"Tartarus, teleport us to the entrance," Hades commands. The air shimmers, and in the next instant, the entire group disappears from the depths, reappearing directly before the massive, sealed gate to the pit.
They all step through as the gate swings shut behind them with a final, thunderous boom. Hecate stands waiting, her expression a mix of worry and relief. Hades hops down from Brontes's shoulder.
Hecate runs forward and throws her arms around him in a tight embrace. "You have no idea how worried I was!"
Suddenly, Brontes's voice booms with mock innocence. "Oh, Nephew! If you already have such a beautiful and caring wife, why would you need to bring home servants for your... pleasure?" He pushes the nymph forward
Cold sweat instantly beads on Hades's temples. "Wai—"
He doesn't get to finish. Hecate's nails sharpen into deadly points, digging deep into the small of his back. "Wait, that is not the case! Aahh, let me clarify!" he yelps in a mix of pain and panic.
Brontes, enjoying the show immensely 'Heh, if I can't hit him with a hammer, I'll hit him with words. Watching him sweat is payment enough' and adds more fuel to the fire. "What is there to clarify, dear nephew? That you brought back not one, but two nymphs?"
Hecate's nails dig deeper. A terrifying aura flares around her, and dark ichor begins to well up from the punctures in Hades's back. "AHHHH!!" he screams.
"Hecate, listen! I indeed brought servants, but not for me! For you! I swear on the Styx I never had those kinds of immoral motives!" he blurts out, the words tumbling over each other in his haste.
Instantly, Hecate releases him. Her aura vanishes, her nails retract, and she is all sweet smiles again, as if nothing happened. She then turns and glides toward Brontes, who is chuckling heartily. She gestures for him to lean down.
Still laughing, Brontes obliges, bending his massive head toward her. Without warning, Hecate's aura erupts again, a hundred times more ferocious. She grabs his enormous earlobe and yanks him down, whispering a string of cursed, ancient words directly into his ear. "ÆåÅvçssjsoal!!!"
Brontes's face drains of all colour. Blood trickles from his now-crimson ear. Hecate releases him and calmly walks back to Hades's side. Brontes trembles, thinking, 'Ahh, so scary! Just who is she? One look from her and my worst memories flash before my eyes. I thought these were my last moments!' The other freed prisoners watch in stunned silence, each making a mental note: 'Never, ever make the queen angry.'
Hecate gracefully waves a hand, creating a large portal swirling with energy. "Everyone, through here," she instructs.
They all step through, arriving in the central land. "Everyone, get some rest," Hades announces. "Tomorrow, I will assign your duties."
Servants quickly appear to guide the new arrivals to the guest quarters. Hades and Hecate retreat to their private chambers. "Lady Nyx has invited us to her temple," Hecate informs him.
Hades collapses onto the bed. "Okay, we'll visit tomorrow. But for now, let's sleep. I am completely exhausted." A huge yawn escapes him.
---
The Next Day
All six uncles stand in Hades's office. They have shrunk their normally twenty-meter-tall forms down to a more manageable six feet to fit inside.
"My dear uncles," Hades begins, all business. "You will establish a forge near the Tartarus gateway." He slides a parchment across the table. "And this is your first task."
Brontes, as the eldest, steps forward and picks up the scroll. His single eye scans the list. "One thousand suits of armour, one thousand helmets, five hundred swords, five hundred shields, one thousand knives, three hundred bows, one thousand arrows, one thousand wands, one thousand boot armours, and five hundred horseshoes, all of them made with Stygian iron and enchanted... in five days?! Have you lost your mind?!" He slams the parchment down on the table. "We will not fulfil such a ridiculous demand!"
Hades simply produces the black contract. "You already signed the agreement." He points a finger at a clause written in impossibly small letters at the bottom. "It states, right here, 'The signatory shall always follow the master's orders.'"
Brontes squints, but can't make out the tiny script. "This is injustice! Unfair! I will go on strike!"
Hades remains utterly unfazed. "Here, I am ordered. I am the rule. There is no one here to hear your complaints."
Brontes leans forward, his single eye glaring. "Grr... this is not very nice, my dear nephew."
Hades meets his glare without flinching. "What you did last night was also not very nice, my dear uncle."
Brontes snatches the order parchment back, crumpling it in his giant fist. "Just you wait, nephew. I will have my revenge for this. An eye for an eye, blood for blood."
Hades just smiles. "Come at me whenever, wherever, and with whatever you have in your arsenal. I am ready."
Arges leans toward Cottus and whispers, "What is this? One second, they are cursing each other; the next, they are smiling like childhood friends. I am confused."
Cottus rubbed his temples. "Even for me, it is difficult to tell."
After a few more minutes of heated, yet strangely polite, arguing, Brontes finally leaves with his brothers in tow. Hecate enters the office. "Hades, let's go. We are late for our visit."
"Ah... yes," Hades says, walking over to her. Hecate creates a portal swirling with shadows, leading to the dark realm where Nyx and Erebus reside. Just as they are about to step through, a voice stops them.
Hades turns to see Sebastian standing in the doorway, now dressed in an impeccable butler's outfit. He holds an elegantly wrapped white box tied with a red ribbon.
Sebastian offers a slight bow. "My apologies for the interruption, Sir, Madam. Please, take this cake. Lady Nyx will be most pleased with such a gift."
Hecate puts a hand to her mouth. "Oh my, how thoughtful!" Hades takes the box. "Thank you, Sebastian."
They step through the portal and arrive in a region of pure, absolute darkness. Hecate moves her hand, summoning an arcane lamp whose light pushes back the void, revealing a majestic temple carved from obsidian.
They enter the temple, and instantly, all the torches lining the walls flare to life, illuminating a grand hall. A sweet, feminine voice greets them. "Welcome, Hades and Hecate." Nyx and Erebus emerge from a darker alcove to stand before them.
"It is nice to see you, Lady Nyx, Lord Erebus," they both say in polite unison.
"Don't be so formal. Relax," Erebus says, waving a hand. A dark liquid bubbles up from the floor, shaping itself into a round table and comfortable chairs. "Have a seat."
Hades, ever the gentleman, pulls out a chair for Hecate. Nyx smiles at the gesture, then gives Erebus a pointed, stern look. Erebus quickly understands and shoots Hades a slightly annoyed glare. Hades swallows nervously. 'What have I done now?'
He quickly changes the subject, placing the cake box on the table. "Oh, we brought this for you. It's a unique sweet of our kingdom. Please, enjoy." He serves slices of the delicious cake to everyone.
Nyx waves her hand, and four cups of steaming tea appear out of nowhere. "Thank you" she says, taking a spoonful of cake. "Hmm… delicious."
Nyx looks at them both. "So, how is married life treating you?"
Hecate blushes."It is going nicely."
*Crack
Erebus cracks his knuckles. "If Hades ever hurts you, just tell us. We will give him a very... profound understanding of life."
Hades sweats excessively. 'What grudge does he hold?!' To distract himself, he lifts his cup and takes a sip. Hecate smiles at his reaction, filing it away as a new weapon for future teasing. Everyone lifts their cups and sips their tea.
Nyx casually adds, "You two have given Sister Ananke quite a bit of trouble."
*Cough! Cough!
Both Hades and Hecate choke on their tea. Nyx stands and gently pats their back. They share a panicked look. 'What do we say?'
Hades gives a slight tilt of his head. 'Change the topic.' "Lady Nyx, Lord Erebus, I wanted to ask you about the second task. How do I fulfil it? Can you please shed some light on it?"
"Hmm… first, you must make the Underworld an independent realm," Erebus answers.
"Independent?" Hecate murmurs, then understands. "You mean, separate the Underworld from the Earth realm?"
"Correct," Nyx says, and sits down in her seat. "And the second condition is to create its purpose. You must define the reason the Underworld exists in the world."
"The reincarnation cycle," Hades states.
Nyx nods. "Yes." She pauses to sip her tea. "Our children wish to join your reign and lend a hand in this grand work. Do not refuse them. They were born for this purpose."
Both Hades and Hecate's eyes widen in surprise. They offer slight bows. "Thank you, Lord Erebus, Lady Nyx, for your support. With your permission, we will take our leave."
Erebus and Nyx stand. Hecate creates a return portal. As they are about to step through, Nyx's voice stops them. "Hades, do you accept responsibility for the Giant Chasm?"
"Yes," Hades answers instantly. Hecate looks at him, a question in her eyes. 'Giant Chasm?'
"Do not take this lightly. It alone holds the fate of you, and of all the world," Nyx says, her voice stern and grave.
"I will," Hades vows. Then he and Hecate step through the portal and vanish.
Left alone, Nyx leans against Erebus's shoulder. "What a cute couple."
"They understand each other well," Erebus complains. "They communicate with simple gestures. And how swiftly they changed the topic to avoid talking about Sister Ananke!"
Nyx smiles. "But it was funny, wasn't it?" She pokes Erebus's side. "But you should learn from him. See what a gentleman he is."
Erebus breaks out in a sweat. "Oh! I just remembered! Tartarus needs to speak with me about something important! Let's talk another time!" He immediately dissolves into a shadow, making a tactical retreat. As an experienced husband, he knows that staying a second longer would mean falling into a trap of listening to a long list of his past mistakes.