The Daughter of Hades

Prologue

Alessia, daughter of Hades, Greek god of death, was bored. And when she was bored, everyone else tried to stay out of her way so that they could stay alive for just a little longer. The three unlucky courtiers she'd come across today were now particles of citrus – smelling dust scattered by the winds. It wasn't on purpose. She had been trying to practise vapourization on her fruit salad but had used too much power, accidentally vapourising the entire room and all the people in it save for herself. Such disastrous events, of course, were an everyday occurrence, and no one took much notice of it other than to thank the fates profusely for saving them that day.

Alessia was only trying to master her powers so that she could be of some use to her father. She even hoped, though secretly, that if she got good enough – she was already powerful enough – then she could lead her father's armies. All her efforts were for one reason - she wanted to find her purpose. She was tired of roaming the Underworld like some lost soul. She was Hades' daughter and yet she wasn't allowed to go Topside where she thought she would find her purpose – and her mother.

Her mother was a siren, a powerful water – dwelling creature. The voice of a full – blooded creature was deadly to humans. When a human heard the voice of a siren, he would do anything to hear it again.

Alessia, however, was only half siren. This meant her voice wasn't deadly, but it was powerful, and she could sing anyone into doing anything. She could also command the water to do her bidding. All her other powers, which were related to death, darkness and destruction came from Hades. She was yet to discover many more of these.

As she walked down the Pathway of Fingernails, she heard o loud scream. One of her father's servants, a ghoul, was scrambling down the pathway in a hurry, tripping over uneven places in the path where the nails stuck up. "Was that you who screamed? You scream like a girl," commented the princess the princess, as though screams were normal in the Underworld. They probably were.

"My Lady, don't go there! It'll eat you! A right temper it's got", said the trembling the servant, barely stopping to speak, and then scrambled away again.

Alessia cast an amused glance after him. She wasn't going to miss this opportunity. And if it turned out to be something dangerous, all the better. It would help her prove her worth to her father. S he continued down the pathway, her fingers tapping out a rhythm on her legs as she walked. All of a sudden, a loud howl rang out, and her hand went automatically to the dagger at her waist. She followed the sound to its source. A sudden movement in the periphery of her vision made her duck behind a nearby stone pillar. She peeked around it and couldn't help a sigh of relief as she said to herself, "Oh, it's only a wolf," and stepped out from behind the pillar.

The grey wolf immediately bared its teeth in a loud growl, warning her to stay away. It made to move forward but collapsed with a loud howl. Alessia realized it was a howl of pain and noticed the metal trap that had brutalized the wolf's hind leg. She winced at the sight and moved forward, intending to help.

The wolf immediately growled, louder than before, while trying to struggle to its feet. Alessia held out her hands in a placating gesture, saying, "It's okay, boy, I'm here to help. Just calm down." She didn't know how she'd known, but she was sure the wolf was a male. Probably one more of her powers. The wolf continued to watch her warily, but let her come closer.

After a moment's hesitation, she vapourized the metal trap, managing not to destroy anything else in the process. She jumped up and down, hands in the air, celebrating her success. The wolf huffed dryly at her antics and nodded its snout towards its still – injured hind leg. "Ungrateful creature, aren't you?" said the princess as she set to work healing the mangled leg.

As soon as she was done, there was a bright flash and in the wolf's place sat a boy with the same intelligent grey eyes as the wolf. 'The hunter will be coming. You should leave," he said.

How truly ungrateful, she thought. Not even a thank you.

"The one who captured you?" she inquired thoughtfully.

"Yes. There's a whole network of them. They trap shifters in the Underworld. I don't know what for."

"One will be coming here, so where's the rest of them?" Alessia asked the shifter.

"I don't know but the hunter does. Ask him if you like. I'm leaving." And almost as an afterthought, he added, "Thank you."

The shifter flashed back into a wolf and ran down the path the way she had come.

"I found my purpose!" said Alessia to herself with no little excitement. "I won't rest until I've captured or killed all the hunters and freed the shifters. After all, it's my duty as princess of the Underworld."

A little while later, the hunter came to check the trap. Alessia was waiting for him. "Well," she said, a dagger in one hand, her magic dancing at the fingertips of the other, her eyes black as the night, "Let's begin."

And the lack of mercy in those dark eyes and the small smile played upon her face set the hunter trembling and begging for mercy, knowing what was to come.

EDIT - Chapter 1 coming  soon.