Mother's Successor

Chapter One - Beginning

When I opened my eyes, I was standing in an unfamiliar cavern. The ground was made of loose gravel, covering faded red stone. The roof of the cave sat high above me, obscured by a thin layer of ashen clouds.

There was a loud, shrill shriek of pain behind me, far in the distance. I turned towards the sound, but was surprised to find someone trudging their way through the giant cavern.

I couldn't identify the person all that well, their body covered in dark clothing underneath a massive cloak of shadows. Only their hands; pale, calloused hands that held a lantern of blue light in one hand, and a large bident in the other; and the lower parts of their face were visible.

About a meter before they would've ran into me, they stopped. Despite remaining unmoving, I could feel their eyes wander, searching the cavern. "I know you're there!" They called.

The voice belonged to a masculine figure, with the smooth tone of someone silver-tongued, but was held firm with professionalism. Whoever this was, he seemed to be a person that commanded authority, but had some charm to him that eased any fear that would follow him.

"I can never escape your watchful eye, Aidoneus. How may I be of service on this lovely evening?" A new voice questioned. Masculine, like the first man, but his pitch was far lower like the beat of a drum. His tone expressed that he was bored, and he either carried power himself, or he just didn't care how he addressed the first man.

"We both know you frequently visit the surface realm, Erebus. Do not lie to me," the first man—Aidoneus—retorted, glaring into the darkness. I shrunk away, recognizing the name of the primordial of darkness.

"I never lied, child," Erebus replied calmly, but his tone was low with a subtle warning. Aidoneus sighed and shifting his cloak, before addressing the primordial again.

"As you know, Olympus and her allies were victorious in their war with the Earth Mother and her brood of giants. However, having strong ties to the afterlife, I sensed that she truly perished when we invaded her fortress. How come the world has not delved into chaos?"

There was a long silence following after Aidoneus's question, only broken by the occasional tortured scream in the distance.

"I cannot tell you that, Aidoneus," Erebus answered, sounding apologetic. "But-" the primordial started, as Aidoneus began to turn away. "I can tell you this, so long as you swear to keep it secret," he offered quietly.

Aidoneus nodded, swearing an oath of secrecy to the primordial, which surprised me. I always thought the gods swore oaths on the River Styx. But, I guess since there's a goddess of the river, taking an oath in the name of another source would further ensure secrecy.

Before I could hear what Erebus had to say, the cavern faded away into darkness and all sound was muffled until everything was silent.

"You are not yet meant to hear that, my child. But soon, you will learn. For now, know that you will always be safe in the presence of family," a feminine voice whispered gently. She sounded familiar, but I couldn't place it.

"Goodbye, my child," she said with finality.

Then, I heard the snap of a twig, jolting me from my slumber. I opened my eyes, staring at a small cluster of brown mushrooms that were growing under the root of a tree.

I laid on the grass, nestled against the trunk of a tall deciduous tree. Asleep under my right hand was a hedgehog. I smiled warmly at the tiny critter, gently stroking my fingers on its fur.

"Wake, son of the woodlands," a feminine voice spoke gently, toned like honey. I looked turned, staring up at the face of a dryad. Her skin was like the bark of her tree, with eyes the color of moss and a untamed nest of leaves for hair.