Maelstrom (a UC fanfiction)

Chapter 4

Hades made his way along the shore, squinting his eyes against the light of the sunset ahead of him. The ocean appeared gray and artless against the pink and orange horizon. Purple clouds littered the sky, floating by in the gentle wind.

  It took almost an hour to find the cabin hidden in the trees near the shore. Moss blankets the old wooden walls, a stone chimney withered away with age and is no longer in use. The only way Hades recognized the place was the torch next to the door, sitting beside a rotting tree trunk that has been carved in the shape of a dragon.

  Hades approached the door slowly, eyeing the boarded windows. He’s sure someone is watching him from them. He knocked three times, waited a moment, then knocked once more before stepping back.

  A few locks clicked, and then the door opened. A grown woman steps out with long black hair pulled into a tight ponytail and bangs hanging over sharp green eyes. She wears a black corset over a red linen shirt and black sheepskin leggings adorned her long legs that are accompanied with black buckled boots.

  “I had a feeling I’d be seeing you again, Captain Hades.” She spoke with a thick accent that rolled her Rs, raising a dark eyebrow at him.

  “Nemesis,” Hades greeted her a nod. Nemesis smiled and stepped aside to let him in the cabin.

  “I’m surprised that you’ve returned to Reinga,” she commented as she closed the door behind them. Hades looked around the living room that’s lit with candlelight, finding the red velvet furniture in the same places as he last saw them a few years ago, but far more worn. The dark mazama flooring almost looked black in the dim light, and the green paint on the walls look as though it’s been repainted recently.

  “Had to make a supply stop.” Hades responded, staring at the stone carving of a tiger sitting on the coffee table.

  “Liar," Nemesis accused smoothly as she walked over to sit on the old couch and crossing her legs. “You could have easily stopped by Aglaia if supplies were all you needed. There’s another reason you’re here.”

  Hades expression hardened, but he met Nemesis’s calm gaze. “We’ll speak of it later. I have more crucial matters to focus on.”

  “Does this have to do with the prisoners breaking free and running around like a pack of frightened rats?”

  Hades frowned. “What?”

  “You haven’t seen it, then.” Nemesis stood up and walked over to the kitchen, where she pulled out two glass cups and a bottle of wine. “Someone broke the prisoners from the jailhouse in Jasper just a little over an hour ago. The guards are running wild to find them all, killing them in the process. Until recently, at least.”

  Hades walked to the counter, leaning on it as Nemesis poured the wine. “I guess I just missed it. What do you mean by ‘until recently’?”

  Nemesis pushed a glass towards Hades and they both took a long sip. She licked her lips as she set her cup down. “The king of Reinga ordered that they don’t kill the escapees, but to instead bring them to his dungeons.”

  Hades swirled the wine in his cup for a silent moment, staring down at it. “Ambrosius was taken.”

  Nemesis leaned against the counter beside him, crossing her arms. “You came for my help.”

  “I need to know where to find more men. You told me about a tavern a few years ago. Other pirates go there because the citizens of Jasper don’t know about it.”

  She nodded, sipping her wine again. “Yes, you’ll surely find the hands you need there. If I may ask, when was your son taken?”

  “A few hours ago.”