A RISKY MISSION

Erianthe was in the throne room, carving a leaf into one of the columns, when she felt a sudden chill, as if someone had called her name. She turned around but saw no one. "I must be imagining things," she thought, though she could have sworn she'd heard Hades' voice.

It had been quite some time since the Lord of the Dead had left for his meeting with Echidna, the Mother of All Monsters, and he had yet to return. "I hope everything's going well," she thought. But she couldn't deny she was worried.

When it was time for lunch, her gaze drifted to his seat. It was still empty. Erianthe sighed. "He's still not back."

"Eri! What's wrong?" Pain asked her.

"Hades… He still hasn't come back," Erianthe said flatly.

The imps exchanged a glance. They had noticed her unease. She had barely touched her plate.

"Don't worry, Erianthe," Panic said. "The boss probably got held up in the meeting. Echidna can be very enthusiastic. Besides, she and Hades have always gotten along well."

Panic didn't notice how that last comment sparked a hint of jealousy in Erianthe. She quickly dismissed the ridiculous thought.

"But he said he wouldn't be long. He promised he'd be back in time for our lesson in the library," she replied, lowering her head.

"You'll see. He'll be back before you know it," Pain reassured her.

Meanwhile, far away, Hades opened his eyes slowly. Immediately, he became aware of the heavy chains binding him. He was in a dark, damp cave, deep within the heart of the monster territory—Echidna's lair. The walls glowed with a faint, eerie light, while the echoes of inhuman laughter reverberated in the distance.

He tried to move, but every attempt only made the chains tighten further around his wrists, sapping his energy as though they were enchanted. "How did I let myself get captured?" he thought furiously.

He cursed himself for drinking what Echidna had offered. He should have been more careful. As he shifted in frustration, something slipped from the folds of his toga. It was the bracelet of flowers Erianthe had made for him, now resting in his lap.

He watched as the flowers began to wither, but still, the bracelet held a strange allure. It symbolized an offering—something rare for him. Despite being a god, no one ever made offerings to him or prayed to him.

But what he liked most about this offering was that it reminded him of her. Not just her scent, but her beauty. Closing his eyes, he pictured her in his mind. It was strange—he couldn't stop thinking about that little mortal, especially that radiant smile of hers.

And now he was here again, trapped. But this time, there was a significant difference—he wasn't in his realm, and that was a major disadvantage. "Damn it, how am I supposed to get out of here?" the god thought. He kept running through possible escape plans in his mind, but none seemed viable. He was a prisoner in the monsters' domain, and worst of all, Echidna had allied herself with someone who had offered her something far better than anything the Underworld could provide. That thought made his blood boil.

But what enraged him the most was that he had nothing and no one to help him get out of there.

"Hades! Finally, you're awake," came the voice of the Mother of All Monsters.

"Echidna…" Hades' voice was hoarse and weak.

"Forgive me for not putting you in a more comfortable room, but this is the only place I could imprison you. Considering your power, these chains are special. They keep your abilities in check and even drain them. They were made especially for you."

"You've gone to a lot of trouble, haven't you? I don't believe for a second that you made these chains yourself."

"We didn't, but our new ally did. Someone who knows you VERY well," the monster replied with a malicious grin. "You're going to be here for a long time, Lord of the Dead."

The agreed-upon time had come, and Hades was still nowhere to be seen. By now, Erianthe knew something was wrong. Though the imps had reassured her that the god was likely caught up chatting with the Mother of All Monsters, several hours had passed. "Is this normal? Does he usually stay away this long?" she wondered, but a knot was forming in her stomach—a bad feeling she couldn't shake.

She left the library and went to find Pain and Panic. They needed to come up with a plan—a plan to enter the monsters' realm and get Hades out of there.

"Okay, let's review the plan: we borrow Hades' chariot, fly incognito to Echidna's lair, sneak in without being seen, free Hades, sneak out again without anyone spotting us, and fly back to the Underworld. Perfect, right? A flawless plan."

The imps exchanged nervous glances before turning back to look at Eri.

"We're going to die," they said in unison.

"Guys, no! We have to believe in the plan; otherwise, Hades will stay trapped in that place."

"And how do you know something's happened to him?" Pain asked.

"I don't know," Erianthe admitted. "But when I was kidnapped on the surface, didn't you have a feeling that something had happened to me?"

"Yeah."

"Well, this is the same thing. If you hadn't come for me, I probably would've been sold as a slave. If Hades hasn't come back, it means something might have happened to him. That's why we have to go."

Erianthe certainly had a point. The boss might actually be in trouble, and they were the only ones who knew where he was, making them his only hope. "If he's not in trouble, he's going to mutilate us," Panic thought. "He's definitely going to mutilate us if we take Eri with us," Pain said quietly.

"Eri, before we go, it would be better if you put on some armor," the green imp advised.

"Okay, but I don't have armor," Erianthe replied, confused. "Where am I supposed to find armor?"

A short while later, the three of them set off in Hades' chariot, with Erianthe now clad in a set of armor and a helmet that Pain and Panic had provided—without telling her where they had gotten it. Fortunately, the imps had been to Echidna's lair before and also knew how to steer the god's chariot.

Erianthe had to admit that Hades' chariot was unlike anything she had ever seen before. It was made from a combination of forged iron and wood, entirely black. But the most striking feature was the front of the chariot, which bore a theatrical mask with an angry expression. Like the throne room, it had sharp, angular designs, and at the back were a pair of black wings that added the finishing touch to the chariot. It was entirely unique and original.

"You look like a hero in that armor," Panic teased.

"What are you talking about? I don't look anything like a hero," Eri snapped, clearly annoyed.

"Except for the helmet, you're the spitting image of Hercules," Pain added.

Neither of them said anything more about whom she resembled, especially after Eri shot them a deadly glare. "I don't look like him," she thought, but when she caught a glimpse of herself in a mirror, she had to admit she did look like a hero—and it irritated her.

The journey was long, so long that by the time they reached the monsters' territory, it was already dusk. Pain and Panic suggested that it would be best to hide the chariot somewhere far from the monsters' lair. They descended into a canyon in the rocky landscape, leaving the chariot behind. From that point on, they would continue on foot.

Night had fallen, and unlike the Underworld, which was lit by the glow of torches, the monsters' territory was illuminated by active volcanoes. Rivers of lava flowed through the land, radiating intense heat. Breathing became difficult for the three companions, but they weren't far from the monsters' lair—they could already see it in the distance.

"Help! Someone help me!"

The three froze in their tracks at the sound of the voice.

"Please, someone help!"

They weren't imagining it; someone was crying out for help.

"We should get closer and see who it is," Eri murmured.

"What if it's a trap? Or worse, what if it's a monster?" Panic replied nervously.

"Come on, don't be cowards," Eri said, carefully leading the way toward the source of the voice.

The voice sounded feminine. "Could it be a human?" Erianthe wondered, surprised that any mortal besides herself would be in the monsters' territory.

They approached what appeared to be a crevice wide enough for someone—or something—to have fallen into. Erianthe cautiously peeked over the edge and spotted someone clinging to a jagged rock on the cliffside. Below them, a river of lava flowed ominously.

Eri immediately began to plan a rescue.

"Guys, I need you to summon some ropes. Quickly!" she ordered.

"But, Eri…"

"There's no time for buts. I'm going to get her out of there," she said with such determination that Pain and Panic immediately complied. A pair of ropes materialized, and Eri got to work descending the wall to save the person dangling above the lava.

"Don't worry! I'm coming for you. Don't move," Eri called out to the girl.

The crevice was even hotter than the surface, but Erianthe didn't hesitate. Luckily, she didn't have to descend far to reach her. She moved so quickly that she didn't even take a good look at the girl—her focus was solely on getting the rope tied around her waist.

"Take my hand. My friends will pull us up, so I need you to grab the rope with one hand and use your legs to push yourself up while they pull us," Eri instructed firmly.

"O-Okay," the girl stammered, following her instructions unquestionably.

When Eri took hold of her hand, she noticed something odd—a scaly texture. "Scales?" she thought, but she brushed it off. First things first.

"Pull us up!" Erianthe shouted.

The two imps began pulling, and the girls climbed the rocky wall until they reached the edge.

"We've got you! Almost there," Eri assured the girl with a smile. Once they made it to the top, both girls crouched down, catching their breath.

"E-Eri," stammered Pain.

"Yes?" Eri responded cautiously. There was something in the purple imp's tone that she didn't like. "What is it?"

"You'd better step back and don't look at her," Panic said.

"Guys, what on earth is going on with you?" Erianthe didn't understand their strange behavior.

"She won't turn to stone if she looks at me. That's my sister Medusa's power, not mine," came the voice of the girl they had rescued.

Eri turned to look at her, and standing beside her was a girl with snakes for hair. Her skin was pale and seemed to have what looked like scales, but upon closer inspection, it appeared more like reptilian skin. However, her eyes seemed strangely human, even though their golden hue made them intensely striking. She was a gorgon.

The poor gorgon looked at Erianthe fearfully, and Erianthe returned the gaze with some apprehension. But, as she had in other situations, Eri decided to trust her intuition.

"My name is Erianthe. Nice to meet you," she said, extending her hand.

"P-please don't hurt me," the gorgon stammered, watching the mortal with suspicion.

"I'm not going to hurt you, really."

"What do you mean you're not? You're a hero! You've come to cut off my head!"

"What? No, no, no. I'm not a hero. I'm just wearing this armor because they made me." Eri assured her.

"Hey! Don't blame us; we gave it to you for your safety." Pain reproached with exasperation.

"See? I'm not here to hurt you, honestly. What's your name?" Erianthe asked in a kind tone.

The gorgon studied the mortal and had to admit that she saw gentleness in her gaze. Her smile was bright and warm.

"Euryale. My name is Euryale," the gorgon answered, now calmer.

"Nice to meet you, Euryale," Eri said, shaking her hand. "What were you doing down there?"

"I was looking for minerals to make pigments."

"Are you an artist?"

"Oh, no, no. I don't actually do anything professionally, but in my spare time, I like to design clothes and sew."

"Really? I'd love to see your designs. Your tunic is beautiful. Did you make it yourself? The fabric is exquisite, and the embroidery is so intricate and delicate."

"Th-thank you, but it's nothing special."

"I think you have real talent."

The gorgon couldn't believe how kind the girl standing in front of her was, and not only that, she genuinely admired the work she had made herself. It was the first time someone had acknowledged her for something other than fighting.

"Thank you for saving me, but I don't want to be rude. What is a mortal doing here with two imps?"

The three companions exchanged nervous glances, unsure of what to say. They couldn't simply tell her that they were there to rescue Hades.

The gorgon observed them closely and noticed how nervous the three of them had become. Studying the imps, she realized they were subordinates of the Underworld. The beautiful mortal in front of her clearly went along with them, which meant they were there to rescue someone.

"You're here for Hades, aren't you?" Euryale blurted out.

"Huh?" Erianthe was becoming very nervous. "Crap, we've been caught."

"No, no—we, uh, no… this isn't."

"I'm not going to say anything."

"Why?"

"Because you saved me from falling into the lava river."

"Thank you…"

"But I'll warn you, you won't get very far. Especially you—you smell like a mortal, and that will be your death sentence," Euryale cautioned her.

"I have to go in and find him," Eri said firmly, her voice filled with determination, surprising the gorgon. She liked this mortal.

"My sister guards the prisoners' cavern, and I assure you, she won't show any mercy."

"I have to try." Erianthe's gaze was resolute again. "She's so stubborn," Euryale thought.

"All right, you know what? I'll take you to him."

Everyone stared at her in shock. They hadn't expected this turn of events.

"Thank you, thank you!" the girl exclaimed joyfully.

Euryale motioned for them to follow her. She would take them through a secret entrance around the cave, an access point in the western area. But before they left, she grabbed a handful of ash from the ground and smeared it on Erianthe. "So you won't smell as much as a mortal."

"Eri, but what are you doing? What if she betrays us?" Panic whispered to her.

"I know, but we don't have any other choice. She's our only hope."

From what they saw, the main entrance was teeming with massive monsters that wouldn't hesitate to attack and devour Erianthe. Internally, the girl was grateful they had encountered Euryale.

"Are there always this many monsters?"

"You've come at one of the worst times. It's Chimera's birthday, and Mom has called the whole family together for a party."

"Seriously?" Eri said in disbelief.

"We're jinxed…" Panic muttered.

When they left the main entrance behind, they quickly spotted a large crack in the rocks that led into the cave.

"This way. It's the entrance. It'll take us more quickly to the lower levels where the prisoners are kept. Right now, it's just Hades. There are several patrols, but we'll avoid them and wait for the shift change. We need to be careful; my sister takes the next shift. Are you ready?"

"Ready!" the three answered in unison.

They entered the crack and carefully descended through narrow passageways. Luck was on their side—they didn't encounter any patrols.

"They're probably busy preparing for the party," Euryale guessed.

"Good thing. We've gotten lucky that security has been reduced."

"Hades is at the end of the corridor. Right next to it, there's a small shed where they keep the keys to the chains. They leave them there during the shift change. … Stop, hide! Someone's coming," Euryale warned them.

They hid in one of the adjacent passages, all except for the gorgon. "What is she doing?"

"Hello, sister. What are you doing here?" they heard an irritated voice.

"Hi, Stheno. I came to remind you that Chimera's party starts in an hour."

"I know, but I'm not going to that annoying party. Besides, who else is going to watch over Hades?"

"If you want, I can take over for you," she suggested. It would be a good chance for Erianthe to free the god.

"You? No way! You couldn't even guard a fly, little sister," Stheno replied, speaking to her younger sibling with disdain.

Erianthe peeked and saw that Euryale's older sister had her back turned. Stheno was tall, as tall as Hades, and muscular, armed with a sword.

Euryale's face was a picture of heartbreak. Her sister's words clearly hurt her, and it showed in her expression. She looked as if she were about to cry.

"Fine, sister. You're right, I'm useless at everything I do. But still, come with me for a moment. Mom has prepared a stone tablet, and she wants us to write a message for Chimera." Euryale was running out of ideas. "I hope this works," she thought.

"Are you kidding me? What a piece of crap. Fine, tell me where I'm supposed to write that stupid message to Chimera. Mom is always insisting on these unnecessary things," Stheno said irritably as she adjusted her sword. But something in her expression suggested she was considering it.

"It's not optional. You know how Mom gets when we don't fulfill her requests. Besides, if you come with me for a bit, you'll get a break from this boring guard duty. Don't worry, no one's going to touch Hades during that time," Euryale added, forcing a kind smile.

Stheno let out a deep sigh, as if even thinking about agreeing weighed heavily on her. But she finally nodded.

"Fine, but this better not waste too much of my time. Let's go quickly," she said at last.

Erianthe and the imps, watching from their hiding spot, let out a small sigh of relief. Euryale's cleverness had worked. The gorgon glanced toward their hiding place and gave them a slight gesture, signaling them to move quickly once she and her sister disappeared down the corridor.

"Let's go, guys," Hercules' daughter whispered.

The imps nodded but insisted Eri stay between them. If they ran into anyone, they could transform into something useful and fight. Erianthe wasn't about to argue, especially not when they were in the middle of a mission to free Hades. Their priority was to rescue the god and get out of there.

As soon as Euryale left with Stheno, Erianthe, Pain, and Panic slipped silently out of their hiding spot. They hurried toward the key shed, careful not to make any noise. Erianthe's heart pounded, not just from the tension of the moment, but also from knowing she was getting closer to finding Hades.

"There's the shed!" murmured Pain, pointing with one of his tiny claws.

The area was dimly lit, but thanks to the faint glow from a few torches, Erianthe could make out a small cabinet inside the shed. Several keys hung from it, and one of them stood out for its size. It had engravings of chains and bones, perfectly matching the aesthetic of the Underworld.

"That must be the key," said Eri, quickly stepping into the shed and grabbing it. She handed it to Pain.

"Let's go!" she urged the imps, who were keeping watch over the hallway.

The group moved swiftly toward the location Euryale had indicated. At the end of the corridor, they saw him: Hades. The god was chained to the wall, his figure appearing weak and defeated. He hadn't noticed their presence; his attention was focused on something resting in the folds of his tunic.

"I'll go check on the boss," Panic whispered.

The green imp cautiously approached him, and as Hades raised his gaze, he saw them. His eyes showed disbelief, as though what he was seeing was a hallucination or some kind of vision. He stared confusedly at Eri.

"A hero?" he managed to say, his voice weak.

Erianthe's heart sank, seeing him so vulnerable. She hated seeing him like this. Without hesitation, she removed her helmet, and Hades' eyes widened in shock.

On impulse, the girl ran toward him and threw her arms around him.

"It's me, idiot. Who else would it be?" she said with a smile.

The god gave her a soft, affectionate smile. She was here. She was by his side. But then, reality hit him—she was here… in monster territory! His expression changed as anger flared.

"What the hell are you doing here? Do you want to get yourself killed? Who let you come here, huh? When I get out of these chains, I'm going to make sure both of you suffer for this!" he snapped angrily.

The two imps gulped, knowing they were in trouble. Pain quickly stepped forward and started working on unlocking Hades' shackles, when suddenly they heard a familiar voice…

"Well, well, look at what we have here," Stheno said with a lunatic grin, clearly thrilled that her shift would have some action after all.

Hello everyone! I've finally been able to update with a new translated chapter!

Sorry if I'm updating slower now, but the real world is keeping me quite busy, and I still have to finish writing the next chapter. But don't worry, there will be another chapter soon.

What do you think about this twist, the introduction of these characters, and the reunion between Eri and Hades?

I hope you like the chapter and remember that English is not my mother tongue, so forgive me if there are some mistakes. I do my best!

You know you can leave me your reviews so I can know your opinion to improve it.

Thanks for keeping reading!