Athena's POV
Strutting my way into my brother's bedroom I kick the door open with one of my heels, watching as Nimue goes into a sudden defensive pose but I simply wave at her with a faint smile. "Using this?" I point to the water, receiving a headshake as a response.
"Percy, don't you think you've slept enough for literally all of us." I tilt the glass, pouring it bit by bit onto his head. "Up. Now." I dunk the rest, nearly dropping the glass on him by accident. Stepping back to avoid his swipes at the air. "Still not a morning person, are you?" I sigh, placing Jackson down from my hair and sitting beside Percy.
"When I'm woken up like that, absolutely not." His grumpy face near enough mumbles out but nonetheless he instinctively falls into my chest for a hug. Gladly responding back with one I take the chance to place him on his feet.
"So good news or bad news first?"
"Bad news...I guess?" Nimue questions with a frown.
"There isn't any, I've brought only goodness and light to your worlds. Now thank me" I raise my hands in the air, expecting to be showered with amazement. Opening one of my eyes to see nobody moving an inch, "It'll help if I actually explained myself, huh?"
"Yes" The two speak in unison as Jackson eyes Percy in curiosity.
"There's a girl that took an interest within the library of the Underworld. At first I was against it but ultimately she reminded me too much of myself so I just let her stay there now-"
"Wait a human!? From here!?" Nimue interrupts me
"Yes, human. Anyway, there's a collection for each...time period? Event or just anything that the library deems to be a category. Hence why all the rulers have their own sections as it's been self-maintaining itself."
"How damn useful then huh?" Percy sarcastically throws his hands in the air, wrapping himself back under the wet sheets.
Walking over I tear them from his grip and slap his head, "This is so you're not a walking time bomb around everyone and so you can actually take a full rest for once, pay attention" I announce, noticing his eyes linger to Jackson out of guilt.
"Sorry" He shamefully extends his hand out to him
With a bit of hesitation he eventually complies, "It's okay"
"I have absolutely no clue what happened there but let me continue. There's a new shelf that's appeared from the appearance of a new soul-"
"What do you mean?" She interrupts me again
Stretching out my hand to lure her in I pull her into my chest, forcing a bit of suffocation. Just a bit. "Let. Me. Monologue, Nimue", releasing her in a dazed state as she stumbles back and onto the bed.
"As I was saying. Each soul has a recollection of memories that's stored within the library...and one in particular has shown up, forcing the library to create a whole other genre for itself. Someone who knew about everything that's happened as well as events that came far before us." Taking a deep breath I lean in closer to them, "So what I'm saying is, I believe I know what's happening to Crest."
"And that is...?" He gets up a bit, seeming more motivated than before.
"The girl can explain it better than I can, honestly I just glossed over it and ran here to tell you. But from what I can tell, you're not...exactly in danger." I awkwardly smile, not wanting to wait for a response I wrap him up in my hair. Grinning to myself at the muffled yell he releases, "Shut up, you take too long to decide for yourself. We're going! Follow us Nimue, and you're welcome to join Jackson."
I dart through the door, waiting to hear their footsteps behind me before venturing forward with the weight of my hair bouncing with each prance I take. Only pausing when a sudden ping through my head focuses my attention, 'Athena I can feel that you're here, I'm going to see Rane back at the old pack tomorrow. You in?' Adam's voice calls out.
'Pass, maybe next time, or the time after that. Who knows, I'm not even sure why you bother with that thing anymore' I slow down my pace, my cheerful mind now diminished by the mention of it.
'There's some stuff we never got to collect from there, I just wanted to head back for them if I'm honest. So yeah this is probably the last time.'
'And good riddance to him then, don't get too caught up. I think I'm onto something for your precious mate.'
'I don't plan on it, and thanks' He cuts out to continue whatever he was doing before. Leaving me in a less than desirable mood but nonetheless I keep wearing a smile for the others.
-
Jackson's POV
"And we're here! Any last words before we go through?" Athena spins on her heel despite it digging into the grass.
Bewilderment hitting me as Keyon just tried to enter before, "Are we...allowed in?"
"Yeah for sure this time. As far as I'm aware, the underworld was unstable last time and Persephone in general didn't want to deal with the effort of granting flesh the permission to pass over." She places Percy down, standing him beside us before bite into her thumb.
"Who's first?"
"M-" She...shoves her thumb into Nimue's mouth. "This isn't your first time, be quiet." she winks...Yep, this is not for me.
Quietly turning my back alongside Percy following suit with me, only to be grabbed back into a headlock and force fed her blood. A warm liquid that pulsates every second as if a living heartbeat on it's own, flowing down my throat and spreading through my body.
I cough out to the floor when she lets go of us, the alienated texture of it feeling stiff within my body. "And we have to do this...every time?"
"Not every time, just the first. The other times I just need to give you verbal consent I guess." She spins back on her heel, facing the blacked out space and leaving her hair to flow out from behind her. Revealing black interloping triangles almost carved alongside her back.
"Wait so why did you do it to me!?" Nimue screams
"Dunno, dominance?" Athena places her hand on it, sliding through the sludge texture before Nimue can scream at her again.
"ATHENA!?" She marches in just after her.
"It's not that bad, trust me" Percy taps me on the back, moving forward alongside me as we enter. I close my eyes and hold my breath, feeling as if I open them then the sludge would just slide into me.
"Welcome home...well if you were dead I'd be saying this I guess. Or me, or Chris, or Anubis o-let me just stop talking" She stops her rant, opening up her arms to the sky and pointing to the palace.
Taking a step forward I notice the difficulty I have moving forward as sand engulfs my feet. "This is like the snow..."
"Snow? Considering you don't remember much, I assume you haven't had time to explore the world, where would you of been that had snow?" She quickly questions me.
"I...don't know, it's just where I woke up" I speak with honestly, watching as she squints a bit at me. Releasing a confused stare before becoming satisfied with my answer I guess.
"I see, either way let's go on" She dismisses it.
Percy taps her back to get her attention, "Hey wait how come the portal's here this time and not back where we entered last time?"
"Oh that's the main one since that's how souls pay for the ferry, but me and Chris were able to make ones for ourselves to connect directly to you guys. And I don't even want to get into the details for how much effort it took for this singular one." She wipes her head as if sweating from the memory itself.
"Speaking of ferry, it sho-" An explosive thud drops me from my feet, the previous brightness to the beach removed as a giant shadow is cast over us. Drops of what sounds like rain momentarily drizzle down.
"And I was right, it was here. Thanks Cerberus" She rubs the grey ceiling above us, much to my confusion.
"I've seen him before...but I'll never get over it." Nimue mimics her but with a more fascinated look as if trying to examine every detail.
"Him?" I question in confusion, standing to my feet only to be greeted by a gargantuan head curved from above. Paralyzed in fear I feel Percy tug on me to move.
"He's oddly nice if you give him a chance" He tries to persuade me with a weak but honest smile.
"Who's this?" His chest rumbles from the depth of his voice but his lips don't move.
"And that's what we're gonna find out, but for now. A friend" She states, walking past him and up the path leading to what I presume to be her home.
"I see" He speaks again without the movement of his lips, making me look from the head to Percy again.
"You're looking at the wrong one" He points up, bringing a 2nd and 3rd head into my view.
"Oh..." I watch as one grins, the middle looks ahead firmly without giving me the time of day and the right still lingers down to my height with obsession held in it's eyes.
"Let's get going, he'll be here to gawk at later, c'mon" Nimue pulls me and Percy along the path with Athena. I look back every now in response to the thuds that each of his steps make. Eyeing Athena as she waves to a cloaked figure on the ship before we ascend any higher.