Chapter Text
Annabeth wasn’t sure how long they’d been falling, but it felt like forever. She didn’t know what awaited them at the bottom nor what challenges they’d face. She didn’t know much about the Underworld, much less Tartarus. What limited knowledge she did have was that Tartarus was where the gods locked up their enemies and was the place that monsters were born. There was little hope that they’d make it out of here alive.
Annabeth looked down at where they were falling and watched as dark blue, almost black, water came closer and closer. At least we won’t die from the fall , she thought before her body hit the water.
The river was freezing, almost enough to cause Annabeth to go into shock from it, but the voices were worse. All around her, Annabeth could hear heartbreaking wails of despair. Thousands of voices cried out in pain and sadness, adding to Annabeth’s own growing sadness the longer she stayed trapped in there. Why bother fighting? she thought as she sank deeper and deeper into the water. I’m never going to escape here… neither is Percy. It’s my fault he’s even here. I should have let go, let myself slip from his hand and come down here by myself. Or maybe let Arachne- . Annabeth’s thoughts were interrupted by her being pulled out of the water and onto the shore.
She gasped and coughed up water. She turned onto her side so she didn’t choke on the water again. She heard similar gasps and sputtering to her right. She looked over and saw Percy dripping wet on his hands and knees. It was odd seeing him wet as his powers normally prevented that from happening, but this wasn’t the normal rivers they were used to in the land of the living.
Annabeth’s attention was drawn away from Percy by the sound of someone speaking in front of them. “Now, what are two living demigods doing in the Underworld?” Annabeth slowly dragged her eyes up to get a look at the humanoid monster in front of them. The first thing she noticed was his feet. They were bare of any footwear, but that might be because they were on fire. Further up was a pair of shin guards around his legs with skulls at the knees, the rest of his legs wear covered in red leggings. Next was a red and black chiton that covered half of his chest and three hellhound skull on his covered shoulder. Finally, Annabeth looked up far enough to get a look at his face. She gasped as she got a proper look at him, there was no mistaking that this man was a god. His mismatching eyes were red with black sclera and unnatural green. On top of his head was a burning laurel crown that didn’t seem to bother him at all.
“You shouldn’t be here,” he said, summoning a spear into his hands. Annabeth flinched back and went to grab her dagger, but her fingers wrapped around nothing. The god frowned at her before looking out across the river. He lifted his spear as if he was getting ready to throw it when a voice yelled out from across the river.
“Demigods,” Arachne hissed. Annabeth watched as Arachne jumped the river, only to be stopped by the spear stabbing her in the chest. Her body fell short of the shore they were on and was slowly being pulled into the river that Annabeth now realized was the River Cocytus.
“I should take you to Charon,” the god said.
“Who are you?” Percy asked, helping Annabeth stand. They ended up leaning on each other for support, the fall and swim in the River Cocytus took its toll on them.
The god blinked as if the thought never occurred to him before smiling at them. “I’m Zagreus,” he said, “And I’ve heard a lot about you from the shades back at the House, Percy Jackson and Annabeth Chase.”
The two demigods tensed and Percy was quick to draw Riptide out and point it at Zagreus. “I’m not going to hurt you,” Zagreus tries to reassure, but Percy and Annabeth weren’t convinced. They kept their distance and Riptide pointed at them. “See that door over there,” Zagreus said, pointing to the left of him. Percy didn’t move, but Annabeth took the chance and looked past Percy’s back to get a look at where Zagreus was pointing. There was a door there and on it was what looked like a sack of coins with a skull etched into the door. “That door leads to the boatman Charon,” Zagreus explains. “He can take you to the surface… or at the very least the House.” Zagreus reached behind him and pulled out a small coin purse. “This should be enough of a payment for the both of you.” He tossed the sack so it landed at their feet.
“Why should we trust you,” Percy asked, not moving to lower his sword or to grab the coins at their feet. “Because I killed that creepy spider-woman that was about to kill you?” Zagreus offered, “Because a lot of the demigods from the Second Titan War spoke very highly of you two?”
Annabeth turned away from the door to face Zagreus again. “Who?”
“Zoe Nightshade, Charles Beckendorf, Selina Beauregard, and Luke Castellan to name a few,” Zagreus listed, shocking the demigods.
“Are they okay?” Annabeth couldn’t help asking. Zagreus smiled at her. “Miss Nightshade has chosen to join her fellow hunters in Elysium. Mr. Beckendorf and Miss Beauregard have chosen rebirth, wanting to try having a relationship without the war.” The smile on Zagreus’ face vanished. “Mr. Castellan is, unfortunately, being punished. He has been tasked with unflooding Asphodel.”
“That doesn’t sound too bad,” Percy said, slowly lowering Riptide and picking up the coins.
“It’s been flooded by the Phlegethon river,” Zagreus elaborates, “the whole place has been nothing but islands surrounded by lava for eons and he is to fix that will no protection against the heat.”
Annabeth’s heart broke at Luke’s fate. She knew he wasn’t going to Elysium after everything that he’d done, but she thought, hoped, that his heroic end would count for something.
“I’m sorry,” Zagreus said and he sounded like he was, “but he had to be punished for what he did.”
“I know,” Annabeth answered. And it was true. She knew that Luke had to be punished, but she didn’t think it would be as severe as cleaning up lava with no protection against the heat. “Do you think we can get out of here?”
Zagreus gave her a gentle smile. “Don’t worry, miss,” he assures, “I know this place like the back of my hand… If my hand kept changing every time I look at it.”