A Demigod Life

The Underworld Part One

Luke, Perci and Grover all walked through a dark forest as they made their way towards Hades palace. Perci didn't know there were actual healthy looking trees in the Underworld, but she also couldn't tell if they were actually alive or just dead standing trees because of the fog.

"We can't ignore this."Grover said.

"Stop."Perci sighed.

"It's just math. The three of us, plus your mom, is four people, and only three pearls. Someone is staying behind and it should really be me."Grover said and Perci immediately turned around to face him.

"It wasn't your fault. And even if it were, you're not getting left behind. Period. After we get the bolt and stop this war, you guys are leaving. With my mom."Perci said as she started walking towards the palace again%

"What about you? Wait, wait, wait, Perci. What about you? We're not leaving you here."Luke asked as he started following her, Grover behind him.

"Yes, you are.  Save my mom, get the bolt, leave me here. I'll be fine. Quests aren't linear, right? I'll figure something out..."Perci told him.

She stopped talking and walking when she saw a human but not human looking creature standing in front of her, a bit ways away. It was foggy so she couldn't see what it looked like fully.

"Sorry."Perci muttered.

Luke whispered "They can't hear you."

"They?"Perci asked.

She looked around and noticed tat the same beings were surrounding them.

Luke said softly "This must be Asphodel. I read a book about this place."

Luke then began to move toward one in front of them.

"Wait. No, no. No, no, no, no, no. What are you doing?"Grover asked him.

He lifted the cloth that was surrounding the body of the creature and Perci saw how there were roots of a tree where legs should be.

She asked "Are those... roots?"

Luke whispered, standing up "Souls here are bound by regret. Haunted by choices they made in life... or never made."

They heard a low growl in the distance and they immediately started running. Perci was able to grab a hold of Grover's jacket so he could keep with them. Once they ran far away, they turned around and noticed that it was just the two of them.

"Luke! Luke! Luke!"Perci yelled.

"Luke!"Grover yelled too.

"Guys!"They heard Luke call out to them. He sounded far away.

They started running to where they heard him and they saw Luke standing, roots wrapped around his feet and ankle.

"We've got a problem here."Luke told them.

Perci immediately started trying to get Luke's foot of the roots, and Luke said "I already tried. It's too strong."

"How did this happen?"Perci asked, still tugging.

"It's some kind of regret, right?"Grover asked.

Perci asked quietly "But what would you have to regret?"

Luke said while Perci was still trying to tug on the roots "It's okay. Go. I'll distract the dog and buy you guys some time."

He then exclaimed as he pulled out his pearl "Perci! This will work. I'll be okay. I trust your dad. You can do this. I know you can."

Cerberus's growl got louder, closer.

"Run. Now!"Luke ordered.

Perci knew he was right and they didn't have a choice, so she tood up. Grover and her ran towards the palce, stopping once they made it out of Asphodel and turning to see a wave of light flash and then disappeared.

"He made it. Let's go!"Grover said.

They started running again. They continued walking, finding a sand bioned. Neither of them was talking, just walking. Perci was worried about Luke. She didn't know where the pearl took him but she was hoping it was somewhere safe.

Grover muttered "Weird. Haven't heard the dog in a while."

"He chased us all that way and then just... stopped? I wonder why."Perci frowned.

Grover replied "That's what I'm saying. It's weird."

Grover started walking away and Perci started chasing after him and she asked him "Grover? Grover, where are you going?"

"I don't...I don't know. I... I can't stop! Perci! It's the shoes!"Grover said and his shoes started to make him fly.

"Grover!"Perci said, as she ran after him, the shoes taking him somewhere. She stopped running when she saw the very large pit the shoes were dragging Grover to and she asked "Is that Tarturus?"

"Perci!"Grover yelled.

Perci ran down, jumping to grab him but the shoes started pulling her down as well. So she took her sword out stabbing it in the sand, and they stopped. The shoes flew off Grover's hooves and into the pit. They sighed in relief and Perci went to stand up when her backpack got very heavy and she fell to the ground, a clunk filling the air.

Grover asked "What was that?"

Perci took the backpack off, putting it in front of her before unzipping it. Her face fell. She reached into it, and slowly pulled out the master bolt.

"Is that..."Grover asked.

"No. I mean, it looks like..."Perci tried to say.

"It absolutely is not."Grover said.

 "Okay. So, what is it then?"Perci asked.

"Yeah, that's the master bolt."Grover said, his voice shaking a bit.

"I mean, I think so, right?"Perci said.

"How is it in your bag?"Grover asked.

"Wait, this isn't my bag. This is the bag Ares gave me. Ares had the master bolt this entire time and tricked us."Perci realized.

"He was working with Hades?"Grover asked.

"It does make sense that the God of War would want a war, right?"Perci muttered.

Grover said as Perci looked down at the bolt in her hands "I mean... that was it, right? That's the quest. Zeus is expecting us to return this. Zeus is just gonna have to wait."