Chapter 58: Thanatos smiled and beckoned us to follow him, leading us to a massive throne room. The walls were made of black marble, and the floor was covered in a thick layer of ash. The only light came from a few torches that were scattered around the room, casting flickering shadows on the walls. In the center of the room was a large throne, and on the throne sat Hades himself. Both Darkness of Night and Fang of Blood dipped their heads, and Phoenix and I got off our mounts and tipped our heads in respect as well. Hades was a tall, heavily muscular, and imposing figure, with dark hair and a short beard. He wore a black robe and the same odd crown I had seen in one of Fang’s pictures, and his eyes were like pools of coal. He looked at us with a cold and unblinking stare that made my skin crawl. I felt like I was being judged, and was failing to meet the test. “Welcome, Phoenix and Artemis,” he finally said, in a deep voice. “You have traveled a long way to reach me.” “We have,” I said, trying to keep my voice steady. “We need your help.” Hades raised an eyebrow. “And what would I possibly do for you?” “We need you to help us defeat the invaders in our camp,” I said. Hades laughed, a cold and humorless sound. “And why would I want to do that?” “Because they are led by Agatha,” I said. Hades’ laughter stopped abruptly. “Agatha? What do you know about her?” “Yes,” I acknowledged. “She has already gotten illegal allies from your kingdom. And she plans to march on us and destroy us.” Hades was silent for a moment, his eyes narrowed. “Why do you tell me this when you are her daughter?” I looked him square in the eye. “Because I do not stand for what she does.” Hades was silent again, his eyes screening over me. “I will aid you with the loyal troops from my realm.” That was quick. Too quick. I couldnt expect to have two strikes of good luck. “But there is one condition,” Hades continued. Of course. “One of you must agree to become my servant.” I looked at him in shock. “I need a servant to carry out my orders in my realm as Thanatos carries his out in the above realm.” “But why us?” I stammered. “Because I see there is some integrity in both of you. You are obviously not motivated by greed or power, though I see your ambition. So choose, which of you will accept?” Then Phoenix spoke up. “I will.” Author's Note: LE GASPPPPP I wonder how much she gets paid.
Chapter 59: I looked at Phoenix in horror while Hades looked at her with interest. "So you agree to be my servant, carry out my orders, and bear my trust from this day onwards?" he asked. "I do, sir," she responded, tipping her head. "Very well. Let us hope that this arrangement will be mutually beneficial," Hades said. "Now, if you will excuse me, I have matters to attend to." Hades stood up, towering over us, and looked at me one last time, before fading away, leaving Phoenix and I alone in the room with Thanatos, who was still in the shadows. I looked at her, my mouth agape. "You're going to work for Hades?" I asked, my eyes widening in surprise. "Yes," she said, her expression determined. "It seems like the best option for me at the moment." "But he's the god of the Underworld!" I exclaimed. "He's evil!" "He's not evil," Phoenix said, shaking her head. "He's just misunderstood." "Misunderstood?" I repeated, incredulously. "He's the god of the dead! How can you say he's misunderstood?" Phoenix sighed. "He's not as bad as you think he is," she said. "He's just...different." I didn't know what to say. I had thought of Hades as a cruel and merciless god, but Phoenix seemed to think otherwise. "I don't know," I said finally. "This doesn't seem like a good idea to me." "It'll be fine," Phoenix said, giving me a reassuring smile. "I promise." I didn't look convinced, but I didn't have any other choice. Phoenix was my friend, and more importantly my only partner in this place, and I had to trust her. And she seemed confident about this. She looked different, there was a new light in her eyes, a new purpose. I began to wonder if she had felt at home at all in camp. Thanatos was watching this exchange from the sidelines, and I noticed that he was watching me in particular. I couldn't help but feel a sense of unease as I met his gaze, and I turned away. Author's Note: yeah a new purpose. TO GET Y'ALL!!!!! PHOENIX IS COMING FOR YOUUUUU
