Modern Myths

Book 0: Chapter 6: Meeting the Gods of the Dead

3/24/01

United Nations Building, Underground section.

Percy POV

I'm sitting on a bench next to a water cooler waiting for Uncle H & Aunty P to get back, as they told me to wait here.

I get up to grab some water from the cooler that is past a pair of doors, but the doors open & hit me in the face.

????(deep masculine voice that leaked concern): "Are you okay young boy? I'm sorry I hit you, but you shouldn't walk next to doors that open inward."

I look up to see a middle-aged man with a short gray beard cut in a square. His left eye is covered by a black patch, while his right eye is dark blue. He wears a short-sleeve red Hotel Valhalla polo shirt, along with a massive sword hanging at his right side & holds a golden spear in his right hand that he uses as a walking stick. He has 2 ravens sitting on his shoulders & a standard pair of blue jeans & a brown belt.

Me: "Yes, sir. I was heading towards the water cooler. I'm sorry I got in your way."

????: "It's alright. Just be careful. How did you get here anyways?"

Me: "My Uncle Hades invited me, sir." I say while walking towards the cooler & getting my drink.

????: "Ah. You're Greek. Well, I am Odin, head of the Norse Gods & a Norse god of the dead. The stiff behind me is Osiris, Egyptian god of the dead & former head of the Egyptian Gods."

I turned to see a man with blue skin & grayish blue irises dressed in all white robes & gold shoulder & neck armor, with a white crown that resembles a round dunce cap with gold ostrich feathers on 2 sides. He walked in behind Odin.

Me: "Greetings sirs. I am Perseus Jackson, Legacy of Poseidon. Please call me Percy."

Osiris: "Your smell is strong for a legacy."

Me: "Thank you." I reply nervously.

My uncle & aunt walk around the corner.

Hades: "Percy what are you doing up?" He says worried.

I gesture to my cup & the water cooler I was standing next to.

Hades: "I hope he didn't do anything to anger you." He says flexing his divine aura protectively.

Odin: "Nothing of the sort. He just walked in front of the other door as me & Osiris were coming in."

Aunty P was already bending over to look over my face to make sure I wasn't hurt before getting up to give Odin & Osiris the stink eye.

Several hours later

That was horribly boring, but I was on my best behavior.

Odin: "Well that was largely uneventful."

Hades: "Tell me about it almost nobody changed where they were going from last year."

Osiris: "Indeed."

Me: "Why can't people who die bravely but are unarmed be allowed into Valhalla?"

Odin: "I never honestly thought it was possible, but I might need to look over that."

Me: "Why did you imprison Loki's children when they were your allies before?"

Odin: "Because of the prophecy."

Me: "That's stupid. You are punishing people for what they have not done. Not to mention, you're hypocritically torturing Loki for doing things that you yourself have also done. If you want to be a good leader, you need to lead by example & not compromise your morals. If you keep doing bad things for the greater good, soon you will find there's nothing good left by the time you are done. That is the 1st lesson Uncle Hades taught me."

Odin: "You have a good point there."

Me: "Couldn't you cast a spell that prevents Jotnar from entering the mortal realms? You are the greatest master of Rune magic."

Odin: "You are right about that, but that level is too much even for all the gods in Asgard, plus we wouldn't be able to enter either, due to needing to maintain the balance between the forces of Innangard (Order), represented by us Aesir, and Utangard (Chaos) represented by the Jotun."

Me: "I know. I got the idea from Alexander the Great who did something similar under Cleopatra's rule to the Egyptian Gods who balance Ma'at & Isfet."

Osiris: "While that was a result, his motives were that he didn't like how we treated the mortals."

Me: "Gee. I wonder why. It's not like you all treat mortals under your rule terribly, including holding dead Roman's souls in the Duat against their will, instead of sending them to their proper afterlife."

Osiris: "Are you really going to let him talk to me like that, Pluto?" He says irritated.

Uncle P: "I'll let him know when he's gone too far." He says after changing forms.

Me: "It's like I told Odin. Ruling with kindness & benevolence is better in the long run. You make less enemies that way."

Osiris: "I'll think about it." He says before walking off.

Odin: "I better head home too. I have a lot of changes to make."

Me, Uncle & Aunty: "Safe journey."

Osiris POV:

That kid was irritating, but he did have a good point. I guess I could help restore Khnum's memories & ask him to return the piece of Ra's soul he was entrusted with, the Mnevis, to Ra. I could ask one of the supreme creator gods that predate Ra, Atum, to return his piece, the Raet-Tawy, to Ra as well.

I should also try to talk things out with Set, as well. We're both great grandsons of Atum & brother after all. 

Sorry it took so long. A/C was broken for over a week & was unable to focus. I also had to catch up on college work. For the record, there are 4 different creation myths in Egyptian Mythology. Ra is the one that ultimately became the first pharaoh, but he is only the creator god in 2 of them. The other 2 are Atem & Ptah, and Neith is his mother in 1 of his. While the Ogdoad predate him, they'ren't creators. Also, the underground section of the UN is the border between all the afterlives, so Osiris didn't need a host since he wasn't entering the living world. Let me know what you think & please join my discord at https://discord.gg/P7a3YDspn9.