Chereads / Son of the Underworld / Chapter 12 - The Unpaid Debt

Chapter 12 - The Unpaid Debt

After killing the blacksmith, Olympian decided to give his brother time to find his mother. And for a year he watched in silence as the wind blew sand away. Hiding his face behind his hood and sitting on a rock, he tossed the silver knife into the air. While before his eyes flashed again and again memories of Alekos, or rather how the satyr had looked up to him hopefully in the days of their peaceful life. Before, sadness would immediately overwhelm his heart whenever he thought of those days. But now hatred consumed his mind, instead of the love of a true father and mother, he got bloody fear!

Abruptly a shadow jumped out from under the sand with shouts of joy, "Master! Master, he found her! They are going to have a feast tonight to celebrate the return of the true queen!" Catching the knife Haemon slowly turned his head and then with a predatory smile whispered: "Great I have a gift for the prince," Shadow laughed madly, opening a portal directly to the palace. "Let the carnage begin!" The two demons disappeared in a flash of light, and only the echoes of their insane laughter continued to roam the desert. Serving as a reminder that there once was one whose name would be written in ancient texts in blood.

Zagreus was still able to find his mother and convince her to return home to live together as a family. Persephone, for her part, could not refuse her son, for she missed the underworld tremendously. Though it seems incredibly gloomy at times, something unique about it can enchant those lucky enough to be there. Unless, of course, you've been thrown into the lowest tiers. As soon as she returned, all the servants immediately rushed to her with tears of happiness in their eyes, and if she hadn't been the king's wife, they would have crushed her in a tight embrace. Dusa even bit herself to make sure she was awake at the sight of her true queen. Though none of the servants would ever admit it, their love for Persephone is stronger than for Nyx. Although the Lady of the Night is a very kind queen, her fear of her power is greater than her love.

Hades silently embraced his wife and kissed her tenderly on the forehead, saying, "Welcome home, my queen!" Persephone responded by kissing her husband firmly on the lips. Did happiness overflow everyone's soul, for at last the whole family was assembled, or was it? As a gift to his wife, Hades decided to invite his relatives again. They had just returned to Olympus with a great victory. And they certainly would not refuse a feast. Nyx and Persephone decided to go into seclusion to talk about women's affairs. In the apartments of Zeus's daughter, everything was as before her departure, apparently, nobody dared to change for fear of the king's anger. Persephone smiled slightly as she sat down in her favorite chair and offered Nyx a seat beside her.

"Little has changed in my absence" With a wave of her hand, the queen decorated the room with red roses. "It was only a matter of time before you returned, so Hades didn't give the order to change the interior," Nyx replied coldly as she sat down in the chair opposite. "Eh, I missed my son so much up there, you know a lot of things become so lifeless when the ones you love aren't around. Do you know that feeling, queen of the night?" Persephone looked curiously into Nyx's eyes, waiting for an answer. "No luckily I don't know what it's like," she replied emotionlessly as she touched one of the flowers. Persephone was surprised by this abrupt and unemotional answer, it seemed to her as if Nix was lying to herself. "Ha-ha and how Zagreus behaved in my absence, I hope he didn't cause too much inconvenience" Persephone decided to quickly change the subject to something more cheerful. "Your son is a fine boy, both outwardly and inwardly. You can be proud of him, for not every child is capable of loving fathers and mothers if they have abandoned them" The firstborn's voice turned into a whisper at the last sentence.

Nervously scratching the back of her head, the daughter of Zeus smiled apologetically broadly. "At that moment I didn't even think about my son properly, eh, what a selfish person I had to be to abandon own son! I guess only someone like Hera could do that and think it was something necessary. I swear he will never taste loneliness again!"

Nyx clenched her hands so tightly that the bones in her fingers cracked, her eyes flashed with rage for a moment. The shadows in room came to life as if they were demonic silhouettes, and Persephone's hands trembled at the horrifying sight. She was about to apologize when a knock on the door interrupted thoughts of both of them. "Excuse me, but guests are already here!" Hypnos announced news in a cheerful, half-asleep voice, opening a door and not even waiting for permission to enter. Nyx smiled and thanked her son in a gentle voice and then nodded goodbye to queen and left room. As soon as she stepped out Persephone was relieved: "I already thought I was finished. Next time I'll pick a nicer place"

Zeus and his brothers sat as usual in the center of the feast, while their children sat wherever they wished. Zagreus and his beloved were seated at the same table as the younger Olympians. Many of those present gave their blessings to the prince so that he could find his mother. And the knowledge that they had managed to help their kindred was more joyful than anything else. Ares and Apollo kept on talking about how they had almost chopped off the emperor's manhood. Athena and Artemis invited the prince to go to Olympus with them after the feast. Everyone was busy having as much fun as they could without thinking about the future, until Zagreus cried out sharply, clutching his hands over his head.

Meg turned to him in a worried voice: "What's the matter with you Zagreus?" As she approached, she saw the burns left by some monster reappear on the prince's body. It was a message: "You will taste what I taste!" Meg covered her mouth with her hand in horror, for is there anyone who could overcome the forces of the bloody fountain? Zagreus was supposed to be reborn without a single scar or sign of battle, but someone managed to break that rule. "Meg he's here! That sick man is back!" With wild pain in his voice, Zagreus grabbed his lover with a trembling hand. "Who's here?" Ares asked curiously taking a bite of meat. "You will see," whispered the prince summoning his sword.

All the noise of the feast died down, replaced by the rumble of a huge dragon landing on the ground. All the guests turned their heads toward the great black gate. The gate shook like a leaf in the wind, something trying to break through it like an angry bull. There was a deafening rumble into silence, everyone thought then that was the end and there would be no performance. When suddenly the gate flew away like a ball from a powerful blow, tearing several guards apart. The Olympians stood up from their seats and stared expectantly at the dust that had risen. Everyone first heard someone pacing slowly in their direction, humming a kind of song. "Find me, look for me, look for me, if you light it, put it out!" A few very brave minotaurs dared to pounce on the unknown man to avenge their comrades in arms.

And were immediately torn apart allowing the Olympians to see who their opponent was. A powerful swing of the axe separated the guards' heads from their bodies while blowing away all the dust. Everyone stared at the stranger in surprise, for none of them could remember anyone like him. A tall warrior in a black cloak. Dionysus laughed wildly looking at the stranger, pouring wine into his glass he turned cheerfully to Charon. "Brother it must be for you to visit," The boatman himself merely groaned, tilting his head sideways. His half-dead eyes stared curiously at the stranger, to his surprise the man did indeed slightly resemble himself. "Have you come to beg or fight?" Shouted Ares, pouncing on the stranger with an axe in his hand. He looked as if he had been expecting this and raised his hand to summon a horde of snakes.

The Spartan was struck down by the multitude of creatures to kill, but the butcher was not shy, so he bounced back and began to slice at the creatures by the hundreds. His firebrand gutted the snakes as if they were nothing more than chickens to him. "Ha ha, so you're a degenerate Typhon! That your daddy decided to have a rematch by pitting you alone against all of Olympus?" The Spartan smiled sneeringly under his helmet, opening holes in the space from which swords flew in hail toward the warrior. "Ha-ha my father!" The stranger's demonic voice inspired a kind of fear in Athene.

She sensed that something was wrong. "Brother watch out!" Dark purple flames burst from the stranger's hand devouring all the swords. In the blink of an eye, the fire covered all the holes the Spartans had created. Two huge snakes burst from under the ground behind him, the creatures clawing at him, making it impossible to escape. With spear in hand, stranger pounced on Olympian, intending to end it all in one blow. But he couldn't, for the fiery arrows plunged into his shoulder. Bouncing back, he ripped the arrows and his cloak out with a firm grip, revealing his true face to the world. "Wait a minute, you're the son of Alekos!" Surprised, Aphrodite pointed her finger at Haemon. (Out of boredom, Aphrodite once decided to penetrate the satyr's memories when he was playing for her on the double flute. And there she was able to see a young Haemon and the way he hid his ugly face during the festival)

"Wait, is that him?" Asked Artemis running up to her brother to help him free himself from the snakes. "His thirst for revenge was so strong that he decided to make a bargain with Typhon" Assumed Athena summoning a spear with a shield. "Brother if it weren't for me, you great father of Sparta would have been killed by a common half-breed!" Apollo teased his brother by firing many arrows at the barbarian. Haemon quickly fended off them by using a spear, while simultaneously attacking Athena. "Shut up! I'm sick of it without you!" Shouted Ares with all his anger attacking the son of Hades. "What's wrong Ares? Can't even kill half-breed without Daddy's help?" Haemon smiled devilishly, dodging the Olympian's attacks.

Artemis and Apollo were preoccupied with snakes while Athena and Ares fought against Haemon himself. "His fire won't let me use space!" Cursed the butcher defending his sister from Haemon's powerful blow. "His fire apparently absorbs the magic itself, hmmm your blood manipulation abilities don't work on his snakes?" Athena calmly asked, stabbing Haemon in the stomach with her spear, but he grabbed his weapon and struck back with his sword in the neck. Luckily Athena had time to react and blocked the blow with her shield. "No I can't his snakes are not made of flesh and blood at all" hissed the Spartan, unleashing a firestorm on his enemy with his sword.

"You know, Haemon, we can make a deal. I'll talk to my father and he'll give you yours back! All you have to do is calm down, dear" Athena spoke softly to the distraught man. "Ha-ha you really think, I've come to here for this worthless satyr, don't you? Girl, I'm older than you and I'm well aware that Zeus doesn't keep his promises! Every last one of you is a damn liar and traitor!" With a wild shriek, Haemon was covered in veins. With a mighty blow, he disarmed the Spartan, severing both of his hands in the process. "Abyss devour you!" Ares cried out, falling to his knees. Athena pierced the barbarian's heart with her spear as he swung to cut off the butcher's head. Haemon froze for a second then slowly turned his head to his sister. "It hurts" Athena froze in place at what she saw, her spear was wrapped around by black tentacles and then completely submerged in his armor without even a trace. "Monster" Athena whispered with fear.

Haemon reached out to grab his sister by the neck, but a huge boar crashed into him, dragging him away. Bright white light appeared above their heads as if the sun itself decide to come into the underworld. "All of you leave now if you don't want to burn alive!" Shouted Apollo releasing the miniature sun from his hands. Athena managed to grab Ares and avoid being hit while Haemon was able to feel the full spectrum of the sun's rays on him.