Amari412: Thank you for the review. Hope you enjoyed this chapter. Things are going to get a little more heated up soon.
Short Straw
She remembered her father teaching of judgement. A harsh gruelling fact of the Underworld, but she was never scared. During these talks, Hades didn't whisper. He spoke proudly, but never tooted his own horn. Persephone took that moment to walk in, as Hades began to speak about the shades being sent to Tartarus. The conversation ended with Melinoe sniggering quietly behind her hands, as Persephone playfully scolded Hades.
Of course Melinoe would be thinking about the past. Anything was better than this. The stench of blood was enough to draw up a familiar sour taste in the back of her throat. Men. Teenagers, continued to hush the young women, who leant against the wall in a pool of her own blood. Melinoe could still hear the terrified cries.
'My leg! My leg! My leg! My leg! My leg!' They'd managed to free her from the beasts powerful jaws but not without a price.
Now laying on the ground, a piece of rope tied around a bloody torn stump, Melinoe had no idea what to do. Her conceiounce told her to help, but what could a goddess in training really do? The girl lightly moaned, head rolled limply. Melinoe's leg throbbed in sympathy pain.
A bulking figure stumbled into the room placing a flaming torch in the wall. Standing at six foot he towered over them. It seemed only logical that he became the leader of the terrified group.
"The beast is no where to be seen. Guess it's sleeping."
Though 'think of a name' tried to keep the fear from his voice Melinoe smelt it. It reminded her of the shade stumbling after the light. Wheezing, muttering about a beast with horns. A warm liquid trickled down Melinoe's forehead. For a sickening thought, Melinoe thought it was blood. But with a quivering hand she found out it was only sweat.
"Father.."
Laying herself down, suddenly feeling the world was balanced on her shoulders, Melinoe forced herself to get some sleep. It was her shift to keep watch in half an hour.
"We have to kill her!"
No one wanted anymore blood on their hands, but with the wounded girl starting to wake up, groaning in agony it would only be a matter of time before the screaming would start. Aeschylus watched the remaining victims. They looked liked scared rabbits.
"Its against the laws of the gods. He will send us to Tartarus."
Any sign of a fight died down. Aeschylus opened his mouth when a high pitched wail stopped him. Turning they watched as once again the girl wailed about her missing leg. Fingers clawed at the rope. Fat tears trickled down her face. Aeschylus grinded his teeth. It sounded like a dog gnawing on a bone.
"Do it."
No one admitted who spoke. Aeschylus seemed to act like he worked on his own terms, rather than approval. At least if he was sentenced to Tartarus he wouldn't be alone. Lips curled. Deep brown eyes filling with tears, the young female looked fearfully towards Aeschylus who crouched by her side offering no words of comfort. As she turned looking for answers everyone else had looked away. The air thick with shame. Aeschylus wound his clumsy yet strong fingers around a hand full of her greasy, blood filled hair the female began to thrash. Scratches covered Aeschylus arms, he grunted as he dragged the girls head to the side, his body tense ready to bash.
As if reading his body movements even in blind panic, the female stopped attacking his arms, instead she focused on his face, her thumbs tensed out in order to gouge out the sinful filled pupils.
"Not likely.."
Aeschylus grunted. Tensing up his hand he smacked it against her bloody stump. Knuckles burst open as they grazed against the jagged bone sticking out. All those bearing witness expected to hear ear piercing screams. The female however, didn't even have a chance to see the blinding white flashes of pain. A sickening sound of bone crunching loudly, brought at end to the bloody massacre. Remaining crouched, chest heaved, face splattered with sprays of blood. Aeschylus looked down at his kill, his noble sacrifice with triumphant. No one wanted to admit their relief, knowing now they had more time to remain hidden from the beast.
Along the other side of the huddle, Melinoe stood on guard. She heard enough to picture exactly what had happened. She felt neither sympathy nor pity. The female was destined to die as was the rest of them. A muffled cackle passed her lips. Tears pricked the corner of her eyes. She would bare witness to the massacre of innocent young adults while she remained alive. An urge to scream about being the daughter of Hades and Persephone was becoming harder to bite down. To scream such a thing was foolish. Melinoe could almost hear the Fates whispering in their slimy serpent tongues.
"You got your wish for freedom and independence. Is it what you always wanted?"
"No.."
Melinoe whispered as she slowly slid down to rest upon her knees, her head rolled to the side as tears trickled down her cheeks. Melinoe found herself missing the heat of the sun, even the cries of shades. Wiping angrily at her tears, Melinoe let out a shaky sigh. No wonder her father didn't want her coming to the Upper land of Mortals. She was becoming just like them.
A twinge of guilt entered Melinoe's mind. If her dreams were true, her mother was once a human. Fingers dragged themselves across the walls, as her eyelids began to increase in weight. With no sign of the beast thumping up the long corridor, Melinoe's body involuntarily drifted off into a restless slumber.
Just on the other side of the wall, Aeschylus and a second male were dragging the corpse across the ground, grunting at the weight. Sweat trickled their brows.
"Lets just hope the beast knows a corpse from his own ass.."
Such a comment wouldn't go unpunished. Dropping the corpse on the ground, hands pressed firmly against his lower back as he stretched out the knits, his body became froze. Harsh breathing followed by heavy 'thumps' of split hooves echoed through the narrowed corridor. The second male had already begun to splutter in terror. No words spoken, not even a panicked 'Run!'. There was no safe place for them to go; one sent them straight into the sound of the beast, while the other lead them through long darkened corridors. Not bothering to grab the males wrist Aeschylus ran. Even with his bulking figure he was more cowardly than a child.
The second male didn't have a chance. As he found the use of his legs, a spluttered gasp passed peach coloured lips. Eyes rolled down towards his chest looking in horror as a curved horn had burst through.
Jagged rocks formed an unsafe path way. Melinoe found herself looking around in confusion. This place seemed familiar. Jumping down onto a smooth path which had ripples as if it'd been burnt, a faint gasp passed her lips. This was Tartarus, but where was the fire and mayhem of screaming shades? Before she could call out in excitement for returning or confusion to what she was being witness to, the sound of chains rattling in the distance caused her to turn around slowly.
Three figures walked with pride, one staggered trying not to fall on his knees. Hair shaggy brown, a worn chalk white over sized shirt seen usually found under heavy armour, adding to his humiliating image. Behind him a rather well muscled man walked a look of triumphant in stormy green eyes. But it was the male at the front who made Melinoe cover her mouth in shock.
"Father.."
Hades stopped. For a moment Melinoe feared she'd been spotted, it was only when he looked around the much larger rocks which were forming from the ground did Melinoe notice them. Gods. Once beautiful now they looked like weak mortals.
"This is where the gods are milked and their powers are sent to Kronos.."
Melinoe tried to blank out what she was hearing. Her stomach twisted as thick vomit travelled up the back of her throat. Looking down she watched as her father lunged himself forward, grabbing hold of the fallen males white clothing, holding it in a trembling fist.
"What do you want from me? Love? I am not human. Neither are you.." - Melinoe couldn't hear what the second male said, her eyes focused on her father never before seeing him so cruel. - "But learn what? How to weep? How to die? How to feel pain?"
Melinoe found herself nodding when the fallen male screamed "Yes!". His voice sounded like distant thunder. Hades scowled as if in disgust. Anyone would've thought he just trod in filth. Stumbling backwards as the trio began to move towards her, Melinoe held her breath. They didn't pay her any attention. Their bodies moved like ripples in the sea. Watching with wide eyes a faint crying in the distance caused her to turn slowly. Thick mist began to form. Turning towards the trio, noticing as they pressed on Melinoe went in the direction of the mist. Her feet slid against the smooth path.
A huddled figure pressed against the ground made Melinoe pause. Most shades didn't bare any colour, but this one was wearing a thick green tunic chains quivered on the ground. Stretching out her hand, Melinoe lightly cupped the quivering shoulder. Turning slowly the figure looked up with wide eyes towards Melinoe. It was King Minos's Oracle. She stood up slowly, body stiff eyes turned a thick shade of silver. Melinoe stepped backwards watching in fear.
"A curse needs to be broken. Minos knows of this, he knows a girl with a black necklace will come and destroy everything he has. Break the curse. Free Crete!"
As the Oracle spoke she'd attempted to grab hold of Melinoe, her arms straining against the chains. The chains snapped. The Oracle lunged towards Melinoe her body shifted into the form of the beast. Melinoe screamed.
"Nooo!"
"Noo! Someone help me!"
Sitting up right at the sound of the scream, Melinoe looked around with wide eyes. Memories of her dream flashing before her eyes. Shuddering she scrambled up right. Hearing the sound of running feet she wasn't surprised to see Aeschylus running for cover, followed by the rest of the group, who'd managed to join in during the sudden run.
"The beast is coming close, we have to leave now!"
Half an hour later...
No one knew how they made their way through the corridors with only one torch which was starting to puff out pathetically. Melinoe walked at the back cupping her elbows in sweaty palms. This was her second taste of fear. Everyone came to a halt together yet they still managed to stumble into one another. A sickening sound of flesh being torn from the bone caused muffled whimpers to spread like bush fire. It seemed in their hushed silence they'd managed to go round in a large circle. Some began to cling onto one another as tears trickled down their faces. Melinoe on the other hand rose up onto her tip toes trying to catch a glimpse of what was happening.
Sat hunched over the lifeless corpse of the young adult male the beast feasted. They all managed to get a good glimpse of his hard heavy head with blood splattered horns. A bare torso covered in scars, human hands holding tightly onto a once beating heart. Hairy legs supporting his weight as a long thing tail twitched and flicked like a whip.
"Minotaur.."
Melinoe whispered.
Such a sight terrified them all. Melinoe however felt a strange pang of sympathy for the bloody Minotaur. The Oracles words danced around within her mind. Stepping closer it was almost like fate was pulling a cruel trick. The munching stopped. Melinoe wanted to deny it but she was sure, she saw a cruel leer stretching the Minotaur's bloody muzzle. No one screamed, instead they all worked as if they rehearsed it and ran for their lives.
A blood curling roar followed swiftly by the tapping of hooves sent blood running icy cold. As everyone ran ahead Melinoe took a sharp left pressing herself against the wall as her chest heaved in terror. Melinoe watched as the others sped past her. For a moment she stopped breathing. Where was the Minotaur? Foot steps became faint echoes, causing Melinoe's ears to ring. Instead of stepping back, she stepped forward on limps which trembled and shook. Eyes large she looked everywhere, but the darkness covered any light that could help her see. Opening the palm of her hand, Melinoe forced herself to concentrate.
"Fire, bring me light to see my way.."
Holding her breath Melinoe watched. A warm sensation covered her palm and there right before her eyes, a flame sat. If Melinoe looked over her shoulder just then she would've seen a bloody grin; but as she turned a few seconds later, only her shadow danced across the wall. Cupping the flame to prevent it from being blown out, but also so no one could see her powers, Melinoe began to walk forward. As she walked she could swear she heard faint voices, but it was only the echo of her own shoes. Melinoe moved as silently as possible.
"Father.. If you can hear me please help me.."
Glancing down at the ground Melinoe hoped to see the ground cracking open. Nothing happened. Fate was a cruel mistress. With the group gone Melinoe was on her own. The place was so large with many twists and turns it would be almost impossible to find her way around, or back in the direction they came. The flame began to flicker, before dying out leaving a black scorch in the palm of her hand. Tears trickled down her face as Melinoe finally allowed herself to weep.
Apologies for the delay in this chapter, but at least its finished. Aeschylus means 'Shame' in Ancient Greek. I thought it was a fitting name for this particular character. Please leave a review would like to know what you think.
- Signed The Broken Ghost