Rise of House Neptune

A Deal With The Devil

Chapter 5

Entering the Underworld was all the doom and gloom Percy could have imagined. It felt like he had walked into a super intense Halloween store. Skeltal faces that held glowing lights above them, bats hanging from the ceiling, and a constant flow of luminescent white spirits coming into the tunnel the two boys had entered. When they first entered they could hardly see the ethereal people, but as they descended further and further the more clear they became. The wails of the spirits made Percy's gut turn, and he felt his stomach doing flips as he felt the imaginary spiders crawling up his back for the second time today.

Jason talked quietly as if they were afraid of being overheard, "This is the creepiest thing I have ever seen in my life."

Before Percy could respond they came to an opening that displayed a giant cavern with a small river of water running through it. Percy stared at the water for a moment before saying, "The River Styx. Very dangerous. It's what they dipped Achilles in to make him invulnerable."

Jason stared in amazement, "Think we should take a swim?"

Shaking his head, "His mother dipped him in, and I don't think I have the strength to hold you by the ankle."

"You calling me fat Jackson?"

"Just saying you could lay off the cokes!" Percy Joked.

This caused the two to laugh, and suddenly a voice from nearby spoke, "I haven't heard laughter down in this part of the Underworld in a very long time. What is your business demigods?"

Percy looked at the ferryman with recognition, "Charon we request humble passage to Lord Pluto's palace. We seek an audience with him."

"I am not Pluto's messenger demigod. I will only transfer you across with proper payment, and the rest will be up to you." Charon said ominously.

The two demigods looked at each other with trepidation. Both knew this was the point of no return. If they crossed the Styx with Charon there would be no going back any easy way. Jason stepped forward, "My name is Jason Grace Centurion of the Fifth Cohort of the Twelfth Legion. I will pay your toll and I request access to the Palace of Pluto."

Jason held out several gold coins, and the Guardian gave them a begrudging look and took the coins from his hand. The man growled, "This is satisfactory. This way demigods."

Taking a step on the boat made Percy feel like he was walking on his own grave. The River looked to have all sorts of objects floating at the bottom. He knew Lady Styx was the Goddess of mortality, and it seemed the broken dreams of many mortal lies in her river. A destroyed wedding day photo, a ring, a silver medal that looked Olympic, and countless other items. The ride was impossibly smooth as it floated across the deathly calm river. When they came into a large opening of the Underworld Percy could see the other rivers. The Lethe, the Phelegthon, the Styx, the Coctyus, and the Achereon, each had their own infamous tales from stories of ancient heroes, and none were pleasant.

When they made it to the palace of Pluto an obsidian black palace stood as high as the largest of Skyscrapers. It was surrounded by a plant that was spiky and clearly poisonous in nature, and it practically encased the entire palace. Percy wondered if that was Prosperina's doing or work, but decided not to dwell on it as they were allowed to exit the boat.

The two saw a short path to the palace of Pluto, and knew that the danger of their journey was about to spike to an unhealthy level. The two crept forward, almost anticipating the attack to come from any direction, and when they came into the final clearing that would take them the rest of the way in a bark that sounded more like a roar rang throughout the Underworld. Out of the nearby shadows stepped an enormous dog that was semi transparent, and seemed to be something close to twenty feet in height. Its red eyes glared at Percy and Jason as they both drew their weapons slowly preparing for the monster fight of their life. Suddenly a buzzing flapping sound was heard from behind them and Percy jumped to Jason's back making the two stand back to back as three bat shaped humanoids came into the scene. Jason swore, "The furies and Cerberus at the same time. I don't think we calculated this one right."