Tales From The Story: Morpheus

Chapter 5: Aidan and Adelaide's Story

Adelaide led Morpheus and Artemis back into Aidan's room. The young man hadn't even moved from where he sat, and Adelaide sat down beside him, absently stroking his messy hair. Artemis brought them bread from Adelaide's kitchen, as the young girl had told her to do. Morpheus pulled at the stale bread helplessly. There was a tiny shred of doubt prodding at him as he realized the full import of what he'd done. If he failed to defeat Hades and take back Aidan's soul, he would be facing a fate worse than death. That was rather frightening.

Adelaide looked up from the hunk of bread she held. "I suppose I should tell you the truth," she said. "About how Aidan ended up like this." The other two waited for her to go on. "You see, Aidan isn't the—well, he lacks a little thing called 'common sense'. He wanted to bring our mother back from the dead. You see, she died about a year ago, and he never got past it. So he went to the god of the dead, Thanatos, and demanded that she be brought back."

"But he couldn't, since Hades is Lord of the Underworld," Morpheus said.

"Exactly. So Aidan got the bright idea that if Thanatos couldn't help him, then maybe Hades could," Adelaide went on with a sigh. "And I'm sure you can imagine how that went. Hades offered him my mother's soul in exchange for a life. Aidan went after you, Morpheus, on Hades's orders, and he failed to kill you. I don't even think he came close. Since he failed, Hades took Aidan's soul."

"And you decided that, since your brother's deal went so well, you would try the same thing?" Artemis asked. "What in the world would possess you to do something so unwise and insane?"

"My brother," Adelaide said quietly. "I would do anything for him. Since my mother died, it was just us. And then his soul was taken, and he—he can't even speak, for Zeus's sake!"

She turned to Morpheus as though she were expecting a comment. His mind was far away, going back to a moment a year ago. The events connected in his mind, and he turned on Adelaide furiously. "Aidan didn't kill me—he killed Hypnos!" he exclaimed.

"If Aidan had killed someone, he wouldn't be like this," Adelaide said, pointing at the vacant expression on her brother's face.

"But he did. Hypnos was poisoned, and everyone thought he was alright, and—and ... then he wasn't," Morpheus finished quietly. "Six months later, he died."

"Hold on." Adelaide's face was going red. "Are you saying that Aidan killed someone, and Hades didn't release his soul?"

"It must have been him," Morpheus said. "There was no other reason for Hypnos to die."

Adelaide started pacing. "I can't believe it! What am I going to do? If Hades doesn't keep his sworn word, than my deal is worth nothing!"

"He simply found a loophole in Aidan's deal," Artemis soothed her. "As long as you don't present him an opportunity to do the same with yours, you will be fine."

"But what about Aidan?" Adelaide demanded. "We'll have to free his soul from the Underworld! That's going to be impossible!"

"Nothing's impossible," Morpheus said, forcing himself to focus on something other than Hypnos's death. "With the help of Hermes, Artemis, and maybe Apollo, we'll get Aidan's soul from Hades and save you from your deal."

"And if you can't?" Adelaide asked.

"Then I end up in the River Styx," Morpheus replied, shrugging with what he hoped was a noncommittal shrug. "And you end up as Hades's soulless slave. So failure isn't an option. Unless you want to end up as a soulless slave ...?"

"No," Adelaide said.

"And you think I'm going to join in this suicide mission?" Artemis demanded. "Do I look insane to you?"

"You look like you know that Adelaide is in trouble," Morpheus answered. "And you know that if we don't help her, her brother is going to stay like this and Hades will take her. Since she was considering being one of your hunters, surely you can be sympathetic to her."

"I don't need a scolding from a minor god," Artemis snapped. "Very well. Though you may have a more difficult time getting Apollo and Hermes to help. Hermes hasn't stopped talking about your little trip to the Underworld from yesterday."

Morpheus rolled his eyes. "You handle Apollo, I'll take Hermes. I have a knack for telling him what to do. Would you like to come with me, Adelaide?"

"Why would I want to go with you?"

Morpheus tried not to be offended. "That way nothing happens to you while we're talking to Hermes and Apollo?" he said, phrasing it as a suggestion.

For a moment, she looked like she wanted to go with Artemis. Then she sighed. "Fine. But just so you know, I don't like you."

"Duly noted," Morpheus said, though he did wonder why. "Meet us at my temple as soon as you're finished with Apollo, Artemis."

"You know," Artemis said over her shoulder, "some minor gods might not think it's a good idea to order around Zeus's daughter like this."

He grinned. "Yes," he agreed, "but we all know I'm not 'some minor god'." Artemis chose to scowl at him before running lightly out of the room.

Adelaide frowned at Morpheus. "Is that such a good idea?" she asked. "She's right, you know."

"Artemis can yell at me all she wants," he said. "I know she'll never really hurt me. She's like the sister I never had."

You idiot, what were you thinking? The words rang in Morpheus's mind. He grabbed his head, grimacing. That voice ... who was it?

"Lord Morpheus? Is everything alright?" Adelaide had a tinge of concern to her voice.

With some effort Morpheus opened his eyes and gave her a lopsided grin. "Fabulous. Just a little headache. It happens, you know. Now. Hermes is probably sulking at Olympus. Would you like to visit the home of the gods?"

"I thought you didn't think you were gods," Adelaide teased.

"I don't. But if you see Olympus, well ... maybe then you'll see how people convince themselves we are," Morpheus answered. He held out his hand to her. "Shall we?"

"Watch yourself," Adelaide warned, a smile tugging at her lips. "I still don't like you very much, not-so god of dreams and sleep." Yet she laid her hand in his, and his wings spread out. An unmistakable trace of humor lit up her eyes. "Are you planning on flying in a building?"

"Certainly not," Morpheus answered. His wing came forward, revealing what was caught in the feathers—an arrow. Somehow it had avoided piercing the flesh of his wing. "I was saving your life. Perhaps we should go?"

Adelaide glanced around them. "There are no windows!" she cried. "How did the arrow get in here?"

Morpheus plucked it from his wing and it dissolved into black sand. "Hades's power extends even beyond the boundaries of the Underworld," he said. "Let's go." He pulled her behind him and they hurried out the door.

A skeleton with a bow was waiting for them. It drew the bowstring back, the arrow aimed right at Morpheus's heart. Thankfully, it misjudged the length of his wing and he buffeted the skeleton in the head. "Hold on!" he warned Adelaide as he flapped his wings.

They flew into the air and Morpheus started flying in the direction of Mount Olympus. Hopefully there wouldn't be any more archer attacks. It had taken all of Morpheus's skill to keep that arrow from killing Adelaide; he didn't know if he could do it again.