A Son From Lands Unknown (PJO x Male Reader)

A Plan to Gather Ingredients

Mammon wasn't lying when he said that getting past the guards stationed around the center of the ninth circle would be easy to get past with the other Sins next to them. As soon as the guards stationed by Mammon, Asmodeus, Belphagor, and Samael saw their bosses, they just saluted and moved out of the way. The guards stationed by Satan and Beelzebub were a little harder, but the riddles were just as Mammon said, having something to do with fighting and food respectively.

By far the easiest, however, was Leviathan's guard, who took one look at the group assembled before him and immediately threw the key and ran, leaving the way the group had come in.

"Pathetic cur," Leviathan spat, his face still bloody. He was promptly shoved forward by one of the demons that another Sin had brought along. Each of the Sins who had agreed to reform brought one of their lieutenants to act as guards for those who did not comply, which had been proven to be quite a good call indeed.

(Y/N) was shivering by the time they reached their destination. The frozen lake Cocytus, which made up the entirety of the ninth circle, had nearly caused him to slip and fall several times, but he was thankfully able to stop himself each time. Once he reached the glyph at the center of the circle, he was able to make out some writing beneath the snow near it.

"What's it say?" Mammon asked.

"I can't quite tell, the language isn't familiar," (Y/N) told his father. "You want to take a crack at it?"

Mammon looked at the text that his son had uncovered beneath the snow. A grin spread across his face as he read, realizing exactly what it was.

"Well, what do you know," he chuckled. "The old rebel gave us a recipe."

"So what do we need?"

"The Seven Sins, seven souls, and I'm guessing human blood," Mammon said, placing a hand on his chin. "That or the blood of Adam himself, but I'm hoping for it to be the former because I don't think we're getting the latter any time soon."

"But where are we going to get seven souls?" another of the Sins asked. "There aren't exactly a ton around here, not since we signed that deal with..."

"With Hades," (Y/N) finished for them, the Sin having tapered off at the end as though they had forgotten. "I mean, we might be able to ask him for some? I doubt seven free spots in the Fields of Punishment is something he's going to be displeased about."

"You're not wrong, but how are you going to get to him?" Mammon asked. "You'd have to climb out of Hell, get all the way to Los Angeles from what you told me, get the souls, and make the same journey in reverse with the souls in tow. I don't think that's feasible."

"No, it's not, but you said this is the Cocytus we're standing on, yes?" (Y/N) responded. "I've been to the Greek Underworld. At some point, it becomes a river which then flows there. I follow the river for a time, but not too long, and we end up in Hades's domain. Then there was that one tunnel in Hades's palace that led back somewhere here in Hell. We can use that on the return trip."

"And where are you going to get the boat?" Mammon asked. "Sure, it's no Acheron, but it's still quite unpleasant to swim in."

"Who said anything about sailing?" (Y/N) asked. "Though now that you mention, that's not a bad idea. Might be able to break off a chunk of ice and use it like a raft downriver. And you remember that tunnel that Stolas trapped you in a couple years back?"

"Yeah, what about it?" Mammon asked, unsure of where (Y/N) was going with this.

"What ring does it start in?"

"If you want to use it for what I think you're suggesting, I wouldn't. It's clear back in Wrath."

"Close or far shore of the Styx?"

"Close, but still, I-"

"Then I see no issues," (Y/N) said, ending the opportunity for arguments. "We're on a time crunch, so the sooner this gets done, the better. I made the descent once, I can make it again. So I ask again; where does the Cocytus become a river?"

Mammon let out a sigh. "Fine. If this is the very center of the ring, then the mouth will be to the west, with us having arrived from the north."

"Any idea how far away it is?"

"About as far as we walked to get here. The rings aren't perfect circles, but the edges are no more than half a mile closer or further than any other spot on the edge."

"Noted," (Y/N) responded. "Seems I better get walking. I'll be back with the souls as soon as I can."

And he did exactly that, beginning to walk westward However, he didn't make it far before he realized something.

He had overworked his mechanical leg.

"Shit!" (Y/N) shouted, tumbling to the ground after his leg gave out from under him.

"You okay?" Mammon asked.

"I'll be fine," (Y/N) said, the sound muffled by the snow. He slowly rose to his feet and brushed himself off before taking another step. "Leg just glitched out. I'm sure it's only-"

He ate ice again.

"Ow. Alright, this is going to be a problem."

"No shit," Mammon said, chuckling to himself at his son's pain. "Crowley, Mazikeen, escort and assist my son, would you?"

"Of course, lord Mammon," one of them said. He had a distinct British accent, pale skin, bright orange hair, and a pair of sunglasses over his eyes. He was wearing a pair of black jeans and a black leather blazer, with a grey vest and a lighter grey and sloppily-tied bolo tie.

"We'll watch the brat," the other shrugged. She was darker in complexion, which made the pale white leather crop-top jacket she was wearing stand out. Helping it was the black jeans she was wearing, along with black boots. Completing the look was the small golden chain hanging around her neck.

"Ugh, fine," (Y/N) sighed sharply. "I'm going to need to use one of you as a crutch for a bit. Be warned, it's going to be really heavy because of the leg."

"I'll let you handle that one, Crowley," Mazikeen said before turning and walking in the direction (Y/N) was going before his fall.

"Fine," Crowley muttered. "Right, up ya get. We got a ways to go for this plan of yours."