Shrouded in Darkness

Uncle, Father, Lord

"Well it's very..." i pause when i realize who I'm speaking too. It's Hades, Lord of the Dead, Nico's Father, our Uncle. "Regal." i paused staring at him. He was tall and had more muscle on him that i thought he would. His hair was shoulder length and had a little curl to it. His skin was just as translucent as Nico's and his eyes just as black but his were more soulless while for Nico, in a certain light, I could see he really was a good person on the inside. Everything he's wearing is black and his long cape pools toward the ground. It gave me the impression he liked throwing it around and watching it fly out behind him. He just seems like that kind of guy. He's unshaven and rubs his chin with his left hand which holds a single ring. "Hello." i say smiling for some reason. Percy shoots me a confused look and Thalia looks like she's trying not to squirm under his gaze.

"Father." Nico grumbles.

"Hazel, Nico." Hades momentarily shifts forms when he glances at his daughter. I guessed that what i had seen for a split second was his Roman form. "Why are you here?" he seemed to be speaking to his children but pointing the question towards me. I glanced at Nico then at my brother wondering if i should answer. Percy gave me one quick nod and turned back to Hades. Swallowing hard, trying to find my voice i managed to stammer out a reply.

"We uh.. Well i thought you could help us." i said slowly. Hades black eyes slide towards me and i manage to look him in the eye and not fall to a pile of bones but i do begin shivering.

"Why would i help you and why would you think i could?" he asks in a bored tone.

"Well i assume you know about our quest?" i continued twisting the strap of my backpack between my fingers before releasing it and moving my hand toward my hip touching the hilt of my sword. Hades watches the motion and stares at the sword like he recognizes it.

"Come here." I can't seem to be able to disobey him. Slowly i walk forward unclasping the sword around my side while Nico protests.

"Dad." he says in annoyance but Hades pays no attention to his son. I place the sword and it's scabbard in his hands. Hades pulls it free and stares at it.

"You recognize it." i state. Hades just stares.

"Why wouldn't I." he hands it back over and begins to walk around me looking me over. "It choose you. You know how long I've searched for this? The first sword. The sword that cut my father in half." i swallow hard and shake my head. "It fell to Earth when Zeues was finished with it. I've spent my whole life looking for it. I thought it didn't want to be found. A weapon like this is too powerful for the likes of a demi-god." i glance at him as he walks around me again.

"I have it. Maybe we're more powerful than you think." i retort. Hades smirks and lets out a little chuckle.

"But you're not a demi-god are you?" furrowing my eyebrows i glance back at my friends who also seem just as confused as i do.

"My father claimed me. Your brother." i tell him. Hades rolls his eyes and walks back toward his bone constructed throne.

"And what of your mother? Is that why you're here? Are you here to see your mother?" Hades asks tapping his chin as he sits down.

"My.. Mother. No i came to ask about.. About the prophecy." i say hesitantly. My mother is down here? In all the chaos and gloom.

"Of course. Everyone dies. Everyone get's sent down here eventually." i had completely forgotten that he had clearly stated i wasn't a demi-god i was now more focused on my mother.

"I wouldn't.. I wouldn't know what she would even look like. I wouldn't even recognize her." i tell him. Hades chuckles again.

"You would know. You look so much like her. You have her eyes." i touched the corner of my eye self-consciously. Blue eyes. I sort of wished i had Percy's green, but if these are my mothers eyes then i like them all the better. "Now about your quest.." i wanted to protest. I wanted to ask him more about my mother. If i could see her. What she was like. How he knew her, but the quest was more important right now. Even more important than family. "I know where you need to go." Thialia steps forward then.