Chereads / As The Last Petal Falls / Chapter 4 - Chapter 3 - King Schmean

Chapter 4 - Chapter 3 - King Schmean

I pull Cronus up from his bow and shove Hades outside of the bars.

"Such, a, disrespectful, man." I say with each push until he grabs my hands and shoves them to my sides.

"Cronus, ill be back to talk with you later. Little princess, you are coming with me." He grips my wrist and drags me behind him. I look back at Cronus for help and he shakes his head.

"Just go, he isnt all that bad." He waves his hand at me then returns to his cell. I nod my head and yank my wrist from his grasp.

"I can walk myself." I say. He looks back at me with a smirk.

"Kinda surprising coming from a little stubborn princess." A scoff escapes from between my lips.

"I'm stubborn? Hah!" I hear a muffled chuckle come from Hades as we continue down the long dark path. We reach the exit and we walk right through the bars turning back to me. He covers his hand over one of the bars making them all dissapear for me to step through. Right after, he removes his hand making the bars shoot back from the floor to the ceiling. I turn around to see a three headed dog hovering over me snarling. Its eyes are filled with a blue fire and it drools from all mouths slowly. Its drool is a dark blue aglae looking color that glows.

It opens its mouth lunging forwards at me. Such a rude dog! I wouldnt blame it though, look at its owner. I stand still rolling my shoulders back staring at it dead in the eye fiercely. It stops an inch from my face with its mouth gaping open.

"CERBERUS!" Hades yells. I put my hand up telling him to be quiet then move to be in Cerberus view.

"You have foul breath, close your mouth and sit!" I yell loud enough for the dog to hear. Cerberus obligues and closes its mouth sitting down.

"Good boy! Now, down." He quickly drops to the floor laying down and places all three heads down whimpering.

"Good boy!" I say smiling. I rub the middle head snout making him thump his foot and the ground begins shaking.

"Wow, I guess stubborn listens to stubborn." Hades says smiling with his arms crossed.

"Uh-huh. Just like spoiled kings, dont listen to no one." I look back at him smirking and winking. It catches him off guard and a hurt face plays across his face. We then break out laughing gently before he clears his throat.

"Anyways, lets continue. Cerberus, you can go visit Cronus if you want." Cerberus licks my face before running through the bars down the halls. It seems Cerberus is lonely down here as well so Cronus keeps him company. . . I look around. There is a large gate to our left with skulls decorated all around it. Bones are on it lining up the sides.

"What is that. . .?" I ask Hades while staring up examining the large gate.

"The gate to the underworld, dont worry, those bones have been there for centuries." He says motioning towards the skulls.

"You mean they are real?" I say holding back stutters. He lets out a small chuckle before we continue our walk.

"I'm just messing with you little princess."

"What is with everyone calling me little princess?!" I say while grabbing his shoulder and yanking him back to look at me. He is a lot taller than me with broad shoulders. His deep black hair shines from the glowing water and his eyes are a deep dark blue that seems to spin in circles without ever stopping.

"You look the part." He chuckles out before continuing to walk down the narrow pathway. He really gets on my nerves. We walk up to the gate that leads to the underworld. He gently whispers something in another language I cant quite understand. He hops in a boat paying the man two golden coins. I heard about something like this. . . paying 2 coins to the man to pass into the underworld. The gate slowly opens up making a loud creaking sound. Hades holds out his hand helping me into the boat while it rocks gently in the water. I smack his hand away climbing in the boat alone. He whispers to the man draped in a black robe with no face. He begins to row the boat forwards through the gate and right behind us the gate begins to close.

The boat ride is quiet through the dark hallway. The only sound was of the eerie water swaying around the boat. We suddenly pick up speed as I see a tint of light at the end of the hall. The river begins pushing us closer to the light until we break free from the tunnel showing buildings with glass as what looks to be windows traveling high into the air. People shuffle around through the buildings and around them. They all look different. . . Like the flower nymphs but there are water ones and. . . and dark ones, light ones. Hades chuckles looking back at me.

"You really dont get out enough princess." The boat comes to a stop at a dock and I grab a wooden pillar to help me climb out of the boat. A four wheeled machine pulls up stopping right in front us and a man appears out from the front door

"What is that?" I ask curious while gently touching the metal machinery. The front is hot and seems to be powered by something.

"You have a lot to learn. Its a car now just hop inside. We are going to my place." He says chuckling and opening a back door motioning me to hop in.

"Now I may not know the name of that thing but its a transportation device and in not stupid. No one hops in anything with a stranger!" He smiles grabbing my arm trying to gently push me in.

"You sure did hop in a boat willingly."

"That was on the water!!! It only had a certain distance it could go!" He tries shoving me in once more so I push him back and side step throwing my leg from the right to the left getting his square in the back of his knee. His legs buckle below him but he catches himself before hitting the floor. I look back at the water and the underworld. I need to get out of here! I step onto the water forming a strong lilypad beneath my foot.

I dash through the river looking behind me for a split second to see him sighing while brushing the hair out of his face. I cant help but feel this isnt going how I had planned it. Damn it! The gate will be locked!!!! Maybe I can break through it though. . . I speed up not knowing how much time I have. Suddenly, I feel a that of wind blow against me making me stumble backwards. I fall back catching myself with a large lilypad before I'm devoured by the water. Hades appears hovering over the water with his arm outstretched.

"Did you really think you would be able to get away that easily?" Ugh! He is so tiring!!! I grab his hand and feel myself drowned by darkness as he helps me back up. I feel chills throughout my body making me shiver. Suddenly, the darkness clears up and were back right next to the car.

"So you can teleport?" He nods his head.

"Every god can as long as they can focus on every atom in there body moving at the same time or else you might fall apart."

"Literaly?!" I say as fear plays across my face.

"So much for being so fearless. No, we all have our special abilites. I just get to teleport due to my job." The nerve! I throw a punch at his arm before he closes the door to the car while im sitting inside. He walks into the front seat.

"Buckle up." He says looking back at me while the click of his belt sounds securing him in his seat. I cross my arms looking outside the window. After the car begins moving throwing me hard against the seat I tug at my seatbelt pulling it across my body. He chuckles then looks forward giving the driver directions.

I watch as we pass all the tall buildings and different nymphs. At every red light the car is crowded with female nymphs trying to get Hades out. He smiles and waves making them turn crimson red and some even fell over. Such nitwits.

"How can girls find any interest in THAT?" I say with a disgusted voice.

"Wow, most find me quite charming. Maybe your just jealous. Well guess, maybe you'll develop some looks in the future." DID HE JUST CALL ME UGLY?! UGH! I kick his seat while making a sour face.

"Such a baby princess." He says while shaking his head softly and continues to wave at the girls.

Eventually we stop after driving up a large hill to the entrance of a large mansion. Hades gets out opening my door and motioning for me to get out.

"I can open my own doors." I say sourly while walking up to the front door twisting the door knob and walking in.

"So disrespectful." He shakes his head then begins to lead me into a vast room. At a table sits two other gods. Wait I've seen these two. . . Hades. . . Poseidon and. . . damn it! Whats his name?? I rub my head before it dawns upon me. Zeus!!! I quickly bow before the two holding my head down.

"Oh, but you can bow to my brothers?" Hades says sounding annoyed. I step on his foot hard making him quickly jump back.

"Who is this? I thought you were bringing Cronus." Zeus says standing up with his palms pressing against the table.

"Her name is Kore Persephone and she claims to be Demeters daughter. She does have powers that could have developed from Demeters but she is not in the records for having been born." I lift my head exiting the bow noticing Zeus approach me examining me.

"Little miss Kore, what can you do?" What if he is just like Hades? I wouldnt put it above him. The way he is looking at me though. . . I feel a hand brush against my ass making me flinch. I throw my hand back towards his face but he grips my wrist tightly. He has long silver hair and looks to be a shaved beard. He is his Olympus clothes making his muscles show. He is taller than Hades making me strain my neck to look him in the eyes.

"Dont touch me!" I say ripping my wrist from his grasp. I gently rub my wrist. He left a hand print. . .

"Well? What can you do?" I watch as Hades leaves the room whispering to Poseidon that he would be right back. Dont leave me with this perv!!! I feel his hand find mine so I grab his wrist with my free hand.

"Wanna see what I can do?!" I dig my finger nails into his skin watching as red trickles down his wrist. I feel energy course through my veins as it shoots straight to my hand gripping his wrist. Thorns poke through his skin as vines grow under his skin. He yells pushing me away. Little jolts send through his finger tips as the vines slowly dissapear but leave the puncture wounds.

"Why you little-" He begins while raising his hand. I look him dead in the eye daring him to hit me. As he swings his hand down I prepare to catch his hand closing my eyes tightly. But instead of feeling a sting across my arms I just feel a gush of air make all my hair fly onto my back. I open my eyes to see Hades gripping Zeus's arm tightly shaking his head no.

"If she really is the daughter of Demeter then hitting her would only cause chaos! Dont act foolish!" Hades looks back to me while releasing Zeus's hand.

"You need to learn to respect your leaders little girl." Yeah he might have saved me from a smack but he is acting like a real asshole. Poseidon walks up next to us.

"Ive gotta head out, we can continue this tomorrow." He says before dissapearing behind the wall. Zeus brushes down his clothes calmy, electricity shooting through the fresh wounds I had left on him. His skin begins to pull itself back together. He looks down at me with a smirk growing across his face.

"Hades, call in Demeter for a meeting tomorrow. For now, keep this girl in the dungeon with no food or water for the rest of today and tomorrow until the meeting." With that he leaves without a single goodbye. Hades shoots back at me scowling me.

"How stupid are you?! Do you know what he couldve done to you?! You may be a goddess and unkillable but he can make life a living hell!" I shake my head a smile playing across my face.

"Pretty sure I'm already in hell." He stares at me for a moment, all the hate leaving his face. A small smile appears and he tries hiding it. I let out a small giggle before he rubs the back of his head looking deep in thought.

"Are you hungry?" I look up at him confused.

"Didnt Zeus say-" He laughs not letting me finish my sentence.

"Your my guest, not his. He cant order me around about MY prisoners." I scoff placing my hands on my hips.

"So am I your guest or prisoner?" He smiles looking down into my eyes. The dark blue in his eyes swirls like a deep ocean pulling me in.

"I dont know, will you comply with what I say for like 24 hours?" I sigh in defeat and nod my head. This cant get any worse.

"Okay then. You can sleep in the spare bedroom." He looks outside at the sky.

"Are you hungry?" I shake my head. And NOW he wants to try being nice? What a weird fucker.

"Then let me show you where you'll be sleeping." He leads me up a flight of stairs to a large living room on the second floor. He opens a door showing a large bedroom with a large window looking out onto the city of the underworld. He motions for me to enter so I comply like I had promised.

"Sleep here for tonight. I have some business I need to attend to. Oh and please, please dont try escaping again. You wont get far as you learned the first time." I nod my head taking a seat and looking outside. He closes the door behind him as he exits. Hhhh. . . thank the gods thats finally over. I walk over to the bed crawling under the sheets and laying down. My body slowly warms up the inside of the blanket making me feel drowsy but I cant sleep just yet. What will happen now? Everything my mom has been trying to hide from all the other gods and goddess' has now been revealed. Will she undergo some type of treason or something? It doesnt seem that bad to want to try hiding your child but then again. . . I am an adult now. . . I roll onto my side trying to think of what was next for me.

Will I be free or will my mom try taking me back to the mortal realm? I look out the window at the sundown. I want to know what else is out here. I want to live among the gods and feel normal. . . I want to fit in. But she is so selfish! I grip my hair tightly twirling my red swirls around my fingers. How could she do this to her own daughter? I sigh as the drowziness slowly takes control of my thoughts making the darkness consume me whole. My body goes still except for the up and down ryhtm of my chest and lungs. My heartbeat echoes in my ears and my breath rattles through my brain before I eventually let go and let the darkness take complete control.