I couldn't resist.
"He broke the agreement!" Lachesis shouted, throwing a goblet of wine across the room, it smacking into the far wall, spilling the fluids about. "He swore to not use his gift, and what does he do? He uses it! He, not only takes a soul, but brings it back too! He is out of control! We should have stripped him of his godhood."
"You know we cannot do that, Sister," Clotho says as she sits patiently before the fire they stared into, Hecate's thread repairing itself in her palms. "You made him a deal, and what kind of Fates would we be if we broke our end?"
"The kind who gets revenge on those that break their agreements to us!" Lachesis shouts. "We had her ready to die! Her time had come, Atropos cut her thread and it matters not because he just gave her back! He took her from us! Hecate was meant to die!"
"Oh, shut your mouth, Lachesis," Atropos speaks up, standing from her place in her own throne, making herself taller than the middle sister. "When they die is not your call to make, but mine."
"And you were about to cut her thread," Lachesis says.
"Aye, I was," Atropos agrees. "But I missed my chance to cut Hecate's thread with my sheers for it just split in two by Hades' command, but I have cut many other threads for the past ten years, and not one of those threads have been repaired for the past ten years. She was the first one he brought back and took."
Lachesis laughs with some snarky sarcasm, as if she couldn't believe the position her sister was taking on the matter. "You cannot be serious. You are actually condoning this behavior? He deliberately went against your word!"
"And my word will be the last word!" Atropos shouts. "You just wait and see. Hades will regret his decision in bringing and taking life when I say otherwise. He will learn to fear us, to not reject our power. He will learn, dear sisters ... but he will learn the hard way." Atropos turns and begins to stride back to her throne, twirling her sheers with her fingers. "Let him give and take as many souls without our consent as he likes. In the end, when this war is over, he will come to regret his decisions." She sat down proudly, crossing her legs, her dark robes cascading over her flawless flesh. "Just wait and see, dear sisters. Just wait and see."
There was a thin layer of fog that covered the surface of the river the further into the abyss they went, Charon still pushing the boat forward. Deeper and deeper into the blackness, the only light source were the two torches that were seated upon the bow and aft of the boat. All eyes shifted from left and right, up and down, looking all about, attempting to see as much of their surroundings as they could.
They came around to a much larger piece of river, one that intercepted with the one that Charon rowed upon. The ferrymen stuck out his stick, preventing the boat from drifting any further. Hades stood and managed to snake his way to the bow of the boat, looking into the distance, but barely able to see.
"This is as far as you have come before, Charon?" Hades asked, to which his companion replied with a small, "Yes."
"That rivers runs both ways. I have never seen anything like it before. I always stop here because, well ... it was just too strange for me," Charon explains.
"This must be the larger river we saw on the map," Hades commented. "The one that crosses between the land of the living and the realm of the dead." He squinted his eyes, attempting to look closer, but the light source was so little, he could barely see his nose. All they could do was listen to the sound of the flowing water. "We should follow it."
"Follow it?" Thanatos questioned. "No offense, my Lord, but are you mad? We know not of where it goes."
"Yes, we do," Hades objected. "It goes to another river that leads to Tartarus, which is exactly where we want to go."
Prometheus leaned over to Charon. "You don't hear that everyday."
Charon scoffed. "You don't hear that ever."
"Hades," Zeus spoke in protest, "as much as we want to rescue the creatures that can help us win the war, we can barely see three feet in front of us. How are we suppose to know where the rivers meet?"
Hades sighed, blowing up a black bang that hung his face. His hair was growing a bit long again, Agape barely ever having a spare moment to cut it. She was either too busy with preparing supplies and food for the war, tending to the wounded, or after having shaved Hades' face the two got ... distracted.
Hades turned back to Charon, who awaited his commands patiently, and while Hades knew that the boatman would happily push on, straight into the abyss, he was well aware of the look of doubt that the others wore. He wasn't about to force them to accompany him into a place they had no desire to venture into unguided, so he settled.
"Charon, how deep is the water?" he questioned.
Charon removed his pole from the river and held it up against him, he and Hades being about the same height.
"About up to your knees, my Lord," Charon replied. "Why?"
Hades did not bother to give a response. He simply swung his legs over the side of the boat and allowed himself to plop into the water, splashing just a hint of it up when he did so.
"My Lord!" Prometheus shouts, standing up in haste and nearly capsizing the vessel. "The souls! Got out of there!" He attempted to reach out and grabbed Hades, but he was just out of reach, Prometheus missing him by less than an inch.
"Hades!" Zeus bellowed following his brother as he walked towards the bow of the boat with his eyes. "Get your ass back on this boat!"
But the oldest brother refused to listen, marching forward in a bit of a struggle with the water and his heavy robes in the way.
"Hades, get back here!" Poseidon chimed in, agreeing with Zeus and both younger brothers demanding the eldest returned to his place on the boat. "You're going to get stuck in there and we are going to have to get you before something else does!"
And yet Hades walked closer to the bow, nearly there. Just a few more steps.
"Stop!" Poseidon and Zeus shouted as the others crowded around the bow to watch him, nearly causing the boat to flip over and Charon to lose his balance. But he saved himself and the vessel by stabbing the bottom of the river with his pole, steadying them all.
"Don't you dare!" Poseidon called. Hades ignored him and reached up for the torch positioned on the bow. "If you put one hand on that torch-"
"Hades, are you listening?" Zeus called over his older brother.
"Do not touch the-" Poseidon was cut off when Hades removed the torch from the boat, holding it in his own hand, lifting it high, nearly above his head.
"HADES!" everyone onboard shouted, but grew in silence when the scene before them began to unfold.
Hades noticed that their faces had grown pale and that their eyes had grown wide, similar to how they looked when they first saw Mother Gaia standing outside their tents. Hades knew something was wrong, for no one in the boat was looking at him. Rather, they looked passed him, gazing at whatever was behind him. Hades turned swiftly to see souls. At least a dozen souls, now standing and looking at him with distain, the water from the river passing right through them.
They stared at Hades and Hades stared right back at them.
"Lord Hades, they'll pull you in," Prometheus warned through gritted teeth, all attempting to remain as still as possible, yet Hades did not move and neither did the souls.
They stared at Hades and Hades stared right back at them.
...And they stared.
...And they stared.
...And they stared.
And finally, the souls laid back down in the water of the flowing river and allowed themselves to be carried away by the gentle current, drifting off towards the empty realm that was the Underworld.
Those aboard the tiny wooden vessel were shocked by the turn of events, unable to comprehend what had just taken place. They shared in peculiar glances, hoping that one of them may have the answer, but no one spoke. They all stood in dumb silence as Hades marched forward through the water, torch in hand. He stopped when he met the crossroads of the rivers, looking back to his companions that waited aboard the boat.
"You coming or not?" he questioned them as he trudged further down the river, his robes growing soaked with the water that consumed them, trailing up towards his waist despite the water not even being that high.
Charon removed his head from the clouds, stuck his pole into the bottom of the river, and pushed the vessel forward, following Hades as he marched through the intercepting waters. He made a left turn and continued straight, scanning his surroundings with awe and curiosity.
So this ... this is the place where the dead souls go? This is what happens to them when they have no one? No one to guide them, left astray in a realm that was unattended? The Underworld just, sort of, existed. It served no other purpose than to be a place to go for those that passed.
Hades looked down, staring at the water and the souls that passed by him as the river carried them away, down the running water that he walked through with some ease and a tint of grace. And as each soul passed, they gently touched his leg or reached up to grab his hand, as if welcoming him or worshipping him in the land of the dead. Hades acknowledged their gestures and was cautious when he walked, attempting not to step on any of them.
"What are they doing?" Thanatos questioned, trying with all he could to see the scene that was taking place before the ferryboat.
As curious as ever, Poseidon turned and looked to Hades. He watched as the souls lifted their hands, brushing Hades as they passed him. The water master had never been so confused before, the same feeling applying to everyone in the boat.
"They are touching him," he tells his companions. "Like, reaching out from the surface to touch him, almost like ... they are worshiping him or showing him fealty."
"They cannot touch him," Prometheus comments, concerning Poseidon who turns to face the titan at these words.
"Why not? What will happen?" he asks in panic.
"Nothing if they have not done anything already," Prometheus explains. "But ... they should not be able to touch him and he not able to touch them. He should just pass right through them."
"Well," Zeus said as he peeked over the bow of the boat to his older brother, "looks like you are wrong for once, Prometheus." All eyes shifted to Zeus. "Because he is taking their hands in his," Zeus looked back to them, "and he is holding onto them."
Sure enough, whenever a soul reached up to touch Hades, he greeted them with a similar gesture, taking their reaching hands in his own, as if accepting their welcome and praise.
Forward he traveled till he reached another indent in the river, this one leading to another smaller river, and Hades found the water to be slightly warmer than it was before. The souls dared not to slither down that way, but rather followed the main river further away. Hades held the torch up, looking beyond the thinner river, knowing very well where it lead to.
"This way, I would assume," Hades said as he marched forward through the water, entering the next river.
Some souls grabbed ahold of his robes, attempting to pull him back. Hades just turned his head to them, matched his eyes with their's, and just as before, they laid back down and allowed the water to carry them away. It was amazing, but not even Hades had the full knowledge of it in that moment.
Free from any grasp, Hades walked forward through the water, it growing just a bit deep, now climbing up to his waist. Charon pushed the boat with the pole closely behind Hades, but the oldest brother placed his hand on the bow, informing Charon to cease in his task.
"What is it?" Poseidon questions.
Hades replies, "I see it."
"See what?" Zeus questions.
"Tartarus," Hades answers, staring straight ahead.
Sure enough, in the distance, was a bright flicker of red light, glowing with a fantastic orange that signified there was fire in that space. Fire or lava or something, anything, with a bright flame like the one they saw. Already this close, as well, they all could hear the slight groans of whatever creatures lingered inside. The mournful whispers of agonies echoed gently in the ears of those that have come to free them. Quiet voices, ones that seemed strained, as if they have been calling out for help for centuries, but no one dared to answer.
"Now what?" Thanatos questioned.
Hades furrowed his brow in wonder, knowing that another beast of great power was lingering freely just a short distance away. He also knew that if Cronus had set the beast up to guard something as large as a giant, than this guard- whatever it was- must hold some amazing strength to it.
"I need one volunteer," Hades finally concludes as he turns to the boat, torch still high in hand. "One of you needs to come with me."
Of course, hands did not go flying up at that request, rather, those onboard would have much rather desired to, perhaps, purpose a different plan. Even Prometheus was reluctant this time around, but Charon was young and brave, and Hades and he had become great allies.
"I will go with you, my Lord," Charon says proudly. "I will gladly follow."
Hades was not too sure about bringing Charon along with him. Not because Charon was not a skilled fighter or a coward, because Charon was great at fighting and has proven himself to be brave on many occasions. Rather, it was the fact that Charon was so young and so close to Hades that he had no desire to have anything happen to him on this quest. Besides, he had the least likely chance of coming out alive.
"No," Thanatos spoke up before Hades could protest to Charon's words. "No, I will not have you do that." He turns to Hades. "My Lord, I will go with you in my brother's place. Just, please, do not make him go."
"I would never make anyone do anything, Thanatos, but I will happily accept your offer to accompany me," Hades replied. "We are not to engage in battle, only to review the competition. Do you understand?"
Thanatos dipped his head in compliance. "Aye, my Lord."
He then swung his legs over the side of the boat and allowed himself to plop into the waist deep water, become drenched in the river's contents, and feel a tad bit unsteady. It did not feel like regular water, rather, it felt almost thick. Almost like there was something else besides water mixed within. A slim or goo that made it difficult to walk through.
Whatever it was, Thanatos ignored it, forcing himself to walk forward and reach Hades' side, prepared to continue onwards. Hades turned back to his companions on the boat and said, "If anything goes wrong, leave and do not look for us."
"How do we know if something went wrong?" Poseidon asks with a tint of fear.
"Trust me," Hades answers, "you'll know."
Charon removes the other torch from the back of the ferry, passing it up towards the front so it could replace the one that was about to enter Tartarus, in case they needed a guide. Hades looked to Thanatos one last time for confirmation that he was comfortable with the plan, and his ally agreed, nodding his head and prepared to follow Hades into the fiery abyss.
Everything was always a mess in there. He never knew how to keep anything straightened up and she often complained about his messy tendencies, but he never seem to take her seriously. She was never taken seriously because of how young she was, but she has grown. She was no longer cute, but rather beautiful. No longer petite, but grown, and she no longer spoke with a mouse-squeak, rather she had her own soft flowing voice that sounded like a siren's. Yes, Agape has grown.
She spent her time worrying. She would often feel her heart beat fast, hoping that the gods would not return with Hades dead in their arms, blood gushing from his body. She hoped he would always return with all limbs still attached. And she always hoped he would return to tell her that the battle was won peacefully, and no more blood had to be spilled. She has been hoping for the same things everyday for the past ten years. And everyday, only two of those hopes came true.
In order to distract herself from her worrying and fright, Agape would busy herself by attempting to straighten up the tent, weaving more robes, cooking more food than required, and so on. Anything and everything she could to keep her mind on something besides Hades, she did. Like now, she was straightening up the tent to the best of her abilities.
She started by rolling up the blood soaked blanket that Hades had laid on not too long ago, and even though she knew the stain was hopeless, she was going to try and clean it at some point, so she put it off to the side of the tent.
She then collected all the pieces of ruined robe that laid about the floor. Pieces that have been torn because they were in the way of her getting to a wound, they were soaked in another's blood, or they had been completely damaged in battle and not worth the time to bother to mend. It would be easier to just make new ones.
Tethys entered the tent at some point in Agape's busy work, watching as the servant girl ran back and forth between all corners of the tent, keeping her mind off of the place Hades had ventured to.
"You seem troubled, Agape," Tethys notes. "May I come in?"
"Of course," Agape says with a smile and a cheery voice, but that does not prevent her from ceasing in her work.
Tethys accepts the invitation she had been granted and walks immediately towards the alcohol table that had been set up in one of the four corners of the tent. However, Tethys never took her eyes off of Agape. For the past ten years, Tethys looked to Agape sweetly and with tenderness, always watched as she did something in clear and present view. Tethys always watched Agape as if she had not seen her in years.
"May I?" she asks, gesturing to the red wine in a glass bottle and a few chalices beside it.
Agape peeks up from her work to see what Tethys was asking about, and she had no issue with the woman helping herself to some of the red wine. There was plenty more of it on the grounds.
"Sure. Of course," Agape replies before picking up another piece of used robe, adding it to the pile that would be burned to keep the fire going.
"I must apologize to you, Agape," Tethys begins as she pours herself some wine.
"Apologize for what?" Agape questions with a giggle. "You have done no wrong to me."
"Oh, I am afraid I have," Tethys says as she sits down with her chalice of wine, seemingly nervous.
"What could possibly trouble you so?" Agape asked, now focusing her attention on Tethys, brushing back her befallen hair from her face so that nothing was obstructing her vision of the woman that took a seat before her.
"It is something that has been troubling me for years, Agape," Tethys says. "I only bring it up now because of current events ... they make me feel as though I am running out of time." She takes a sip of her wine, a bit shaky. "Please," she gestures to the chair across form her, "sit. I need to tell you a story."
"Will I find this story interesting?" Agape teases as she obeys Tethys' request, sitting across from her and even pouring her own chalice of wine.
"I am certain you will," Tethys said in return to Agape's comment. "Agape, just earlier today, before everyone went off for battle, Oceanus took Poseidon to the spring to practice more of his abilities. While there, they spotted one of the water nymphs."
Agape knew that all nymphs were daughters of Tethys and Oceanus. Every last one of them.
"She was beautiful," Tethys continued. "She was dancing elegantly in the water, making it dance with her. She was so peaceful." She took another sip of wine. "That peace broke shortly thereafter. A titan was lingering by the water. He put an arrow in her head."
Agape's small smile faded at those words and she had no clue on what to say in response. Yes, there were many nymphs, but they were all Tethys's. Agape blinked her eyes rapidly, attempting to clam the tears she felt would leak and found herself twisting the chalice between her palms out of some nervous tick.
Tethys seemed emotionless, as if she had no idea where she was to go next with this story. After another sip of wine she decided to just speak freely.
"Agape, I don't want you feeling sorry for me, or anything like," Tethys said. "I just want you to know the truth because hearing that story made me realize that ... no matter how badly we want it, we are not going to be here forever. Some of us, maybe, but there is a good chance that you and I might end up in the ground one day. We don't get to live forever. So, I just wanted to tell, so that at least you would know the truth in case anything happens. You are old enough now to know the truth."
Agape was confused, opening her mouth to speak, but shutting it, unsure of what to ask. She had no idea that she had been living a lie this hold time, so what honest piece of information could Tethys have that Agape knew nothing about?
"Agape," Tethys continued when the servant girl was able to speak nothing, "you're parents ... they did not abandon you. They were not killed. You were never alone in this world. The reason you were taken in by the queen, a servant your entire life, was because you were born different. When your mother gave birth to you, you came out a bit peculiar and the king didn't like that about you. He was going to throw you onto earth to die or sentence you to live in Tartarus.
"Your father brought you down to earth, but Queen Rhea brought you back up with her after she safely secured Lord Zeus in Mount Ida. She took you in as her servant, gave you a life ... changed your name."
When Tethys paused to take another sip of wine, Agape found it within herself to speak up and ask the pending question on her mind.
"How do you know all of this ... if you don't mind me asking?"
Tethys rested her chalice on the table she had picked it up from and smiled sincerely at Agape, almost admiring her for her beauty and truly in awe of how much she had grown.
"You were, what the titans considered to be, the 'runt of the litter,' Sweetie," Tethys replies. "You were born with light hair and no powers, the last to be born." She shakes her head. "A nymph without magic ... Cronus found that to be very odd. But your father and I ... we didn't care."
Agape's heart beat rapidly in her chest and she felt as though her lungs were being deprived of air. She was frozen, shocked still into place. All of this time ... all of her life, she believed herself to be a tiny titan, one born without strength or superiority, her own parents not even wanting her. Her whole life ... it was a lie. Even her name.
"Wh-" she tried to speak. She had to swallow first, make her mouth moist again before she could ask.
"What was my name?"
Tethys smiled, a single tear streaming from her eye before she answered her daughter's question.
"Leuce."
"So ... what are we looking for, exactly?" Thanatos questioned as they trudged through the water, still as thick as ever, as though it were mud.
"A monster," Hades answered teasingly in a sinister voice, almost as if to frighten Thanatos, but the loyal servant seemed not to be afraid of anything.
"Funny, Hades," Thanatos spoke freely. "But, seriously, what is this thing going to look like?"
"The beasts within Tartarus or the one that is guarding them?" Hades questions. "Mother Gaia explained what her children look like; three giants of fierce strength with a hundred hands and fifty heads." Hades peeked back at Thanatos. "That should be mighty helpful in a war against the titans, wouldn't you agree?" Thanatos merely twisted a brow. "Then the other," Hades continues as he trudges forward, turning his attention back to the distance before him, "is said to have more power than any of the titans, a giant eye in the middle of his head instead of two. Don't know what he is good for, but we will certainly find out once we release him."
"Uh, Hades," Thanatos spoke up, "don't you mean, if we release them?"
Hades stopped and turned back to Thanatos to catch his eyes.
"What is this if you speak of?" Hades answers with his own question.
"Well, I was just wondering ... what if they are bitter about us releasing them just to have them fight in the war with us? Or they fear they will just be locked in Tartarus again? I mean, what if they just go on a killing spree, attempting to get away from anyone who would suppress them?"
"You bring up a very valid point, Thanatos," Hades responses. "So, I guess we will just have to converse with them before we open up their prisoner bars, don't you think?"
"I assume you would be the one to speak to them?" Thanatos suggest. "You do have quite the reputation when it comes to speaking to people and convincing them to join your side."
Hades snickered before turning his attention back to face frontwards and doused the torch into the river.
"Oh! Why did y-" Hades covered Thanatos mouth to silence him and pushed his fellow fighter back some, hiding behind one of the structures that resembled the side of a mountain, sinking into the shadows and lowering themselves down in the water, it being up to their shoulders know.
There was a sound besides that echo of the running water. It was not of the two breathing or speaking either. Rather, it was the sound of rocks adjusting, sliding. Not large rocks, but tiny ones that were seemingly scrapping against the surface of the landmasses in the Underworld. Hades and Thanatos listened closely, attempting to locate the sound, looking for the source in the dark.
"Be calm," Hades whispers to Thanatos, who nods, telling his superior that he knew to be silent and not be heard.
The gates of Tartarus were not too far away. Just a few feet in the near distance. So close, the red lava flowed down the side of the rock foundation, the gates leaking the hot liquid. The gates- or large rocks with bars crafted by Prometheus when he served Cronus- was what prevented the creatures from the other side to escape.
Hades grabbed ahold of Thanatos' arm, leading him towards the gates of Tartarus, staying low in the water and close to the walls, not wanting to be spotted or heard. The sounds of the slithering and tripping of rocks continued to echo in the area, followed by the sound of a woman's voice.
"I know you are in here," it hisses, still slithering about. "I know you lurk in these halls. Well, where are you? Come out now ... don't be shy."
Hades and Thanatos creeped closer and closer to Tartarus, the sounds of weeping and burning flames growing louder in their ears. Staying against the wall, moving closer and closer, the sound of the woman's voice growing as well.
"Where are you?" she asks as she nears them. "Where are you? Where are you?"
Just about to reach the gates, Hades and Thanatos dare to remove themselves from the wall to approach Tartarus. So near, almost there.
"There you are."
Hades tugs harshly on Thanatos' arm, pulling him closer in the water, only to feel a slight weight difference. It was so much easier to pull Thanatos along, too easy. Almost like, he was just pulling a stick across the water.
Hades turned to check on Thanatos' wellbeing, but the test was a fail. Tight in Hades' grasp was only Thanatos arm, detached from his body. Hades looked up when he felt something warm drip onto his forehead.
Directly above him, hanging over his head was Thanatos, impaled by a large, scorpion tail. The poor soul stared at his wound, too in shock to feel any pain, rather just amazed in the most horrific of ways. Blood oozed from his chest and leaked from the open wound in his arm. He looked to Hades, uttering his name with what little breath he had.
"Hades."
The creature's eyes lit up in a magnificent orange color, glowing embers in the abyss. And as Hades backed away into the light that illuminated from Tartarus, the creature grew closer, smiling wide at the haunt she was inflicting upon the oldest son of Cronus. Further and further away from the deepest part of the river, Hades backed, but the creature grew closer and closer, and soon she was in full view.
An enormous beast with the orange scales and body of a dragon, standing tall above Hades, towering in height like a mountain. Her legs formed claws instead of feet, large nails more sharp than sword that had just been forged. Instead of a neck of a dragon, it was the beautiful body of a woman; thin around the waist, bountiful breasts, and the face of the most splendid female Hades had ever laid eyes upon. That made her no less horrible, especially with that scorpion tail she had just used to strike Thanatos.
"Son of King Cronus," she hissed as she came closer to him, Hades now upon the shores of Tartarus. "First born son ... next in line for the throne ... next in line to rule the Heavens ... welcome home ... welcome to the Underworld ... Hades."
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