chapter 2 - I Banish A Soul

I ran across the rooftops in San Francisco as I narrowed in on the escaped soul. I was on my first mission for Hades. It was night and the moon was full, which meant Artemis was happy. I made no noise as I leaped the gap between two houses, landing solidly on two feet and taking off again. There were no clouds in the sky so Zeus was happy. I reached the edge of the houses and looked down. Somehow I could sense the spirit below me somewhere. My clothes I had changed into a black cloak so nothing could see me in the night. My face was covered by shadows. I willed my bow to come out of the shadows and grasped it. There was a golden string attached to the wood which Hades had identified as Tartarus Willow, apparently the only type of tree to grow in Tartarus. Designs of the elements were engraved into the wood, an inscription read, 'aió̱nios', Eternal.

I drew back the string and a Stygian Iron arrow appeared set in the rest. I breathed in and aimed as I breathed out I released the bow string. The arrow hit the spirits shoulder. Dropping the bow I grabbed the edge of the roof and climbed down.

The mortal's body was pale as the arrow sucked the life out of him. I waited until he was almost dead before I took the Stygian arrow out and followed the instructions Hades had given me.

I placed my hand on his forehead and murmured, "Egó̱, o Seth sýrei éxo̱ apó ti̱n psychí̱ anapáv̱etai mésa sas kai na exorísei to sti̱n aíthousa tou thrónou tou Ádi̱ , o Theós to̱n Nekró̱n."A black smoke came out of his mouth and into the ground. Acting quickly I drew out any fragments of the arrow left in the small wound and watched as it closed up at the release of the soul. I vanished into the shadows before he could wake up.

Hades was sitting on his throne at his godly height of 17ft, the spirit I had sent here cowering in front of him. Alecto flitted over to Hades and he whispered to her. Two seconds later she was flying off with the ghost in her talons.

"You work quickly." Hades commented.

"It was easy. He wasn't very well disguised amongst the mortals." I shrugged.

"I have another job for you and if you can finish it by the weeks end, you can come with me to the mortal's world."

"Of course Hades." I bowed.

"Half a dozen souls have escaped from Elysium. They were demigods so will know how to defend themselves."

"Their parents are?"

"Casualties from the war that is happening." Hades sighed, "One of Athena, Hephaestus, Ares and Apollo, one of Hermes the last of my youngest brother." I nodded and thought for a moment.

"Where are they hiding out?"

"New York."

"Isn't that where Olympus is?" I asked surprised.

"They chose a place near their parents."

"But Zeus-"

"You have a lot of power, much more than a 15 year old child. I doubt he'll be able to harm you." Hades calmly explained. I thought for a moment.

"All right, but I'll go tomorrow. Today I will train." I decided. Hades nodded and waved his hand. I took the hint and dissolved into shadows, reappearing in Elysium. Ghosts stared at me as I walked into the Ancient Greek section.

"Does anyone know where I can find the heroes of old?" I yelled into the midst. Most stared at me like I was a venomous snake slowly edging my way towards them.

"daímonas!" A woman yelled from the safety of her door.

"foniás!" I tried to approach them but they backed away.

"dolofónos!" I man cried, all the ghosts ran into houses lining the path. Doors were slammed shut and locked. Within seconds the street was cleared of any living thing. I frowned as I reached a forest, my bow formed out of the shadows and I took a step forward.

"I wouldn't go in there if I were you." I turned and saw a little boy looking at me, his eyes like miniature suns they were shining with a harsh light. "That is where Hades stocks monsters to keep heroes entertained."

"Good, maybe I could get them to train me in the art of swordsmanship." I smiled.

"They only train mortals if they deem them worthy." The kid warned.

"I better get going then, thank you…"

"fo̱s." He bowed. I nodded and stepped into the woods, looking back and rubbing my eyes, the boy was gone. Shaking my head I headed further into the forest.

Keeping to the shadows I climbed up a tree and listened, paws were pattering on the forest floor around the base of the tree, hellhound. Before it could react an arrow was through its head. I swing from tree as I searched the forest, shooting a hellhound whenever I saw one.

"Tha échete ti̱n ef̱kairía na sas ef̱chi̱thó̱ émeine sta astéria, agóri psária!" A voice yelled from a clearing a few dozen metres away.

"Skáse kefáli tou aéra!" Someone was running towards the tree I was in. Slinging my bow across my back and jumping from tree to tree I swung into the clearing to see a teenager with sea-green eyes and black hair. He drew a sword and watched me as my bow melted into the shadows.

"Who are you?" The boy asked, I could tell he was a son of Poseidon.

"Seth." I replied.

"Why have you disturbed us?"

"I wish to train and I was told by a citizen that you could train me."

"I will ask Orion and Perseus when they get back. We will decide if you are worthy." He nodded. Orion and Perseus, that means he must be Theseus.

"Of course Theseus." I bowed to the hero. He shook his head.

"No need to bow." Theseus smiled, "ORION! PERSEUS! COME BACK HERE!" There was a crash a hundred metres out.

"OW! Perseus!" Orion yelled.

"Do they always do this?" I asked Theseus.

"Usually worse." He laughed. Orion ran into the clearing, he had sea-green eyes like Theseus but his hair was lighter, he carried a bow on his back and a hunting knife at his waist. Perseus had clear blue eyes and blonde hair, at his waist he carried an adamantine sword. "What did you do to him this time?" Theseus asked.

"What is he doing here?" Perseus seemed to not hear the question.

"He wishes for us to train him." Theseus replied, "Do you think we should?"

"What do you want us to train you in, and why?" Perseus inspected me.

"Close combat, I recently woke up from the Lethe having no idea how to wield a sword, archery came to me quickly and I will need to be able to fight close combat if I want to survive up on the surface." I explained.

"I say no. He doesn't even have a sword or armour; it will be useless if he doesn't have anything to train with." Orion spoke up; he was still at the edge of the clearing far away from Theseus and Perseus.

"Do you have a weapon and armour?" Perseus asked, looking at me critically. I nodded and willed my armour to form round me shadows formed across my body, cool touches slithered around as the black armour stretched to cover me. A sheath formed at my waist and in it rested Katastrofí. Perseus whistled, "That is nice armour. Can I see your blade?" I hesitated as I remembered how it had burnt Hades. But drew it out and handed it hilt first to the son of Zeus. He grasped it and made a few practice swings. "Well balanced, strong and fast." He mused, "It is a great weapon for agile fighters." My left hand shot out to the side, palm facing the ground and another blade shot into it. Eyes wide I inspected it, a sliver of gold that looked like a piece of string was down the middle. The blade was completely black except for the string and read 'Veltió̱ste' Enhance. It was curved slightly, a Katana.

"I say we train him, by his weapons it is obvious he has used them before, it should not take long for him to fight like he was before." Perseus voted giving me my sword back. I sheathed them both in sheathes that had appeared on either side of my waist.

"He has the makings of a warrior. I agree." Theseus smiled.

I don't, if we train him other heroes will come and we will have to train them!" Orion nearly shouted his face was red. Perseus scowled at him.

"Shut it fengári psária." Theseus sighed.

"Every day come here as soon as you wake, then we will train for as long as possible." Perseus ordered. I nodded and thanked them before bringing my cloak out of the shadows, putting away my blades and armour and formed fitting - leather armour. I drew my bow and ran into the shadows to hunt hellhounds. As soon as I exited the clearing there was a low growl and something flew out of the shadows at me, an arrow went through its mouth. A pile of golden dust was left on the ground; I smiled and stalked through the shadows. A shape knocked me over from behind, a knife formed in the shadows and I cut wildly behind me, severing a claw from a paw. The hellhound yelped and jumped back off me, darting onto my feet I charged forward, dagger raised and dodged the head coming at me. As I passed it I slashed to the left and felt the dagger stick in something. There was a final howl as the hellhound was sent to Tartarus. I jogged back to the claw and picked it up, a piece of string hung out of a hole I put it round my neck and melted into the shadows, travelling back to the throne room.

"Are they training you?" Hades asked, he was sitting on his throne. Persephone was beside him on hers.

"Yes. Though Orion is a vlákas." I cursed.

"If he was not in the stars, he would be in The Fields of Punishment for what he did." Hades smiled.

"Can you tell me where exactly the escaped souls are?"

"Search around the base of the Empire State Building." Hades nodded. I thanked him and wandered through the palace to my room.

aió̱nios-Eternal

Egó̱, o Seth sýrei éxo̱ apó ti̱n psychí̱ anapáv̱etai mésa sas kai na exorísei to sti̱n aíthousa tou thrónou tou Ádi̱ , o Theós to̱n Nekró̱n-I, Seth draw out the soul resting inside you and banish it to the throne room of Hades, God of the Dead

daímonas-Demon

foniás-Killer

dolofónos-Assassin

Tha échete ti̱n ef̱kairía na sas ef̱chi̱thó̱ émeine sta astéria, agóri psária-You are going to wish you stayed in the stars, fish boy

Skáse kefáli tou aéra-Shut up air head

fengári psária-Moon fish

Veltió̱ste-Enhance

vlákas-Moron

fo̱s-Work it out yourself, if I tell you you'll be a step closer to working out his father.

Another chapter, I'm quite proud of myself, that was my fastest update yet...

Anyway, question for the chapter, Where in the timeline of Percy Jackson does this story start?