Seeing this, the group quickly went around Cerberus, catching up with the rest of the spirits at the entrance. When they got there, they waved at Jakob to follow.
Jakob, still playing the Darth Vader theme on his MP3, ran after the group, sliding under Cerberus' belly, where an opening was available.
Cerberus' heads growled, hearing that his music disappeared from in front of him. He barked loudly, making more mini quakes as he did.
Jakob ran to join the others at the metal detector.
"How did you do that?" Andromeda asked him, amazed.
Jakob shrugged. "Swiped the MP3 player from the Lotus Hotel, didn't know it would play Darth Vader's theme but it's a good theme."
"We can talk about it later," Grover said. "Come on!"
They were about to bolt through the EZ DEATH line when Cerberus moaned pitifully from all three mouths. Jakob stopped, and turned towards the dog.
Cerberus panted expectantly, waiting for more music to listen to.
"Good boy," Jakob said, sounding uncertain as he said it.
The monster's head turned sideways, as if worried about him.
"I'll bring you a whole lot of songs to listen to," Jakob said, his voice sounding more certain. He didn't know why he was saying that, since he didn't plan to make any more trips to the Underworld that weren't necessary. But the more he thought about it, he pitied the monster. Plus, despite his appearance. He was really just a dog that wanted entertainment. And Jakob planned to give that to him.
He was a dog lover. sue him.
Cerberus' heads turned towards him, looking unsure.
"I promise," Jakob said, with utmost certainty. He then turned towards the group. "Let's go."
"I don't think you can freely go in and out of the Underworld as you please." Mimir pointed out to the Son of Thor.
"Shut up."
Grover and Andromeda pushed through the metal detector, which immediately screamed and set off flashing red lights. "Unauthorized possessions! Magic detected!"
Cerberus began to bark.
The kids burst through the EZ DEATH line, which started even more alarms blaring, and raced into the Underworld.
A few minutes later, they were hiding, out of breath, in the rotten trunk of an immense black tree as security ghouls scuttled past, yelling for backup from the Furies.
As they hid, Andromeda's mind wondered. Even here in the Underworld, everybody – even monsters – needed a little attention once in a while. She thought about that as the questers waited for the ghouls to pass.
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Jakob has heard about the Fields of Asphodel, but never thought he'd witness it for himself. Actually, he never thought he'd ever be in the Greek Underworld as a matter of fact. But as he gazed upon the fields, he couldn't help but feel pity.
It looked like a gigantic field that housed a multi-tragic funeral or something. People would wonder about, murmuring to one another as the dead atmosphere echoed to near nothing as all that was heard was shuffling steps on barely muted feet. The dead would come up to you and try to say something, but he couldn't understand them at all as you could barely see their face as they shimmered. The dead were angry and saddened, which Jakob took notice of. Their mute voice could say nothing as they moved on, just wandering aimlessly. The thick warm moist air surrounded the group as they walked through the black trees - Grover told him they were poplars - grew in clumps here and there.
The cavern ceiling was so high above with wickedly sharp stalactites that gave a faint grey glow. Fallen ones dotted around the fields that impaled themselves in the black grass. It was a good thing the ghosts were dead, no need to worry about those things hitting them.
Annabeth, Grover, Jakob and Andromeda tried to blend in with the crowd, keeping an eye out for security ghouls while they crept along, following the lines of new arrivals that snaked from the main gates towards a black-tented pavilion with a banner that read:
JUDGEMENTS FOR ELYSIUM AND ETERNAL DAMNATION
Welcome Newly Deceased!
Out the back of the tent came two smaller lines.
To the left, spirits flanked by security ghouls were marched down a rocky path towards the Fields of Punishment, which glowed and smoked in the distance, a vast, cracked wasteland with rivers of lava and minefields and miles of barbed wire separating the different torture areas. Even from far away, one could see people being chased by hell hounds, burned at the stake, forced to run naked through cactus or listen to opera music. Jakob could make out a small hill, with the tiny figure of Sisyphus struggling to move his boulder to the top.
The line coming from the right side of the pavilion was much better. This one lead down towards a small valley surrounded by walls - a gated community, which seemed to be the only happy thing about the Underworld.
Beyond the security gate were neighbourhoods of beautiful houses from every single period in history: Roman villas, medieval castles and Victorian mansions. Silver and gold flowers bloomed on the lawns. The grass rippled in rainbow colours. Jakob could hear laughter and smell barbecue cooking. And in an instant he knew what this place was.
Elysium.
In the middle of that valley was a glittering blue lake, with three small islands like a vacation resort in the Bahamas. The Isles of the Blest, for people who had chosen to be reborn three times, and three times achieved Elysium.
For Greek heroes, Elysium was their Valhalla.
"That's what it's all about," Annabeth said with a soft smile. "That's the place for heroes. Hey Jakob, Valhalla's part of Asgard, right?"
"Correct." Jakob nodded. "Valhalla's where warriors who die in glorious combat go. It's like Elysium, where warriors will feast, drink, and train until Ragnarök, in which they would march out of the great hall's many doors for battle."
"It's a place I'd love to go to." Mimir said with a sigh.
"As would I." Jakob nodded in agreement. He stared at Elysium alongside the others for a moment before he shook his head and started walking. "Come. We have a quest to finish."
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