As the death of Seth-Rah came to pass, a cryptic voice uttered to itself in glee:
"My, My, Hector... you've certainly gotten further in your plan that I expected..."
Epilogue I:
Beneath the unholy soil Parveeju Temple, the dark world of chaos remained hidden from the rest of Riviera. Here, an insidious creature was contained to ensure the stability of existence.
Sulking within the darkness is a feared demon dragon, composed mostly of bone and miasma, armed with the thoughts of undoing everything the gods have created.
"Death...Chaos... Destruction... All shall pay for my suffering..." it growled in a low, ghastly voice. "I will have my revenge against the gods... against life..."
Suddenly, the dark underground echoed with the sound of tapping. Eventually, the tapping stopped as a figure shrouded in shadow reached the vengeful being.
"So what they say is true. It seems yet another being from the time of the gods still lives among us" a pleased voice cried.
"Who are you...? You reek of chaos beyond that of demons..." the creature growled.
The mysterious voice chuckled. "I see you are still the perceptive being you've always been, Dread Dragon Nidhogg, or do you go by "Hades", now?"
The dragon let out a fearsome roar. "..."Nidhogg?"... only those accursed gods have ever called me by that disgusting name... who are you?" he demanded.
The voice let out another mischievous laugh. "As you have said, only those accursed gods have ever known you under that name..."
The figure then revealed himself to have shining silver haired that went down to his neck, glowing crimson eyes, and a shining stick of gold.
"...Loki the Trickster..." Hades uttered. "I thought you were slain during Ragnarok..."
"Obviously that is nonsense. How could I allow myself to be killed without my vengeance enacted? With those 1,000 years behind, now I have to retake Riviera as well as claim Asgard for my own, and kill off the Magi to ensure the new age!"
"And you believe... you can convince me to help you?" Hades asked.
Loki nodded in full confidence. "How else will you expect me to free you from those pesky shackles? Unless you want to continue spending an eternity in this putrid wasteland, I expect you to pledge your loyalty to me."
"This is merely another of your jests..." Hades growled. "You honestly cannot expect me to pledge my allegiance... to one who aided in my imprisonment..."
"But I can!" Loki announced confidently. "I suppose I could put you out of your misery instead and smite you with the power of Jotun-kind!"
Hades laughed. "Go ahead. I do not wish to live out this meaningless eternity any longer. Free my wretched soul. Do what you must."
Loki shrugged. "But my business here is to set you free and to get you on my side. But obviously you're having a hard time agreeing to that!"
"Of course..." Hades uttered. "You are merely another one of them... you cannot be trusted... even your irrational sense of "right" bothers me..."
Loki sighed. "You have a whole population of sprites and Angels above you just ready to be destroyed. You actually want to give it all up and leave your desire for destruction unfulfilled?"
This got Hades' attention. The mere thought of death and destruction whet his unsavory appetite.
"Can I assure that you will not interfere with my business?" Hades asked.
Loki nodded. "Of course. I'm offering you the help of my remaining sons to spread about your desired world of death in case you want to rush the process... or at least keep a few pesky sprites at bay."
The demon dragon thought this proposition over. "Your remaining sons... they are fearsome monsters in their own right... if you have no plans of double-crossing me, they will indeed be perfect assets..."
Loki gleamed with pride. "Oh, I'm sure they'd be delighted to hear that. They've wanted revenge on the world for what happened to their Mother for the longest time, and this opportunity to work with you will only further their satisfaction!" he exclaimed.
Hades let out a low growl as miasma fumed from his nose. "Free... me..." he demanded. " FREE... ME...!"
The former god was happy to oblige Hades' request as he raised his golden staff in the air. Gradually, chaotic energy formed at its tip as Loki chanted something quietly to itself. Once the staff reached maximum capacity, Loki slammed the staff onto the ground, and a constraining aura that surrounded the demon dragon shattered. Slowly, the hideous creature flapped its boney wings.
"The weight... has lifted... the shackles are undone... at last, I am FREE!"
Hades roared in sheer delight as he lifted his body off the air and flew right towards tunnel leading out of his detestable prison.
"Hey! Don't forget about our deal now! Just keep yourself from pitting your hatred against me or my sons, or else I'll have no choice but to strike back!" Loki shouted.
His request echoed throughout the damp underground, however, there wasn't any hint of response that returned. Without confirmation of his deal, Loki simply shrugged.
"Oh well... whatever groundwork he lays down, it should be a decent start to overthrowing Asgard. If he betrays me, I'll just have to put that arrogant fool back in his place!" Loki grinned.
In the eerie light of the Underworld, two new shadows spread their dark form upon the ancient ground. One was shaped like an enormous wolf, while the other was shaped like a giant serpent. Loki turned around to greet these new figures with pleasure.
"Fenrir! Midgardsormir!" Loki cried with a friendly expression.
"My precious sons... it's time we get to work!"