Of Assassins and Gods 1: Rebirth

Chapter 7: Underworld

Imogen sat on her bed with her phone in hand, and card in the other. She dialled in the number. It began to ring, and a teenage, Irish boy picked it up.

“Hello, this is Niall,” the boy said.

“Hey… I am the girl from London, the one you gave your number to. My name is Imogen,” she said.

“Oh hi,” He said, “so I was wondering if you wanted to grab a movie or a drink sometime?” he asked.

“Yeah I would like that,” she said.

“But what about your girlfriend, the red head that was with you?” Imogen asked.

“Oh…ah…she isn’t my girlfriend, she was my- cousin, yeah my…ah…cousin,” he said with broken and drawn out speech.

“Ok, how is next Tuesday for you?” she asked.

“I will pick you up at six,” he said plainly before hanging up.

JOSH P.O.V

“What the hell are you?” the president asked my.

“I think you know, Barack. Or should I say, Hades,” I said.

The dark man stood and unbuttoned his suit jacket. The clothes turned into a large and long black leather cloak with a hood. His skin turned tan and his hair grew to a long brown colour. He wore brown pants with gold shin guards and he had longer, than usual nails.

“How did you know?” he asked and whistled.

“I read the history book,” I said plainly and turned to the door, where Barack’s wife walked in. Her hair began to grow and it turned blonde. Her clothes morphed into a white robe that had straps that crossed over her chest and wrapped around her neck. She wore golden sandals, golden bangles and a gold belt. Her skin was now a bright shade of white.

“And the underworld mistress herself, Persephone,” I said with a bow.

“You’re too kind,” she said.

She stood next to Hades and rolled her eyes before glaring at Hades’ head.

“What do you want?” Hades asked.

“I need to enter your realm,” I said.

“Why?” Persephone asked.

“I need to talk to a dead man,” I said.

Persephone stared at me.

“You want to see the first Assassin,” she met an epiphany before looking towards Hades.

“I want to see the first, mortal assassin,” I corrected her.

Hades screamed and lit on fire. He grew horns and bat wings and ignited Persephone’s dress. I looked as she tapped it and the flame froze over.

He transformed back into the President. He waved Persephone out. She ushered me into the next room. I noticed a painting that covered the entire wall in the next room. It contained four women. One wore a blue dress with icicles for hair and snow falling from her fingers. A woman who wore an orange dress, with blazing flames for hair with embers flying off the tips. Another woman, whose dress was pink, and she had pink flowers in her hair. The final woman, dressed in green, with vines falling over it. She had green leaves for hair.

Persephone clapped her hands and the painting came to life. Two seasons from each end walked to the sides of the temple in the painting and pulled the middle towards them and opened up a cave entrance. Persephone waved me inside.

“If this is a trap, I will take your head off from your neck,” I threatened.

“This is our entrance to the underworld. You will be safe,” she replied.

I entered the cave with Sais in hand. I walked down the never ending hallway until I stepped onto a cliff face. I noticed light differences between me and the other side of this canyon. I walked into the air and was lifted into the sky. I felt like someone was carrying me up. But they let go, I dropped, down into the bubbling lava beneath me. I fell into the lava. I didn’t feel anything and opened my eyes. I could see large brown paths full of dead people. All the people I killed. But I was looking for one certain person.

I followed the line of dead to the temple of the judges. They sat upon their pedestals behind mahogany desks. Rhadamanthys, Minos and Aiakos sat there with their hammers. The dead man in front of me was judged guilty and fell to lava pit underneath the room. I walked into the judgement circle.

“Ah a mortal, that is invincible, a demi-god perhaps. Are you like us?” Aiakos asked me.

“No I drink the blood of the demi-gods,” I said.

“Ah, you seek him; he sits, rotting in Tartarus. He is not here,” they all said in unison.

“Crap,” I said.

“Can you get me to Tartarus?” I asked.

All three lifted their hammers, “TO TARTARUS!”

They hit their hammers down in unison and I was teleported to Tartarus. I heard a cackle.

“Hello Nergal. Where are you?” I questioned.