Seeds: Volume Two (10 page)

     One moment they were at the bottom of the cliffs, then Persephone found herself on top, speeding along the edge as the ocean spread out below. At her left was a forest of black trees with leaves that looked as if they were made of iron, glinting a dark gray under the light of Dis.

     “Faster, please?”

     She felt a squeeze around her middle before a loud “Hyah!” boomed from Hades's lips. The chariot jumped forward, making several sharp turns that added to the thrill of the ride. Suddenly, the vehicle approached the edge, and she felt her heart pound. Surely he wasn't going over, was he?

     A short shriek escaped her lips as the horses careened over the edge. Their hooves clipped neatly onto the face of the cliff, finding purchase as easily as they had on a horizontal surface. Persephone now stared at the approaching ground with stunned silence, but the horses and chariot righted themselves as soon as they hit the level surface. She jerked backwards with a surprised gasp, feeling the adrenaline pound through her.

     Oh, gods! It had been so frightening... but incredible! She offered no objection when the chariot bolted up the cliff and back down before the horses sped across the water, their hooves making small splashes on the Eternal Sea. She kept one hand on the chariot rim with a firm grip and with her other hand, held onto the arm wrapped around her middle.

     Persephone had never been on the ocean, having been confined to its shores. The vastness around her impressed her into a respectful silence as the chariot made its way across the waves. The sky brightened, taking on hues of deep golds, reds, and blues filling the sky as if it were sunset. The sea no longer looked so black, and was now more of a deep blue-violet. A glimmer of gold revealed a sandy shore, its grains rich in amber hues. This shore was large but not overly so, providing more than ample space for the chariot and its horses. Persephone glanced up and down the coastline. One could take a pleasant stroll down here, or even... Was it permissible to swim in the Sea of Eternity?

     The beach was held in by cliffs that appeared to be sandstone, revealing intricate layering of reds, golds, and browns further illuminated by the warm hues of the sky. Within a nook of the cliffs, she spied an opening.

     Hades dismounted and she let him help her off. The horses stood where they were as he led her down to the shoreline. The air here was pleasant, with a faint tinge of warmth.

     “Perhaps you would like to go for a swim?” he asked with a fond smile. “I know that ride was thrilling.”

     “It was!” Persephone nodded eagerly. “But I do not feel like going for a swim.”

     “No?” He frowned with some concern. “I was so certain that you would enjoy it here.”

     “Oh, but I do!” She tried to not blush. A swim here with Hades did sound like a wonderful idea, but then he would know, and... “I... I just do not feel like a swim right now. I would be happy to swim with you later, I promise.” She found herself touched by the sadness she saw in his eyes. She honestly wasn't trying to reject him, but she was trapped in circumstances beyond her control. Was that her fault?

     “Something troubles you,” he said as he ran his fingers along her arm. She hated the certainty she heard in that soft tone, so she simply looked away at the horizon.

     “I would like to know what is wrong, so I can help you feel better,” he continued.

     “It is nothing you can help me with.”

     “Are you sure?”

     “Very much so.”

     “Why are you so certain? I am the Lord of this realm, after all.”

     “I just am. Can we please not talk about it?”

     Hades stared down at her for a few moments, clearly tempted to press the matter further.

     “The opening you saw leads back to my garden. That is the shortcut, whenever you want to come out here...”

     “Thank you.”

     After standing out there for a while, the couple approached the opening while shades attended to the horses, unhitching them from the chariot and leading them back to the stables. As they emerged into his garden, Persephone looked over her shoulder, seeing a doorway that looked no different from the others that led to the other gardens. Oh, this place just got better and better. This was what Hades offered her. All of this, for her commitment to him. Was the rest of the surface world as glorious or enjoyable? As they walked along the path, a shade approached them and said something in that faint, shadowy hissing whisper she sometimes heard.

     “The Erinye are bringing a soul to be judged,” Hades explained.

     Ooh. She had wanted to see the Furies, and here they were. “Why would they bring a soul themselves?” she inquired.

     “Sometimes they drive one to their own end. When the person die, they grab the soul from the body then and there so that it cannot attempt to escape them.”

     “And what are you going to do?”

     “Go to the Judges and decide his fate.”

     “I would like to come with.”

     “Very well.”

     The indignant cries of a soul rang through the air of the Underworld, and Persephone heard a brassy, rasping sound. The source of this sound was revealed to be the wings of the three women who had the wailing soul in custody. They were beautiful in a savage, deadly way, their eyes slitted, teeth fanged, hair writhing around their heads like snakes atop a Gorgon's head. Their hair and lips were both the black-red of fresh and deep blood, and shone like it as well.

     They were clad in black leather and silk, their torsos and bottoms modestly covered while tempting expanses of their arms and legs were visible amidst the straps of material. Their hands and feet were not human, terminating in talons and sharp, curved black claws that appeared capable of tearing through anything.

     Despite the lack of density that the soul had, the Furies were able to restrain and handle him as easily as if he were solid. The grating beat of their wings quieted down as they steadied themselves on the ground, holding the condemned soul before the Judges. From what Persephone had seen earlier today, she expected the soul's appearance to darken and was not disappointed. She was surprised when the gray became even darker, even more so than she had ever seen. What evil must weigh upon this soul!

     “Clytus of Thebes, the suffering you have known at our hands will only become worse. Your sins will be paid in full, over and over. The pain of your victims will be yours. Their screams will come from your throat.”

     “No! No! Lies, all of it! My neighbors and competitors slander me!”

     “You escaped the justice of the mortals. But there is no reprieve from divine justice.” Minos stared at him, his face set in a hard scowl. “Your name and crimes are thus recorded here.” He tapped the open scroll in front of him. “The only place fit for you is Tartarus.” The judges turned to the King of the Dead. “Have you anything to add to our judgment, my lord?” Aeacus asked.

     “Only that each and every one of the crimes he committed against his victims be repaid to him.”

     The Judges nodded before the Furies lifted Clytus into the air.

     “Off you go,” Rhadamanthus stated levelly before he beckoned the next soul forward.

     The soul wailed as the Furies carried him off, and Persephone shivered. What was it like to be pestered by them in life, to have them constantly at you, giving you no rest until the madness took over? And then when death came, it was no release. She offered no protest as Hades led her away.

o0o

     Hades took her to the library, where she eagerly listened to more stories and lessons from him. She liked hearing about the other gods, and Hades spoke in a candid manner, sparing no virtue or vice as he spoke about the family that from which he had detached himself. It was through the way he spoke of them that Persephone got the impression of how he viewed another god. Many of them, he regarded with disdain. Several he was neutral about, such as Hestia or Poseidon. There were precious few for whom he had real liking.

     He had also been teaching her about the symbols that she saw on maps and scrolls. Each symbol stood for a sound, and strung together, formed words and names. She could not read a scroll yet, but she had learned to write out her name as well as Hades's own and several other words.

     “There was once a time where man did not yet draw pictures, much less symbols and words. Life was very different back then. All the stories were passed down orally – and still are – but already man has realized the importance of recording things. They painted pictures of their spirits and gods, of their animals and people inside caves or on animal skins. Now the people of Hellas make statues and paint pictures on their walls and pottery, but as civilization advances, that will not be enough.”

     “Hellas will... change?” It was hard for her to imagine a different world, one that existed after this one, or before. Painting on cave walls? She had never heard such a thing.

     “Not just Hellas – the world. I have seen these changes. Your mother brought secrets of farming to Hellas so they could have crops that they could rely on. She gave them a gift that would help them flourish as a society. Other gods have also given gifts to mortals. Standards of living increase. New problems are created and solved. Change makes gods and humans grow.” He sounded so wise.

     “And there will come a day when everyone will use this... writing?”

     “Yes. It will take a long time for everyone to use language in such a way, but everything must start somewhere. The art will spread to more and more people... knowledge will become widespread through the centuries. Who knows how long it will take. Maybe one thousand. Or five thousand?”

     For a young goddess who was barely past a score of years, five thousand years was a stretch.

     “If... the world was so much more primitive before, then what will it be like in the future?”

     “Only time will tell,” Hades replied cheerfully as he watched her slowly write out a word on the clay tablet with a thin metal stylus.

o0o

     “It would appear that our excursion has left us needing a bath,” Hades said with a casual tone. Indeed, there was sand and dust on their sandals as well as the hemlines of their clothing. Persephone paused to wonder. She and Hades had worn such fine clothing, yet he didn't seem to care about what their activities might have done to their garments. She supposed that with a staff of shades at hand to perform any chore needed, Hades would never need worry about his clothing staying dirty. How nice! She had always disliked doing laundry.

     “I will bathe myself in my room,” Persephone replied. How lovely a hot bath sounded, but no...

     “Come. That fountain in your room can hardly be as good as a nice, hot bath... I will rub your back too.”

     “Not tonight,” Persephone demurred, bowing her head shyly.

     “Come now. You would not go for a swim with me, and now no bath? Are you loath to have my admiration of your body?”

     “Mmm.” She did enjoy his attentions, but could not say yes either, because he would know that was a lie.

     “What is with the sudden shyness, my dear? You are not afraid of me, are you?”

     “Afraid? As if!” Persephone replied in feigned bravado. He grinned at her.

     “Then allow me to attend to you, my love. Let me remove these dirty garments of yours and wash your body. And if you like, you can return the favor.” The image of his nude body came to the forefront of her mind, as well as the memory of his hands on her flesh.

    
Damnit, Hades! Why do you have to be so sexy!
She was certain that if he tried, he could have anybody he wanted, male or female, god or mortal.

     “No, thank you,” she replied, trying to keep her expression and face neutral.

     “Come now.” He took her hand, tugging her into the direction of the washroom.

     “No.” She was now blushing.

     “What is the matter? You do not have to be afraid to tell me.”

     “Mmm.” She shook her head.

     “You did not grow an extra arm or leg under these robes, did you?” he asked, hoping a joke might lighten her mood.

     “That is silly.”

     “Your body has been changing, becoming what it should be. You and I know that. There is nothing to hide.” As he said this, her blush deepened. Aha. So it
was
her body, wasn't it?

     “You have seen me as I am. I have seen you as well. What is there to be so shy about?”

     “You would not understand.”

     “No? It might have been a very long time ago, but I went through changes too.”

     “It is hard to imagine you as a teenager,” Persephone shot back. She tried to imagine a younger and lankier Hades without his beard. It was odd.

     “Believe it or not, it happened to me. But look at me today.” He grinned.

     “You turned out well.”

     “Well, thank you very much. And you are turning out just as nicely. Look at you. What do you have to worry about? You know you can talk to me.”