The Librarian

"Say what?" I choked.

"I'm Hades!" The man cried, throwing his arms up in the air with frustration. "How stupid are you?"

"Um..." I rubbed my bloody arm, trying to stop the throbbing.

"Sir, maybe you should help the mortal before she bleeds out." Charon suggested. I nodded feebly, agreeing with him.

"What?" Hades mumbled, rubbing his temples. "The mortal who doesn't know me?"

Charon groaned. "It's not even worth trying to talk to him." He walked over, taking me gently by the arm, and loaded me into a boat on a dark black river.

"Is this the River Styx?" I asked.

"It is, young lady." Charon's voice seemed to have changed. I squinted over at him, and when he turned around, I was slightly awestruck. His entire body had changed without my notice- no longer a fat and grimy truck driver, Charon had grown about a foot, lost about ninety pounds, and taken a shower.

"Whoa..." I gaped. "You're not dirty anymore!"

Charon laughed, his violet eyes flicking over to me.

"You have purple eyes!" I said.

"I can change my appearance to fit into the mortal world better and attract less attention,"
He said, "the last time I stepped foot onto earth looking like this, I had three dates in less than twenty minutes. It was rather annoying."

"I can see why." I giggled. After Charon had pushed the long canoe of sorts away from Hades (who was still grumbling to himself) he stood up, guiding the boat gently down the Styx with a single oar. We approached the opposite side of the shore. I could see a faint figure standing there at the edge of the bank, arms crossed.

"I think that's Nico..." I mused, biting my lip. "He doesn't look too happy."

"Well, you did run away from him, you know." Charon shot a smirk in my direction.

"You helped." I said.

"I had nothing to do with this." Charon muttered from the side of his mouth.

"You brought me down here!" I cried, throwing my arms up in the air, forgetting that I had a broken one. "Owww..." I groaned, cradling it in my lap, bending my head down over my bloodied limb. We landed on the shore with a thud, and Nico hauled me out of the boat none too gently.

"Charon..." He growled, eyes flashing in the darkened underworld.

"I had nothing to do with it!" Charon protested.

"Just let him be, Nico." I said, patting Charon on the arm. "Thanks for helping me, though."

Charon smiled charmingly at me. "As the beautiful young lady wishes, I shall do."

"Oh brother." Nico sighed. Charon pushed off the bank with his long oar, paddling out across the black water, shiny brown hair hanging down his back.

Nico turned to me, his usually gentle face twisted. "You...are in SO much trouble."

"Hey!" I yelped. Nico's hand had wrenched my arm the wrong way. "Let go, please!"

"Not until you tell me why you ran away from the house like that!" He pushed father, leaning in to my face, studying my eyes. I didn't feel like arguing, and my arm was racked with pain; as if Nico was trying twist a towel dry. So I did the only logical thing in my book.

I fainted.

Notes