Macris was mildly humming one of Apollo's latest masterpieces as she traipsed along the crystal clear stream. Being friends with one of the sweetest goddesses in existence had its perks. Macris was not only up to date with the Olympian gossip but was also one of the very few nymphs to have attended personally to most deities.
But Macris had learnt her lesson about gods. At least, the vengeful ones. She sighed, not wanting to taint her mood by thinking dark thoughts. Crete has been her home for so long. And she loved the peaceful atmosphere here. The late sun rising beautifully to shower the sweet scented tiny flowers in the meadow with its lustrous rays, the birds chirping, singing their own happy tunes, dusk coming in all its glory to merge with cloudless nights filled with starlight, all emitted a strong sense of calmness. Nothing could go amiss in Crete.
Thinking of the two eager faces waiting for her return back home, Macris increased her pace.
She tripped on a tiny bough and managed to steady herself after a moment. Her heart was still hammering when she heard another twig break behind her. She swirled around only to find there was no one there.
The woods had gotten eerily quiet. The birds had stopped singing. The silence was deafening.
Until she broke it with a blood curdling scream.
Hermes thought he heard raised voices as he touched down on the blessed grounds of Enna. He tiptoed around the carefully tended flowers in front of Demeter's simple but large abode. Inside he found the Karpophoroi engaged in a heated debate. But when Kore was wearing a girly white chiton and Demeter was arranging flowers and tying them into small bouquets as they argued, they looked less like two divine powerful creatures and more like a mortal mother and child having a disagreement. Enna always made you feel at home.
"Mother, this is getting ridiculous! I am not a child! I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself and I don't want you tailing me every single moment of my life!" said an apparently flustered Kore.
Ah… so the age ol' discussion, thought Hermes, shaking his head.
He cleared his throat loudly to indicate his presence to the goddesses. Both heads turned his way, one with an expression of glee and the other with annoyance and disapproval. After appraising Hermes for a moment, Demeter turned towards her daughter and asked in a reproving tone, "Kore did you invite the Messenger of Gods? I don't remember any cause for him to be here for there are no meetings or celebrations at Olympus in this time of the year is there?" she asked, suspicion clear on her face.
"Great goddess of grain, before you could start railing Kore for nothing, I should inform you that I am not here for business, but for friendship. It has been so long…. Seven mortal years I think, since I saw Kore in a winter solstice meeting. Today I have found some spare time so I decided to spend it with my sister." Hermes spoke confidentally.
Impressive, thought Kore. Years of bridging between the most fickle creatures in existence- the gods, had made Hermes a master of words. Always the diplomat, he knew how to pass a drudge for a priceless gemstone, just with his words.
Demeter did not lash out at him immediately, meaning there was hope. After a few more minutes of silent anticipation, Kore was granted permission to spend the day with her brother. "Do not go near the lake, I don't like the naiads and keep away from the Eastern woods. Be back before sunset!" Demeter called after the retreating pair.
As soon as Kore was out of her mother's earshot she whooped and did a small step of girlish exultation. She was beaming ear to ear. "Smart move, Elephant Ears!" she said wiggling her eyebrows at Hermes. "You managed to convince my mother that we are going for an evening stroll! Brilliant!"
"How lady like." Hermes said, rolling his eyes. "You call me by that vile name once again, then I will let the entire world will know about your 'thi-iing' he said in a sing song voice, smirking as he saw her face turn red.
"You wouldn't dare" she tried to sound threatening but her voice betrayed her doubt.
"We'll see."
"So… why are you really here? Do you need some help in selecting the right flowers for one of your nymph friends?" Kore questioned nonchalantly.
"Kore! You wound me by assuming low of my love for you" he said with mock anger and hurt.
"Stop your drama and get on with it already. My curiosity needs to be feared ignorant boy…" she replied playfully scolding him.
"Well a select few Olympians have decided to have a friendly contest in Crete and since it is close to your abode, I thought it would be nice if you help us organise it."
"When is this 'friendly contest?' of yours?" Kore asked raising her eyebrows.
"Tomorrow."
"And by 'select few Olympians', you mean…."
"Well Athena, Artemis, Hebe, Rhene, Aite, Ares, Dionysus and a special guest."
"Special guest?"
"A rather sunny guy, yes." Hermes replied not bothering to hide his smirk. It was rare to see this carefree goddess blush with embarrassment.
"So you will use me for arrangements then desert me when you face my mother. You are truly courageous indeed" Kore snapped.
"Aww… come on sweet heart, don't be cross. I promise I will personally make sure that you take part in the gala tomorrow. Happy?"
"I shall find a suitable place in Crete and inform you tomorrow. Don't blabber about my part in this to anyone else, lest it reach my mother's ears and I be locked away for the rest of eternity."
"That's a good girl"
Their evening stroll stretched into early night and Kore did not realize just how much time had passed until they saw an agitated dryad running towards them. She gave them a hasty bow and began-
"Milady, we have been searching up and down for you-"
"I know, I know, I am late. Tell mother not to fret, I will come shortly-"
"No great goddess, it is not your mother. It is Macris."
"What of Macris?" Kore asked, her gut twisting with an unpleasant feeling.
"Milady…. I am so sorry."
"Stop beating around the bush and tell me what it is!" Kore replied, her patience waning.
The dryad gave Hermes an uncomfortable look and then turned towards Kore in the way of asking if it was okay to reveal the sensitive news in front of an Olympian. Kore wouldn't have minded it in other situations but she had a shrewd suspicion that an Olympian was involved in this. Everyone in Sicily knew Macris' history with the gods.
"I am so sorry Hermes-" Kore began
"I understand Kore. I shall meet with you tomorrow" Hermes placed a chaste kiss on her hand and took off.
"Now tell me the matter."
"Miladay…. It looks like Macris was assaulted in Crete. A naiad found her covered in her own blood in a cave shortly before dusk. She briefed the naiad of the attack in her dying breath and when the young nymph tried to call for help, Macris unable to stand the humiliation of someone seeing her in that pitiable state, embraced the Grim Reaper with her own hands."
The words fell like thunder on Kore's ears.
She couldn't breathe properly. "Wh-what…. Macris….. no way…." She whispered.
Surely this was some kind of sick joke. Macris was a strong woman. She wouldn't succumb to death like that. But the evidences were strong. Even though her mind denied processing it, Kore knew that this was true. And that realization broke her from her bout of shock. The tears flowed as the impact of the news sunk into her.
Macris, her dear Macris who told her bedtime stories, took her walking when her mother was busy, taught her how to weave flowers was dead.
Dead. The word itself sounded bitter.
And then another horrible realization hit Kore.
Macris had committed suicide. Macris had committed an unforgivable sin. Macris was condemned.
The night was cloudy. There was no starlight to guide Kore through the woods. As soon as she heard the news about her dear friend and close companion, she sent word through the dryad to her mother saying that she will stay with Macris' mortal friends to give her a proper burial and return the next day.
But it was not Macris' island she was heading to. For all Kore cared, Macris was murdered and she sought justice. Maybe this death was insignificant to the other gods but to her every life mattered. Just the picture of Macris' boys eagerly waiting for her return every dusk, brought tear to Kore's eyes. Whoever had committed this heinous sin had not only killed a woman but had also torn apart a family. They shall not go unpunished. With all these thoughts to fuel her purpose, Kore walked with swift steps into the woods.
The woods looked unfriendly in the darkness. She had been here hundreds of times in the daylight, but this was her first venture in the night. She heard a wolf howl in the background. It was so dark that she could not see the back of her own hand. Only if I had learnt how to produce firelight from Hestia! She thought, wishing she were more equipped.
After some more time walking in the dark, Kore saw smoke coming from somewhere ahead. Farther, the trees were thinning and she could spot a light. Sounds of dogs barking reached her ears.
When she reached the clearing she saw a battered down cottage. It looked dull and dirty and on closer inspection she noticed that broken pieces of glass, pottery mixed with clay and mud made the house. Odd trinkets and charms hung over the door and on the old oak door itself was a strange symbol which looked like three lines under a curve, all of them pierced by a straight line.
Two hounds were tied in the space before the house and they barked non-stop at Kore. She could do nothing but stare until the door opened.
"Boys, quiet!" said a croaky voice. Before Kore stood a woman bent with age. She had wrinkles all over her face and her hair was a mixture of white and dirty grey. She wore earrings which were so large and looked so heavy that her earlobes hung over an inch long. She wore multiple chains and rings and her nose was pierced.
If Kore hadn't had so much resolve, she would have retched.
"Who could this be…..?" said the crone stepping closer to Kore. She raised a hand to Kore's cheek, pinching it in a seemingly grandmotherly fashion, but Kore retreated quickly. This was a woman who was not to be easily trusted.
"I want your help." Kore said, trying to sound as confident as possible.
"Hm… and what help would a beautiful girl such as yourself want from a poor lady like me?" her cloy words sickened Kore. She understood the mortal's insinuation. She expected payment.
Kore dangled a piece of amethyst before the woman's head and said in an authoritative tone, "Both of us know you are a witch pretending be Atropos, one of the Fates. And you must also know that impersonating an immortal is a damnable hubris. I mean business. You can either take this and give me what I want or risk being exposed."
Even in the moonlight Kore could see the colour drain out of the woman's face. "What do you desire?" she whisperes in a shaken tone.
"I want to learn a ritual."
"Which one?"
"The one that will take me to the Underworld."
Charon flexed his fingers gingerly. Rowing the dead up and down all day without rest made even the immortal souls tired. He banked the ferry on the other end of the Acheron, away from the souls of the restless unburied. It was one of the pains that came with his job- watching the souls with no money wander helplessly because he wouldn't let them enter. Guilt was merciless. But there were laws for the Underworld and Hades Aidoneus himself could not defy them.
All material wealth to the above world went from the Underworld. And the Underworld would not admit anyone who was not grateful. Contrary to general belief, the coins were neither a bribe nor payment to Charon, but a tribute to the Netherworld itself.
Just as he was about to call it a day and retire, Charon saw a bright light come from across the river. He squinted his eyes, viewing with more precision than mortal eyes could dream of.
On the other bank was a soul, dressed in pure white. Only the soul didn't look dead. It looked alive …..
And very much like a goddess.
"Thanatos! Thanatos!"
Thanatos who was carrying several scrolls and parchments from the scribes to the Judges, looked around to find Charon running towards him.
"What's the matter Charon?" he inquired, genuinely concerned. Seeing Charon inside the Palace of the Underworld was almost as rare as seeing Hades above the Underworld.
"There is a girl waiting on the banks of the Acheron, claiming to be a goddess. She demands an audience with the Lord."
"What?!" Thanatos took flight even as his brain was processing the information. "Charon, notify Rhadamanthus immediately. Lord Hades won't be pleased."
This place is eerily quiet…. Thought Kore as she sat down on a rock near the river bed. Personally she had never been anywhere outside Greece. She looked around her.
This river was much bigger than any river she had seen in Enna. Her meagre knowledge of the Other Side told her that this one must be Acheron, the river of pain.
When she had entered, she had crossed the boundary of the two worlds at the junction of three rivers, Phlegethon, the river of fire, Cocytus, the river of woe and Acheron. She had walked along the bank of the river for what seemed like hours before she had seen any form of light. It had been one of the scariest experiences in her life.
She would not have blindly taken this path had the witch not clearly told her that she had to follow the Acheron in the dark till she saw the fearsome Ferryman of the rivers of the Underworld, Charon.
Right when she had thought that she would faint of thirst and fatigue, she had seen a mild blue light. Quite literally, a ray of hope. As she neared, she had noticed the Ferryman rowing away, to the opposite bank. She had signalled to him and he had turned and rowed the mammoth ferry towards her with such speed and vigour that she had considered running away.
"Are you alive?" were the first words she had heard in hours.
"Very much, thank you. I would like to meet the Lord of the Underworld. Please." She couldn't keep the desperation from seeping into her voice.
"What's your name?"
Kore had hesitated before answering. 'Kore' the sweet maiden didn't seem like a name she would use in such a macabre place such as this. She wanted the denizens of the Underworld to take her seriously. What name would serve that purpose?...
But before she could think up of a name, the Ferryman was rowing away already. "Hey! Come back here!" Kore had shouted and it had echoed throughout the vast cavern. Cavern was an understatement.
"Wait" was the only reply she had received.
Now as she looked around, she noticed that high up, on the ceiling, dark shiny objects were embedded. The ceiling was rough and fresh. It was not polished like in Olympus. But the raw nature of the place made her feel oddly comfortable…..
Her peaceful train of thought was broken when she saw two men approaching her. One was Charon on his boat and another was a thin man with obsidian eyes who seemed to be floating on top of the water. He had white blond hair and everything from his triangular face to his waxy skin to his white wings was creepy.
The man smoothly landed on the bank next to her and Charon anchored his ferry.
"I am Thanatos and I have been told that you seek an audience with our Lord." Spoke the winged man. "Before that I would like to know how you found the entrance to the Underworld. We were under the impression that it was well concealed."
"It was very difficult to spot it, yes. What with all those vines and plants covering the entrance. But I had sources tell me the precise location, which made it easier for me."
"What 'sources' may I know?" the man asked in a careful voice, taking the bait exactly as she wanted.
"Wouldn't an audience with your Lord prove a fair price for that information?" she said, keeping her tone neutral.
Frustration flashed in Thanatos' eyes and he did not respond for a few seconds, waiting for her to budge. Kore stood firm. After sometime he seemed to understand that she meant business and grudgingly motioned towards the ferry.
"This better be good" he said and took off.
Once he was gone, Kore let a breath she hadn't realized she had been holding. Here we go! She thought as the ferry set in motion.
"You lo-look ammmmaziii-ng.*hiccough* Lord Dionysus….." the nymph lying on top of him blabbered. The one lying across was playing with her hair sleepily, under the impression that it was his hand. Dionysus himself had a giddy smile on his face, the after effects of the most powerful wine in Olympus.
The door of his chambers suddenly flew open and Athena stormed in. The chaste goddess was not made a least bit uncomfortable by the sight before her. Two half- naked nymphs with a drunken Dionysus. She had spent too much time in Olympus for that.
"Get up Dionysus. I have serious matters to discuss with you"
"Serious matters? With me? Did you too have a shot yesterday 'thena?" replied Dionysus drowsily.
Athena, who had no patience for this, kicked the nymph on top of him. She shrieked, waking up her friend. They saw the livid goddess and scrambled away hastily.
This effectively brought the wine-god to his senses. "What the hell woman?!"
"Macris is dead."
"Macris who?"
Athena shot him a disgusted look. "Macris, the woman who cared for you when you were a babe. Even though she knew she would incur Hera's wrath for that as you were one of Zeus' illegitimate children, she did so and got banished from her homelands. If I were you Dionysus, I would be scouring Hellas to find her attacker, not sleeping with these vermin." She said.
"Holy Olympus" whispered Dionysus who had gone white in the face. "This is not going unpunished Athena."
"Before that you might want to go to Crete to attend her funeral. Kore is there too." Athena said. Dionysus exited.
The ferry ride was quiet. Under normal circumstances, Kore would have made an effort to initiate conversation and break the tension. But today she was too absorbed in her own sorrow that she didn't even notice when they had reached their destination.
The biggest building she had ever seen, lay before her eyes. The walls themselves were made up of a rich deep brown material which looked black until you observed keenly. Here too dark stones were embedded here and there. There were no elaborate carvings or designs. In fact, the basic structure was quite straight-forward. But it was anything but simple. There was such finery and skill in the very cut of a pillar that one would be tempted to run their hands along the wall.
"Wait in the pergola for the escort" Charon grunted. In the distance a tall thin man approached her. He appeared to be in his fifties, judging by his graying hair. But also judging by the pale way he looked, he might as well be a dead person.
"I am Rhadamanthus, judge of the Asian souls. Follow me young lady." He appeared quite friendly and had a fatherly air around him. Kore's fears subsided a little, and by the looks of it, she was going to need all the wit and courage in the world.
At the far end of the exasperatingly long corridor, Kore spotted the most majestic and royal doors ever. It was beautiful. It was intimidating.
"Are you ready?" Rhadamanthus asked, glancing at her sideways. Kore took a deep breath. Rhadamanthus knocked thrice and the doors opened.
Inside, the gigantic hall was empty except for wooden benches with parchments and quills on one side and railings on the other. In the far end, right in the middle was a single throne. An exact replica of what she saw in Olympus during her first meeting. Obsidian throne with black diamonds forming the outline of an asphodel.
On that throne sat the fate of her friend. The God of Riches. The Lord of the Underworld.
On that throne sat Hades Aidoneus.