I recognized the surname as being the same as Clodias’s, but I had no idea how close they were in actual blood. The two of them could be from different branches of the same Aezion family and they were probably thousands of years apart from when Callidas lived and Clodias had been born.

“Yes, a bath is in order.” Callidas said.

Elysium’s ambience reminded me a lot of what I had imagined Olympus to be like. Everything shined like it was under the summer sun at noon, though there was no visible light source any which way I stared. We walked on lush grass, livelier and more vibrant than anything that could be grown in the mortal realm of the living, grass that led a short distance to an immense lake. Inside the body of water was a number of islands, some little more than the area of a house, others large enough for cities.

“The Isles of the Blessed.” Callidas Aezion said proudly, sweeping a hand to show off the view. “Impressed, aren’t you?”

“Yes,” I said, keeping an expression of wonder on my face while I was really furiously thinking about our invasion strategies.

We were walking up to a small but graceful wooden rowboat. There was a man dressed in muted brown clothes that was seated in place to row the vessel, but I couldn’t see his face because he was wearing a white mask that covered even his eyes.

“Is that the only way to get to the Isles?” I asked Callidas.

“Obviously.” He said. “Unless you want to swim.”

I fought the urge to swear or give any indication of my annoyance. In order for our army to capture Elysium and steal its valuables, weapons, and the Ambrosia and Nectar, we needed to be able to actually get to where all those things were. Which was damn hard if there was a small inland sea in the way with no way of quickly moving across.

“Looks like it would take me too long.” I said, smiling tightly. Far, far too long. Long enough that by the time Achilles’s army of Brights swam across that Hades would have forces on route and the Isles of the Blessed would be ready for a siege.

We took our seats and the rower sent the little boat moving away. I noticed how the masked man’s oars moved a little too quickly and smoothly in their motion for him to be an ordinary human.

“Hi.” I said to the masked man, trying to open up communication.

He didn’t respond or look at me, just kept up his inhuman pace.

“Don’t waste your time, kid.” Callidas said dismissively. “They can’t speak.”

“They?” I asked. So there were more like this man.

“He’s a Larua. Our servants here in Elysium. Can’t have the greatest of heroes and the virtuous be waiting upon themselves, can we?” Callidas said, his brown eyes fixed ahead on the islands.

“I suppose not,” I said.

I pondered the situation, staring at the mask. It depicted a handsome man, but one that held no expression at all. Empty and lifeless. If they were superhuman like this one and yet were servants distinct from the souls sent to Elysium as a reward, they couldn’t have divine blood or true glory like the King of Heroes.

“Are they… Infernal Beasts?” I said to Callidas.

He turned his head away from his watch of the islands to look at me.

“A philosopher might say so.” He smiled.

“And you? What would you say they are?” I said.

“Worthless trash.” Callidas replied.

The Larua didn’t even shift a fraction at the insult, he just kept on rowing us closer and closer. He made Charon the Ferryman’s pace across the Styx feel glacial.

Every time we lapsed into silence a tension seemed to reign over the boat so I resolved to keep on asking questions until I was off the rowboat and on land.

This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

“How did you know I had arrived?” I said.

“Because you knocked.” He said in response, looking like he found me mentally incompetent.

I decided I liked Clodias far, far more than this member of House Aezion.

“No, I mean how did you get to me so quickly if you have to cross the water to open the gates?” I said.

“I had business there today.” He said, closing his eyes and knitting his fingers together behind his head.

“Oh yeah? Like what?’ I asked.

“Don’t worry about it.” He said, his eyes still shut.

“No, really. You can tell me.” I said. Who knew what useful information I might learn even from little interactions like a boat ride?

“I said, don’t worry about it.” Callidas snapped, his brown eyes flashing open.

I regarded him calmly and thought about how this man seemed more a prideful bully than a hero or a saint. He lacked all of Achilles’s grace and gravitas despite the King of Heroes being the one to waste away in Asphodel while Callidas swam and feasted in Elysium.

“I was just curious, forgive me, I meant no harm.” I said.

“Keep your questions to yourself in the future. Some of the others aren’t as nice as I am.” Callidas said.

Aren’t as nice as you are? There are drunks on the street more welcoming than you, I can’t say I want to meet these others. I thought to myself.

Despite the uncomfortable tenseness, I shut up for the rest of the ride. We didn’t land on one of the biggest islands, which disappointed me, but I decided to go along with it for now. The landmass we were on was sizable enough for a bit of recon. As I walked up the sandy beach from where the Larua had struck ground and dragged us ashore, I keenly observed the numerous structures scattered on this land. Villas, temples, forums, arenas, things that might have been some kind of governmental or administrative buildings. I started drifting towards them but was yanked by Callidas back.

“You’re not going to parade around until you’ve cleaned up.” He said, holding me by the arm until he realized that by doing so, he was touching me and therefore getting dirt on his hand as well.

He went to rub the soiled hand on his white robes before he realized that it would stain, and irritation burned in his eyes.

“Let’s just go.” He hissed, leading me to a bathhouse and pushing me in with that hand. “Don’t come out until you smell human again.”

“Got it.” I muttered, stepping forward. Inside was a long hallway that was lined with alcoves set into the marble walls. In each hollowed out insert, a single Larua in brown robes and white masks stood. I noted by the masks and the builds of them that the Larua weren’t all masculine. Two of them stepped out in unison and swiveled to face me. I stopped in my tracks.

“Hello.” I said, unsure of them. “I don’t really know what you want, but-“

A Larua with the mask of a beautiful young woman’s face reached out and pulled my shirt off me like it was made of cobwebs, the ghostly material turning to smoke. The male Larua did the same to the rest of my clothes, leaving me completely naked.

“…okay.” I said.

They stood aside so I kept walking, but I stopped when I found them trailing me. They came to a halt the instant I did.

“You know you’re creepy as hell, right?” I said to them, but their blank masks hid any response, assuming they felt emotions at all.

I kept going and the hallway opened up into a golden domed area, private curtained baths ringing the sides, the floor tiled with mosaics. There were pools and hot springs planted haphazardly throughout the area. I also noticed that everyone else was in the nude and that a significant number of them weren’t acting very chastely. I ignored any interested looks or calls to join in that were sent my way and hurried to a private bath, the two Larua following me.

I hopped in and felt a brief bit of relief when the male Larua left to go off somewhere and the female Larua shut the concealing curtains, but that relief was speedily extinguished when I realized she wasn’t going anywhere.

“Can you go?” I said to her, getting no response.

Frustrated, I worked on washing myself with the scented soaps and warm water, but her presence dug at me even when I closed my eyes.

“Callidas Aezion said you Laruas were worthless trash. Maybe he was right.” I said. “Do you even feel anything?”

She nodded just the slightest fraction, almost unnoticeable.

I stared at her. “Do you… do you understand me?”

She dipped her head again.

“Can you speak?” I said, keeping my voice down.

The female Larua shook her head.

“Could you ever speak?” I said carefully.

She nodded, more vigorously this time.

“Are you an Infernal Beast?” I asked.

She shook her head no.

“Are you human? Or were you human?” I said, revising my question.

The masked girl nodded.

“Can you take off your mask?” I said.

The Larua froze, but she didn’t nod or shake her head.

Maybe I need to order her to do it. I thought.

“Take off your mask.” I said. “That’s an order from one of the Blessed.”

Slowly, she pulled off the mask and I gasped. She had eyes that were entirely a deep crimson, no sclera nor irises nor pupils visible, but the part that disturbed me was her lips.

They were sewn shut with stitches of golden thread so that she could never speak.

“Are you in pain?” I said hollowly. “Did the people here do this to you?”

The Larua nodded twice, once for each question.

I felt burning rage spread through my body, fury that had nothing to do with Heracles’s fire and yet it almost seemed to burn hotter. I had made three promises so far in the Underworld, once to Fish, once to Pollixa, and once to the Blurs I Ghostforged into a blade, but now I was ready to swear a fourth. I didn’t know if she might tell or have some kind of magical compulsion over her so I did not speak my fourth promise aloud, but I meant it all the same.

Whether I escape the Underworld or not, I’m burning Elysium to the ground.