The Bittersweet Homecoming
Taking care of the aftermath took time, but Zeus set everyone to task and imprisoned the tyrants. The punishments he doled out were as harsh as he’d promised. With the new rule came the rewards for the ones who never left his side. He re-created Mount Olympus from a war forte to a home fit for the Gods.
For our share, Zeus had us draw lots. As we pulled our stones out of the sack, I saw Zeus holding a white stone and Poseidon holding a blue gem. When I opened my palm, an obsidian stone was as dark as my father’s insides.
“This decides our realms. I will rule the skies, Poseidon, the Sea and Hades. You will rule the Underworld. Prometheus is creating the humans, and when the mortals die, you will rule them in death in the afterlife,” Zeus said quietly. “I would trust no other, but you, Hades.”
Was this a reward or punishment? I had an infinity for the dark, and the Underworld called to me, but could I live in darkness again?
The maelstrom of thoughts crashed against one another as I tried to digest his words.
“You will receive a guard to protect your realm. No living being will leave the Underworld. We must keep a balance at all times,” he continued as I glanced at Poseidon, who looked solemn.
I clenched the black stone in my fist.
“Mount Olympus is no longer your home,” Zeus said firmly, causing me to snap my head away from Poseidon to stare at him. “The Underworld is your only home.”
Something inside me fractured. I couldn't say what it was, but a coldness spread across my body. I nodded, and without uttering a word, I left Mount Olympus. I heard my brothers talking as I left, but nothing could penetrate the shocked haze on my head. I didn’t care to find out how the rest of the world would be divided. The news would reach me eventually.
I was born in darkness, lived in darkness, and now my eternity would be served in the perpetual darkness. The stone crumbled in my fist, and I released it on the white marble floors of my previous home. If I had a heart before, it was now dead, shrouded in the ice that coursed through my entire being.
◆◆◆
When I reached the Underworld, I was still in a sombre mood. After crossing the rivers, a giant beast came leaping towards me. Anger made me draw my fist back to beat the beast to death, but I didn't get a chance as the three-headed beast toppled me over.
They growled and snarled viciously, snapping their teeth at one another. I gazed at the three-headed dog in confusion because they weren't trying to bite me. They were fighting with one another, trying to lick my face.
Cerberus .
I lay back on the ground, and their heads followed me as I stared at the dark brown and black ceiling. They took turns licking my face, and I stroked their heads before rubbing their slobbering jaws. Their black serpent-like tails were wagging in all directions. I relaxed, knowing I wouldn't be completely alone in the Underworld.
I wouldn't be beaten by any God or the Fates. The Underworld was mine to redesign, and I would create a world that suited me and my role as God of The Underworld. Zeus could keep his siblings and progeny beside him because I didn't need anyone.
I worked day and night on my palace, pulling every piece of marble, gold, bronze and obsidian to create a home superior to Zeus and his chosen Gods. Hour after hour, I fashioned every inch of my home. Messengers came and went, but I ignored them all until I was ready.
Rest was for the feeble, not for me. Once my home and world were shaped, I was ready for any challenge that came my way. I would complete my duties and never be swayed by petty desires. This was my world and my rules. Anyone who dared to break them would meet the severest of consequences.
I whistled for Cerberus, and we stepped into my palace.
The End.