From Ash to Fire

One

"It is a man's own mind, not his enemy or foe, that lures him to evil ways."

Hades

The walls surrounding me haven't felt like home in so long. No matter what I attempted, the decor wasn't my happiness. In its place were infuriating memories of the night that changed my every move.

Wrong place, wrong time had never been such a right metaphor.

All I wanted was to check on my people. To ensure my leadership was adequate and peace in the afterlife was abundant. Little did I know, during my century long slumber, it had become anything but.

Fate had to be messing around in my world, hiding in a cloak of darkness from me, the king. I turned a blind eye in a momentary trying time when they took refuge in my realm but now, I could feel the unease of their doings growing. I still don't know what brought such havoc to their world that they thought it to be fair to share it with mine. Surely, others were to figure out where they have snuck off to and come for my throat. So I must be ready to deal with the consequence of anger and resentment for all beings who think they're better than the dead.

Piles of paperwork were scattered on my desk. Unfinished and taunting my already Olympian sized self doubt. A hidden urge bubbled to the surface demanding I swipe my hands over the stained wood and crash it in half. Maybe then the paper would fill itself out and I could, instead, snap a few necks of immortals until I received answers.

I kicked my chair back attempting a deep calm breath through my nose. The new static in the house held my chair in place even when the back legs decided to fall out from under me. I searched the room for a threat only seeing the darkness seeping in from the window of my office. The familiar fog covered the carpet.

"Di, I am not up for games." I growled and had it not been for her huffing and puffing, I would have shoved her out of the window she crawled from.

My small built Nymph turned assistant was anything but argumentative - unless necessary. Which I supposed she deemed now.

"You have been ignoring me for weeks! You have deadlines and guess who is having to deal with Hermes while you have a Shade on your couch?! He is so, so, so! UGH! He needs to attend a class on how to properly speak to a woman. If I have to deal with him one more time, Hades, I swear I'll quit." Dion stomped her foot with a soft clank of her heels.

I sighed, holding the bridge of my nose. "You scaled a three story building to complain?"

"Yes!"

It was unbelievable what those around me would do when I need a moment of silence to think straight. How am I supposed to work under these conditions? - Wait, "Did you say there was a Shade on my couch?"

"Not for long. Hermes is putting his repulsive skills to work and kicking her out. Why you brought her here is beyond me. It isn't even like you to be fooling around with the dead mortals. Especially when you have so much to do." Di had little time to talk before I was rushing past her.