As the girls were dashing through the streets like madmen to get to their audition, a meeting was about to take place.
In a realm beyond space and time, there was a castle above a wasteland. This castle was grand but foreboding in appearance. The dark exterior and stained glass windows imposed a regal tone, but the decor like the countless spikes and bones meant that whoever owned this place was not to be messed with. Above the palace was a large maelstrom, in which ghosts swirled around. It was practically a vortex of souls. The castle was bordered by a moat filled with a green substance that bubbled ever so often. The liquid itself seemed to be alive as hands beckoned anyone who was near to come closer. The mighty gate was a beautiful shade of blood red with golden handles. Two spectral guards wearing the armor of warriors guarded the entrance. Their bones rattled as they kept an eye on anyone who approached.
“It sure is awful quiet today, isn’t it, George?” The left guard turned his head to speak to the right guard known as George. But the right guard remained silent and continued to stand in place.
“You know you can talk to me, George,” The left guard informed. “We’ve been coworkers for hundreds of years, so we should pass the time somehow.”
The right guard remained silent.
“... Alright, fine. If that’s what you want then, ok.” The left guard gave up in trying to get a word out of his fellow guard. “I guess I’ll ramble to myself. Not like anything happens here in Hades.”
While he had a lot of nerve to say that name so casually, he was unfortunately right.
This place was known by many names, the Underworld, Hell, the afterlife, all of those are technically correct. But the locals call this place Hades because he was the master of this land. Not that it was a great place, to begin with, but that’s what happens when you get picked to rule the dead.
The Realm of Hades was what people would expect should you come down here. It was dark, gloomy, and filled to the brim with souls. The land was vast and empty, with only a few bits of dead foliage to change any part of the scenery. There was not even a breeze, leaving the air stale and doing nothing to cover the putrid stench of the dead. And it was the same thing for thousands of miles.
The dreary atmosphere combined with the desolate wasteland made this realm the epitome of boredom.
But the mundane ambiance of the afterlife was also a blessing in a way. For if there is no conflict, then there are no problems.
That is why the Realm of Hades was one of the most peaceful places in existence.
The left guard sighed, “Maybe on our next break, we can go to Erebus for some gambling. Sisyphus opened a side gig there for-”
The guard immediately stood at attention once he noticed someone coming.
The approaching figure, cloaked in a ragged black robe adorned with skulls around where the neck should be, moved towards the palace with a steady gait. Though they were covered, from head to toe, the sound of metal clanging all over their body signified that this person was armored. Pitch black wings were on their back, curled back so that it wouldn’t get in the way as they walked. Tied to their left hip was a sword sheathed in a worn-out scabbard. On their right hand, they held a ghastly silver scythe that oozed a malicious aura. The glow of their golden eyes was the only visible thing beyond their hood.
The left guard immediately saluted. His body trembled at the newcomer’s presence. “Welcome back, Sir!”
“At ease, soldier.” The newcomer’s voice was as smooth as it was menacing. The words had a weight that would cause anyone to drop dead upon hearing them.
“My mistake sir”, the left guard lowered his hand. “What brings you here today?”
“Lord Hades has called for me personally”, the cloaked figure responded. “He has a mission for the Reapers but, he wants to talk to me first.”
The left guard nodded and immediately opened the gate for them. “Very well, have a good day, Lord Thanatos.”
The figure, now known as Thanatos himself, marched into the castle. Once he was inside, the left guard immediately closed the door and breathed a sigh of relief.
“Geez, every time I see that guy, I always tense up.” The left guard muttered. “I’m dead, but Death still scares the shit out of me. What’s up with that?”
The left guard turned to the right guard. “How come you weren’t shitting your pants. George?... George?”
The right guard remained still, his body unmoving as if he was nothing more than a statue. It wasn’t until he heard the faint sound of snoring that the left guard knew what was up.
George was asleep.
…
Thanatos walked through the decorative corridor of Hades Palace. He was currently deep in thought, wondering why Hades asked for him. The God of the Underworld only called him for important matters. Ever since the Age of Gods ended, there weren’t many problems nowadays. This caused an uneasy feeling to swell in the reaper, knowing that whatever news Hades had for him was probably something big.
Thanatos finally reached a large door adorned with a platinum skull. The God of Death knocked twice, deafening knocks rang across the empty hall.
“You may come in… Thanatos.” A loud and booming voice came from the other side.
The door opened on its own, allowing the reaper to come inside.
He was now inside a grand office adorned with black marble walls and velvet carpeting. The room was lit by the light of a large macabre chandelier with green flames. Several murals were painted on the walls depicting various battles that happened long ago. On the very back center of the room was a large mahogany desk that was expertly crafted by a master. And sitting on that very desk was the God of the Underworld himself.
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Hades was what anyone would expect. He was a tall, dark, and imposing figure who radiated authority. His body towered over Thanatos, making the God of Death look like a mere child in the presence of the king. He had pale gray skin similar to ash. His build was muscular, and he had glistening black locks that reached past his neck. Hades’ beard was just as impressive and bushy as well, covering the bottom half of his face. He had pitch-black eyes with golden irises that could stare into your soul.
His attire was a modern-day business suit. It was a beautiful shade of blood-red with a golden undershirt beneath it. He had silk-black pants with matching shoes to counterbalance his shirt and a black skull pin on his chest. It made him look like a CEO if he wasn’t a god, of course.
Thanatos walked up to the center of the room and kneeled before his presence.
“Lord Hades, it has been quite some time since you last called for me.” He spoke in a respectful tone.
“Indeed, it has.” Hades was busy writing something down on his desk. “Do you know why I summoned you?”
“No sir...” he responded. “I was given this order just out of the blue a while ago.”
Hades looked at him for a moment before letting out a sigh of relief. “Good. Then it means news hasn’t spread yet.”
“Pardon?” Thanatos raised his head, curious about what was going on. But the fact that Hades didn’t want many people to notice raised some red flags.
“Listen here, Thanatos...” Hades put his hands together. “I want whatever is said, in this room, between the two of us. Understand?”
The God of Death nodded, still unsure of where this conversation was going.
“So I’m just going to get to the point.” Hades put down his pen. “Someone raided the Treasure Vault.”
The news caused Thanatos’ eyes to widen in shock.
Hades was known as the King of the Underworld, charged with ruling the dead. But his other duty involved keeping track of all the treasure the Afterlife had to offer. It was a small penance for having to control this dreadful place and why he was also known as the God of Wealth in some stories. But that also meant that he had to watch over several valuable magical items, dangerous items.
Back in the Age of the Gods, where magic was still common, several powerful tools granted those who wielded it great power. Some of these divine items were so great that they had the potential to destroy the world. The Gods feared the potential disaster these weapons would do, confiscated them before any harm happened. They would then give these magic items to Hades for safekeeping, away from mortal hands. All these items would be locked away in the Treasure Vault, deep below the House of Hades, where it would be safely guarded.
Until now, of course.
“I see…” Thanatos muttered. “This is a dire situation. Do you know what was stolen?”
“Just one divine too” Hades looked down sullenly. “The Hive of Torment.”
Thanatos pinched his face. “Had to be one of the Doomsday relics…”
“Zagreus is already investigating who could be the culprit,” Hades put his hands together and stared into Thanatos’s eyes. “I want you to get one of your Reapers to investigate the mortal realm should it already be there.”
“I thought you said this was between the two of us?” The God of death tilted his head in confusion. “Wouldn’t it be better if I investigated the mortal world myself?”
Hades sighed, “You’re right. I did say that, which is why I’m telling you to do this. I trust you to pick the perfect operative should the hive already be in effect. Once the relic activates, there is nothing we can do about it. The law says that we can no longer intervene with mortals, and so we need the alternative.”
Thanatos nodded in understanding.
After the Age of the Gods was over, a new law was placed. This rule separated the mortal realm from the heavens. Anyone who would break this rule, whether man or god, would have their soul erased. But with the Hive of Torment possibly in the human world, there would be little that the gods can do, to intervene.
This was why they developed the Reapers. Agents hand-selected by the gods that can intervene with human affairs should things go awry. It was a compromise necessary to help maintain the peace, and a situation like this had to be handled, delicately. The Gods of the Afterlife were the ones to control these Reapers, and Thanatos was one of their many commanders.
“And should our suspicions hold...” Hades reached into his pocket. “We must find suitable vessels for Them.”
The God of the Underworld pulled out three feathers and presented them to Thanatos. The first feather was teal and radiated energy as if it was alive. The second feather was pitch black and had a menacing aura. The final feather was silver, almost metallic in appearance with the way that it glowed.
Thanatos nodded once more before taking the feathers from Hades’s hand. “It shall be done, immediately.”
“That’s what I want to hear. Hades went back to his paperwork as Thanatos left the room.
…
The God of Death was now in a room with a simple desk and a large computer. This was the chamber where Thanatos would retreat and assign missions for his operatives. Unlike the rest of the palace, he preferred to keep things minimal. So he only left the essential items that he needed. He just wished that the Underworld would get with the times and start to modernize eventually.
Tuning those thoughts out, Thanatos got to work in selecting the right Reaper for the job.
“Calavera is busy at the moment…Banshee is overseeing Geist extermination… Revenant… Just no”. The God of Death bit his thumb in frustration. A majority of his operatives were already worldwide, occupied with matters that would make it hard to contact them. There were only 100 operatives, and this squadron was undermanned for global surveillance. He would probably have to bring up the matter about employment later but now was not the time.
He was about to pick one at random when he got a video call from an operative. The God of Death's eyes lit up, knowing the fact that there was at least one Reaper available, but the light immediately died when he saw the name of the operative.
Strix.
Thanatos looked at the call and thought about hanging up but knew that this matter was too important to skip. With a deep sigh, the God of Death answered the call. “What do you want Strix?”
“Thanny! You haven’t answered me in decades! How ya been, bucko?” A jolly but mischievous voice answered. “I heard someone filched something they shouldn’t… Know anything about that?”
“Depends…” Thanatos bit his lip, “How would you know something was taken?”
“The Book of Fate spoke to me.” The voice answered. “Something is about to go down today, and you won’t be able to stop it.”
“So the strings of fate are already in work…” The God of Death groaned. “Well, since you already have a broad idea about what’s going on, I’ll get to the point. It’s the Hive of Torment.”
“Well, sacre fucking bleu… that is a problem.” The voice chuckled, clearly enjoying this conversation. “Well, the Book of Fate has told me that three certain things are needed to stop it. Surely you know what I mean?”
“I’ll send the feathers to your location.” Thanatos was clearly done with this individual and his shenanigans. “Just make sure you give them to the right people.”
“Cross my heart and hope to die.” The voice replied.
“You are already dead.” The God of Death bluntly stated.
…
Back in a familiar rundown apartment complex, a shadow was resting on a nearby couch. They were bust flipping through the pages of a book when the center of the room grew bright. When the light dissipated, the 3 feathers given to Thanatos were lying on the floor. The figure chuckled as they went over to pick them up.
“Fate has a way of doing things, but how you get there is all up to you…” The figure looked out the window and saw three familiar girls just as they were about to leave. “So I wonder how they will get to their destiny… I can’t wait to watch.”