POTTER FILES : THE LIGHTNING THIEF
Chapter 13 : The Death Lord's Tale
X-X-X-X-X
Disclaimer : I do not own Harry Potter or Percy Jackson.
Note : The timeline of the HP universe has been changed to fit PJO universe. Some slight changes have been made to HP canon to fit girl Harry. So, Iris (fem!Harry) Potter was born on 31 July 1993 and COS happened in 2005-2006.
This chapter will be in Iris' Pov unless stated otherwise.
X-X-X-X-X
We stood in the shadows of Valencia Boulevard, looking up at gold letters etched in black marble: DOA RECORDING STUDIOS.
Underneath, stenciled on the glass doors: NO SOLICITORS. NO LOITERING. NO LIVING.
It was almost midnight, but the lobby was brightly lit and full of people. Behind the security desk sat a tough-looking guard with sunglasses and an earpiece.
Percy turned to us.
"Okay. You remember the plan."
Annabeth said, "What happens if the plan doesn't work?"
"Don't think negative.", Percy replied.
"Right.", she said, "We're entering the Land of the Dead, and I shouldn't think negative."
"Annie, don't talk like that. We will return successfully. After all, we are awesome like that.", I said.
"Yeah, let's whip some Underworld butt.", Percy said.
We walked inside the DOA lobby.
Music played softly on hidden speakers. The carpet and walls were steel gray. Pencil cactuses grew in the corners like skeleton hands rising from the ground. The furniture was black leather and every seat was taken. There were people sitting on couches, standing up, staring out the windows or waiting for the elevator. Nobody moved, talked or did much of anything.
Out of the corner of my eye, I could see them all just fine but if I focused on any one of them in particular, they started looking transparent. I could see right through their bodies. They were quite different from the glowing translucent ghosts back at Hogwarts.
The security guard's desk was a raised podium, so we had to look up at him.
He was tall and elegant, with chocolate-colored skin and bleached-blond hair shaved military style. He wore tortoise shell shades and a silk Italian suit that matched his hair. A black rose was pinned to his lapel under a silver name tag.
"Your name is Chiron?"
Guess who asked. If your guess was either Annabeth or me, you were wrong.
I resisted the urge to whack him for the stupidity and give away everything.
He leaned across the desk. I couldn't see anything in his glasses except my own reflection, but his smile was sweet and cold, like that of a python that had cornered its prey.
"What a precious young lad.", he said in a weird accent, "Tell me, mate, do I look like a centaur?"
"N-no."
"Sir," he added smoothly.
"Sir.", Percy said.
He pinched the name tag and ran his finger under the letters. "Can you read this, mate? It says C-H -A-R-O-N. Say it with me: CARE-ON."
"Charon."
"Amazing! Now: Mr. Charon."
"Mr. Charon.", Percy said.
"Well done.", He sat back, "I hate being confused with that old horse-man. And now, how may I help you little dead ones?"
Percy stared at the guy in shock. I kept myself from sighing in frustration. It seemed our illustrious leader had not even considered the possibility of us not being automatically granted entrance on arrival. Why did I have to be the one to do everything?
"We want to go the Underworld.", Annabeth said.
Thank gods ... and goddesses.
Charon's mouth twitched.
"Well, that's refreshing."
"It is?", she asked.
"Straight forward and honest. No screaming. No 'There must be a mistake, .'"
He looked us over.
"How did you die, then?"
I took over knowing that Percy would blurt out something stupid like all of us drowning in a bathtub.
"We were travelling in a Greyhound bus from New York when the lightning struck it."
It was not a lie. I just didn't mention that we actually survived it.
"Yes. Old Zappy throwing a temper tantrum again. It is weird though. He usually limits himself to attacking planes. Anyway, you have arrived just in time. I was about to transport your co-passengers. I don't suppose you have coins for passage. Normally, with adults, you see, I could charge your American Express, or add the ferry price to your last cable bill. But with children ... alas, you never die prepared. Suppose you'll have to take a seat for a few centuries."
Zappy, eh? That was nice. I decided I would start using it myself if appropriate situation arrived.
"Oh, but we have coins."
Percy set three golden drachmas on the counter, part of the stash we'd found in Crusty's office desk.
"Well, now ...", Charon moistened his lips, "Real drachmas. Real golden drachmas. I haven't seen these in ..."
His fingers hovered greedily over the coins.
We were so close.
Then Charon looked at Percy scrutinising him.
"Here now," he said. "You couldn't read my name correctly. Are you dyslexic, lad?"
"No.", Percy said. "I'm dead."
Percy's stupidity struck again. I grimaced. A dead guy saying he was dead was like a mad man saying he was mad. Now, he would check us and realize that we were quite alive.
Charon leaned forward and took a sniff.
"You're not dead. I should've known. You're a godling."
"We have to get to the Underworld.", Percy insisted.
Charon made a growling sound deep in his throat.
Immediately, all the people in the waiting room got up and started pacing, agitated, lighting cigarettes, running hands through their hair, or checking their wristwatches.
"Leave while you can.", Charon told us, "I'll just take these and forget I saw you."
He started to go for the coins, but Percy snatched them back.
"No service, no tip."
Charon growled again-a deep, blood-chilling sound. The spirits of the dead started pounding on the elevator doors.
"It's a shame, too.", Percy sighed, "We had more to offer."
He held up the entire bag from Crusty's stash. He took out a fistful of drachmas and let the coins spill through his fingers.
You know what, I forgave Percy for his earlier mistakes. That was just so cool. It seemed there were more layers to Percy than his initial appearance suggested.
Charon's growl changed into something more like a lion's purr.
"Do you think I can be bought, godling? Eh ... just out of curiosity, how much have you got there?"
"A lot.", Percy said, "I bet Hades doesn't pay you well enough for such hard work."
"Oh, you don't know the half of it. How would you like to babysit these spirits all day? Always 'Please don't let me be dead' or 'Please let me across for free.' I haven't had a pay raise in three thousand years. Do you imagine suits like this come cheap?"
"You deserve better.", Percy agreed, "A little appreciation. Respect. Good pay."
With each word, he stacked another gold coin on the counter.
Charon glanced down at his silk Italian jacket, as if imagining himself in something even better.
"I must say, lad, you're making some sense now. Just a little."
Percy stacked another few coins.
"I could mention a pay raise while I'm talking to Hades."
He sighed.
"The boat's almost full, anyway. I might as well add you three and be off."
He stood, scooped up our money, and said, "Come along."
We pushed through the crowd of waiting spirits, who tried grabbing at our clothes unsuccessfully, their voices whispering things I couldn't make out.
Charon shoved them out of the way, grumbling, "Freeloaders."
He escorted us into the elevator, which was already crowded with souls of the dead, each one holding a green boarding pass. Charon grabbed two spirits who were trying to get on with us and pushed them back into the lobby.
"Right. Now, no one get any ideas while I'm gone," he announced to the waiting room. "And if anyone moves the dial off my easy-listening station again, I'll make sure you're here for another thousand years. Understand?"
He shut the doors. He put a key card into a slot in the elevator panel and we started to descend.
"What happens to the spirits waiting in the lobby?", Annabeth asked.
"Nothing.", Charon said.
"For how long?"
"Forever, or until I'm feeling generous."
"Oh.", she said, "That's ... fair."
Charon raised an eyebrow.
"Whoever said death was fair, young miss? Wait until it's your turn. You'll die soon enough, where you're going."
"We'll get out alive.", Percy said.
"Ha."
I got a weird feeling. We weren't going down anymore, but forward.
The air turned misty. Spirits around me started changing shape.
Their modern clothes flickered, turning into gray hooded robes. I took it in stride being used to that type of attire after living in the magical society but Percy and Annabeth needed more time to get used to it.
The wooden platform started swaying as if we were on sea.
Suddenly, Charon's creamy Italian suit changed into a long black robe. His tortoise shell glasses were gone. Where his eyes should've been were empty sockets-like Ares' eyes, except Charon's were totally dark, full of night and death and despair. I know now how the legend of Grim Reaper came into being.
He saw me looking, and said, "Well?"
"Nothing."
I thought he was grinning, but that he wasn't. The flesh of his face was becoming transparent, letting me see straight through to his skull.
The floor kept swaying.
Suddenly, the elevator transformed. We were standing in a wooden boat now, a flat bottomed one, what did they call it, a barge. Charon was poling us across a dark, oily river, swirling with bones, dead fish, and other, stranger things-plastic dolls, crushed toy car, soggy diplomas with gilt edges.
I wondered why Charon hadn't automated the barge either with magic or technology. Wouldn't it be easier for him to just have the boat transport the passengers on its own by pressing a button on his desk. I decided not to ask him about it. I had a feeling that it would set off a long rant about needing a pay rise.
"The River Styx.", Annabeth murmured, "It's so ..."
"Polluted.", Charon said, "For thousands of years, you humans have been throwing in everything as you come across-hopes, dreams, wishes that never came true. Irresponsible waste management, if you ask me."
It seemed the mortals did not lose their knack for polluting everything even after their death.
It was then that I realised why one of the spirits seemed very familiar... more familiar than everyone else.
"Hey Quirell!"
The spirit in question turned to me. It was obvious to me that he had not recognised me.
"You know that guy?", Annabeth whispered.
"Yeah. I know him very well. He tried to kill me and paid the price. I will tell you the full story later.", I told her.
"Remember me, Quirell.", I said smiling gleefully, "I am the one who burned you alive."
Once he recognised me, his skin turned grey in anger. He pawed at me with his ghostly hands but it passed through me. I aimed a kick at his soft tissue. My leg passed through him too. It seemed intangibility went both ways. Well, there was only one thing left to do.
"Percy, whip him."
"Is that really necessary? He is not harming us.", said Percy, ever the pacifist.
"Please Percy", I said widening my eyes and giving him my best doe eyed look.
He relented like I knew he would. Fury's whip proved to be immune to the intangibility. I guess the Furies would not have been known as Torturers if it wasn't. Quirell screamed in pain. I could see the blistering wounds on the places the whip was in contact with. He stepped back in fear.
"That's a sample of what you are going to get, you filthy mongrel.", I said.
Quirell scurried away and soon forgot about us.
"That's interesting. I have never seen anyone get a Fury's whip as a spoil before.", Charon said.
"What can I say? We are cool like that.", I replied.
"Mr. Charon, do you have any say in the punishments of those evil enough to be directly transported to the Field of Punishments?", I asked.
"Why, yes, I do, young miss."
"If you happen to recommend the worst possible punishment for Quirell, I will be very grateful... grateful enough to give you a few more drachmas just like that.", I said.
Percy and Annabeth were looking at me as if wondering whether my vindictiveness had any limits.
"Percy", I said holding out my hand.
He dropped a few drachmas into mine which I passed on to Charon.
"It will be done.", he said.
I resisted the urge to cackle gleefully not wanting to scare my friends further. It seemed Quirell would soon learn the true meaning of the phrase 'wrath of the woman scorned'.
Once the euphoria of revenge was gone, I felt panic kicking in. What was I doing here quite alive in the middle of the dead people? Before I knew it, I was holding hands with Percy and I knew that his other hand was occupied with Annabeth's. That kind of behaviour would have usually sickened me but it was not a usual case and allowances had to be made.
To distract myself, I asked, "Mr. Charon, I thought the gods didn't have much political authority outside USA. Why is the Quirell guy here?"
"They have no direct political authority outside USA, atleast not as much as here.", Charon said, "But, the dead need somewhere to stay after all. We house the dead from most of the Western Civilisation. We can't really leave them to roam freely above the surface and cause trouble among the living just because it is more convenient for us, can we?"
I nodded. Meeting Voldemort was more than enough to convince me that the dead should remain dead.
"You have no idea how many times I had to endure the lazy idiot Thanatos whining about having to go there and drag the souls here. Then there was that little skirmish in your magical society which caused a lot of backlog forcing me to work overtime to clear them all.", he said.
Little skirmish? I guess it could be considered that compared to the war we were trying to prevent.
The shoreline of the Underworld came into view. Craggy rocks and black volcanic sand stretched inland about a hundred yards to the base of a high stone wall, which extended in both directions as far as we could see. A sound came from somewhere nearby echoing off the stones-the howl of a large animal, a very familiar large animal.
"Old Three-Face is hungry.", Charon said.
His smile turned skeletal in the greenish light.
"Bad luck for you, godlings."
I held in a smirk. It seemed Charon's habit of giving nicknames extended to animals too.
The bottom of our boat slid onto the black sand. The dead began to disembark. A couple holding each of their daughter's hands. An old man and an old woman holding each other's hand. A boy no older than we were shuffling along silently in his gray robe.
We squeezed each other's hand showing understanding and support for the other. I knew we were having the same thoughts. If we had not gotten in that bus, those people would now be relaxing in a hotel room after a city tour or in a relative's house enjoying a home cooked meal not walking through the depressing atmosphere of the Underworld.
Charon said, "I'd wish you luck, mate, but there isn't any down here. Mind you, don't forget to mention my pay raise."
He counted our golden coins into his pouch, then took up his pole.
"Remember, godlings", Charon spoke his soulless gaze piercing through our skulls, "Play with your little toys as much as you want but what belongs to the Underworld will eventually return to the Underworld."
He then warbled something weird as he ferried the empty barge back across the river. The thing that disturbed me the most was that he actually seemed to be speaking to both of us. But, as far as I knew, I had nothing of the Underworld. It was possible that he was just playing with our minds.
We followed the spirits up a well-worn path.
The entrance to the Underworld looked like airport security for international passengers and not in a good way. There was no special check in point for magicals through which I could bypass the queue. I would have to endure the tremendously long wait like an ordinary person.
There were three separate entrances under one huge black archway that said YOU ARE NOW ENTERING EREBUS. Each entrance had a pass-through metal detector with security cameras mounted on top.
Beyond this were toll booths manned by black-robed shades like Charon.
The howling of the hungry animal was really loud now, but we couldn't see where it was coming from. The three-headed dog, Cerberus, who was supposed to guard Hades' door, was nowhere to be seen.
The dead queued up in the three lines, two marked ATTENDANT ON DUTY, and one marked EZ DEATH. The EZ DEATH line was moving right along. The other two were crawling.
"What do you figure?", Percy asked Annabeth.
"The fast line must go straight to the Asphodel Fields.", she said, "No contest. They don't want to risk judgment from the court, because it might go against them."
"There's a court for dead people?", Percy asked.
"Yeah. Three judges. They switch around who sits on the bench. King Minos, Thomas Jefferson, Shakespeare-people like that. Sometimes they look at a life and decide that person needs a special reward-the Fields of Elysium. Sometimes they decide on punishment. But most people, well, they just lived. Nothing special, good or bad. So they go to the Asphodel Fields."
"And do what?", Percy asked.
"Nothing. Just imagine standing in a field in Kansas forever.", she said.
"Harsh," I said.
"Not as harsh as that.", I said gleefully, "Look."
A couple of black robbed shades had pulled the screaming Quirell aside and was dragging him off. I was not an expert at reading the emotions of shades but they looked particularly gleeful.
"What are they going to do to him?", Percy asked.
"Considering that Iris asked for the worst punishment, this is one of the few times when I prefer ignorance.", Annabeth said shuddering, "He will be getting Hades' personal attention. The Kindly Ones will set up an eternal torture for him."
We got closer to the gates. The howling was so loud now it shook the ground at my feet, but I still couldn't figure out where it was coming from.
Then, about fifty feet in front of us, the green mist shimmered. Standing just where the path split into three lanes was an enormous shadowy monster.
I hadn't seen it before because it was almost transparent as if it was placed under the Disillusionment charm. Until it moved, it blended with whatever was behind it. Only its eyes and teeth looked solid. And it was staring straight at us.
"He's a Rottweiler.", Percy spoke.
I was shocked too. Fluffy was a Staffordshire Bull Terrier. Perhaps, he might have gotten it from his mother's side.
The dead walked right up to him with no fear. The ATTENDANT ON DUTY lines parted on either side of him. The EZ DEATH spirits walked right between his front paws and under his belly, which they could do without even crouching. He actually made Fluffy look small and harmless. Hagrid would have loved him.
"I'm starting to see him better.", Percy muttered, "Why is that?"
"I think ...", Annabeth moistened her lips, "I'm afraid it's because we're getting closer to being dead."
The dog's middle head craned toward us. It sniffed the air and growled.
"It can smell the living.", Percy said.
We moved toward the monster.
The middle head snarled at us, then barked very loudly.
"Can you understand it?", Percy asked me.
"No. I can only speak to those of deer family : doe, stag, antelope. I can speak to snakes too though it is a gift from mortal side. I have some sort of empathy with other wild animals. I might even be able to speak to hunting dogs and wolves or perhaps it might be limited to those my mother own. The one in front of us fits into none of the categories. Only Pan and his descendants, the satyrs, can communicate with everything that lives.", I replied.
I did not tell them that I could speak to unicorns too. It was something I discovered on the little trip to the Forbidden Forest in my first year though I had then thought that it was due to being a maiden. It was a sad memory.
The unicorn I found bleeding to death was a little girl who had yet to reach adolescence in unicorn terms. A little girl who would not grow up into a beautiful adult mare. A little girl who would not find a good mate. A little girl who would not carry her young ones in her womb. A little girl who would not nurse any foals.
I still remembered her last words. Even when she was near death, she was happy that she got a personal visit from their mistress-me. I now knew that the mortals were actually right when they connected the unicorns with the moon.
I had promised her when she was drawing her last breaths that I would personally avenge her murder and I did. Even death could not save Quirell from my wrath.
That day continued being weird with the centaur Firenze behaving as if it was a privilege to carry me around on his back and even the snarky Bane who loathed humans was very polite to me once he actually saw me properly. Then again, godly bindings could not really fool those who could see the future in the sky. What did Firenze tell me? 'Mars will be a formidable foe but Moon will protect you.'
I had then thought that the centaurs were being cryptic for the sake of it but I now knew they were quite straightforward in that instance.
"You said you have a plan, right?", Percy asked startling me from my thoughts.
I took out my golden lyre while keeping an eye on the Cerebrus in front of us and kept it on the ground. Technically, it was the property of Quirell but he was not exactly going to object. I did wonder how a guy like him was actually able to obtain what was basically Apollo's symbol. Well, I naturally took it for myself after I killed Quirell.
Apollo kids had placed a permanent enchantment on it as I had no skill in music myself. Of course, it was before my claiming when they were still friendly with me.
"The Cerebrus has a major weakness. It falls asleep on hearing good music. The three heads of Cerebrus all have different personalities. The first one is the Playful One. It gets easily distracted and goes to sleep very quickly. Then there is the Observant One, ever alert and the Smart One. Kind of like the three of us.", I replied, a playful smirk on my face.
"Yes, Percy. I am the smart one while Rainbow here is the alert one.", Annabeth spoke smirking herself.
Percy simply nodded his head. A moment later, he realized the meaning of our words.
"Hey!"
"Anyway. We will move on after all of them fall asleep."
I pursed my lips wishing I did not have to say it but the boy was as egotistical as he was skilled. Then again he was a boy. So, it was not much of a surprise.
"Michael Yew, the most handsome son of Apollo."
I was sure that Hades could hear the sound of my gritting teeth from his throne. Annabeth and Percy looked at me in shock but knew better than to comment on it on seeing my face.
The lyre instantly started playing on its own. I could tell it was a lullaby but nothing else.
Its middle head started drooping first followed by the other two. By the time, all three of them fell asleep, we were feeling quite drowsy ourselves. Cerebrus then lowered itself to sleep comfortably on its stomach crushing the spirits that were walking beneath it.
It was then that we realised that we had another problem. When the Cerebrus chose to sleep, it ended up blocking our path. We would have to join the slow moving crowd of either the Elysium or the Fields of Punishment and hope that the delay would not prove significant later.
Annabeth looked around at all corners and then the dog itself analysing all the data. An amused smile came on her face.
"The solution is quite simple. I am wearing Luke's flying shoes. I can fly both of you over Cerebrus to the other side one at a time."
She was right. The Cerebrus might have been touching the roof of the cavern while standing but there was a lot of space for us to fly over now that he was lying down. I felt quite silly for not noticing it myself.
Annabeth then flew us over to the other side.
We passed through the metal detectors when the alarms started blaring just as I expected.
"Unauthorized possessions! Magic detected!"
We quickly ran through the EZ DEATH gate and into the Underworld activating even more alarms.
A few minutes later, we were hiding, out of breath, in the rotten trunk of an immense black tree as security shades scuttled past, yelling for backup from the Furies. It was after they left that I really checked the tree we were in.
"Elder"
I was reminded of the silly children's stories Neville had told me. I had assumed that the story was originally about the Big Three. Really! A wand that could shear mountains and gouge caters on the earth. We might as well crown ourselves gods. But, I had to admit that it was disconcerting to see an elder tree right at the entrance of the Underworld just as the story stated.
"What?"
"Nothing."
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The moment I entered Asphodel Fields, I realised how accurate Annabeth's comment was. The biggest gathering I had seen before was the idiot Lockhart's book signing in Diagon Alley. Comparing that to the sight in front of me was like comparing a bucket of water to the sea.
The black grass had been trampled by billions of dead feet. A warm, moist wind blew like the breath of a swamp. 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. It would have reminded me of the tunnels of Gringotts if not for the fact that the ceiling there was so low that only a goblin could travel comfortably. The message was the same in both cases.
We tried to blend into the crowd keeping an eye out for security shades. We couldn't resist looking for familiar faces but the dead were hard to look at. Their faces shimmered. They all looked slightly angry or confused. They would come up to us and speak, but their voices sound like chatter, like bats twittering. Once they realize we couldn't understand them, they would frown and move away.
It was tragedy at its finest.
We moved 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 shades were marched down a rocky path toward the Fields of Punishment, which glowed and smoked in the distance. It was a vast, cracked wasteland with rivers of lava and minefields and miles of barbed wire separating the different torture areas. Even from far away, we could see people being chased by hellhounds, burned at the stake, forced to run naked through cactus patches or listen to ear shattering noise continuously.
In the distance, I could just make out a tiny hill, with the ant-size figure of Sisyphus struggling to move his boulder to the top.
I wondered what punishments the Death Eaters were assigned.
Running naked with their wand stuck up their a**?
Their blood slowly changing to mud and back continuously? That would be poetic.
I wished I could watch them receive their just desserts. Perhaps, I should inquire whether the video recordings of their torture were available, for a price of course.
The line coming from the right side of the judgment pavilion was much better. It 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.
The things that I would miss out on if I live to the age of sixteen. I wondered, for a moment, whether my Lily and James Potter, my mortal parents were there in Elysium. True, they did fight against Voldemort to protect the innocent and gave their lives for it but then again so did many others. As Charon said, it was a minor schirmish in the grand scheme of things.
Then again, did I want to meet them? True, I did want to know how they were as people but I could just ask someone. I was honest enough with myself to know that I was not a model daughter. Even my friends who I joined on the quest feared my ruthless nature. The people whose last memory of me was that of a drooling baby would never accept it. They might have the decency to blame someone else but the point stands.
I guess burning the balls of a paedophile, who tried to rape me, with his own cigarette lighter and laughing at his screams of pain would be difficult for most parents to stomach.
Despite all the difficulties, I am glad I had Artemis for my mother because she was one of the few who would congratulate me for doing something like that.
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.
Annabeth yelped. The flying sneakers suddenly sprouted wings and pulled her away from us. She landed flat on her back on the grass.
I admit I stood still in shock not understanding what was happening. By the time I got over it and tried to grab her hand, the shoes were dragging her down the slope with her waving her hands frantically shouting, "Maia"
We naturally ran after her.
Annabeth tried to untie her shoes but it was not easy when it was pulling her at full speed.
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 thought Annabeth was going to turn left and go straight through the gates of Hades's palace, but to my surprise, the shoes veered sharply to the right and dragged her in the opposite direction. Where the hell was it taking her?
The slope got steeper. Annabeth picked up speed. Percy 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.
"Annie!", I yelled, my voice echoing, "Hold on to something!"
"I can't.", she yelled back, the terror she was feeling clear in her voice.
Annabeth tried grabbing at something but there was nothing strong enough to slow her down.
The tunnel got darker and colder. The hairs on my arms bristled. It smelled evil down there. I had a feeling that whatever was down there made Aura look like a cat trying to steal our fish.
Then we saw what was ahead of us, and we stopped dead in our tracks.
The tunnel widened into a huge dark cavern, and in the middle was a chasm the size of a city block.
"Percy, use your whip to hold her down. I can't cast my spells at her shoes when she is moving that fast.", I said.
"But-"
"Please, Percy. Whatever pain Annabeth feels will be nothing compared to what will happen to her in the pit."
Percy swung the whip like a lasso around Annabeth and pulled her down towards the ground amazingly ignoring her scream of pain. I quickly cast the spells that caused them to untie themselves. The first one fell into the pit while the other one flew our way.
"Incendio"
There was nothing left of it but ashes. We quickly freed Annabeth from the whip and I gave her back her original sneakers to put on.
We all collapsed, exhausted, on the obsidian gravel. My limbs felt like lead. I usually didn't get tired that quickly. I did not know whether it was due to the Underworld inhibiting my powers from the Wild or the atmosphere of our present location being poisonous.
Annabeth's top had burned off in the places where the whip came in contact with it and we could see the causterised wound on her skin.
"Annabeth, I-", Percy started.
She suddenly gave him a hug. It was a testament to how terrified she was that she clung on to him as tightly as a koala on a tree and was quite reluctant in letting him go. I could even see her eyes glisten slightly.
"Thank you."
I noticed Percy's cheeks turn red and I smiled. It seemed Percy was the 'one' after all. I noted it as a blackmail material to be used later.
"Wait.", Percy said, "Listen."
I then heard something-a deep whisper in the darkness.
Another few seconds later, Annabeth said, "Percy, this place—"
"Shh."
I stood.
The sound was getting louder, a muttering, evil voice from far below us. Coming from the pit.
"Tartarus. The entrance to Tartarus.", Annabeth muttered.
I suddenly recognised what the language was. A language even I-Selene had only heard of. The language of Primordials. The Old Tongue. The True Tongue. The language of Magic.
It seemed something bled over when I went to my mindscape.
The only Titans who were proficient in it were the eldest ones : the four Titans of directions Coeus, Krios, Hyperion and Iapetus... and the Titan King Kronos.
I didn't know exactly what was being said but I knew enough to understand that it was bad news for us.
I concentrated on the moon and soon my hands were glowing silver. I formed it into a ball shape in my hands and threw it approximately at the place where I heard the chant from.
The evil voice faltered for a moment and I thought I had actually managed to hurt it. It then let out a high bone chilling laughter before resuming the chant. I guess it was too much to hope that it would have hurt him.
"We have to get out of here," Annabeth said and we agreed.
Percy, being the gentleman that he was, took Annabeth's backpack and put it on his shoulders as she was injured.
Together we ran up the tunnel supporting Annabeth all the way struggling more and more with each step. The voice got louder and angrier behind us and soon a cold blast pulled at our backs trying to suck us into the black hole.
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. He was not happy that we had gotten away.
We looked at each other idly noticing that we were holding hands. The same thought was going through all our minds. We all had our suspicions about the thing in the pit but were too terrified to voice it out.
X-X-X-X-X
We strode forward towards the palace of Hades trying to ignore the dread pooling in our stomachs.
The Furies circled the parapets eyeing us the same way the vultures look at a dying animal. The outer walls of the fortress glittered black, and the two-story-tall bronze gates stood wide open.
Up close, we 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 and even a few that I recognized had wizards throwing curses at each other-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.
Multicolored mushrooms, poisonous shrubs, and weird luminous plants grew without sunlight. Precious jewels made up for the lack of flowers, piles of rubies bigger than 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 center 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 what she was talking about. In the entire duration of the quest, the enhanced senses I had due to my unique ancestry was a huge advantage over others. But at that time, they were a curse. The tart smell of the pomegranates were beckoning me to them promising such a wonderful taste that I would never want anything else. I could feel my mouth watering and my hands itching to pluck a juicy one but I resisted the temptations knowing that one bite was enough for me to be stuck here for eternity.
I could almost imagine the sweet, naive Persephone walking in the garden overjoyed at discovering a place that was so much like her home in the dreary place she was stuck in unaware that it would betray her in the end.
Annabeth and Percy dragged me forward holding my hands in each of theirs looking, for all the world, like two disgruntled parents taking their child away from a toy they felt was inappropriate for her.
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.
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.
"Well, guys.", Percy 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.
I rolled my eyes. What was with brainy girls and French?
We entered the palace to see Hades sitting casually on a throne talking to a tall woman in a dress that was usually worn by the woman of nobility in the middle Ages in England. Due to her different attire, it took me a while to recognise her as...
"Hecate"
She looked at me and gave me a wide smile, a smile I fully returned. I noticed that her smile was only for me. Others were not important enough for her to notice. I admit I felt a little special.
She turned back to Hades and said, "Remember what I said."
"Yes, yes.", Hades spoke dismissively, "The brat is important in your little magical society. So, I will let her go for now."
The next moment, Hecate disappeared in a flash.
He was the third god I had personally met, but the first who really looked godlike.
He was at least ten feet tall and dressed in black silk robes and a crown of braided gold.
He had albino white skin and shoulder-length jet black hair.
His oily black hair and coal black eyes that pull you in like a black hole gave him a resemblance to Snape but unlike my snarky Potions Professor, the guy actually made it look cool and stylish. I wondered whether Snape was a descendant of his. The man loved dungeons and shadows, wore all black and had a dramatic streak a mile wide. He certainly could not be an ordinary mortal wizard.
Hades was not bodybuilder type of a guy like Ares, but he radiated power in spades, pun intended of course.
He lounged on his throne made of fused human bones having human skull fixed at the end of each of the armrests, looking lithe, graceful and dangerous as a panther.
"You know, Percy.", I whispered, "Nico would be really jealous of us right now. He always wanted a Hades mythomagic card. It was the only one he did not have in his collection. Now, we are meeting the god himself."
Even if I was whispering, I knew Hades could hear me easily with the enhanced senses that the gods possessed. There was a brief flicker of emotion on his face which lasted a fraction of a second before it was back to its former state. I would have missed it if I had not been looking for it.
I could guess what he was thinking.
How were they found despite being hidden well? How close were we with both of them? Have we figured out their ancestry? Have we told anyone else about them? How long until Zeus learned of them?
I knew that he would pretend to not hear it as asking us would mean admitting that they were his children which would give us power over him. Yes, uncertainty was a more effective tool in the present case than outright blackmail.
There were a few tricks of trade that could help you win any battle whether it be on a negotiating table or in an arena.
The first was to never let the opponent decide the pace. You should force the opponent to play according to your whims.
The second was to never let the opponent get comfortable. Keep them constantly on their toes.
I achieved both. I knew it was not that easy to beat a master of game like Hades but the first point goes to me.
"You are brave to come here, Son of Poseidon.", he said in an oily voice, "After what you have done to me, very brave indeed. Or perhaps you are simply very foolish."
Percy stepped forward and said, "Lord and Uncle, I come with two requests."
I winced. While it was a good thing that he did not immediately assume a familial relation, I would have used better terms considering the god's current mood.
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 was stitched of trapped souls from the Fields of Punishment, trying to get out.
The ADHD part of me wondered which ones among them were deceased Death Eaters. It was possible that none of them were important enough to get there yet but I was sure that Tom Riddle already had a place reserved for him there.
"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 saw Percy glance at the empty throne beside Hades as if wishing that Persephone was there to calm her husband down.
I went forward and placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Do you, Perseus Jackson, give me permission to speak as a representative for our team?", I asked.
I could see that he was confused but he understood that it was important and was willing to go with it.
"Permission granted.", Percy replied and stepped back.
"Thank you", I said giving him a little bow.
Watch and learn, Percy. Watch and learn.
I stepped forward giving a respectful bow of my head.
"I, on behalf of my team, apologise for any disrespect, your Highness. We are here to request your guidance in a matter of great importance.", I said.
"Your Highness?", he asked, cruel amusement colouring his tone.
"We are in your domain, your Highness. You are the king of the land. It is expected of us to greet you that way.", I replied.
"Yet your leader didn't.", he stated in a deceptively soft tone.
The trap. Wow! He was good.
Depending on my response, I might actually impress him slightly or dig all of our graves.
I would have to give a response that could not be interpreted as me blaming someone.
I was nervous but also very excited. I had finally found a worthy opponent. As Annie once said, it was against opponents like those that we know whether we were really good or not.
"Please forgive us for his ignorance, your majesty. As we had to leave on the quest only two weeks after our arrival at the camp, Chiron did not have time to give us the etiquette training. Fortunately for me, I was born in nobility on the mortal side and I had some education, albeit very basic, on formal situations, especially about how to interact with one's superiors.", I replied smoothly.
I heard twin gasps behind me and remembered that I have never mentioned before that I was of noble stock. I would deal with that afterwards.
I intentionally mentioned the arrival at camp rather than knowledge of our godly heritage. Being seen as confrontational would be counterproductive in the present case.
"Speak, child. What do you need my guidance for?", he asked a cruel smile curling at his lips.
"As I am sure you have already learned, your majesty, the master bolt has been stolen.", I said.
"Yes, my little brother seems to enjoy parading the fact that his symbol of power is missing, like a fool.", he said sneering, "Along with his childish finger pointing. God of justice, what a joke."
I cringed. That was the exact words Aura had used.
"We were hoping that you might have heard of a murmur or stray word or some clue as to where the bolt is hidden and would pass it on to us, your majesty. After all, even if your brothers refuse to accept it, everyone knows that you have the best intelligence network of all gods. You have eyes and ears everywhere. You know everything.", I spoke as if I was stating a fact.
I noticed that he was sitting a little more straighter on his throne. It seemed that flattery could really get you anywhere.
"And what would I gain by helping you, child? Why would I want my little brother to get his toy back after all the trouble he gave me?", he asked letting out a growl at the end that caused the ground underneath them to vibrate.
Zeus must have done something really bad if Hades almost lost his composure on merely remembering it. Then again, it was Zeus we were talking about.
I put on my best sympathetic and understanding expression.
"I am afraid that we have nothing to offer you that someone of your power and influence cannot get on your own, your Highness. But, if Zeus doesn't get his symbol of power back by the solstice, there will be a war between your brothers, one in which you will inevitably be dragged into. Forgive me if my frankness insults you but from what I have seen, you are having difficulty accomodating the new subjects that you have gained from the recent mortal wars. Considering that Charon asked us to talk to you about his pay rise, I assume that your staff is quite unhappy with the new workload. Is the Underworld ready for a war between the gods?"
"And she gets it!", the god shouted throwing a hand in the air, "Finally! Someone finally gets it. No, no, I do not need more subjects, child, it's honestly the last thing I need. Have you any idea how much my kingdom has swollen in this past century and a half since the Civil War, how many subdivisions I've had to open?"
I kept quiet and I signalled Percy to do the same when he looked like he was about to answer. It was a rhetorical question anyway.
I had a feeling that the god had been wanting to complain to someone for a long time but nobody had cared. Now that he had an interested audience, he was not going to stop until he tells us everything.
"More security ghouls.", he moaned, "Traffic problems at the judgment pavilion. Double overtime for the staff. I used to be a rich god, children. I control all the precious metals under the earth. But my expenses!"
"And don't get me started on Charon!", Hades yelled, "He has 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."
He paused for a moment and continued, "There have been wars every decade or two since the Civil War that some part of Western Civilisation was involved in. The first World War, the second World War, the Iraq war, the Vietnam war. Then there was the Civil war in your magical society that Hecate was always complaining about. You have already seen the lengths Tom Riddle had gone to evade us. I would have sent my demigods to your society except...I DON'T HAVE ANY TO SEND. The little oath on River Styx that my brothers forced on me ensured that. An oath I had abided by even when my brothers did not have the decency to do the same.", he paused to give Percy a dirty look, "Now, there is a war in Afghanistan with that Osama bin Laden guy. I had told Ares many times to take a break but the idiot warmonger did not listen. No, godlings, I do not need to start a new war to get more subjects."
"Would you perhaps know where the master bolt is?", I asked carefully.
"I do know that you are innocent, child of Artemis.", he said scrunching his nose as if he could not believe what he just said, "Hecate has vouched for you. You actually seem to be one of the few whose existence I can tolerate. Perhaps, you should be more careful about who you trust in the future."
I looked at him in confusion. What did he mean?
Hades then looked directly at Percy, his eyes glowing with power and said, "Oh enough of this farce. Do not act so witless in front of me, Perseus Jackson. Do not pretend for a moment longer that you have done nothing wrong, not after what you have done."
We looked at each other, as clueless as the other. I knew that it was not about interrogating the Furies. He would not have been that angry. Even if he was, it would have been at me not Percy.
"Um ... Uncle," Percy said. "You keep saying 'after what you've done.' What exactly have I done?"
I could the god's power flood the throne room and even spreading outwards from there. The 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.
"My helm, boy, I want it back."
That single statement hit us like a tower of bricks.
"What?", I asked surprised
Percy recovered and blinked in bewilderment
"Bu-But I don't have your helm!", he told the god.
"Lies!"
More rumbling. Hades rose from his throne, towering over us making us feel insignificant with his very presence.
"Your father may fool Zeus, boy, but I am not so stupid. I see his plan."
"His plan?", Percy asked a mixture of confusion and anger colourjng his tone.
"You were the thief on the winter solstice.", the lord of the dead said, "Your father thought to keep you his little secret. He directed you into the throne room on Olympus. You took the master bolt and my helm. Had I not sent my Fury to discover you at Yancy Academy, Poseidon might have succeeded in hiding his scheme to start a war. But now you have been forced into the open. You will be exposed as Poseidon's thief, and I will have my helm back!"
"But", I blabbered desperately trying to understand how I lost control of the situation, "Why didn't you-"
"Speak of it? Like I had said before child, my little brother may parade the fact around that his is gone, but unlike him, I did not. I had no illusions that anyone on Olympus would offer me the slightest justice, the slightest help. I can ill afford for word to get out that my most powerful weapon of fear is missing. So I searched and lo and behold, I had found myself a child of Poseidon, New York city born and raised.", he
said gesturing his hand to Percy, "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 -", Percy was cut off.
"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. And you, Perceus Jackson-your skeleton will lead my army out of Hades."
I paled. One Voldemort was bad enough. I did not want to think about many unkillable Voldemort-like people roaming freely each with their own zombie army.
The skeletal soldiers all took one step forward, making their weapons ready.
"You're as bad as Zeus.", Percy accused the god, "You think I stole from you? That's why you sent the Furies after me?"
"Of course.", Hades spoke as if he had just been asked a stupid question.
"And the other monsters?"
Hades curled his lip.
"I had nothing to do with them. I wanted no quick death for you-I wanted you brought before me alive so you might face every torture in the Fields of Punishment. Why do you think I let you enter my kingdom so easily?"
"Easily?"
"Percy", I said trying to calm him, "If he didn't want us to come here, we could search the entire LA for our whole life and not find the Underworld until our death. My guess is that there are enchantments that ensures that only those who have seen the location marked out on a map can find the place."
"Listen to the girl, godling. She has good sense. Return my property!"
"I don't have your stupid helm! We just want to know where the stupid bolt is!", Percy said his anger only increasing with time.
Hades turned to me with a cruel smirk on his face and said, "If you wanted to find the master bolt, then rather than run around the whole country, you should have just checked your friend's backpack."
"But I didn't!", Percy argued with heat.
"Open your pack, Percy.", I said a horrible feeling rising in my stomach.
He slung it off his shoulder and unzipped it. Inside was a two-foot-long metal cylinder, spiked on both ends, and humming with energy.
"Percy", Annabeth said, "How -"
I stared at the master bolt speechless.
Congratulations Hades, you have won a set.
A set he had already won before I started playing and he was just waiting for me to realise it.
My mood turned sour as I realised that I had been outsmarted by two different gods in a matter of days. The most disappointing thing was that I did not realise it until everything was over.
"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 could feel the holes of puzzle filling in. Everything had just become clear to me. They had been played. Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades had been set at each other's throats by someone else.
The master bolt had been in the backpack, and it wasn't hard to figure out who had given it to them. He really was much cleverer than I gave him credit for.
"Lord Hades, wait.", Percy stammered out, trying to convince the god of his innocence, "This is all a big 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 with Mrs. Dodds' face grinned at Percy eagerly and flicked her whip anticipating her revenge.
"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 loosed a ball of gold fire from his palm. It exploded on the steps in front of them, and there was Sally Jackson, frozen in a shower of gold, looking as if she was just taking a nap.
Percy was speechless, he tried to reach for her, but the fire burned too greatly.
Seeing the woman who I had only briefly and was starting to respect brought me out of my shock and reminded me of my earlier resolve. The situation was a mess but one that was in my ability to salvage.
The ADHD part of me wondered where Hades had been keeping Percy's mother. Was she merely transfigured into a ball too small to be noticed? Or was she hidden in some pocket dimension only Hades could access? Or was she completely converted into energy?
"Yes.", Hades said with satisfaction, "I took her. I knew, Percy Jackson, that you would come to bargain with me eventually. Return my helmet, and perhaps I will let her go. She is not dead, you know. Not yet. But if you displease me, that will change."
Percy was looking at his mother with such longing that I felt sad. He looked like he was considering whether there was any way he could get her to safety.
"Ah, the pearls," Hades said suddenly.
I noticed that Percy had a deer-in-the-headlights look. Was he reading our minds?
"Yes, my brother and his little tricks. Bring them forth, Percy Jackson."
Percy's hand moved as if it had a life of its own and brought out the pearls.
"Only three.", Hades said, "What a shame. You do realize each only protects a single person. I would know. I was the one who created them as an emergency escape for my children. Your father merely altered it to suit his needs. 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 inwardly smirked. Hades had just made his first mistake.
Annabeth drew her bronze knife.
"You two go on. Save your mom and return the master bolt. I will cover you and I plan to go down fighting.", she said her face taut with determination.
I knew that she was thinking about the last time a situation like that came up. She did not want another Thalia on her conscience. It was endearing but completely unnecessary.
"Annie, it's Percy's decision. It was the price of the pearls. The curse of choice. Percy, you are the leader. If you want me to stay here, I will. Hecate had already ensured that my stay would be temporary. I am too important to her for some reason.", I said.
"Decide quickly, boy.", Hades snarled.
"I know what to do.", Percy said solemnly, "Take these."
He passed out the pearls to each of them.
Annabeth said, "But, Percy ..."
I understood how hard it was for Percy. I knew that he wanted to sacrifice himself to save her but he understood that he had a job to do and a lot was at stake if he failed.
Percy turned to his mother.
"I'm sorry.", Percy told her longing and regret clear in his voice, "I'll be back. I'll find a way."
I watched with hidden glee as the smug look on Hades' face faded.
He said uncertainly, "Godling ... ?"
"I'll find your helmet, Uncle,", Percy told him, "I'll return it. Remember Charon's pay rise."
"Do not defy me—"
"If I may suggest something, your Highness?"
"Yes", he replied confused.
I gave a hand signal to them to crush the pearl while Hades was distracted. The oldest trick in the book. Keep your opponent occupied with something while doing something else behind our backs.
"There are many in Asphodel Fields who desire a second chance to earn their way into the Elysium. There might be many in Elysium who are bored with the luxurious life and wanted to do something. Enlist them as volunteers to help with the work load. Even if you might have to pay them, it will only be a fraction of the salary for regular employees.", I told him.
It was gratifying to see the look of shock on his face after the day's events. It seemed that I still had it in me to surprise my opponents. I was sure he was trying to find a flaw in my reasoning all the while wondering why he had never thought of it himself.
Soon, the pearl fragments at my feet exploded with a burst of green light and a gust of fresh sea wind. I was encased in a milky white sphere, which was starting to float off the ground. Annabeth and Percy were right behind me.
By the time Hades realised what had happened and ordered his forces to attack, our bubbles had already touched the ceiling.
We were still going up, right through solid rock as easily as balloon rising in the air. That was the power of the pearls.
It seemed that the wizards still had quite a lot to learn. True, we could apparate through solid rock as long as we have the destination firmly in mind but our portkeys required an open air atmosphere.
For a few moments, I couldn't see anything outside the smooth walls of my sphere, then my pearl broke through on the ocean floor. The two other milky spheres, Annabeth and Percy, kept pace with me as we soared upward through the water.
We exploded on the surface knocking a surfer off his board with an indignant, "Dude!"
Percy grabbed me first and hauled me onto the lifebuoy. It was good thing too as I did not know how to swim.
He then hauled Annabeth onto the lifebuoy before getting in himself.
Percy then said something to the shark that was circling us that caused it to swim away.
The surfer screamed something about bad mushrooms and paddled away from us as fast as he could.
On seeing the shore, I realised that we were in the Santa Monica Bay.
In the distance, Los Angeles was on fire, plumes of smoke rising from neighborhoods all over the city. There had been an earthquake. It seemed that Hades did not take well to being outsmarted by a twelve year old.
It was time to pay my dues to the other god...with interest.
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