บท 56: Tartarus
I looked at Hippolyta and then turned my attention away from her and observed the gate the Amazon warriors were barely holding back. I agreed to let Diana take the lead here and I wasn't really upset about what was said anyway. No mother wanted even one child banned from her presence much less both of them.
Taking my lack of response to her threat as a snub, Hippolyta gripped the broken blade and started toward me when Diana stopped her. "No, mother. He is here by Decree of the Gods. A decree delivered to me by Hermes himself and spoken as the voice of the gods. No fault will come to us from Logan being here."
Knowing that the gods wouldn't decree this lightly, Hippolyta knew there was more to it. "What else was spoken by Hermes. Surely this man child wouldn't warrant such a visitation on his own."
Diana, "He and I are to enter Tartarus through the gate and correct the wrong taking place there."
Hippolyta, "I WOINT ALLOW IT! That is far too dangerous for you to do. Tartarus holds dangers to the gods themselves, sending you alone is tantamount to killing you."
Diana, "We both know I am far stronger than the average Amazon mother. I do not see the gods throwing away all the gifts bestowed upon me for no reason. I must posses the power needed to accomplish their will. Have faith mother. I will return to you and together we will find a way for my sister to return."
Logan, "Not to speak out of turn here and maybe I'm being naïve. But the story of exile Diana told me about in relation to Wonder Woman didn't have a timeframe involved on the exile. Maybe a petition showing all the good she has accomplished in the world of Man under the name of the Old Gods and for the Honor of the Amazon's would relax such a penalty if not end it as time served. Just a thought Queen Hippolyta, one of possible comfort shared in a time of battle."
Diana's face took on a thoughtful look, but a new push from the demons on the other side of the gate caused the doors to start inching open and ended any further discussions. "I will return mother, and we can discuss this more then perhaps."
Hippolyta looked at me and said, "Bring my daughter back to me or don't plan to return to the land of the living ever again Man."
Logan smiled, "Asking me to take responsibility for your daughter so soon? I thought for sure you would want to keep her close for years to come. Besides, we don't have that kind of relationship, right Diana." I couldn't help myself from being flippant to the Queen, she just had that demeanor that begged to be teased.
Diana gave me a look that promised violence if I continued to tease her mother.
Looking at Diana with a smirk, I said, "Stand on my back and collect any that try to fly above me." I then took the shape of a Triceratops dinosaur and increased my density as much as I could. The cave started to rumble as I began charging the gate opening with my head down roaring loudly so as to not catch the Amazons by surprise.
Hippolyta, "HERA, such a powerful beast."
Diana, "Close and lock the gate after we go through mother. Remember I will return!"
Hippolyta, "Use the rhythm you and Ororo would knock on each other's doors to sneak out of the Palace at night, so I know it's you."
Diana quickly jumped to Logan's back and swung her sword to knock down a few demons trying to fly above his devastating rush. When he hit the pile of bodies that was being pushed into the gate in hopes of opening it, the sound was like a mallet striking a large base drum. The pile of demons that were pushing the gates open screamed as they were crushed, and some impaled by the form Logan had taken. Instantly the Amazons had nothing stopping them from closing the gates and locking them but now they hesitated to do so after seeing their Princess rush through them.
Hippolyta called out, "Close the gate and slide the lock into place before more demons show up. See to the wounded and place a guard on the gate to listen for their return. The signal will be the one you all know was to allow the Princesses to wander free of obvious observation."
Hippolyta sighed sadly at the number of wounded and dead that the game of the gods created in Themyscira this day. "Return to me my child, please!" She begged with tears in her eyes.
As I blasted past the doors and trampled everything in my path Diana was in constant movement cutting everything down. We continued to charge for a ways beyond the gate and I had to release my density increase. It was very tiring to keep up that amount in this form, and we were just starting this adventure.
When the sounds of fighting ceased, I stopped and waited for Diana to jump down before resuming my natural form. "OK Diana, what direction are we headed now? Do we look to for residents that don't try and kill us on sight, or have you got a plan you have yet to reveal?"
Dian, "First, can you tell me what you know of the land of Hades?"
Logan, "Isn't it where the sinners go after they die to be tortured. Hades became the ruler of the underworld because his luck at drawing straws sucked? Also, isn't Tartarus a pit that is here in the underworld. Zeus tossed the titans in it to trap them after losing the war?"
Diana, "Hmm you are close, but you also have some misconceptions as well. In Greek mythology all dead come to Hades. They appear before the Judges of the dead and are separated into three sections. The Elysian/Elysium Fields, for the specially distinguished souls. Asphodel Meadows, for the vast majority of souls. Finally, Tartarus, where the wicked go to be punished."
Logan, "Ok, that's a little general but I won't waste time asking about things that don't affect the mission."
Diana, "Hades has a castle in each section, and I believe that Faust would go for the one in Tartarus as it is also the repository for all forbidden knowledge. Also, it is where Hades himself spends most of his time torturing the souls sent there. The real question would be is Hades still there, Faust has been here long enough to flip it upside down. I am almost positive Hades is somewhere very uncomfortable."
Logan, "So we have to figure out if we want to confront Faust or find Hades, that's wat your saying, right?"
"Exactly!" Diana replied.
Logan, "Well what we want doesn't really matter much right now. It's what we need, and that's directions."
Diana, "Well I suggest going airborne and finding someone or something to give us directions."
Changing into a falcon again to conserve strength we fly in a search pattern until Diana waves at me. When I approach her, she points to three figures fighting over a bone. Landing in front of them I resume my shape and Diana joins me. I grab one and lift it by the scruff of its neck. "Thanks for being my new tour guide, what kind of places do you recommend we go to if we are looking for an armor wielding spirit with a grudge against Hades?"
Demon, "Oh that's easy, you walk about 30 miles that way and take a leap of faith off the cliff and you will find yourself before 3 very helpful guys that will tell you where to go."
Diana, "We have no time for your game's demon. Tell us what we want to know or suffer the consequences."
Logan, "This little twirp just told me to jump off a cliff and kill myself didn't he Diana?"
Diana, "Indeed he did Logan, the 3 helpful fellows would be the judges of the underworld I assume."
Demon, "What are you going to do? Beat me up? Kill me? Tear my body to pieces and send me to the underworld? Oh, wait I'm here already.
Diana pulls out her Lasso and asks, "How do you feel about the truth?" as she places the rope on him like a leash.
I was really hoping for a reenactment of Golem being tied up with the Elven rope in Lord of the Rings, but the demon just went blank faced and numb looking.
Diana, "Take us to the Castle of Hades, and tell us what you know about what's been going on over the last couple days."
Demon, "A magical construct of armor appeared and marched straight to Hade's castle where there was the sound of a short battle and then it felt like all the constrictions placed on us demons was released. No more punishment or punishing, everyone left up to our own devices. Many of those normally being punished here quickly ran to the other planes of the underworld to have their fun and do as they please with the souls that have no protection now with the constraints lost."
Demon, "I heard some demons were trying to get out the old gate to the living world. A few others claimed to know a way out other than the gates, after all it seemed like every other month a hero was bursting into Hades to save some friends, sisters, roommate's second cousin or something like that."
Logan, "What about Hades? If the constraints are lost, then do you know what happened to him?"
Demon, "No clue."
Diana, "Then we go for the target we know. Point the direction as we fly demon."
As she flew off with the demon anchor, I changed into a falcon again and followed.
We flew for about 20 minutes before a set of iron looking doors along a cliff wall appeared.
When we landed, Diana took the rope off the demon, and he quickly scampered off into the darkness. "It's weird that the gates have no guards." Diana said.
Logan, "Not if they heard Hades was overthrown, no guard will continue working until he is assured the pay is the same or better. Tell then he won't guard anything."
Entering through the gate we see a room that goes on beyond our sight. Shelves that are floor to the 30-foot ceiling just crammed with books. Light provided by hanging skeletons that have been set aflame illuminates all the forbidden knowledge of the world. No scholar or magically inclined person could turn down the opportunity to spend just an hour in these walls. Just one book could make you powerful beyond belief, if it didn't drive you mad first.
Diana and I walk down the path created by the shelves and at an opening we see a table with a candle holder providing additional light to a giant armored figure hunched over a book.
Faust, "Amazing is it not Princesses? The lost scrolls of Stanly Lee! The first print of Bill Finger! Elsminster's very first Book after he was Driven Mad! Dark tome's that make the Necronomicon a children's book. There is enough reading here to keep even me happy for the next 5000 years or so. Then I can start on the new forbidden knowledge of that era.
Logan, "I get that you want your revenge and I'm sure Hades tempted you with all this knowledge by making a deal. I am also sure you didn't keep up your end, none of that matters to us. You two could be down here whispering sweet nothings between bathroom stalls for all we care. But you let your revenge interfere with the balance of the world. If you had been smart enough to keep this place running, hell if you had improved the system, the gods would be joking about you kicking Hades around and have him in some uncomfortable place right now. But no, you in your stupidity made the cycle stop and lose its balance. So now the gods have decided to send us to restart the system to the previous version. So now take a moment to think of all you could have done if you played inside the rules and then prepare to have it all taken away from you."
Diana, "Enough talk, lets take him down and save our friends." She rushed at the armored figure, and I changed to my Gorilla form preparing to shift as the need arises and charge along with her.
Faust, "Ohh, you want to fight. Meh, not interested. I'm reading." He waves his hand, and the floor falls out from beneath us and we get sucked into a portal and find ourselves in a wintery landscape.
As Faust settles back into his chair he grabs the book he was reading, "Damn, I lost my place!"
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