Final and last Edit, if you see any problems with grammar and spelling, just comment and I will correct them. But I did my best♤
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The river flowed with souls inside it, they flowed as time was slow. A thought came to my head out of no where. It was a bit different, this place was a bit different from before.
Is it just me ? Or Is this place getting more populated and polluted? The temperature was getting warmer, as my hands could feel their desperation to live again. My ears heard them scream in agony, as I sat near the river of Cocytus . Humans never get tired of doing bad things, they all end up here. A large kingdom which my father rules, there are so many ways to be punished here.
I was growing weary of these things, I wanted something new. Speaking of something new, today is my 21st birthday and father had promised me to grant me one wish. My father the God you people hate and fear even though he did nothing. In my eyes I never like him that much either. He had strange ways of showing his love towards his first born son. Like making me fight a three headed hound when I turned 16. I defeated the Little puppy, now people bow to me when I am at their presence, they glorify my battle. On my 17th birthday I was made to fight the Minotaur. Another weird gift from my father and thrust me it gets worse because at the age of 18. I was made to fight against the Nemean Lion. None of these things were required for my little brother. Maybe it was because I was the eldest and needed to learn how to defend what I loved? About the little puppy I battled on my 19th again, I was made to gain his loyalty not defeat him this time. Trust me defeating is way easier. I bested the three headed hound with my bare hands and made him submit his loyalty to me. I named him ' Skyloski ' he serves me well. On my 20th though, something was different,by different I mean harder. I was tasked to bring the head of Lamia, wings of Harpies and kill a Chimeara. So you might get how my relationship with my father is now . Finally, when I completed all the task he offered me a boon. Just a boon for all those task he put me through, well beggars can't be choosy I suppose. Father loves testing people and I think he is testing me too.
After all that I am undefeated in tournaments also fighting with many creatures and people here. You might think my tales would be great and everyone might have heard them but no, mortals don't hear my achievements only the underworld. The dead tells no tales. After all that winning and all those birthdays. I think I should rule this place and I can't imagine what changes ,I would bring if I was king.By now you might have figured who I am? I am Healius. Son of Hades, the God of underworld and Kore the Goddess of spring. My name has bit of irony, it means ' The one who heals ' or 'Blessed Death '. How can death ever heal someone ? I do not know. I found my father always bit stupid, not because of the name he gave me no. He has ten times the army my uncle has, power equal to both my uncles.
Yet he chooses to stay and rule only this shithole. He never went against Zeus or any other Gods, it was as if he was happy with his own life. When he wanted a bride he kidnapped the daughter of Demeter. Zeus did not mind this incident, as if he owed my father something. But all those rape, punishment and cruelty Zeus had done to the mortal realm. Would make you think they would hate him but they still worship him and praise his and his sons tales. Whereas they fear my father, even though he did nothing but rule the underworld peacefully. Judged the souls and didn't bring wrath into Olympus, maybe it was my father's fault he never demanded respect. They fear him and reject him, never once I heard a soul pray to him out of love only fear. Yet they must visit his kingdom once, for here is where the judgement takes place.
Right now nothing much can be said about my mother, just that she didn't like my father at the time of kidnapping but began to love him for the man he is. She loves both her sons equally well, being the Goddess of spring and that's all. Wait also that she is a great mother and loves me and my brother both. What came from my ears was an interruption of my flowing thought.
" How are you today, dear brother ?," said Melinoe as he touched my shoulder while I was staring at the river of souls. I did mention to you people that I have a little brother. We grew up together and he couldn't match my power but he was a crafty little fellow and I can't match his skill sometimes.
" I am overwhelmed by thoughts brother, what I should ask from father tonight?"
" You mean for your 21st birthday? The boon he promised you?"
"Yes Melinoe but we don't age like mortals do we ?"
" No brother, for you it has be 100,666th birthday. If I am not mistaken," he said standing near me , I touched the river's water.
Time flows differently here from the mortal world. One day in the mortal world is one year here, so the time flows slow here and the pain is very slow. Why is pain slow here ? Because we follow the mortal's calendar. When we punish these souls for salvation, they do say, 'Time kills everything in it's path' and for hell it would be 'Time brings more pain for souls.'
I stood up and looked at my brother, he was only two years younger than me.Younger than I and much more handsome and very fit for his age. He would make a great general one day or perhaps even a king. His hair was neither too long or too short, it was kept neatly which made him look like a God unfit for underworld. For me I was the opposite of him but I was fit, just didn't keep myself neatly like Melinoe. I didn't really care because it was hell here after all. My hair was messy , I would look a bit like how you see a man waking up and rushing for work all the time. If I have to define myself in modern world, yes that would be it. A bit like Troglodyte but no one would dare insult me anyways because they know I am the great prince of hell. Melinoe on the other hand doesn't get attention like I do, not from father nor from his servants. He is a precious lotus in middle of all this muddy water. Sometimes I wonder if we really are brothers, the difference in look and attitude is some what peculiar.
" What would you ask for ?" I questioned.
"I do not know brother, we are already immortal, we have thousands of servants and armies. All the girls we could ask for, wealth means nothing here either and though this is not heaven is nothing less than bliss for us brother."
" You compare heaven with this ? Our father's kingdom is nothing compared to heaven. The Gods drink and lavish without work, we on the other hand. We handle souls and these creatures which no one wants in the mortal world."
"Aaah... but brother you are forgetting that these work is what sustains the other realms. We bring balance and harmony among the universe."
" Work of devils balancing the universe, yet I don't get why we are not acknowledged for these great deeds that we do here."
"Perhaps brother a time will come, when they bow to us and no other Gods."
" Time kills everything in it's path maybe it will kill this reputation as well."
" Maybe we should stop waiting for a moment and act instead."
" Don't be folly brother, it's against father's wishes."
" Aah... I forget that everytime, if only there was something that could change his mind. It would be a wish come true."
Malinoe walked around, kicking some pebbles below his feet.
I looked around, thinking about what Melinoe told me. I see the fires of hell, the freezing point, the mountain of lost soul and the ocean of greed. My ears could hear the playful footsteps of Orpheus and Eurydice. The boulder of Sisyphus being rolled up the hill. The weeping of the sad regrets of people who took their own lives. I smirk a bit, thinking of an idea. This place was actually perfect for a dual. I needed to get my head occupied with something else, to much thinking over one thing was bad for my pride and reputation. Yes a God cares about his reputation even though he is immortal. You people think you know everything, don't you? We use to dual a lot when we were young, secretly all the time but my father wouldn't allow seeing Melinoe fighting. You can never stop brothers from fighting atlest once. Is in our nature and blood to fight.
I ran towards Melinoe with a fist, it almost lands on his pretty boy face but he dodges it and counters it with his left hand clinged to a fist to my stomach. Before it reaches my skin, my left kick sends him flying to a dead tree near the river. I raise my left hand to summon a long sword and then point it's tip towards Melinoe.
♤Summoning♤
A magic power used by the Gods to create, destroy or even for other purposes. The Summoning takes mana and can be used by all but Gods with Strength Godpower lacks Mana and can't summon too much. Mind Godpower is the one who can summon a lot and it serves them as an advantage among others. Those with Speed Godpower cannot summon but they have an interesting ability to use their body to gain strength while fighting others and to teleport.
He summoned fireballs and threw five times at me , my blade blocked three bouncing it away and two was cut to disabled them . Once I was done, i couldn't see Melinoe near the tree but suddenly felt a grib from behind. My arms were locked with his , I bend down making him loose control and throwing him to the soil. I knew it was my win again but Melinoe raised his hands fast to summon something, I felt my body being tackled by a huge creature, soon I felt slimy saliva being poured and licked again and again on my face.
'Sykloski' pinning me down on the ground , I couldn't get up and it was my lose. All three heads kept on licking me.
"Haha...mmhm ...okay boy , hahaha... okay calm down." I was busy being licked by my dog , while Melinoe stood up and cleaned himself. I needed this dual to forget about the question that bothered me. It was a quick battle but worth remembering from this experience. Maybe I went easy on my brother but it didn't matter.
" Sykloski, sit boy, boy sit," said Melinoe. Sykloski didn't listen, until I snapped my fingers he was like a good boy and sat down licking his paws with his middle head. Melinoe gave me a hand , I gladly took it and stood up.
" I am impressed brother, Too think you could summon my own hellhound against me. But he will only listen to his master and no one else, you may summoned him but you can't control him. So it was a bit of a bad idea." I said as I made my cloths and cleaned myself from the dust and saliva. I was already messy, I didn't want to make myself look like an ogre. I was a prince and a prince is what they shall get for the party.
" That makes my 11th wins and 178th loses, because I did that to buy me some time. True about what you said but still this isn't a real dual dear brother," said Melinoe, sending the hound back to his chamber.
" You still need to work, on your physical strength little brother. You are far too weak if someone had intention to kill you, they would. If we were mortals dear brother. "
"If so, Maybe on my 21st birthday, I should ask for physical strength and power. Then I would surpass you and all the others ," said Melinoe, as he smiled at me enjoying his victory.
I grinned as I found the answer to my question that was troubling me. It was just right beneath my nose all this time. I knew what I wanted and for sure I knew father would grant me this wish. It was time for the world to know the name 'Healius', the one who conquered all.
"Come brother let us go, we must get ready for tonight. It is almost time for your celebration." We walk towards the palace of our father.
♤Sykloski♤
Is one of the sons of Cerberus, the Cerberus serves Hades as a watch dog and never letting sould escape from underworld. Unlike his mother Sykloski has a big advantage of strength, speed and also has an ability to breathe fire from this middle head. The right head can turn mortals, demi gods into stone. The left head heals it's own wounds. Healius was luck to be a God, if he wasn't he could have not tamed the beast such as this.