CHAPTER 9

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"We didn't do anything wrong!"  Ben said, his voice trembling.  "Didn't you?"  Hades asked, his eyes glowing red. "Think back to your time on Earth.  Did you always do what was right?"  Ben, the pilot, and Jane all looked at each other, their faces pale. "I guess not,"  Ben said.  "In that case, you must face your fate,"  Hades said, his voice cold and implacable.
"But...we don't want to die!"  Jane cried.  "Then perhaps you should have acted differently in life,"  Hades said.  "But...there must be some way we can make amends!"  the pilot said, his voice pleading.  "You may be able to redeem yourselves,"  Hades said, his eyes narrowing.  "How?"  Ben asked, his heart pounding in his chest.  "You must complete a task for me,"  Hades said, his voice booming.
"What task?"  Ben asked, his voice trembling.  "You must bring me something from the living world,"  Hades said, his voice deep and ominous.  "What do you want?"  the pilot asked, his face pale.  "I want you to bring me the head of Medusa, the gorgon."  Ben, the pilot, and Jane all looked at each other, their faces filled with fear.  "Are you sure you want us to do that?" the pilot asked, his voice shaking.
"Do you think I would send you on such a dangerous task if I did not believe you could complete it?"  Hades asked, his tone mocking.  "We'll do it,"  Ben said, his voice firm.  "We won't let you down."  "Good,"  Hades said, his eyes glowing brighter.  "But first, you must pass through the Fields of Asphodel." "What are the Fields of Asphodel?"  Jane asked, her voice trembling.
"The Fields of Asphodel are where the souls of the dead wander, aimlessly and forever,"  Hades said, his voice cold and cruel.  "You must find your way through the fields, and then you will reach Medusa's lair."  "How will we know when we've reached the lair?"  the pilot asked, his voice shaking.  "You will know," Hades said, his eyes fixed on them.  "Now, go.
You have no time to waste."  The three of them looked at each other, then turned and began to walk away from Hades, towards the Fields of Asphodel.  As they walked, the ground beneath them began to change, becoming dry and barren.  The air was thick with dust, and the sky was dark and gray.  "This is definitely not the living world,"  the pilot said, his voice filled with dread.  Ben and Jane nodded, their faces pale.
As they walked, they began to see shapes in the dust - figures that seemed to be people, but were somehow not quite human.  Their skin was pale and waxy, and their eyes were blank and lifeless.  They wandered aimlessly through the fields, moaning and whispering to themselves. l Ben, the pilot, and Jane tried to ignore the figures, but it was impossible to avoid them.  Everywhere they looked, they saw the wandering souls.  "This is horrible,"  Jane said, her voice shaking.

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