Hades and Persephone

Chapter 2

Hades

"Get back on the wheel, you pathetic excuse of a soul," Charon yelled at the exiled king. Ixion trudged forward towards the burning wheel, manacles clanking as his feet dragging against the ground. Charon quickly lost his patience and jabbed the tip of his broad sword into his back. The man stumbled forward where the Furies chained him to the wheel. "You should toss him into the deepest pit in Tartarus," Charon suggested.

"Eternity on a burning wheel is punishment enough," I replied. "Though my brother is lacking in the creativity department, Zeus's punishments are thorough." Thunder rumbled, shaking the stalactite-covered ceiling of the Underworld, but I ignored Zeus and his tantrums. "Were there any other escapees from the Fields of Punishment?"

"None of the major dirt bags," Charon replied. "Maybe some of them minor souls. I'll take the Furies with me to hunt 'em down.'

"No need. You are to be ferrying souls across the Styx. Last time you were late, a few hundred desperate souls jumped into the river. As much as the event helped with traffic, we had a pollution issue for the next century."

"Yes, sir." Charon sprinted towards a beached barge, his clothes shifting from distressed military fatigues to a tattered, shadowy robe. With that, I stalked off to perform my other duties, missing the warmth of sunlight on my skin.

\*/

"Souls from the Isles of the Blest are complaining about the lack of sunlight. Tityos is raising trouble in the fields and Zeus wants a check on Prometheus. Also, the lines to the Judges have been backed up, again," the soul tells me in a monotone voice. I resist the urge to roll my eyes and instead sat up straighter, feigning interest. 

After the escaped-soul fiasco, business returned to its usual droning pace. It was the end of the week, so I was seated in the throne room for my weekly summary. The throne room sat in the middle of the palace and had no roof, but rows of black marble columns lined the hall like alert soldiers. Each was capped with a bat-like gargoyle preparing for flight. The tiled floor was a grey quartz, veins of gold glinting softly. At the end of the room was a dais where my throne sat. Fashioned entirely from obsidian, the arms of the throne were twin roaring dragons, a bright ruby the size of my fist in their gaping maws. Their serpentine bodies twisted and coiled about the chair, massive wings flared over each shoulder. 

"What is causing the hold up?" I asked, already knowing the answer. 

"Minos is being picky. Aecaus and Rhadamanthus are divided. The man was not particularly cruel, however...

The spirit's voice drifted to the back of my mind. I felt a headache coming. Worse, I felt a pressure build in my soul. I needed to get out of my territory, if only for a few hours. The hunt for Ixion had just been a temptation, adding to the need to get out. 

"Put the soul in the Fields of Asphodel. Ignore Tityos and Zeus will get his report by the end of the week. Clear my schedule for the remainder of the day," I ordered. The ghost blinked.

"But, my Lord--

"Did I stutter?" I asked in a lowered voice, rising from my throne.

"N-no my Lord. As-as you wish." The soul bowed jerkily, then practically sprinted out of the throne room. I let out a sigh then slumped back into the throne. Taking a minute to regain my composure, I stood, grabbed my Helm of Darkness from its stand beside the throne, and left the Underworld.