Work Text
Aidonea knew only darkness. From the very beginning, darkness was an intimate friend but she was never cold. Hestia's arms were very warm and strong. She was never alone with Hestia.Soon there were others in the darkness. Demeter liked to kick. Hera liked to cling tightly. Poseidon was very loud.Aidonea never felt alone in the darkness.--The very first time Aidonea saw the light, she was already full grown. The light burned her skin and blistered her unused eyes. The earth was hard under her feet. The wind was harsh and cold. She heard voices louder than Poseidon's. She felt hands hold tighter than Hera.Aidonea cried long and desperately. She only ceased when she felt Hestia's arms around her again.--Aidonea and her sisters and brother were well taken care of.They were taught how to stand, to walk, to run, to fly. They were taught speech and written language. They were taught of the ways of the world. They were taught of the rebellion and how to fight in it.They were led by their youngest brother Zeus.--The war was long. The war was terrible. But in the end, they won. They overthrew their tyrannous father and his legion of Titans.Erebus offered imprisonment but for a price. "There is an accord as ancient as the Primordial Ones themselves. Tartarus requires a warden," Hecate said, "This is my lord's demand."There was uproar of hesitancy and protests. The agent of Erebus turned to retreat."I will answer the call," Aidonea whispered. Hecate held out a shrouded hand for her. Cronus and the Titans were all imprisoned in the lowest depth of Tartarus.Hestia was inconsolable.--The realm of Erebus was vast and cold. There was dark water as far as the eyes can see. Land or rocks were as white as ash and the sky was sunless.Erebus welcomed her in his freezing arms. Nyx cradled her as she laid on ashen ground, weeping for her sister's strong warm arms. The roar of her father's rage rang in her ears.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Erebus gave her an island of white earth. Aidonea measured her plot of land; wider than one being could own and empty. She spent her waking days digging for stones. Oftentimes, she would dig up just the same white stones as the earth but very rarely she would find colored ones. She kept those, placing them in a circle around the spot where she often slept. --Sometimes, she thought of making gifts out of her stones for her siblings when they next meet... if they ever meet again. Hestia would, of course, receive the red stone. It reminded her of Hestia's red hair and the warm fire she wields.The multi-shaded blue stone with golden veins was for Hera, because Hera seemed to favor blue in all shades.An amber crystal embedded on a rough rock was for Demeter. Out of all her sisters, Demeter always seemed to be unbreakable but Aidonea also knew she had a vulnerable side. Her secret infatuation with their youngest brother was an example of that.A big chunk of blue crystal that reminded Aidonea of water was for Poseidon. If not for her brother's affinity for the great seas, the size of the transparent rock would certainly match his ego.Lastly, Zeus would receive gold. Well, Aidonea presumed the misshapen piece of rock was gold. If it wasn't... then, it would still match her youngest brother's golden hair and golden skin and golden lightning bolts. She did not know Zeus that well but she believed he would still accept her gift.--For a long time, Erebus and his wife Nyx, formless deities, were Aidonea only company. Aidonea did not have a proper sense of time anymore. There was neither night nor day in the realm, only eternal twilight, but she felt it had been a long time since she saw a new face.He was a stooped old man in a heavy black cloak. His name was Charon and he owned a boat."A thousand apologies for my tardiness, Lady Warden," he bowed deeply, his long unkempt beard sweeping the white ground, "I'm here to give you the grand tour."He offered a bony hand and Aidonea hesitated to take. "My stones..." she began, looking back at her pile of precious gems."Your treasures will still be there when we return," he assured her, "But if it brings milady peace, I have a small pouch you can use."He procured the cloth from his deep cloak. "My thanks, Lord Charon," Aidonea said, taking the offered pouch in tentative hands.His laughter was like rusted metal rubbed together. "None of that now! Charon will do!""Then, please call me Aidonea."--As promised, Charon took Aidonea around the realm of Erebus in his sturdy boat. And through the loquacious boatman, Aidonea was able to learn much of her new home.For instance, Aidonea was surprised that the realm consisted of five intermingling rivers instead of one great ocean."How do you tell them apart?" Aidonea asked, looking at the deep dark water."I've never really put much thought about that," Charon answered pensively, "I suppose I simply know them and where they start and end.""Will I be able to know myself?""Oh, yes, I believe so."--Charon took her to Tartarus. He navigated the boat across the Pyriphlegethon, a river of molten lava, until they reached a rumbling vortex. Down and down they went. Charon stirred the boat with ease. Aidonea huddled herself by Charon's feet, holding on for what seemed hours and hours--perhaps, even days--of swirling and grinding and spinning. She feared for the boat breaking apart. She felt her body being crushed by the force of the burning wind. She once thought she was screaming but she could only hear the mighty roar of the vortex until it all finally slowed to a stop.The boat was again in still waters. The air was frozen and dead silent. The light of the river of fire was gone."We're finally through the first gate," Charon said giddily."The first? How many gates are there?" Aidonea asked apprehensively."There were nine the last time I checked."Aidonea could feel herself blanched.Charon lit a candle for her to see. "Your eyes will eventually get accustomed to the darkness, you won't need light at all to see," he said, too cheery, "For now, hold this. We will be paying your father a visit."--The prison was a cavernous pit, where Cronus and his Titan army lay frozen solid. One of the Hecatoncheires’ mechanical arm brought the small candle closer to the prisoners and Aidonea instantly found her father in midst of the unmoving bodies. Golden crowned, golden-skinned Cronus was forever petrified in anguished rage, reaching for the skies he would never see again.“I can hear him,” Aidonea whispered, almost unheard behind the chattering of her teeth, “In my mind as if he is next to me. Screaming and raging. Always.”“Hecatoncheires and their many hands hold them all down,” Charon said by Aidonea’ shoulder, “Their many eyes watch them. But you, Lady Warden, you are burdened with the knowledge of your father’s every thought. Erebus ensured he will never escape.”“A price I was willing to pay,” Aidonea answered somberly.Charon watched her reverently in silence.“I’ve noticed,” Aidonea spoke after a while, “My brother Zeus does look very much like him, don’t you think?”--Their exit from Tartarus was quite different from their entrance. The boat sprouted leathery wings on either side that took them gently up to the surface."Why did you not use them before?!" Aidonea asked, indignantly."You would have missed out all the best part of the trip!" Charon answered.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
"Charon, may I ask you something?""Anything the lady wishes.""At the gates... in the shadows, there were... something there but when I look they were gone.""Ah, you must mean the denizens!""Denizens?""Don't be surprised, Lady Warden. The realm of Erebus is as vast as the world above. Oftentimes, I would think it is limitless. Creatures are bound to sprout here and there. What you saw must have been the daemons.""What is a daemon?""Oh, there are a hundred, perhaps a thousand species! Where do I even begin?"--The first denizen of Erebus to approach Aidonea was a tiny scaly three-headed creature. It came to her while she was sleeping inside her circle of colorful stones. But as soon as she made a move to rise, the creature scampered away into the waters.Twice more, the creature approached her while she lay sleeping. And every time she moved, it would dash away to hide.On the creature’s fourth attempt, Aidonea did not move at all. She lay on her back with her hands on her chest while the little creature circled around her several times as was its wont. It was careful not to disturb her stones.It would nip at her feet, her cloak, her unbound hair and ears. Aidonea was still even until the creature crawled on top of her, nipping and biting and sniffing at her fingers. It came very close to her face, curiously staring at her with three pairs of eyes. The middle head began sniffing closer while the other heads started snapping at each other.Aidonea held her breath and did not even blink while staring at the creatures endlessly black eyes... until it took a painful bite out of her nose.Charon cackled like a mad man from his perch on his boat. Aidonea threw a white rock at him, which he easily evaded and cackled some more."Are you quite done yet?" Aidonea asked, annoyed. She rubbed her sore nose, thankfully intact and undamaged. The three-headed creature was nowhere in sight."Forgive me, Aidonea," he said, still snickering. "You should not have let a scavenger so close. It thought you dead flesh when you did not move.""I was curious," Aidonea grumbled, "I've never seen anything like it. How come I've never seen any other creature in Erebus when you said there were a thousand different species?""That would be the order not to harm you and leave you be.""What do you mean?""When you first came, Great Erebus issued a decree that you, as the Warden of Tartarus, will remain 'undisturbed' and 'unharmed' as you go about your duties. I suppose the denizens took it quite seriously. They don't have a... normal way of thinking like you and I.""Oh," Aidonea said, downhearted. "But what of that creature?""It is a young thing. Newly hatched, most likely. The others will take care of it soon enough.""You make it sound as if it will be eaten.""You're probably right."Aidonea looked forlornly to the great wide waters. "I would like to keep it," she said.Charon smiled.--The next time Charon came, he brought a piece of carcass. It may have been an arm or perhaps a leg of some large creature before."If you plan to keep the creature then you need feed it," he told Aidonea.Aidonea' cringe of disgust morphed into delight in an instant. "Thank you," she said. Aidonea dragged the piece of dead flesh and placed near the shore before plopping herself down to wait for the little three-headed daemon.Charon made to leave when he heard her call. "Wait, Charon!" she called, running to him. "I would like to give you a gift." She placed a chunk of gold the size of a bird's egg on his cold bony palm. Charon gave her a smile filled with sharp teeth. "I will treasure this always, milady," he said.--It did not take long before the three-headed creature came back and saw the offered gift. It began devouring the carcass with gusto. Aidonea took a step closer but the creature flinched at the sound of her step and scampered back.Aidonea stopped and waited again. Hours might have passed by until the creature returned and feasted, keeping a weary eye on her. She would move slowly and quietly closer but each time the creature of dash away into the waters.It was almost similar to a dance, what they were doing. Aidonea would try to come closer, the creature would run away but would come back later to eat and repeat and repeat until the piece of carcass was nothing but bones.Aidonea was disheartened. She barely came close enough to talk to it.--"Finished already?" Charon asked, surprised at the pile of bones."Yes, for a while now," Aidonea answered, brushing her knees. She was in the middle of digging for more precious gems when Charon came."I saw it come by a few times but it never stayed long. Perhaps only checking if there was still anything left to eat.""For a tiny thing, it eats a lot. It's a good thing I thought to bring something bigger." Charon pulled an entire rotting torso sans head and limbs from his boat."Where do you go to get all of this?" Aidonea asked, helping the aged boatman drag the carcass to the pile of bones."The realm is vast," the boatman answered cryptically, "You can find almost anything here if you look hard enough."--"Hello?" Aidonea whispered.The creature had already eaten half of the torso. It was now lying on its back beside the carcass, belly protruding and mewling like a sleeping cat."I think you've overeaten," Aidonea giggled. She was as close as she could be without the three-headed creature running away from her. The creature answered her in mewls and purrs.Aidonea giggled again.--"You named it Cerberus?" Charon said, unimpressed."He's going to be a mighty beast of death and darkness," Aidonea proclaimed, "Aren't you, Cerberus?" The creature, curled around her shoulders, mewled in agreement.Charon shrugged sheepishly to himself. He thought it was because of the daemon's spotted scales.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
They were roaming the River Acheron in Charon's boat, searching for floating carcasses, when Aidonea first saw the Erinyes. They were great winged beasts with black claws on their hands and feet. Their skins were glimmering with scales. Their dark mouths were filled with sharp needle-like glinting teeth. Their head, back, arms and legs were covered with red quills. There huge eyes were milky with pinpoint pupils.Aidonea had never seen such mesmerizing creatures flying overhead. Cerberus growled at their ear-splitting screeches."It would seem that they find your Cerberus disagreeable," Charon piped in from his place at the stern."Why do they?" Aidonea asked, craning her neck to watch the creatures flying overhead."They think he is disobeying Great Erebus' decree.""But Cerberus is not causing me harm," Aidonea stated, "He has been a good companion to me. As are you, Charon. Why don't they find you disagreeable?""Do not compare me to your pet scavenger," the boatman said almost haughtily, "As a son of Erebus and Nyx, I have a higher place even in the upper echelons of the realm.""I meant no disrespect, Charon," Aidonea said, shrinking."Oh, no! I let my mouth run away with me! Forgiveness is mine to ask, milady. It would seem that this old fool has lost his tact after millennia in this dreary place."Aidonea giggled, "You're not a fool, Charon.""Well, if it makes you smile for me, I will be a fool anytime."--"So you're a prince, Charon," Aidonea said absentmindedly, watching Cerberus munch on a rotting hand."If Great Lord Erebus and Mother Nyx are the king and queen of this kingdom then I suppose I am the equivalent of a prince," Charon answered thoughtfully, "But so is every other creation in this realm. Your Cerberus there is one."One of Cerberus head piped up at the sound of his name. It looked at Charon with big unflinching eyes, mouth still chewing a clawed finger."Did you hear that, Cerberus? You're a prince!" Aidonea gushed.The three-headed creature almost abandoned his meal in favor of Aidonea cooing attention.--Aidonea was digging through another portion of land on another side of her island when she heard the terrible screeches and Cerberus crying wails. She unsheathed her sword and ran as fast as she could, over the hill and rocks, only to find four Erinyes tossing poor Cerberus between their claws."Stop!" Aidonea cried, "Do not hurt him!"The Erinyes froze, dropping Cerberus on the ground. Aidonea wielded her sword in the air and they fled to the skies.Aidonea dropped to her knees, gathering the bleeding creature in her arms. She took him to the water and cleaned his wounds. She unwound her cloak and wrapped his quivering body with it.Aidonea laid Cerberus in her circle of stones and watched him until he slept.-- At Charon's next visit to Aidonea' island, he was met by a very curious sight. Two Erinyes were digging a hole on the white ground fervently while another was feeding Cerberus."They kept coming back," Aidonea said, shrugging. She was looking worse for wear. Her cloak was torn and her hair unkempt."They tried to eat Cerberus but they stopped after I managed to defeat one of them," she added, "Now, they don't leave at all.""Did you kill the huge hairy one?" Charon asked."I suppose it was hairier," Aidonea pursed her lips in thought, "It was more aggressive than the others.""Ah, you fought the male of the cast," Charon said sagely, "You normally see Erinyes roaming with one male and several females. You took down the male. Now, they see you as their leader... sort of.""Oh."--"Aidonea, are you hurt?"Aidonea shifted from one foot to the other. "I will heal," she answered, looking away."May I look?"The old boatman brushed her hair aside and peeled her cloak with great care. He found scratches and bruises littering visible flesh and a festering wound on her shoulder."How are you able to stand this?" Charon gasped."With great effort," Aidonea grunted, visibly slumping. The old man led her to sit on a rock.Charon clucked, "This will not do." He pulled out a tiny bottle of red liquid from his robes."Is that Ambrosia?""A concentrated extract. I found it very pleasing to the skin. Had you not notice my glowing pallor lately?""I never have guessed," Aidonea chuckled but winced at her wounds.Charon uncorked the bottle of Ambrosia and placed a single drop on Aidonea waiting mouth. In an instant, her skin was free of blemishes.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Aidonea discovered Cerberus liked bringing her things. He liked to dig his own holes and present her his own pile stones. He was not very good at digging or choosing between the ordinary white rocks and precious gems but he was trying.Cerberus also liked to bring her pieces of his food. He meant to share but Aidonea always denies him, fondly feeding him by hand instead.Cerberus also liked to bring her bones, which he leaves near her circle of gems.The first time he did this, Aidonea threw the bone away, thinking Cerberus was simply making a mess. But the three-headed creature bounded up, fetched the bone and all three heads presented it by her feet like an offering. Aidonea tried throwing the bone to the other direction and much like before, Cerberus would retrieve it for her.They made a game out of it. Aidonea would see how far she could throw a piece of bone and how fast Cerberus would fetch it for her.Her three-headed spotted companion had grown substantially, already as long as she is tall. She was not worried when it took him longer to return.--It was during this game of fetch that another being came to visit Aidonea."Hecate," Aidonea greeted the mysterious torch-bearing immortal."Greetings, Lady Warden. I am surprised you recognized me."Hecate left her shroud hanging around her neck, revealing a spinning metal head with three beautifully carved faces. One face was made of gold with an aquiline nose, fully shaped lips and blue jewels for eyes. Another was unadorned silver with a smooth high forehead, a pointed chin and purple crystal eyes. The last face was made of rusting grooved copper with severe thin lips, hooked nose and eyes closed."For a moment, I did not," Aidonea said, "But I recognized the torch. I've never seen you without one.""Ah, yes," Hecate looked at her torch, almost fondly, before letting it break and fold into her mechanical arm. She took a seat on the white ground, a respectable distance from Aidonea circle of gemstones. "You've gathered quite the collection there," the golden face said, "How are you faring your new home?""I've never really known what home should be," Aidonea answered from inside her circle, nonchalant, "My siblings and I lived trapped inside the belly of a paranoid sire for the majority of our lives. When we were released, there was an ongoing war. We never stayed at one place for too long. Always moving. Always fighting. Never idle. This is the most untroubled I've ever been for a long time. I suppose an eternity in this dark realm does not seem so terrible as I was led to believe. I do not even mind the cold anymore.""That is good to know," Hecate nodded, face switching to the silver face, "You've made a friend out of Charon and a loyal companion of a lowly creature of Erebus.""And now I have three screeching guardians, who are very fond of preening my hair."Said creatures were perched on top of high rocks, eyeing the visitor with piercing narrowed eyes."Yes, I've heard of an incident involving a cast of Erinyes," the copper face commented."I named them Alecto, Megaera, and Tisiphone," Aidonea declared, "They did not harm me, if you must know. It was the male who challenged me. I let him meet the business end of my blade. After I cut him down, they swooped in to finish him off.""I must say, they are well named then."Aidonea beamed.--"Why are you really here, Hecate?" Aidonea asked somberly."Can this not be just a social call?" the copper face tilted."I'm sorry, I almost sound rude to you. I've only ever seen you during the rebellion. Never the most casual of settings to interact with, I suppose.""Yes, that is war," Hecate nodded, sounding morose behind the copper face, "And you have mostly known me as bringer of ill tidings."Aidonea shook her head, "It was necessary. My predicament is not your fault. But the war is over now... Are you bringing ill tidings?""Nothing escapes you, Lady Warden," the three-faced machine chuckled, "I do bring news. How you take it, ill or otherwise, would be up to you.""What is it then?""The Weavers spoke of great change coming. All the realms are involved. Lord Erebus is anticipating this and will welcome it. He casts you for a greater role than just your father's eternal keeper.""What does he mean for me to do?""He has not told yet," Hecate answered vaguely.Aidonea bit her lip, worried. "You said all the realms are involved. Will this include my sisters and brothers? Will there be another war?""The Weavers of Fate spoke of no more great war amongst the deathless," Hecate assured, "This change will be subtler but with no less significance.""Will I be able go above ground again? I would like to talk to my siblings about this.""In due time, Lady Warden."There was a conflict of emotions visible on Aidonea' face: frustration, anger, dismay then a slow silent acceptance."Charon told me the exact same answer when I asked him.""I'm afraid we are all thralls of Fate, my lady."--"A like to leave you a gift before we part," Hecate said, brushing sand from her robes, "Great Erebus has allowed this small token to stay in his domain." She reached inside her shroud and pulled out an iron bowl of dancing red flames."Hestia's eternal flames," Aidonea gasped."This may be a poor substitute for visiting your siblings but your sister misses you and wishes you well."Aidonea took the bowl in delicate hands, feeling the warmth of the flames she did not know she missed immensely. She thanked the Hecate with tears in her eyes.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
"Oh my, my, my..." a familiar voice called, "Your Cerberus has grown exponentially since the last time I came to visit."
"Charon! It's been so long!" Aidonea dropped her knife and the piece of bone she was carving, bounding up to the immortal boatman with Cerberus, now the size of his boat, close behind. "Where have you been all this time?"
"I apologize but the Great Mother had me preoccupied. Come, come, take a look!" He waved her to come closer to his boat he already pushed ashore. Inside was a basket and, wrapped in soft white linen, were two squirming creatures.
"Oh," Aidonea gasped, "What are they?"
"Why--they are babies, of course!"
The Warden of Tartarus gave him a wide-eyed expectant look. Cerberus shared the same expression, each head taking turns sniffing the chubby infants' hair and face.
"You've never seen children before?" the aged boatman asked. Aidonea shook her head. "Not even your younger siblings?"
"I don't remember much of our time inside Cronus."
"Oh," Charon murmured, rubbing his shaggy beard sheepishly, "I suppose, if I were eaten alive by my psychotic father I wouldn't want to remember the experience either."
"So this is how we look like when young?"
"Ah, yes," Charon piped up, glad for the diversion, "Wrinkled, bald, toothless, helpless little fussy things! The fair one is called Thanatos. The dark one is Hypnos."
At the sound of his name, round-cheeked Hypnos wailed. Cerberus flinched back, growling at the offensive noise. Charon waved him off before picking the crying babe out of the basket. "This finicky one never had a wink of sleep since birth. His twin can sleep like the dead though."
Charon held the little bundle against his shoulder, bouncing him between long bony hands while making cooing sounds. Aidonea found the sight… quite odd.
A gurgling sound caught Aidonea' attention. She looked down, only to meet the eyes filled with stars. Thanatos held his small unsteady hands up, grasping in the air for her. Aidonea gave her finger for him to hold on to, finding his grip strong for someone so small.
"Hecate came by," Aidonea said, holding the giggling Thanatos closely in steady arms the way Charon taught her. She was careful not to crush two knobby appendages on the little one's back. "She spoke of a great change in all of the realms," Aidonea added, "I wonder if she meant of the births these of two deathless ones."
"My brothers' births are part of the beginning, perhaps," Charon commented cryptically, still cradling an upset Hypnos, "There will be many more to partake."
"The beginning of what? Partake of what? Won't you tell me what Erebus is anticipating?"
"I can not say," Charon shook his head, "My sire does not confide in me. Great Mother Nyx is also silent on this matter."
Aidonea pursed her lips in frustration. Thanatos kissed it away, surprising the warden and the boatman.
Charon made no jest when he said Hypnos was a fussy child. He would cry and wail endlessly that even the Erinyes and Cerberus were cowered by his screams.
The only times he would calm down into a squirming gurgling mess were when fed with nectar and ambrosia and when Aidonea cradles him and his brother in her arms near Hestia's small red flames.
And still he does not entirely sleep. His starry eyes, so similar to his twin brother yet always brimming with tears, remained wide open.
Thanatos, on the other hand, was a gentle baby with bright perceptive eyes. He does not speak in words she could understand. They whine and gurgle and spit. Charon had told her that he and his brother would learn language in due time. But his eyes had understanding behind them.
When the ambrosia and nectar were spent, Charon took his brothers back to Mother Nyx. The island was quiet once again.
Aidonea felt restlessness in her bones. It was a similar restlessness in the calm before the battle. It was an itch within her that only blade and blood would satiate.
But Hecate spoke of no more battles to come; only a great change no one would elaborate on.
Aidonea went back to her knife and bones and began vigorously curving chubby babies with wings.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
He was the first immortal born after the rebellion. The first seed from the skies to the earth after all the ravages of war had turned it barren. He was a child born of hope, the precious jewel of Demeter’s eyes. From the moment of his divine conception, Ploutos was beloved. When the Weavers of Fate came, only Zeus and Demeter were present with their divine child. As with all of his spawns, the current ruler of the World had his own agenda for coming to the Weavers’ blessing ceremony. Demeter had no delusions concerning his character, both good and flawed, and that included his paranoia of his own downfall by the hand of one of his offspring. The goddess was confident, though, her son was not the one. “O Wealthy One, hear this,” the Weavers whispered to the babe, “Send a rich increase of various fruits from the earth, with lovely Peace and good Fortune.” Demeter glowed with pride hearing the words, confirming her son as a god of the earth like herself. “O Bestower of Life, hear this” the shrouded Ladies of Fate continued, “Send health with gentle hand, and crown Mother Gaia with blest abundance, free from noisy Strife.” Zeus solemnly agreed. As the Liberator, it was his duty to restore the realm of Gaia. Having sired a child with gifts to heal the earth was an accomplishment itself.
“O Blessed One of the Earth, hear this: send the prey of Time and Death, dismiss the willing to the Realms Beneath.”
Fear suddenly clenched Demeter’s heart as sorrow began to churn in her belly. Her eyes fell to her once-lover, who was equally stricken with surprise. “What do they mean by this?” she asked, agitated, pulling her child away from the Weavers, “The prey of Time and Death? Realms Beneath?” Terror flushed through her as a realization came. “Zeus, the cannot mean...” she said, stepping away from the golden god, “Zeus, my son is not… He cannot be the one to over--” “They did not exactly say it so,” Zeus interrupted, smirking, “Be calm, sister. Time and Death cannot prey on an immortal. And, I assure you, I’d be more than unwilling to be dismissed by my own son!” He laughed but his gaze, however, remained warily on the bundle in Demeter’s arms. “My Ladies, please,” he turned to the shrouded Weavers graciously, “Be kind as to enlighten us.” The Fates huddled closer to Ploutos and continued their eerie chant as if they were never interrupted, “Last, O Bringer of Seed, betake yourself to the white plains where the spirits shall dwell, to the lawful palace where your Infernal Queen shall reign.” "More riddles!" Demeter turned away, exasperated and grieved, “Are you all saying my son is to go somewhere? Another land with white plains and spirits? Will you not give us a simple, uncomplicated answer?” The three Fates remained silent. “Perhaps, we did not ask the right question,” Zeus suggested, “I would really like to know about this Infernal Queen myself, actually.” “Zeus!” Demeter sneered, “Stop taking this so casually?” “But I am--” But Demeter held out a hand, silencing her brother-king. “Ancient Ones,” she turned to the Weavers, “I graciously ask you: will my son, Ploutos, dismiss his sire to the Realms Beneath?” “All is as it was written in the Accord,” they answered. “That is not a simple, uncomplicated answer at all!” “What if we ask about this realm of spirits?” Zeus interjected, “And its queen?” “All is as it was in the Accord,” three Weavers of Fate whispered, stepping away into the shadows, “ As it is… As it shall be.”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
"I remember you were once small," Aidonea sighed, rubbing one of Cerberus' muzzles, “I remember you were once afraid of your own tail!”The three-headed daemon had grown so large, one of his head could likely swallow Alecto whole. And Alecto was the largest of Aidonea' Erinyes, towering over the warden by two heads when standing erect with an equally impressive wingspan.Cerberus’ great size meant he no longer scavenge for food. Oftentimes, he would be gone to scour the rivers for prey. Aidonea had sometimes joined him in those hunts, either as a participant or an observer. And when full, the great beast would return to Aidonea’ island to lounge at the shore while the Erinyes preen him.Her daemon companion still brought her bones as tokens from his hunts. Aidonea now slept inside the gray skull of a once gigantic snake creature that she helped kill. She also had a very notable bone yard.--Aidonea was searching through the piles of bones for a suitable piece to carve a spearhead to replace the one she lost during a hunt when the Erinyes began screeching in alarm. Cerberus’ huge heads were also in alert, staring into the distance.Aidonea’ sight was well adjusted to the realm’s gloom but, unlike her companions’ eyes, she still had difficulty focusing on far objects. For her, whatever was coming was a bouncing white speck in the dark sky.‘Another creature of the realm, perhaps?’ she thought. It was very rare for the denizens of Erebus to wonder into her island. The Erinyes were effective guardians and the sheer size of Cerberus often negates intruders.But this creature was only coming closer quickly, flying almost erratically as if it did not know how to properly use its wings.“Wait… there are two of them,” Aidonea realized.Cerberus stood up and made a threatening rumble that could be felt through the sand. The Erinyes had already taken flight to intercept the intruders.“Wait!” Aidonea yelled, “Wait! Don’t hurt them!” She ran screaming to the shore, waving her arms in the air and almost tripping over bones and rocks.The Erinyes, thankfully, did not attack but allowed Thanatos and Hypnos to dive past them with screeches of warning.“You’re here! You’re here! You’re here!” fair-haired Thanatos cried, slamming into Aidonea waiting arms. Dusky-skinned Hypnos followed closely and ended up tackling the warden to the ground, tangling in a pile of laughter and limbs."We can't believe you're still here," Thanatos gushed."Where would I be if not here?" Aidonea laughed."We thought you'd be gone," Hypnos answered, his white wings twitching in excitement, "We've asked mother and Charon and they always say ‘soon’ but they never did take us to you.""So we decided to come to you ourselves!” Thanatos cried joyously.--Aidonea had forgotten how long it was since their last visit, but Thanatos and Hypnos had learned to talk, walk and fly awkwardly with their downy wings. Hypnos had feathers as white as the earth in Erebus while Thanatos’ was as black as the skies. Their eyes were still as star-filled as she remembered.She was wonderfully surprised upon seeing the twins stand with their crowns almost reaching her hips.--“Do you remember Cerberus?” Aidonea asked. The gigantic beast had all its three heads lie flat on the ground, staring at their guests with three pairs of unblinking giant eyes. His tail was slithering lazily in the waters.Hypnos had latched on to the warden like a leech; arms around her neck, legs wound around her torso and burying his face on her shoulder while hiccupping tearfully. Aidonea did not remember him weighing so much.Thanatos, on the other hand, held her free hand tightly, peering at the three-headed daemon from behind Aidonea’ leg. “He is… big?” the winged boy said nervously, “I remember him being big… but not so very big.”“Yes, Cerberus has grown very big,” Aidonea assured, “As have you both.”“But not very big…”Aidonea chuckled, “Yes, not so very big. But Cerberus is my companion and he remembers you very fondly. He won’t hurt you. Won’t you, Cerberus?”The beast answered with a mighty thump of his tail, splashing giant waves to the shores.“See? He is very eager to meet you again,” Aidonea assured.Hypnos shifted, taking a peek at the giant daemon. Aidonea moved to give him a better look but the boy flinched and ducked his head down again.Cerberus made a disheartened whining sound. All his ears and quills were down and flat. His eyes all seemed to be watering sadly.“Look, Cerberus is sad,” Aidonea squeezed Thanatos’ hand. The fair boy was braver than his twin, managing to step closer to one of Cerberus’ nose. He held out a hesitant hand but stopped short when the beast met him halfway with a drool-coated tongue.Thanatos squealed in disgust. Hypnos laughed at his brother before Cerberus licked the back of his head.--Much later, Aidonea found both boys having the time of their lives circling around the island while on top of the mighty daemon’s middle head.The Warden of Tartarus joined them even later for a trip to watch the Empusa daemons that were usually found dangling from cliffs and rock faces.Aidonea held the boys under each arm, their wings tucked tightly, as Cerberus took a sedated pace navigating between rocks and canyons. The Empusas followed them curiously. Their metal heads glowing with red flames and their long spindly clawed mechanical limbs allowed them to scale the steep walls and overhangs with ease. The Erinyes trailed after them, circling lazily from above.“Why do they live near the water though they fear it?” Thanatos asked, whispering.“I’m not certain,” Aidonea answered, “They largely inhabit the Phlegethon but there are some who like to burrow into the rocks near the border of the river of fire. The Phlegethon is just on the other side of this island in fact.”“May we go there?” Thanatos asked.“We would have to ask Cerberus.”“May we go to the Phlegethon, Cerberus?” Thanatos asked, patting the beast to get his attention.Cerberus’ three heads whined and grunted in response. He continued on his slow crawl through the waters.“He doesn’t want to, I suppose,” Aidonea interpreted, “He’s not overly fond with molten lava.”“W-what about there?” Hypnos pointed to a group of mountainous islands. “Nothing lives there,” Aidonea bit her lip.“Why?” the boys asked simultaneously.“That’s where the Lethe passes through,” she answered, “All the denizens of the realm avoid the Lethe or else they are never seen again.”Both boys sat very still, looking at her with round eyes. “Is that true?” Thanatos asked, wonder in his eyes. Hypnos drew himself closer, almost crawling on her lap.“Charon told me himself. He said the waters were poison. You should never let it touch your skin or it will never let you leave. Cerberus never hunted there before so, I suppose, there might be some truth to it.”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
“Charon might come for you soon,” Aidonea whispered, lying on the pile of furs inside the gigantic snake skull.
Thanatos was tucked to one side, sleeping soundly. Hypnos, however, was wide awake and staring at the jewel-encrusted underside of the skull.
“Yes,” the dark boy said somberly, “Charon is very kind. He should have been here sooner.”
“Do you think he is stalling?”
“Perhaps. He is very kind,” the boy repeated, fiddling with the furs and the rows of teeth beside him.
Between the twins, Aidonea found it almost uneasy to talk to Hypnos. Whereas, Thanatos was cheerfully chatty, his brother was fretful and easily upset.
“You still do not sleep, I see?” Aidonea asked.
The boy took a long moment before shaking his head, “I do not know sleep. Everything is too loud and too bright for sleep.”
“What do you mean? Erebus is the darkest and most silent of all realms.” Aidonea stared at the black curls of Hypnos head with a raised eyebrow.
“It is different for me,” the boy said, breathing deeply before continuing, “When I close my eyes I hear and see things I cannot explain. I have told my brothers, even mother, but they do not understand.”
Aidonea suddenly felt a cold hand grip her heart. “What do you see and hear?”
“Things,” the boy said simply.
“Can you describe these things for me?” Aidonea persisted; her alarm growing.
Hypnos took a defeated breath, turning to lie on his back. “Sometimes… I see faces I have never seen before. Sometimes, I see bright light. Larger and brighter than your fire in a bowl.”
Aidonea looked at Hestia’s fire placed by their heads and surrounded by all the red stones she found.
“And I see colors like your jewels,” the boy pointed above them, “A great dome of bright blue covering everything from above and this… white mist things. And the ground is so dark all around and covered in… in… I don’t know what color…”
“Green?” Aidonea pointed at one large green stone.
“Yes! But brighter and they look like feathers but are not feathers.”
“Grass?”
“I don’t know what that is,” Hypnos answered, shaking his head in frustration, "It's so strange."
How do you explain vegetation to someone who has never seen plants before? Erebus was vast but the realm is not like Gaia above world.
“And what do you hear?” Aidonea asked instead.
“Sometimes, there are creatures, as small as my hand and others as large as Cerberus.”
Aidonea smiled, “I did not think there is anything as large as Cerberus.”
“They speak differently,” he continued, “I do not understand them but they talk. Sometimes to me. Sometimes to others. Sometimes to no one at all. It is too much! Always too much!”
Aidonea turned to hold the upset boy as he started to tear up. Thanatos slept on, unawares.
The dusky skinned boy turned to look at her with sad star-filled eyes. “I saw you a few times. You were garbed differently. You stood with others carrying weapons. You had a long staff and a… metal cap?”
Aidonea held out her arm up and summoned an unadorned bronze helmet.
“O-oh,” Hypnos croaked. He held out a hand to touch the helmet hesitantly. “It’s real,” he whispered, “I didn’t know it was real.”
“You could not have seen it before now,” Aidonea said, equally dumbfounded, “The Cyclops had given us weapons to fight with during the rebellion. I was given this Helm of Invisibility.”
“What does it all mean?”
“I do not know.”
--
“I am concerned about Hypnos,” Aidonea told the immortal boatman as they waited for the twins to bid their farewells to Cerberus and the Erinyes.
“Has something happened?” Charon asked, suddenly alarmed.
“No, nothing terrible,” Aidonea shook her head, “Their visit was unexpected. A wonderful surprise and they were both delightful company. It’s been so long since you first brought them here.”
“Yes, I forget sometimes. I’ll try to remember to bring them more often.”
“Thank you, friend,” the warden nodded, “But I worry about Hypnos and his…
visions
.”
“Ah.”
“He said he had mentioned this to you before.”
“Yes,” Charon answered, “Oftentimes. Remember how he was such a fussy baby and was wont to crying? Now, he usually stares into the distance and be utterly still. Other times, he talks to himself and wonders about.”
“He told me he is always troubled by what he sees and hears,” Aidonea frowned, “It fills his head to almost bursting, he said.”
Charon nodded again, “But his better with coping now. In no small part, thanks to Thanatos. Hadn’t had an incident for a long while. Or so Mother Nyx had told me.”
“But these visions though… He told me he had never been anywhere but Erebus and yet he can describe the realm of Gaia in accurate detail. The blue skies, the clear waters, foliage and faunas. Everything. He has seen the past—or what I believe were past battles from both rebellions against Ouranos and Cronus. As if he had been there! He has also seen me--that is, what I was... before.”
Charon took her hand in his bony ones. “Are you alright, milady?”
Aidonea was taken aback by the question. “Y-yes, why would I not be?”
“You seemed quite upset over my brother’s gifts.”
“I am concerned, Charon. These visions have—are disconcerting him. He does not sleep because of them.”
“He has learned to cope, Aidonea,” Charon said empathetically, “We’re hardly in need of rest as we are Deathless. You have once told me that you hardly slept yourself.”
“It is different.”
“Really?”
“I do not sleep but I rest. Hypnos, on the other hand, I believe he intentionally avoids resting.”
“Yes, but he has learned to cope with it,” Charon repeated, “There is nothing much we can do that has already been attempted before.”
Aidonea gave him a quizzical look.
“You don’t think Mother Nyx has tried all soothing things to calm him down from his screaming fits? I tell you, I had never known there were so many lullabies to sing in all of the realms. The only thing she has never done before is hand him over for Great Erebus to swallow.”
Aidonea gasped, horrified. “You can not even suggest--”
“No, no! Never, of course! But there were many many moments of deep frustration."