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Present Day: Underworld
The three sister shared a room in the manor. They all sat in bed, two of three were totally on board with the idea of dying, but Cahira was glowering in her bed. Caligo was sleeping, darkness was radiating off of her head.
"So, Malum... Will you explain to me again. I'm not quite sure that I understand what exactly would be positive about dying." Cahira asked as she tried to calm herself.
"Thanatos is good to us. He and Hades have a plan, and we have to die in order for it to work." Malum chirped.
Cahira gave her a look that basically asked 'what the hell' which prompted Malum to roll her eyes.
"Hades gave Thanatos permission to make us immortals. We may have extended lives, but we can't live forever. He doesn't want our power to go to waste. I don't understand the hangup." Malum said and laid down.
"Then why did he not kill you first and make you a goddess as soon as he found you?" Cahira asked spitefully.
"Because..." Then Malum fell quiet.
"Because why?" Cahira asked.
There was a moment of silence. Malum looked at the ceiling, she rolled over and faced away from Cahira. She was in a moment of contemplation.
"Because there is something we have to do before we are worthy to become goddesses. We have a trial, and I couldn't do it alone." Malum whispered, but Cahira heard her clear as day.
Cahira left her bed and tred across the cold floor. She knealt before of Malum's bed. Cahira was in a simple nightgown that revealed scars littered across her arms, chest, back, and legs. Malum's eyes examined all of the markings. Pain was in her eyes.
"What kind of trial?" Cahira questioned.
"There is a group we have to kill. I don't know who... But once that is done, we can kill each other. We can die, and then become immortal." Malum said softly, she met her sister's eyes.
"Why do we have to kill each other? I thought that Desth could do that?" Cahirs whispered and cast her eyes toward Caligo.
Malum gave her a look, almost pitiful.
"Thanatos can collect lives, but he said something about the Fates not letting him do it." She explained and then yawned.
Cahira stared at Malum, who's eyes were shut. She looked so peaceful, but ten years underground could change a person. Cahira was overjoyed to be around her sisters, but she would never again be a weapon. So she grabbed a bag and threw all of her things into it, then left her room.
In the huge hallways were paintings, each one was carefully crafted depicting scenes of Life and Death or scenes of war and peace. Cahira stared at each one as she passed, she went down winding hallways, she knew she was getting lost but at least she had fire to either guide herself out or burn the place down. But when she came upon three frames covered with curtains... She stopped.
"Oh no." She whispered, as she stared at each one and their strange coverings.
Cahira pulled the curtain off of the one on the far left, and there was a word carved into the frame. Maiden, a dark star filled sky with a painting that looked exactly like Caligo did when she was a young girl. Bright eyes wide and innocent, surrounded in a swirling white clothes. She had her darkness decorating her arms like jewelry.
As soon as Cahira removed the curtain from the one on the far right she stared at the haunting image. Crone, it read, it showed what appeared to be an aged version of Malum. Her skin was cracked and her hair hung around her in long flowing locks, she was dressed in black robes that showed her age. Her eyes were hardened, and under her feet were
"The middle one is my favorite, very awe-inspiring." Thanatos whispered in her ear.
Cahira jumped back at the sound of his voice, she had not expected him to appear.
"What do you mean?" She asked.
Thanatos smirked and leaned up against the wall, his painfully beautiful face was directed toward the shimmering cloth covering the middle painting. Cahira reached a hand up to remove it as Death watched, and as soon as she yanked it her knees went weak.
It was her, standing on a battlefield with a heart of fire in one hand and a human heart in the other. She was clad in a golden dress that hung everywhere it was supposed to, and on her chest and wrists was armor to protect her, the same color as the surface of the son. There were no dead bodies in the field, but bowing soldiers. Her face looked older, in her prime. Black bracelets decorated her arms, her feet were bare, and her hair was pulled into a long and thin braid that reached her knees. It was a call to battle, the image itself ignited her fire, her hands caught ablaze.
"Warrior" Thanatos purred.
Cahira shuddered and her fire was extinguished. She gave him a confused look.
"I too pondered why the Fates gifted me with these images. I see now. The goddesses who will ride beside me, and the different types of love." He breathed.
Another pointed look from Cahira, and Thanatos smiled.
"Everything that I say has been told to me by the Fates and the gods. I tell no lies." He smirked.
Cahira was about to speak and contradict him, but as soon as he appeared he was gone.
So she turned back to the way from which she had come and decided to stay. If the Fates had a plan, then there is no way Cahira would mess with it. No matter how opposed she was to dying, Cahira felt the need to let her life lead her for once.
Once she had appeared at her room again, she set her bag down and laid back in bed. The image of the paintings burned into her mind. And their strange, but oh so clear titles.
Maiden, Warrior, Crone.