𝐕𝐨𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐁𝐞𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐲.

The curse of Achilles

Unfortunately, the more Nico did it, the more tired he seemed. They walked through a maze of corridors filled with guards. By the time they reached a kitchen staffed by skeletal cooks and servants, the tow of them were practically carrying Nico.

He managed to put all the dead to sleep but nearly passed out himself. They dragged him out of the servants' entrance and into the Fields of Asphodel.

She almost felt relieved until she heard the sound of bronze gongs high in the castle.

"Alarms," Nico murmured sleepily.

"What do we do?" Lilia asked.

He yawned then frowned like he was trying to remember. "How about ... run?"

Running with a drowsy child of Hades was a lot harder than you'd think. Percy and Lilia each had one of his arms over their shoulders, Percy had most of his weight but Lilia was still struggling to keep him up right, as they ran.

The sound of gongs rolled across the fields. Ahead loomed the walls of Erebos, but the longer they walked, the farther away they seemed. Lilia was about to collapse from exhaustion when she heard a familiar:
"WOOOOOF!"

Mrs. O'Leary bounded out of nowhere and ran circles around them, ready to play.

"Good girl." Percy said. "Can you give us a ride to the Styx?"

The word Styx got her excited. She probably thought he meant sticks. She jumped a few times and then calmed down enough for Percy to push Nico onto her back. He gave Lilia a boost up before climbing aboard himself, and she raced toward the gates. She leaped straight over the EZ-DEATH line, sending guards sprawling and causing more alarms to blare. Cerberus barked, but he sounded more excited than
angry, like: Can I play too?

Fortunately, he didn't follow them, and Mrs. O'Leary kept running. She didn't stop until they were far upriver and the fires of Erebos had disappeared in the murk.

Nico slid off Mrs. O'Leary's back and crumpled in a heap on the black sand.

Percy took out a square of ambrosia. It was a little bashed up, but Nico chewed it.

"Uh," he mumbled. "Better."

"Your powers drain you too much," Lilia noted.

He nodded sleepily. "With great power... comes great need to take a nap. Wake me up later."

"Whoa, zombie dude." Percy caught him before he could pass out again. "We're at the river. You need to tell me what to do."

He fed him the last of his ambrosia, which was a little dangerous. The stuff can heal demigods, but it can also burn us to ashes if they eat too much.

Fortunately, it seemed to do the trick. Nico shook his head a few times and struggled to his feet.

"My father will be coming soon," he said. "We should hurry."

The River Styx's current swirled with strange objects broken toys, ripped-up college diplomas, wilted homecoming corsages all the dreams people had thrown away as they'd passed from life into death.

"So.... I just jump in?" Percy said, Lilia frowned it didn't look like somewhere you'd want to swim.

"You have to prepare yourself first," Nico said, "or the river will destroy you. It will burn away your body and soul."