Chapter Seven

The ground below Hel felt hard and stiff. Nothing like the wooden floors she was used too in huts from the North nor of the dirt she had walked along and followed with B. She moved her hands around and slowly opened her eye. Hel lay belly down on cold, hard ground of smooth surface. She thought it was marble, or of stone-but there was no shine. Perhaps a ground made of some kind of metal? Following her gaze up, she observed black columns that reminded her of the descriptions used to describe Zeus’s palace. Scarab beetles ran too and fro. The air remained unmoving, causing Hel to feel sustained in time and space.

Knowledge flooded Hel as visions bombarded her. For the first time, Hel began Seeing more than just the deaths of people whom she had personally interacted with. Now, she was seeing people, young and old, from all four domains and regions taking their last breaths.

“It will take a few days to get used to the sensation,” a low voice of Eudokia decent brought Hel back to where she resided currently.

In the center of the room there was a giant orb glowing dimly and radiating energy of it’s own nature. It looked land reacted as a star as it seemed to have it’s own gravitational pull with it. Hel scanned the room, trying to make out any definitive figures beyond the orb. One, the one who spoke, stepped from around the orb and began walking up to her. He held out his hand for Hel to grab.

Not thinking, Hel reached up and grabbed his hand with her left hand. Scowling, Hel saw that whatever skin or muscle tissue was hanging on—the sands must’ve ripped her clean leaving nothing but ivory colored bones. She followed the gaze from her hand up her arm and shoulder. Her eyes danced down her chest as she saw the same thing. Half human. Half skeleton. Her eyes flittered up to the man holding out his hand.

His skin seemed to appear gray with shoulder length hair that fell straight against his head. His eyes were an intense gray and his beard matched the long edges of his dark straight hair. Gray streaks rising from his roots that shown almost shiny silver.

Hel stood up on shaky knees. The man chuckled, “you seem confused? Welcome to the Underworld! The center everyone is dying to get too!” He laughed again, clearly amused with himself.

“Am I dead?” Hel’s voice voice quiet-a mere whisper. Her eyes straining to look past the orb to the other figures standing around. As her vision began to take focus, Hel could make out a man whose faced appeared almost teal. Deep wrinkles on every surface of his kin and wraps that covered his entire body from neck down that resembled a lot of the same style Set wore. His khat was much grander than Set’s however. Thick gold bands, a cobra with ruby eyes shining brightly outward. His frown lines made Hel wonder if he ever smiled.

“No my dear–you cannot die.” The man holding her hand lead her around the orb and it took everything in Hel’s self control to stop from touching it.

“Bastet, your services have been fulfilled. You may leave.” The mummified man spoke to B. Hel turned to head to watch B bow her furry head with ears flat against her head and leave through the portal-closing it quickly behind her.

Bastet, goddess of Protection and PLeasure. One of 2 Guardians of the Sand. Hel closed her eyes trying to slow down the incoming visions.

The mummified man stroked his postiche, a golden beard attached to his chin. With a quick gesture of his hand, Hel was escorted towards him while he sat on his throne of gold. Quickly aware of the power difference, Hel dropped to her knees in a deep bow.

“What are you doing?” the gray sad man asked as he let go of her hand.

“I am..showing my respect?” Hel asked, looking over to the gray man again.

“Failure to know who you are showing respect towards makes your signs of respect useless.” A figure standing to the right of the mummified man spoke. His hair black as a shadow and pulled into a high knot-with it’s lengths loose and flat against his neck. “For example,” the man stepped more into clarity from around the orb. He wore red robes with a thick rope at the waste. He held onto a board with a paint brush tucked in the rope. His face was clear of any distinguishing features, and compared to the other two-seemed quite plain and human. But the power radiating from his being made Hel painfully aware to not trust this physical appearance. “I am Izanagi–of of the rulers here in the Underworld.”

“You are from the South?”

“Compared to how North you are, yes.”

Hel nodded to show she heard Izanagi but was unsure of what to say next. She looked at the man standing next to her. “Are you Hades then?”

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He laughed again, this time with his bull belly. With a thick finger he wiped away a small silver tear forming, “why of course I am!”

Izanagi seemed irritated that Hel was able to recognize and name Hades but not himself. He straightened his posture and fixed his robes. “This is Osiris.”

Osiris knows, Set’s voice whispering in her ear as a faint memory lifted her to her feet. It was as though being in the Underworld made Hel feel stronger. The once inconsistent jabs of pain as anything stirred her skin and bodily tissues on her left side has not turned into a dull throb.

“The Celestial Being’s demanded Four in the Underworld. An Overseer of Natural. An Overseer of Self. An Overseer of Fated. And an Overseer of Undetermined,” Izanagi spoke so confidently. Hel tried to pay attention but the intensity of Osiris’s glances kept her focus split. “...thus I am the Overseer of Self. Meaning, of course, I take care of the souls whose lives have been lost as a reaction of some trade of value sacrifices, self-inflicting by direct or indirect actions, death of journey to war, etcetera.” Izanagi’s hand waved uninterested in the details of what we was speaking about as he wrapped up his speech.

“Hades here,” Izanagi glared as Hades strolled over to him and draped his arm playfully around Izangi’s neck, “is the Overseer of Natural. Meaning old people or people who have been stupid,” Izanagi ducked from underneath Hades’s arm and walked behind Osiris’s throne to the other side of the glowing orb.

“Osiris here rules over those have been Fated. His people are always preparing for death so it makes sense for him to never be surprised by those who cross his path,” Hades leaned on Osirsi’s throne as if it were a statue of some common meaning.

“And the fourth?” Hel stared at Osiris in sheer curiosity. There was something about him that made her feel like a piece of her heart was back in it’s place. Being in his presence felt almost nostalgic. Though Hel could not recall ever meeting him, or anyone from the Clipuatra before a couple of days ago.

“That is where you come in.” Osiris leaned forward and opened both his arms wide, “you are the Overseer of the Undetermined.”

Hel shook her head. “I can’t possibly be that. I was a mistake to have been born! Odin–” Hel put her fists to her temples and collapsed to the ground. The walls felt as though they were caving in on her. She searched her Visions seeking an answer. There is no way Celestial Beings even knew of her. Odin would have known Odin would have said something. Odin–

“Hel,” the cooling voice of Hades broke Hel of her trance. Tears started to form and Hel began to to feel disgusted with herself. All she ever does is make a mess of things and be hopelessly pathetic.

Osiris walked over to the small girl and placed a gentle wrapped hand on her back. Her whole body shook but in his infinite wisdom, knew this was not out of pain but instead out of pear and muscle memory preparing to be harmed.

“You boys are utterly clueless!”

“And you think you can do better Persephone?” Hades winked at his beautiful wife. Her flawless bright skin and long thick chestnut hair brought light here in the land of dead. Her dark purple chiton made of silk that glimmered as it caressed her body. Her bare feet barely made a sound on the ground as she glided towards Hel.

“Oh, I know I can do better darling,” Persephone smiled brightly up at Hades and looked over at Osiris who gave her a curt nod and proceeded to back away from Hel on the floor. “Why,” Persephone leaned over Hel allowing her beautiful long brown hair to cascade over the both of them in a curtain of lush aromas, “you are no more than a child!” She wrapped her hands around Hel’s shoulders and gently lifted her to her feet with the grace of a feather. Sniffling and cowering into Persephone’s soft and welcoming body, the two walked out of the room and down a hallway made of the same material.

Once away from the masculine energy, Persephone picked up the pace, grabbing Hel’s right hand and leading her farther and farther away. Taking plenty of twists and turns, Hel’s faze perpetually fixated on the beautiful woman before her to notice or keep count of the halls and doors.

“In here Overseer Child,” Persephone ducked under a semi-sheer fabric hanging from the ceiling in gold and pink, “this is my room. Let’s rest up and catch our breaths in here before more Celestial crap falls upon us and we are utterly,” Persephone pouted and Hel couldn’t help but want to feel intrigued, “utterly bored.”

The room radiated in a shimmery glow. The aroma of rose and lilacs filled the air. A giant bed lay under pillows and throws in the back of the room. Clothes, fabric, and linen littered the floor and walls. Dead center of the room was a stone bath with a trinkling water feature. Steam rose from it’s surface as flower petals floated here and there. Everything about the room gave out a sense of luxury. Persephone threw herself across a pillow on the floor of yellow velvet and started to play with the fringe along the pillow.

“Child. I am of no threat to you! Your power much outranks my own, even if I were to pose a threat.” Persephone beckoned to the teal pillow in front of her. Hel sat down. Not sued to the plush, Hel squirmed to understand the proper seating position for the occasion and seat.

“I know what you are thinking….,” Persephone watched Hel closely and put her hands in her lap. “Just to be clear, I was not kidnapped or tricked into staying. My marriage was my choice,” Persephone cocked an eyebrow towards Hel. “He saved me, you see. I am sure he is trying to save you as well.” She took a stray curl between her fingers and watched it slowly drift back down when she let it go. “I was going to be sent to the mortal realm. Told I was to marry nothing more than a mere human King. Lose my place amongst the Gods? I don’t think so.”

Persephone watched Hel’s confused expression-brows pushed together, frown on her half lip, “don’t you know anything? Everyone I meet always assumes I was tricked by the evil Hades. Trapped against her will. Forced to… No? Well, that’s a relief! Guess I stopped the rumors in time.” Persephone waved her hand in the air as if swatting aside some bug.

Hel took a deep breath in but her eye began to feel heavy. She felt exhaustion like never before. Maybe it’s the soft pillows. Perhaps there was something in the air to make the room smell so nice. Hel’s eye glazed over as she tried to remain focused on Persephone’s talking.

“Just sleep little one. Awake with your full potential and be grateful the….al…come.”