A Wayward Arrow

Chapter Fourteen: Into The Underworld

The next day, Psyche was woken up not by the handmaidens but by Aphrodite herself. The jab of her foot into her side caused the girl to sit up with a wince, holding onto her ribs, her gaze taking up to the woman who was holding a box in her hand. The ornate looking box was decorative with gold with painted emerald leaves and pink roses. Aphrodite thrust the box into Psyche's hands and crossed her arms over her chest.

"This is your final task. I am done giving you chances to prove to me that you're nothing but a betrayer of the gods. If you fail, then do not bother returning to my house. Understand?"

"I understand."

"You are to go to the underworld and stand before Persephone. Because I have been tending to my wounded and ailing son, who is so devastated by your betrayal, I have been drained of my beauty, so your task is to ask Persephone for some of her beauty. She will place it in the box and you are to bring the box back to me."

"To the underworld? How-"

"Do not question me, dear Psyche. I have given you the task. Now get out of my house."

Psyche stood and bowed before the goddess. Trying as she might not to let the tears sting her eyes before her as she took the box and headed out of the kitchen. Once outside she cried deeply with despair. How was she supposed to enter into the underworld? This task was the most impossible yet and she knew that there was no way for her to complete it.

With her heart heavy she began to run, running through the house and up to the tower and to the highest room she could access. From there she stood in the window, looking down to the ground below where she debated everything she had been through. This task she would not be able to do and thus she would never be able to reunite with her beloved Eros. If she couldn't reunite with him, then there was no point in continuing her life.

"I am for nobody else but the God Eros. My husband is nobody but him and if I cannot reconcile what happened between us, then I have no more reason to live." She cried out. Her voice echoed through the tower. "I shall free myself from the tasks that Aphrodite has set before me and free myself from heartache..."

She was about to jump from the open window towards her death when the wind started to blow fiercely. It pushed her back from the window and started to bounce and echo throughout the walls of the tower. Creating a sort of windchime sound that started to sound like moaning throughout the tower, making it sound as if the very tower itself was now speaking to Psyche.

"Do not jump!" The tower bellowed with the whipping of the wind. "This task is not as impossible as you think. Do not give up or you will never see Eros again."

"But how will I get into the underworld?"

"Heed my words and you may pass through the gates of Hades alive and return just the same. You must travel back to the mortal realm and head to a place where they worship the god Ares. There on his blood-soaked battlefield will you find the gates. Emptyhanded, you shall not go for you are to bring three honeyed oat cakes, two for the way in and one for the way out to distract the guard dog Cerberus and two coins for the ferryman. One coin for the way there and one coin for the way back.

"But take caution on the pathway, for it is but one long stretch of road that you must not falter from. Know that this pathway will have instances of those who wish to pull you from the path. You must go in silence and ignore those who speak to you. Eventually, you will reach the house of Hades."

Psyche breathed out, taking in all the information that was set before her. There was so much to this task that she felt so overwhelmed, but as the tears streamed down her face and she wiped them with the back of her hand, she knew that the tower was right. She couldn't give up.