Wrath of Hades

I surreptitiously tread upon the red shore, feeling the dark crimson sand squish beneath my weight. I had a mission today, and Hades couldn't know - ever since I laid my eyes upon Archeron, and the poor Shades who were destined to languish for a century on the beach just because they had no riches to their names, my heart was shrouded in guilt for them. Hades had told me that going to the Beach by myself was forbidden, but I knew if I told him what I was going to do, he would never even let me get close to the shore, or the Shades. As I slunk further into Archeron, hundreds of pairs of eyes bore into my skin, my face, and especially my eyes. They were mournful, yet questioning, as if they all asked me at once: What are you doing? You don't have to be here, so why suffer with us? A tear fell from my left eye, and my throat felt dry, nervous. This was a terrible sight. The only reason these poor souls had to spend 100 years in a stalemate on the Beach was because Hades prohibited them from riding along the River Styx - they had no money to pay the ferry. But I was going to fix that.

The small leather bag I harbored with me was inconspicuous, save for the clear jingle of coins that danced joyfully inside every time I took a step. I drew closer to the Shades, most of them rested on high ground so as to not get their togas wet - obviously, they had no change of clothes for a very long time. I panned the land; there were too many lost souls to count, but one in particular caught my eye. A child. The soul of a child rested near the beach, playing in the sand, but deep in his eyes, his soul looked much older than the rest of him. I trailed closer to him, and as he began to hear the clanking rumble of my bag, he paused his digging through the sand, and turned his eyes toward me with a fearfully reverent gaze. Without breaking eye contact, I drew a single obol from my pouch, and offered it to him. "Here, now you can ride the ferry," I said shakily, nervous for his reaction. His face immediately lit up, and he snatched the coin as if I were going to change my mind. "Thank you, oh thank you, great fertility goddess!" He squealed joyfully, bolting to the ferry. His happiness warranted the attention of the countless other Shades; happiness was not a normal emotion felt on the Beach. Sooner than I could realize that there were too many Shades and not enough coins, I was surrounded by weary souls that resembled hungry dogs, waiting for fresh meat.

The next few minutes were an absolute blur. I handed out all the coins I had, well, I handed out the ones I could, and the rest were snatched away in the blink of an eye. I dropped the bag, and the Shades pounced on it simultaneously until it was nothing but a leather husk. That's when the fear crept over me. I slowly took retreating steps, not breaking eye contact. "I'm sorry, I don't have any more," I croaked at the bounty of unpaid souls before me, but their faces grew angrier still. "Please, I'm sorry, don't be angry with me." As soon as the first soul took a step towards me, chaos ensued. I ran as fast as I could along the beach, trying to find a way to escape, but I didn't have much time, as hundreds of souls sprinted after me for money that I didn't have. "Oh! I can fly!" I gasped, remembering my talent as a goddess. I quickly leaped into the air, thinking I was free, until I hit the ground after a Shade caught my dress. I plummeted, hitting the sand hard, particles of the land flying in all different directions, but they floated on the slight breeze. I was trapped - they stood all around me as I laid helpless on the ground, and I prepared for the worst. "Please don't hurt me," I whimpered, burying my face in my arms. They tackled me, and I felt like a rabbit caught in a trap. I cried out, hoping someone would hear me, but I knew no one would. I was alone. I closed my eyes, but I soon opened them as I heard the wrathful voice of the person I hoped would not see me like this: the King of the Underworld, Hades. "GET OFF OF HER, YOU HEATHENS!" Hades bellowed, sprinting towards the fray. He ripped Shade after Shade off of me, and when I finally saw his face, I had never seen someone so afraid. He helped me to my feet within a split second. "Run," he gasped, holding my shoulders. I was frozen in place, shocked at what had happened in just the last two minutes. "GO, KORE!" He roared, waking me out of my trance. His face was angry, concerned, and terrified; his expression was gnarled with fear. "RUN AWAY, NOW, I'LL HANDLE THEM!" He yelled, and as soon as he did, a soul lept onto his back, and three more began to fight the King. I ran and didn't look back, and I heard the tortuous sounds of Hades fighting off so many souls, he was getting hurt in the process of subduing them. I hid behind a pomegranate tree and watched him slowly defeat each of the Shades. A few minutes later, his job was finished and all of the souls had retreated back to where they originally were, looking more resentful than before. I emerged from my hiding place so Hades could see me, and he approached me. The closer he got, the more I could see the angry glint in his eye, and my nervousness grew. Oh Gods, I hope he doesn't hate me, I thought. Soon enough, he was at arm's length. "Hades, I-" I began, but he cut me off. "Little goddess, I don't want to hear it right now. You can tell me why you caused all this mayhem when we get home. For now, we need to get you cleaned up and safe. Are you hurt?" He worried, gently stroking a tuft of hair behind my ear. "I'm ok, a little shaken up, but I'm fine," I said, looking up at him. He let out a sigh that was ridden with stress. "Good. I don't know what I would do if I let you get hurt on my watch." "How did you know where I was?" I asked. "I was sitting in my office, and something felt off. I put on my mortal realm clothes and came here to check the terrain, and I'm so glad I did. If I hadn't have had that feeling, I'm sure you would have been hurt terribly." He spoke, touching a worrisome hand to his forehead, pushing his pale cerulean hair back. I had to look away. This was all my fault, all because I went behind his back. My stomach growled, breaking me from my guilty thoughts. "Are you hungry?" Hades asked, placing a guiding hand on my shoulder. I suddenly realized my deep, primal hunger that arose from all the commotion. "Yes, very." I panted, looking frantically for a low-hanging pomegranate I could reach, but they were all high upon the plant. "Hold on," my rescuer reached, with his large muscular arms, and fetched a choice pomegranate. "Here." Hades offered warmly, and I gladly accepted. As I ate my fruity snack, he guided me back through the gate of the Beach, and we returned to the immortal world.