Meeting Of Swords and Wands

Chapter 2: Magic and Wizards and Jolly Hades; Oh my!!!

"Percy! Nico!" Hades happily called out with his arms outstretched with a smile that could dull out Apollo, "My two favourite Demigods!" I could not believe what I was hearing, or seeing. Honestly, you'd think that at this point in my Demigod Career that nothing would surprise me. But, apparently, the Fates are up in Olympus yelling "Not so fast motherfucker!!!" while cackling with glee.

Let me back up: Hades apparently Percy-and-Nico-napped us from Camp  to his realm, we are currently both pointing swords at his face, and said god is acting like the skinny, punk version of Santa Claus about to give us a free Roadster or Porche.

It's official: I'm crazy.

"Dad?" Nico asked as he lowered his sword, apparently just as confused at this situation as I am.

"Nico! My favourite child!" Hades said in a joyous voice as he wrapped his son in a hug. "How's life!?"

"It's ok, I guess." Nico replied cautiously, not sure what to think. His confused demeanor or his not-so-enthusiastic hug not affecting his joyous father at all.

"Excellent!" Hades exclaimed as he pit his hands on his son's shoulders. "We absolutely need to have William over for a dinner date, or I can just arrange for a lovely date for just the two of you!"

Wierd to weirder.

"Percy!" Hades exclaimed, knocking me back to reality. He strode over and enveloped me in a hug as well, "How's my favourite nephew!?!" He asked as he pulled away.

"Oh, you know, things are going ok." I replied. Ok, I didn't smell any weed and I don't see any effects of any drugs on Hades. Can gods get high or drunk to begin with?

"That is great to hear!!" The God of the Underworld exclaimed enthusiastically. "I never got to properly thank you for returning my helm, clearing my name, helping Nico and Hazel, and giving me a throne on Olympus." Hades said, in a jolly but serious manner. "Thank you, Perseus Jackson. The Underworld owes you a debt of gratitude."

"Thank you, I guess." I replied, blushing. I looked a Neeks, who looked just as confounded as me.

"It is of no problem for me, Percy." Hades said, still smiling, "Which is why it pains me that I must ask of you and Nico your help on a matter of mine." He said as he turned and walked back to his throne.

"What's going on Dad?" Nico asked, stepping forward.

"I need to settle a very profitable business deal with a client." Hades replied as he sat down, "My champions take out a couple of problematic people and I get to exact my justice on two souls, including one who has unnaturally made himself elusive from Thanatos' grasp, and thus mine."

"How does one evade Thanatos?" I asked, "Isn't he supposed to be inevitable?"

"This one particular bastard has split his soul in a bid for immortality." Hades stated. A visible chill traveled down Nico's body.

"You don't mean he did that?" Nico asked apprehensively. Hades nodded. "Fuck." Nico breathed.

"Wait, that? What is that? And why is it bad?" I asked, confused.

"Percy, this.....man split his soul into pieces and put them into objects so that his soul is incomplete when he 'dies'." Nico explained as he turned towards me, "You can only enter the Underworld if you are completely whole. The souls that are placed outside of the body tie you to the surface realm. So long as these objects called 'Horcruxes' are intact, you cannot die." A chill went down my spine. It was one thing to have soulless beings like gods, Titans, or monsters to be immortal. But, a normal human splitting their soul? I can taste the bile in my mouth.