[Tartarus, Styx River]
[The Doom Dungeon]
Zeus and Loki walk in, entering the Dungeon of the highest threat of Tartarus.
" So, Uncle... "
" About the prisoner, we're going to meet. "
" He is much different than the one you met in the 'River of Lethe'... "
" Who? " Loki asks.
" I'm talking about Nyx, boy. "
" You defeat her around that river, in the 'Land of Exile' near it, the lands that were supposed to imprison those we erased from history for some time, making the mortals forget about them first before bringing them into this Dungeon per the Final Process. " Zeus tells.
" But, as fate always toyed with us... "
" It seems some of the Divine decides to make another door to this realm, in the form of the 'Dark Cube' Andrew K. used back then, was it? " Zeus asks Loki nods.
" After he killed Grand Priestesses Tsuchimikado at the Main Exorcists Fortress in Kyoto, I believe the Cube is from the Fortress' Underground section. "
" I once extracted things from Misaki, that wretched Fubuki fool. "
" She said the Cube was made by the Takamagahara, the Japanese Pantheon. "
" Perhaps you know more about it, Uncle? " Loki asks Zeus.
" I see, now it all makes sense. " Zeus sighs.
" Since one of the 'Takamagahara' is inside this very Dungeon, imprisoned alongside the one I knew very well here. " Zeus says as Loki and him pass into another huge door.
" Don't tell me there's a Gate behind it. " Loki asks Zeus as he opens it using his powers. As it opens, the door shows them huge prisons, cages, meant to cage creatures that are so powerful such as.
" *Bark*! " a huge three-headed dog barks loudly while its neck is chained with a huge chain.
" Cerberus, the Doggy of Doom... " Zeus tells.
" Oh, I missed you so much, and since I met you here. " Zeus says as he walks past him, walking towards two huge cages in front of him, cages that are meant to imprison a dangerous creature, a Dangerous God.
" It's been a long time... "
" Like the new 'eyepatch' and 'arms', by the way. " The prisoner calls Zeus.
" The eyepatch and arms new, it's been a long time too..., brother. " Zeus talks to the prisoner, a huge long black-haired, and bearded person, bound to a throne.
" Introductions please, Uncle? " Loki asks Zeus.
" This is Hades, Loki. "
" My brother... " Zeus tells Loki about it, introducing Hades to him.
[ #1 Prisoner of Tartarus ]
[ Name: Hades (Chronos' First-Born, The Olympian Opposer) ]
[ Title: The Monarch of Doom ]
[ Crime: Opposing against Olympus Pantheon ]
[ Living Known Relatives: Zeus ]
" Hello... " Loki waves to Hades Hades looks back at him and scoffs.
" Hmph, so this is The 'Heir of Odin'... "
" I thought it was supposed to be the 'Hammer One', who is that again? " Hades asks about it which Loki interrupts...
" That one is already lost to us, but we still can't confirm if he's- "
" Oh, he's still around in the Mortal Realm, chained... " Hades replied to Loki about it.
" How expected, to think you're the one who sits on the throne, 'Horned Crown One'. " Hades adds to Loki.
" Uncle... " Loki feels discomfort when hearing it.
" When you said 'Alternatives'* back then, was this brute is in the top of your mind? " Loki asks Zeus while Zeus looks at Hades as the two clash their eyes.
" You must be surprised that I'm still here... " Hades opens the discussion.
" It seems you still see me 'Chained' to Poseidon's Blood as well as the rest of the prisoners in the Dungeon, didn't you? " Hades asks Zeus who sees him with confusion.
" Poseidon's death should've killed you. " Zeus tells him.
" I'm sure of it, you're still bound to him like all the others who survived our Father's Glutton for power. "
" But seeing you here, alive... " Zeus sharpens his eyes as Hades chuckles.
" You're so sure of yourself, you know that, Brother. "
" Ha, it seems you have been clueless on what happened here, guess the constant Party in the very Earth's Heavenly Skies really made you forget about the flow of things in Tartarus. "
" Even in here, I tell you, brother. "
" Things are changing, kehehe... " Hades chuckles.
" You're so sure about that, didn't you? " Zeus asks him.
" Hey, don't just take it for me, don't forget to ask my neighboring prisoner here. " Hades looks at the other prisoner beside him.
" Isn't that right, Izanami? " Hades calls his neighbor, the Corrupted Goddess from the Takamagahara Pantheon, Izanami.
[ #2 Prisoner of Tartarus ]
[ Name: Izanami (The Corrupted One from Takamagahara) ]
[ Title: The Monarch of Decay ]
[ Crime: Opposing against Takamagahara Pantheon ]
[ Living Known Relatives: Izanagi and other Takamagahara gods ]
" Hah! " Loki panics, seeing Izanami's corrupted face, despite some of it having some beauty in it. What Loki sees now is just a heinous figure of a woman.
" That's Izanami? " Loki asks while having flood sweats.
" I heard she's the Takamagahara's most monstrous opposer, but. "
" Ugly, isn't she? " Zeus looks at her who still silently stares at him.
" Ah, Izanami... "
" How bad for me to see you here, with this corrupted side of your..., 'original beauty'. " Zeus chuckles while Izanami still stares at Zeus and then, Loki.
" What do you want from us? " Hades calls Zeus to end his chat with her.
" The Ruler of Olympians would never come to Tartarus just to meet with old Imprisoned Acquaintances he rarely had a reason to visit..., there must be something behind your visit. "
" So tell me, Brother..., what is your purpose here? " Hades asks Zeus as he chuckles when the question is asked.
" O Brother... "
" You're right, I was wondering if the one before me is fake since I'm still in the position of disbelief that you survived your blood link with Poseidon, as well as the others here. "
" But after some time, I began to realize that I'm not hallucinating, kahaha... "
" You're right, it seems there's a change in Tartarus, an oversight change that even I didn't manage to see before it's too late. "
" Just like in the Mortal Realms, a huge change is coming. "
" A change that comes in the form of the White Demon. " Zeus grins to Hades, making Hades silent as he listens to it.
" You're silent now, didn't you, Hades? "
" If you're silent, then I believe the news of it somehow managed to enter your ears while you had no way of escaping or interacting outside this place. "
" So, how did you know? " Zeus asks Hades who replies with a slight smile.
" Like I said, Tartarus is changing... "
" And you realized it too late, Brother. "
" I may be bound right now, but at least I could sit still and see the imprisoned gods get terrorized by another opposer. "
" Perhaps I shall thank the White Demon even, if we get the chance to meet. "
" Of course... " Zeus says as he brings out a crown from his pocket.
" You shall meet him. " Zeus throws the crown over Hades' head, immediately latching on to him hard.
" Keurkh... " Hades felt the pain coming from the crown.
" You... " Hades stares at Zeus as he quickly flashes inside the cage, confronting Hades and choking him.
" The 'Crown of Thoughts'... " Zeus tells him.
" The Oneiroi produced this 'Crown' to make sure you and the rest of the prisoners don't do anything stupid as I employ you. "
" Speaking of Employment. "
" Brother Hades, I know you've been somehow receiving news from the outside world via something that even I can't understand. " Zeus stares at Hades while he approaches his patched eye over Hades' eyes.
" Look at this eye brother..., I lost it, trying to uncover things from the 'World of Dreams', finding my oversights as a god and this is the result. "
" I've seen it, seen it in your dreams that you somehow managed to interact with the Demon via some kind of telepathy or some sort... "
" Even better... "
" I happened to see in your dreams that one prisoner here is missing without even Charon and the Furies* realizing. " Zeus says while choking Hades further while all eyes around him are on to him.
" One of the prisoners escaped!? " Loki asks, shouting as he listens to it.
" Who is it, Uncle!? " Loki asks Zeus while Zeus is still locked onto Hades.
" Don't worry, brother. "
" I may say it out loud, but the change in Tartarus is currently not part of my concern. "
" My concern, however, is to recruit you to a Tournament we've made forcefully. "
" So you can meet your goddamn White Demon! " Zeus released Hades as the crown on Hades' head stopped glowing while the bindings on his throne were released.
" One chain after another... " Hades sarcastically says this as he rises.
" I suppose you made more of the 'crown', didn't you, brother? " Hades asks as Zeus brings up another crown from his pocket, looking at Loki.
" It's time for you to do more tricks, Loki. " Zeus tells him.
" Give me full stock. " Zeus orders Loki sighed as he placed his hand over the crown, making it shine as Loki uses his powers to fulfill Zeus' needs.
__________________
Extra:
* 'Alternatives'.
Zeus mentions that in the Previous Chapter which had the same title as the word.
* Furies.
The Tormentors of Divine Vengeance. Three pairs of Divine/Deviant Vengeful Sisters hunt those who oppose the Divine Rule.
They are the prominent Tormentors of the Underworld, in the previous Chapter they should've been written while Zeus and Loki are being transported by Charon, but I've decided to skip it.
Five Stages of Tartarus.
The Stages of Tartarus are determined by the Five Rivers that flow through it. These rivers affect the landscape of the place, affecting it on how it looks.
1) Stage 1: River of Woe, Acheron.
This river passes through the Land of Pain and Suffering. The river is dark and muddy, meant to bind those who were recently imprisoned here. Giving the first taste of Tartarus for their first layer of Unforgiven Crime against the gods as they were bound while given the things they wanted, unable to reach them for eternity.
2) Stage 2: River of Lament, Cocytus
The river passes through the Land of Sorrows and Regret. The River is freezing as it freezes the prisoners in an unbroken frost prison. In the frozen, the prisoners are shown dreams in their vegetative state, dreams that will make them lament their life choices, continuing their despair while unable to move, the second layer of Tartarus.
3) Stage 3: River of Forgotten, Lethe.
The river passes through the Land of Exile. The River produced mists, meant to hallucinate those who were stationed there. Making them slowly forget who they were each time they've been there. This place is for those the gods who deemed dangerous, thus the prisoners are erased from the Mortal Realm's History.
One such prisoner is Nyx, who somehow maintains her memory despite being there for some time. She was placed there for her to forget who she was before the gods changed her station to the last River. For the gods feared her to use the Final River Dungeon's darkness as her power.
4) Stage 4: River of Fire, Phlegethon.
The river passes through the Land of Flames. The River is for those whose crimes are beyond tolerance as the flames burn them as hot as their crimes. In these rivers, the Furies are also stationed for their jurisdiction in this river and the river that comes next.
5) Stage 5: River of Hatred, Styx.
The river passes through the Land of Rot. The River of Blood of Hatred can summon Blood Creatures if the prisoners try to escape. This the final place for those who had deep hatred with the gods is put in the Land's Huge 'Doom Dungeon'. This Dungeon confined those imprisoned in the deepest darkness as the prisoners were tortured by the unending darkness behind the doors of the prison, rotten for years before they were released in the open for a certain period and put back into their cells again by the Furies.
The River is made by Poseidon's Blood Powers in the past. But as he dies, the River no longer summons Blood Creatures, thus Zeus had to come and deal with the prisoners inside the Dungeon before they knew about it.
The known prisoners in Styx are Hades and Izanami.
The prisoners are directly stationed in each five levels based on their crimes and can be changed into another station if the gods deem it so.
Misconceptions:
'Tartarus' is not the 'Abyss'. The 'Abyss' is a Dark Realm far, far away from Earth where the Wanted Demonic Monarchs reside. The Abyss exists in a place only reached through certain Gate Portals that only some gods knew how.
Whilst 'Tartarus', unlike the realm myths, is not an Underworld Afterlife, but an Underworld Prison for those who commit great crimes. From humans to non-humans, monsters, Deviants (demons), or even Diviners (gods) themselves that were found guilty by the Earth's Pantheons.
Just to be clear, the prisoners in Tartarus here are still alive, they're not souls, they were constantly regenerated if they're still around the River of Acheron, Cocytus, or Lethe. While the River of Phlegethon and Styx are meant for those who were destined for a silent death.