CHAPTER III:Elysium, Underworld. A Paradise.

I stepped down the black stone steps to the River Styx. Each step got dirtier and dirtier, and less of the marble and gold veining was visible. I walked past several of the dead, which littered the path to the Underworld. I saw some I recognized from my dads lessons. I saw Thomas Jefferson, Teddy Roosevelt, Pericles, and some king of England whose name I couldn't remember.

I finally got down to the river, and Charon was sitting in the boat as always. He wore a black tattered cloak, and his face was completely void of all emotion. I got in the boat, and smiled. "

"Hi Charon." I said.

Charon looked up, and smiled. My dad told me Charon loved being able to actually row the boat down the river. He loved seeing all of the damned souls. Almost as much as my stepmother loved spring. Charon's smile always looked frightening. His eyes were completely emotionless, and his smile looked forced. It was unnatural on his pale face.

Charon got up and slowly rowed the boat down the river. He hummed A Gorey Demise by Creature Feature as we went down. The further and further we got the more his humming echoed off the walls, and ringed in my ears.

After what seemed like six eternities, we reached my destination. The gates of the underworld, the black iron bars loomed over Hades's guard dog who sat patiently guarding the gates. I got up, gave Charon the normal ferry fee of two golden Drachmas, and walked out of the boat. The boat slowly sunk into the Styx to return back to the stairs of the Underworld.

I walked to the gate in the middle of two other large gates, which was entrance to Elysium where my dad allowed me to live. Cerberus, who guarded the left gate growled. I knelt down at the gate as he approached, and stood still. The giant three headed beast sniffed me, and barked. It rang in my ears, his bark sounded like the bloodiest battlefield in Greek history. Then he used his left head to nudge open the large gate.

I stood up and walked through the gates into the Fields of Elysium. Elysium was way different from the rest of the underworld. It was beautiful, and full of heroes who died as they lived. I walked the path to my stepmothers palace. I saw the usual sites, Persephone's winter guards, several of Persephone's chosen, and some heroes dueling each other. The air was fresh compared to the rest of the underworld. It smelled of eternal spring flowers, petrichor, and oddly enough vanilla. The rest of the underworld smelled of death and decay.

I walked up the marble steps to the palace each step veined with gold with flowers coming through small cracks (I guess even immortal buildings eventually start deteriorating to time). I saw King Leonidas at the door, he carried his old bronze shield and his legendary spear both of which had seen better days. The paint on his shield was only visible as black flecks on the edges, and his spear could use a sharpening. His armor was dented and a bit torn from his final battle. He put his spear on the ground in front of me blocking the entrance to my step mother's palace.

"Hello Mary, pass and name." Leonidas said.

"I understand it's procedure, but don't say my name then ask for it Leo. My name is Mary, and here's my pass." I said taking my necklace off and giving it to him.

The necklace had a golden coin with '4 Rivers' stamped into saying I was allowed into most places in the underworld. Leonidas nodded and gave me my necklace back, and opened the large bronze door.

"Thank you Leo, is my stepmother home?" I asked.

Leonidas shook his head, and went back to his guard stance. I sighed rolling my eyes, and walked inside. I saw several stone statues lining the grand hall. The guardians of Elysium. Medusa made and Hades enchanted to guard my mother's palace from intruders, forcing the bronze doors open would activate them at a moment's notice. Only certain people, like Leo, had permission to open her palace doors.

I started walked to my room (which was to the left of the palace entrance down a long hallway, with stairs to add to the walk), and set down my backpack on a large oak desk. My room was rather large (which Persephone hated) with almost no light from outside since I had blacked out the room, and a balcony overlooking Elysium's fields and rivers.

As beautiful as Elysium was it was kind of sickening to me, like it was physically deterring me with small bursts of nausea. Inguess it was because I'm a daughter of Hades in a place of light and spring, but that still doesn't explain all of it.

I thought about it more as I sat down, but there wasn't one memory I could think of that was negative about this place. I began studying my lessons my dad, Athena, Artemis, and Poseidon all gave me to get my mind off it. Hopefully I could finish in time to go see my favorite heroes.