Aidoneus

The Trick

Hades awoke to a blistering pain in his ribs. He groaned as he tried to open his eyes. The world blurry as he tried to focus. A leg was the first thing to come into sight as it made contact again with his ribs. It knocked the wind out of him for a moment and he coughed up icor. He was laying on his side, the dried grass under him also sticking to his wounds. He was outside the palace still bound in chairs with Sisyphus standing over him. "Well it looks like you're stronger than I thought" the fat King leered down at him. He looked around to see Minthe standing behind Sisyphus. A smug look on her face. He did not see Hecate but saw Charon bound to the stone wall of the palace. Then he saw a crown, his crown, sitting on Sisyphus' head. Rage burned in him but his body failed him. Weak from whatever poison this was. "Oh this" Sisyphus chuckled pointing to the crown. "Since you will no longer be needed it I acquired it for myself. As rightful King of the Underworld". 

"You'll burn for this" Hades choked out. He could feel fresh icor dripping down his chin. His words were met by a deep belly laugh from Sisyphus. "I don't think so. You see I have the favor of Zeus so he will not be coming to your rescue. The same goes for your brother, Poseidon. I believe he's found himself occupied with some sea nymphs. Your witch has been deposed of in Tartarus, your allies subdued, and you are about to die. I was worried about that Spartan goddess but it turns out you did a good enough job alienating her yourself" he laughed as he looked over at Minthe who beamed back at him. 

"Then why haven't you killed me already" Hades directed the question to Sisyphus, yet it was Minthe who answered. "Because I want you to see the error of your ways" she strode over to him. "You cast me away over that stupid girl. A child. Even when we were together you wouldn't  introduce me to your precious Hera. You've always chosen them over me. Throwing me away like a piece of trash. Like I was beneath you. And now, when you are at your lowest, where are they? They are gone. They have abandoned you. But I, well, here I am" she cooed as she bent down and stroked his face. He pulled his head away from her. Enraged she snarled and kicked his side as she stood. "You will get to see me become Queen of the Underworld, just not YOUR Queen" she smiled and glanced at Sisyphus. 

Hades gathered his strength and rolled onto his back. He looked up to the fake underworld sky.  So this is how it ended. After thousands of years, his Father, the Titanomachy, the division of realms. This was how he died. Alone. Betrayed. "Get up. If you are still alive I want you to see this" Sisyphus said yanking Hades up with the help of a daemon. The same daemon that had gone to fetch Hecate before Minthe attacked him. Was this a munity of the Underworld's inhabitants? Where they unhappy with their King? How had he not noticed this. Perhaps he was unfit to rule. Maybe it was time for his life to end. 

They propped him up against a large boulder so he could now see the large group of soldiers standing at attention. Not only had Sisyphus violated the rules of death, he had brought mortals to the Underworld. "Men" Sisyphus roared lifting his arms to the sky in triumph. "Today is the day your King beat death. Today is the day your King achieved immortality. Today is the day your King claimed the Underworld!" A loud roar erupted from the soldiers. There must have been a thousand of them. He wondered where the other Underworld gods were. Hecate, Thanatos, Cerberus...

He closed his eyes and silently prayed to the Fates for a quick death. His body was shutting down and he was losing the strength to keep fighting. He tried to remember Kore's face again. The freckles around her eyes. Her smile when she laughed. He tried to ignore Sisyphus' speech. To think of the way she looked at him after their first kiss. The way her hair shined in the light. He felt a soft rumble on the ground. He opened his eyes to see a fresh crop of Ephyran soldiers on horseback lining the hillcrest in the distance. Effectively blocking any attempt to escape to the Styx. How they crossed without Charon he did not know. But what he did know was that this was a pitiful end.