Chapter Text
Hazel was glowing.
Not literally, of course, but if someone told her last week that she’d go on a quest and return to rapturous applause, she would have assumed that they were either out of their mind or trying to make fun of her.
But that was their present reality. Her and Frank both. Before this entire quest, their standing in the legion had been almost rock bottom – the only one in worse regard had been Percy, when he first arrived.
Now, Percy had been anointed praetor, the Fifth Cohort was known as the one who had turned the tides of battle by leading the Twelfth Legion onwards with their long-lost golden eagle standard, and all three of them were being praised as the saviours of Rome.
All four of them, technically, but that was an entirely other can of worms.
Usually, the campers were seated by cohort, but there was a revelry in the room that broke down the usual barriers. The officers and senators stuck with their own tables, but even that measure of order had begun to fall apart by the time that Reyna began to give a speech about how they’d raised Percy to praetor on the battlefield.
Hazel cheered with everybody else as Percy stood.
In the immediate aftermath of Polybotes’ death, Percy had been the only person left to raise. Zagreus, though recognisable to the cohort at large, had shed his disguise as they’d brought down the giant.
The giant had been one of the last monsters to fall, so almost everybody had seen the way that his image had shimmered to reveal a god, even though they hadn’t known which one he was. Percy, Hazel and Frank had needed to do a lot of explaining, especially seeing that Zagreus had dipped as soon as he’d realised he was busted.
“Speech! Speech!” The room chanted. Campers, Amazons and Lares mingled under one mess hall, waiting with bating breath.
In typical Percy fashion, Percy protested that he wasn’t the best person for praetor, but the campers drowned him in applause. Seeing that the matter was a lost cause, he held up a hand and they fell silent once more. “Just one more thing –” he said, and he caught Hazel and Frank’s eyes in the crowd as he began to speak.
“I know he didn’t stick around for very long after the defeat of Polybotes’, but we have one more person to thank for saving Rome.” Percy started.
Hazel held her breath. Well, that was one way of making sure everyone got the same story. The fragments that they’d managed to share were scattered, and members of the legion had been asking them different things about ‘Zach’ all evening.
“I’m sure everyone here remembers Zach, the son of Proserpina, who was the fourth member of our quest.” Percy paused, watching the crowd. Most people nodded, even if Hazel was sure that most of them hadn’t paid him any mind until he’d turned Polybotes into swiss cheese. “When we reached Alaska, we found out that he was the son of Proserpina and Pluto, a god in his own right. He’d joined our quest because he knew that the giants could only be defeated by a god and a demigod combined, and the giant in Alaska was his father’s nemesis.”
Okay, so he was twisting the truth.
Hazel didn’t blame him. It was a nice, digestible version of the truth; one that didn’t have ‘the giant called him Death’s consort’ written all over it. The Romans, who were now murmuring appreciatively, would have taken that much less kindly.
As it was, Percy was making Zagreus out to be a benevolent deity who’d seen the plight of the demigods and come to lend them his aid. In all fairness, it wasn’t too far from what had actually happened, and it wasn’t like Zagreus was around to contradict them.
“So – I dedicate a toast to Zagreus, god of rebirth!” Percy finished, and a roaring cheer erupted from the crowd.
“Zagreus! Zagreus!” They chanted now, clinking glasses together.
As Percy got his probatio tablet removed, and stood to receive the mark of his first year of service, Hazel couldn’t help but think of where Zagreus was now.
Thanatos still hadn’t come for her, and she had a feeling that she had her half-brother to thank for that. Thank you, she prayed, hoping it would reach the god that they’d travelled with. Percy had mentioned that Zagreus would ‘catch up with them later’, but hours had passed and she’d seen neither hide nor hair of him. Either way, she figured he was doing just fine.
Now, if only she knew what had happened to her other half-brother – the mortal one.
After dinner, the entire legion got the night off. She, Frank and Percy drifted out of the mess hall, through the Praetorian Gate, and down Camp Jupiter’s Via Praetoria.
They headed towards the city, which was still in disarray, but she couldn’t see any more burning fires and the streets that she could see – at this distance, at least – had been swept clear of debris.
Before they could get very far, there was a flash of light and Zagreus materialised in front of them. He was met with three sets of weaponry before they registered who was standing in front of them.
“Now let's be reasonable, no…?” He raised his arms in surrender.
“Zag!” Hazel cried, dropping her weapon.
“Don’t frighten us like that, man.” Percy shook his head, putting Riptide back into his pocket.
Hazel resisted the urge to hug him, like she’d done a few times before they’d reached Hubbard Glacier. He hadn’t seemed averse to the hugs before, but things were slightly different now. As she took in his appearance, she found herself glad that she hadn’t jumped the gun.
His hair was always messy, so it was difficult to tell if it was messier than usual, but his tunic was dishevelled and his cape was slightly askew. He was missing that replica of some creature that had rested on his right shoulder during the battles with both giants, too, and now Hazel was wishing that she had been slightly less observant.
“Had a good time after the battle?” Percy raised an eyebrow.
Zagreus was unfazed. “You bet. Ten times better than being carried away on the shields of the Roman legion.”
“Hey,” Percy teased. Hazel had forgotten how audacious they both were with gods – but at least Zagreus had an excuse! “You’re looking at the new praetor of Camp Jupiter. Careful there, you’re still on probatio.”
Frank buried his face in his hands. “I can’t believe it.”
Hazel said to him, as an aside: “He should have asked for Zagreus’ promotion to centurion, instead of a toast to him.”
“Wait,” Zagreus paused in the middle of trying to straighten his cape out. He hadn’t been very successful. “You’re the reason there’ve been mortals in my head all evening?”
“Is that what prayer sounds like?” Percy asked.
“I can’t believe you!” Zagreus’ shout echoed down the Via Praetoria. “It took me forever to figure out what was going on.”
Two passing legionnaires did a double take as they walked past the group stalled in the middle of the pathway. As soon as they comprehended who was it was talking to their new praetor, they raced each other to the ground.
“What…?” Zagreus looked over at the abrupt sound of knees hitting the floor. “Oh, come on,” he said to Percy, “what have you been telling these poor mortals?”
Percy grinned. “Only the truth. Zagreus, god of rebirth, joined our quest to Alaska because he knew that the giants could only be defeated by a god and a demigod combined.”
“You’re insufferable.” Zagreus groaned, turning towards the still-kneeling legionnaires. “Please get up.”
Once again, they almost fell over each other in their haste to obey.
“Lord Zagreus…!” The older one started, only for Zagreus to wave them off.
“Just keep walking.”
The younger one grabbed her friend, who took a few seconds to process Zagreus’ instructions, and they were both gone within the minute.
“This is all your fault.” Zagreus told Percy, as he ushered them off the Via Praetoria. “I’m going to have mortal voices in my head for weeks!”
If it had been any other god, Hazel bet that they would have been jumping for joy. If gods could donate organs, she’d also bet that any other minor god would have given both kidneys for the level of overnight fame that Zagreus had suddenly achieved.
Unfortunately for both Zagreus and those hypothetical gods, he was so annoyed that he grumbled all the way to Pluto’s shrine on Temple Hill. Zagreus wasn’t sure how to feel about the way that Percy had twisted their story, but he did acknowledge that Thanatos probably wouldn’t have appreciated their relationship being broadcast to the entire Camp.
Thankfully, not even being saved by two children of Pluto could bring campers to Pluto’s shrine willingly, and the area was deserted.
Zagreus lead them up to the roof of the crypt, one of the last places that she’d met Nico. Her heart clenched as they sat in the same place that she and Nico had sat last week, and she resolved to ask Zagreus about him as soon as he’d said his piece.
“Listen,” Zagreus addressed them quietly, after he’d looked around to check that nobody else was listening in. He coughed, and Hazel felt her stomach drop until it stopped at just one. “Than’s around, but it’s not easy for him to talk to mortals.”
“Could have fooled me,” Percy murmured.
“What?” Zagreus paused, before continuing when Percy said nothing more. “Anyway, he handed me some information to pass on. He figured I could make it sound… nicer.”
Death was self-aware. Good to know.
“What he wanted me to talk to you about is, well, the matter of the demigod souls that escaped while he was imprisoned in Alaska.”
Hazel shifted uncomfortably. Death also, it appeared, hadn’t been too preoccupied by his lover to remember that he had a job to do.
“In his exact words,” Zagreus quoted; “‘I don’t see any demigods on this list. Your father gives me specific orders for escaped souls, but he has not issued a warrant for any demigods recently. Perhaps he feels that their lives are not finished.’”
Deflating like a punctured balloon, Hazel sunk into Frank’s side. He wrapped an arm around her, hugging her tightly to his body as she almost collapsed with relief. No matter which god had been behind her repealed sentence, be it Thanatos, Zagreus, or Pluto himself, the outcome was the same.
She could stay amongst the living.
“Those words didn’t seem too bad, to be honest.” Zagreus continued, smiling at Hazel. “Than can be… kinder than you might expect.”
His smile took on a different quality. “He’s very quiet. It took me a long time to realise that I shouldn’t take his silence the wrong way, but Than’s patient, and forgiving. He might be Death Incarnate, but he’s also the god of peaceful death, y’know?”
Her half-brother was besotted.
Hazel couldn’t say that she had ever seen that side of Thanatos, but she wasn’t the one who’d been basically married to him for millennia. She would have to take Zagreus’ word for it, especially since she didn’t plan to meet Thanatos again, anytime soon.
Her mouth refused to work, despite all the questions she had, so Frank had to be the one to put a pause on Zagreus’ soliloquy.
“About the Doors of Death…” He said leadingly.
Perhaps mentioned Thanatos’ aspect wasn’t the way to go, if they’d hoped to stop him from gushing about his lover.
“Oh, Than’s Doors. You know how they work, right?”
They all nodded. Nico had explained it, before he’d tried to hunt them down and gone missing. The Doors of Death were one of many paths between the Underworld and the surface, but the Doors of Death were unique in that they were predictable. For Thanatos, and nobody else. Up until Gaea had seized control over them. Now, all her minions had a readily available shortcut that took them from the depths of Tartarus all the way to the surface.
“I don’t know much about them. Than doesn’t tell me a lot about his work, so I try not to ask. It can upset him.” Zagreus explained. “He did say… hm, what was it, again?”
They waited as he thought. In that space, he coughed again, this time twice.
“Are you…?” Frank started.
“Don’t worry about it.” Zagreus said. “I know I only have today.”
The unfairness of it all was striking. Hazel was allowed to walk the surface, but the god who’d communicated that to her wasn’t. Zagreus didn’t seem bothered; maybe he really had made his peace with it.
He thought a little more about the Doors before speaking again. “Something about Rome? I think you need to go to the original Rome. With a guide of some sort to read signs, maybe a demigod.” He shook his head. “I’m sorry. I don’t remember anything else.”
Even without his disguise, when he wore remorse so sincerely, Zagreus looked remarkably like an apologetic puppy. Hazel wanted to pat his head.
“That’s alright.” Hazel said, patting him on the shoulder instead.
“We’ll figure it out.” Percy nodded. “Thank you.”
“One last thing,” she said, finally raising the topic that had been on her mind all evening, “my– our brother Nico. He left Camp in search of the Doors of Death, and Gaea told me that he’d been captured.”
“Oh, blood and darkness!” Zagreus cursed. “I forgot about him.”
Hazel had told them about Nico just before they’d reached Seward and found the remains of her old house from the 1940s. Everything had moved so fast. Within hours of arriving, the gryphons that had attacked their train had caught up, and then Arion had rescued them and brought them to Hubbard Glacier.
As soon as Zagreus had seen Thanatos chained, she didn’t think that there had been a single other thought on his mind.
“Nico. Nico di Angelo, of course.” Zagreus repeated the name as if trying to burn it into his memory. “Rome might be your best shot, to be honest.” He said unhelpfully, though he softened it with, “I’ll have a look around Tartarus as well, though.”
“Thank you,” was all Hazel could offer. She wished there was something that she could offer Zagreus, instead of constantly asking him for things.
He’d been an absolute delight to travel with, and now he was going above and beyond to continue to lend them his aid, even with the River Styx coming to claim him that night.
“It’s an ever-shifting maze down there, so I can’t promise anything but…” Zagreus coughed again. It was worse, this time. They waited until he caught his breath, regrettably used to the sight. “I’ll do my best.”
“As per the limits of your capabilities.” The toll of a bell heralded Thanatos’ arrival at the foot of the crypt. His voice echoed up to where all four of them were sat on the rooftop. “I would say that I wouldn’t let you push yourself too far, but… I’ve never been able to stop you from doing things, have I?”
“Sorry, Than.” Zagreus jumped down to greet him.
Just as they had done before, after Alcyoneus’ defeat, the two of slotted together like they’d been doing it all their lives. There was just one change – this time, Thanatos didn’t forget that there were other people around.
He eyed them warily, allowing Zagreus close but denying him anything else. Hazel was grateful, she didn’t need to see them making out again. Or worse.
“Your time is nearing, Zagreus. Are you quite done with the demigods?”
Zagreus pouted as Thanatos pushed him away. Death’s golden eyes softened, and he did what Hazel had wanted to do earlier, letting his scythe go so he could bring his hand up to land it in Zagreus’ fluffy hair.
Though Zagreus melted under his touch, he only indulged for a few moments. “Just one more thing.” He told Thanatos, and then with the same flash of light that he’d appeared out of on the Via Praetoria, he was back on the roof of Pluto’s shrine.
“Hazel, sister,” he addressed her, “Before I go, I want to pass you something dear to me.” From the depths of his robes, he withdrew a small, plush Cerberus. It was bright red, the same colour as Zagreus’ cape, and absolutely adorable.
She heard Thanatos inhale sharply.
This couldn’t be a normal plush, could it?
“This is Cerbie.” Compared to the actual Cerberus, it was round and stubby. Though it had three heads, it had no teeth, and had six large buttons for eyes. Each of the buttons matched the colour of Zagreus’ left eye. “He’s a chthonic companion. If you hold him and pray to me, I’ll hear you loud and clear, and it’ll help me triangulate your location.”
“This is…?” Hazel gaped.
“From what I’ve learned about mobile phones in the last week,” Zagreus continued, “this is more or less the equivalent of a direct line.”
She was already so deep in his debt that she was at a loss for words.
“I–” She was going to sacrifice half of every meal and every spoil of war that she earned to him, for years. Even then, she didn’t think it’d be enough. “–Thank you.”
Looking him in the eyes, trying to convey every ounce of gratitude that she was feeling to him, she repeated it as prayer. Thank you, Zagreus.
He put a hand to his chest, startled, and Hazel hoped that he was feeling the weight of what she’d done her best to transmit. “Oh. You’re welcome.” He sounded surprised, as if he hadn’t expected her to – what? – be grateful? Under his breath, he murmured, “I wasn’t expecting you to do that. Thank you.”
He had nothing to thank her for. Zagreus was the one who’d done large swathes of the work thus far.
Now, it was up to her and the rest of the demigods to do the rest.
“It’s time to go home, Zagreus.” Thanatos said, full-naming him. Was it her imagination, or was that irritation in his voice? “Let’s go.”
They’d only spoken to him for a short while, but Hazel never wanted to see Zagreus coughing his lungs out again. So she bid him farewell as Thanatos waited impatiently at the base of the crypt.
“You don’t usually interrupt, Than.” Zagreus waved to them, before returning to Thanatos’ side. “What’s gotten into you? Wait – let me guess.”
Thanatos glowered at Zagreus as they turned away from the demigods.
“Honestly, you’ve got the original Cerbie.” Zagreus’ voice floated up to where they still sat. “Wipe that look off your face.”
“Hmph.” Thanatos huffed, before reaching for Zagreus’ arm.
With a dull clash of cymbals, Thanatos’ sigil glowed around them, and then both gods were both gone.
Back to the Underworld; back to the House of Hades.
Before Zagreus had gifted her his chthonic companion, Hazel had assumed that the next time she saw either of them, it would be when she perished once and for all. Now, looking down at the adorable Cerbie in her hands, she wasn’t quite so sure.
Temple Hill was quiet for a few moments.
“That was surreal.” Frank broke the silence, still looking at where the two of them had vanished. “Even though we found out about Zagreus this morning…”
“It was only this morning.” Hazel realised.
So much had passed since they had woken up by Moose Pass Gas, the store that they’d crashed at between escaping the train and reaching Seward.
They’d gotten a lift from the store owner’s friend, been swallowed by the earth and narrowly escaped Gaea, and then Seward had dredged up every memory of 1940s Alaska that Hazel still had and then some. Then Arion had rescued them from the gryphons and Zach had turned out to be a god. Goodness.
“It feels like a week has passed.” Hazel laughed.
Frank laughed with her, and then Percy joined in. It felt good to laugh, even if it was a little too breathless, a little too hysterical. It was a change from the despair that she’d spent so much of the last months wallowing in, and even though what lay ahead was just as worrisome, she’d managed one quest.
She could manage another. And another.
Tucking Cerbie under her arm, she very carefully avoiding sending Zagreus a prayer. Instead, she made a promise. To herself, and to him.
I’ve got this. She thought. You can rely on me.