★ 𝟐 𝒇𝒂𝒄𝒆𝒅 ★ p. jackson

010

Grover's description of Asphodel fit perfectly. It was quite literally a wheat field with nothing but wheat for miles on end. The dead stood around sadly, there were so many people packed into each other, she wondered how many people could possibly fit in Asphodel before it got full. Or will it ever get full? The faint ringing in her ears had increased since their arrival. She tried to plug her ears but that only made it worse.

"What are you doing?"

Em looked over at the son of Poseidon to find him already looking at her. "They're ringing."
She motioned towards her ears. "Something to do with the dead, I don't know, I don't really listen when Chiron talks sometimes."

Percy smiled. "That makes two of us." He laughed. As they walked their hands would bump into the other occasionally, but neither of them bothered to move away from each other. Percy new she needed the comfort but he also didn't mind the silly little tingly feeling it gave him whenever they made contact.

They trampled through the wheat trying to blend in with the dead around them. Then again, they weren't dead. The reached a gate that split into two paths. One had escorts sending people to the fields of punishment, while the other led to the trial for Elysium. The fields of punishment glowed and sent smoke into the air, it was nothing but rock and mountains and lava and dead trees. Em watched as spirits were flanked down by skeletal guards, being brought to their eternal punishment. The punishments were brutal, walking across lava barefooted, people being burned alive, Sisyphus still bushing his boulder up a hill. They never ended, the more she looked the worse it got. She looked away feeling as if she looked any longer she might end up down there. This was pathetic, she was the only child of Hades known to man and she was quivering like a wet cat at the sight of the underworld.

On the other hand, the Elysium looked beautiful. Soft valleys filled with trees and flowers, there appeared to be a small village amongst it all. The smell of sweet flowers and baked goods floated up. In the middle, we're a few small islands, surrounded by glistening blue water. They were the definition of paradise, it doesn't get better than that.

"Woah," Annabeth mumbled from beside her.

"That's where we're going, right." Em whispered back.

The blonde nodded and grabbed her hand. The girls had a pact. That not matter how long it took, they were both going to the Isles of the Blest, eventually.

"You guys don't suppose we could turn back now?" Grover asked.

They silently shook their heads, even though they all wanted turn around and bail. More spirits were being pulled into The Fields of Punishment as they stood there, a few other them tried to claw at her, but were out of luck when their smokey fingers passed right through her.

"Let's keep moving." Esmeralda suggested, not wanting to feel the dead pry at her any longer.

They pulled themselves further and further into Asphodel. Weird enough, the further they marched through hell, the more comfortable Esmeralda became. Maybe it was her getting closer to her father, or maybe because she was surrounded by her element.

"You good?" Annabeth looked at her best friend in concern.

She nodded, "I feel great." She flexed her fingers back and forth.

"I can't tell, you have an aura." She pointed and she was right. There was a faint glow coming off her skin. Very hard to notice but in the gloom of the underworld it shined like a star in the sky to them.

"I feel closer to my self, like my strength is growing."

"We'll save that strength, because we might need it where we're heading." Percy grumbled.