Terry leaned heavily against the boat his stomach churning after the hellish ride to the Underworld. "I think I'm going to throw up." Mina said collapsing down to the floor beside where Terry stood. "That was not pleasant." Darius said half collapsing against Terry.
"Babies." Charon snorted from the helm of the boat. Simeon sniggered beside him. "Like little children, aren't they?" he muttered beside Charon. "Be nice the two of you. It's not like they portal jump every day." Amaya said, looking at the wizard and the ferry man of the underworld. They rolled their eyes at her. Amaya glanced around Hade's realm. It had been eons since she'd been here. The realm of hades was as it has always been. Eerie and dark. Full of gothic architecture and monsters lurking here and there, with three rivers intersecting the whole place, the boat continued to move through the river Styx until it stopped at a blackened gate that was slightly open. Three figures stood beside the gate silent and watchful.
"That's Zane. The youngest of Hades children, along with two of his sisters, Sienna and Elvira." Simeon said, speaking louder for everyone to hear. Terry looked over the boat, leaning away from Darius, who looked over his shoulder. "Wasn't Elvira the name of some gothic character in the human world?" Terry asked his nose scrunching. "And what the hell is that smell?"
"That would be sulphur and brimstone. The lovely smells of the underworld." Darius said grinning. "Yeah, be glad that the two of you don't have a werewolf sense of smell." Mina said her whole face scrunching up in distaste. "I'm starting to rethink, not going with the rest of my pack in the North." She said scowling. "Wait, your whole pack is in the North?" Darius said narrowing his eyes. "The King is kind of overprotective of Raphael after the whole thing with Eliza." Mina said glancing at Terry. "With good reason, I've even heard Eliza is one crazy witch. And I this is my first time being in this realm." Mina finished. "Come on slowpokes." Simeon said, as he walked down from the helm, gesturing at the bridge that was now rolling down the ship. "I am so glad to be getting off this ship. Please tell me we don't have to go home the same way." Mina whined. "I am a land lover, okay." She said glaring at Amaya's grin. Darius chuckled and then immediately stifled the laugh as the three watchers of the gate moved closer as they got off the ship. "Hello Zane." Simeon said greeting the other two with a nod of his head. The two girls barely glanced at him turning to their brother, who said something in a tongue that sounded old and extremely foreign, before they both turned and walked back towards a dark meadow that stood to the left of the river.
"My sister's do not greet newcomers." Zane said as explanation, he narrowed his eyes as they landed on Amaya. "Is that Amaya Quinn standing beside you." He asked, his voice extremely accented sounded old to Terry's ears. Definitely not from the time period he had originally come from. "Hello Zane. You look well." Amaya said smiling softly. "You look fantastic. As usual." Zane said. His eyes drifted, and he took in Mina next. "And you brought a werewolf." Zane said, his eyes gleaming as he took Mina in. "You're from Silas's pack, right?" Zane asked putting his hand out for a shake. Mina shook his hand surprised at the politeness that had suddenly laced his tone. "I have great respect for the Wolves of War." Zane said. "In the olden days they rode side by side my uncle, Lord Ares. I've heard the stories." He said, smiling. He nodded in welcome to Darius and Terry. "Now what is this all about?" Zane said clapping his hands together. Darius moved to the front, "This is about the Skyphos."
"Ah. The urn that can hold over a million wraiths." Zane said. "I know it well." He said looking at Simeon and Amaya. "And what are you going to give me in return of that most illustrious prize?" Zane said his eyes gleaming.
"What do you mean?" Terry said sharply.
"Nobody said anything about a price." Darius said. "Everything has a price in this realm." Amaya said. "And we have the one thing you've always wanted." She said, glancing once at Simeon.
"Cassandra Sinclair." Simeon said. "She's in Vemos. I have a document with me that says for safe passage to the Skyphos and back to Vemos, the King will make sure she is banished to the Dead City." Simeon said, pulling out a document with the King's royal seal. "Once she is there, you can do whatever it is you wish. Earth is free territory after all." Amaya said.
"Let your King know that, I accept his deal. As for the Skyphos, we are going to have to make a climb, it's in the northern part of Tartarus. So, follow me." Zane said, turning around and leading them through the gate. "Please tell me you don't mean Cassie. The girl Dorian and I brought from the Village. She's innocent." Terry said softly, out of earshot of Zane, who was now chatting with Amaya and Mina. "She's not that innocent. You've seen her marks. She knew she was a few steps away from being banished to the Dead city." Simeon said softly. "She broke the law when she went to the East with Dorian and Lauri." Darius said. "We broke the law when we saved Raphael." Terry hissed back. "The King made his decision." Simeon said sharply. Terry was silent for a moment fuming. Simeon walked up ahead, joining Zane. "Where is the dead city?" Terry asked. "Mexico City. On earth." Darius said. "She stopped war with the Vampires. She doesn't deserve to be banished." Terry said. He shrugged Darius off, when he tried to put a consoling hand on him. Terry didn't want to be comforted, as much as he liked Cassie he knew Lauri liked her even more. He didn't want to think about how her reaction was going to be when she found out her friend was sacrificed as a war strategy.
Tartarus was a land mass that was in constant flux. Terry watched amazed as the floor at his feet moved, the edges that weren't volcanic rock, was hot liquid magma. You could easily loose your life here if you weren't careful. He carefully made his way around the land that was rumored to actually be a living titan, he was no longer paying any attention to the little conversations that Amaya, Simeon and Zane were speaking. Darius and Mina was clearly keeping a careful eye on Terry, no doubt for no other reason besides the fact that he was one of the Princes. He was starting to understand what exactly it meant being a citizen of Vemos. It meant betrayal, if you were loyal to the crown. Other people were always more important. Terry had grown up learning about Democracy and having freedom. But that was on earth. Not here. Vemos was vastly different.
"Terry." Darius whispered his voice soft. "I know you are angry." He began.
"You don't need to tell me that this is the way the world works, I think I'm starting to understand how this world works. And it sucks." Terry said his voice dark. "Yes, it does suck." Mina said coming to walk beside him. "But you still have time to change your father's decision."
"I can't change his decision. He made a promise. A promise that is going to ruin all the goodwill he had recently gained with Lauri. She's never going to forgive this." Terry said.
"Hey guys. You're going to want to see this!" Amaya said. Terry glanced at Darius and could see the sudden happiness that lit his eyes. The Skyphos had been Darius's idea, after all. A myth that was about to become real. Terry stifled his own giddy smile. And ran up behind Darius who was already halfway there.
At the very edge of the cliff stood a magnificent box silver, with runes lining up on all sides of the box. "Is that it?" Terry asked, glancing at Darius.
"The Skyphos." Darius said.
"A magic like no other."