The Forgotten Daughter

Underworld

Aliana crossed her arms. "There's no way that my luck is this good."

Percy, Annabeth, and Grover turned.

"Aliana!" Percy exclaimed in surprise.

"We thought you'd be back at camp by now. What happened?" Annabeth asked.

Aliana shrugged. "It's a long story, but now I have my own business in the Underworld."

"What kind of business?" Grover pressed.

Aliana raised an eyebrow. "The kind that doesn't concern you."

Grover raised his hands defensively. "Fair enough."

The man at the desk chuckled. "Don't tell me you've finally kicked the bucket."

Aliana smirked. "You wish Charon."

"Actually, I don't." He smirked. "Not even the dead want you around."

Aliana clenched her fists and glared at the undead ghoul. "I'm going to enjoy tormenting you for an eternity."

"As will I." Charon flashed a vicious, fanged grin.

She raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms. "Then why wait? Let us into the Underworld, unless you think we'll escape."

He growled under his breath, glancing at the pile of drachmas on his desk. "Very well. The boat is almost full anyway." He led them to an elevator. "Hope you don't get sea sick." He gave a wicked grin.

"Sea sick?" Percy asked as the elevator descended. Suddenly, it jerked.

They were in a boat on a murky river.

"Of course." Annabeth acknowledged. "The River Styx."

Aliana stared into the dark water. Somehow it made her feel hopeless, as if she would never amount to anything. Not that she needed magic water to feel that, but it certainly amplified it.

Soon, they reached the shore. A long line of people proceeded slowly forward, splitting three ways just before they reached a massive dog with three heads. Cerberus.

"How are we planning to get passed the savage triplet hound?" Aliana whispered to Annabeth.

"Umm..." she smiled awkwardly. "I'm honestly surprised we got this far."

"That's encouraging." Aliana gave her a look.

"Don't worry." Annabeth assured. "Athena always has a plan."

"Let's hope so." Aliana eyed the vicious-looking dog.

Grover let out a bray. "Sorry."

"Don't apologize." Aliana stared down the trio of canine heads as they inched closer. "You have every right to be afraid."

They stopped before the gargantuan hound.

Cerberus sniffed them suspiciously, growling at their foreign scent.

Aliana fingered her knife, which was now sheathed on her thigh in plain sight.

"Wait." Percy grabbed her wrist. "Let me try something." He picked up a rock.

Turning to the demon dog, he spoke in a babyish voice, like the one people use when talking to a puppy or a baby. "Who's a good boy?" He tried to keep his voice from shaking. "You want the rock?" He waved it above his head.

Cerberus followed it with his eyes.

"Go get it!" Percy threw the stone into the River Styx.

Cerberus stood his ground. He growled at Percy, his hot breath rushing passed them.

It was horribly similar to the hot winds that haunted Aliana's dreams.

Annabeth dug in her backpack and pulled out a red rubber ball that said Waterland - probably the water park that Ares had sent them to. She squeezed it and it squeaked.

All of Cerberus' heads focused on the ball, cocking to the side and staring intently at the red sphere in Annabeth's hand.

Aliana stared in awe at Annabeth as she commanded the humongous canine. Before long, they were all walking between the dog's thick legs towards the line on the fast track to the Fields of Asphodel - basically the middle ground of the Underworld, not bad, but not particularly good either.

Annabeth threw the ball and they darted towards the gate.

Cerberus quickly destroyed the ball and started whimpering at Annabeth, who looked back pitifully.

Sirens blared as they passed through what looked like a metal detector and entered the Underworld.
                                 *   *   *
When they finally stopped running, they were all panting and laughing.

"Okay," Aliana heaved, a subtle pain still clutching her chest from her fractured ribs. "That was awesome."

"Yeah, no kidding." Percy gently punched Annabeth's shoulder. "How'd you do that?"

She shrugged. "I had to train my old dog. You just have to be firm with them."

"Still," Aliana gushed. "you just tamed a demon dog with three heads."

A scream interrupted the groups mirth.

They turned and saw a fiery valley divided into sections - the Valley of Punishment. The sight reminded them where they were... and why they were there.

On their other side was a far more appealing place - the Valley of Elysium. The place for the heroes. It was about as pleasant of an after life as you could get. Most people hoped to end up there, but very few ever did.

The four teenagers wandered towards the black castle on the other side of the valley. Hades' palace grew ever closer and the foreboding feeling grew.

Suddenly, Grover's shoes started flapping, dragging him in the other direction.

"Grover!" Percy shouted. "What are you doing?"

"Nothing." Grover tried to deactivate the winged shoes that Luke had given them to help them on their quest, but they didn't respond. The shoes pulled him down a sharp incline and into a dark, dingy tunnel.

Percy, Annabeth, and Aliana chased after him.

"Take off the shoes!" Annabeth yelled at the flailing satyr.

"Easier said that done." Grover shouted back. He worked one of the shoes off and clambered for a hand-hold on the ground. His hands gripped a protruding rock as the remaining shoe fought to drag him off the edge of a sheer cliff.

Finally, the second shoe pulled free of his hoof and launched headlong into the pit.

Percy and Annabeth helped Grover to his feet.

Aliana watched the shoes disappear into the dark, immediately recognizing the black cavern. All that was missing was Kronos' hot breath. She stared into the pitch black pit, expecting the deep voice to echo out of the depths. She was frozen, her joints locked in place, her heart pounding at twice the normal speed, her lungs heaving in and out.

Someone touched her and she flinched. She turned to face... "Annabeth."

The daughter of Athena examined her concernedly. "We have to go. We're running out of time."

Aliana nodded. "Right." She looked back at the shadowy pit. Something wasn't right. Why hadn't Kronos made a move? He seemed so intent on getting her in her dreams. Why not take this chance? He had her, but he did nothing. She backed away from the cavern - the entrance to Tartarus - turned, and ran to catch up with the others.

A/N
Okay, I like this chapter WAY better than my last one.
Also, Christmas Break has officially begun!!😄🎄 That means I will probably upload more, or at least earlier in the day. 😅
Anyway, hope you liked the chapter.
-Cheshire