Briseis walked further up on the hill. It had gotten cold rather quickly, and she was not prepared. She only had on her priestess robes and they were not doing much. She could feel the snow forming around her and thought about Achilles' warm skin. With that thought in her mind she pushed forward. She would find the cave.
Achilles stepped off the boat and saw the giant gate and Cerberus standing there guarding it. The large dog didn't pay attention to the dead walking by. It seemed bored, guarding the gates of the dead was pretty boring, considering that Hades never came out to play with him either. It wasn't his fault that he had three heads and none of the other dogs wanted to play with him, or the fact that the underworld didn't accept animals.
Achilles looked at the dog as he walked past it. He reached out to touch it, and Cerberus looked at him.
"You're not so bad, just got 2 extra heads" Achilles said as he scratched the dog behind one of its ears
"Careful now, Hades don't like the dead playing with that dog. Makes him less mean" Charon said
"Less mean to who? Not like anyone visits" Achilles said
"There are a couple of mortals, living that do try to visit"
"Pity on them"
Achilles walked past the gates and looked around, everything was dead, the trees, what was left of the plants, it was eternally dark, there was no moon or sun, no stars, merely torches lit up and held by the dead. There was yet another line, Achilles sighed.
Hades was judging the soldiers and waved his hand of justice. He was extra busy these days due to the war. Normally he would have them be judged sitting on a giant scale forged by Hephaestus. But that was taking too long and he wanted to be done with it, so that he may try to get back to his affairs with his wife Persephone.
Persephone on the other hand, didn't want anything to do with Hades. They were much younger when she fell in love with him. But his duties in the underworld had made him cold. She had given up as there was no love left between them. She just wanted her time in the underworld to be done with so she could return to the surface with her mother. She would always prolong everyone's judgment because she knew it would keep Hades busy.
Briesis freezing found the entrance to the cave. She could barely see through the snow. She stumbled inside and then finally passed out. Her body was weak and frozen, her spirit was still strong fighting inside, but she let sleep claim her.
Footsteps approached her and carried her inside. Briesis was dreaming again of Achilles.
Hades was passing judgment when he stopped and noticed something. He saw the image appear before Achilles who was still far in the line. What drew him in was that Briesis was loving him well after death. He wanted to see more, so he motioned for one of his servants to bring Achilles and his image of Breisis to him.
Persephone seemed to be intrigued as well, as she would never get the chance to love or be loved. Achilles was thrown before the two of them along with his thought bubble.
"Interesting. She loves you still even after death" Hades said as he looked into the image
"It is not your concern" Achilles answered back
"Careful now, I am judging you. I can send you to see your father in the Elysian fields or see your uncle in Tarturus!"
"Either way I'm with family"
"You should learn when to hold your tongue mortal"
"Judge me then, but leave my thoughts alone"
"Mighty Achilles, my how have we fallen, and killed by her cousin no less. The irony of that. I'm surprised you didn't demand that I send you back to kill him"
"I have no quarrels with them anymore"
"As you never did, you merely wanted your name to be remembered for the ages. And that you have. You have kept us quite busy down here. I was starting to think I should expand Tarturus. Pity how most soldiers get sent there"
"Pity that soldiers have to die"
"Ah yes, you don't like kinds or gods as I remember. You ransacked Apollo's temple"
"Yes"
"Well I didn't care for him much, he has far too many temples, and he never visits me. No one visits me. Apollo and his oracles and his holier than thou attitude. I'm going to send you to the Elysian fields for that!"
Achilles and Persephone both looked at him in disbelief.
"Yes to the Elysian fields, go be happy, never be haunted again by thoughts of the undead or hear their calling. Never feel sadness again. To the fields!" Hades waved his had and Achilles disappeared.
"Next!" Hades called out