They left the judgement pavilion and moved deeper into the Asphodel Fields. It got darker. The colours faded from their clothes. The crowd of chattering spirits began to thin.
After a few miles of walking, the group began to hear a familiar screech in the distance. Looming on the horizon was a palace of glittering rock obsidian. Above the parapets swirled three dark bat-like creatures: the Furies.
Well, some monsters were eager for a rematch.
"I suppose it's too late to turn back," Grover said wistfully.
"We'll be okay," Andromeda said, trying to sound confident.
"Maybe we should search some other places first," Grover suggested quickly. "Like Elysium, for instance…"
"Come on, goat boy," Annabeth said, grabbing his arm.
Grover yelped. His sneakers sprouted wings and his legs shot forward, pulling him away from Annabeth. He landed flat on his back in the grass.
"Grover," Annabeth chided. "Stop messing around."
"But I didn't -"
He yelped again. His shoes were flapping like crazy now. They levitated off the ground and started dragging him away from them.
"Grover!" Jakob shouted as he tried grabbing him.
"Maia!" Grover yelled, but the magic word seemed to have no effect. "Maia, already! Nine-one-one! Help!"
Andromeda got over being stunned and made a grab for Grover's hand, but was too late. Grover was picking up speed, skidding downhill like a bob sled as the demigods quickly gave chase.
Annabeth shouted, "Untie the shoes!"
It was a smart idea, but not as easy when your shoes are pulling you feet first at full speed. Grover tried to sit up, but he couldn't get close to the laces.
They kept after him, trying to keep him in sight as he ripped between the legs of the spirits who chattered at him in annoyance.
Andromeda was sure Grover was going to barrel straight through the gates of Hades' palace, but his shoes veered sharply to the right and dragged him in the opposite direction.
The slope got steeper. Grover picked up speed. The demigods had to sprint to keep up. The cavern walls narrowed on either side, and then they had entered some kind of side tunnel. No black grass or trees now, just rock underfoot, and the dim light of the stalactites above.
"Grover!" Andromeda yelled, voice echoing. "Hold onto something!"
"What?" he yelled back.
He was grabbing at gravel, but there was nothing big enough to slow him down.
The tunnel got darker and colder. It smelled evil down here. It made your hair stand on ends as it felt like you were entering a den of deranged murderers.
Jakob looked ahead and his eyes widened at what was there.
The tunnel widened into a huge dark cavern, and in the middle was a chasm the size of a city block. There was nothing but a dark, evil feeling coming off from it and Jakob realized there was only one place in the Greek Underworld that could feel like that, similar to being across the Bridge of the Damned in Helheim.
Tartarus.
And Grover was sliding straight towards the edge where he would fall into the prison if they didn't stop him.
"Come on!" Jakob shouted quickly and sprinted, boosting himself into the air with lightning and he grabbed onto Grover in the air but felt himself being pulled along with the Satyr. Jakob took out the Leviathan Axe and stabbed it into the ground to prevent them from going over the edge... even though they were slowly being dragged towards said edge.
Annabeth and Andromeda ran over and grabbed onto Jakob, pulling him up as Grover tried to take the shoes off.
What saved him were his hooves.
The flying sneakers had always been a loose fit on him, and finally Grover hit a big rock and the left shoe came flying off. It sped into the darkness, down into the chasm. The right shoe kept tugging him along, but not as fast. It was now slow enough that Grover could grab hold of the big rock and use it like an anchor.
"Come on!" Jakob grunted as he pulled himself and Grover away from the edge of the pit.
Finally, the other winged shoe tugged itself off, circled around them angrily and tried to kick them before Jakob blasted it into a burnt crisp with a beam of lightning from his hand, sending the remains falling down into the pit to join its twin.
"By the Nine Realms, what was that?!" Mimir exclaimed, just as surprised as everyone else was.
"Wait," Andromeda said, straining her ears. "Listen."
They all heard something - a deep whisper in the darkness.
Another few seconds, and Annabeth said, "Andie, this place -"
"Shh." Andromeda stood.
"We need to go. Now." Jakob said sternly, already gripping the Leviathan Axe tightly in his hand.
"By the cold of Helheim! Please tell me that's not who I think it is!" Mimir said with worry.
The sound was getting louder, a muttering, evil voice from far, far below them. Coming from the pit.
Grover sat up. "Wh-what's that noise?"
Annabeth heard it too, now, her eyes widened. "Tartarus. The entrance to Tartarus." Andromeda uncapped Anaklusmos while Jakob had the blade of his axe encased in ice.
The evil voice seemed to falter, just for a moment, before resuming its chant.
You could almost make out words now, ancient, ancient words, older even than Greek. As if…
"Magic," Andromeda said, her sea green eyes wide.
"We have to get out of here," Annabeth said, gulping at the old words.
"Kronos."
As soon as Jakob said that name, the chanting stopped. The group felt ice fill their veins, the air leaving them. It seemed like the the voice didn't like being interrupted. The atmosphere suddenly turned cold and dark. Grover shivered, bleating out goat nonsense in a panic. Annabeth clutched her beads necklace nervously, fear evident in her eyes. Andromeda's sword arm was shaking. Jakob could see that she was trying to look brave, but it didn't seem to work.
Then the chanting continued where it left off, faster, stronger, hungrier.
Jakob didn't want to stick around here any longer. He wasn't sure if even he could take on the king of the Titans, regardless of his current state. "Move. Now!"
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