Son of the Moon

36

-Percy-

An ominous chill filled the air as he marched down the path towards the pavilion of judgment, the grey gravel of the Underworld crunching under his boots. Along with him were the other Demigod Cabin leaders as well as Chiron. That morning the Olympian council had sent a message to camp to inform them that today the soul of Luke Castellan was to be tried before the full Council of Judgement instead of just three members.

Chiron had brought them up to Olympus where Hades had flashed them to DOA recording studios and had them cross the river, likely wanting to give those who'd never been there before the full 'underworld experience'.

"What do you think his punishment will be?" Bianca asks him coldly as they lead the convoy towards the large pavilion, all of them looking forward to seeing justice done to the traitorous soul.

"Tartarus but even that's too good for the lakes of him." He responded with a low animalistic growl, ignoring the glare he could feel trying to drill its way into his back from the eyes of Annabeth Chase.

"You're the one who deserves Tartarus." He heard Annabeth hiss under her breath before gagging. Glancing over his shoulder, he saw Nico with a hand around her neck, growling angrily before throwing her into the dirt. None of the other Cabin leaders stopped to help her up.

"Welcome Heroes." Hades said somberly once they walked into the pavilion, the Olympian council sitting in their full godly forms above the thousands of human and half-blood ghosts that would judge Castellan.

"Honorable Council," he said with a bow, idly noting that Triton had taken his father's throne, at least temporarily "I thank you for allowing us to see justice done to the soul who has cost our people so much."

"Of course Perseus." Hades said with a nod, the gods using more formal names for the importance of the situation, "you and the others may take a seat over there." The god of the dead gestured to an open box of seats on the ground floor.

Nodding he moved towards the box, the other demigods and their centaur trainer, the box closing behind them with an astral barrier as he figured the gods wanted to make sure none of them charged Luke. Shortly after they were settled, a pair of Ghouls walked into the pavilion dragging the soul of Castellan who was bound in Stygian Iron chains.

"Luke Castellan," Hades called out, the Ruler of the Underworld speaking for the council in this matter "your soul is charged with willingly and knowingly abandoning Olympus and its council to side with the Titans. How do you plead?"

"I am guilty of nothing except looking out for my own kind!" Luke's soul spat at them "Protecting them from the likes of you!"

At the traitor's statement, the souls of the council began yelling angrily until Hades roared out "Silence! Luke Castellan, do you or do you not admit to forsaking Olympus for Othryss?!"

"For Othryss!" Luke roared as the spirits of the council began calling for his head.

"Do you have anything to say in your defense before we begin the trial of judgement?" Hades asked Luke as he sat on the edge of his seat, his demigod allies copying him.

"Your time is at and end Olympians," Luke told them coldly "the Titans shall rise! Lord Kronos shall rise! I may be dead but I have found hundreds if not thousands of demigods, Demititans, and monsters to fight for the next age. The New golden age has begun!"

Standing up he walked to the edge of the box he sat in he spoke in a voice so chilled the air seemed to freeze around him even in the heated atmosphere of the underworld "Not today Castellan, and not any day that will dawn so long as I stand and fight for Olympus and my people. You…you are nothing more than a traitor and a madman, fighting for power and greed. Your 'golden age' would be a dark age for not only humanity but all existence and I'll sooner see myself cast into the Pit before I see that happen."

Ignoring the scowling spirit he faced the spirits, the Olympian council, and his demigod brethren he drew Riptide and pointed the blade skyward "For Olympus!" he roared loudly, the call being echoed by so many voices that dust was shaken from the roof of the land of the dead.

"Then let the judgement commence." Hades ordered as the chair Luke was chained to, began to glow as a copy of Luke's memories began flashing in a field of mist in the air. While he and his fellow demigods could only see a few flashes and scenes, the souls of the dead witnessing the bastard's entire life from start to finish, but what he saw sickened him. He saw every treasonous act of Luke Castellan's life. He saw Kronos begin to whisper to the bastard, to see the fall of someone that could have been a great Hero. Glancing over he saw that Chase wasn't disgusted in the slightest, hell she was actually glaring at the panel of Judges as well as the Council.

Finally, the mist cloud faded with fire as the last scene of Luke Castellan's life was shown, something that Annabeth looked at him with hatred for. "Luke Castellan," Hades states coldly "your life has been viewed and now we put to a vote. Paradise…or damnation?"

"Damnation! Damnation! Damnation!" the chant began slowly until every single spirit of the council was calling out for Luke's soul to be damned and punished for all eternity.

"Then the Olympian council has decided your punishment." Zeus decrees while standing "Your soul is to be locked in chains of Stygian iron for all time…and cast into the pit of Tartarus until the end of the time. Your sentence is to be carried out immediately."

They were soon led down to the mouth of Tartarus, Luke's chains being held by a pair of Ghouls while the spirits of the Panel of Judges had returned to their resting places. "Any final words Castellan?" he asks as the Ghouls bring Luke to the edge of Tartarus.

"I hope you burn." Luke spat with a glare.

"That was your fate…not mine." He said simply before gesturing to the Ghouls to move aside and then sending a blast of water out of a container nearby, using it to Push the soul back and over the edge so the traitor didn't try to drag any of them down with him. Luke's soul fell over the ledge with a yell of anger, the chain slithering down after him…until it was grabbed by a blonde blur. There, hanging on the edge of the chasm was Annabeth Chase, one hand gripping the gravel and one hand holding the end of the Stygian Iron that bound the traitorous soul.

"Annabeth!" Athena cried out and tried to run forward to retrieve her daughter only to be held back by his mother.

"This is your decision then Chase?" he asks emotionlessly "To fall into Tartarus yourself to stay with the traitor?"

"I would rather," she grunted and dug her fingers tighter into the loose grey rock "suffer with the man I love…then have to continue being forced to fight behind a cowardly little worm like you."

"Then live with your choice." He said coldly before thrusting his hand out and fired a bolt of lightning from his splayed fingers, the divine power hitting the Iron chain and shocking both Castellan and Chase as the traitors screamed, the daughter of Athena crying out as she lost her grip and fell down into the darkness.

Walking over to Athena he knelt down in front of the woman who was sobbing into the dirt and gravel, "Lady Athena," he said softly "while I may not have any love for your daughter…I do have a great deal of respect for you and I am sorry for the loss you have to suffer this day. So to that end I swear this to you. I will do whatever I can to protect your children still loyal to Olympus and will do my best to see that you not have to suffer such a loss again in this war."

Athena, too racked by grief to speak, simply nodded before the other goddess led the distraught woman away. "Come," he ordered his fellow demigods somberly as Bianca placed a hand on his shoulder "we must return to camp and tell them…tell them that another life has been lost to this war."