he had it in his room somewhere. I came across a few playboy magasines on a few of my searches and I MIGHT have flipped through a few pages. Women back then had horrible hairdoos. We ran swiftly and silently around one hallway and throught the next. The closet was around the next corner, but we heard footsteps that were not our own. As quick and silent as ghosts, we clung ourselves to the wall, still hidden in darkness. A grumpy old man walked around the corner completely unaware of our presence.

"Bloody power."He mumbled as he walked past us. Once he was away, we booked it around the corner, but as we turned, Ashlynns shoes screeched against the waxed floor. The janitor stopped dead in his tracks and turned around.

"What the hell was that?"

We had no time to lose. The closet was in sight but there was about five seconds before the janitor man would see us. He was already investigating the screeching noise and was on our tail, following the noise of our footsteps. We approached the old door and yanked at it. It was locked. At that point, the lights went up and the janitor saw us.

"HEY! What are you kids doing here? GET OUT."

I sighed deeply. "I'm really sorry that I have to do this." Taking out of my pocket, was a small but solid flashlight. I whipped it ferociously but carefully at the man. It hit him right between the eyes and knocked him out. Retreiving my flashlight, I knew that other janitors would have heard it and were coming. Behind me, I heard a creaking of the door. Looking behind me, the janitors door was wide open and a smug grin was on Ashlynn's face as she twirled the pendant that Pan gave her around her finger.

"I actually just planned on breaking through the door you know." I said.

"Herry, Herry. Did you know that violence is the first sign of a limited mind?" She chirped. I laughed and we both walked into the closet, shutting the door behind us. The room was dark and small. As described in the book. We were in the right place all right. I found the dangling switch in the middle room. The door locked itself behind us, and as expected, no portal. But instead, the light from the dying bulb revealed a locker. Ashlynn was the first to reach it and as she opened it, I heard her say;

"Herry, you need to see this."

I walked over and sure enough, there was a tunnel entrance. Made completely out of the stone and dirt that made the foundations of the school and it cescended into the blackness below. This was the entrance we were looking for. I took out my flashlight and led the way down the steep decescended so far that we couldnt see the closet behind us anymore. As we moved further in, the air got damper and humid, it felt like hours as we grew more tiresome. We had not slept in a while and when we almost decided to rest in the uncomfortable tunnel of stone. I was not comfortable with that idea after my experience in the Rocky mountains. But in the distance, we saw a faint light. As we moved closer, it became bigger and brighter. Eventually we reached the end of the tunnel into a massive opening of pastures and forests.

In the distance, you could see a faint red land and a bright green river. We were here at last. The air was fresh and crisp and we wanted to collapse from exhaustion. Walking down from the cliffside, we found a corner shaded by a pine tree. It seemed like an ideal place for rest. Ashlynn and I sat down, leaning on the broad trunk of the tree. Ashlynn rested on my chest and I against the tree. AS I drifted to sleep, I wondered if my dad was forgiving enought o pay me a visit in my dreams...

Nothing. I woke up several hours later after a dreamless sleep. It was unlike my dad to not talk to me at times with such a dire need of guidance. There was a cold breeze about when I woke up, it sent shivers down my spine and into my brain. Something was not right here. Looking around me, the trees appeared to be going red and orange, like it was autumn. September was still a few weeks away at this point. I felt unsafe. I nudged Ashlynn from her deep slumber.

"We need to get going." I whispered to her.

we were on the move within minutes. We both had packed a few snacks to keep us going, but it was going to take all morning to reach that river. We hiked trough pastures that earlier seemed so green, yet now had the colours of a dying land. We were both on edge. Eventually, we reached a ridge that overlooked the green river styx. Beyond, was a land of rocks and crevices. We had made it to the underworld. Out there was tartarus. We had to find the cell of Cronus, and take his scythe.

"Hey, look over there." said Ashlynn pointing to the distance which showed a large mountain, and at the footsteps, I saw what seemed to be tiny little lines of white and grey, but my senses kicked in and it was like I was right up to it. Thousands of white men, clothed in pale chainmail and armor. Each was armed with a weapon. They marched in massive groups. Organised and in ranks. They seemed to be gathering before a cliffside at the foot of the mountain. Where one man, who was clothed ornately was giving them a speech.

"Its an army." said Ashlynn. "They must be gearing up for war against the Darkness."

"I dont think so." I replied." She stared at me in confusion. "Something isnt right here. I've felt uneasy since I woke up."

"Explains why you haven't talked much." She commented. I wasnt in the mood for a laugh.

"I dont think we are welcome here Ashlynn. My dad told me he had great connections with the underworld. So far, I dont think theyre working out. Getting past Cerberus might be a bit more difficult than we thought."

"What are you talking about?" She asked, "You told me that cerberus lets all souls in."

"I'm not talking about getting in." I replied. "I was expecting Hades would let us out giving the circumstances. But I dont think it will work."

"Well its either we go in, or go back." said Ashlynn. "What will it be son of Jay?"

I paused before I said more. Breathing in deeply. I looked at my girlfriends face. She was giving me a very serious look. Her air was a mess, and her eyes were telling a painful story. Our story.

"There is no going back." I mumbled to myself. Ashlynn jumped up with optimism lending out her hand to a lost individual; me.

"The prophecy said you must do this Herry. I you can't do it, no one can." Her words filled me like a luminous blast of courage. I grabbed her hand and she lifted me up over the cliffside and towards the great river. Below, we approached the bank. On cue, an old rotting boat with a single hooded man approached. As he got closer, I noticed he had a black and white silky shirt on and some vintage shoes. They looked old and worn, but I laughed to myself because I knew where they came from. Besides, Charon seemed to pull them off pretty well. Jumping on the boat, we each gave him a couple of coins and he took off to the gates.

On board, there was also and old woman and a young man. The old woman said she had died from cancer and the young man was in a car crash. We simply told them that we were also in a car crash in Idaho. The wouldn't have cared. As we approached the dock, I saw the big three headed guardian of the underworld. I tell you now; no book, however well written could have described this beast in real life. It was the single most terrifying thing I had ever seen. My heart skipped a beat when I first saw him. Cerberus was the size of an overweight whale. He towered over the gate itself with teeth longer than a fully grown man. And we had to get past him later. Wasn't I overjoyed? Giving us a look and a slight growl, he resumed to his duties and let us through along with the other dead souls.

We were in, but the crowd was heading to the hall of judgement. We were not in a position to be sentenced to anywhere. we needed to sneak out of the line with nobody noticing. That was not going to be easy as the place was full of guards with similar dressing to those in the army we saw earlier. We needed a lucky break, and we were nearing the hall mighty quickly. The guards seemed to be looking at us a little funny. We could hear a booming voice within the hall. It was king minos and he sounded mighty grumpy today. He was the last person we wanted to see right now.

we had two choices, sneak out of the line, or get judged. Time was ticking away for us. We were just outside of the hall with less than twenty people in front of us. all of a sudden, a large horn blew and we saw a yellow giant with a director microphone thing yelling out.

"Alright maggots, time to go to war!" It was directed at the guards who instantly began marching away from the lineup. Our chance finally came and we ducked our heads and sneaked in the opposite direction of the guards. After hiding into a crater as the guards moved further away, we knew we were in the clear. We had a long journey to tartarus prison. We began to hike across the bleak wasteland.

We traveled for hours, relying on granola bars and an ever shortening water supply to keep us going. Eventually, we had to stop and rest. We sat down against a large rock and rested for a nap. I stared at the red sky which seemed to be covered by a never ending darkness. It seemed alot like our journey. We get to one finish line, and it starts an even longer track. I wondered what I would have to do next. Find a parralell universe and do the same thing all over again. But even still, even in that dark eternal sky, it had to end somewhere. Everything that begins must end, and one day, this journey will end . For better or worse, it will. There will be a time when even the darkest shadow must pass. Whether it be today, or in millenia, The Darkness will eventually fall, and when the sun shines after, it will shine all the clearer. I remebered Odies words "Neither of us chose these lives, yet here we are." I wished for none of this to happen, but I have been given the weight of the world, and it is my choice what to do with it. And I choose to fight for it.

Getting up again, we began to feel a glow of heat. We were getting close. after another hour of marching, we came across massive hole in the ground. The bottomless pit glowed with green gas which seemed to scream in pain, piercing our ears. above, was the fortress of tartarus. Floating above the hellhole beneath. The only thing connecting it from the mainland, was a wooden rickety bridge. There was no other way across. We stared together at the unsteady bridge. Shoving up the courage, I said;

"I'll go first. Stay close behind me." And holding my breath, I place my foot gently on the first plant. It creaked,but held my weight. Placing my sweaty hands on the robe handles, I began to slowly make it across the bridge. Ashlynn was right at my back.

"Herry, I need to tell you, I don't handle heights well." She murmered. I could hear that her breath was shaky and rapid.

"Just dont look down. You're doing great." I assured her. She exhaled deeply and looked straight ahead. Slowly but surely, we edged across the bridge. The planks creaked but didnt break on us. After an eternity, I made it across safely. Ashlynn was a few steps away from the end. I was reaching out my hand. When she reached for it, the plank beneath her gave way and snapped. She began to fall but she grabbed the rope. She was dangling above a bottomless pit and the ropes werent going to hold for long. I reached out my hand as far as I could.

"Ashlynn, take my hand!" I yelled. Her face was pale and was doing her best not to look down.

"I'm scared to let go." She screamed. She was screaming and hyperventalating.

"Jump for it. I'll catch you." I cried out. The ropes were beginning to split now. She was looking at the ropes then to me.

"REACH!" I yelled. Within a second, she lunged her weight forward and let go just as the rope snapped. Flying through the air, I caught her hand and gripped it as tightly as i could. I pulled her up onto the edge in time to watch the bridge fall into the eternal pit below. Both of us were breathing deeply and she hugged me as tightly as she could. I had never seen Ashlynn show so much weakness. She always seemed to be so tough, but when exposed to her fear, she collapsed. I figured her fear of big heights was like her fathers fear of water. But she managed to overcome it, even after such a close encounter. After a few minutes, we finally got up and went through the large entrance to tartarus.

The cells were locked with their captives in them, but the guards were nowhere to be seen. I figured they had gone to the army. The underworld seemed deserted of guards at this point in time. When the prisoners saw us, they begged us for release. We ignored them as we knew that to get to tartarus, you needed to be so evil and wrongdoing that you would never be redeemed. These prisoners didn't deserve release. And we wern't here to release them. After browsing the levels, we found it. The cell was at the third floor and was one of the few cells that had a window. it was barred and unreachable, but it was still a sign of importance. We found the key on the other side of the hall, hung up where it was left by the guard. we took it and opened the door into the cell, slamming it shut. I knew Cronus was mortal and wouldn't even dare come up against a man who had the strength he once had. The ex-god was stitting in a corner wearing a black tunic. His bare back was to us and mumbled.

"Are you another addition to my punishment?"

"No we're not Cronus." I said in a firm and strong voice. When I spoke, his ears picked up and turned around. His eyes lit up in astonishment and fear. He did nto look the way I expected. He looked surprisingly young with a clean shave and no grey patch on his head. In fact, he looked like some kind of university student.

"Oh god you really ARE!" he stumbled backwards against the corner of his cell. I stood over him, my body was threatening him not to move.

"NO, We are here for your scythe." Cronus began to laugh a little.

"Have fun with that. My son has made that thing move around the cell to keep me from getting it. I gave up on chasing it several years ago." I nodded to Ashlynn and she took over my position as I moved around the wall using my mind to track it. Meanwhile, I heard Cronus speak to Ashlynn.

"You're Atlanta and Archie's child arent you?" He said.

"What makes you think that?" She asked.

"Oh nothing. Maybe the hair, the attitude, and maybe the fact that YOURE POINTING YOUR MOTHERS WEAPON AT MY FACE."

He started babbling about how they were alike and stuff, but meanwhile, I felt the tremors of the scythe within the walls. It moved about very quickly and I waited patiently for the right moment to intercept my path. A few minutes in and I smashed a hole in the brick wall and gripped the obsidian and golden handle withing my fingers. I pulled it out of the wall. Looking at it, it seemed brand new, like it had never seen any action before. It was a beautiful peice of metalwork, but it had this aroma of evil deeds, and power. The two of them were staring at me from across the room.

"Come on Ashlynn, were done here." I said as I walked out of the cell. Ashlynn, keeping an eye on Cronus who remained in his corner, staring at us in contempt and fear. She shut the door and locked it before we moved on.

"So how do we get out of here?" Asked Ashlynn.

"Not the way we came, thats for sure." I said, "Lets check downstairs."

We approached the last floor and sure enough, there was a platform made for some kind of flying device. Too bad there wasn't one there.

"Shit." I muttered. All of a sudden, I felt an urge to look at one of the cells. The closest one to the exit. Looking in it, my jaw dropped.

It was my dad. he was pacing along the room until I caught his eye. Surprised, he rushed over to the door.

"Herry?"

"Dad, its me. How did you get in here?"

"Break out first, talk later." He said. I nodded and Ashlynn unlocked the door. Strolling out, he wiped the dust from his outfit.

"Hades has gone out of his mind. He had turned to the Darkness." He said. "He locked me in here when I came to help you."

"Well looks like we're the ones helping you now." I grinned. "So, do you have anything that could get us off of this island, because we broke the bride on the way here."

My dad muttered "teenagers" under his breath as he rolled his eyes. His eyes lit up suddenly. he ran out to the platform and whistled at a very high pitch. Within a few seconds, a gleaming white thing appeared over the ridge and as it got closer, I realised it was a horse with wings; a pegasus. It landed on the platform.

"We have no time to waste. Let's go." Ushered my dad as we all mounted the beautiful beast. Once we were all on board, the pegasus took off at an incredible speed. The fortress of tartarus quickly became a dot in the distance. However, there were a few other beasts in the air. One harpy caught sight of us and began chasing us. She quickly was gaining on us when Ashlynn quickly drew her crossbow and fired a shot which hit the thing slap band in the wing. As she crashed, other beast noticed the action, but it was too late. We had passed beyond the borders of hades and out of sight. The horse landed outside a tunnel which led to the surface world. Each of us relieved her of her burden by getting off her back. As soon as that happened, my dad ushered some words in ancient greek and the horse took off through the tunnel. My dad looked to us.

"Thank you." He said. "Come, this is the closest we can get to Mount Olympus via the underworld." He led us up the same tunnel Pegasus had flown up. Within minutes, we were breathing fresh air on the surface world. The tunnel opened up onto a land of green fields overlooking a cold Atlantic sea from steep cliffs.

"Where are we?" Asked Ashlynn.

"West Ireland." Said Jay, breathing heavily. I am afraid I cannot stay with you. The enemy is growing and are friends list is running low. There are things that need to be done. War is coming. It will not be long before Darkness reaches these shores, where it will spread until it reaches mount Olympus."

"So this is goodbye?" I asked. My dad looked at me and smiled. "You now carry a heavy burden. The scythe contains all of Cronus' power. It has a will of its own and if you are not careful, it will consume you. You must resist the urge to keep it and use it. It's destruction is the only way we can win this war." He looked back to the steed which awaited his mounting. As he mounted the pegasus, he spoke more. "Be wary, for there are others who are aware of the scythes presence. Six of Medea's finest warriors escaped a few days ago. They are tracking you. Be careful." And with that, he flew off into the setting sun. It was the first time I had spent more than five seconds with him since he disappeared, and now he was gone again. I checked my ipod. It was August 26th. We descended into the underworld on August 23rd. We were in there for three days with close to no food or water. The both of us were collapsing from exhaustion. I sensed a village a little while away. We could recover there.

"Come on Ashlynn," I said, "Lets go."

That was pretty long. Hope you enjoyed!