The Son of Kronos - Chapter 3 - Hell Talks Back

I arrived in Tartarus still enveloped in shadows, which sunk into the ground within seconds. Hades had not travelled with me, but I didn't really mind, I never truly planned on making an ally of the god of the underworld. Tartarus was, by every stretch of the word, hell. I arrived on a stone bridge that didn't look very secure but I decided to walk it, despite the lava glowing beneath the weakened and fragile-looking structure.

I don't know why it came as a surprise to me, but Tartarus looked a lot like a really big cave. The lava, the rocks even the naturally formed bridge. Looking back on it, Tartarus was always described as a sort of pit, so it being a cave seemed about right. I scolded myself as I began to walk at a regular pace across the bridge. I soon stopped being mad at myself when I realised no one knows what to expect when they enter hell itself, me included.

The bridge was holding fairly well, better than I thought it was going to. A few rocks fell off as I walked across, but I was confident it would hold me. Despite my father being shredded at the bottom of this hell it was still where his magic was strongest, if I was a demigod I would've run off by now, but my father had faith that I would restore him to life, so I kept faith that he'd keep my alive in Tartarus. My theory look to be correct as I passed several harpies sat on a nearby rock, they observed me and didn't look happy but they didn't move a single inch.

As I walked further the bridge still showed no sign of ending, it went on as far as the eye could see. I began to focus on the little things as I walked, the shapes of the rocks around me and the size of the chunks that fell from the bridge. Eventually I decided to try and focus on the power in the air around me, figuring it would get closer as I got closer to my father. The second I tried I was hit by a wave of unexpected energy, knocking me to the floor and almost off the bridge. I climbed back to my knees and tried again, steeling myself against the energy.

The amount of power in this hell was overwhelming, this was the power of so many beasts locked away by the gods and the Titan Lord, my father, Kronos. I got to my feet and began walking again, at the same pace. I focused more on the energy and where it went, into the air around me, into me if I willed it so and, to my surprise into my scythe. I knew my scythe had been formed in this very lava but, as far as I knew it was not magical…did it have some sort of power? As the thought entered my head so did a voice…the voice of Kronos.

I stopped walking as soon as I heard my father's voice. He'd spoken to me before but i'd never heard him so clearly

"Indeed" he informed me "your scythe has its own power"

"What power?" I asked, continuing on my journey across the bridge, unsheathing my scythe and examining it closely as I walked

"That is yet to be discovered" he said "try it out" with that comment his voice was gone, no longer speaking to me. I held the scythe in one hand and looked around, searching for something to test its magic upon.

I figured its magic must be things that I would be unable to do. I pointed the scythe at a nearby rock and pictured a wave of energy flowing from the scythe to the rock and making it explode. It didn't work as i'd pictured it but it did make a few big cracks in the rock and, a little while later, a portion of the rock fell and was devoured by the lava below. I was quite satisfied with that, and felt i'd discovered the powers of my scythe to a fair degree, so I continued on my - seemingly endless- journey to the deepest part of Tartarus.

The walking continued for a long period of time that a daren't look back on, out of worry i'll be traumatised if I knew exactly how long I walked for. The further I walked the bridge the more frequently I saw creatures trapped here. I saw a few more harpies, a fair amount of lizard women and even a couple of chimeras jumping across the rocks either side of me. Despite how easily these creatures could kill me, if given the chance, I didn't feel the slightest amount of fear. These creatures were in the place where Kronos's power was greatest and they could sense my heritage. No one was going to attack me here.

The walk went on and my skin began to feel like paper. I reached to my back, brushing my black cloak out of the way and gripping my scythe in my hand as I pulled it from my back. The feeling flowed back into my hands as I held my scythe in the paper-like catches of my hands. The power that was emitted out of the scythe was enough to boost my morale and keep me walking. Maybe it was the magic, maybe just a coincidence but as I held my scythe and looked ahead I saw the end of the bridge.

The good news was that this dreaded journey was coming to an end. The bad news was that the bridge ended abruptly…above nothing. I hit the end of the bridge and rested my scythe on the ground, looking down into the darkness below. The lava streamed off the edge and I couldn't even hear it hit the ground. As I saw nothing within the pit I figured I needed to get my father's attention, realising this must be the deepest part of Tartarus, made to the Titan Lord Kronos.

I raised my scythe over the pit in on hand and shouted

"Father, I have come" Nothing happened for a brief second…then a laugh rang out in a voice as deep as this pit itself.

"What a surprise" Kronos chuckled "I didn't think you'd make it"

"It was just a bridge…" I said slowly

"That is what you saw" my father explained "Tartarus tests the heart and mind of those who enter it. Your biggest weakness is your impatience, so you were tested on how far you'd go before you gave in. I had my doubts but you succeeded"

I smiled a little at earning my father's approval but remembered why I was here.

"I have the book" I said, bringing it out of my pocket and holding it up. An unnatural wind whipped up from behind me and I worked to keep on my feet as the book was blown out of my hand and into the pit. Kronos kept quite a little while and I just waited patiently, just as I had walking that bridge.

"Go, now" was all he commanded.

I stood, shocked, a second before asking:

"Where do you want me to go?"

"Get back to the upper world, I shall give you orders from there" he told me

"How do I get out?" I quizzed. As I finished lights erupted from the bit of darkness and surrounded my scythe, being absorbed into it. It glowed and then returned to its usual black colour.

"I have powered your scythe" he told me "I will send my thoughts to you threw it, you can also use it to take you to a place in an instant"

I thought a minute and then replied

"Like teleportation" I heard a grumble from the pit

"Yes," came the reply, sounding slightly annoyed "Do not use that unless it's urgent. That magic will burn you up if used too often" Before replying I had a thought about why my father was telling me that, was it that he cared for me? Or did he just want his tasks doing? Either way I was honoured to serve the Lord of Titans Kronos himself and even more so to be his son. I knelt and said

"Yes, father"

I held up my scythe again and willed myself to go to the upper world. Nothing happened at first and then I realised I had no place particular in mind. I was going to ask my father where he wanted me to go but he spoke to me, through my scythe, before I could utter a word.

"Send yourself to where I want you to go" was all he said. I thought for a minute and raised my scythe once more, thinking to myself:

'Transport me where my father wants me to go'…and there I went.