Upon imprisoning the fallen in Tartarus, the three brothers knew that eternal vigilance was required as evil never truly slept. Looking after the affairs of men required great compassion and wisdom, and for this Zeus took on the throne in Mt. Olympus, and the younger gods came with him.
Flora and fauna needed protection as well, and for this Poseidon took to the greatest depths of the ocean, reigning in the company of the beasts he held dear.
Finally, the youngest brother – the quiet and ever-resilient Hades – descended to the Underworld. Of the three, he was the least vulnerable to the sway of emotions and logic and honor were his greatest strengths. And so it shall be, for only the most impartial could rightfully judge the merits of departed souls.
His was a thankless job, but it was not in Hades’ nature to complain and he did his work as diligently as he could. He cultivated for himself a fearful and monstrous image, thus ensuring that few would dare threaten his domain. As the years passed, the world came to forget that Hades had once been an angel, and that he had saved the world in the dawn of civilization.
Soon, no one remembered the truth, and people came to know him only as the god of the Underworld and, later on, he became the Prince of Darkness as well, for wherever he walked, death would always follow.
Merciless and ruthless, cruel and savage – words that had once described his fallen foes were now attributed to Hades, and yet nothing could be further from the truth. In the years that he had reigned in the shadows, Hades had welcomed to his abode creatures shunned and maltreated. Demons who had rebelled against Lucifer, species that had been hunted almost to extinction like the centaurs and harpies, and lesser gods who had been cursed with powers that no one wanted—-
In the Underworld, these creatures found both shelter and solace, and in return for his selflessness and benevolence no ruler had been more beloved than Hades.
For their lord and master, they would do anything, and it was their greatest wish that the day would come they would be able to prove their loyalty and show their gratitude.
And so it did, but the one who had called in their debts was not Hades.
It was the queen.
Chapter Five
I can’t believe I fainted. These were the first words that came to Ever’s mind the moment she woke up and found herself lying on an unfamiliar – but extremely luxurious – bed in an equally unfamiliar but extremely luxurious...tent?
She sat up abruptly and looked about her while trying to contain her panic. Pointed ceiling, walls and floor made of some kind of fabric –
Ever gulped. This couldn’t be anything but a tent, and her head started to pound as she tried to figure out what was happening.
First, she had been transported to the world of Greek gods, and now she was –
Where the bloody hell was she?
A queasy feeling emerged in her stomach, and she struggled not to throw up.
Think, Ever!
Which legends had tents in them?
Maybe...Egypt, such as Cleopatra being carried in a tent-like carriage by slaves or camels?
Ever strained her ears to listen for the sound of camel hooves stomping on the ground, but all she could hear was silence.
Okay, what else?
Maybe...she was lost in the world of Arabian tales this time, and her tent was atop a...flying carpet? Those were supposed to move fast, weren’t they? Or at least they did in Disney’s Aladdin.
She eyed the flaps of the tent warily, knowing there was only one way to find out.
Taking a deep breath, Ever swung her feet off the bed. She swayed precariously for a second or two but managed to regain her bearings after closing her eyes and counting one to ten.
This is just a dream, Ever.
She placed one foot forward and held her breath, not knowing what to expect but nevertheless preparing for the worst.
Seconds passed and nothing happened.
Expelling her breath in a silent sigh of relief, Ever proceeded forward, doing her best not to create any noise. When she reached the tent’s flaps, she muttered a quick prayer silently before slowly reaching for the edge of the flap.
Inch by inch, the world outside was revealed, and everything was pitch black. Her heart hammered against her chest faster and faster with every second, but Ever forced herself to swallow her fear as she poked her head out of the tent.
It took a few moments for her eyes to adjust to the darkness, but when she did she was slowly able to make some outlines—-
Ever’s hands flew to her mouth in an effort to contain her terrified scream when she realized what was carrying her tent.
Underneath the tent was a pair of large and powerful creatures, with shaggy black hair covering their bodies and flaming red hair covering their heads. They walked on four legs and were about ten feet tall –