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𝔸𝕚𝕕𝕠𝕟𝕖𝕦𝕤 "𝐇𝕒𝕕𝕖𝕤"
𝕂𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕠𝕗 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕌𝕟𝕕𝕖𝕣𝕨𝕠𝕣𝕝𝕕
"In death there are no accidents, no coincidences, no mishaps, and no escape."
⊶⊷⊶⊷⊶⊷⊷⊷⊶⊷⊶⊷⊰⌍
⌎⊱⊶⊷⊶⊷⊶⊷⊶⊷⊶⊷⊶⊷
⊰⌏𝔸𝕚𝕕𝕠𝕟𝕖𝕦𝕤 "𝐇𝕒𝕕𝕖𝕤"
𝕂𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕠𝕗 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕌𝕟𝕕𝕖𝕣𝕨𝕠𝕣𝕝𝕕
"In death there are no accidents, no coincidences, no mishaps, and no escape."
Long ago the land of Greece was ruled by a Titan named Cronus who had usurped his own father, Uranus, to create a time of peace. But peace requires blood and sacrifice to remain intact. Cronus consumed his children-including his son, Aidoneus, and confined him to a life of darkness within the pit of Cronus’s stomach. Aidoneus had thought the rest of his life would be lived within the gut of his father with his brother and sisters who were: Demeter, Hestia, Hera, and Poseidon. But alas one day their youngest sibling usurped their father and freed them from their prison. A bright light blinded Aidoneus before he spilled out from his confinement and gazed up at the almighty Zeus.
One empire falls, and another rises to take its place. Zeus was now the ruler of Greece. He took the heavens as his kingdom while Poseidon chose the deep seas as his dominion. Which unfortunately left Aidoneus with the underworld which was called, Hades. And so too became his name. He was already used to living a life in darkness so this kingdom shrouded in the abyss in the absence of the sun wasn’t anything new to Aidoneus. Many knew him as “The Unseen One”, for even whispering his name was tantamount to condemning oneself to death. But what wasn’t foreseen, on the day where the realms of Greece were divided amongst the brothers, was the untold riches which lie beneath the soil. For Hades wasn’t only the King of the Underworld-oh no. He was also ruler of riches and wealth which hadn’t yet been mined by man. Zeus, just like his forefathers, feared of someone usurping his throne. In panic he ate Metis, who was carrying Athena, only to get a literal headache as she burst forth from his head. He only subsequently gave birth to her instead of preventing a prophecy. Eating a potential usurper didn’t work so he resorted to slowly taking away their influence and power.
Rumor had it that Hades is the wealthiest of all the gods. But the aforementioned neither confirmed nor denied these rumors. His modest tunic stemmed from either a conservative frugal tendency with an aversion to vanity or a conscious effort to downplay his copious capital. So when the eldest brother, Hades, was summoned to mount Olympus he would’ve never imagined the subject of this meeting was to relinquish command over the Elysian Fields. Zeus knew how much gold there was in the fields and so didn’t bother with the other sphere’s of the Underworld-yet.
Atop of the world stood a mountain which didn’t scrape against the sky, no, it pierced it. The sky-piercer stood among the heavens where the Gods of Olympus resided. The protruding phallus of Earth lead to many places to hide and reside in leading to a possible goddess remaining oblivious to all who live there. But right now, within the chambers of the gods, sat an irritated god who tapped his finger against the gold table while his crimson eyes narrowed at the gods who sat across from him on the opposite side at the end of the table. “Come again?” Hades inquired as if the tunes of Apollo’s Lyre had distracted him from this ludicrous request. His hand held his head from under the chin and he leaned his elbow in on the leather armrest of his chair. His head slightly tilted as if trying to decipher this puzzling statement with a different perspective.
His skin was pale and porcelain as bones. Having lacked the warmth and kisses from the sun to condition it with a darker shade thanks to his childhood having been spent in the belly of his father and his adulthood ruling over a kingdom where the sun could not reach. His hair was the same ebony ash as the one which arose from the fires of Tartarus where the wicked souls were tortured for eternity. His eyes were a piercing blood red crimson and capable of seeing the sins and virtues of mortals. His body was chiseled to perfection thanks to his divine physiology. Like other Olympic gods, Hades sprouted a masculine frame of broad shoulders and defined pectorals and abdomen making him look like a Greek statue come to life. His face was adorned with handsome features with a carved and sharp chin, a protruding brow, generously precise cheekbones, and deep-set hunter optics which stared daggers into Zeus.
Zeus, the King of the Heavens, spoke. “The Elysian Fields are a perfect final resting place for the heroic spirits to enjoy what they love for the rest of eternity, Hades. We think it’s best if that plot of the Underworld is accessed by Olympus so we may place those who are worthy within it and supply the necessary amenities to the valiant heroes ourselves,” Zeus explained in a rather corporate and professional manner with a feigned attempt at pretending this wasn’t about the gold. “I’ve already promised everyone can have access to place brave souls there. Why do I have to abandon these fields when I just finished constructing the necessary structures to house these heroes?” Hades growled in a sonorous tone befitting of a King seething with discontent. His finger ceased its tapping from agitation and balled into a fist shaking with fury.
Zeus’s electric irises glanced at the fist of his elder brother before he stood up and placing his hands behind his back. He sauntered over to the pillar which granted him vision down below to a gigantic yard full of nymphs and other minor gods and goddesses with finely crafted fountains spewing water along with gardens and temples. His golden gaze fixated onto a frantic Demeter holding her dress high to frantically run and meet with a pair of nymphs to speak before they shook their heads and shrugged their shoulders. His lips perked into a smile as he remembered the night they shared all that time ago. He brushed his white beared once before turning back to face Hades, “Because it is the will of the gods, Hades. And as their King I am subject to their concerns. What if you banish someone they hold dearly into Tartarus? What if you only allow certain heroes into Elysium?” he explained with an innocent tone but it was laced with undertones of ulterior motives.
Hera, Queen if the Gods, was the wife of Zeus and sister to Hades. So of course she sat beside where Zeus first sat to support her husband. “Their worry is not without merit, Hades. We just want to make sure everyone who should be there in fact is, and make sure the Elysian Fields are a rich place to rest for the courageous mortals,” she said with humble grace. But her demeanor couldn’t hide her ravenous desire to gain further control over the fields to make sure the bastard children, or progeny of the bastard children, of Zeus wouldn’t be granted easy access to the fields. Or she be damned if Hercules and Perseus were welcomed to the realm of paradise.
Poseidon, God of the Sea, and younger brother to Hades sat at opposite side of Hera. “We’re still giving you the most important job, Hades. We can’t let father free from Tartarus. If you’re preoccupied with the Asphodel Fields, Tartarus, and the Elysian Fields you might lose sight of the Titans breaking loose,” the sea dweller said with a cocksure tone. As if he didn’t wish to plunder the riches within Elysium as he does within the depths of his oceans with all of the vessels “lost” who were transporting gold.
Hades stared at his siblings as if offended they thought he wouldn’t notice their affliction of deceit to cross him in such an underhanded manner. Then he was literally shocked by a very minor jolt of static electricity as Zeus placed his hand on Hades’s shoulder. “It’s for the best, Hades,” Zeus stressed with a firm hold and theatrical expression of artificial regret of having to take away the Elysian Fields.
That’s when Hades had enough of this farce of sympathy. He rapidly rose to his full stature while backhanding the thunderer’s hand. He stared down Zeus in the eyes, “Fine. Take Elysium. But know this. Tread upon further of my domain and you will learn why I am called the Unseen One. Because before you know it I will have already struck you down without you even seeing me coming,” he swore with venomous intent. Zeus always was wary of Hades. He was the eldest son so by birthright Greece belonged to Hades. But he didn’t truly care to rule the world. He more so wished to be alone within his kingdom with a consort. The Underworld had grown a bit dull and lonely once he split with the nymph, Minthe. Thanatos, Charon, and Cerberus could only satisfy his itch for socialization by a marginal amount when the duty of death never rests. He found a feminine touch in his life spiced his solitude up.
Hades relished in the concerned look of Zeus. That’s all that he wanted. To see his younger brother squirm at the mention of a possible usurping. He pushed the chair back and turned to leave without another word.
As he opened the massive doors he barely took a few steps when someone bumped into him and fell backward. Crimson optics fell to the ground. His brow furrowed, “Demeter? Why are you making haste in such a haphazardly manner?” he asked in a concerned tone. She always kept to herself as if hiding a secret. Still. She never quarreled with Hades and was one of his favorite siblings along with Hestia. He reached down and grabbed her by the wrist while she still recovered as if she ran straight into a brick wall. He hoisted her up gingerly as if she were as light as a feather.
“Oh, Aidoneus, it-it’s all my fault-I” she mumbled while shaking her head in disbelief. Hades tilted his head and was still puzzled having still no understanding of what was going on. Demeter looked to Hades and leaned into his space which caught him off guard to ask in a hushed tone if he had seen someone matching the description of a nymph. “I beg you pardon, but no. Our younger brother, Zeus, personally chaperoned me to the god’s chambers. You know how everyone acts when-“ he glanced past her to a pair of nymphs and satyrs who averted their gaze and scurried away like mice from a cat. “-they see me,” he sighed with the vexing treatment. “So no. I didn’t see her.”
Demeter’s worried expression concerned him, but she bid farewell before he could ask for further details. Just as quickly as she came-she was gone.
⋅───⊱༺ 
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༻⊰───⋅Hades traversed down the mountain. He enjoyed how vibrant and rich of life the surface was. How the trees sung when the wind brushed against the leaves and how warm the sun felt which easily dwarfed any hellfire he had grown accustomed to. The distant chirping of birds filled his ears which satisfied him with joy. His lips pursed as he tilted his ears to better listen. Until he lamentably strode too close and all fell silent. Grandmother Earth’s creatures silenced their tunes, evacuated from his presence, and hid from his gaze. Such was the life of the Unseen One. In more ways than one he was unseen. Many not only chose to avoid him but also chose to pretend he didn’t exist. In some ways he was invisible in this world. Though no one on this Earth would ever come to understand how he felt.
His smile long faded and the stoic features solidified as he readied himself to traverse back to the underworld. He brushed passed some shrubs and trees before walking to a lake. An old portal to his kingdom once used to rendezvous with his former lover, Minthe, now served as an easy gateway to Mount Olympus. He froze upon noticing someone swimming within the serene waters. He was swiftly enchanted by her beauty. She swam without a care in the world and shamelessly revealed her naked form as if she were an exhibitionist. Hades couldn’t helped but by charmed by her. Then the realization hit him. Was she who Demeter sought out for?
The description matched but why she looked so anxious was still a mystery to him. He hadn’t the faintest clue why, but because he was on good terms with his sister, Demeter, he decided to satisfy his curiosity before going back to his kingdom. He boldly walked past the tree line and stepped into the crystal clear pool. Each step caused him to sink further until his waist was submerged. That’s when his tunic turned to smoke and he stripped entirely as well. His tunic hung around his neck with both of his hands holding on to each side as if it were a towel, “Out for a swim?” he asked with a charming smirk. “You should at least cover your most private parts for even nymphs do so with woven leaves-most of the time,” he said in an ironic way since he too stood naked but at least the water obscured her vision from his manhood. His top chiseled half was open for the eyes to see though and he only got easier to focus on once he decided to get closer.
Hades sometimes enjoyed toying with living beings. Seeing them writhe with his presence as he pressed for answers made interrogations easy. But he will soon find out that she is immune to such bewitchment. He walked closer and stopped until he was just within arms length. He swung his tunic over his head until it landed on the back of her neck. He allowed it to drape down and at least cover her breast. Still he held onto it making her trapped until she answered his question, “What is your name and why are you here?”
@Queen of Disaster
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