Hades and Persephone Ch 10 3.docx

Hades and Persephone Ch 10 3.docx

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HadesandPersephoneCh103

"Whatisbelowus?

"

"Nothing,"Hadessaidpointedly.

Persephoneshivered.Shefollowedhimtothecenterofthestonebridge—ifitcouldbecalledthat—andstoppedwhenhedid.Hetensed,hisheelsdiggingintotheground,alert.Thensheheardit—asofthissingandstaccatoshallowbreathing.Theylookedupatacrackintheceilingfaraboveandsawpupillesswhiteeyessetinashadowygauntfacestaringbackatthem.Thecreatureclungtotherockswithwirylimbs,itsblackleatherywingsfanningout,beatingwithoutflight.Itsheadwasturnedcompletelyaroundlikeanowl's.Thedaimonstoppedbreathingandstaredrightather.

"Persephone..."Hadestookastepbacktoshieldher.Shestaredup,astransfixedandfrozenasthecreature,thenstartledwhenitskitteredintothecrack,itsclawslooseninggravelthatpeltedthepathwayaheadofthem.

"Th—"Hermouthwentdry."Thatwas—"

"OneoftheKeres,"Hadesfinished."DaughtersofNyx.Thedaimonesofviolentdeath."

Awhistledshriektorethroughthecavern,echoingoffthewalls,lostinthenothingnessbelowthem.Theyhearditansweredbyanotherwailfromahead,andathirdfrombehindthem.Thentheystopped.Allfellsilentagain.

Ahigh-pitchedpingsoundedagainstherhelm,thenasteadyrainofdustandsmallpebblesfellfromabove.HadesandPersephonelookedup,theceilingalive,crawling,running,fromeverycreviceamassofthinwings,whisperedhisses,andtappingclaws.

"Persephone,getbackandloweryourhelm."

Shestoodfrozenashequicklypulledhisswordoffhisbackandhelditready,thetorchinhisotherhand.Silence.TheKereshadstoppedmoving.

Ashrillinathousandvoices—anearsplittingchorus—filledthecavern.Thedaimonespeeledoffthewallsandceiling,flappingmadlytowardthelightofthetorch.

"Loweryourhelm!

"Hadesyelledbackather.

Shepulleditdownandstumbledbackfromhim,watchingherhusbanddisappearintothedarknesswiththelightofthetorch.Everythingaroundhermovedandswirleddarkandchaotic,theKeres'shrillcriesunbearable.Awailsoundedbehindher,gettingcloser.Persephonedroppedtothegroundasitflewpastwhereherheadhadbeenmomentsbefore,theKersailing,clawsoutstretched,inthedirectionofwhereHadesstoodinvisible.Shebackedupandlayproneagainstthecoldrocks.Screamsandtrillsfilledthedarkness,punctuatedbythenauseatingwetsliceofaswordcuttingthroughfleshandbone.

Persephoneheardhimyellandsawtheflashoftorchlightappearagain.AKerchewedonhisarmabovethegauntlet,andheappeared,hisabilitytoremaininvisiblemomentarilylostamidstthepain.Withgrittedteethandwildeyes,hepushedhisbladethroughthedaimon'sskull,shakingitsbodyoffofhisswordandcastingitintotheabyss.Onthebackstroke,Hadesslicedcleanthroughthewingsofanother,thenslashedinwidecirculararcsastheblackmassofKeresswarmedaroundhim,eclipsingthetorchlight.Hedisappearedagainandallwentdarkerthanbefore,hernightsightruinedbythewhitetorch.Butitwastoolate.TheUnseenOnehadbeenseen.

Persephoneblinkedhardastheburninglighttrailedacrosshervisionagain.ShemuffledashriekwiththebackofherhandasaKergraspedatHades'helmandthrewitclearofhishead.Itlandedonitssideandrollednexttoher,theemptyfaceplateandeyeslitsstaringatheraccusingly. Youdidthis, itsaidtoher. Youwantedthis.

ThedaimonesattachedthemselvestoHadeslikeirontoalodestone.Theirtalonsscratchedathisheadandarms,tearinghiscloak.Heusedthetorchinconcertwithhisbladetobeatthemoffofhim.ItslitendswungthroughtheairandshatteredaKer'sface.Againsttheburningwhitelight,heturnedandshefinallysawhim.Bitesandgasheslaceratedhisarms.Adarkscratchstretchedfromhiseyebrowtohisjawleakingastreamofgold-fleckedblooddownhisneck.Ichor.Shestoppedbreathing.

Godsabove,whathaveIdone?

Whydidn'tIlisten?

 Persephonepanicked. Weshouldneverhavecomehere.Ishouldn'tbehere...Aidoneus,mylove,whathaveIdone?

Shewasabouttodrawherswordandrushintohelphim,heedlessoffallingintonothingnessorbeingslashedtoribbonsbyeithertheKerestalonsorherhusband'sblade.HadesfelltoonekneeandPersephonewatchedhelplesslyashefoughtthembackandrosetohisfeetagain.

Praxidike?

"Who'sthere?

"Shelookedaroundher,seeingnoone.

Notsoloud,Praxidike, themanyvoicessaidinunison. Theyshouldnothearyoubeforetheyseeyou.

"Makethemstop!

"shewhispered."Makethemstophurtinghim!

"

Theydonotholdallegiancetous.Ortohim,Praxidike.

"Whatdoyoumean?

!

Hadesistheir—"

TheKeresdonotrecognizehim.HebearsthelikenessoftheEnemy.

"...Kottos?

"

No,Praxidike,IamGyges.Kottosismybrother.He'stheprettyone. Themany-voicedonechuckledathisownremark.

Hadesbellowedinfiercedetermination,fightinghiswayabovethetwistingfrayofblacklimbsandwings.Heswunghisswordoverhand,cleavingthroughthedaimones,separatingwings,arms,afoot,aneckasitcamedown.Thetorchfellfromhisotherhandandrolledaway.

"Thisisn'tfunny,"shewhisperedtoGyges."Dosomething!

"

Icannot.Onlyyoucan.Youaretheirqueen,afterall...

"What?

!

"Persephonesaidindisbelief. Theirqueen?

 "WhatdoIdo?

"

Stand.Takeoffyourhelm.Letthemseeyou.

"Areyoumad?

!

"

Notsoloud,Praxidike.Pleasetrustme,myqueen;theysawyoudisappearandthoughthewastoblame. 

"RUN!

Persephone, run!

Ruuu—"herhusbandscreamedoutintothecavern.HiswordsturnedintoacryofpainasaKerburieditsclawsintohisneck.

Gygesspokegently,ifsuchathingwerepossibleforthemany-voicesthatpersonifiedtheabyss. Itistheonlywaytosaveyourconsort,Persephone.Theywillrecognizeyou.

Tearsformedinhereyes.ShewatchedHadesfalltohiskneesoncemore,facedawayfromher.Hedidn'trise.TheKeresdoveinoverhim,theirmasspushinghimclosertothedropoff.Therewasnotime.Persephonestoodtallandpulledherhelmoffherhead.

"Stopthisinstant!

"sheyelledoutoverthefray."Icommandyoutostop!

"

Theyceasedandstilled,asthoughshehadbidtimeitselftohalt,andnotthesecreatures.Athousandpairsofeyesturnedinherdirection.Sheheldherbreathastheyclearedawayfromthepath.Allfellsilent.SheheardHadesbreathinghard,hisbodyshaking;hisswordpausedinmidairbeforeitclangedathisside,hisarmnolongerabletoholditaloft.ShetookastepforwardandwatchedtheKeresretreatinkind.Theyscatteredawayandformedawidecirclearoundherasshemadeherwaytowardherhusband.Hecrumpledforward.

"Aidon!

"PersephoneranthelastfewstepsandfelltoherkneesinfrontofHades,catchinghim.Shecradledhiminherarms,hisformslumpingforwardontohershoulder.Hishandcameupandsmackedagainsthercuirass,trailingacrookedsmearofblooddownthebreastplate. 

"No...run..."hequietlyslurredagainstherneckbetweenpants,disoriented."'S-sephone,run..."

Herfingersranthroughhisdisheveled,bloodyhairassheheldhimclose."Aidon,it'sover,"shewhisperedinhisear."It'sover.Look."

Stilltryingtocatchhisbreath,heweaklybroughthisheadupandlookedcautiouslyfromsidetoside.TheKeresheldtheirpositions,almostmotionless,soundless,waiting.Hebroughthiseyesbacktohiswife'sface.Shewassafe,unmarkedbytheviolence,soverybeautiful,soveryworriedforhim.Hadessmiledather."Persephone..."

"MysweetAidoneus,I'msosorry!

"shesaid,shaking,tearswellingupinhereyesagain."Pleaseforgiveme,Ishouldneverhaveaskedyouto—"

"No,no,it'snotyourfault.I'llbefine.Here,see?

"hesaid,holdingashakinghandup.Thecutsfromtheirtalonsandthepuncturesfromtheirteethwerealreadyclosing.Theangrygashacrosshischeek,precariouslyclosetohisrighteye,quicklyknititselfshutuntiltheonlyevidenceitevenexistedwasathintrailofbloodleftinitswake.Shewipeditawaywithherthumb,cryinginreliefasHadesgaveherawearyhalfsmile."Thereare...manybenefits...tobeingoneofthemostpowerfulgodsinthecosmos."

Shejustheldhimandwept,kissinghimontopofhishead,herlipsstainingwithtracesofhisblood.

"Notmanybenefits today,butsome,"Hadessaid,hisfacesomewherebetweenawinceandagrin.Persephonedriedhereyeswiththeedgeofherpeplosandstoodhimupslowly.ThefreneticterroroffightingtheKeresracedthroughhisveins.Shepickedupthefallentorchandheldhishandwithinhers.Helookedaroundagain,disbelievinghisowneyes:

creaturesthathadbeenslicingintohimwithoutprovocationamomentagowerestandingbackin...reverence."Whydidtheystop?

"

"I..."shebegan,meekly,"Itoldthemto."

Hestaredather,hislipspartedinshock.Awhisperwentup,filledwithancientwordsfromdeadlanguages.

"Wanakt-ja!

"thehollowvoiceofaKercalledoutabovetheothers.Thewordechoedinwhispersthroughthethrongsofdaimones.

"Whatdiditjustsay?

"Persephonewhispered.

"Queen,"Hadesreplied.Persephonestoodtall,herstomachturningincircles,herskinprickling,bloodthrumminginherears.Korenomore.ShewasQueenoftheUnderworld.

"Listentome!

"shecalledouttotheKeres."IamSheWhoDestroystheLight!

"Theyceasedtheirchatter."IamPersephonePraxidikeChthonios,yourundoubtedQueen,andyouwillheedmywords!

"

"Wanakt-ja!

Praxidike!

 "theKereschantedinhigh-pitchedunison,"Wanakt-ja!

Wanakt-ja!

Wanakt-ja!

"

Theynearlydrownedoutwhatshesaidnext."Themanbeforeyouismy