Disclaimer: The world of Percy Jackson, its characters and settings are the copyrighted works of Rick Riordan and his publishing companies and affiliates. No profit was made from the writing of this story nor was any malice intended in any way, shape or form to the author or the actors/actresses who so brilliantly have brought them to life.This author is not responsible for underage readers. Please observe the ratings, warnings, and age of legal consent for your country.
Imagine the largest concert crowd you've ever seen, a foot-ball field packed with a million fans.
Now imagine a field a million times that big, packed with people, and imagine the electricity has gone out, and there is no noise, no light, no beach ball bouncing around over the crowd. Something tragic has happened backstage. Whispering masses of people are just milling around in the shadows, waiting for a concert that will never start.
If you can picture that, you have a pretty good idea what the Fields of Asphodel looked like.
The black grass had been trampled by eons of dead feet. A warm, moist wind blew like the breath of a swamp. Black trees- Luke told me they were 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.
I tried not to think about how they could fall on us at any moment, but dotted around the fields were several that had fallen and impaled themselves in the black grass. I guess the dead didn't have to worry about little hazards like being speared by stalactites the size of booster rockets.
Annabeth, Luke, and I tried to blend into the crowd, keeping an eye out for security ghouls. I couldn't help looking for familiar faces among the spirits of Asphodel, but the dead are hard to look at. Their faces shimmer. They all look slightly angry or confused. They will come up to you and speak, but their voices sound like chatter, like bats twittering. Once they realize you can't understand them, they frown and move away.
I kept searching for one person though.
Hazel.
She should be here, floating with the other restless souls, alone in what I can only call a sub-level of hell.
I'll be back for her. Failing that, I can encourage Nico and Bianca to deal with souls then come back and resurrect her.
Such a brave spirit deserves to live again.
Unlike me.
We crept along, following the line of new arrivals that snaked from the main gates toward a blacktented 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 ghouls were marched down a rocky path toward the Fields of Punishment, which glowed and smoked in the distance. It looks like a vast, cracked wasteland with rivers of lava, minefields and miles of barbed wire separating the different torture areas. Even from far away, I could see people being chased by hellhounds, burned at the stake, forced to run naked through cactus patches or listen to opera music. I could just make out a tiny hill where the ant-size figure of Sisyphus kept struggling to roll his boulder to the top. And I saw worse tortures too- things I don't want to describe.
The line coming from the right side of the judgment pavilion was much better. This one 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, 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. That's definitely 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.
Would I ever get there? Or would I just keep being reborn, over and over, without rest, in a new place?
"That's what it's all about," Annabeth said, like she was reading my thoughts. "That's the place for heroes."
"You'll get there," I gave her a smile. "I know you will."
"Won't you?" she asked, curious.
"Nah." I turned away from the island. "Never."
-
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.
"Are we sure we can't just let them duke it out and then come in to take over ourselves?" Luke asked nervously. "We don't really need to return the Items of Power."
I rolled my eyes. "Nice try. Come on."
We continued forwards, me tugging him forward.
Then, I jerked to the side.
Huh?
I got jerked to the side again, this time the tugging feeling more obvious.
Oh fuck. Kronos.
"Ophelia?"
I got tugged on again, actually falling this time towards the pit at the bottom of the hill.
"Help!" I yelped, trying to back away. "Kronos is trying to-!"
This tug was harder and I tumbled down the hill, occasionally rising in the air as his pull got stronger.
Annabeth ran down after me, hand outstretched to grab me. Luke activated his flying shoes and was swooping down after me.
I suddenly took a sharp turn and the slope got steeper, sharp rocks cutting into my skin as I desperately tried to get a grip on something.
Riptide!
The sword sprung into my hands, the sharp blade digging into the ground then skittering off the blackened stone. I stabbed desperately at the earthy areas, but I couldn't get leverage and even if I did at the speed I was going my arms would get fucking dislocated-
"Luke! Annabeth! Please!" I shouted, terrified. "Help!"
They were yelling for me, screaming for me to hold onto something, to slow down, to stop.
I don't want to fall into Tartarus. I don't want to fall into Kronos' hands. 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.
The tunnel got darker and colder. The hairs on my arms bristled. It smelled evil down here. It made me think of things I shouldn't even know about- blood spilled on an ancient stone altar, the foul breath of a murderer. The tunnel widened into a huge dark cavern, and in the middle was a chasm the size of a city block.
I screamed, high and terrified, Riptide clattering out of nerveless fingers.
No, please no, anything but Tartarus! I hit a big rock, slamming all the air out of me, but I grabbed at it with all my might. That saved me.
It delayed my fall push into the Pit just long enough for Luke to catch up and grab me. He pulled me back up the slope, struggling against the pull of Kronos, until Annabeth caught up and helped. We all collapsed, exhausted, on the obsidian gravel. My limbs felt like lead. Even my backpack seemed heavier, as if somebody had filled it with rocks.
My backpack.
Luke gathered me in his arms, holding me tight, horrified. "Are you okay? Did he hurt you?" I nodded wordlessly, gripping him back just as tight. Annabeth's t-shirt was balled in my hand, tight enough to rip it.
I was scratched up pretty bad. My hands were bleeding.
"Wait," I said, voice shaky. "Listen."
I heard something- a deep whisper in the darkness.
Another few seconds, and Annabeth said, "Ophelia, this place-"
"Shh." I stood.
The sound was getting louder, a muttering, evil voice from far, far below us. Coming from the pit.
Luke sat up. "What's that noise?"
Annabeth heard it too, now. I could see it in her eyes.
"Tartarus. The entrance to Tartarus." I held up Anaklusmos as it returned. The bronze sword expanded, gleaming in the darkness, and the evil voice seemed to falter, just for a moment, before resuming its chant.
I could almost make out words now, ancient, ancient words, older even than Greek. Almost as if...
"Magic," I murmured, my tone hushed.
"We have to get out of here," Annabeth spoke.
Together, Luke and Annabeth grabbed me and started dragging me back up the tunnel. My legs wouldn't move fast enough. My backpack weighed me down. The voice got louder and angrier behind us, and we broke into a run. Not a moment too soon.
A cold blast of wind pulled at our backs, as if the entire pit were inhaling.
For a terrifying moment, I was weightless, my feet slipping on the gravel. If we'd been any closer to the edge, we would've been sucked in. 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. Something was not happy we'd gotten away.
"Fuck," I giggled, high on adrenaline. "Kronos is such an asshole."
Luke stared at me in disbelief while Annabeth burst out in laughter.
"We're so fucked," I managed to get out in between hysterical giggles. "I'm going to die."
Annabeth laughed harder.
Luke flopped back on the ground in despair. "Why did I ever let myself get dragged into this?"
"Because you love us." Annabeth elbowed him.
I gave them both a dopey grin as I shakily stood up. "Let's keep going!"
In sync, they rolled their eyes and said, "You're insane."
-
The Furies still circled the parapets, high in the gloom. The outer walls of the fortress seemed to suck the light away, and the two-story-tall bronze gates stood wide open.
Up close, I 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- 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 as big as my fist, clumps of raw diamonds, sapphires gleaming with unnatural light. 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 why she wanted to move on. The tart smell of those pomegranates was almost overwhelming. I had a sudden desire to eat them, but then I remembered the story of Persephone. One bite of Underworld food, and we would never be able to leave.
"Who made that stupid rule?"
"What?"
"Nothing."
Luke shrugged and 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. There was no ceiling, just the cavern roof, far above. I guess they never had to worry about rain down here.
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 those doors. They grinned down at us, rocket-propelled grenade launchers held across their chests. My backpack weighed a ton now; the Master Bolt and Helm must have returned fully. A hot wind blew down the corridor, and the doors swung open. The guards stepped aside.
"I guess that means entrez vous," Annabeth said.
Hades sat on his throne, looking very god-like.
He was at least ten feet tall and dressed in black silk robes with a crown of braided gold. I shit you not- someone actually braided gold. His skin was albino white, standing out starkly in the throne room. He kept his hair shoulder length, jet black liquidity falling like ink. He wasn't bulked up like Ares, but he radiated power. Lounging on his throne of fused human bones, he looked lithe, graceful, and as dangerous as the afterlife has always been.
The Lord of the Dead resembled pictures I'd seen of Adolph Hitler, or Napoleon, or the terrorist leaders who direct suicide bombers. Hades had the same intense eyes, the same kind of mesmerizing, evil charisma.
What a drama queen. Dude, I know you give your son a zombie butler in the future. You can't scare me- I know you're a huge dork.
"You are brave to come here, Daughter 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."
"Or just plain suicidal." I shrugged. "And I didn't do anything to you. Swear on the River Styx and all that."
We all know that thunder rumbled, except this time, something took notice. Something sat up, looked at me, decided to do nothing, and left. Somewhere in the Underworld, the River Styx was listening.
"You did nothing to me?" Hades echoed, stilling. I mean it- every movement in the Underworld paused for a single, wonderful second.
"So you're not going to kill us yet? Great!" I gave him a smile, ignoring the way Annabeth was glaring bloody murder at me for not being respectful. "Right, so, I've got you Helm right here in my backpack- sorry for the delay in returning it, someone kept sending monsters to kill me before I could return it. I found it with Ares, by the way, I think he was trying to start a war between the gods but this was a very stupid way to go about it. Also, do you mind giving me my Mãe back?"
Ooh, I've thrown him off his rhythm! Detective JJ Bittenbinder would be so proud!
His face slackened a bit at my little ramble. I took advantage of this to go fishing in the backpack to grab the Helm, then held it out for him to take.
"Um, please?" I added.
He stood in rage. "IS THIS SOME SORT OF TRICK?"
Out of the corner of my eye, Luke looked like he might faint. Oh dear, I hope he doesn't.
"Uh, no?" I said, probably more calmly than I felt. "I just swore on the River Styx that I didn't do anything to you, but since you're so doubtful- here's your Helm, uncle. I didn't steal it, Ares gave it to me, and I really want my Mãe freed. I swear on the River Styx."
Uncle Hades seems to be having a small crises as he stared at these three demi-gods; one smiled at him without a hint of fear, one looking like they might murder their companion for their idiocy, and the last one looked like they might faint in horror but was still stood ready in a clearly practised stance. I think you can guess who is who.
"You swore on the River Styx that you didn't steal my Helm?" Hades muttered, confused. "And the oath held true? If Ares had it, as you say, then who stole it?"
I stared him straight in the eyes, blinked, then said, "No idea."
I'm the baddest bitch in the Universe. I just lied straight in a god's face! The guy who's gonna be in charge of my afterlife too- heh, woops, hindsight. He glided down the steps leading to his throne, darkness briefly cradling him as he shrunk. Now a reasonable height, he stopped in front of me. He took his Helm back delicately, shrewdness in his eyes. "I will need to wash off the mortal taint on it."
My eye did not just fucking twitch, you're a liar!
"Of course, now if you would be so kind-"
Hades interrupted me, waving off my concerns. "Yes, yes. Your mother will be released."
Hades loosed a ball of gold fire from his palm. It exploded on the steps in front of me, and there was my mother, frozen in a shower of gold, just as she was at the moment when the Minotaur began to squeeze her to death.
Then, he released her.
The fire faded, she breathed in, and she disappeared in another shower of gold.
"Has been released," he corrected idly.
The god eyed my backpack with a hint of greed for a second, but it disappeared quickly. "You should hurry, little godling. My brothers will get impatient soon, and I believe your father will be quite upset that you've been in my realm so long."
I winced at that- Pai would be probably throwing a fit if I don't get back soon. "Right. Thanks for being so patient, Lord uncle. Goodbye!" I waved. I fucking waved goodbye to my Uncle the GOD. What the fuck is wrong with me? What in the Kentucky Fried Fuck am I doing?
I grabbed my partners in crime- literally- and started to tug them towards the exit. Luke followed, blinking as if to try and reboot his brain (same dude), and Annabeth was opening and closing her mouth. My money was on her trying to figure out what to yell at me for. We made it to the outside of the castle, the whole of the Underworld spanned in front of us. I stopped on the steps.
"Please," I asked, holding up a hand, "don't yell at me yet- wait until we're on the beach."
"What," Annabeth hissed dangerously, "was that?"
I pulled out the pearls, handing one to each of them. "My retail Customer Service voice and a hint of diplomacy. Please, kill me later."
"Ophelia-" Luke started.
I cut him off. "Later! Smash the pearls."
They paused, sitting in between simmering with fury and brimming with concern. Then they nodded, stiffly, slowly, but they nodded.We smashed the pearls at our feet. For a moment, nothing happenedThe 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 Luke were right behind me.
"Look up,'" Luke yelled. "We're going to crash!"
Sure enough, we were racing right toward the stalactites which looked like they would pop our bubbles and skewer us.
"How do you control these things?" Annabeth shouted.
"I don't think you do!" I shouted back.
We screamed as the bubbles slammed into the ceiling and... Darkness.
"Are we dead?" My voice echoed strangely, like it couldn't decide where to go.
I could still feel the racing sensation. We were going up, right through solid rock as easily as an air bubble in water. That was the power of the pearls, I nodded to myself; What belongs to the sea will always return to the sea. 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 Luke, kept pace with me as we soared upward through the water. Ker-blam! We exploded on the surface, in the middle of the Santa Monica Bay, knocking a surfer off his board with an indignant, "Dude!" How the hells do events line up perfectly at some points for the randomest of reasons?
I grabbed Luke and hauled him over to a life buoy. I caught Annabeth and dragged her over too.A curious shark was circling us, a great white about eleven feet long. I said, "Fuck off."The shark turned and raced away.
The surfer screamed something about bad mushrooms and paddled away from us as fast as he could.I had to get to shore. I had to get Zeus's thunderbolt back to Olympus. I had to save the fucking world, and you bet I've got no fucks left to give.
Surfs up, people.
The ocean moved.