BY fates design

Giant puppy

Percy pulled open the door to the bed store, walking in quietly to the sound of music. "Welcome in traveler, these beds will change your life." A man calls, emerging from behind one of the beds, he was in a bright green suit with an orange shirt. "Ah hello there, missing our mummy are we?" He torments once he gets a good look at Percy. "I know who you are, you're Procrustes. Son of Poseidon and murderer of travellers."
"Crusty please. And you have dad's eyes. Take a load off and relax on one of the beds." Crusty encouraged, gesturing to the lines of beds around the store.

"He seems creepy." Barty muttered. "Whatever gave you that impression." Regulus rebutted, tilting his head, sarcasm lacing his words.

Percy's mind wandered back to Cassiopeia's words of warning, "no matter what do not go on those beds, ok? That's how he'll kill you." Rather encouraging now that he thought about it.

"I need you to let me through to the underworld, I know there is a passage through here, I also know that these beds are how you kill travellers so let's cut this short. Let me through." Percy argued "Please." He added.
"In addition to being incredibly comfortable these beds are great for your self confidence. They show you how to fit." Crusty assured, "fitting isn't easy for people like us, with our parents twisting us and pulling us to be like them." He hit one of the beds beside him causing it to ripple, "go ahead, try it." He urged, reaching out for Percy.
"You first." A questioning look appeared on Crusty's face until he felt a force on his chest, pushing him backwards onto the bed. The mattress wrapped around him, pinning him to the bed while Annabeth appeared, her cap in her hand.

"You won't save her!" He called, "you won't be the first to try and fail at bringing someone back from the dead." The shadow behind him warped slightly before rippling to reveal Cassiopeia, a blade in her hand. "We're letting you keep your head, for the moment. Don't push it." She pressed the sharp edge into his throat until a speckle of blood began to seep through the skin. Before she could hurt him further Grover walked in and they moved forward.

"Are we sure this is the right way?" Percy asked, they stood before a door in the back office of the store. Grover hesitantly pushed the door open before recoiling from the smell, "either this is the way to the underworld or someone left a carton of milk in here in the 1920s." Cassiopeia swivel her bag to her front and dug through it, pulling out a small fidget toy. "Better?" She asked watching him calm down ever so slightly. "If things go wrong we have these to get out of there." Percy produced five pearls from his pocket and held them out for the others to see. Cassiopeia took a deep breath, it wasn't her first time to the underworld, it perhaps wouldn't be the last either but she had only ever come with Lea before who was the child of one of the gods of the underworld, like herself, she already knew the way around, but they where new to this and the fear of losing them down there gnawed at her. The pearls were distributed, one each except Percy who held onto the one for his mother as well.

Cassiopeia lead them forward, her prior knowledge of these lands was rather useful at this time. "Stay close to me, and please, please don't wander, these are lands you want to lose yourself in." Cassiopeia said as they emerged in the underworld. Dark looming clouds coated the sky, rumbles of thunder echoed over the uneven landscape. "Not in Kansas." Percy muttered. Cassiopeia turned to him with a surprised smile, "I love that book." She whispered. Grover's fidgeting become louder as did his breathes. "Guys is that who I think it is?" He directed their attention to a cloaked figure leading a line of souls. "Charon, the boatman." Annabeth answered, "he's taking new souls across the river Styx." Cassiopeia stood and urged them to follow her towards the main gate.

They pushed carefully through the gaggles of souls until they reached the front. Percy and Grover's chatter fell silent when they saw Charon face to face. "You're not dead." He rasped. Percy froze trying to think of what to say. "Charon," Cassiopeia drew his gaze, "you know why we are here, do you not, let us through, I have drachma, more than you need for the fair." She bargained, pulling a pouch of drachma from her bag, it was the last of her money so she prayed they would not need any more of it. Charon gave her what she assumed to be a sympathetic glance, well as sympathetic as an emotionless, stony faced man's glance can be. He pulled a whistle to his lips and blew. The sound was faint, near non existent.