DIS (like the underworld)

To our doom

Outside, I run straight into Annabeth. She smiles in relief and gives me a brief hug. "These guys were just filling me in." She gestures to two purple-shirted demigods standing next to her. I greet them warily, monitoring their every move. One is a girl with a ponytail who looks really young, maybe ten, and is treating a cut on her wrist. The other is a boy with short red hair carrying a bow, probably the dude who shot the arrow.
The boy introduces himself as Ralph, son of Apollo, and the girl as Julia, a 'second generation demigod'.
Ajax must have seen the confused look on my face, because he adds, "she's like me. Our parents were demigods, like my mom is a daughter of Venus and my dad is a son of Jupiter."
Privately I'm thinking that Venus is probably where Ajax got his strangely perfect face, but all I say is, "Okay. I see. But if everybody's ready, we should probably get moving."
Ralph suddenly looks like he swallowed a unicorn.
"What do you mean?" He says sharply, his face an ugly shade of green, kinda like a moldy lime. "You Greeks aren't going anywhere with us!"
"Look, we've partnered before, and it helped a lot." Says Annabeth, her voice calm, but her eyes portraying a very different feeling. Oh no. Now if Annabeth is scared, I'm scared. I place my hands on my earrings. I see Julia looking at me strangely. Don't worry, kid, these are just earrings. Not anything special.
Annabeth and Ralph are glaring at each other and Ralph has drawn his bow. I'm thinking, 'this is going to get bad' and wondering where the nearest exit is when Ajax steps between them.
"Ralph, Annabeth and Ella are right. Partnering up can do nothing but help us. And lastly, I'm the one leading this quest, Ralph." His manner is calm, but I can hear the hint of a challenge in his voice.
Even though Ajax is probably two or three years younger than him, Ralph looks ashamed. He nods and puts down his bow.
"Okay..." Says the grandson of Jupiter. He takes a deep breath and the tension fades from his eyes. It seems like he's used to having everyone look to him for answers. It must be hard, sometimes. Not like I would know.
Annabeth takes charge. "We better get moving." She calls.
We fall into line, with Annabeth and me leading the way and Ajax following close behind. Julia straggles a few feet away while Ralph brings up the rear and urges her along. We walk, casting glances at the dark, hazy landscape, our shadows long and black in the eerie light of the clustering spirits. Before us looms the feilds of Asphodel, beyond that, the palace of Hades, and, ultimately, our doom.
Dun dun Dunn!

TO BE CONTINUED