Need to catch-up? Find previous chapters here: 1
Chapter 2
Despite the gloom permeating his domicile, Hades was in a good mood. Not that the casual observer could tell the difference between his good mood and bad mood, but those residing with him knew it as soon as they saw him.
The chill invading the human world during the winter months could barely be felt down here. Few things could be felt in the land across the River Styx. Beauty and comfort were foreign concepts, developed for corporal beings. A soul had no need for such things. All they needed were space to float, endlessly milling about. Occasionally one would remember for a brief moment the warmth of a fire or the softness of a down mattress, and they would weep at the loss. These memories never lasted long and they would soon be back to wandering aimlessly and wondering why they were here.
Now was the time of joy in the Underworld. Or as joyful as such a place can be. Hades’ queen, Persephone, was visiting for her required six months. It was the only time Hades had someone else with whom he could talk to and he treasured the short spurts of time. Extra effort was given to lighting the halls where he resided and food approved by Zeus was brought in for feasts. Hades promised not to hold his queen longer than the six months allotted and so needed fresh fruits and vegetables not grown in his own kingdom to feed her with. The feasts usually only consisted of Hades and Persephone, but every so often they would be joined by Thanatos when he had a break in his soul-gathering duties.
During her first thousand years being Hades’ queen, Persephone dreaded her returns to the realm of the dead. Every year when the time approached, she begged Zeus to take pity on her and let her stay above ground. Her mother would appeal to both Zeus and Hades for a change of heart. Every year, the brothers held firm to the deal and Persephone was taken away while her mother went into mourning.
As the years went by, Persephone grew accustomed to her role as Queen of the Dead. The arrangement may have been forced upon her, but she sensed genuine love from her husband. All he really wanted was companionship and she provided that for him. He was never cruel or abusive toward her. If anything, there was a sadness around him which became stronger when spring came.
When she returned to the surface, Persephone could always tell how much her mother missed her by the spring thaw. More snow still piled up in mounds meant a hard winter. An early spring was the result of her mother dealing with her daughter’s loss better. As the years went on, there were more early springs, proving both of them had come to terms with the arrangement. Neither one was ready to admit it to the other, so they continued with the pretenses, Persephone crying when she was collected for her time in the underworld and Demeter letting the trees and plants die, covering them with a light snow.
“My dear. You look beautiful beyond words,” Hades said, greeting her as she entered his throne room. It had been built by his brothers as a joke since he rarely had use for it. The dead had few complaints to bring before him and most living petitioners chose to sneak in and try to steal their loved ones back rather than ask him outright for their return.
“Thank you, my lord.” She never returned his compliments. They both knew they were shallow and untrue when applied to the Lord of the Dead. His time underground did little for his complexion, leaving him perpetually whiter than those he watched over. Doom and despair, which he carried around with him like pets, took their toll on his features, sinking his eyes deep into his face and darkened the shadows where his skin hung loose.
“We prepared your Welcoming Feast as usual. I hope you find everything to your satisfaction.” Hades waved towards the other end of the throne room where dinner was laid out on a long table. Despite it being only the two of them, there was enough food for the whole population of Mount Olympus, should they ever decide to visit. They never did, but Hades liked to be prepared.
“Zeus sent it down?” It was a conversation they repeated every year. Persephone hadn’t trusted Hades for many years after his trick with the pomegranate. Since then, she always made sure the food she ate wasn’t from Hades’ realm. Some time ago, she realized he didn’t mean her any harm and wouldn’t intentionally trick her again, but like the farce with her mother each fall, she wasn’t ready to let her guard down.
“But of course. Thanatos will vouch for it if you wish.” Thanatos may be under the employ of Hades, but he was trustworthy and fair. If anything needed to be verified, he was the one to do it.
“No need. I will take you at your word.”
“I thank you for your trust in me. Shall we?” Hades pulled out a chair for her to sit, then took up his own chair at the opposite end. Conversation was difficult over such a large distance, but not impossible. Still, they chose to eat in silence. Hades spent the time studying his bride, Persephone thinking about her eventual return to the surface.
Near the end of their meal, a puff of smoke interrupted them. Glowing green and orange, swirling until it formed the shape of a man. Six feet tall, clad in dark clothing laced with fine silver thread, it was an imposing figure that struck fear into the hearts of the living.
“Thanatos! My old friend. Welcome. I didn’t think you would be joining us this year.”
“My lord,” the figure inclined his head in Hades direction. “My lady.”
“Dear Thanatos, it is good to see you. Please sit and join us.”
“My lady is most gracious, but I must decline. I came only to warn you of changes taking place on the surface.”
“Bah!” Hades waved off Thanatos with a free hand. “What happens in my brothers’ realms doesn’t concern me. The more fire and warfare up there, the more souls end up down here. For me it is all the same. The only thing that changes is the speed at which they arrive.”
“That may be so in the usual flow of things, but things are no longer the same. Hera is looking to increase her influence among men and breaking many of the rules to reach her goal.”
“I didn’t know my brothers and sisters had any sort of rules. It always seemed like a free for all to me.”
“Hera is going beyond. Did you not recently receive the souls of monsters? Half-breeds, the likes we haven’t seen in nearly four thousand years?”
“Yes, I thought it delightful. Minotaurs, centaurs, some Gorgons. I thought such creatures no longer existed, but then their souls showed up on my doorstep.”
“They didn’t exist. Not until Hera caused them to be born. I spent months on the surface trying to piece together what she was doing. In the shape of a horse, I was able to befriend one of the poor beasts she bewitched. Together, we were able to face Hera and hamper her plans. She’ll be back and more ruthless the next time.”
“I still fail to see what this means to me. The beings have souls. The souls then come here when it is their time. I have more than enough room to accommodate them all.” Hades bit into the hunk of cheese he cut while listening to Thanatos’ tale.
“Hera means to stop at nothing. If one method doesn’t work, she will adopt another. What if she doesn’t stop her power-grabbing at the surface? What if the living no longer hold an interest for her?”
“Are you suggesting she might come down here and take over the dead?” Persephone stopped eating to listen, only now speaking up.
“My fears exactly,” Thanatos said, turning to address her.
“Absurd. No one wanted to watch over the land of the dead. Why do you think I ended up with it?”
“Certainly you wouldn’t let her come in and take over?” Persephone asked.
“Never! This might not be much compared to ruling over the air and water, but it’s mine. I’ve done my duty down here for millennia and I’m not about to turn my back on it now.”
“I’m glad to hear it. Despite thinking surface matters don’t concern you, I suggest you prepare for the event when they do.”
“Thank you, friend. I can’t imagine it will ever come to that, but I will be prepared.”
“Good. With that, I shall bid you both a pleasant evening.” He tilted his head to Hades, then bowed deeply to Persephone. “Welcome home, My Lady. May your stay be a pleasant one.” Without another word or breath, he vanished in a puff of smoke, curling towards the surface where his talents were needed.
“Do you really think she’d come down here?” Persephone still hadn’t resumed eating. She rolled a partially nibbled olive around in front of her.
“What could someone like Hera possibly want with a place like this? Yes, I have grown accustomed to it and learned to appreciate what charms it offers. But for someone searching for power, this is the last place they would find it.”
“But she could control the dead.”
“What then? The dead don’t concern themselves with the land of the living any more than I do. They have random bouts of relapses, when they remember who they are, but they can’t do anything about it. For the most part, they are docile, caring for little beyond drifting about.”
Persephone popped the olive into her mouth and chewed, thinking through everything they discussed during dinner. Thanatos seemed certain Hera was up to no good. While that was most likely true, warning Hades seemed a bit excessive. As her husband said, few people would want what the underworld could offer.
“Have you ever attempted to control your subjects before?”
“Why bother? They’re happy and have so few worries. Few things I can’t do myself and those few things I can’t have a wisp of a being do for me.”
“So you don’t know the full extent of what you can command them to do?”
“I suppose not.” Hades examined a cluster of grapes, searching for one unblemished.
“Then there might be some merit to the concerns Thanatos voiced. What if Hera was able to control them?”
“What would she do with them? Millions of souls, all bumping into each other for eternity. What use are they?” Hades laughed, finally finding a suitable grape and plucking it from the bunch.
“It would be millions of souls loose among the living.”
“She wouldn’t. It would be complete chaos should the dead be allowed among the living.”
“Chaos brings with it fear. Fear is what Hera wants, because fear will bring her power.”
“The others won’t stand for it.”
“You heard Thanatos. Hera isn’t playing by anyone’s rules anymore. I think it would be wise to heed our dear friend’s words, lest our kingdom be torn from us.”
“You may be right. When we have finished, I will visit with the Sister Fates to see if they can be of any help.” Despite his grim countenance, Hades was glowing on the inside. His beloved was willing to fight beside him, should the need arise. She referred to the Realm of the Dead not as ‘Your Kingdom’ but as ‘Our Kingdom’. What reason more did he need to make sure Hera never set foot in it?
No comments:
Post a Comment