Chapter 15:

Ares was having a wonderful day. He had just seen a spectacular fight between Poseidon and Athena, filled with flying ichor and sword clashes, when Aphrodite had sneaked up behind him, running a palm up and down the length of his abdomen – right in front of Hephaestus! Ares wasn't sure which was greater – the fight between Poseidon and Athena, or the fact that Aphrodite was inviting him to her bedchamber right in front of her husband. It was quite a fantastic feeling, made even more fantastic with the gods' ever-growing irritation and unrest since Demeter's absence. Ares could smell conflict brewing underneath the surface, and he wanted to pound his chest with feral pride when he felt Aphrodite making light traces down the length of his ribs. Blood and sex: these were the things that pleased him the most, and they were coming together in a most delicious way.

Well, they were coming together when Dionysus suddenly – and rather rudely – interrupted Aphrodite's ministrations. Ares would flayed him alive if it weren't the look in his eyes. It was a look Ares had seen before , one that showed Dionysus knew something – something that could lead to conflict…and maybe even war. Ares felt his heart begin to pump with anticipation, and he had promptly left Aphrodite a confused mess in the middle of the meal hall with the other gods, as well as a furious-looking Hephaestus.

Now he's in the courtyard eying a very smug-looking Dionysus, and he can't help but feel a little bit irritated. He had had his blood, and now he was craving the sex that came with it. I could have been in bed with Aphrodite by now… He feels his mouth curl up in anger.

"Alright, bastard, what is this about?"

Dionysus gives him a crooked smile, "Calm yourself, Brother-"

Ares cuts him off with a growl, "I am the god of war. Being 'calm' is not my strong suit."

Dionysus leans against the statue of Zeus, taking a drink from his ever-present goblet. "You relish conflict, I know. Honestly, it's a beautiful thing, war …Feral…Passionate. Dangerous. I imagine your body feels like it's had a thousand sips of the best wines in the world."

Ares gives a cruel grin at that, his scars scrunching across his tanned face. "Not quite."

Dionysus looks up, his expression turning dreamy as he takes another sip of wine. "Ah, no matter. Would you like some wine?"

Ares shakes his head and Dionysus gives a small scowl. "Fine, then. More for me again."

"Again?"

Dionysus turns his head back towards Ares, a mischievous smile playing at his lips. " I had a visit from our most hated uncle yesterday."

Ares feels his brows go up in surprise – it wasn't often that the Lord of the Dead went to the surface world to pay a god a visit. "Hades came to you yesterday?"

Dionysus happily nods his head up and down, the dark curls in his hair flopping in the air relentlessly.

So that was it? This fool comes and drags me away from Aphrodite because he gets a visit from the family recluse? Idiot. Ares shakes his head in disgust and turns to leave. Maybe Aphrodite will be a little lenient with me…

"Wait Ares! Wait! There's more for me to tell you!"

Now Ares really wants to flay his brother. That's twice he's managed to keep him from Aphrodite. "Dammit, Dionysus! What the fuck is it now?"

Dionysus grins. "He was different, Ares. There was something wrong with him."

Ares rolls his eyes and says, "Of course there was something wrong. He's Hades – Lord of the Dead and master of the Underworld."

"No, no, you don't understand. It was his expression."

Ares snorts. "What, did he give you a loving smile? Hades never has an expression – his eyes are as dead as his subjects. The only time he's ever shown anything was at the last winter solstice, when choked Demeter – which, I may add, was one of the greatest things I've seen in my life. Besides that, the man's a lifeless machine – everyone knows this." Ares feels a chill run down his spine at the memory of the god's cold eyes boring into him, making him feel as though his soul had been taken to the very depths of Tartarus with his cold stare. He suppresses a shudder.

Dionysus shakes his head and gives a big grin. "Not this time. This time he was angry. And I could see it, too."

Ares can feel himself losing what little patience he has. "Are you going to make a point anytime soon? Because I have a lovely lady waiting for me, and I'm sure you know it's rude to keep a woman waiting."

"You don't know much of subtly and build-up, do you Brother?"

"Hurry up."

"Fine." Dionysus is jumping and down with excitement and it looks like he's about to burst. Gleefully, he says, " Hades, the dark Lord of the Underworld…is going mad."

Ares pauses at that. Going mad…He had never liked Hades, but it wasn't for the reasons most of the other gods didn't like him. No, it wasn't because the man had gotten the short end of the stick, and it wasn't even for the fact that he never had any sort of emotion on his face – it was the fact that the man was so damn orderly – the fact that he stayed away from conflict. From what his father had told him, Hades ruled his kingdom with an iron fist, judging the wicked and the good and above all else, keeping the balance in the afterlife of mortals. And, as such, he wasn't quick to anger – or at least quick to show anger – and he mostly stayed away from godly conflicts, though there was one time…

"Father, why is Hades not allowed on Olympus most of the year?" Ares asked. He was young, genuinely young – around eight or nine years old, his copper hair cropped short. He was practicing his sword skills on a dummy in the courtyard while his father had been quietly giving pointers from behind. He heard Zeus give a low sigh and turned back to look at him.

"You ask me so many questions sometimes that I wonder if you're the god of curiosity and not the god of war."

"No, I am the god of war," Ares said, moving his wooden sword to swiftly hit the side of the dummy's head. He turned and gave a big, toothy smile at his father and heard him laugh.

"Ah yes, the pint-sized god of war…Ouch!"

"I am not pint-sized, Father!" Ares had started to climb on Zeus' back and hit his head lightly with the sword. "I am the god of war!"

Zeus laughed lightly as he slung his son from his shoulder and into his lap. "Yes, yes, you're the god of war. Now do you want me to tell you the story?"

"What story?"

Zeus rolled his eyes, "Not so smart, eh? The story about Hades."

Ares pumped his chest with the sword and yelled, "The god of war does not need to be smart! All he needs is to be stronger and quicker than his opponent."

"Oh son…I fear that there's much I still need to teach you…"

"You can teach me later- tell me about Hades!"

Zeus' expression turned grim. "Very well. Will you promise not to interrupt?" Ares quickly nodded his head and Zeus shifted him on his lap before beginning.

"It happened when we were very, very young gods. The war with the Titans had only ended only a few years prior, and the mortals began thriving because of Prometheus' gift of fire. Hades had grown…distant. Over the ten years of the Titan war, your uncle and I had grown quite close. I had saved him from eternal imprisonment from within our father-"

"Cronus? You mean Cronus, right?"

"Ares, be quiet. You promised not to interrupt."

"Sorry, Father…"

Zeus gave a heavy sigh as he continued, " It's alright. Now where was I? Oh yes, Cronus. I had saved him, and the rest of your aunts and uncles - and your mother, too – from imprisonment within Cronus. They were all grateful, but none so more than Hades. I saved him, and he had given me his undying loyalty in return. Or, I thought it was undying, until Hades led a charge against Olympus that put the Titans to shame- Poseidon has never come close to the damage he caused in that siege."

"Wait. Hades went to war? Against YOU? But – but why? " Ares had never been so confused in his life. He had felt excitement over the fact that there was war, but there was a negative feeling pulling at his heart.

Zeus ruffled his son's hair. "Ares, men do strange things over love. They fight, they kill, they… marry." Zeus had said the word with a hint of distaste. He eyed his son, "Why do you look so disappointed?"

"Love is a stupid reason to go to war. War over the love of a woman is a waste." Ares crossed his arms. "When I get older, war will be fought for riches and glory – not women."

Zeus gave a hardy laugh at his son's words and stood up. Looking back, he gave one last glance back at Ares before saying, "Ares, when you get older, you'll realize that the greatest wars are fought not over riches or glory, but pain and loss." And with that, the god walked away, leaving the young Ares to his thoughts.

Ares smiles at the memory, and is pulled out of his thoughts when he smells Dionysus' breath. Too close, you fool. He gives Dionysus a rough push back, but the god doesn't seem to notice in his giddiness.

"Ares, there's more, and I know you'll like this. He told me," Dionysus takes a quick breath, "He told me that when he loses control, and falls into the madness, he'll, he'll-"

"He'll?" Ares gives an irritated huff.

"He'll destroy Olympus!"

"He'll try to…but that means…"

"Yes," Dionysus says, bouncing up and down, "They'll be glorious war, fueled by glorious madness."

Ares finds himself repeating Dionysus' words. "Glorious war…" He feels his lips turn up in a malicious grin as he thinks more on it. "Well, Dionysus, I think we should toast to this meeting of our two greatest passions – war and madness."

"And wine, don't forget wine."

Ares nods, "And wine, of course, Brother." Looking into his goblet, he smirks at his reflection. The greatest wars are fought over pain and loss, are they Father? Well, what about anger and madness. He gives a loud chuckle as he gulps down his wine. Show me what you're made of, Uncle.

Hecate has her arms crossed, one side of her mouth turned up.

"And just what," she says, eyes narrowing and smile growing wider, "do you think you're doing?"

"Um, escaping?"

"I see. And how is that working out for you, young one?"

Persephone coughs, "Not too well."

Hecate smirks, "Not too well indeed."

Persephone had stayed up for several hours until she was sure Hades was asleep and the servants were in their quarters. Actually, she wasn't sure if Hades was asleep, exactly, but the screams and the rumbling palace gave her the indication that he was at least…distracted with something. So, when her room began to shake, she had quietly slipped from underneath her covers and moved into the hallway, tip-toeing her way across the bronze floor so as not to make a sound.

That's when she fell, hard, landing right on her rump. The shaking palace had caused her to slip and lose her footing. "Owwww…" she said, rubbing her bruised behind.

After that, she had wound her way through the labyrinthine hallways of the palace and found herself, tragically, hopelessly lost. "Ugh, Hades would have to make things more difficult by having a palace bigger than Olympus," she groaned in her frustration.

That's when she heard the scream again, deep and gruff and in anguish, and close. She almost fell again when the palace gave another earthquake –like rumble. She cautiously turned her head to the side to see two gigantic obsidian doors adorned with golden leaf designs and scattered rubies. Persephone felt her breath catch – they were a rather magnificent sight. Then she felt herself begin to lose her balance as another rumble shook the palace and caught herself on the doors' large handles. She heard another cry come from inside the room, but instead of scream it was a groan. What in Zeus's name is he doing in there? Persephone felt herself gripped with curiosity, her knuckles growing white on the door handles. What are you doing, Persephone? If you go into his room, he'll take that as an invitation – especially after that kiss you gave him today…Another scream, and she couldn't get past her curiosity. Maybe if I just take one little peek…

She lightly pushed the door open, and was stunned by what she saw, the room illuminated by light blue flames hanging on torches. At first, she had seen Hades' bare chest, which would have been a rather pleasing sight - with the toned, lean muscle rippling under his skin – had it not been for the giant black spot on his side that seemed to undulate and expand underneath his skin.

She walked closer, her curiosity overcoming her common sense once again and peered down at Hades. He's still asleep…She leaned down, and upon closer inspection she noticed that he was drenched in sweat, and that he was gripping his sheets. When she finally made her way up to his face, she saw that his jaw was painfully clenched and his eyes were screwed shut. She looked back down at the dark mark on his side, saw it expand upward and heard Hades hiss. What is that? Hades' breathing had become ragged, and now she could hear him saying lowly talking to himself within a mixture of grunts and hisses.

She saw him take his hand from his sheet and grip his side. He's in so much…pain. She had never seen a god act like this before. She knew that gods could feel pain – she had felt it herself when she had cut her foot while running through some fields…but the way Hades was acting – writhing and groaning – he looked, well, mortal.

Heard him grunt something, and Persephone wasn't sure, but she had though she had heard him say "please". She also wasn't sure what he was saying please for, but before she knew it, she had reached her hand out to touch the dark mark on his side and instantly recoiled her hand at the burning sensation. Well that was…unexpected. She almost screamed when she felt one of his hands move to grip her wrist but saw that his eyes were still screwed shut. Alright, Persephone, time to go. She gently pushed his hand back and ran out of the room so fast you'd think she was an Olympic runner. She heard another scream and felt the palace once again rumble, but was careful not to lose her footing.

And somehow, someway she had found her way out of the palace and eventually to the river Styx. I'm almost home, Mother. I'm almost home.

"Charon!" she called, her voice cracking. "Charon, come here! I have money for you!"

"Is that so?"

She turned around and saw for the first time in great detail the ferryman. His eyes were white, and cloudy, as well as his beard, and his face was a set of cruel lines and wrinkles. His arms were crossed, and Persephone could tell that he was a rather skinny man.

Clearing her throat, she said, "Yes, I have two drachmans."

He threw his head back and gave an evil laugh. " Hades is the richest of the gods and he pays me well. Do you really think I care for your drachmans, girl? The drahcmans you stole from my king, no doubt." His voice sounded like knives clashing against each other.

"But – but you ferry souls for drachmans!"

"I ferry souls for drachmans, yes. Not goddesses who my king has specifically ordered not to ferry. And specifically given me many riches so that I obey his very direct order."

"Hades…knew I would escape?"

Charon laughs at the shock on her face. " Ha! Do you take the king for a fool, girl? He's taken every precaution. There's a reason that heroes who come here rarely make it out – Hades doesn't let them leave. And, you may not be a hero," he said, roaming his lecherous gaze over her body, "but the king is interested in you. And I can see why."

Persephone crossed her arms then. "So you're not going to help me, then?"

Charon cocked his head to the side as if to feign contemplation and then gave her a big grin, his missing teeth making his face all the more grotesque. "No, sweetheart, I'm not."

"Fine."

Before Charon could defend himself, Persephone roughly pushed him into the river and scrambled atop his boat. She heard him making sputtering noises behind her as she began to row. She made it about fifteen feet when she heard a familiar voice yell something from behind her, and she felt tree trunks begin to grow around her feet and bind her.

A woman walking out of the shadows and glared at her. "And just what," she asked, eyes narrowing, "do you think you're doing?"

Hecate can't help but smile at the girl. It was, after all, a valiant attempt. I like this one…Hades has picked a fighter.

"Well, it doesn't look like you're going to be able to escape now." She gives Persephone a small grin.

Persephone rolls her eyes and says, "I can see that, Hecate."

"So, since you're in no shape to escape, would you like to join me for tea?" Hecate holds out her hand, her expression kind.

"Is there anything else I can possibly do now?" Persephone just wants to get into a ball and cry. So close… I was so close.

Hecate gives her a sympathetic look. "Come, my dear. You can get some sleep in my home. I know sleeping in the palace can be quite jarring at night… especially nowadays."

Persephone looks up, sees the kindness in Hecate's dark eyes, and she surprises herself when she says, ever so quietly, "Ok, Hecate. I'll go with you."

A/N: Ta –da! Another chapter. God, I'm sporadic. There's probably a lot of mistakes in this one in terms of typos 'n stuff, so I'll try and fix that later, but I was pretty excited so I decided to post. As always, leave reviews. :D Also, if you could tell me where you spot a mistake, like a missing word or something, let me know, and I'll fix it. Thankies :D