Kapitel 4: First kill
(Rea Pov)
"I know you well, my son. I know when your soul is troubled." I say.
"I'm worried about Arkon. I'm afraid he makes bad decisions." Hades says.
"He struck me as a conscientious young man." I say.
"And he is, but he's also very scared. He grew up too fast, even by the standards of us gods. He's always brooding, like his head is full of worries." Hades says.
"I don't think that's what you're worried about. There's more, right?" I say.
"His domains scare him, just like I was scared of Melinoe's domains. It took me a long time to accept the goddess she was meant to become." Hades says.
"I know how difficult it has been for you. You have always been very honorable, too much for your own good." I say.
And it's true, Hades has always been a righteous person. He doesn't let anything sway his judgment. He always tries to follow his moral compass. He was disgusted by Melinoe and her domains, by what she did, by the ghosts and evil spirits she enslaved.
It took a long time for him to realize that that was just her nature. Gods and titans cannot go against their domains. Melinoe was always destined to become who she is now she is. Holding her accountable would be like holding a rooster accountable for waking you up in the morning.
Now Arkon too will meet the same fate. As a titaness of motherhood I have a great connection to all gods, as the original gods are all my children. As soon as I saw Arkon, I realized it. There are three forces in him. One is golden and subdivides into a reddish yellow and a blackened yellow. It represents the divine of him. But there is another force, one that is opposing the others.
I don't understand the identity of the ultima, but I do know that it is hindering the influence of Arkon's domains…for now. I don't think it will last long. Almost imperceptibly it is weakening.
"It's a parent's thought to know everything about their children, but that's not the case. Are you really so sure that Arkon won't be able to accept what he will become?" I ask.
"I hear the disgust in his voice whenever he talks about his domains of him. The fear of how they will change him and the fear of his future terrifies him." Hades says.
"This is normal. Everyone is afraid of their future." I say.
"He wants to meet Nereus to find out what his future will be like. I told him he doesn't have enough skills to do that, but the truth is, I also fear how he would react. If Nereus told him that he will become like Melinoe, I fear he would suffer." Hades says.
"Often the unknown scares us more than anything else. He considers that stopping it might leave him in his current state." I say.
Fear of something is often healthy. However, fear of the unknown is not a good thing at all. I have seen many disasters arise out of this kind of fear.
"He also asked Melinoe the way he uses to get out of my realm." he says.
"To meet Nereus?" I ask.
"He didn't reveal that, but I have to assume he did. Melinoe offered him a deal. However, he didn't accept." he says.
That's a relief, he's not so desperate to know his future about him. Hades would have gone mad already if something like this happened.
"At least for now. To be honest, it was a good deal you offered them. In return, Arkon will just have to keep his mouth shut about the secret way out of my realm, persecute some mortals, and not use the method used by Melinoe without her permission." Hades says.
"Truly a generous arrangement." I say amazed.
"Something I didn't expect could come out of Melinoe's mouth. However, Arkon resisted the temptation and refused." Hades says.
(Arkon POV)
"What place is this?" I ask looking around.
A beautiful light similar to that of the sun covers everything. The few shadows present are those of large trees. There are all kinds, olive trees, oaks, apple trees and more. The grass is green, but not too thick or long.
There is a pleasant smell of wine and meat.
"This is one of the most beautiful places in the realm of the dead." Says Thanatos.
"Are we really in my father's realm? I can't believe there is so much life." I say.
"There's a reason this place is like this. This is where Aither and Emmera were born. They created this place shortly after they were born. They decided to let your father use this place as a residence for the souls of the most deserving ." Says Thanatos.
"Are we in the [Isles of the Blessed]?" I ask.
"Only Elysium." Thanatos answers.
"Sounds like a nice place to continue your existence. Two such young primordials managed to create something so beautiful." I say.
"Even my mother was amazed, yet she was downright pissed when the light interrupted her nap." Says Thanatos.
"I guess primevals can amaze even other primevals." I say.
"You gods also have the same power, you know?" Says Thanatos.
"Huh? Really?" I ask amazed.
"You didn't pay special attention to Acletus' explanations, right?!" Thanatos rhetorically asks.
"History is not my strong point…along with everything else." I say.
"Your father did the same thing with the realm of the dead. Didn't you find it strange that your father had the same name of the realm as his?" Says Thanatos.
Maybe I should have had some suspicions. I've always found it strange that the undergrown was often named after my father.
"When your father created this kingdom, many addressed your father's kingdom in his name." Says Thanatos.
"Can I do something like that too?" I ask.
"It takes a lot of power to do that, a lot of insight too. Do you know what that is?" Says Thanatos.
"Yes, Insight is the understanding of our domains. What they do, their meaning and above all the divine understanding that we get by immersing ourselves in them." I say.
"Yeah, that's more of a long-term goal." Says Thanatos.
"I thought the underground existed before partition." I say.
"Yes, your father created this place when there was still war." Says Thanatos.
"He was young." I say.
"Yes, your father always had great insight into the dead." Says Thanatos.
"I understand." I say.
"You know once upon a time even I hated who I was. There was a long time when death stopped happening." she says.
"I've heard of it." I say.
Thanatos is very much identical to Ledy Death in Sandman. I've always found it very suspicious. Exactly how I find the similarities of this world with the Riordanverse suspicious.
"All primordials perform an important cosmic function. I am death, the one with the small and capital 'd'. No mortal wants to die. I was tired of being insulted and rejected. A few millennia, and all mortal creatures began to beg for the my return." she says.
This story is the same as Sandman, I guess it will have the same conclusion.
"Eventually I learned to accept my role and figured out how to make others accept me." she says.
"I wouldn't have made the same choice." I say.
Who would she like to be?! I would have walked away and not looked back.
"Arkon, I don't know what kind of person you will become. However you will surely be a very powerful god." she says.
We stay there a little longer, after which we go back to the palace. Since Hemera is about to go back to the underground, I lay down on my bed and sleep.
(The day after)
I wake up and notice to my great regret today that I slept little. I keep thinking about what I will have to become. What will becoming the Fates lead me to. Finally, I fear becoming something other than what I was.
I get up immediately and get ready for the usual boring lesson of Acleto. However, when she comes you tell me to follow her to the throne room.
My grandmothers and mother are also here. They all look very serious. The first to speak is my father. He immediately explains to me why he called me here. My mother also adds that they have come to this decision because they believe I am mature enough.
"What?! Are you granting me permission to go to the surface world?!" I exclaimed thrilled.
"Yes, your mother and grandmothers will accompany you to find Nereus." My father says.
"I will look forward to your return." My father says before teleporting me, my mother and my grandmothers away from the Underground.
A moment later we are in front of the entrance to a large cave. The cave looks huge and I feel the underground air coming from inside.
Behind me is sunlight and a field with some plants.
"Hades didn't even have the courtesy to wish us safe travels." He points out grandmother Demetra.
True, my father is always of few words, grandmother Demetra is always his mother-in-law.
"I'm amazed my father let me out of his realm so soon." I say looking at my grandmothers and my mother.
"I may have put in a good word with him." Grandma Rhea says.
"Thank you Grandma." I say.
"What you see before your eyes is the world of the living. How does it look to you?" says my mother.
"It's very beautiful indeed, although not as good as Elysium." I say.
"You'll change your mind when you see how much life it can hold. I know some wonderful fields of-" Grandma Demeter says before being interrupted by my mother.
"Mother, I remind you that Arkon is not here to visit the place. But to know his fate." My mother says in a warning tone.
"I know, but the road to Nereus is pretty long. We have all the time in the world, so we might as well go somewhere else." Grandma Demetra says.
"No detours, thanks." says my mother.
"But why? You can't wait to get back to-" Grandma Demeter says before being interrupted by Grandma Rhea.
"Come on, don't argue. We could always decide what to visit next. For now, let's walk towards Nereus." My grandmother Rhea says.
"Yes mom." Grandma Demetra says in a submissive tone.
We walk in silence towards Nereus' residence, but a strange noise reaches my ears. It passes just before I feel a strange smell in my nostrils.
"Did you hear?" I ask.
"Well yes, someone will be fighting. Come on Arkon, let's not linger here." She says, but I can't ignore it.
I run towards the sound direction and see two men.
One is very old, at least by the standards of this world. Gray hair, some wrinkles on his face and a long stubble. His clothes just look like rags sewn together.
The other man is young and in slightly better clothes. He holds an iron sword in his right hand. The sword is covered in blood.
Then I realize why. There is also a corpse. He must have been a fairly young boy, he must have been around 20 or 25 years old. His clothes are similar to the man's, but now they are red. Get soiled by the blood that flows from his chest.
"Deliver everything you have." Says the young man to the old man.
The old man doesn't speak, but crouches to protect something. What can be so importunate as to risk his own life?
"Hey, stop it now." I scream.
The young man turns to me and gives a smile full of mischief. Don't tell me he's having fun doing this?!
Bastard.
He has no dignity whatsoever. He watches as he smiles after killing someone.
"And who are you? Don't tell me you know this guy?! You're too well dressed." he asks the young man as he slightly wounds the man with his sword.
"I said leave him alone." I say approaching him.
"Hey, hey, did I hear you right? Will you offer me everything you've got?!" He says turning the blade against him.
"Come on, what are you waiting for to undress." he says.
"Don't you have the slightest bit of shame? Don't you fear the judgment of Hades when you die?" I ask.
"Haha, like I care. You only live once, right? Might as well have some fun." he says.
"Get out of my sight." I say as the whole area gets darker.
He runs towards me and tries to hit me with his sword. I grab his wrist so he can't move it. I twist my arm until his sword arm is behind his back.
I disarm him and use the sword to kill him. I use my sword to slash his throat with a quick sweep of my arm. Blood splatters the old man's clothes and the green grass. Then blood floods the ground.
The old man is shivering and paralyzed with fear.
But that's not what I think about. I think of my heart that is pumping my Ichor, of the blood that I made gush from that neck, of that vital fluid that has now poured onto the grass and of the joy that brought me to do it.
The same joy I felt when I had that vision in Melinoe's chambers. I was ecstatic and still am. I'm ecstatic for killing someone. It's not because of the adrenaline, I'm just happy. Glad I poured that red liquid. I wish I had that blood. She longs to remove every drop of fluid that is in his veins.
The blood I had spilled begins to collect at my feet. The blood comes into contact with me and begins to enter me. It, it gets inside me and I can feel it inside me.
It doesn't mix with my blood. It stays there, somewhere inside me. As if it were closed in a bottle.
I see something. I think they are visions. No, they are memories. Memories of the boy who killed. Now I can say for sure. He was just a wimp who would even sell his mother for some money.
The visions disappear and leave me to my bloodlust. The constant desire for more blood to add to the blood I've taken haunts me for what feels like an eternity. It grows like wildfire.
I have to appease it
"Breathe Arkon, breathe." I hear my mother say.
I was so engrossed in my power that I was estranged from reality. I was breathing fast and had a menacing look.
The worst part is that if they hadn't stopped me, I might have attacked the old man. Luckily, my lust for blood was stopped by my mother and probably also thanks to the influence of Grandma Rhea.
If they hadn't stopped me…
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