Into the Fields of Punishment

[Zeus]

Cohn whimpered at the voice inside his head. It was spitting out evil things that he had no defense for inside his head, the words echoing painfully. Each time it spoke, it spoke louder and louder, until it was hissing right next to his ear. He could practically feel the cold breath on his shoulder, but when he whipped his head around to find, it, all he saw was the blackness her majesty was leading them through. Was it just him, or was the darkness breathing, and were those eyes staring at him? Cohn whipped his head around, shivering, the feel of eyes on his back making his throw glances behind him. Cohn needed something to hold onto, so he wrapped his arms around the tall girls arm, and kept looking back. The darkness behind him throbbed, and wreathed around him, but the feel of Tall Girls arm gave him slight courage. Cohn looked up at Tall Girl and smiled apologetically for the death grip on her arm, but didn't let go. The voice inside his head shrieked something terrible about Tall Girl and Cohn whipped his head away, to find the voice, but there was no one there. No one, but the freezing mist, curling around his feet in icy tendrils. Cohn bit his lip to keep from whimpering, and he looked straight ahead, trying to ignore the constant voice, talking next to him. Didn't anyone hear that evil, cold voice?

[hades]

For the child's insufferable idiocy, Hades decided to give her the darkest spot available, which was indeed rather dark. Even she could only see shadows in the deepest parts of her dungeons. the surface began a downwards slope, but it was very slight and Hades knew that this was only the beginning of how deep the underworld went, she herself had left the deepest parts untouched by her piercing gaze. There were monsters there she dared not disturb.

She stopped, nodding at her gaurd who took the boy roughly by the shoulders and shackled him up. She nodded in approval at the spot she had chosen, dim certainly, even to her accustomed eyes. Without sparing him another glance Hades looked at the girl.

"Move." was the only word she uttered as she walked farther down, a sadistic grin already tugging on the corner of her childish lips.

[Poseidon]

Sometimes, beauty and victory do go together...

-_-_-_-

Kalonice shuddered, staring into the blank nothingness of the room that would soon be filled her screams of agony and pleads of mercy. She glanced at Cohn, who had been shackled up again, then back at the room. A guard approached her to shackle her hands, and she didn't struggle. She closed her eyes and thought of all the things that had happened to her. Well, she had a broken heart thanks to her best friend, a mortal just waiting for Kalonice to sink her sword into her neck, her father, and Duncan, the nice Son of Apollo that had so kindly befriended her...She supposed there could be worse things to be left with before dying. She opened her eyes again, her cold gaze lingering over Hades. She blinked at her, as if contemplating what form of torture she would use on her, then she followed the guard into the chamber.

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-_-_-_-

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[Zeus]

Cohn could hear his heartbeats in the dead silence, and even the pitch black fog was brighter then the inky darkness surrounding him. He could tell, because he could see black, misty swirls milling around his torso, and calmly rolling like a still sea. He could see the mist swirl in tendrils towards him, the black mist forming into a hand formation. —No, they WERE hands, the skin sagging off and the unbearably white bone showing through. Cohn opened his mouth to scream, but if he was, he couldn't hear it over his own heartbeat, hammering away in his chest like horses hooves. Cohn scrambled backwards, and tripped over his feet, the chains screeching against the freeing ground. He shuffled backwards, until his chains tugged on his wrists. The hands drew closer, and brushed against his trembling cheek before they dissolved into a million little pieces of fog. Cohn just stared at the place the hand had dispersed, not believing it was really gone, but lurking somewhere in the ever shifting shadows, waiting to pounce. When Cohn's heavy breathing somewhat subsided, his ears picked up a slight hissing, that sent chills down his spine. He didn't know how, but the hissing started to make sense. "Hestia, betrayed me, I couldn't believe it, a god, a god, my god, betrayed me, sent me here, I was betrayed, betrayed...." The voice hissed, each word hitting him like poisoned darts. Cohn stumbled back, but he was at the end of his chain, and the thick chain nearly yanked his arms out of its sockets. Cohn pressed his head against the cold ground, and stared at the iron links that dissipated into the chilling, bone cold mist.

[hades]

Hades did the same with Kalonice, careful to choose a worse spot, one where she might hear the screams of others deep into the night. The mist, voices, smells of rotting corpses would not bother her here but Kalonice was in for a rough night. Well, days for that matter. Much more interesting to let them be driven mad by the place before any other measures were taken.

Weeks. That's how much time passed, of course it would be hard to know with only darkness in those dungeons, Hades preferred her hall where she knew what day it was and could oversee all that happened in the Underworld. Of course some days it would get so dull she was sorely tempted to go down there early but resisted the premature urge every time. Patience was something Hades had become good at. She had guards give them three meals a day, two were of amazing quality their aroma's strong which she had her guards place near the prisoners, close enough to smell but not eat. The third was pitiful, small proportions and usually mouldy. They could eat that one.

After the third week she did go down, beginning the long decent with a smile on her face. When she reached the bottom Hades navigated through the dungeons with ease finding the boy first, standing close enough for him to feel her presence.

[Poseidon]

Sometimes, beauty and victory do go together...

-_-_-_-

Kalonice was curled up into a ball, a rancid heat resonating off her body. Her blood was everywhere, caked on the walls and on the floor. But whether her wounds were self inflicted or not she did not know. She didn't care. She had to get out. The pain or hunger and of her wounds ate at her being, whithering her away into nothing but the whimpering in the breeze. Pain surrounded her. Screams, chains banging agains hard stone, blades slicing through flesh, pleading, crying. It was horrible. Her cell was especially horrible. Blood and vomit caked every corner of the hard, stone cell. Her shackles were rusted and burned her wrists, leaving horrifying scars and cuts behind. but worst of all, she could hear everything. Blood dripping on stone, a scream coming from miles away, someone murmuring to themselves. It was maddening. But then, something happened. She sensed her. Kalonice sat up slowly, blood dripping off her clothes as she stood up. She gripped the bars and looked out of her cage. There she was. The Goddess of the Damned, herself. Kalonice rattled her cage and pleaded with her screaming and crying. She felt like a child. But she would be willing to live a child the rest of her life if she didn't have to be here for one more second. Kalonice sank down to her knees, her forehead hitting the metal bars with a loud bang.

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[Zeus]

Time passed. It passed in sluggish lulls, or in quick snippets. The food came at seemingly random intervals, though a small part of Cohns shattered brain protested that it must come in time. At time. Same...time? The painful words bounced around in his head, his moment of a clear mind disappearing. Cohn clutched his head and smacked it against the floor, hoping the pain would help with the confusion. It only sent jabs of pain throughout his lithe body. Suddenly, the ground split open, and he was falling into sweet darkness....only to find, that he was writhing on the ground, suffocated by the choking darkness. He opened his mouth to scream, but the only thing that came out of his sore throat was a high pitched squeak. The world was slanted sideways, and blood dripped onto the slimy stones. His blood? Did it matter? Wait, how was he bleeding? Bats swarmed all around him, clustering around his head. Sharp stabs of pain attacked his skin wherever the bats leathery wings brushed against his flesh. Cohn clutched his head and writhed against the floor, but he couldn't move, because the chains on his hands wound themselves around his body, trapping him on the floor. Just as abruptly as the bats were there, they were gone, vanished into thin air, leaving behind only the painful stinging on his skin. He untangled himself out of the chain, his whole body shaking so hard it took him a large portion of time to get out of it, leaving his wrists bloody and raw. Hard coughs ripped past his throat, wracking his entire body. He couldn't breath, and his head slammed against the floor. Once the painful coughing subsided, he saw blood on the floor. Whether it was from coughing, or his head smacking against the floor, he didn't know. In fact, he was staring at the bloody floor and wondering how it got there when everything fell silent. The shadow merely appeared there, in the shape of the silhouette. It was a thing from the beyond. It wasn't alive. It wasn't dead. It was pure shadow, and pure evil. Fear seized his limbs, sending them flailing wildly. He let out a bloodcurdling shriek and struggled run away, his foot slipping on the floor and the chains entangling again. Again, the bats consumed the air around him, sending sharp stabs of pain down his spine, and he screamed. He screamed for what seemed like forever.

[Poseidon]

~~~~~~

Poseidon strode through the halls of Hades as if it was nothing. She had been here before. It did not impress her. Poseidon had temples that were bigger than Hades's great halls. Her high heeled shoes clacked on the stone floor, her whole being giving off a bluish glow that lit her way through the bloodstained tunnels. Some say it is impossible to get through Hades's hall, even if you are a god. But it's fairly easy when the Queen of the Underworld is your little sister. Yes, Hades. Little. Poseidon found her way to the dungeons, nontheless, and convieniently found Hades and a couple guards standing outside of a cell. Poseidon would not say that the Feilds of Punishment were a particularly complicated place to navigate. But she would admit that the sights and sounds are enough to make your blood curdle. Screaming came from everywhere, echoing off the walls and bouncing all around the cavern. Blood was slapped and stained on the walls everywhere you looked.
Quite menacing for the realm of a creepy nine year old.
Poseidon stopped in front of Hades, smiling lightly.
"Good day, Hades..." She said, her eyes on the boy in the cage. He looked like he had bee here for weeks...too long for a boy his age. Then her eyes ventured to the cage next to his, and she saw what she came for.
It was Kalonice.
Poseidon looked back at Hades.
"I've come to...collect these demigods, if you will." She said gently.

~~~~~~

[hades]

Hades was alerted to Poseidon's arrival well before she reached her halls. Therefore she had a purpose as she strode through her halls and passed her doors that lead to nowhere -as well as a few that did go somewhere- her footsteps dead silent.

Pun intended.

There were two odd things about the situation however. The first and most unsettling to her being that she did not know why Poseidon was here. Hades had to know things. Knowing is only half the battle and Hades had yet to complete this half. For there was no hope for this being good news. That was a lot coming from Hades,who is as we all know the ultimate optimist.

The second thing being that Poseidon was even here.

Those were the thoughts going through the dark gods mind when she met her sister.

"Why should I do that?"

[Poseidon]

~~~~~~

Poseidon rested her hard blue gaze on Hades, keeping her face emotionless.
"Why, little sister?" Poseidon snapped back, her tone dark and angry. She was tired of it all. The pain and the suffering that resonated and echoed off of every corner of the Fields of Punishment. Hades presence was no different. The whole place reeked of blood and rotting flesh. It was no way to spend eternity.
"Because they are not toys. Nor are any of the other demigods and mortals that you trap here for your leisure. It's sick, Hades." Poseidon's voice trembled. "And I have further business with these demigods that does not concern you." Poseidon sighed, her hair turning a deep shade of indigo and her eyes shifting to navy.
"Release them. Or you will be suspended from Olympus by my own accord." Poseidon finished, her dark eyes contemplating Hades, questioning if she would give in. But Poseidon knew better than to expect Hades to cave in.
She was more strong minded than that.

~~~~~~

[hades]

Hades smiled lightly, as if they were merely discussing the weather. That was one thing her sister did not understand, they WERE her toys. Another demigod life was nothing to her, they mattered not. Demigods would come and go like the changes in the seasons but her boredom would not.

"I am sick Poseidon. I laugh at their pain and care not. Compassion...is lost to me. Maybe it will make sense one day...but for now, this is what I do. I also happen to know you need to whole council's approval to do that not to mention this is my domain and you have been trespassing. I advise you to leave."

Hades was sorely tempted to throw Poseidon in the dungeons as well but knew it was impossible. Not to mention the uproar it would cause with the other gods, she reflected bitterly.

[Zeus]

The swirling mass of blueish-white light hurt Cohns eyes after the consistent darkness. Cohn ducked away, even though the pretty blue-white light was soothing. Then, a musical voice, like wind chimes and rippling rivers bounced off the black walls, and Cohn didn't care about the burning of his eyes. He shrunk towards the light, but not going to near it, for fear of being sucked away. Then, the drawling dark voice spoke, filling the room with dark and evil...things, writhing in the shadows. Cohn cringed, pressing against the sides of his temple and turning away.

[Poseidon]

~~~~~~

Poseidon cocked her head to one side and smiled. "The council? Oh, they've already approved, Hades. We're all sick of it. We're all ready for you to leave. And as for tresspassing..." Poseidon's smile widened dangerously. Water streamed from every crack in the wall, and was drawn from small puddles of blood that were left dry. The water collected around her feet and swirled around her. Poseidon held up her arms as if showcasing it.
"My domain is everywhere."
A small amount of water trickled near Hades feet, and Poseidon smiled again.
"Perhaps I am not trespassing after all." Her gaze hardened. "And I am not leaving without these demigods."

~~~~~~