O'raion Academy
Through the Ether => The Underworld => Topic started by: Kaya Mitsume on July 25, 2012, 04:07:25 pm
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Dual thrones that seat both the king and queen. Here, they rule their domain. Here, decisions of damnation or reward are weighted and measured.
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Persephone padded into the throne room on bare feet. She barely makes a noise. She poured a glass of wine, all but tossing herself onto her throne. She looks as if she's preparing for a very long night. Her fingers play with the gold band on her left hand.
Her deep purple chiton is both modest and alluring. It compliments her skin, covering much of it, but allowing peeks at the golden flesh it conceals. Her blonde hair is still gathered in it's curls about her head.
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Hades walks into the throne room, placing his scepter on it's stand, and sending Cerberus off, he sat down on the throne, next to his queen. He places a kiss on her forehead.
His white robe is long and stainless. He runs a hand through his beard and his dark eyes are on his queen.
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Her hand extends to her King, linking with his. Her forest eyes are brooding, a rare thing for the spring goddess. She sips the wine silently, golden brow creased. Her legs are crossed, but her foot is wiggling.
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He willingly links his hand with hers. His stormy eyes look deep into hers. He takes a sip of her wine. "How are you, my dear queen?"
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Her forest eyes clash with his stormy ones. "I'm plotting, my sweet. Plotting and upset." She got up, kissing his hand before setting it on the arm of his throne. She paced in front of him, her plum robes billowing around her. Flashes of leg peek at him.
"Thanatos is rebelling once more." She said softly while she paced. "He took a young mage from topside, and brought him here. His thread has not severed, but he will wither to the point where it will if he stays here." This still didn't quite explain what had Persephone so angry.
Her next words explained it all. "He took him from love. For no reason beyond petty machination."
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He looks at her with Altruistic eyes. "Hmm. What would you like to do about it? How long has the boy been here? Does he have a consort?" He was trying to see the problem, then deal with it. "The boy doesn't belong. I see this troubles you, but after all, he is in my realm. Do what you please with him." He said, walking over to the queen and grabbing her hand. "Thanatos will be dealt with the the utmost importance."
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Her voice raised in frustration. "No! That is the problem. He has no consort, no escort. He gave his life into a deal with Thanatos. The contract is so flimsy, my nails could shred it without thought!" She threw up her hands, continuing to pace.
She stopped as he grabbed her hand, looking up at him. He far outstripped his wife in height. Her face was angry. "Thanatos needs stopped, but we need to know why. Why and what he's working toward. Why he wants this mage. I have already set things to motion to get the woman he loves to come fetch him. She'll have to earn him back, and that will be difficult, but not impossible." She gave a huff of breath.
There were rules that even the queen of the Underworld had to follow, and one of them was that, when someone entered with no escort and no higher purpose, they did not leave easily. Hence the mess, now.
Persephone stepped into Hades, leaning her forehead against his chest. Her shoulders relaxed. All of this had ratcheted the muscles into knots. She gave a sighof breath. Internally, she cursed Thanatos up and down for his schemes. Outwardly, she at least attempted to relax her muscles.
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Hades sighed and pulled her closer. "My darling, As much as I want to help the young mage, we both know that he can't leave without a great deal of help. If this woman comes to fetch him back, then I can help, but I can't do much. You know how much it rages me when those who do not belong here appear." He said, his stormy eyes brewing rage. The only reason he did not keep the young mage here is because his wife was so upset about it. "I will help, but it will not be much." He said, kissing her forehead.
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She lifted her head, her lips pouting slightly. "But even you are not so unreasonable to punish the boy for Thanatos' machinations. He would not be here, if it weren't for that..that...Oh, I don't even have a word for him! Tricks bring innocent eyes here. They don't belong." The little goddess said.
"We will do what we can. I can't watch him suffer, or know that the girl he loves does so, as well. It will hurt. You know it will." She turned sad eyes up to her husband.
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His dark stormy eyes land on her. "He doesn't belong. His woman will come for him, and they will have a hard time leaving, but they will do so." He said, running a hand through her hair. At his feet, Cerberus pawed at his leg. He was hungry.
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The sound of sharp heels of heavy boots echoed off the floor of the palace, a slow and lazy tempo that caught the King and Queen's attentions before catching sight of their mutual charge. He had a fondness for the shade and seemed to only prefer moving within its veil. However, as his footsteps lessened in frequency and volume, he stepped out of the dull shadows and crossed his arms over his chest. His eyes cringed slightly in the light and he sighed in annoyance.
"Hello Mother. Father," There was no hiding the tinge of poison in his voice as he addressed Hades. He even accompanied it with a glare from beneath his heavy-lidded eyes. "Couldn't help but overhear your conversation. Large voices do carry, you know, and my hearing has never been dull. I hope you'll forgive my transgression," He said without breaking eye contact with his mother, Persephone. "I have a bit of a proposition to make."
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Hades turned his head at the sound of clicking heels. He knew who was coming as soon as he heard it. "Zagreus, what good could you place in this situation?" He said, his stormy eyes locked on his son.
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The God-child glanced at Hades for a brief moment in recognition of his question. He turned his eyes back to his mother and gave her the answer.
"You know very well of my shape changing abilities. I've tricked people before, countless times over the many centuries past. I don't doubt I could fool Thanatos just as easily."
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Persephone looked at her only son. She only brushes her hand over his shoulder very briefly. Her boy didn't like to be touched. The venom between father and son radiated. Stern and saturnine father meets rebellious son. He had her wildness in him.
Persephone walked away from the two men, picking her wine up once again. She weighed the plan her son presented. She tried to keep the crawling dread from her skin. Sooner or later, her husband would drive their son away from her. And there was little she could do. "Tell me your plan, my son." She said, her back to both. She knew her eyes would give too much.
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Zagreus smirked and gave Hades a triumphant look very quickly before returning his attention to Persephone.
"I think it would be easiest to begin with a little bit of spying. There are hundreds of creatures that prowl the caverns of the Underworld. Thanatos won't pay any attention to a scorpion nesting in the rocks. I can find out what he wants, who his allies are, and what he's planning to do next."
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He scoffed, then pondered. He looked at his Queen, then nodded. "That is actually a good plan." He said, running a hand through his beard. "I see you are good for something."
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Persephone closed her eyes. It did no good to step between them. None to referee. Her son was of an age where he thought he knew his mind and place, and herhusband believed differently.
Triumph set against scorn, a healthy mixing of arrogance in both. It tainted the air, until it was all she could do to not scream at the two. She'd schooled the faint tremble in her hand as she took a sip.
She turned and her eyes were distant. It was the only way she could keep either from knowing what their cold war did to her. "That is a sound plan, my son. Take to your shapes, and bring news back tome." She said softly.
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Zagreus's eyes shifted from his usual somber gray to onyx black and he turned on his heel to face Hades.
"The Orphic Hymns still invoke my name, father. Don't forget that you were feared in ancient Greece as ruler of the Underworld but I was worshiped by mortals for being the very reason they're alive today. You're just the boogyman compared to me. Do you remember the Alcmeonis? You know, one of my earlier appearances in mortal literature. How did that line go again? Oh, yes, I remember now. 'Mistress Earth and Zagreus who art above all other Gods.' No wonder that book was practically destroyed. No doubt either you or Zeus were responsible. But the fact remains that the mortals seem to think I'm good enough. You're lucky I'm even offering to help you!"
His fists were clenched tightly and his skin felt feverish even without touching him. Small tufts of smoke escaped his mouth as he released yet another enraged rant, signaling the growing fire in his belly. He calmed himself enough to give an apologetic glance to his mother without that fury in his eyes before shifting into a horrible creature like a sharp-fanged lizard with feathered wings and taking off, leaving the throne room behind.
((The tale of Zagreus goes that Zeus took the form of a serpent and laid down with Persephone and she bore Zagreus. A jealous Hera cast him down to Tartarus for the Titans to destroy. They distracted him with toys and attempted to devour him, but he changed between forms of many animals to escape. His last form was that of a bull as he attempted to fight back and run free, but the Titans grabbed hold of him and tore him to pieces and devoured him. All that was left was his heart. Zeus discovered this crime and hurled a thunderbolt, killing the Titans and turning them to ash. From the ashes of the Titans, mixed with the divine flesh they had eaten, man was made. This has always been used to explain the balance of good and evil in humankind, due to the divinity of Zagreus and the maliciousness of the Titans. Persephone saved the still-beating heart of the immortal Zagreus and Zeus implanted it within a mortal woman through which he was reborn again. Some accounts say he was reassembled by Demeter. Further accounts claim Hades as Zagreus' father, since Hades is sometimes referred to as Zeus Katchthonios or "Underground Zeus". As I have my character's backstory now, Persephone used her healing abilities to revive Zagreus rather than a mortal woman being involved or using a different vegetation Goddess when Persephone works just fine and makes sense seeing as she's his mother.))
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Hades' stormy eyes watched the boy leave. They were filled with rage. "Insolent child!!!" He said, sitting on his throne.
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Persephone took her throne once more. There was little she could say. The spring goddess turned her gaze inward and sat quietly. The fighting had to stop.