The Underworld's Child

1 | The Beginning Of A New Adventure

"Jie! Go down! Eat!" a voice startled a reading Elora.

Elora turned off her phone and got up from her bed. She walked over across the room and opened it. "Not hungry!" she hollered back.

She can hear many things from downstairs but no sounds of anyone replying. She knew they heard so she went back inside, walked back to a bed, got some pillows to cuddle with, and opened her phone to continue where she left off.

"Juliette Cai," Archibald said, extending his second glass, "you have been a fantastic drinking partner. Mr. Montagov needs some more work."

Elora heard a rush of steps and paused from her reading. Ugh.

She stood up and walked to the door again. She heard her sister pant from running up the stairs and she waited a bit more. Just a few more seconds as she heard her sister's footsteps come closer to their shared bedroom. Another got her sister to stop in front of the door and she opened it, successfully shocking her sister.

Michelle, her sister, jumped back, flailing her arms back. "Argh!"

Elora laughed at her sister. "Shocked?"

"Nope," Michelle said, sauntering into the room.

Elora merely raised an eyebrow at her sister's back with a smile. Of course, it's not like I see you jumped.

Michelle walked to a nearby desk and grabbed her cup. "Oh ya, eat."

"Not hungry," Elora said, sitting down and reading again.

"Ayoo," Michelle said, pulling on Elora's arm. "Mommy suruh!"

"Haiyah, fine," she said before relenting and going down with her sister.

Downstairs, her mother sitting at their dining table was the first thing she saw. "Ey! Makan!"

"Ya," she said. She grabbed a plate and spoon from the drawers in the kitchen before eating whatever is on the table.

Once she finished, she went upstairs and read again.

And once again she was disturbed. This time by an IM, short for Iris Message.

"Elora!"

"Hey, Percy!" Percy was one of her best friends in camp among Annabeth Chase, Grover, and Silena Beauregard.

"Percy, have you called Elora?" she heard from Percy's side.

"Calling her," Percy answered and in the next second, he is accompanied by a blond girl with grey eyes. Annabeth.

"Elora!"

"Hey, Annabeth!"

"How have you been?" Annabeth asked.

"Good. Not a lot of monsters here but you can thank homework to fill up the gap and free time left from the lack of monsters. How about things in your end?"

"Lots of monsters as always," Annabeth answered.

"Must be nice with no monsters huh," Percy sighed.

Elora laughed. "There are some. Plus, homework, remember?" she reminded him.

Both her friends laughed. "You know, speaking of homework, can you fly here miss brainiac?"

"I wish," Annabeth sighed. "If only Percy can make it without me," she continued, teasing Percy.

"Aw wouldn't want to rob you from the only thing keeping you alive, water boy," Elora poke fun at him.

"Thank you," he said sarcastically and bowed.

"Okay, all jokes aside, why are you sending an IM?" Elora asked her friends.

"Grover sent out a distress call and Chiron asked Thalia, Wise Girl, and I to check it out. He suggested for you to come if you're able but no pressure." Percy shrugged.

"I feel pressured already," she commented dryly. "Where to?"

"Maine," Annabeth answered.

"Right..," Elora trailed on. She sighed before continuing, "I'll see if I can go."

"We're going on Friday before winter break," Percy informed.

"Noted." She gave them a thumbs up. "I gotta go, hopefully, I get to see you in CHB," she said before cutting the call.

"How am I going to convince mom?" she muttered to herself. "Back to the states before Christmas and New Year's break. She's gonna be livid.

Translations:

Jie: sister (it's usually jie jie but my family shortened it to jie)

Suruh: tell / order

Makan: eat

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