Chapter 4 #2
Hades gestures to the crowd, opening his palms like he’s greeting old friends as he continues. “I hope you’ve been treated well in this facility. And that my head of recruitment has informed you of the real reason you’ve been brought to this prison.”
“I’ve tried, sir,” Zephyr says.
“Well, then. I will reiterate,” Hades replies, perfectly calmly.
“Starting with introductions.” He puts a hand to his chest. “I am Hades, better known as the God of the Underworld. Yes, Hell exists. So does Heaven for that matter, and several other lesser planes, but you’ll learn about those in due time.
“I already know who each of you are. For I have hand selected you to be given the opportunity to interview for me. Every ten years we put up to one hundred of the most notable people through our recruitment process. We have several roles available in Hell and if you’re successful you will be slotted in according to your talents.
You will of course be compensated for your role and from what I’ve been told it's a more than generous package.
“I look forward to watching you over the coming weeks and seeing which of you progress through our particular challenges.”
“What the fuck is this?” a woman from the far corner shouts.
“Did I not explain clearly enough?” Hades focuses his gaze on the one brave enough to speak. “I feel if I need to explain yet again I may have made a mistake in choosing you for this process.”
“But you can’t be serious. Hell isn’t real.” She challenges further.
“I can assure you it is. And since I took over, it is thriving,” Hades tells her firmly. She shrinks under his tone. Shutting up and wisely sinking back into her seat.
“What is this process you keep mentioning?” Wyatt calls out next. I turn to see the light in his eyes as he waits for an answer. He’s intrigued at the very least, but I would bet money that he is actually feeling excited.
“We will shortly be transferring you to our own facility, where you’ll be subject to three separate challenges as part of the recruitment process.
You will need to pass each one to move onto the next, and only if you pass all three will you be offered a place in my employment.
You will also be sitting several educational courses so that you learn about the realm, its people and the potential roles you’ll be filling. ”
“What kind of roles?” Wyatt presses.
“Some of you I expect will join Officer Zephyr’s team, his regular role is ensuring the smooth running of Tartarus.”
“The torture place?” Wyatt’s voice practically vibrates with glee now, as does his body.
“So, some of you are familiar with me and my realm. Good. And yes, Tartarus is the place we hold the most despicable souls, and ensure they endure an eternity of torture for their crimes.”
“What else?” one of the guys next to Wyatt pipes up, number Forty-Seven. “What other roles are there?”
“Well, we have an excellent protection team, departments which ensure that Elysium is maintained–that’s our capital city, and where most of our population lives.
We also have a council to ensure our education, health and social systems run effectively for our citizens and of course those that work directly under me to ensure the souls that come our way are given the treatment they deserve. ”
More murmurs break out across the room as I see these inmates start to be convinced. Number Seven, a pale blonde woman at the front asks a question I don’t catch as I’m too busy listening to another group. The chatter quietens as Hades speaks again.
“You were all chosen because of the talents you have demonstrated here on the Earthly plane. You may have been labelled as criminals in this life but I need recruits that question the black and white; are happy living in the morally grey. Don’t misinterpret me, however, whilst Hell does not adhere to the same moral codes you humans have constructed up here, I will not tolerate disobedience.
My realm runs effectively and without much conflict or prejudice.
You disrupt that and you will not be part of my service for long. ”
Amen to that, the racial and homophobic bullshit up here is appalling. It still exists at home, but we’ve come a long way forward from the absolute crap that still resides amongst humans.
More questions start being fired at my boss but he halts them simply by lifting a hand.
Already he’s commanded the respect of every single person in this room.
“There will be more time later but I’m afraid we are on a schedule and need to be going.
” He moves to the doorway behind him, the one that leads out into the communal sections of this prison wing.
But as he pushes the double doors it’s not the hall beyond that can be seen.
No, it's a portal. Our ticket home. I can almost smell Elysium from here and my skin breaks out in tiny prickles at the anticipation of finally being back in the Hell realm.
I have to travel to various planes for the jobs I get sent on semi-frequently but this is the longest I’ve had to stay on the Earthly plane in a long time.
Another flurry of shock, disbelief and denial breaks out around the room. Huffing at the simple minds of the humans, I stand and feign the same sort of hysteria–I’ve got a job to do after all. And if the Angel placed mole is watching me right now I can’t be seen as the odd one out in this crowd.
“Inmates, calm down!” Officer Ignores-my-every-attempt-to-talk-to-him yells.
Several variations of “what the fuck is that?” are yelled right back.
“This is how we will get to Hell,” Hades explains.
“If anyone really doesn’t wish to take this opportunity, then sit back down and stay behind.
As a warning, you won’t remember the last half-hour when you wake up tomorrow and you’ll be returned to the facility in which you were transferred here from, or to an appropriate prison if we caught you off the streets. ”
No one sits back down.
Maybe they would if they knew the other important detail about these games but who am I to spoil the fun.
It takes less time than you’d imagine for people to start approaching the shimmering portal of dark swirling magic.
A queue forms down the centre of the food hall and I jump into the throng about halfway down.
I keep my ears open to as many comments and questions as I can, trying to catalogue each person’s reaction, and simply trying not to laugh at the ridiculous ones.
Hades and Garrick start filing us through the portal, transferring everyone to the facility I know is waiting.
It’ll be somewhere outside the main districts of Elysium.
It moves each time and Hades refused me the exact details, saying I needed to tackle the tasks as blindly as the rest of the participants.
This I don’t fear, they’re human through this process.
I’m a mother fucking demon. Sure, I can’t let my true nature show, but that won’t matter, I’ll be acing each round even without my wings or tail.
As I reach the front Hades catches my eyes and I offer him a wink as I pass through the magical doorway.
Let the games begin.
Apparently, this year ‘outside Elysium’ means far, far outside the city. Which is sensible I suppose after what happened last time. At least here, wherever we are, we’re away from where the main population of the underworld resides.
As I step through the portal, all I can see are mountains, grass and the empty valley we have been transported into. I can’t even spot the set of buildings we should be residing in whilst the interviews take place. What the fuck?
What is waiting for us is Garrick’s team, the guards and officers responsible for looking after us as the games take place.
We won’t exactly be prisoners whilst we compete in them but they sure as fuck won’t let anyone leave the vicinity and go wondering into the city. Wherever the city is from here.
The surprises for the humans keep coming as several members of the Guards have their wings out.
I’m so jealous, my own are screaming at me to let them loose and take to the skies.
One guard flares his, showing off the great expanse of their leathery texture.
He doesn’t leave the ground but extends them out and sends a gust of air over the gathering crowd.
I note that none of them have let their tails out.
Yet. And a couple of them I recognise from the central offices have hidden their horns too.
The others, the ones that still look fully human are probably shifters.
Especially the female who is currently shooting daggers at Wyatt.
He has wasted no time in introducing himself and flirting.
She’s pretty, petite, with dark hair braided over one shoulder and hanging down over her chest. Even from a distance, I swear I see her eyes fleck the telltale amber of the panther shifters.
And when she actually takes a swipe at Wyatt, I can’t stop the chuckle that escapes my lips.
Yep, she’s definitely a panther. I wonder if he realises how deadly she really is.
He graciously steps back and moves on, face split into a shit-eating grin like he’s having the time of his life.
Shaking my head, I take another look over the crowd.
The quiet one, number Nineteen, is looking wide eyed and on the brink of bolting.
I haven’t been able to get much of a read on him so far, other than the fact I haven’t seen him converse with a single person.
There’s a few in this cohort where the language barrier has been challenging, but he hasn’t spoken at all.
Now we’re through the portal, everyone will be speaking one language.
A neat trick of Hades’s power. No matter where you spent your last life you’ll speak one universal language on this plane, and you’re fluent as soon as you cross over the threshold.
Maybe once he’s figured that out number Nineteen will be more talkative.