Hades

Chapter 9

HADES

When Leo came to me that day, informing me of a mortal in the realm, I didn't think anything of it. The mortal had fallen down an ancient portal that I had not closed, I used to use it so I could roam the human world at nightfall. I had no intentions of closing it. only she had found the portal and no others so I was not worried about others finding the entrance. I had covered its path well in deep foliage in the deepest, darkest part of the forest; legends where told about the creatures of the night that lurked there so no human had been brave enough to enter it.

I told Leo to see to it that she was handled with care, she had done no wrong but we could not just let her go for she now knew too much. If it was not for an annoying tug within my brain I would have had her memory of this place erased and her delivered safely back home, but my gut instinct told me to do otherwise so I allowed her to stay. I sat in the dark of my thrown room reminiscing about the day I was crowned

'ALL HAIL KING HADES, GOD OF THE UNDERWORLD, PROTECTOR OF THE DEAD, DELIVERER OF JUSTICE, BRINGER OF WEALTH'

The proclamation laced through my mind, everything changed more than I thought it could that day. I had not been able to walk in the sun before I became King but my coronation had stared my biology to shift, I became stronger than ever before, I was faster, I gained access to more gifts and I now had the power to create eternal life. I could be referred to as the first vampire but I had no need for blood, although occasionally it was a fun pastime to indulge in. On my first walk in the mortal realm as king I encountered a woman, she was beautiful and pure but she was broken. I watched her from the shadows as she cried by a patch of graves, she had lost her family, she had lost her husband, and she had lost her children. I did not posses the need for emotion but something about the state that she was in stirred something in my chest, I longed for her not to feel sad and at that moment I knew she would be the first. She would be the first of my creations, she would lead an army of vampires in the mortal realm and be the personification of death on earth. I delved into her mind her name, Carmilla I will never forget her for she was one of the greatest friends I ever had. I turned her and taught her how to be the leader I had destined her to be, and for thousands of years she lead my creations and she lead well but everyone must fall. Carmilla turned many and trained each clan across the world but she was caught and staked. When I saw her soul up for judgment it was as though my heart was being ripped apart by savages, a tear slipped my eye and that was the first and last time I had cried. In her honour I had created a new section of the underworld just for her, it was filled with her version of paradise and occasionally I peer at her life after death and watch in awe at her eternal happiness. I longed to be that happy but I believe that all died when Carmilla had passed.

Clans in the mortal realm reported to me and where stuck with the rules that I informed but some had gone rouge, they had turned savage, they killed mercilessly and they must be destroyed. Many times they had tried to infiltrate the underworld and take my crown, but they where never going to claim what is mine for I can be more savage than a thousand of them put together.

The smell of wild roses brought me out of my brooding thoughts, it lingered in the air and I stood from my throne and followed the scent. It lead me down a maze of hallways throughout the palace and was now the most prominent in the dining hall. I was curious as to who's scent it was, I had never smelled anything so sickly sweet in my eternal life, not in the realm of gods and not even in the mortal realm... it was truly enchanting and every inhale left me wanting more.

I was left standing at the dining hall doors, dinner service was long over and I could sense that all but two where left in the room. I masked my presence as I entered, I could tell my nephew was in the room by his heart beat he was one of the only few that where not dead in this palace. Another heartbeat caught my attention... it must be the mortal girl.