Pathways

26 Nico

So, I went to hell... again... to see my dad.

Okay, okay my dad is the king of hell, well, the underworld. Sir Grouch, the grumpiest dude ever.

I would say I love him but, not really. We are doing better. We have a sort of relationship but, love? No. I love Cerberus, I tolerate dad.

Shadow traveling to Dads place is easy. Its refreshing. My abilities come from the underworld, from the spirits of the dead.

As soon as I appeared in my father's thrown room I knew something was wrong. It's off. I could still feel the power, the regeneration but I don't sense him.

"Hello?" I ask. It echos. I walk around the palace, shadows of people stare at me, a few skeletons nod in acknowledgement.

I finally found Persephone's room, I think she sleeps? I don't actually know if immortal gods sleep. But she has a room here. I knock on the door a few times. The knocks echo through the dark void of a hallway.

"Mama Seph?"I call. I started calling her that last year. She's nicer to me than my own dad is. I mean, shes not my mom. No one will ever be my mom, but shes nice to me. And it ticks my dad off when I call her Seph.

There is nothing. I sigh, "well I'm gonna open this door so please be clothed!"

I push open the golden door, it reveals her ballroom sized bedroom. Its adorned with all the colors you could think of yet is somehow still looks nice. There are plants everywhere, all still at full bloom. Her bed is make of pink silks and rose petals, and... no goddess.

I sigh and walk out. If she is not in her garden I'm gonna scream. I really hope Percy and Annabeth are having better luck.

I walk through the hallways once more, looking at the lights, well, greek fire torches. I make it outside, which is very strange considering it's the underworld. The sky isn't actually a sky, it's like we are super deep under ground except there is no up, no ceiling. It's dark, the sky is like a midnight fog. There are lights leading to different areas of the under world. I don't need to go as far as Elysium, not today. I just need to find Persephone's garden.  It's not hard to spot. It's the only place with gold plants. Finally, I see a solid human figure.  I pass through the boundaries of the garden. Walls of magic now, how strange. The goddess herself is sitting at a table, sipping a cup if tea. Probably not actually tea. I swear nectar is like alcohol for these idiots.

"Hey queenie," I say. I give a small wave and she smiles at me.

"Ah, my favorite stepson, I knew you would come to find me soon enough," she says. Her voice is not like the other goddesses. Its ethereal but not soft. It's not like a loud authoritarian voice like Athena or Hera either. I think Persephone is a goddess, truly in her own being.

"Sure you did," I grumble. "So, as much as I prefer you're company, where is deaddy?"

She laughs at me, "gone. Well, he's here but he is strictly performing his duty, the judgment of souls. He is staying fairly hidden, as are the other Olympians I presume," Persephone says.

"Yeah, they are. You wanna enlighten me on what the f-heck is going in?" I ask. I sit across from her at the little gold table. I rest my head on my hand and stare the goddess down blankly.

"I do believe this will be a dark winter. A big storm is coming and for once, the gods are afraid," she smiles.

"And you're not?" I question.

"I am. I am afraid that if you do not succeed, there will be no spring. I will not be able to do my duties. However, Hades and I have an advantage on our enemy. He does not bare any connection to the Greeks, he bares no connection to humans or earth. So, we are safe here in the underworld, because he cannot access us. Not easily anyway. Hades has already declined being his ally," she explains. Again, there is no worry in her voice. No worry at all, even if this is another war.