Raised from the Depths: The Apple of Their Eyes [A Percy Jackson FanFiction]

Twenty-four: A creepy ferryman

"The Underworld?" I whispered in shock, images of fire, ghosts, and my assistant principal surging through my mind.

"Unfortunately, yes. You should survive, well, maybe. Being a daughter of Hades, you stand a better chance than any other demigod. However, there are many merciless creatures in the Underworld who make it their job to crush demigods, whether for a good meal, to spite a god, or just for the sport of it." Zephyr explained, his usually relaxed face hardened. "I'm able to take you to the entrance of the Underworld, but no further."

With that, he reached out his hand, offering it to me. Tentatively, I took it, and closed my eyes as a wall of warm wind smacked against my body. Seconds later, I felt my feet plant, and I blinked a few times, opening my eyes slowly.

In front of me was a tinted glass double door, with a sign on the window next to it that read, 'Open'. Above the doors, in large, neon red letter, read DOA Recording Studios.

"I, uh, I don't understand. A recording studio? Am I suppose to sing my way to the Underworld? I'm not Orpheus." I stated, glancing up at Zephyr.

"Very funny, my dear, but this is the entrance to Hades. Charon awaits you inside. I can say no more, but I wish you all the luck, Affinity. Between you and me, I think Lady Aphrodite has you all wrong." Zephyr stated, giving me a sad smile, before dissolving in a gentle breeze.

I stared at the place where Zephyr once stood, before doing a quick check over, mentally preparing myself for the unknown terrors I was about to face. I counted my arrows, took stock of the drachmas, ambrosia, and nectar in my pants pockets, before taking a deep breath.

"This is not to save yourself." I whispered, turning to the glass doors. "This is for Mico. This is to stop the famines." I reminded myself, and before any more negative thoughts could pop into my head, and pushed my way inside.

Inside, everything was polished, shining, and modern, with sharp, crisp color designs on the walls, and cushioned chairs lining the wall. Across from the chair was an island desk with a tall man behind it. He was elegant and regal-looking, with smooth, chocolate colored skin, and dyed, bleach blonde hair styled in a military buzz cut. Over his eyes were expensive looking sunglasses, and a bright suit made out of a material I could only identify as silk. Pinned to his suit was a black rose under a silver name tag that read, Charon.

He didn't even acknowledge my presence as I walked inside, he simply continued shuffling around papers, reading over documents, and signing contracts. I pursed my lips, unsure how to handle this. I decided not to think too much, and stood erect, drawing my shoulder back and taking wide strides up to the desk.

"Hello, Charon. I need to be taken to the Underworld as soon as possible." I blurted, leaning against the desk.

The man didn't even glance, he just chuckled, smirking as he continued to work. "Yeah? And I need a pay raise." He teased.

"This is urgent." I began to explained, but stopped myself from explaining why. This guy was the ferryman of the Styx. Why did he care about my issues?

"Listen, godling. You're not dead. So unless you plan on-" He began talking, before he glanced up from his paper, and paused. He stood straight up in surprise, the shock on his face prominent. He pulled his sunglasses down the bridge of his nose, revealing dark, despairing pits where his eyes should have been. "Affinity?"

I took a step back. "I didn't say my name." I stated, watching him with careful eyes. I found him knowing my name creepier than his soul-sucking eyes.

"I'd recognized the lawbreaking baby anywhere. The Furies had quite the trouble finding a orphanage that would take you." Charon explained, suddenly forgetting up the work he had sprawled across his desk.

I flinched slightly at the thought of ever being handled by creatures like the Furies. In mythology class, I had always pictured them as vampire-like creatures, with tattered, bat-like wings, chalky pale skin, and gruesome yellow fangs with whips to the keep the dead in line. "I thought that one demigod, Percy, had that law about the Big Three's demigod children revoked?" I asked.

"Oh, not that law, my dear." Charon chuckled to himself. "But, if you don't know about your history, then I can say no more. Listen, I'll take you across the river, my dark angel, but there's always a price."

"Oh, I can do that." I said, my heart beating faster as I realized I was inching ever-closer to stepping into Hades. I reached my hand into one my pockets, grabbing a handful of the golden Greek coins.

A smile spread across Charon's face as I released the coins onto the table, the satisfying cling of the metal hitting the surface filling the air around us. He shoveled the coins in his direction, stacking them into small columns, before placing them gently in a drawer. "How I love drachmas. You have no idea how hard they are to come by in this new fangled western world. But it's whatever, they sell great suits." He rambled, leaving his desk as he walked towards the elevator. "Come, demigod. I want to try and beat rush hour. If we can, you might be able to catch Cerberus in a better mode. One can get quite irritated when they constantly have to listen to the moaning dead. Cerberus hears that everyday, but tripled."