PLUTO

CH.3

It seemed like yesterday when Hades left the palace and Olympus, bidding the other gods farewell. However, it had been ages and during all the time spent in the underworld, he had grown quite accustomed to living in the dark realm. He no longer found the foul stench of death unappealing and when he saw Charon smile his crooked smile, Hades thought of him as a friend- not just the ferry guide.

He ruled the souls of the underworld with an iron fist, making sure to move around as much as he could. Some had seen him; others had heard of him but they all knew of him- the new king of the underworld who did not intend on letting them leave at any point. When he wasn't moving, he sat on his throne in the palace, looking around the spacious, dark hall and he thought about his siblings.

Zeus ruled as both god of the sky and king of the gods- so much responsibility was on his shoulders that Hades thought the pride of his younger brother would have reduced after so many years. Zeus had married their sister, Hera; a match which Hades found a bit odd. Hera was the goddess of marriage and Zeus- well, he was Zeus. Hades feared Zeus' well-known antics would turn their sister into a miserable goddess.

Poseidon fell in love quickly with the sea and it's creatures. Hades thought the role fitted his brother perfectly. He had always been a free spirited god, the ocean and it's depths were perfect for his soul. He had quickly built an underwater city, home to the creatures of the sea known by the humans and those that weren't.

Hestia remained the goddess of Hearth on Olympus, giving to the gods the warmth that he missed so much. Sometimes, along with messages from Zeus through the messenger god, Hermes- requesting that Hades visit Olympus and at least sit on his throne- Hestia sent her own messages as well to tell him about the situations the gods got themselves mixed up in and the humans. It was normal for the gods to sometimes make mistakes and bicker amongst themselves so to Hades, it didn't seem like something out of the ordinary.

Athena was focused as usual on her books and Artemis was in a celibacy phase or so everyone thought. Hades begged to differ; Artemis had always been different.

But here he was, growing fonder of the darkness daily. There was something beautiful about the unknown for him, something mysterious and inviting. Maybe Hestia was right when she said that it would change him. He just hadn't figure out if the change was good or bad.

Charon ran into the throne room, stealing Hades' attention.

"Why have you appeared before me in such manner Charon?", Hades asked as he eyed the psychopomp, "is there a problem?"

"My lord...two souls...a farmer and his friend have attempted to escape", Charon said in between quick breathes.

A spark ignited in Hades' eyes and he clenched his fists in fury. He picked up his helmet and placed it on his head, slipping it on. He stood from his throne, walking down the steps leading up to it. The sound of the sandals on his feet echoed off the walls as he walked past Charon and out of the Palace.

Outside, Cerberus looked up when he saw Hades and wagged his tail happily.

"Hello, my friend", Hades spoke to the hound and petted the head on the right, "it appears my subjects have gone against my rules. Why don't you go take care of that for me?"

Cerberus barked loudly and gazed behind him. Hades watched him turn and run out of the palace. His feet shook the ground, like there was an earthquake in the underworld. Behind Hades, Charon walked quickly out of the palace. Hades had gotten used to his ghostlike presence so he could tell when he moved.

"Go after Cerberus, Charon", he said, "make sure you bring them back"

Charon nodded, "yes my lord" and then he headed in Cerberus' direction.