Okay all, here is the next chapter of The Influence of Hades. I hope you all enjoy it and thanks to everyone who read and reviewed and added me to their faves and alerts lists.
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The Influence of Hades
Chapter 4 – Melody.
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Once they had gotten off of the boat, both Arthur and Morgana watched the ferryman disappear.
"Why would he want to do such a job? He has to be on that river all the time?" Arthur asked.
"Of course he doesn't like it and of course he's on that river all the time Arthur. It's his curse." Evadne stated. Both Morgana and Arthur stared at Evadne.
"Why? What did he do that was so terrible?" Morgana asked. Evadne shook her head.
"No one knows. He's been here longer than almost anyone knows but for the Gods. Hades is probably the only one who knows the true reason that Charon ferries the souls of the dead. He... he did something so terrible that his punishment was forever to cross backwards and forwards across the river Styx ferrying the dead. He will never atone for whatever it is he did. But no one knows what it was that he did." Evadne replied.
"What about his family?" Arthur asked.
"He has many siblings. None of which ever come here. His parents were the immortal beings Nyx and Erebus. But they have not been seen for many thousands of years. Not even since before Charon became the ferryman." Evadne replied. Arthur and Morgana looked over to the cavernous opening in the cave wall and decided it was time to go through. As they walked down the corridor they wondered what would be waiting at the other end.
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"Milady Morgause, Lady Morgana has disappeared." Alvarr said as he came into their tent. Morgause cursed.
"No! If she disappears then any claim to Camelot's throne goes with her!" Morgause exclaimed.
"And here I thought that you loved your sister." Alvarr stated.
"I do. But I love our people as well. Our magical Kin have been persecuted long enough, and if Morgana takes the throne they will be free." Morgause stated.
"And to that end, you are willing to manipulate your sister. Well, I'm glad I'm not one of your siblings." Alvarr said, before leaving. Morgause frowned as she thought about where Morgana might have gone.
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As the group found themselves at the end of the corridor of stone, they saw a set of golden gates that seemed so large and wide that Arthur and Morgana could easily walk through the gaps in the bars side by side with some space to spare. Arthur didn't think it would be that easy somehow, and as Morgana and Arthur looked around, they heard a strange snuffling coming from near the gate. Arthur and Morgana stared incredulously at the source of the snuffling. A giant, three-headed dog.
"What the hell is that?" Arthur asked.
"It's Cerberus, the guardian to the gates of the Underworld, and Hades' prized pet. Of course it's up to the two of you to figure out how to get past him. It's not my journey he wants to stop." Evadne answered. Morgana and Arthur weren't sure what to do with the information, especially when Cerberus started drooling and they realised the drops were as huge as most stalactites.
"That's just disgusting." Morgana whispered, as a drop of the gooey saliva hit the ground.
"At least we can agree on something." Arthur said. The pair saw the great three headed dog start growling at them and they were both thinking about how to get past him when Morgana saw a harp set up near the tunnel entrance they had just come from. Morgana grinned.
"I think I have a plan." Morgana said softly. Arthur blinked as he watched her walk over to the harp slowly, carefully, making no sudden movements in case Cerberus decided to attack. She sat down on the stool in front of the harp and gently plucked at the strings. Cerberus looked at her, seemingly waiting for her to play. Morgana took a deep breath and began to play the harp. She played a lilting tune, one she remembered her father, Gorlois liking. Though she had not been his daughter by blood, Gorlois had been Morgana's father and even now, years after his death, she missed him. She played the soft tune deftly and Cerberus lay down and began to fall asleep. Morgana kept playing for a while, even after Cerberus' snores filled the giant cavern. Arthur looked at her incredulously. She stopped, and Cerberus began to stir. Morgana frowned and then thinking to a spell she had learned from a Druid bard not a few months ago, Morgana whispered out the words, and the harp began to play on it's own. Cerberus stopped stirring and fell back to sleep again. Morgana and Arthur let out relieved breaths. The trio got to the gate and slipped through the bars, leaving Cerberus to sleep.
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"It's midnight." Lancelot stated. The knights were resting, but sleep seemed unattainable.
"How do you think they're doing? Arthur and Morgana?" Leon asked.
"Well they must still be alive. The fire is still here." Percival replied.
"They must be doing something right then." Gwaine commented. The group were unsure of what to do, when they saw a group of horses heading towards them, Morgause and Alvarr in the lead. The Knights were all up and standing to attention when they saw the group of, what were surely, magic users heading for them.
"We're in trouble." Elyan stated obviously.
"Not if this fire does what that priestess said it could do." Gwaine shot back.
"She said nothing is infallible. If Morgause knows how to get through it, then we're going to have to fight." Leon added. Lancelot stretched and unsheathed his sword.
"I'm prepared to fight if we have to. Let's just hope that Arthur and Morgana can complete their quest in time." Lancelot said. The group of Knights nodded as they saw Morgause get down from her horse.
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Arthur and Morgana found themselves in another corridor. Morgana cringed when she saw the people cocooned, stuck to the walls, watching something. When she went to look over someone's shoulder, she saw one man was watching his family. There was a woman, watching her childhood. Each person was watching something different. It wasn't anything particularly bad that they were watching and Morgana didn't understand it really.
"Why would these people need to be tied down like this?" Morgana asked.
"It's their punishment. These people did bad things, and their punishment is to always be watching the lives they left behind. To be reminded of all those they loved and lost. It's a torturous fate." Evadne told Morgana. Morgana shuddered as she saw a woman weeping as she tried to call out to the image in front of her.
"It's so sad." Morgana said softly.
"You're right Morgana. It is sad." Arthur said softly beside her. The trio stopped for a moment, watching over the tortured souls cocooned in front of them, until Evadne took a breath and placed a hand on one of Morgana's and Arthur's shoulders.
"We need to keep going." Evadne said gently. The trio carried on, all thinking of the sadness of the underworld.
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Morgause stared at the Knights.
"Where is my sister? Only she would've told you about this ritual." Morgause demanded.
"Actually a priestess told us about this ritual." Elyan replied.
"Where is my sister? Her armour is over there, as well as her cloak. I know she was here." Morgause asked again.
"She's with Arthur." Lancelot replied coolly.
"She would never go anywhere with Arthur." Morgause denied flatly.
"Yes she would. She and Arthur made the covenant. You know this ritual, you obviously know what's supposed to happen." Gwaine snaked. Morgause glared at Gwaine.
"She wouldn't do that! Merlin's death furthers our goals, her goals, she wouldn't jeopardise that! Morgause exclaimed.
"Well she did." Percival added. Morgause screamed in frustration. Her eyes glowed gold with magic, and a wave of it spread over the circle. The trees and bushes were pushed back, some of them uprooted, waves spread across the lake, but the circle of fire and all those within remained unharmed.
"I guess that girl was telling the truth. This fire really does protect us." Gwaine said cheerfully.
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Okay, I'm ending this chapter here. I want to try and make this ten chapters long, so I'm making this chapter shorter. I don't want to make everything happen at once. Anywho, here's a sneak peak for the next chapter.
"What is that place?" Arthur asked. Morgana stood beside him as they looked through a veil into a green field, where blue skies and sunshine rained down on the inhabitants. All of the people were dressed in white, all but one. One figure, sat on a boulder and looked straight at them...