The House of Hades (Fan-Fiction)

Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Frank

Hazel screamed as she dropped. Lyssa smiled coldly as her dirty work was done. She stepped away from the edge.

“My work here is done,” Lyssa said. “I’ll come back soon to finish the rest of you off.”

Frank didn’t listen. He was already launching himself over the side of the warship. In midair, he changed into what felt like a dragon. All his emotions triggered the biggest flying beast he thought of. He flew as fast as he could. But he couldn’t find Hazel anywhere.

His feet touched the ground. He shifted back into a human. The terrain under him was rough, big rocks rolled on top of each other, all natural looking.

There was no other person in sight. Frank scanned the area, a lump in his throat. What if Hazel had hit the ground?

Then he saw a figure. It had to be a man. He was holding something on his shoulder and ducking his head as he slipped into a cavern that was nearly invisible.

The limp something on the man’s shoulder was Hazel, her face pale and a welt growing over her left eye.

Anger rushed through Frank’s body. He made a quick decision and ran after the man. He knew he was being stupid. He had no one to help him in case he got captured. He would have taken Jason, Nico, Piper, Coach Hedge, heck; he would have even taken Leo. He was alone, it was terrifying, but he needed to get Hazel and then get out.

Right when he stepped into the cavern, the opening sealed shut, consuming him in darkness. Oh, great, now he had to get Hazel in darkness.

Then a voice said, “Frank Zhang. Princess Aelia has been expecting you.”

Torches suddenly were lit. Standing over Frank was the man who had carried Hazel. He was tall and muscular. His cropped hair was dark brown. His eyes were the color of the sea. He had a wicked sword at his side, and he had a look in his eyes that made Frank want to bolt.

“Um, how did this princess know I was coming?” Frank asked awkwardly. He shifted from foot to foot. “I just came here to get Hazel back.”

The man snorted. “Demigods these days,” he muttered. “Do you really think I would just give your friend back?”

Frank didn’t answer. He was hoping he could hear Hazel, wherever she was, but the cavern was filled with silence.

A voice from down the cavern hall called, “Bellerophon?” It was a girl. “Do you have the girl?”

“Yes,” the man called back. He looked back at Frank. “Does my name seem familiar to you?”

“You’re Bellerophon?” Frank managed to stutter out. “H-how are you even alive? Didn’t Jupiter kill you?”

Bellerophon’s eyes flashed. “Yes, I am Bellerophon, slayer of the Chimera, son of King Glaucus. I rode the mighty Pegasus into battle. People idolized me like I was a god myself. When I started saying I was better than Zeus himself, while I was riding Pegasus, he shot me out of the sky! I died when I hit the ground.” He looked at Frank. “You said Jupiter. You’re one of the Roman demigods.”

“Well, yeah,” Frank said. “I’m the son of Mars.”

“Ares,” Bellerophon said, nodding. “That’s a god I looked up to. Now I don’t look up to any of the gods after my death. I look up to Gaea.”

It felt like someone was putting ice cubes down Frank’s shirt. “Your patron is Gaea? You’re an escaped soul?”

“Yes.” Bellerophon rolled his eyes. “It took you that long to realize this? No wonder Lyssa threw the girl off the warship so easy.”