Young Writers Society

Chapter One:

Luke

Tasked with keeping an eye on who the Ferryman brings in, the living more than the dead, I slip my favored cloak on and cover my head with the hood. I leave Hades's palace and freeze in step when I feel the familiar tremors in the dirt only to be brought on by one being.

Cerberus.

I stay on the glazed steps as the three headed creature comes into view. In his jaws dangles a silver haired human, unconscious and, by the smell of it, living. Puzzled by this fact, I watch the dog-like being pass before cautiously following it.

A living being not brought into the Underworld by the Ferryman...Something is not right. Only the gods have the power to -

My eyes flicker up to the window of the throne room where my father most certainly resides this time of night, and I wonder if he had something to do with this and why he would need another girl. She is not heir to him, that much is guaranteed. Another child to Hades would cause more of an uproar around here and the souls would be in panic as they had when I arrived. The gods would have made appearances, or requested that Hades make one elsewhere, none of which happened.

Then why is she here?

Deciding to figure this out one way or another, I ignore my duties to the Ferryman and continue along the path after Cerberus. The girl in his teeth leaves a blood trail behind, which causes me even more puzzlement.

We don't take in the hurt. We take in the dead. She has no place here.

Wherever Cerberus is taking her, it isn't near and it isn't to my father. Someone else had intervened when sending her here. A deal must have been made, and with that deal a soul has been lost. It just hasn't left its owner yet.

Ana

As I fall though darkness I look up as a broken and battered warrior and see my mother looking down on me as I fall though the hole she cast, my life growing up was hard. Being the daughter of the moon goddess was not as you would think. Having no father and born as an infant with no father, I was raised by a centaur named Chiron. I never had a real father figure besides him. Growing up hearing stories of Artemis, The Moon Goddess. I've always wanted to be like her that was, until I found out I was her daughter, then my world went downhill other half bloods kept the distance from me. Being the black sheep blacker than those of the children of Hades, I lost all friends and only had fake ones.

I had challenged my mother to battle, not for revenge, not for glory, but for release from my life. I found suicide unfitting of me, even I had to much pride to do that. So I had decided being felled in battle would fit perfectly, but that was not the case. After breaking my bow and destroying my sword. She had cast a spell that sent me into what seemed like a bottomless pit, I had passed out since then and soon found myself swaying from something. Something slimy and that growls and even sometimes moves drastically to hit something or someone. It moved with power and speed, I found myself soon falling again, I don't know what was happening.

I hear a strong but powerful voice say something and I move around, I caught glimpses of where I was as I fell, not a place I was familiar with that was for sure. I soon see a man with a faded scar on his pale face he looked unsure if I was alive or not, I shut my barely open eyes unable to have the energy to keep them open. I feel that I'm being picked up by someone or something, the sound of strong but powerful steps as I soon catch more glimpses of a palace looking kind of place.

Luke

Cerberus doesn't stop until he reaches his personal quarters in the Underworld, dropping the girl and heading off somewhere. Two of his three heads flail ridiculously in dispute with each other, growling and snarling at the other. I wait until he disappears in the distance to approach the girl.

"Hello?" I gently shake her, "Are you alright?"

No response. Her eyes slightly flutter, but don't stay open. Whatever she's been through, blood loss and exhaustion seem to be leading to her demise. A strange feeling bubbles in my gut and I decide to take her back to my room at the palace and treat her wound. Only she has the answers I seek and a puzzle this priceless can't simply be used as a chew toy.

My eyes set on her main wound, a broken arrow in her left leg, and I pull it out without hesitation.

Easier to move her without it in. It's only causing more pain.

Ignoring the slobber, I scoop her up and draw my cloak around her body the best I can. I head off back towards the palace and pray to the eleven main gods that their twelfth counterpart wouldn't spot me. Being caught with an uninvited living being near the palace wouldn't end well for either of us. Hades would make sure of that.

Her eyes flutter more once I reach the palace steps. I hush her in a whisper and hurry up the back staircase to my personal quarters. Upon reaching such, I lay her on the small sofa near the window and shut the drapes.

"You are safe now," I tell her, scrambling to find anything to help her wound.

I find a roll of bandages underneath the sink in my bathroom and decide it's better than nothing. I rush back to her and wrap it around her leg wound before grabbing a glass of water and bringing it to her lips. She shifts in consciousness, not truly there to respond but able to see and hear things around her.

"Rest now," I say, "You will be taken care of."

Ana

When I come to, I taste a liquid in my mouth. I drink it down since it wasn't disintegrating my mouth open or anything. I drink it down and finally I'm aware of my surroundings I can hear and see a guy with a faded scar on his face, as he soon takes the glass away from my face.

"Rest now, You will be taken care of." He said.

I take a deep breath and do some basic movements, I blinked, I moved my tongue around. Mainly basic stuff, I take a deep breath and recap the events that lead to me to being where I was now. Waking up in my silver shining marble cabin with the call to wake up by my mentor and trainer Chrion, going to monster fighting practice. And finding out my mother was coming to the camp, Chiron could see my displeasure in the news. But hours later as the sun set over the horizon. I had challenged my mother to battle, I was winning in the beginning, but it was because she refused to fight me. I barely has set a hand on her until her hunters interfered, oh how I loathed her hunters. The hunters were countless, I had hacked and slashed and battled endlessly until finally, a hunter took aim at my leg. Unable to see it coming it hit its mark and the hunters soon overwhelmed me, and my mother who had stepped forward and waved her hand over me and I soon fell though a hole and ended up, where ever I was.

I soon sat up feeling stronger as I looked around the place, see it was royal meant for some sort of prince or princess. I knew I hadn't been sent to elsyum or anything of that nature since I had challenged and disrespected my mom, the guy wore a clock. He seemed like a few of the children of Hades from camp, I could tell he was a son of Hades he was that much for sure. I breath deeply not knowing how far I went down that hole or how I survived, I looked at the guy as I turned to my legs on the ground and leaned against the couch.

"Well your looking better already surprisingly." He said.

I nodded as I could feel the throbbing in my leg, I didn't dare stand I probably could't walk let alone fight. I needed to heal, and I needed to get back to camp, those were my objectives that I decided right there and then I needed to do. And then flag down the hunter that shot me with an arrow, I'll defeat my mother yet. Artemis will fall to me.

Luke

I slip my hood off, no reason to keep it up in this room, and notice that the girl has come to. She drinks the water from the glass and takes in her surroundings, her silver eyes setting on me as I pull the glass from her face. Unsure what else to say to her or what more I could do, I set the glass on the night table and sit across from her on the edge of my bed. Even without any light in the room, something about her glows. It intrigues me further more and I'm left with a dozen more questions for her to answer once ready.

She sits up, not as weak as before, and looks around. Her eyes once again set on me as she sets her feet on the stone floor. I glance down at the black and orange marble that is supposed to resemble glazed lava before finding something to say.

"Well, you're looking better already, surprisingly," I say.

Nice going. Your first sentence to her conscious state and you've already revealed your lack of ability to put a correct one together.

Nodding, she looks down at her leg. I sigh and decide there's no better time than the present.

"Who are you?" I ask, "And why are you not dead?"

Ana

"Who are you? And why are you not dead?" He asks.

His voice snaps me back to reality, from my thoughts as his the tone demanded answers from me. I knew I must have fallen pretty far if he thought I was dead, I try to think of what to say, not fully sure how to go about explaining myself or how to even explain how I had ended up here. But sure enough I began to talk.

"I'm Ana, I don't got a last name, but most people gave me the last name Moonlight. I..." My voice trails off.

He stares at me with a raised eye brow, he folds his arms and waits for me to go on as he probably thinks I'm crazy or something. Not the first time someone thought that considering my background and all. I push on not sure how to say how I ended up here myself other than falling though a seemingly bottomless hole in the ground.

"I fell and, I somehow ended up here in the, where ever I am." I said.

"You're in the underworld." He said.

"T- The underworld?!" I exclaimed.

My hand went to my throat in fear I may not be leaving anytime soon now, eating or drinking anything from the underworld would mean I'm stuck here, forever. I nearly panicked at his words as I wondered how in the world I would get out of here.

"Calm down, that was purified water from the ocean, nothing from here in the underworld." He said.

I quickly connect the dots of where I had fallen and what I've been swaying from when I did finally land here in the underworld. Cerberus I knew it had to be the guardian dog since, its the only thing from the underworld that growls or even drools.

"Well then, I've said who I am who are you?" I ask.

Luke

No last name...Moonlight. Artemis? I heard something about that, but no...The Underworld is not the place for a daughter of the moon. And she fell? How do you just fall into a place like this?

She holds her throat, not wanting to be bound to this place by the water I had her drink. After erasing the doubt, I cross my arms and study her. The pieces to the puzzle she'd given me don't fit right together. What happened to her is something inexplicable or more than it seems. Falling isn't all she went through.

"Well then, I've said who I am, who are you?" she asks.

I break out of my thoughts and take a deep breath. Introductions. Well, that should have been expected when I demanded her name.

"Luke," I say, "Luke Vale, son of Hades."

I glance around the room again, wondering how I would hide her if my father decided to make an appearance. What do I do with her anyway? After she's healed, I can't keep hiding her, can I? I'm stuck here. She isn't. Dad would stumble across her if she were to stay too long, and Hades doesn't like the uninvited.

"Your leg," I nod at it, meeting her gaze again, "I don't suppose you fell on an arrow on the way down here. You're under my roof; it's my hide if you get caught here. I believe I have the right to know what happened."

Ana Moonlight

I knew I was caught then, it'd be very hard to hide how I gotten that arrow from that hunter. It was only a question of how he would react in the case he found out I challenged and lost to my mother, but somehow I just decided to fess up and tell him the truth of how I gotten down here. And then see if he were my enemy or not, if he was then this is where I'm to die.

"I had challenged and fought my mother, the Moon Goddess Artemis. I had fought her so I could be released from my miserable life, but she had refused the fight and I had to deal with her hunters. And one of them shot me with an arrow after a seemingly endless battle, I was soon overwhelmed afterwords and, mother had waved her hand over me and sent me down a hole. I blacked out from there and here I am now." I said doing hand gestures as I talked.

He looked at me up and down to see if I were lying or not, I bit my bottom lip and waited and watched to see what he would do. I looked around and waited for what he would say, my eyes soon fell upon a window. I soon saw a small piece to the underworld, the stories were accurate to say the least of what the underworld looked like. Dark Creepy and you can hear groans of the dead from here.

"You challenged you mom, Artemis?" He asked.

"Yea, and lost." I said.

Luke

"You challenged your mom, Artemis?" I ask.

"Yeah, and lost," she replies.

I merely blink, trying to process that. If this is true, then she is the girl of the legends and stories, the only descendant of the moon goddess. She wouldn't be welcome here.

"You won't be as safe here as I thought," I say, studying her, "Not long term anyway. The Underworld is no place for the living."

A thought comes to mind and I tear my eyes away from her silver ones, standing. I walk towards the window and join my hands at my back. She could be my escape from this hell, the answer to the problem my father consistently causes.

"But I do have a proposition for you," I half turn to her.

She looks up and meets my gaze, listening. I compose my words carefully, drawing up the pros and cons in my head for show, and cross the room again. Taking a chair and setting it before the couch, I sigh and look her in the eyes.

"I believe we can help each other, Ana," I say quietly, "If you're up for it, of course."

Ana Moonlight

He half turns to me and between the light of the underworld and him, he looked pretty dang scary from my point of view. I could feel large tremors in the grounds of something big, and really nasty, I shifted uncomfortably in my spot and wait for him to talk on.

"I believe we can help each other, Ana, If you're up for it, of course." He says.

I think it over quickly as to what the proposition will be, he seemed like a powerful guy. Of course all children of the big three are considered very powerful, but me of course being the only child of Artemis I had somehow caused a lot of trouble during battle. My fighting was unique unlike any of they seen, so I became confident to whatever his proposition was that I could handle it with very little problem.

"Alright, but whatever it is, I can't help with my wound. You have any ambrosia and nectar I could eat or drink?" I asked.

He walks away back into his Kitchen and soon comes back out with a canteen of what I believe is nectar and a baggy of ambrosia, I take a square of ambrosia and a sip from the canteen. Soon feeling revitalized and stronger than ever, I crack my knuckles as Luke was on the other side of the room waiting for me to finish.

"Alright, so whats this proposition you have for me?" I ask.

He turns to me and gives me a deathly stare, and suddenly I knew this wasn't going to be easy. were in Hades no less that guard dog Cerberus is gonna be a pain and a half to deal with that's for sure, I took a deep breath and waited for what he had to say.

"I want to leave the underworld, and I'm sure you want to also. We can help each other get out of here, but I need your full cooperation in doing so, you help me, I help you. And we'll both get out of here alive, this is my proposition to you if you wish to make it out of here." He said.

I looked down and fold my arms trying to think if he was being serious about helping me get out of the underworld, he seemed serious about it and all. But could we really do it? Defeating the guard dog Cerberus would take a lot of work if we don't use an alternative route out of the underworld. I looked back up with a determined look on my face, hopefully I wasn't showing the fear I had in my stomach about all this.

"I'm going to need a sword and bow and plenty of stygian iron arrows, and supplies if were expected to make it out of here alive." I said.

Luke

I had completely forgotten about the ambrosia and nectar. Reminded of it, I walk in my kitchen and retrieve the canteen of nectar and bag of ambrosia tablets. I hand them over and cross the room again, waiting for her say to go ahead and say what I have in mind. She cracks her knuckles and looks at me as I lean against the wall.

"Alright, so what's this proposition you have for me?" she asks, finished with the nectar and ambrosia.

Showing how hard this might be in my expression, I look back at her and take a deep breath. If she refuses...

"I want to leave the underworld, and I'm sure you want to also. We can help each other get out of here, but I need your full cooperation in doing so, you help me, I help you. And we'll both get out of here alive, this is my proposition to you if you wish to make it out of here," I tell her.

She crosses her arms and looks down, giving thought to the idea. I take the time to glance out the window again. Cerberus prowls around the front steps of the palace, his nose to the ground in search of the toy I'd stolen from him. If only I had a rubber ball to throw for him...Maybe then he'd leave me be.

"I'm going to need a sword and bow and plenty of stygian iron arrows, and supplies if were expected to make it out of here alive," she says after a while, looking up at me with a determined expression.

I glance back at her, closing the drapes completely and thinking of how to get those for her.

"That can be arranged," I say, "I'm sure my father has a few of each lying around the basement somewhere. Some are cursed, I warn you, but there are few that happen to serve well."

To prove my point, I lift my mattress and pull out my Stygian iron sword. It glints in the ghastly light of this place as I shift it for her to examine herself.

"I will show you where tomorrow," I tell her, "You need rest now."

I hide the sword again and pass a blanket to her, removing my cloak.

"My father is out and about this time of night anyway. Walking around wouldn't be wise," I speak from experience, shuddering at the thought.

Ana

The first thing to wake me up the next day was loud very loud barking, and huge earthquake like pounding. As something big passed by the windows fast, Luke stands at the window. A look of displeasure as he does as he soon closes the blinds, and turns to see me awake. I had covered up on the couch and fallen asleep, it felt like I had barely gotten any sleep, but I did feel well rested. I sat up and throw off the blanket and stretched my arms waking up fully, I stood and met his gaze as I was ready to get out of here before I got caught by Hades.

"So, I'm guessing its the next day since there's no real way to tell if a day has passed or not. But I feel rested so I guess it is." I said.

He walks over to the table and drops a bag on the table, the sound of iron or metal from within it.

"There's the weapons you requested." He said.

I open the bag and see a stygion iron short sword, a quiver of stygion iron arrows, and a bow. I take the stuff out and and equip the weaponry, the short sword at my waist, my arm though the bow and up to my shoulder and the quiver on my back. Armed and ready for battle and rested, I take the let over supplies the baggy of ambrosia and the canteen of nectar. A few extra daggers in the case one of us losses our weapons, and finally a lantern and map to help us see past the darkness of the passage out of the underworld.

"Looks like we have everything we'll need, ready to go you know where this exit out of the underworld is right? Cause there's no way we'll be able to get past your father, let alone Cerberus." I ask.

Luke

I wake hours later and leave Ana asleep, heading down to the basement with a black bag. Once down there, I look for the items she asked for and stock up. Avoiding the cursed ones, I make easy pickings and head back upstairs. My father nearly passes me by on my way up, focusing more on the dark soul he's speaking with, but makes nothing of it.

I'm not even noticed in this place anymore.

Shaking my feelings off, I lock my bedroom door and set the bag beside my bed. I take all of the ambrosia and nectar I can find along with a lantern and map, and stick them with the weapons. Awaiting her awakening, I stand by the window and look out. Cerberus is up and moving, on the prowl once again. One of the handlers starts playing with him, causing him to bark and stomp around.

How will we get past him all riled up like this?

Ana stirs and I close the drapes, turning to her. She sits up and stretches, glancing around. I slip my cloak on and grab the bag, taking a deep breath.

"So, I'm guessing it's the next day since there's no real way to tell if a day has passed or not. But I feel rested so I guess it is," she says.

I drop the bag on the table, the clanking of metal sounding from its fall.

"There's the items you requested," I say.

She opens the bag and inspects each of the items, arming herself with the weapons once they meet her standards. I just watch, her silver hair and eyes still perplexing me.

"Looks like we have everything we'll need, ready to go you know where this exit out of the underworld is right? Cause there's no way we'll be able to get past your father, let alone Cerberus," she asks, looking up at me.

I zip the bag up and slip my hood over my head.

"Cerberus will be a problem, yes," I sling the bag over my shoulder and attach my sword to my hip, "But the exit won't be. I'm constantly having to close them to keep the souls in, so I know each and every one. My father is occupied, at least he was when I last checked, and Cerberus is in playful mode."

Sighing, I glance back up at her.

"We stand a chance," I say, "A slim one, but that's life."

Ana Moonlight

"We stand a chance, a slim one, but that's life" He says

"Of course." I sigh.

When we were ready we unlocked the door, and walked out the hall was lined with pots and armor suits standing along the walls in a pattern, vase, armor, vase, armor. We ran down the hall, I followed behind Luke as he lead the way down the hall, we turn a corner and soon came to what looks like a foyer. We run down the stairs and to the door, as a thought ringed in my head, and I spoke as quick as it came.

"Were going out the front door?!" I ask quickly.

"Got a better way out of here?" He asked scowling at me.

"Back door maybe? where we won't get caught as easily?" I replied.

He was about to open the door when the strong commanding presence stops him in his tracks as he was moving the handle down to open the door, I felt it to and knew immediately we were in trouble, Hades.

"Leaving so soon Luke? Ana?" Hades says appearing walking down the first flight of stairs.

I sneer as the god appeared to us, he wasn't as ugly as I imagined him to be. He had black hair pale skin, pitch black eyes were a leather jacket with a muscle shirt and leather jeans and an 80's gotte. He claps his hands as he looks at us, sizing us up like we were his next meal or something I drew my sword as he hits the bottom floor ready for a battle I'd never win.

"Trying to escape again Luke? You know that didn't work out so well last time, and what makes you think the daughter of my niece will be able to make things different now?" He says.

"Shut up Hades, were not sticking around, I need to get back to the mortal world and face my mother!" I yelled at him.

Suddenly that front door idea was looking pretty good, I turn and open the door only turn back and slam the door tight. Ok, were not going out that way, or at least not while Cerberus is there with all three of its heads growling at us as we come out.

"This way!" Luke yells.

I follow him behind, as Hades yells for guards to seize us. We don't stop for anything as we barreled down the hall running from chasing skellation guards, this was getting worse as they shot at us. We make it to what looks like a kitchen as we looked around, I saw a backdoor leading out of the palace. We ran out and went to the right, but quickly changed directions as Cerberus was headed our way, we ran like Hades which was pretty fast for even me. Cerberus was right behind us and I was tiring out, but somehow Luke falls though a hole in the ground as I suddenly stop. No time to think as Cerberus was about to be right on top of me, I dive in after Luke, just hoping this ain't a death trap.

Luke

Once we're all set and ready to go, I unlock the dark mahogany door and lead her out into the dim corridors. I ignore my surroundings and worry more about running into my father or his ghastly set of guards, for that is something I'd rather not have happen. Ana glances at the vases and armor hung to the walls as we run, but it's nothing new to me.

Down the stairs and headed for the front door, she breaks the silence and speaks.

"We're going out the front door?!"

I scowl at her, the volume of her voice threatening our safety.

"Got a better way out of here?" I ask back in a whisper.

"Back door maybe? where we won't get caught as easily?"

I don't respond, sure that my way is the best, and pull on the door before the presence hits me. Freezing, I automatically tense and set my free hand on the handle of my sword.

"Leaving so soon, Luke? Ana?" the chilling, all too familiar voice says.

Refusing to turn to him, I stare intently into the steel door before us as if wishing it to disintegrate. Metal doesn't burn...Would I be able to use my power on it? Ana draws her sword, but I know it's no use, thinking of a way out.

"Trying to escape again, Luke? You know that didn't work out so well last time, and what makes you think the daughter of my niece will be able to make things different now/" he asks.

I clench both my fists, my own screams ringing in my ears from the night Cerberus returned me home, and fight the urge to bring a hand up to my scar.

"Shut up, Hades! We're not sticking around. I need to get back to the mortal world and face my mother!" Ana yells at him.

What? Challenging your mother again? If you like it so much here, why don't you just stay? I'm sure Hades will do the pleasure of making it permanent...

Ana yanks the door open but slams it shut, Cerberus's breathing blowing a draft underneath the door. The puzzle pieces come together in my mind and I bolt off to one side, knowing that Cerberus would at least be momentarily distracted if we came out a different way.

"This way!" I yell.

Ana trails behind me as my father yells for our seizures. This doesn't even register in my mind as the skeleton guards begin to chase after us, shooting us. We pass into the kitchen and I ignore every sound except for my breathing, evening it as our eyes set on a back door. Bolting out of it, we spin around and take a left instead of the intended right, Cerberus barreling towards us.

My legs start to burn as my eyes scan the blurring ground for the mark of an exit. Finding one, I flash a smile and skid to a stop atop it. My body falls downwards into a hole that had opened up and I close my eyes, hoping Ana had enough sense to follow.

Freedom.