It's a Small Underworld After All
ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY... give or take a few days...
I cannot thank y'all enough for your continual support in this project of mine from friends like Flying Pig to EnvytheSkunk, and the support and praise from both Shahrezad1 and Agent of Teal! And of course, to all my other reviewers and followers. For those of you dear readers reading anonymously too! I've finally reached 3k views this past week thanks to all of y'all! Hope you enjoy!
I have to say, last chapter was a lot of fun to write, but I can't focus on the new feud between our two dorks just yet. So, this chapter deals with the introduction to new faces, and please bare with me I have a fondness for sassy gods of death, and I love the concept of a teen as death.
Agent of Teal: I'm super glad you're intrigued! Lol yes, I love that episode of Hercules, it was my first introduction into the TV show back like four years ago? Yeah, I had to, like you said, explore every frigging thing that had Hades cuz I am so terrified to write him! It's kind of why I push his scenes as the last ones I write, but yeah the gist of The Big Kiss is kind of how the events of this act is gonna go- maybe...
Sorry I couldn't get this chapter up before I left, but eh I have a habit of posting three chapters before I have to go back on hiatus, so who knows how this'll work cuz I have summer school now. It's a short one not to worry, and I know Persy is not in this chap but she'll be back in the next one, promise, since I've been writing this chapter and the next simultaneously.
Expect lots of revelations about Persy, though!
Disclaimer: Chapter 1
"The Devil went down to Georgia, he was lookin' for a soul to steal.
He was in a bind cause he was way behind and he was willing to make a deal-"
The Devil Went Down to Georgia by Charlie Daniels
Thanatos, for lack of a better word, was beyond bored.
With the attention span smaller than that of a euphoric maenad, the young god found that his current location of being chained and locked in a chest to be even more boring than expected. The dark was the only fun thing about it, but with nothing moving and squirming in said dark- what was the freaking point?
Sometimes when he wasn't drifting in and out of sleep he would press his ears against the side of the chest and try and listen in to the everyday noises of the throne room or whatever room Sisyphus had decided to stick him into. Seriously, that guy was always moving his chest.
It had been a solid five days since he had stepped into the palace of Corinth, again, mind you.
He had come with an oddly jovial smile, never stumbling as he approached the king of Corinth, despite the blindfold that covered his eyes, for obvious reasons. Those reasons being that one look could kill any hapless mortal, and the Fates got really annoyed when he started to kill the wrong people, but he hadn't minded since sight wasn't exactly his main reference of seeing- it was just there.
Yet it was not the blindfolded eyes that unsettled the man who had been expecting him, he had to give it to the object being held in the god's hand: Expertly crafted chains, fitted for the very man sitting on his gilded throne. They were leftovers from the failed Olympus Takeover, and since Thanatos was a designated neutral could not have assisted his boss in any sort of rearranging the cosmos. Although if you had asked him, he would've been more inclined to see the Chthonic gods win and receive the appreciation they deserved.
Upon the return of the god, Sisyphus felt his heart beat ever faster as Death had come to claim him again. Yet this time, the third time, he could see him, and was almost perplexed at what he saw, for he had not expected the god to appear as such.
Thanatos appeared like that of a fourteen year old boy with white hair that reached to his shoulders, the same shade as his skin though it appeared almost translucent, but somehow produced an aura that was a light shade of blue. His face had awfully sharp features, and the black chiton he wore was that of a boy's as well, revealing the god's actual bony knees. Still the most unusual aspect about the god was the two large, black feathered wings that jutted out of his back.
When Than approached him, the god had waved. "Hey, can we not do this again? I mean I know dying isn't fun, but dying a third time- that's just awful. Highly wouldn't recommend, but that's just me. I've never personally died- but that's for Judgement day when I ride upon my pale steed and bring death to She who is my antithesis," Thanatos spoke in an oddly prophetic voice before shrugging and returned to his boyish voice, "And then… well… guess I'll die," he had shrugged.
Sisyphus was well-prepared for Thanatos' return, he just hadn't expected it to be a kid. A kid who looked overly smug with a bright cheery smile and the way he practically strutted towards him.
Cocky kid.
That turned out to be Death's first mistake.
Sisyphus had bowed, and excused himself for not staying dead, and for all the trouble he had caused, he offered Thanatos a meal before he had to drag him back to Hell.
The god had agreed at the time, taking the king's kind gesture as honest hospitality- after all being inhospitable was bad form, but that to a god you had to be either really gutsy or just plain stupid.*
That was when the seven course meal had begun, and as teenage boys were renowned for, had shoved everything in sight into the gaping abyss that was his stomach. Amid the course, Sisyphus had the court philosopher recite the latest chapter of The Odyssey and when Than was at his most unsuspecting had found his hands locked in the very chains he had tossed aside to eat.
All the obscenities Hades had spoken around him had subtly come out of his mouth in a symphony of screams, insults, and at various octaves thanks to his voice cracking.
After binding his wings, the king had ordered his guards to toss the god into a large chest that sat next to his throne, and that was how Thanatos, god of death and voice cracks ended up in his current prison.
Damn, Hades would be so pissed at him if he wasn't taking a swim in the Phlegethon…. Uh, now his only hope rested in the bumbling hands of Pain and Panic, and Hermes if that schmo EVER DECIDED TO NOTICE.
Oh well, maybe Rhode would notice… They usually did meet every other day when he came to collect the souls of the recently capsized ship her dad had so graciously submerged after they had forgotten his sacrifice.
Yeah, Rhode would come rescue him… Or his brother… Where was Hypnos? Probably with his made-up girlfriend, Pasiphae.**
But what was there to do in the meantime? With his hands bound and his wings in a desperate need of a good scratch, he could only concentrate on his physical state… Ugh he had to distract himself somehow…
At least Sisyphus hadn't bound his mouth.
"If there's a prize for rotten judgment. I guess I've already won that…"
Abruptly the lid of the chest was pulled open and a hand reached in and forced a fruit in Than's open mouth right as he was about to suck in a breath for the next line.
"That's enough out of you!"
Was all the god could process as the chest slammed down once again. Leaving the poor kid with a now rotten apple lodged in his mouth.
Oh gods, someone better find him soon.
If there was one thing Hades hated more than social interaction with those of inferior intellects it was creating social interaction with those of inferior intellects in his office.
Hoping to arrive to his kingdom(officially won, mind you, all it took was a little elbow grease, one angry pup, and also it doesn't hurt to mention that he had the ability to literally tear open the earth) with everything already being organized with the recently returned souls going back to their original places, and his workers resuming their old jobs- but that was not the case.
Gods, one day without stress- oi what he'd do for that!
Surrounded by a mountain of paperwork all piled high on his desk, Hades found himself alternating between chewing out Hermes for losing his only protege, barely skimming through the various scrolls laid out on his desks and then signing them, and having to listen to Hercules pacing in the corner. Then of course there were his three judges coming in to complain about their missing paychecks, and topping it all off with the Fates coming in to pay a visit to their favorite god amid all this chaos.
"You can't go blaming me, babe, Than's kind of air-headed."
"Oh, Hades long time no see…"
"We knew you'd be back today…"
"We've had our eye on you for a while now…"
"He's skimped out on two months worth of our paychecks! I could be in Elysium with my family right now, but nooooo…"
We should also not forget about the noise being heard outside with the screeching voices of the Furies going off, the incessant barking of Cerberus keeping the souls from escaping this time, and overall just hearing the wailing and gnashing of teeth that always went along with a busy day in the Underworld.
Oh gods, if one more thing goes wrong-
"WHERE IS HADES?!"
A short red-skinned god threw open the doors to Hades' office and pushed his way through the gathered crowd, surrounding the chthonic god sitting at his desk.
"Oh, THAT IS IT!" Hades bolted out of his chair, before the flames could touch the scrolls laid out on his desk, heading straight for the war god.
The three judges decided now was the best time to split and silently phased through the walls, figuring it was probably a good idea to go help in the reorganizing of souls.
Hercules stopped pacing and briefly wondered if this was a normal occurrence down here.
Upon seeing Hades' snarling face, Ares began to regret ever stepping foot in the Underworld, but his bloodlust was too great for fear, even if the lord of the dead looked like he was ready to murder him.
"Whoa- whoa, Hades… I— I can see your busy…" Ares began to backup to the doors he came in through, waving his hands up defensively.
"Look," Hades scowled, huffing all the while, "You have a damn complaint, line up with the rest of the yutzes here. I will get to you when I have the TIME! I DON'T NEED ANOTHER BOZO COMING IN HERE TELLING ME HOW TO DO MY JOB! KAPICHE?!"
"Oh sure- sure," Ares sputtered defensively, all semblance of bravery lost on him as he began to backup. "Whenever you have the chance it's just-"
"Let me guess the schmucks on earth aren't dying, huh?" Hades had the nerve to laugh, calming him down enough to be at least a little more civil. Everything was going straight to- well here, but he'd be damned if he couldn't enjoy one moment of another god's suffering.
"Yeah," Ares squared up, gaining back his courage. "I'm about to launch another war any day now, and I can't do that when I put a spear through some guy's chest and he's not even dying! Hell, he was still alive the rest of the day! Took the damn thing out and let the blood run everywhere! Sure he was screaming for death, but that's unusual too…"
"Well, I wonder if that problem could have been avoided, huh, Hermes?" Hades side eyed Zeus' little crony.
"Hades, babe, I brought all the papers for the recently deceased here in your office," Hermes attempted to explain. "But I found the last Incoming Dead List on file somewhere in a river. Some nereid found it and brought it to me then I left it in here, but someone must've organized your desk because I can't find it."
Hades groaned inwardly.
He distinctly remembered a striking sight upon waking up at this very desk this morning. Was Persephone the last one to have seen the scrolls? Or better yet reading one?
"Is this it?" Hercules' voice rang out from where he stood next to the large world map, holding up an open scroll.
Hermes flitted towards the hero and took the scroll form his hand and skimmed down the list checking which names had been crossed out and which hadn't. Upon seeing the date, Hermes nodded in confirmation. "Ah-hah! Here we go, thanks, Herc!"
Reading closely at the name that was the first to be unmarked, Hermes bit his lip nervously. "Oh, I remember now…"
"Remember, what?!" Hades snapped and snatched the scroll from Hermes' grasp, his eyes widening at the little notes Thanatos had written down beside the mortal's name. "Sisyphus, huh? Wait a sec- chains?! MY chains?!" The god's skin began to gradually grow redder and increasing in temperature.
Hermes began to laugh nervously. "Hey, would ya look at the time- I got a list of orders three miles wide-"
"Whoa- whoa- whoa- what's your rush?" Hades' voice was unusually cheery, never a good sign, and grabbed one of Hermes' legs before he could escape.
"Well… It wasn't my idea," Hermes sheepishly grinned, twiddling his fingers nervously.
"You have got be kidding me… You couldn't handle the brat?! He's a teenager not a toddler!" Hades flared, singeing the terrified messenger before letting him go.
Hermes flinched, and flew a safe distance upwards. "I regret it now, but c'mon, babe, with you gone, it was hard making him listen at all."
"So you mean to tell me," Hades continued to read the rest of the scroll, getting steadily more angry as he did so. "For the past five days, mortals haven't been dying- meaning my input has dropped to the negative percentages, and to top it all off with no new souls, we've only been dealing with those who've been dead for more than the past week?! How do you think that makes me look?! I'll be behind till- till…" The fiery god was on the brink of explosion, but his train of thought was thrown off. "What month is it?" ^
"The harvest one- September, sir," Hermes found himself much closer to the ground than he had been in a long time.
"I'll be behind till the end of the year!" Hades roared. "And all because you let the brat take some initiative?!"
Hermes gulped, not daring to say one single word, fearing it'll be the first sentence written on his pink slip.
"Boss!" Pain and Panic flew through the doors of his office, with flushed looks on their faces.
"Emergency in the wait- what are they calling it now?" Pain paused, turning to his coworker.
"Asphodel Fields?" Panic supplied with a shrug, his mind somewhere else.
"Yeah that! Boss, you gotta take a look-"
"THAT'S IT- I've had it! I'm going after the damn kid, myself!" After all that had been transpiring for the past two hours, Hades finally exploded, sending all, be they Fate, god, and hero to hide behind the nearest object.
Pain and Panic, like normal, happened to show up at the wrong place at the wrong time and naturally suffered the full fury of their boss ending up extra crispy and way past well done.
After calming himself down using the casual reminder that he was going to the surface, and that he had to come up with a rescue mission for one of his most important underlings. Hades had to focus all his brain power back into plotting mode, but with everyone still shuffling about he couldn't get one damn coherent thought.
"I need some space from all of you schmos. Jeez, an entire kingdom full of workers and not one of 'em can do a damn thing right!"
"That's my cue to leave," Hermes flew to Hercules and quietly whispered, "Hey, don't be down, I'm sure your father is thinking of every option to get you back to Earth, just stay alive, okay?"
Hercules shrugged, almost dejectedly. "It's what I do best."
"That's the spirit, Herc," Hermes tipped his helmet in respect. "See ya!" He flitted out the window in a blur of blue.
"Hey, hotshot," Hades pointed at Hercules as his head popped out from underneath the world map, "You're coming with me."
"Me? But why?" Hercules rose to his feet, eyeing his new boss suspiciously.
"Look, Wonder Breath, you're either my goon or I'll send you somewhere where Nutmeg and the rest of the gods will never be able to find your soul, and trust me when I say I know every knock and cranny of this place that your schmoochie-poo will already be dead by the time they find you, kapiche?"
"…So where are we going?"
"Hey, I can get used to this…" Hades smugly grinned. Turning to Ares, the chthonic god gestured out the door. "Alright, you know the way out, I don't need your ugly mug becoming part of the furniture, here."
"Why you-"
"You want to continue the war?" Hades interrupted him, holding one hand out in warning. "Hey, so do I- heck I'll even throw in a new plague if it means you and I continue to be business partners."
This seemed to put the war god into some ease as his eyes lit up at the possibilities. "A plague would be nice at evening the odds," Ares rubbed his hands gleefully. "Alright you got yourself a deal, Hades, and your price?"
"Let's just say I wouldn't mind a favor, kay? You know the usual I scratch your back, you scratch mine gist? And I will keep supplying the goods, of course."
"That's fine with me," Ares shook Hades' outstretched hand.
"What?!" Hercules face was contorted into a confused expression, blocking the war god's path as he turned to leave. "But Ares, he imprisoned you! Don't you remember- I'm the one that freed you!"
"Death is death, Hercules, I don't care how it's dished. Immortality isn't all that it's cracked up to be, you get bored too easily and- and well..."
"It's just good business," the chthonic god finished.
"Exactly," Ares nodded, chuckling to himself. "Don't let old flame head get you down. Once he finds a good use for you you'll be freer than a bird, you'd be surprised how fast deals are done down here. Same time as always, Hades," Ares saluted.
"Likewise," Hades rolled his eyes, refocusing his gaze on the remaining occupants of his office. "Pain, Panic not a word till I get back."
"But sir, you don't understand!" Both imps shouted.
"WHAT DID I SAY?!"
"Okay…" The two imps deflated immediately.
"Who's left- oh yeah… Ladies-" Hades cast a wary look at the faces of the three Fates. He was certainly mad at them for sending him on the fool's errand of going through all that crock of attempting to kill Hercules only for him to become mortal and somehow still managed to defeat him, but hey, he did have the hero at his clutches now, so let bygones be bygones… But it wouldn't hurt to keep a closer eye on them, huh?
"-I don't think I remember inviting you three."
"We invited ourselves," The tallest Fate, Lachesis, gruffed, crossing her arms.
"We have many things to discuss, Hades."
"Words of advice if you wish to continue being free from the Olympians' wrath," Atropos, the one-eyed fate, warned. "But the boy needs you more. Sisyphus sits upon his throne of gold-"
"Where the god of death lies in his hold.
In your chains that led to his undoing.
While in the underworld there is a stirring
Where the dead whisper of the growth.
That has spawned out of a broken oath."
"Alright- alright I get it. Sheesh, you three and your verse," Hades shushed them, suddenly feeling very keen to hurry back. "Oi, do I need a good smiting right now…"
Sisyphus, for lack of a better word as writing is so limited in the English language, was terrified. In fact, now that I think about it, the better word should really be mortified if one remembers the etymological origin of mortified.
I could have called it necrotified, using the Greek root instead of the Latin root for the purposes of where this story is taking place, but I have to inform you, my dear reader, that that is in fact not a real word according to Webster's Dictionary.
Sorry.
But to the king sitting on his gilded throne, it would have been the perfect way to describe him, but we'll get to that.
Since capturing death, Sisyphus had not had a single care in the world.
It might help that dying was on the top of that list after having that minor heart attack. Very minor, he had tried explaining to Thanatos the first time he came around, only for the then invisible god to take his soul down, but then there was the whole thing about the no one in charge bit. The reason why he rather than the rest of the other souls decided to go back to his body as soon as dying is because for some odd reason he could still think and remember his life before this rather abrupt transition to the afterlife.
He had to thank old Hecate for that small favor she had given him for that incident twenty years ago. When he asked her to make him immortal, he didn't mean his mind, but eh, gods are fickle and now that he saw what she meant he was somewhat thankful. Being immortal, but not able to stop the aging process, ugh, gods are really specific, so at least he got what he got.
And just like that, as soon as Thanatos had dropped him off at the shores of the Styx, he walked straight back. He didn't care, he was already dead, what were they gonna do? They were going to judge his life not his afterlife.
Yet unfortunately for him, the death god had noticed Sisyphus was very much alive the next day. When he found Sisyphus' name appeared on his list again.
Thanatos, thought nothing of it until he saw the king's face- alive. To which he said something along the lines of: "Haven't I killed you before?" And then proceeded to drag the soul back down to the Underworld.
At which point I'm positive you know what happened next, but this time, after coming back to life again, Sisyphus had decided to try and be a little more prepared for Death's return.
But Thanatos was thinking the same thing, and retaliated. Now we are up to speed to Death's imprisonment.
So yes, Sisyphus was on top of the world. He- a mere mortal, no godly blood required, had captured Death itself. All because of his wit, of course, and having nothing to do with that favor he had made with those two goddesses for helping them with their little situation.
For the past four days, he was living it up like the gods were- deathless, and having crowds of people express their adoration and fear towards him for his, what most people consider, a heroic feat.
Of course, there was the situation with the shades roaming around the earth, and terrorizing his citizens. He had tried to get through to the shades all for naught, and so went how far his renown traveled.
Then of course word didn't really go around about the whole nobody's dying situation with the Great Shade Uprising going on. It also didn't help that all the souls of the travelers that had come into his kingdom were now starting to haunt him too. After that there was the reclamation of said souls, and well, Sisyphus was starting to sweat.
Hades was back, and by the looks of it he was doing everything in his power to reorganize his kingdom and bring it back to a normal working order. Which meant he was bound to notice that Death was MIA, and judging by how young the death god looked, could be considered a child- adding child kidnapping to the growing list of Sisyphus' sins(yay).
Now the old king was living in a constant state of fear, jumping at every footfall and ducking behind any object if so much as a candle was lit in the room. Which had to be done with the giant rainstorms that had started this morning and hadn't let up all day, and now he was flinching every time lightning struck outside as it continued to pour.
At this point he had half a mind to unlock the chest he had moved underneath his throne. Just to get it over with, but then his wife had slapped some sense into him and reminded him Hades was in a hot seat for his failed attempt at rearranging the Cosmos.
From then on, his day went a bit more smoothly: Adding more guards, getting the blacksmith to sharpen the spears of those guards, and getting all his priests to think of a backup plan should Hades come in to save his lackey and come and smite Sisyphus in the process.
He was hoping Demeter would answer his call as she had been visiting quite recently, not only with her recent festival and the new sanctuary he was building just for her.^^
What he hadn't expected was Hercules walking in.
"Hercules is here?!" Sisyphus was on his arthritic feet in a second. "Well, let him in!" He ordered his guards, and silently thanked the gods above for sending the young hero. The very same hero who defeated the god he was anxiously awaiting.
Oh what luck!
With a simple nod the two guards who had ran in to announce the news, turned around and returned moments later with the brawny hero in tow, and abruptly left the room.
Hercules began to bow, but Sisyphus halted his action by holding up one raised hand.
"Please, Hercules, I should be bowing," the king bowed lowly to the ground, and when he rose, he took the hero's hand into a firm handshake. Although for Hercules it was like shaking a limp noodle.
"Um…" Hercules looked back over his shoulder and turned back to Sisyphus, confused to why the king seemed so friendly. "Didn't- didn't they tell you?" Those large blue eyes of his scanned over the frail thin body of the gnarled king.
"Oh never mind, what they said," Sisyphus brushed him off, his dark eyes flashing. "Come, come, we have much to discuss. There is a god coming after me," he abruptly grabbed the hero's shoulder, forcing him to look him in the eye.
"Yeah about tha-"
"The very god you defeated two months earlier," Sisyphus once again interrupted, refusing to let him go. "Help me, Hercules! Please, I beg of you! I have done nothing wrong- you yourself know the full ruthlessness of Hades.
Hercules almost rolled his eyes. Almost. "Your majesty, look, I think this is a big misunderstanding. You see I was sent-"
"Exactly!" The king shouted, barely even paying attention to Hercules anymore. "I had no idea that he was a boy- had no idea that Death was even a person! I tried explaining to the boy it wasn't my time, but he just wasn't listening and with my citizens dying from fright I had to do something," Sisyphus was rambling at this point, pacing around the room and inching closer to his throne while he did so.
"But think of it this way- now you can defeat Hades without the fear of death- take him on in hand-to-hand combat," the old king began to laugh maniacally. "You and your wife will no longer be afraid of what happens when you die. You the god turned mortal should never have feared this in the first place, for none can die as long as Death is locked up!"
Hercules gaped, no longer able use the words that are forming, growing and ebbing as he began to fully process Sisyphus' words. This guy was going mad from worry, and he'd already died twice! Whatever the old king was afraid of- it was certainly more than the fear of dying, he was afraid of what would happen after death.
But one thing struck him, a heavy weight that made Hercules clench his jaw as he fully processed the words.
He knew he was once a god. Not a demigod- but a god turned mortal. Hercules never explained that to any one outside his close circle of friends and his new family- comprising of his old coach, wife and adoptive parents. No one else should know. He was simply referred to as a son of Zeus- nothing more. How could this man that he'd never met know?
"What did you say about me?" The brawny hero spoke with a guarded tone.
The low, almost serious way Hercules spoke, caught the old king off guard, bringing him back to the reality of the situation. "You'll never die, my boy," he put a comforting, hand on his shoulder. "Receive the birth right you should have had long before you were turned mortal. Take vengeance against the very gods who made you so."
Hercules held back the frown that was on the cusp of forming. He had always secretly yearned to know who had done such a thing- not that he regretted it from taking place as it led him to Meg and Phil and his parents, but who? After the Titan Uprising, he'd assumed it was Hades, but Sisyphus had mentioned gods as in plural which meant-
"You know which god turned me mortal?"
Before answering Hercules' question Hades appeared behind the both of them and had casually slipped between them, wrapping his arms around their shoulders. "Psh, come on… Who wants to know that? I mean I thought I sent you to find the kid," the god seethed, sending a fiery look at Hercules.
"But hey, you, on the other hand," Hades released his hold on the both of them, and turned his full attention to the sweating old man. "Need to stop distracting my goon, kapiche? He's got enough funny ideas in that noodle without some moronic mortal telling him he's got the answers to all the problems in the world."
"B-but I-I do know which goddess- goddesses turned him moral- I-I mean mortal," Sisyphus stuttered, the words tumbled out of the old king's mouth even as he felt himself shrink under the burning gaze of Hades.
That caught the flame-haired god off guard, and couldn't stop the confused: "What?" To bubble out of his mouth.
"Wait, really? I always thought it was Hades," Hercules exclaimed, watching for his boss' reaction, but the god looked just as confused as him.
"… Alright," Hades shrugged. "Enlighten me, but just remember," he bent down so his smirking face was right in front of the frightened king. "Don't even think you're skimping out on a one-way ticket to Tartarus, alright babe? You got ten seconds."
Sisyphus straightened, realizing he now had some leverage for the moment. "Why, yes, your- your lordship," he cleared his throat before continuing. "The two culprits were none other than Demeter and Hecate."
In spite of himself, Hades bursted out laughing. "Alright, you've had your fun," he managed to say in between breaths. "Jerkules, find the kid and let him out, he's been punished enough. It's time to let this schmo out of his misery," he pointed at the chest that laid at the foot of the throne of Sisyphus.
"I-I'm serious!" The old bent king fell to his knees, lying prostrate in front of Hades. "You see, Demeter was angry at Zeus for pushing aside their child's induction for a role in the cosmos. Instead of caring about the child he made with the goddess, the king of the gods focused all his attention on the upcoming birth of his newest child with Hera."
Without warning, Sisyphus found himself lifted off the ground, the collar of his toga in Hades' grasp.
"Which child?!" The god flared an unsettling orange.
"W-why Hercules of- of course." The king floundered in the god's grasp.
"Demeter's kid, you yutz!" Hades roared, the fire began to spread along his arms, steadily making its way to Sisyphus' face.
"Kore! Her name is Kore!"
Hades relinquished his hold on the king, and halted Hercules from opening the box. "Hold it!"
Landing on his bottom, the king released the breath he'd been holding. He could live- possibly for the next two minutes, but how much longer until Hades was appeased? Well scratch that last part- how much longer until he sets Thanatos after him? What could he have possibly said that made him interested?
"Alright, babe, you have my full and undivided attention."
Hades was honestly waiting expectantly to see how far this lousy mortal would take just to spare another second alive, but it seemed there was something more to this cowardly king. While, the chthonic god knew he was the one who had actually turned Wonder Breath mortal one thing did struck him as odd. Sisyphus had mentioned Hecate, the old witch that had been coming up with plots left and right to get his job and kingdom.
And… to be honest she was the one who had given him the potion to make the little sunspot mortal. One question he had never bothered asking was how she made such a thing, but now it seemed he had a possible lead. As a business man it was never his place to ask how a product was made, instead, it was his job to make it desirable, or in this case useful.
Though, in this case, being able to render a god mortal- that in itself is a feat only the likes of Hecate could accomplish through all her wyrd magic. Was Demeter the one who helped form the potion, though? With all her knowledge of plants and Hecate's magic could that have been it, and was there a way of making more?
But why Demeter? She'd never do something evil unless it was like Sisyphus said: As a way to get back at Zeus for abandoning Persephone.
He could feel himself simmer at the thought. Demeter wasn't the kind of goddess to let an insult slide especially when it was sent to her only daughter. Hades felt himself understand that sentiment after having gotten to know Persephone for the limited time frame of a day and a half, but Zeus didn't feel the need to care for the one child who needed to feel, well… needed.
It almost reminded him of himself. That was a scary thought, indeed, but how were Demeter and the potion connected?
Bright pink potion, had its own luminescence, and if one looked close enough, the bubbles forming in the potion were lavender colored with the images of skulls imprinted on their surface.
That's what I call a bonafide god-killing potion.
"Now, Sisyphus, this is how we're gonna do it," Hades could only grin as the king continued to cower before him. "You will tell me everything I want to know- the whole truth, nothing but the truth, and in exchange I will not kill you, kapiche?"
He was free, oh thank the gods!
Sisyphus held up his right hand, trembling all the while. "I swear it by the River Styx, Lord Hades."
"Alright, that's what I like to hear!" Hades grabbed at the king's limp left hand and shook it while blue fire erupted from the very action. "Now, let's start with you. Why did Hecate and Demeter approach you? of all people." The god disappeared in a column of smoke, his voice floating about the room until he rematerialized in Sisyphus' own throne.
"Well… Demeter and her daughter were visiting in the first year of my reign about twenty years ago. I had just won a war to create the city of Corinth and we were in much need of something to bring up our spirits and my priests advised me to welcome the goddesses of agriculture and hold celebrations in the honor for their assistance in starting to build a functioning kingdom. I was not young, then, I had waged war and had done my duty to establish a home for my people, but I had no idea how complicated the personal lives of gods were until that night."
"Amid the celebrations, I stepped out to rest after having spent my entire night dancing with both goddesses, but I noticed that Demeter was nowhere to be seen; which I assumed was quite odd since it was a party held in her honor. So deciding to investigate I found the goddess near the forest where the party was taking place after asking around. I began to approach her, upon noticing her green aura shining bight in the dark moonless night, but someone else, another god was with her and they were speaking. Against my better judgement I became afraid and hid instead of making my presence known when I began to take great interest in their topic of choice."
"And the topic?" Hades had summoned a bowl of worms and began to slurp down the squirming creatures.
Holding back the gag, Sisyphus cleared his throat and continued, "Her daughter, the maiden. They spoke of her coming of age and accepting the role of planting and nurturing- to take some of the stress off Demeter's plate, and to what I was hearing to allow the goddess to find her niche in the cosmos. Yet there was concern from the other goddess- the one named Hecate, she was arguing with Demeter that Kore was much too young- not even a full thousand years and already nearing adulthood. Demeter reasoned though, that even though her daughter was barely ten percent the age of the rest of the gods, she had aged much faster because of her true place in the cosmos-"
"Life," Hades spat out the word, causing the king to frown in suspicion.
"I see you're acquainted," the king suspiciously lilted.
"Little more than that," Hercules snorted. He had been sitting down on the chest where Thanatos was being held prisoner, waiting for him to be given another order, and really listening was all he could do.
"Hey, don't you remember? Never seeing your wife again?" Hades snapped and was satisfied that he got the hero to shut up. "Alright, babe, continue."
"Well, it seems that even though Kore was born to be a goddess of life, it was a role both Hecate and Demeter wanted her to stay away from… for the Fates had given a warning to them many centuries ago."
Hades frowned. This guy knew too much- way too much, it seems he didn't learn all this in one night of eavesdropping, but several. Wait, wasn't this guy the king who murdered everyone who entered the city if they weren't a Corinthian? Hmm, I wonder… "And what'd they say?"
"I know not the exact words of what they said to Demeter, but it concerned her daughter and a way to help her affliction. That was when Kore was born and something was wrong… Within a year she looked exactly like a mortal one year old, she was aging at the same pace as mortals, and Demeter feared she would continue aging like a mortal as well and die."
Hades pushed away the unsettling feeling that was forming in his gut. "She's a goddess, she can't die."
"I don't doubt it, Lord Hades, but Life is mortal in essence, the Fates called her the mortal goddess and it seemed to fit with her aging. Somehow, Demeter found a way to slow her aging by assigning her innocence, and it significantly slowed down her aging, still faster than normal gods, but it seemed her immortality was secured, but it was not so because the Cosmos requires a balance."
"Demeter was nervous to say the least with her daughter's life on the line and her death would cause all life, even the godly to die as well. So she became desperate, trying to find every way to save both humanity and her daughter, and had tried everything, and in the end isolated her, but then Hera was with child. So there was only one thing to do.
"To transfer her kid's mortality to the other."
"Exactly… That was when I stepped in and offered a solution. I was nearly killed, but Demeter spared me. In return I showed them how if Kore was truly a goddess of life, her essence would contain her mortality- maybe not all of it, but enough to pass on the weakness of mortality to the other child; not only a chance at saving her daughter but to have vengeance on her father. It was something Hecate never considered and it was the first time she and Demeter agreed over something concerning her daughter."
"And the results were a resounding success," Sisyphus finished his tale, his eyes never leaving Hercules.
Alright he needs to die.
"Well, I'm satisfied. Good job Sisyphus-"
"Why, thank you, Lord Hades-" Sisyphus interjected, straightening as much as his hunched body could manage.
"You know too much," Hades finished, in a low chilling voice. "Herc- release the kid."
"What?!" Sisyphus screamed. "B-but you said I wouldn't die!"
"Hey, I said I wouldn't kill you, I never said I would stop Thanatos from killing you," Hades reminded the groveling mortal.
"You- you tricked me!" Sisyphus half-shouted, half-cried, as he crumpled to the ground.
"Hey, it's what I do best," the god grinned maliciously. "For your crimes against me by wasting my time, taking Death hostage, and losing the trust of two goddesses… You know what I'm gonna give you one, just for you," the chthonic god grinned wolfishly, an idea popping in his head.
"Thanks for generously sending me every single non-Corinthian that came into your city. Really, you have no idea how much it increased my business. Hundreds of innocents- all thanks to you, babe- way to go. Zeus has wanted your death for the longest time, but eh, your time is now. Now, with the power invested in me by- hey me, I sentence you to eternity in Tartarus. See ya on the flip side, babe," Hades finger-gunned the sobbing man on the floor.
Wrenching the chest open, Hercules held back his gasp upon seeing a lanky boy somewhere in his early teens smushed into such a cramped space with a rotted apple stuffed between his teeth. What weirded him out even more was the blindfold tied around his eyes.
The godling began to squirm even more and abruptly spit out the apple in Hercules' face.
"Oh bleh- ugh…" Death began to gag and stuck out his bright red tongue in disgust. "Never eating another apple again… Oh hey, man, if you're not Sisyphus would you mind taking these chains off?"
Hercules momentarily put aside his thoughts on the scene going on that he couldn't prevent, and instead focused on freeing this poor kid. "Don't worry, you're safe," he assured the kid and tore off the chains that were bunched all around him, making him appear smaller amid all the layers of adamantium steel.
As soon as the chains were broken, they dissipated like smoke, and Death flew out of the chest in an instant. Floating in midair, Thanatos stretched his massive wings, covering the high ceiling of the throne room like the night sky.
"YOU!" The god roared from high up in the room, pointing at a random place in the room, his voice reverberated across the halls.
"Little to your left," Hades deadpanned, his chin resting on his arm that was set on the armrest of the throne.
"Oh…" Thanatos smiled sheepishly, "Thanks, dad!"
"Not your father."
Now with his finger actually pointing at Sisyphus, Thanatos began again, "YOU!"
"There ya go."
Thanatos landed in front of Sisyphus and held a dagger in front of him. "Get up," the voice of a teenage boy was replaced by something darker and sinister than one would place in his childish body. "I don't reserve this for just anyone."
Sisyphus did as he was told and found himself on his knees in front of the god.
"Let it be known I don't show my eyes to just anyone," Thanatos put away his dagger and began to untie the cloth over his eyes. "So," he began, blindfold removed, but eyes closed shut. "Any last words?"
Sisyphus began to open his mouth, but Than opened his eyes and allowed his red eyes bore into the king's without a second chance. The old king's soul slipped out and Thanatos readily caught it and bundled it up, stuffing it into his Bag O' Souls.
"Gods he never shut up, you'd think he'd have something to say? A curse, cry for help, just straight up silence," Death snorted, retying the blindfold around his eyes.
"Alright, kid you had you're fun, time to head home," Hades changed the topic and appeared next to Hercules. "Now, here's your new assistant for the time being," Hades practically dragged the brawny hero in front of the godling.
"I get an assistant?!" Thanatos' jaw fell open. "REally?! But I thought I'm in trouble?"
"Oh you are and he's your punishment, like you are his."
"Wait, what?!" Hercules shouted in surprise. "But why-"
"Well, you see I figured," Hades interrupted his minion. "Till I figure out what to do with ya, or you know, finagle a deal you're gonna watch people die and have no power to stop it, and Than's gonna have to put up with you. Better hope you don't see any familiar faces, ey, Herc?"
Hercules face contorted into an ugly snarl, ready to lunge himself at Hades even if he would regret it, "You sick-"
"Wait, Herc as in Hercules?! The Hercules?!" Thanatos began to flap his wings in excitement, successfully wedging himself in between his boss and new lackey. "Is there any other things you'd like to tell me that have changed in the Underworld? I bet you've redecorated, haven't you?"
"Shut your mouth, kid," Hades flared. "I don't want another peep out of you for the next millennia for all the crap you threw me into."
Thanatos began to sheepishly grin, before bowing his head dejectedly. "Okay…"
He better not have freaking redecorated...
Upon returning to the Underworld, one could see that there was something truly amiss.
Where an empty barren land had once stood, now the hard rock where the shades who were not too bad or too good had once resided now had become lush and full of… flowers?
The three faces of Hercules, Thanatos, and Hades were all slack-jawed and buggy-eyed at the sight of the flourishing flowers as they swayed to the breeze that seeped from the earth above.
They were just coming home, well at least two of them, but what was going on? It was unnatural- one could even say supernatural.
Thanatos was shocked because he never thought anything living could survive down here, but clearly that wasn't true anymore. Gods, he freaking called it. Now Hades'll say he's getting married- now that wouldn't surprise him in the least.
Now, Hades was shocked because this was… this was downright bizarre! He had run this place for thousands of years- more than that really, but never- not even when he brought down the occasional nymph(not just for amores), they had tried to grow something, but it died within minutes.
Even for all her witchcraft, Hecate, could not grow anything. The things that did manage to grow, though, were grown on the edges of the Underworld, practically the borderline between the two lands.
This, though, he could practically smell Persephone in that field, that sweet floral scent that screamed with life.
Oi, he had it bad didn't he?
He hated flowers with every fiber of his being, especially when they had popped up randomly every now and then for the past millennia without any such attempt to even grow one, but maybe this one flower wouldn't be so bad. Asphodel, right? Better than roses, at least.
Hades bent down and plucked one of the white brush-like stems that was covered in six-petalled flowers with the single Burgundy stripe and was almost disappointed when the shoot began to burst into flames and then crumbled to ash.
"Should I be concerned?" Hercules whispered in Than's ear.
"Hey I should be asking you that," Thanatos reminded the hero. "I'm still trying to wrap my mind around the concept of not having to fear the living anymore… Gods, I honesty think I might be traumatized."
Yet with an attention span smaller than the author writing this dialogue while looking at memes, Death's head snapped to the only moving objects in the field besides the flowers. "Wait, what's that?"
Thanatos' voice snapped Hades back to reality. Passing a glance at the kid and Jerkules, the fiery god found his gaze following the direction of Thanatos' pointing fingers.
If the flowers were any sign that change was coming to the Underworld, the chthonic gods were left completely unprepared for the sight before them.
"Are- are those… hooded figures?" Hercules asked. He leaned over once again and then only whispered to the teenaged god. "Is this a normal thing down here?"
"Well, the only hooded figures around here are the Fates, my bosses, but we do get the occasional mortals looking for a new cult," Thanatos admitted. "I heard the newest one is the Elysian Mysteries, but it'll never last. The Orphics didn't, but Cerberus loves the way paranoia seasons their mortal blood. It's the best entertainment I get out here, but with you here we can have the ultimate prank war! Gods, last time Hypnos got so mad… he hasn't talked to me since…" Death's face darkened at the thought, but a large grin spread across his face. "But we'll be best office friends: The Interns of the Damned- has a good ring right?"
"Um…" Hercules couldn't believe Death was so friendly, and he didn't feel any sort of animosity towards him, he was just an awkward teen in need of friends his age… Ugh, Hera help him, now he was his assistant. "… I kind of plan a job transfer to be closer to my family."
"Oh… Well we can still hang out, right?"
Hercules smiled, the first one he had made ever since he said good-bye to Meg. Holding back the urge to ruffle his hair for the need to stay alive, he just nodded. "Of cour-"
"Hey," Hades snapped his fingers in front of both of his minions to get their attention. "I'm not paying you two to chit-chat. One of 'em is coming over, kid, Herc, don't hold back, kapiche?"
Before Thanatos or even Hercules could respond, a shrill, cold voice pierced the air.
"Hey, jack, no need to sic your minions on us, we're citizens of the Underworld," the hooded figure removed her hood, revealing the beautiful woman underneath. Spilling out from the hood first was the mass of straight Burgundy colored hair that fell around her shoulders.
"In all its rights," the paper white woman exclaimed and grinned both alluringly and maliciously as she revealed the rows of dagger-like teeth that had been concealed by her full gray lips.
"Alright, who the hell are you? " Hades approached the clearly divine woman. "I didn't invite a hippy commune in my Underworld, so scram," he signaled to both Than and Hercules to take care of business, but they found themselves freezing under the nymph's harsh glare.
"Name's Melinoe, your Lordship," she curtsied and signaled to her companions to approach as well.
They were five in total and with all of their hoods removed one could see the they shared many characteristics from the same Burgundy hair and the bone white skin that practically resembled the flowers spread across the field. Their eyes as well were similar, completely devoid of any color, just a black abyss, but only one of them, the one who named Melinoe had irises that stared back in the void. Glowing yellow irises that flashed with intelligence and sincerity.
"Oh, gods above," Thanatos' had lifted his blindfold, his face lit up as much as a death god could manage before a blush blazed across his bony face. "Nymphs," he muttered breathlessly under his breath. "Honest to Nyx, Underworld nymphs!" Thanatos was on the verge of collapsing. "Can we keep them?"
Without giving a verbal response, Hades instead opted to giving his apprentice a quick hooking on the back of his skull.
"Ow," Thanatos shouted in pain. "It's what we were all thinking," the teen god grumbled an excuse, gaining him a cross glare from his boss. "Well, at least your with me right, Herc?" Than elbowed him in the arm.
When he didn't receive a response, Than elbowed him again, "Um, Herc?"
The only response Thanatos received was the sound of a body hitting the floor. "Oh shist," he cursed under his breath, except he didn't say shist. "I forgot you're mortal."
"I am the leader of the lampades. We who were born from the Asphodels you see before you by the hands of the Lady of these lands."
"Hate to break it to ya, Mel, but you're looking at the sole ruler of the Underworld. Name's Hades, Lord of the Dead, and hey, your new boss," the god held out a hand in greeting, a wolfish leer spread across his face.
Melinoe began to laugh, a cruel wicked laugh, one that began to increase in volume as the other lampades joined their leader. "We can wait then."
"Excuse me?" Hades flared, a bemused frown marred his face, having been caught off guard by the nymph's confidant statement. "What for?"
"Well for when our Ladyship arrives, your Lordship," it was Melinoe's turn to smirk. A sight not so welcoming in such a hellish woman.
"A lady? Hey, that sounds like…" The dots began to connect in Thanatos' hormone addled brain, "WAIT, YOU GOT MARRIED?!" Thanatos had gone from freaking out over Hercules' death to this revelation. "I so called that! Why didn't you wait until after I came back for the wed-"
Suffice it to say Hades had had enough. He grabbed Death's ear and began to drag him away, but only turned around to express his leaving. "If you'll excuse me for a sec, babe. Gotta take care of nosy brats."
"Of course," Melinoe nodded once. "But before you go, a small reminder. This land, this growth won't last without her," the lampade spread out her arms and gestured to the fields. "And neither will you by the looks of it," she smiled knowingly, those sharp points glinting in the weak fire light of Hades' hair.
"I'll keep that in mind."
"Let's hope you do," Melinoe plucked a flower and twirled it between her graceful fingers before it burst into hot violet flames, but by the look of surprise on her face it was not of her own volition. "I and my sisters would like to see our mistress happy."
* If any of you studied Greek culture, particularly that of the ancient variety, hospitality is something valued in their culture and being inhospitable was like asking the gods to personally smite you and the rest of your family for all eternity if they were nice enough to not destroy your lineage.
** Pasiphae is the goddess of hallucinations… that's the joke.
^ Remember how Hades says he has plans for August in the movie? I'm gonna let that mean that the events of Hercules take place in and before the month of July.
^^ If you all recall from chapter 1, Demeter went to visit a festival in Corinth dedicated to her and a very famous monument in the ancient city is one dedicated to her called the Sanctuary of Demeter and Kore so I thought it would be a good tie-in and yes I did a lot of cross-checking to make it historically accurate and Sisyphus being a king of Corinth is no accident especially since in the original myth it was Persy's fault for believing his sob-story and letting him go back to earth, and when she found out… Well let's just say she's not someone I would mess around with. And yes there are a number of versions of the myth of Sisyphus, but most of them do make him the first king of Corinth where it was first known as Ephyra.
Yeah, I had to kill off Herc for the time being… I couldn't find a place for him in the next few chapters, and honestly Than would have done it eventually by accident don't hate me… It's hard enough writing him just there plus the deal b/w him and Hades is basically one leaves one stays, so whatever technicalities aside. I will be on a short hiatus, look for me in August.
As always fav, follow, and review!
Angel of H-d out!