Answers to reviews:
Guest02957: Thanks.
jedblack1997: Doubtful of that happening.
akeiser45: Yep.
Guest250: I'd say Garm. Dude was chained up for a reason and ended up becoming Fenrir. And Fenrir is meant to devour gods.
Disclaimer: I do not own God of War or Percy Jackson and the Olympians. I only own the OC Jakob Thorsson.
Jakob has heard about the Fields of Asphodel, but never thought he'd witness it for himself. Actually, he never thought he'd ever be in the Greek Underworld as a matter of fact. But as he gazed upon the fields, he couldn't help but feel pity.
It looked like a gigantic field that housed a multi-tragic funeral or something. People would wonder about, murmuring to one another as the dead atmosphere echoed to near nothing as all that was heard was shuffling steps on barely muted feet. The dead would come up to you and try to say something, but he couldn't understand them at all as you could barely see their face as they shimmered. The dead were angry and saddened, which Jakob took notice of. Their mute voice could say nothing as they moved on, just wandering aimlessly. The thick warm moist air surrounded the group as they walked through the black trees - Grover told him they were poplars - grew in clumps here and there.
The cavern ceiling was so high above with wickedly sharp stalactites that gave a faint grey glow. Fallen ones dotted around the fields that impaled themselves in the black grass. It was a good thing the ghosts were dead, no need to worry about those things hitting them.
Annabeth, Grover, Jakob and Andromeda tried to blend in with the crowd, keeping an eye out for security ghouls while they crept along, following the lines of new arrivals that snaked from the main gates towards a black-tented pavilion with a banner that read:
JUDGEMENTS FOR ELYSIUM AND ETERNAL DAMNATION
Welcome Newly Deceased!
Out the back of the tent came two smaller lines.
To the left, spirits flanked by security ghouls were marched down a rocky path towards the Fields of Punishment, which glowed and smoked in the distance, a vast, cracked wasteland with rivers of lava and minefields and miles of barbed wire separating the different torture areas. Even from far away, one could see people being chased by hell hounds, burned at the stake, forced to run naked through cactus or listen to opera music. Jakob could make out a small hill, with the tiny figure of Sisyphus struggling to move his boulder to the top.
The line coming from the right side of the pavilion was much better. This one lead down towards a small valley surrounded by walls - a gated community, which seemed to be the only happy thing about the Underworld.
Beyond the security gate were neighbourhoods of beautiful houses from every single period in history: Roman villas, medieval castles and Victorian mansions. Silver and gold flowers bloomed on the lawns. The grass rippled in rainbow colours. Jakob could hear laughter and smell barbecue cooking. And in an instant he knew what this place was.
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.
For Greek heroes, Elysium was their Valhalla.
"That's what it's all about," Annabeth said with a soft smile. "That's the place for heroes. Hey Jakob, Valhalla's part of Asgard, right?"
"Correct." Jakob nodded. "Valhalla's where warriors who die in glorious combat go. It's like Elysium, where warriors will feast, drink, and train until Ragnarök, in which they would march out of the great hall's many doors for battle."
"It's a place I'd love to go to." Mimir said with a sigh.
"As would I." Jakob nodded in agreement. He stared at Elysium alongside the others for a moment before he shook his head and started walking. "Come. We have a quest to finish."
They left the judgement pavilion and moved deeper into the Asphodel Fields. It got darker. The colours faded from their clothes. The crowd of chattering spirits began to thin.
After a few miles of walking, the group began to hear a familiar screech in the distance. Looming on the horizon was a palace of glittering rock obsidian. Above the parapets swirled three dark bat-like creatures: the Furies.
Well, some monsters were eager for a rematch.
"I suppose it's too late to turn back," Grover said wistfully.
"We'll be okay," Andromeda said, trying to sound confident.
"Maybe we should search some other places first," Grover suggested quickly. "Like Elysium, for instance…"
"Come on, goat boy," Annabeth said, grabbing his arm.
Grover yelped. His sneakers sprouted wings and his legs shot forward, pulling him away from Annabeth. He landed flat on his back in the grass.
"Grover," Annabeth chided. "Stop messing around."
"But I didn't -"
He yelped again. His shoes were flapping like crazy now. They levitated off the ground and started dragging him away from them.
"Grover!" Jakob shouted as he tried grabbing him.
"Maia!" Grover yelled, but the magic word seemed to have no effect. "Maia, already! Nine-one-one! Help!"
Andromeda got over being stunned and made a grab for Grover's hand, but was too late. Grover was picking up speed, skidding downhill like a bob sled as the demigods quickly gave chase.
Annabeth shouted, "Untie the shoes!"
It was a smart idea, but not as easy when your shoes are pulling you feet first at full speed. Grover tried to sit up, but he couldn't get close to the laces.
They kept after him, trying to keep him in sight as he ripped between the legs of the spirits who chattered at him in annoyance.
Andromeda was sure Grover was going to barrel straight through the gates of Hades' palace, but his shoes veered sharply to the right and dragged him in the opposite direction.
The slope got steeper. Grover picked up speed. The demigods had to sprint to keep up. The cavern walls narrowed on either side, and then they had entered some kind of side tunnel. No black grass or trees now, just rock underfoot, and the dim light of the stalactites above.
"Grover!" Andromeda yelled, voice echoing. "Hold onto something!"
"What?" he yelled back.
He was grabbing at gravel, but there was nothing big enough to slow him down.
The tunnel got darker and colder. It smelled evil down here. It made your hair stand on ends as it felt like you were entering a den of deranged murderers.
Jakob looked ahead and his eyes widened at what was there.
The tunnel widened into a huge dark cavern, and in the middle was a chasm the size of a city block. There was nothing but a dark, evil feeling coming off from it and Jakob realized there was only one place in the Greek Underworld that could feel like that, similar to being across the Bridge of the Damned in Helheim.
Tartarus.
And Grover was sliding straight towards the edge where he would fall into the prison if they didn't stop him.
"Come on!" Jakob shouted quickly and sprinted, boosting himself into the air with lightning and he grabbed onto Grover in the air but felt himself being pulled along with the Satyr. Jakob took out the Leviathan Axe and stabbed it into the ground to prevent them from going over the edge... even though they were slowly being dragged towards said edge.
Annabeth and Andromeda ran over and grabbed onto Jakob, pulling him up as Grover tried to take the shoes off.
What saved him were his hooves.
The flying sneakers had always been a loose fit on him, and finally Grover hit a big rock and the left shoe came flying off. It sped into the darkness, down into the chasm. The right shoe kept tugging him along, but not as fast. It was now slow enough that Grover could grab hold of the big rock and use it like an anchor.
"Come on!" Jakob grunted as he pulled himself and Grover away from the edge of the pit.
Finally, the other winged shoe tugged itself off, circled around them angrily and tried to kick them before Jakob blasted it into a burnt crisp with a beam of lightning from his hand, sending the remains falling down into the pit to join its twin.
"By the Nine Realms, what was that?!" Mimir exclaimed, just as surprised as everyone else was.
"Wait," Andromeda said, straining her ears. "Listen."
They all heard something - a deep whisper in the darkness.
Another few seconds, and Annabeth said, "Andie, this place -"
"Shh." Andromeda stood.
"We need to go. Now." Jakob said sternly, already gripping the Leviathan Axe tightly in his hand.
"By the cold of Helheim! Please tell me that's not who I think it is!" Mimir said with worry.
The sound was getting louder, a muttering, evil voice from far, far below them. Coming from the pit.
Grover sat up. "Wh-what's that noise?"
Annabeth heard it too, now, her eyes widened. "Tartarus. The entrance to Tartarus." Andromeda uncapped Anaklusmos while Jakob had the blade of his axe encased in ice.
The evil voice seemed to falter, just for a moment, before resuming its chant.
You could almost make out words now, ancient, ancient words, older even than Greek. As if…
"Magic," Andromeda said, her sea green eyes wide.
"We have to get out of here," Annabeth said, gulping at the old words.
"Kronos."
As soon as Jakob said that name, the chanting stopped. The group felt ice fill their veins, the air leaving them. It seemed like the the voice didn't like being interrupted. The atmosphere suddenly turned cold and dark. Grover shivered, bleating out goat nonsense in a panic. Annabeth clutched her beads necklace nervously, fear evident in her eyes. Andromeda's sword arm was shaking. Jakob could see that she was trying to look brave, but it didn't seem to work.
Then the chanting continued where it left off, faster, stronger, hungrier.
Jakob didn't want to stick around here any longer. He wasn't sure if even he could take on the king of the Titans, regardless of his current state. "Move. Now!"
The group was frozen stiff, but they managed to move, running slightly. The voice behind them got louder and angrier, and they broke into a sprint.
Not a moment too soon.
A cold blast of wind pulled at their backs, as if the entire pit were inhaling. For a terrifying moment, Andromeda lost ground, her feet slipping in the gravel. If they'd been any closer to the edge, they would've been sucked in.
Struggling forward, they 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. Something was not happy that they'd gotten away.
"What was that?" Grover panted, when the group collapsed in the relative safety of a black poplar grove. "One of Hades' pets?" he suggested, clearly not wanting to even think it was what Jakob said it was.
The Son of Thor turned to Grover, hooking the Leviathan Axe to his back. "You know what that was, Grover." He said gravely. "Or rather who that was."
Annabeth looked like she was in too much of a panic to even think about it, too scared to even agree with the notion Jakob made. "I-I thought he wasn't - isn't he supposed to be -"
She seemed startled, as well as scared. Jakob didn't blame her. He didn't even bother pointing out that he was right all along. It just didn't seem like the right time.
Andromeda seemed scared, which no one blamed her for.
The daughter of Poseidon capped her sword, putting the pen back in her pocket. "Let's keep going." She said, turning to Grover. "Can you walk?"
He swallowed. "Yeah, sure. I never liked those shoes, anyway."
Grover tried to sound brave about it, but he was trembling as badly as the rest of the group. Whatever was in that pit was nobody's pet. It was unspeakably old and powerful. Was Jakob right? Was that really Kronos? The truth seemed to terrify Andromeda. She almost wished it were false. Then she slapped her face lightly, telling herself to keep going forward. She sighed in relief with her back towards the pit now.
Desperate to leave the pit behind, they headed towards the palace of Hades.
The Furies circled the parapets, high in the gloom. The outer walls of the fortress glittered black, and the two-story-tall bronze gates stood wide open.
Up close, the group could tell 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 - but all of them looked as if they'd been etched into the bronze thousands of years ago. Like some deranged prophecies that had come true.
Inside the courtyard was the strangest garden they'd ever seen. Multicoloured mushrooms, poisonous shrubs, and weird luminous plants grew without sunlight. Precious jewels made up for the lack of flowers, piles of rubies as big as a fist, clumps of raw diamonds. Standing here and there like frozen party guests were Medusa's garden statues — petrified children, satyrs, and centaurs — all sporting some twisted expression between a smile and a scream.
"Well, at least the Underworld is into art, at least," Mimir joked slightly to lift the heavy atmosphere. It didn't seem to work.
In the centre 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."
Jakob knew the story of Persephone. One bite of Underworld food, and they would never be able to leave. He had to pull Grover back to stop him from eating a particular juicy pomegranate.
They walked up the steps of the palace, between gleaming black marble 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. There was no ceiling, just the cavern roof, far above. They never had to worry about rain down here it seems.
Every side doorway was guarded by a skeleton in military gear. Some wore Greek armour, some British redcoat uniforms, some in camouflage uniforms with tattered American flags on the shoulders. They carried spears or muskets or M-16s. None of them bothered the questers, but their hollow eye sockets followed them as they 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 them, rocket-propelled grenade launchers held across their chests.
"You know," Grover mumbled, "I bet Hades doesn't have trouble with door-to-door salesmen."
"Or have that many visitors," Jakob added.
Andromeda's backpack weighed a ton now and she couldn't figure out why. She wanted to check what had somehow secretly jumped in there, but this wasn't the time.
Jakob, noticing this, asked, "You all right, Andie?"
Not wanting him, she nodded. "Yeah, fine."
Jakob probably would've said more, but, seeing Andromeda's mood, dropped the matter.
"Well, guys," said Andromeda. "I suppose we should...knock?"
"Knowing Gods of these realms, the doors will just-" Mimir stopped as the doors swung open slowly, like something out of a horror movie. "...open themselves."
"Stay behind me, and let me do the talking." Jakob told the others before he walked inside first, the others following behind him.
They were now in Hades' throne room, and the God of the Underworld himself sat upon his throne.
Hades as at least ten feet tall, for one thing, and dressed in black silk robes and a crown of braided gold. His skin was albino white, his hair shoulder-length and jet black. He radiated power. He lounged on his throne of fused human bones, looking lithe, graceful, and dangerous as a panther.
To Jakob, he was reminded a little of Hela, the Goddess of Death and ruler of Helheim.
Actually, Jakob was sure Hades looked a little familiar but he couldn't place where the familiarity came from.
"Lord Hades." Jakob said, bowing first and he gave the others a look to do the same and they did so.
"Well, well, so it is true." Hades mused as he leaned forward, staring at Jakob. "An Aesir demigod, in the flesh. When I heard of the Son of Thor, I was quite curious and interested to see what will come with your presence amongst us, and now you are here before me... and you have brought the Daughter of Poseidon with you, after what she did."
Andromeda frowned, not sure what hades meant, but she stepped forward. "Lord and uncle, I have two requests."
"Oh no." Jakob muttered with a shake of his head. This was not going to go well. Did he tell Andromeda to leave the talking to him?
Hades raised an eyebrow and sat forward in his throne, causing shadowy faces to appear in the folds of his black robes, faces howlingly silently in torment, as if the garment were stitched out of trapped souls from the Fields of Punishment, trying to get out. One had to wonder if that was the same for all of his clothes.
"Only two requests?" Hades scoffed. "Arrogant child. As if you have not already taken enough. Speak, then. It amuses me not to strike you dead yet."
Andromeda glanced at the empty, smaller throne next to Hades'. It was shaped like a black flower, gilded with gold. She wished Queen Persephone was here. The girl recalled something in the myths about how she could calm her husband's moods. But it was summer. Of course, Persephone would be above in the world of light with her mother, the goddess of agriculture, Demeter. Her visits, not the tilt of the planet, create the seasons.
Annabeth cleared her throat. Her finger prodded the Daughter of Poseidon in the back.
"Lord Hades," Andromeda said. "Look, sir, there can't be a war among the gods. It would be... bad."
"Really bad." commented Grover.
"Return Zeus's master bolt to me," Andromeda said. "Please, sir. Let me carry it to Olympus."
"Well, we're dead." Mimir said blankly as Jakob sighed and punched the bridge of his nose.
They were going to die at this rate.
"Andromeda!" Jakob cut in sternly, shooting her a look that told her to be quiet. "I said I will do the talking. Besides... he isn't the thief."
"What?" Andromeda, Annabeth and Grover asked in surprise but Jakob turned back to Hades.
"I suspected from the very beginning that you weren't the thief. From what I have seen, your realm hardly needs more subjects." Jakob pointed out.
"You are correct, Asgardian." Hades nodded, looking curious in the Aesir's deduction of him not being the thief. "But explain the rest of your reasoning."
"It's stereotypical to blame you, just because you're the God of the Underworld. Hela, the Goddess of Death, is often viewed the same way because of her job." Jakob said, Hades nodding along at his words. "But when the Furies attacked us, demanding to know where we hid something... I started to believe then that you have lost something, and did not steal Zeus' Master Bolt."
Hades chuckled. "Very astute and correct, Son of Thor. No, I sent the Furies to demand the return of my Helm of Darkness, which has been stolen from me."
His words made Andromeda, Annabeth and Grover's eyes widened while Jakob kept his expression calm and composed. Least he now knew what the Furies had thought they had on the bus.
"So that's two godly symbols of power stolen." Jakob stated. "And no doubt, you believe Zeus or Poseidon is behind it."
"Poseidon mostly." Hades scoffed lightly before locking a dangerous glare on Andromeda. "Why else would his daughter come into my domain with the Master Bolt itself?"
"W-What?" Andromeda's eyes widened before they narrowed and she glared at the God of the Underworld. "I don't have the Master Bolt!"
"Then open your pack, girl." Hades said in a chillingly calm voice.
Andromeda stiffened and slowly looked at the back she had... Ares' pack. It couldn't... There was no way...
Jakob walked over and unzipped the back, opening it to reveal a two-foot-long metal cylinder, spiked on both ends, humming with energy.
"Andie," Annabeth said. "How -"
"I - I don't know. I don't understand." The Daughter of Poseidon stammered, confused and shocked as to how the Master Bolt had been with them the entire time.
"Ares." Jakob growled, realizing who the true thief was. And somehow Jakob didn't sense the master Bolt at all, given his own connection to lightning. Perhaps it was something Ares had done, a quick failsafe or backup to ensure the Son of Thor didn't realize the trick. He turned to Hades. "Lord Hades. we've all been fooled."
"Have we?" Hades raised a brow. "From my point of view, I see a group of demigods and a Satyr bringing my idiot brother's symbol of power to me in an attempt to threaten me."
"Ares is the one who gave us this pack." Jakob said, causing Hades to blink. "I believe he is the thief... for the Bolt and your Helm. He is the God of War, after all."
"He's always been bloodthirsty for a great war but this is beyond his usual antics." Hades growled, clenching the armrests of his thrones. "When I see Ares again..."
"Leave that to us." Jakob said, getting the God of the Underworld's attention. "Lord Hades, I offer you a bargain. If you allow us to return to Midgard, along with Sally Jackson alive and well, I will find Ares and ensure your Helm's safe return to you. And if you ever need a favour from me, I will go through with it."
He ignored the looks he got from his friends. he was trying to do this without getting Hades angry at them, even though he was feeling just as angry himself at being used like some tool by Ares. He was nobody's tool. Especially the Olympians.
"And why would you go to such lengths, Jakob Thorsson?" Hades asked curiously, leaning forward. "Why would an Aesir help an Olympian? Especially me?"
"Out of all the Greek Gods, you and Hestia are the ones with my utmost respect." Jakob answered, surprising the God of the Underworld as he wasn't expecting that. Usually he's the one with the least respect, always made out as the bad guy, and Hestia is often forgot about at times.
After a few minutes of silently contemplating the offer, Hades soon nodded. "Very well, I agree to your terms. But there will be a day where I will have need of you, seeing as I wouldn't trust any other and my servants would only draw attention to themselves. I trust you will keep your word?"
"With my life." Jakob nodded, and Hades could see that the boy meant it as he saw no sign of deceit in his eyes so he nodded.
"However, I will return the mortal woman to you ONCE I have my Helm back." Hades said, shocking them and Andromeda looked ready to argue when Hades cut in. "I trust the Son of Thor to keep his word, but I do not trust one of Poseidon's lineage. Agree to these terms, and you will return without harm."
"...Very well." Jakob nodded after a moment of contemplating it himself. He should've expected Hades to do this, but he couldn't really fault him. Hades wanted to make sure he would not be betrayed in any way, and Jakob trusted the God of the Underworld to keep to his end of the agreement.
"What? No! I'm not leaving-" Andromeda startd but Jakob grabbed her.
"Andie, this is the only way to ensure her safe return! If we go back with her and confront Ares, the God of War may target her to throw us off. I promise you, I would not make this bargain unless I wasn't sure I don't trust Hades to keep his word." Jakob said, trying to make her understand.
"I..." Andromeda started but couldn't find the words to speak, worried for her mother. The reason she had went on the quest in the first place.
"Do you trust me?" Jakob asked, putting his hands on her cheeks to ensure her sea green eyes stared into his blue ones.
After staring into his eyes for a long moment, Andromeda finally nodded. "I do."
"Then trust me to know what I'm doing right now, and you will have your mother back when this is all over with." Jakob said, getting another nod from Andromeda. "The pearls."
Andromeda nodded and took them out, but a part of her still hesitated. However, she trusted Jakob to keep his word and ensure her mother was returned. She handed a pearl to each of them, one for herself, one for Jakob, one for Annabeth and one for Grover.
"Are you sure about this?" Annabeth asked, looking between Jakob and Andromeda.
"Ares is behind all of this, we have the bolt which is what we were sent on the quest to find. Ares has the Helm, which I'm going to take from him and ensure it's retuned to it's owner." Jakob said firmly. "There will be no war while I have something to say about it."
Everyone grasped a pearl in their hand while Jakob turned to Hades.
"I will be watching." Was all the God of the Underworld had to say, giving the Son of Thor a small nod.
Jakob nodded back before they threw the pearls down at their feet. For a moment, nothing happened.
"Give it a second." Hades said with a small smirk.
A second passed, and the pearl fragments at their feet exploded with a burst of green light and a gust of fresh sea wind. They were each encased in a milky white sphere, which were starting to float off the ground.
They started to float off the ground which surprised Andomeda, Grover and annabeth more while Jakob was calm as he had been used to flying.
"Look up." Grover yelled. "We're going to crash!"
Sure enough, they were racing right toward the stalactites.
"How do you control these things?" Annabeth shouted.
"I don't think you do!" Andromeda shouted back.
"Just stay calm! We'll be fine!" Jakob called.
They yelled as the bubbles slammed into the ceiling and… darkness.
Andromeda winced her eyes shut, thinking they were dead, but opened them to realize they were going through the earth. For a few more minutes, she couldn't see anything out the magic bubble, then the spheres broke through the ocean floor as the four soared upwards through the water. With a whoosh, they broke through the surface, in the middle of Santa Monica Bay, knocking a surfer off his board with an indignant, "Dude!"
Andromeda grabbed Grover and hauled him over to a life buoy. Out the corner of her eye, she saw Jakob surace and grab Annabeth, pulling her over with him. A curious shark was circling them, a great white about eleven feet long.
Andromeda said. "Beat it."
The shark turned and raced away.
The surfer screamed something about bad mushrooms and paddled away from them as fast as he could.
Andromeda wondered what time it was, thankfully Jakob took a quick look at the sky and informed them that it was around early morning
Meaning it was June 21, the day of the summer solstice.
"Ohh... how can I be so nauseous without a stomach?" Mimir asked with a groan, Jakob having lifted the head out of the water in case he drowned... if it was possible for him as a reanimated head.
"We made it at least." Jakob said with a sigh before he looked out at the city of LA, which looked just as perfect and normal as when they had entered the Underworld. But that wasn't their main concern.
They had to get to shore and get Zeus' Master Bolt back to Olympus.
And most of all, Andromeda and Jakob had a God of War to 'chat' with...
And that's it for this chapter. In the next one, Jakob and Andromeda face Ares, the God of War himself.
Now, big change was that Jakob managed to talk things out with Hades rather than things go the way they did in the book. Jakob suspected Hades wasn't behind the theft, as that's just too stereotypical and he likes to see proof rather than just a simple accusation. So Jakob has made a deal with Hades, and will owe the God of the Underworld a favour to call him upon.
That'll come in handy later on, I'm certain some can probably guess why.
Harem: Silena Beauregard, Thalia Grace, Katie Gardner, Annabeth Chase, Andromeda Jackson (Female Percy), Bianca Di Angelo, Zoe Nightshade, Thrúd, Freya, Artemis, Athena, Hestia, Skadi.