From the moment Io felt herself regain consciousness she knew she was no longer in the world of men. The air was cold, lifeless. Io had felt this only once before, in death. She opened her eyes to darkness. Io felt a rush of cold death envelope her.
Io lay in a grand chamber, Hades bedchambers no doubt. The walls were of black stone, jagged and deformed. Black linen hung from above, blurring the room. Io pushed the drapes aside to further see the room. The chamber was vast, but it only held the one bed, which Io was sitting on. The bed was positioned in the middle of the chamber, high up on a pedestal.
Io rose from the bed. She walked down the jagged steps of the pedestal. Her feet steps were quick and silent as she moved. She walked toward the only archway in the chamber, no doubt leading to the Underworld.
"Finding your way I see." Came a rasping voice.
Io looked up. Hades stood in the archway, blocking Io's means of escape.
"Why have you brought me here?" Io asked.
Hades entered the chamber. "Your beauty radiates vividly here, sweet Io."
"Be cautious of you wife, Hades. Hera tolerates Zeus infidelity, but I doubt your wife will." Io replied.
"Ah. Yes, dear Io, you are correct. Persephone would never forgive me for such crimes. However, my sweet Persephone had passed from me." Hades explained.
Io was silent. The wife of Hades, dead? It was nearly impossible to kill a god. One would need to be a god in order to commit such a crime against them. It became clear to Io what Hades intentions were within seconds. Hades had brought her to become his new bride.
"Your attempt to make me your queen are futile, Hades. Perseus will not stand for these actions." Io said.
Hades chuckled. "Ah, you see, I am well aware of Perseus rage toward me. He will come for you, no doubt, and by doing so he will enter the Underworld. And once Perseus has entered my world, I shall not only rob the men of a hero, but rob my brother of a son."
Io stepped back. "Perseus will not fail."
Hades took another step toward Io. "He will try. And when he fails, you will be my queen."
"I would rather die a thousand deaths than become your queen." Io replied.
Hades smiled. "I can see to your request."
Before Io could blink, Hades vanished before her eyes. He reappeared in front of her, merely inches away. Hades grabbed Io's arm and pulled her into him. His lips came down upon Io's as she struggled against him.
Io's lips burned as Hades venom seeped into her body. She struggled in Hades tight grasp, but to no avail. The venom coursed through her mouth, through her blood. Her breath became shallow, caught in her chest. Io grew weak, her muscles seized, and her struggling ceased.
Hades released her lips and released her. Io fell to the floor of the chamber. She gasped shallowly as the venom slowly spread through her body. Io struggled to rise from the floor. Her muscles began to trembled as Io crawled from Hades presence. She dragged her body along the floor of the chamber, toward the pedestal.
Hades followed behind Io. He walked alongside the weakened demigoddess. "In fives day, my venom will have purged the human from within you. In five days, you will be my bride."
Io struggled to breathe. Her muscles would move no more, leaving her at the feet of Hades. Hades lifted Io into his arms. He walked up the steps of the pedestal and laid Io upon the bed. He brushed her hair from her face.
"In five days, the reign of a greater god will begin." Hades said. And with that, he turned from Io and left the chambers.
Zeus sat upon his thorn on Olympus. The Gods and Goddess' were seated round him. Each listened closely to the news Zeus had shared with them.
"He has only the armor of his previous quest to protect him. No weapons, no protection, nothing to aid him in his quest. It is not likely he will pass the Gorgon sisters." Zeus finished.
"Why should we help Perseus?" Ares asked. "He has no gratitude towards us nor does he pray to us."
"So we should abandon him in his quest?" Aphrodite's replied.
"Perseus' actions will invoke war upon us." Poseidon stated.
"An invocation first invoked by Hades." Apollo replied.
"ENOUGH!" Zeus ordered.
The hall was silent.
"You all fail to see Hades actions have invoked war upon ourselves!" Zeus said.
"Then a war he shall have."
Demeter sat in silence, gazing merely upon the floor of the hall. Her eyes rose slowly, meeting the faces of her brothers and sisters. She rose from her throne and stepped onto the floor. "The murder of my daughter will not go unpunished. As I suffer so shall all both man and Gods! I will destroy their harvest, their crops, their food, and they shall starve. But they shall not die. Their fear will course through their blood, and beg Hades, beg him for death. But I will not grant him such power. The people will live, and their fear will die. And Hades will lose his power. And this will not cease until Perseus has put Hades in his place!"
"Demeter!" Hera called.
"I will not stand for the murder of Persephone, just as you would not stand for the death of your children, Hera!" Demeter replied.
Hera opened her mouth to reply, but Zeus ceased all voices. "Be silent, all of you."
Zeus rose from his throne. "Demeter, you have the right to take vengeance for your daughter's un-rightful murder. But you cannot bring the world of men into our conflict."
"As I suffer, so shall others." Demeter replied. "As we speak the crops are dying. And in one day, the people will begin to starve as they have never starved. Hades power will weaken beyond his belief."
"With Hades power weakened," Athena spoke. "Perseus may have a chance of defeating Hades."
Zeus turned from the Gods. "To follow Demeter's actions will cause a war among the Gods. A war that may end the lives of the mortals."
"As you have said, Zeus, Perseus has no help of the mortals in this journey." Athena said. "As a demigod, Perseus has great strength, but his quest to the Underworld, will take more than what he has been given. Perhaps the help from the Gods will give Perseus a fair chance."
Zeus turned out to the other Gods.
"Athena makes a bold statement, but a correct statement at that." Dionysus said.
Several other Gods nodded.
"Very well. But an action like this will require the vote of the council." Zeus said. "For those in favor of aiding Perseus."
All Gods and Goddess' rose from their chairs and stood on the floor before Zeus, even Ares. Zeus smirked and nodded.
"The council has spoken." Zeus said. "Hermes, send word to Hephaestus. Have him forge a shield. Then send it to Perseus."
"If it pleases you, Zeus." Athena asked. "I wish to send a gift of my own to aid young Perseus."
Zeus nodded. "So be it."