Chapter Text
"Percy and Hazel are my priority, Chiron," I told the centaur, not turning back. I stepped through the door frame and pulled the shadows toward me. Immediately, I was surrounded by darkness so absolute that not even the light of the sun could penetrate it.
The coldness that left one freezing and shaking enveloped me as I Shadow-traveled to the domain of my father.
Unlike what others think of me, I don't actually emulate Percy in all things. Especially his disrespect for the gods. Unlike him, I don't just casually walk through the domains of any god without their permission. And even if I did, I wouldn't do so in a disrespectful way.
So, with that thought in mind, I materialized outside the massive main door to my father's palace in the underworld.
The underworld, with its dark skies and bleak colors. Home, I thought. I stepped towards the doors. The sentries on either side bowing as I pass them by.
I walked through the entrance and made my way to where I could feel my father was. HIs office, as he always was. Buried under mounds of paper waiting to be dealt with.
As his son, I had a duty to help out, which I was happy to fulfill. Aside from being the ambassador of both camps up on the surface, down here, I had a different set of chores I had to do. Sometimes I would be welcoming new souls as they disembarked from Charon's barge. Or I would be directing the lines of souls as they enter Erebus. Or I would stand behind the judges and watch as they pass judgment.
Lately, though, my father had me accompanying the Furies into the fields of punishments. While there, they would teach me the different ways to punish those who deserved it based on their life up top. It used to bother me a lot—the screams of the damned. Not anymore, though. I was actually enjoying spending time there. I even had a hand in setting up punishment for the newly arrived wicked souls.
I especially enjoyed it when I set up a place for Annabeth when her time came. Only I was informed by my father that her fate was unfortunately out of our hands. He said The Fates had something planned for her.
How unfair, I thought.
Anyway, I made my way to my father's office. Mentally readying myself for what I know is going to be an arduous task, perhaps even more than when I convinced him to fight during the 2nd Titan War.
Still, this was Percy and Hazel. I would go to any lengths to get them back.
I stood before my father's office; the doors closed as I heard the sounds of a pen scratching over paper over and over again.
I took a deep breath, intending to knock when the door opened, and I heard my father's voice from inside, telling me to come in.
"Come on in, son," my father called.
I released my breath and walked through the door.
I found my father where I thought he would be. Sitting behind his desk, head bent down. Fingers holding a pen and moving furiously over a report, signing it. All around him were stacks upon stacks of paper.
"Where are your assistants?" I asked, looking around the other 4 desks on either side of the room. Desk, which was empty at the moment.
That was one of the changes I was happy to say was my contribution to the betterment of the running of the underworld. The utilization of souls from Asphodel, those souls that have done nothing significant to warrant punishment or Elysium.
By making them render service in the underworld, they are given the chance to earn paradise. or a chance for it. It took a while to convince my father of the benefits of it. My father, despite being one of the more progressive gods there is, is a bit of a micro-manager when it comes to his work.
But he's been trying to change as of late, delegating tasks to his other subordinates. And letting others help with tasks he used to do by himself. Already the results are obvious after only 4 years of implementing some of the changes I recommended.
His office was now more spacious. The amount of paper stacked around was reduced in half in just 2 years.
I took pride in being a part of the changes that are happening here.
I was taken out of my thoughts by my father answering my question.
"I sent them to check on the progress of the constructions. They should be back in an hour," he said as he stretched.
I watched as he rubbed his eyes and looked at me.
"Why are you here, Nico?" he asked. "If I recall, you said you wanted to spend time under the sun with your boyfriend," he added with a slight smirk on his lips.
Despite the light teasing tone of my father, I found it hard to respond in any positive way to him right now. Not getting any response from me, he turned and stared at me. His eyes boring in to mine. Looking for any indication as to the reason for my worse than normal mood.
"What happened?" he asked, a frown forming on his face.
"Why?" I started. I watched as confusion washed over my father's features.
"Why did you never tell me you sent Hazel to Percy?" I told him. seeing the shock and resignation register on his face as he finally learned the reason for my visit.
"I see, so you've finally learned the truth," Hades said as he nodded.
"Whether I learned or found out doesn't matter! Why was I not told?" I hissed at him, not backing down. I will get answers. "I asked! countless times. Why?" I added.
My father looked at me with unimpressed eyes. Then he waved his hand, and four shadowy forms coalesced around the room. Soon the 4 assistants joined us and bowed to me, then my father. "Take care of the rest," Hades ordered as he stood and gestured to the mountains of paperwork scattered around the room.
The 4 assistants started right away while he walked towards me. He stood before me, looking me dead in the eye before walking past me. "Come, Nico, let's take a walk as we talk," he said as he walked out of the door.
I stared at his back for a moment before I stepped up and followed after him. We walked in silence for a few moments. Walking through the hallways of his palace, all the while my eyes stared forward. I knew my father would answer my questions. But I also knew he would need time to formulate his thoughts.
We finally walked out of the palace into one of the many gardens that populate the grounds. courtesy of Persephone. We walked among the plants and giant jewels until we came upon a fountain.
We stopped in front of it, then my father turned to face me. "It was out of my hands, Nico," he said. making me frown in confusion. He continued before I could ask more. "Informing you of where I, or rather my Roman form, sent your sister," he explained.
"How could it be out of your hands? You sent her there. To Him!" I asked.
His answer doesn't make sense.
"How much do you know of where she was sent?" my father asked. I was about to tell him not to change the subject, but he held his hands and went on. "Answer me, Nico, it's important," he added, almost like an order.
"I know that you sent Hazel to Percy; I also know that Percy was granted a place protected by a barrier like the camps and that it is protected from monsters and gods," I told my father. He nodded after hearing my words. Then he conjured two stone chairs and sat on one. He gestured for me to take a seat on the other. "Take a seat, Nico. This will take a while."
I took a seat and waited for him to start.
"In order for me to be able to explain why I did not inform you of Hazel's whereabouts, I will need to tell you how exactly things happened," he started. I braced myself for a long tale, knowing that nothing about Percy's life was easy and straightforward.
"It all started a month after the war with the Giants, that day, we the Olympian Gods were summoned to Olympus by Zeus to discuss a very important matter. Now knowing my brother, I assumed he was just going to be talking our ears off about the glory of the gods or some other nonsense. But that day, when I arrived. I saw a look on him that I have only seen once. It was back when he declared war against our father. Immediately I knew the matter we are going to be discussing would be of utmost importance." My father started the tale, and I listened intently.
"Once we were all in attendance, Zeus informed us that The Fates visited him the day before with a message to convene the council. Right after that, The Fates appeared before us and declared what the reason for the summons was."
"The Fates required us, the Olympian gods, to reward your friend, Perseus Jackson."
That was a shock. I thought Percy asked for a gift.
"Immediately, madness descended in the throne room. The Fates decree was absolute, and some of us were opposed to it. But once again, Zeus managed to surprise me, well, us, by taking the helm of the proceeding and demanding that we think of the appropriate reward for the twice-hero of Olympus."
"Each of us gave our opinion on what to reward him. Some, like Ares and Aphrodite, wanted to turn him into a god. His father wanted that too, but he wanted him turned into a god of the sea. Zeus and I opposed that. I offered to marry him to your sister Melinoe."
"We were getting nowhere until Hestia suggested to ask our nephew what it is he wanted. And so, Zeus dismissed the other gods but me and Poseidon and summoned Perseus. When he arrived, we told him of the fates demand. We also warned him that there was no way around it. Either he asks for something as a reward or The Fates will grant it to him, regardless of his wishes."
"As he always is, your friend tried to decline but was persuaded in the end. He asked to be given time to think about what to ask for, and we gave him that time. After a few days, he came back. Unfortunately, I was not on Olympus when he presented his wish to Zeus, Poseidon, and Athena."
My father summoned a goblet of wine and took a sip. He offered me the same. I shook my head, and he continued.
"Safety and Freedom, that was his wish," he told me.
"To be precise, Safety from monsters and Freedom from us, the gods meddling," Hades said with a smirk on his face.
"The gall on the boy! Did you know when he first appeared before me? He had the audacity to say that he had two requests for me! He was 12 years old and on his first quest, and already he was bartering with gods! And he was being suspected of stealing the Master bolt and my Helm at the time!" My father barked, an amused look on his face as he remembered those times.
The Lord of the Dead shook his head and sighed. "But I do understand why he wanted that. 2 wars, countless quests. All before he turned into legal manhood. So, when we were called back to discuss his wish, I agreed and supported it."
My father, ladies and gentlemen, the dark, heartless ruler of the underworld. The one god, the world above, believes is associated with evil. Was actually the one god that understood humanity quite well.
"And so, when Athena and Apollo found a way to grant his wish, I was the first to voice my agreement. The other took a bit longer to convince, but in the end, we reached a consensus."
My father looked at me at this point, and I could feel we were reaching the crux of the matter. The reason as to why he could not tell me what I wanted to know years ago.
"But as with everything concerning wishes and gifts, it came with a cost, multiple in Percy's instance. According to Athena and Apollo, before we can grant the wish, there needs to be a few conditions that needed to be met by Percy himself. The first is that he needs to be turned in to an immortal. That was the easiest one to meet among the requirements. But as you know your cousin, He is very much averse to immortality. He turned down Godhood not once but twice already." Father looked pointedly at me. As if daring me to deny that. I won't. I was there both times Percy turned down Godhood after all.
Then he smiled, a smile I only ever see on him when a soul is brought for him to personally judge. "Did you know that while your friend may have turned down godhood twice, he actually declined immortality five times? And there was a time when he almost ascended on his own."
I gaped at my father; I was aware of the 2 times Percy declined godhood, but the rest? I wonder when those happened. Hades smiled and continued. "Ah! I see it's not common knowledge. We'll let me tell you," he said with a smile. I wanted to tell him not to bother. To just get on with the story, but I was curious too. So, I just kept my mouth shut.
"The first was when he and his quest mates escaped the lotus casino. Now I know it's not immortality in the truest sense, but technically, it is. Same as you when you and your sister were there." The mention of Bianca sobered us both for a bit.
"The second was just days after they escaped the lotus eaters. It was during our first meeting; I was so angered by him and the circumstances that I threatened to turn him into an undying skeleton to lead my armies into war with my brothers." That brought shivers to my body. That was not a good way to spend eternity.
"The third was when he left Calypso's Island. Were you aware of him being there?"I nodded; I've heard about it from the other campers.
"If he had stayed there then he would have turned immortal. Though I don't think it would have been good for us." I agree, I was still grateful to Percy for stepping up. And not letting the prophecy fall to me.
"The other 2 times you already know. Anyway, according to Athena and Apollo, Percy needs to be made immortal first. Like I said, the easiest part of the conditions. But what comes next was more complicated." I sat on the edge of my seat. Ready for whatever Father will tell me.
"In order to grant his wish of Freedom from us gods, a place was given to him—a domain that not even us gods can enter without his permission. His immortal essence is tied to that place. As long as that place exists, he is out of our reach."
"Is that why?" I started to speak, but my father held up his hand. "Let me finish Nico. Things are a lot more complicated than they might seem," he asked. I looked at him, then I nodded.
"When your sister Hazel called to me, she was broken. She has just ended her relationship with the Praetor of New Rome, and she was asking for help. She prayed to me, and I heard the hurt in her voice. So, I went to her." My father started; my eyes widen. Hazel, was that hurt with her breakup with Frank?
"I found her in her room in New Rome. There I discovered that she was not only hurting due to her failed love. But for something far more severe," my father said, looking at me with a look I could not discern.
"There is a reason why the dead can never be allowed to return to the living world, my son. I understand why you did it. I also know that she was necessary for the fight against Gaea. That is why I asked Thanatos not to take her back after the war. As a reward for her and to let her live a second time." My father's word brought me a sense of doom. Have I done something wrong?
"Know this, my son, even though you did what you did thinking it was for the best. There are consequences. Those who are taken from the underworld and brought back to the world of the living, bring with them a little bit of the time they spent here. The longer they have stayed dead, the worse the memories would torment them while living again." No! What have I done?
"And in Hazel's case, she has been dead for decades. The memories were already causing her to suffer from constant 'Blackouts' even before she went on the quest to free Thanatos. Her time as one of the prophesized 7 just exacerbated her suffering." How could I have been this stupid! How did I not notice? Why did she not tell me?
I was speechless; my mind whirled with the knowledge that I made all of this possible. My selfishness has caused my sister to suffer.
"Her suffering was made worse by the disconnect she felt with her then partner. As I was made aware, that praetor became so busy with his duties that he did not notice her worsening condition. Their subsequent breakup was the last straw for my daughter." I held my head in my hands. Pity and disgust were the overwhelming emotions right now. But anger was quickly catching up.
Frank!
How dare he do this!
"I would you reign in your anger, son," I heard my father say.
I looked up at him and saw him looking at me with a warning.
"I understand your need to somehow avenge your sister, but I would like to remind you that if the boy was deserving of such retaliation, then I would have doled it out already. But I did not, because even though his inaction and inattention have caused Hazel to be hurt, the torment she was suffering was something that he did not cause." My father explained, unhelpful as my need to go to that son of Mars and hurt him back was still raging in my veins.
"His only fault is that he was unable to support her, and he was unequipped to take her out of the darkness clouding her mind at that moment. So, by the laws of the underworld, he cannot be punished for that." My anger was still simmering within me, but I held it back. Knowing my father was right.
"Your sister at the time was begging for relief. And the only way I could release her from that burden was to take her back down here. But I did not want to do that to her. It would not be right or fair. And so, I was left with only one other option." My father had a resigned look on his face, and I knew that he was not really set in his decision, at least not back then.
"And so, I decided to send her to the one person I know who can actually help her, the way she should be helped. The only man with the right temperament and heart to heal her mind and mend her heart. The one man that can keep her safe as she puts herself together." My eyes were locked with my father, just waiting for the confirmation of what I already know.
"I sent her to Perseus Jackson."
"I also took into consideration Hazel's trust in Perseus; you and I both know that she looked up to him as a leader and as a friend ever since he first came to the Roman camp. The quest they went on together, as well as the fight against Gaia and the giants, only served to solidify her belief in him," father explained his reasoning. And I had to agree; Hazel did look up to Percy, just like I did.
"It was with that belief she had in him that made me decide to place her well-being with Perseus. And as far as I know, things have turned for the better." A small smile graced my father's face as he finished explaining.
"So Hazel is better now?" I asked again. I needed to know that she is better and not just getting by.
I watched as Father nodded at me with that smile on his face. "Yes, she is better. Much better than I had hoped she would be," he said.
"So, you just sent her to Percy after she called out to you?" I ask, now wondering how everything turned out the way it did.
Shaking his head, my father continued to tell the story.
"After I had ascertained Hazel's condition, I took her down here. While she was here, I explained to her what my plan was. I told her what happened to Percy, though not all of it. I also told her how I thought she would be better off with him," he started.
"After she heard me out, she agreed to meet with Percy. She was quite eager to see him again and was actually pushing me to send her to him that very instant," Hades said with a quiet chuckle escaping his lips.
"I had to tell her that I needed to ask Percy first. I told her about Percy's land that was granted to him. How that land ensured that he wouldn't and couldn't be approached by any god without permission," he went on.
"She stayed down here for 2 days while I went to Hestia for advice on how I could approach Perseus about this issue. She was after all, the one god with an open invitation to Percy's land." I smiled at that; it was so like Percy to honor Hestia that way.
"She advised me to just go to Percy and tell him the truth. And so, I did as she advised. When I went to Percy, he was in the wilderness. Exploring the forests and mountains of Washington."
"I remember him being very angry when I appeared before him. 'I knew it was too good to be true!' he said." father laughed as he remembered. I would have liked to have seen that.
"But he calmed down fast after I explained that I was looking for him about Hazel. He allowed me entrance to his domain when I told him how I thought he could help her. And he agreed to take in Hazel for a while, as long as she agreed to the rules." A ghost of a smile returned to my father's lips. And I'm sure I was sporting the same smile too.
"I quickly took Percy down here, and he explained to Hazel about the place he was granted, what she could expect, and what was needed from her." A serious look came over my father's face, and I got a feeling that he was not telling me something.
"It took Hazel 2 days to decide. After she made her decision, I sent her to Percy, and she started to live with him." Hades stopped speaking, apparently done with the story.
I took a while, thinking over all that I had learned. I now understood why Father kept Hazel's whereabouts from me. But something was still bothering me.
"I understand now, father, but I think you could have still told me that she was with him; you just had to keep where they are a secret. Or you could have explained it to me. And why did it take Hazel 2 days to decide? I would think she would have gone with Percy immediately," I asked.
Father looked at me with a rueful smile before answering.
"I could have yes, but I chose not to," he said. "Why?" I asked, a bit irritated. "Because my child, I know you," my father said, looking pointedly at me. "You would have searched everywhere and asked around, trying to find out where the two of them were. And eventually, you would have gotten in trouble with another god." His explanation hit me dead center.
"Yes, I would have." I accepted.
"As for why it took Hazel 2 days to decide. Well, that's because of certain matters that required her careful considerations. Matters that I have yet to explain to you." At that point. I felt like there were things so serious they would need to be discussed at length.
"What matters? What are you keeping from me?" I demanded.
Hades sighed in defeat, looked at me, and made his decision.
"I have told you about how Percy got the freedom from the gods that he wished correct?" he asked, and I nodded. "But I have yet to tell you how his other wish was granted; do you remember his wish to us gods?" he asked me, like a lecturer.
I thought for a bit and remembered from the story earlier and from the meeting back at camp.
"Safety and Freedom," I said.
"Yes, Safety and Freedom. You now know about the freedom part, but the safety part is very hard to explain," father said, pausing to take a drink from his goblet.
"According to his wish, Percy wanted to be safe from being hunted by monsters. Now Nico, do you know the reason as to why monsters can hunt demigods like yourself?" father began explaining.
"Because our scents?" I answered questioningly.
"Yes, but why do demigods have scents? And how can monsters detect those scents?" father asked after nodding to my answer. I shook my head.
"I asked this of you because Percy's wish of safety hinged on the premise that the demigod scent he gives off can be removed, or at least be masked like what his mother did when he was younger," he continued his explanation.
I remember Percy telling me that before. How his mother had married that sad excuse of a human named Gabe to hide his scent from monsters. I felt my lips turn to a sneer as I remembered looking for that particular soul in punishment and dragging him to Hades and requesting a harsher torment for that waste of space.
"And according to Athena and Apollo, the only way to remove the scent of a demigod is through a curse," the father continued. His words halting my thoughts.
"A Curse?" I asked, incredulous.
"Yes, a curse," he repeated. Confirming his words.
Before I could ask, he followed up his words. "To understand why, first you must learn the reason for the scent demigods give off. Tell me, Nico, what do you know of the monster Lamia?"
"Not much," I answered.
"Hmm, understandable. Well, the truth is Lamia is the cause of the scent demigods have. Millenia ago, Lamia cursed all demigods to suffer at the hands of Terrors, monsters now they are called. In retaliation to us gods for the deaths of her children. She placed her curse upon ours." Hades confessed, his eyes sad and low.
I was speechless. Another of the gods' mistakes that we, their children, are paying for.
"Her curse made it so that every demigod would be hunted by every monster by the very scent they give off. The scent of their divinity that they inherited from us." I watched as Hades took another long drink of his goblet before continuing.
"And again, based on the search by Athena and Apollo, the only way to counteract Lamia's curse is with another curse. An ancient curse that was created during the early reign of the Titans."
"It is a curse that has never been placed on anybody, one I thought would never be placed on anybody," father said almost to himself, like he still couldn't believe it.
"Why was it never used before? If that curse could, as you say, remove the scent from demigods. It would have been useful of us, your children," I asked, my tone accusatory.
There was a pause before Father answered. "That is because it required the entire Olympian Council to agree to willingly place that curse on someone, meaning if even one of us was not willing to, then the curse would not take hold," he explained.
"And until that moment, we the Olympians have never been in agreement about anything; someone was always against the other." I nodded; that was obvious. It was a miracle they all even agreed to this. Why did they agree to it? I asked myself.
"So, Percy was the first to bear the curse. Why not? But what is the curse?" I asked. What did Percy have to bear for the safety he so wished and deserved? And was having that curse, whatever that is worth it?
I saw the reluctance in my father as he held back in answering. Clearly at odds with himself. making me curious as to what the curse entails to garner such a reaction from the stoic god of the underworld.
I started back at him, indicating with my gaze that I would not stop asking until he gave up the truth.
With a sigh, father closed his eyes for a moment before looking back at me. He opened his mouth, and the words that flowed out shocked me to my core.
"It was the Curse of the Harem."
For the second time today, I was frozen. I felt the anger rush through my veins as the words of my father registered in my brain. I felt the shadows curl around me, reflecting my emotions. The ground trembled as I unconsciously used my gifts in the presence of my father.
With a wave of his hand, Hades halted the flow of my power. The shadows went back to the dark corners of the room, and the ground went still. It was not the first time my father had to do this—rescind his gifts that he had given me upon my birth. I have known for a long time now that the gods actively choose what gifts or powers their demigod children will inherit upon their birth. The only exemption to this seems to be Percy, because of course he is.
I stared at my father as he looked back at me calmly.
"Are you calm enough to continue?" he asked with an eyebrow raised. I took a deep breath and nodded.
"Explain!" I demanded of my father, knowing I was pushing it. But I had to know if Hazel was placed in any harm, then even if it's against Percy. I would not hesitate to fight to free her from there.
"Is Hazel really better? Is she safe?" I added after a while.
"She is, truly. She is safe and happy where she is," father answered. His tone filled with a sureness born out of the belief that what he said was the truth.
"How can she be happy in a harem? Do you even know what a harem is?" I asked, still not believing it.
"I do; at least I know what a harem used to be. And that is what the curse is about. The harem of the past and not what it is being portrayed today." His answer confused me.
"I will need you to be calm, Nico, if I am to explain the details to you. Keep an open mind and remember that this curse has existed even before we the gods were born. All except Aphrodite, of course," my father continued, asking for my cooperation.
I nodded after a while, wanting to get more information about whatever happened back then.
'A Harem! ' I snorted. What could be different form before and what it is now?
"Based on your reaction, I can tell you are at least familiar with the concept of a harem, or what the concept is nowadays. Which is One man with a number of women that he can use sexually, women who have no say whatsoever to how they are treated by the master of the harem. That is what you envisioned, correct?" he asked after a short speech. I had no rebuttal for that, so I just nodded.
"I thought as much," father nodded. "And you couldn't be more wrong," he followed up.
"What you thought is the modern concept of a harem, influenced by modern times. What it originally was is completely different."
"Back then, a harem is a place where women are placed to be protected, where women are cherished and educated. Members of the harem are not powerless or devoid of choice, unlike what the modern harem portrays. Rather, the harem members themselves have as much power or sometimes even more than some male members of the family, except the head of the household." He explained, and I was conflicted; my knowledge of what a harem is contradicted what my father was telling me.
"I understand your anger and apprehension, son, but think. Do you truly believe Perseus to be the kind of man who would abuse his power and authority to do those kinds of things to any woman, much less your sister?" my father asked me. The questions halting my thoughts and calming my anger.
I tried to imagine Percy, the same Percy who willingly took on the weight of the first prophecy on his shoulder just so that I wouldn't. I tried to imagine him as a cruel master who took what he wanted from Hazel.
I couldn't.
It just seems to be an impossibility for him to be like that, even in my imagination.
"No, I don't think he would be like that," I said with a shake of my head.
"No, I didn't think so. And neither did I think him capable of being like that. Otherwise, I wouldn't have sent your sister to him in the first place," my father assured me.
"Besides, it wasn't like Hazel became a member of Perseus's harem the moment she started living with him. Remember I told you she lived with him for a while, a year in fact before she became a formal member of the harem. And at that time, your sister has already fallen so deeply in love with young Perseus." father explained further, divulging more information that I found shocking.
My sister was in love.
"It was her feelings for him that cemented her decision to join the harem. And as far as I am aware, there are currently only two members of the harem. And both of them are actually engaged to Perseus. We are only waiting for the announcement of when the weddings will take place," father announced with a wistful smile. Perhaps already thinking of the wedding that he will be attending.
Another shocking news thrown out like it was nothing.
My sister was Engaged to be married.
She was happy, and she was in love.
I am happy for her, and I couldn't fault her for her choice of partner. As someone who once upon a time had a crush on Percy. I understood the appeal he had.
"So, Hazel is healed now?" I asked.
Father smiled sadly, and I got worried. "She is better now. Sadly, the nightmares will always be with her. But now she is with someone whose mere presence can chase them away."
I nodded at that, knowing full well how that feels. To have someone with you that can chase away the demons simply by being near you.
'Will' I think back to my boyfriend, who was currently where Percy and Hazel were. I looked back up at my father, remembering my original reason for being here.
"So, father, can you at least tell me where Percy and Hazel are?" I asked, hopefully.
Despite assurance from him, I needed to see for myself. Only then will I decide and believe if what he said is the truth. And I needed to hear from Percy and Hazel themselves that they are happy.
Hades nodded to my questions before speaking. "I will need to ask Perseus first, but I would think he would agree to you visiting," he said, swirling the contents of his goblet before taking a drink.
"It's late up top; stay the night, Nico. I will go and ask Percy tomorrow," father declared, and that was the end of that discussion.
I nodded, agreeing to spend the night here. I watched Father drain the goblet of wine, then he dissolved into shadows, leaving me alone in the garden. I stayed for a while, thinking of all I found out before I stood up and walked towards the palace.
-------Line break--------
The next day, I was helping out at the entrance to Erebus, directing the newly arrived souls where they needed to go when I was summoned to the throne room.
Excited, I rushed through Asphodel and went straight to where I knew Father would be.
I entered the Throne room and saw my father sitting upon his throne holding court. Before him knelt a soul, bound by red hot chains that burned the soul's skin. I walked past the other members of his court and stood below the raised platform where his throne was placed. I bowed to my father and turned to the soul that somehow garnered enough wicked deeds in life to warrant a personal judgement from the ruler of the afterlife.
I saw his eye bulging from his sockets as the pain from the chains burned his essence. His mouth, which was missing, was evidence that he was being mouthy with my father earlier. A common enough occurrence I later learned.
I stayed silent as my father read from a scroll floating in front of him. Knowing the scroll contained all the misdeeds this soul did while he was still alive.
"Hmm, rape, murder, theft. Just these three is enough for you to be sent to the fields of punishment, but what followed those? Well, these guaranteed you an audience with me indeed," father mused atop his throne, making me curious.
"You created for yourself a following of religious people, and you fancied yourself the prophet of god! Well, would you look at that? Apollo would love to have a word with you for that one. I'm sure it would be a very enlightening conversation," father said with a sneer. I shook my head in pity. Apollo, after what happened with the immortal emperors of Rome. Became more ruthless with those who tried to usurp his domain of prophecy.
"But that is not even the worse one, no no no. It seems that in your delusions and greed you managed to convince your followers to part with their children and for them to give them to your care. Where you then abused and tortured them, subjecting them to all manner of perversions!"
I felt the entire throne room freeze as my father's anger filled the room.
"My, my, my! Now it seems not only Apollo but even Artemis would be delighted to be introduced to you!" Whatever pity I felt for this wretched soul was erased as I heard of his sins. I now only hoped the worst for him.
"As the Lord of the dead and ruler of the underworld, I hereby pronounce you guilty of your sins and sentence you to the Pit. May the horrors that roam the darkness of Tartarus torment you for all eternity. Take him away!" my father declared.
Quickly, the furies that were perched on my father's throne took the air and grabbed the soul with their talons. carrying him away to be dropped at the entrance of Tartarus.
"This court is adjourned!"
After that declaration, the throne room emptied out, leaving me alone with my father. When it was just the two of us, he rose from his throne and shrank to mortal height as he stepped down the dais toward me.
When he stopped on the floor, he looked at me and smiled softly.
"I went to Perseus last night and got his permission for you to visit. I will be sending you to the border of his land where you will be welcomed in by them," he said as he stared at me.
I felt happy! At long last, I will be able to meet up with Hazel and Percy!
I was about to thank Father for his assistance when his follow-up words halted my thoughts.
"Tomorrow."
"What?" I asked. incredulous.
"I will be sending you there tomorrow," he declared.
"Why?" I whined like a child.
"It was a request by your sister," father replied.
Knowing that there was nothing I could do, I just nodded and watched as Father walked away towards his office.
After standing in throne room by myself for a few minutes. I decided to go back to the entrance and continue helping out; at least I would be able to distract myself until tomorrow.
end
---extra scenes----
Dinner in the underworld was a quiet affair. Even more so when the Queen was away on the overworld. The muted music of some orchestra was all I could hear as I ate with my father in the massive dining hall that was rarely used in the palace.
I took a bite of the fried chicken from the happy meal I bought, well had someone bought it—while watching my father eat the fine slab of steak in front of him. I once asked him why he ate mortal food, and he said that thousands of years listening to the departed souls lament about the food they missed made him curious about mortal food. And once he tasted them, he couldn't stop.
I was on my second chicken leg when my father spoke up.
"I can see you having a question for me, Nico; don't hesitate. Ask."
'Was I always that easy to read?' I thought as I stared at my father. I shook my head and looked at my father in the eyes.
"How come you and the other gods have some semblance of control over our gifts and powers, but not Poseidon over Percy?" I asked.
"What do you mean?" father asked back. tilting his head. I decided to explain better so I would get a clearer answer.
"Like what happened earlier, when I lost control when I learned about Hazel joining a harem. You waved your hand and I lost my powers. How come you and the other gods can do that to us, your children, but Lord Poseidon couldn't with Percy?" I spoke.
"Ah! I see. To answer your question, son, it isn't that Poseidon couldn't; it's just that he wouldn't. At least not then. But now, even if he wanted to, he wouldn't be able to," father replied with a sigh.
"Huh?" came my brilliant reply.
"What I meant is that, before the end of the war with the giants, Poseidon, like the rest of us gods, had the ability and the right to withhold control over the gifts of our children, like I did with you. But something happened to young Perseus during the war. Now Poseidon has no control over his sons' abilities any longer," father continued.
"My guess is that something happened to him during his time in the Pit. What that something is, I do not know. But I can guess," he went on with an absent look in his eyes.
I wondered what happened to Percy. I was also a survivor of the Pit, twice even. But whatever happened to Percy down there might have still been worse than what I went through.
"I wonder what happened to him?" I questioned out loud to no one in particular. But my father deemed it appropriate to answer anyway.
"Before I answer that son, first you must learn how a demigod inherits their gifts from their godly parent," father declared as he sat back on his seat. I sat up, intent to listen. It's during these times that reminds me that my father is the oldest male Olympian god. The eldest son of Kronos.
"Deep within every demigod's soul resides the divinity that they inherited from their godly parent. But unlike us gods whose whole essence is made of that same divinity, a demigod's divinity is quite miniscule in comparison. The amount depends on how much the god decides to impart to their children," father started to explain.
"And that imparted essence is contained in a vessel within the demigod's soul. Those you are in tune with their inner self can actually perceive this vessel, though not many can," he continued.
"Now, I admit to gifting you, Hazel, and even Bianca significantly more than what I did to those of my other children that came before you. That is because on some level, I knew that all of you would be embroiled in the prophecies that were going to be fulfilled. I wanted to make sure my children would be strong enough to survive the wars to come. And I was right in doing so. Though I still did lose a daughter, twice." My father looked down, and a somber look flashed through his face.
The mention of Bianca brought a pang of hurt and guilt over me. But it came to pass quickly; I had accepted Bianca's loss years ago.
"Any way, like I said. Us gods consciously decide how much of our essence is inherited by our children. And the years leading up to the wars we decided to gift more than usual to our children in preparation for the great prophecy. Poseidon most of all." His word did not even surprise me.
"In all the millennia we have existed. Never have any of us gifted as much as Poseidon gifted Perseus. Poseidon has always been known to love his children deeply, but he has never gifted his children more than one aspect of his divinity. It's always just one, whether it was the ability to not get lost while sailing or being able to transform into Sea-life. As far as I know, he has never imparted his earthshaking aspect to any of his demigod children." father went on.
"But that was before Perseus was born. For all intents and purposes, Perseus is a mortal Poseidon. With almost all of his domain, even his looks were inherited strongly by his son. Perseus looks more like Poseidon than even Triton does. Only his mortality is the difference between them." father paused, taking a drink of wine before he went on again.
"But even with all that, Poseidon still had the same control over Perseus's gifts like I do with yours. That is until he came out of the Pit. After that, Poseidon lost all control he had over his son."
"When I learned of these particular details, I delved deep into his soul to see what could have happened. You remember what I said about the vessel within the soul?" my father asked like a teacher.
I nodded. "The one containing our divinity?" I answered, questioningly.
"Yes, well, when I saw Perseus's vessel. I was shocked with what I saw. First, Perseus's soul, his mortal soul, was mixed with a large amount of divinity. Larger than what is survivable by any mortal, demigod or not. And it could only mean one thing: his vessel somehow shattered, his divine essence spilling forth and mixing with his mortal soul." I stared at my father as he continued to speak.
"Normally, when a demigod's divine vessel shatters, they die. A demigod surviving that has only happened once with Dionysus. But with him, he was already in the middle of his ascension to godhood when his vessel shattered. His vessel shattering only hastened his ongoing change to being a god."
What I was learning now was something I never even thought of. But I had a question, though.
"You said that what happened to Percy has only happened once. But there have been a number of mortals who have been turned to gods before. How come they don't count?" I asked during a lull in my father's lecture.
"Being turned into a god and ascending to godhood are two completely different things, Nico," my father said as he looked at me.
"When we turn a mortal into a god, we do so by first remaking their bodies into immortal flesh, capable of withstanding divinity. Then their mortal essence is changed into divine essence. Once their new divine essence has permeated their entire immortal body, in case of demigods, the vessel within their soul is removed, allowing the essence they inherited to mix with their own divine essence. And thus, a new god is formed. For mortals, it only requires an input of divine essence from the god that turned them into one for them to fully turn into a god themselves."
That was an eye-opener.
"That is what happened with many of the gods that came from mortality, like Herakles, Ariadne, Ganymede, and the others," father listed names of some of the known ones.
"Ascending to godhood, on the other hand, however, requires belief. Mortal belief in the person that is ascending. People needed to believe that that person is more than man. It will take more than just a handful of people, no. It will take thousands upon thousands of people believing in that person. That belief then kickstarts the process of ascension. And it takes time. For Dionysus, it took close to 200 years for him to fully ascend."
200 years, that's was a long time.
"It is largely the same process, as turning to a god. The main difference is that there is no god to assist in the change. The change happens on its own without any divine intervention. With Dionysus, we only took notice of his ascension when he was almost done with the change. Zeus took him up on Olympus and kept him there for 30 more years until his vessel shattered and his own divinity came under his full control."
What a tale! I never even knew that was what dear old Mr. D. went through. Now I have something else to hound over our dear camp director.
After taking another drink, father sighed.
"With Perseus, however, I along with the other gods noticed that his mortal essence, like I said earlier, has been mixed with more divinity than what a mortal can usually survive. It was an impossibility that there he was, standing in front of us, when he should have been dead. But then again, that cousin of yours has been doing the impossible since he was twelve," father said incredulously.
‘Yeah, that is Percy in a nutshell.'
"A deeper look in to his soul revealed that his vessel was shattered. I say was because when I delved deep to check, what I found shocked me to my core son. His vessel, which I expected to be shattered, was indeed shattered, but it was somehow still in shape. And it was still doing its purpose of containing his divinity. Although the cracks on it made his divinity seep through, mixing with his mortal essence." I just shook my head at that. It was so like Percy to deny even dying because of divinity.
"Looking at his vessel and with the information about him and that daughter of Athena surviving the Pit, I surmised that something happened to him down there that forced him to use his divinity to the point that his vessel shattered. Causing his divinity to mix so deeply with his mortal essence than I believed in that moment, he became a mortal god." father said. His voice filled with wonder, and I couldn't help but agree.
Percy has always seemed more god than mortal, ever since I first met him all those years ago.
"At that moment, I think he unlocked a part of himself that allowed him the power to overcome the threat of death by his divine essence mixing with his mortal one. But that is where the confusion starts. His divinity mixing with his mortal essence should have catapulted his ascension to godhood. But instead, we found his mortality holding strong. He was neither god nor was he mortal. He had all the makings of a god with his own domain yet he remained a demigod."
"I believe something happened with him down at the Pit. It pushed him beyond the limit of what he can do and endure. And then something happened again, one that forced him to push the shattered remains of his vessel to form once again. Then he pushed his divinity inside the cracked shell of his vessel. Somehow halting his ascension." father said in a grave voice.
"And as far as I know, what he did was impossible. It's something that shouldn't have been possible to do." Father finished. filling his goblet and draining it with one gulp.
"And yet he did." I started.
"And yet he did," my father repeated, agreeing with me.
"And that is why Poseidon no longer has the ability to limit and control Perseus's gifts. Because for a brief moment, Percy was his own god, with his own domain. One that I believe he still has control over. He just somehow never shared what it is to anyone."
"And by the time I came upon that realization, he was already gifted his wishes and was out of our reach."
"Ha ha-ha ha!"
I laughed at the look of my father as he moped at the lost chance to interrogate Percy.
"Maybe he's told Hazel the truth about that! I'll ask her when I get there!"
Father nodded, then he looked down on his plate and noticed the steak he still had left over. He frowned and called over one of the undead servers.
"Bring me a new plate," he ordered.
I watched as the server shuffled away. I reached into the bag beside me and pulled out a burger.
I bit into it and felt excited about meeting Percy and Hazel soon.