Adam's POV
Falling into a land full of mud and the bruising pain of rain I immediately recognise my surroundings. 'Are you two okay?' I notice Thomas and Yasmine buried deeper in the mud than I was, although washing away the moment they stand up. Signalling them to come closer to me I make a space around us to not get harmed from the rain anymore, seeing that we've ended up on the backside of the pack house rather than the entrance oddly enough.
'Why would I of wanted to be back here' I question myself, referring to the current shooting us out here.
'Adam I feel something' - Loch
'And that being?'
'I can't describe it. Just a heavy scent? I feel like we've came across it before.' He comments as we enter the back doors, spotting Alex's brown spotted wolf running past us.
"Alex!" I call out to drag his attention
"Adam!?" He skids along the carpet after halting his speed
"Why are you shifted?"
"I-Uh." The hairs retract back into his skin as he snaps his posture back into flesh, "My wolf was just going crazy over something, I wasn't sure myself so I just let him lead me."
"The scent that Loch was referring to?"
"I'd presume so"
"Hi" Yasmine introduces herself, eyes wandering across Alex's toned body but nonetheless he hasn't ever cared for that.
"Hello! I don't think we've ever actually had a proper conversation, same goes for you in the back" He refers to Thomas who's kept to himself since the encounter with Aeon which I can't blame him for.
"Nice meeting you again Alex" He opens up again, surprising me with the enthusiasm and making Alex smile in response.
"Back to the scent, can you keep following it?"
"Yes sir" He jokingly salutes before shifting back, his muzzle gliding across the carpet as we wander just behind him. One thing that's bugging me though...where is everyone.
-
An sudden pause as Alex gets to a door, whimpering a little bit which confuses me. I stare up the golden gilded wood and recognise it as my Father's room. I reach to press it open but Thomas stops me.
"Please. Don't open it." His eyes reflecting a deep sadness in it
"Why not? It's my Father's" I try to justify but he isn't taking no for an answer. "Thomas why shouldn't I open this door?" Raising my voice a little with impatience but he covers my mouth with his hand.
"I feel him"
"Good doing business with you once again Rane." A deep voice I'm unfamiliar with approaches the door, making us all scatter like bugs under a carpet. It's my pack and I'm the Alpha...so why is there this sensation that I need to hide.
'This isn't the first time he's been here since you left' Alex communicates, my mind racing as to who this person could be but ultimately nothing coming to mind. The doors open and from the corner I'm peeking from I see a man pulling on something as he leaves the room. The clanking of metal thudding across the regal carpet as if trying to silence itself. My eyes widening at the sight of at least 6 of my pack members chained up from their throat to their hands, being pulled along like cattle towards this man.
Admittingly losing my previous caution and instead walking up to this man with fury written all over my body. "WAIT!" Yasmine and Thomas try to call to me but I've already reached him. Placing my hand on his shoulder I feel a shudder vibrate through my body, I didn't notice he was taller than me beforehand.
"And you are?" My words catching his attention, his head turning to my direction with a dark indescribable haze in his eyes.
"Your son, deal with him" Is all he replies with, not even bothering to make eye contact with me.
"Please leave him be, Adam"
"Father he's quite literally taking our pack members away like a food stock."
"And I'm allowing it" His posture shaking but not from pain or age...he's scared. I turn to the man once again and question once more. "And you are?"
"You can call me Reve, now be on your way."
"Excuse me?" I stare at the sad eyes of my family being pulled by chains, stomping on the metal and breaking it apart for them to be released. The room falling silent, the only sound left was the cracking of bone in Reve's neck as he finally makes eye contact with me.
"Y-"
"I'm sorry on behalf of my son, please ignore his foolishness" The man who made us train vigorously now cowering under someone else, a sight that makes me unsettled but it should be the other way around for what he did to us.
'Father why are you doing this?' Calling to him, but he doesn't respond. 'What's wrong!?' Feeling a look of panic twist on my face, stopping once I glance back at Reve. His eyes still locked onto me but it doesn't feel like he's even truly looking at me...through me almost.
"With Daybreak gone I believe this deal is in both our favours...now I'll be on my way." He finally regains his sense, almost like a swap in personality as he jumps back into reality.
"How do you know what happened to my pack?" Yasmine comes from behind me, making Reve pause before staring down at her.
"A variable has been removed, and an opportunity has to be seized" The sentence making Yasmine growl in annoyance, shifting on the spot and attempting to jump at him but Thomas grabs her by the waist. His whole body shaking but his mind clearly focused on something, "Hmmm" The man hums internally, wandering over to Thomas and staring at him.
Waiting for a moment before laughing to himself, "You see me. Don't you."
-
Percy's POV
As Aeon takes his eyes off me I move around in my highlighted body, looking back to see my body slumped over beside Clio. "I'll guard you, don't worry" She eases my worries and smiles to me. I feel lighter in a sense, like a playing out a dream that I'm consciously aware of.
"Ah, the place formally known as home" Persephone announces as a large plant she was previously taking care of now opens up, showing a blank space of darkness inside itself. A faint green glow radiating from it along with a slight breeze being released from it. "Ladies first" She gestures to me
"Bu-"
"That wasn't me being polite, get in" She moves the floor from under me, flicking me directly into it and a sound of a vacuum fills my ears as I fall onto the void space. "I'm really starting to get sick of these dark spaces..." Humming to myself as I feel my body being tugged on, unlike a current I can feel a floor below me. But only darkness to keep me company. "C'mon Percy enjoy yourself! We're exploring a place we've never been to and going to get you the help you need" Athena jogs past me, once again trying to lighten my mood. Placing a hand on my wrist but suddenly pulling me into her arms and carrying me like a baby.
"ATHENA!"
"Shhhh!" Adam hated when I held him like this, let me enjoy it. She holds me tighter against my will. After sometime we spot a river coloured a light green, she places me down as we both examine it. Faint outlines of hands along with other parts, reaching out from it.
"I wouldn't touch that if I were you" Persephone giggles to herself as a red velvet dress replaces her white one, forming around her body like vines. Tossing her hat away and revealing her rose hair that still carries flowers inside of it. Her face reforming into what I can only assume to be her original one, leaving the old body behind.
"Look around you two" Anubis comes from the black space, guiding our eyes up to our environment as it lights up with colours. The river in front of us having a deep sense of serenity to it oddly enough, the floor stone cold with a rugged grey tone to it. Reaching down and touching it like foreign material. "It's been quite a while" Aeon's leg comes through first, the rest of his body following a bit behind with the large exaggerated steps he takes.
"To think we're the first in years to be able to explore a land like this! Doesn't this excite you Percy!?" Athena jumps like an excited child giggling with joy. "Athena I think you're the first person to be excited to end up in the underworld" Admittingly her curiosity makes me smile as she runs over from wall to wall, examining them deeply before wandering over to some withering nature. I go over to her but Aeon places a hand on my shoulder.
"Try not to disturb the dead" He points towards the man I almost walked into, a ghastly figure that I failed to spot walking slow but steadily. A disturbed look of pain plastered onto his face as he takes each step towards the river. Staring around and noticing all different races that I've never encountered, some even whole wolves lingering at the same pace. Few of them having coins on their eyes, "What's that for?"
"So they can pay Charon, how else do you think we're crossing the river of Styx? Unless you wanna try swimming" Anubis laughs at me, flicking his head towards the ghostlike limbs sticking out of it. "Good to know..." I begin to rethink my options of coming here, maybe there's another choice.
"So who's paying?" Persephone questions us, making me confused.
"Are you not the Queen? Just make him take us"
"Nobody dishonours the ferryman, but relax. It was a joke, I have what we need." She finishes off, making me sigh in relief at the good news for once. Athena's exploration stopping once we hear the chiming of a bell, a ringing that makes my body quiver in response with each chime. "Here we go I guess", hearing a grumble come from Aeon and making me think he was laughing at me. Still better than him wanting to kill me.