"Tartarus, teleport us to the entrance," Hades commanded. The air shimmered, and in the next instant, the entire group disappeared from the depths, reappearing directly before the massive, sealed gate to the pit.
They all stepped through as the gate swung shut behind them with a final, thunderous boom. Hecate stood waiting, her expression a mix of worry and relief. Hades hopped down from Brontes's shoulder.
Hecate ran forward and threw her arms around him in a tight embrace. "You have no idea how worried I was!"
Suddenly, Brontes's voice boomed 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 pushed the nymph forward.
Cold sweat instantly beaded on Hades's temples. "Wai—"
He didn't get to finish. Hecate's nails sharpened into deadly points, digging deep into the small of his back. "Wait, that is not the case! Aahh, let me clarify!" he yelped in a mix of pain and panic.
Brontes, enjoying the show immensely, thought, 'Heh, if I can't hit him with a hammer, I'll hit him with words. Watching him sweat is payment enough.' He added more fuel to the fire. "What is there to clarify, dear nephew? That you brought back not one, but two nymphs?"
Hecate's nails dug deeper. A terrifying aura flared around her, and dark ichor began to well up from the punctures in Hades's back. "AHHHH!!" he screamed.
"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 blurted out, the words tumbling over each other in his haste.
Instantly, Hecate released him. Her aura vanished, her nails retracted, and she was all sweet smiles again, as if nothing had happened. She then turned and glided toward Brontes, who was chuckling heartily. She gestured for him to lean down.
Still laughing, Brontes obliged, bending his massive head toward her. Without warning, Hecate's aura erupted again, a hundred times more ferocious. She grabbed his enormous earlobe and yanked him down, whispering a string of cursed, ancient words directly into his ear. "ÆåÅvçssjsoal!!!"
Brontes's face drained of all color. Blood trickled from his now-crimson ear. Hecate released him and calmly walked back to Hades's side. Brontes trembled, 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 watched in stunned silence, each making a mental note: 'Never, ever make the queen angry.'
Hecate gracefully waved a hand, creating a large portal swirling with energy. "Everyone, through here," she instructed.
They all stepped through, arriving in the central land. "Everyone, get some rest," Hades announced. "Tomorrow, I will assign your duties."
Servants quickly appeared to guide the new arrivals to the guest quarters. Hades and Hecate retreated to their private chambers. "Lady Nyx has invited us to her temple," Hecate informed him.
Hades collapsed onto the bed. "Okay, we'll visit tomorrow. But for now, let's sleep. I am completely exhausted." A huge yawn escaped him.
---
The next day, all six uncles stood in Hades's office. They had shrunk their normally twenty-meter-tall forms down to a more manageable six feet to fit inside.
"My dear uncles," Hades began, all business. "You will establish a forge near the Tartarus gateway." He slid a parchment across the table. "And this is your first task."
Brontes, as the eldest, stepped forward and picked up the scroll. His single eye scanned 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 slammed the parchment down on the table. "We will not fulfil such a ridiculous demand!"
Hades simply produced the black contract. "You already signed the agreement." He pointed 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 squinted, but couldn't make out the tiny script. "This is injustice! Unfair! I will go on strike!"
Hades remained utterly unfazed. "Here, I am ordered. I am the rule. There is no one here to hear your complaints."
Brontes leaned forward, his single eye glaring. "Grr... this is not very nice, my dear nephew."
Hades met his glare without flinching. "What you did last night was also not very nice, my dear uncle."
Brontes snatched 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 smiled. "Come at me whenever, wherever, and with whatever you have in your arsenal. I am ready."
Arges leaned toward Cottus and whispered, "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 left with his brothers in tow. Hecate entered the office. "Hades, let's go. We are late for our visit."
"Ah... yes," Hades said, walking over to her. Hecate created a portal swirling with shadows, leading to the dark realm where Nyx and Erebus resided. Just as they were about to step through, a voice stopped them.
Hades turned to see Sebastian standing in the doorway, now dressed in an impeccable butler's outfit. He held an elegantly wrapped white box tied with a red ribbon.
Sebastian offered 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 put a hand to her mouth. "Oh my, how thoughtful!" Hades took the box. "Thank you, Sebastian."
They stepped through the portal and arrived in a region of pure, absolute darkness. Hecate moved her hand, summoning an arcane lamp whose light pushed back the void, revealing a majestic temple carved from obsidian.
They entered the temple, and instantly, all the torches lining the walls flared to life, illuminating a grand hall. A sweet, feminine voice greeted them. "Welcome, Hades and Hecate." Nyx and Erebus emerged from a darker alcove to stand before them.
"It is nice to see you, Lady Nyx, Lord Erebus," they both said in polite unison.
"Don't be so formal. Relax," Erebus said, waving a hand. A dark liquid bubbled up from the floor, shaping itself into a round table and comfortable chairs. "Have a seat."
Hades, ever the gentleman, pulled out a chair for Hecate. Nyx smiled at the gesture, then gave Erebus a pointed, stern look. Erebus quickly understood and shot Hades a slightly annoyed glare. Hades swallowed nervously. 'What have I done now?'
He quickly changed 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 served slices of the delicious cake to everyone.
Nyx waved her hand, and four cups of steaming tea appeared out of nowhere. "Thank you," she said, taking a spoonful of cake. "Hmm… delicious."
Nyx looked at them both. "So, how is married life treating you?"
Hecate blushed. "It is going nicely."
Crack.
Erebus cracked his knuckles. "If Hades ever hurts you, just tell us. We will give him a very... profound understanding of life."
Hades sweated excessively. 'What grudge does he hold?!' To distract himself, he lifted his cup and took a sip. Hecate smiled at his reaction, filing it away as a new weapon for future teasing. Everyone lifted their cups and sipped their tea.
Nyx casually added, "You two have given Sister Ananke quite a bit of trouble."
Cough! Cough!
Both Hades and Hecate choked on their tea. Nyx stood and gently patted their back. They shared a panicked look. 'What do we say?'
Hades gave 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 answered.
"Independent?" Hecate murmured, then understood. "You mean, separate the Underworld from the Earth realm?"
"Correct," Nyx said, and sat 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 stated.
Nyx nodded. "Yes." She paused 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 widened in surprise. They offered slight bows. "Thank you, Lord Erebus, Lady Nyx, for your support. With your permission, we will take our leave."
Erebus and Nyx stood. Hecate created a return portal. As they were about to step through, Nyx's voice stopped them. "Hades, do you accept responsibility for the Giant Chasm?"
"Yes," Hades answered instantly. Hecate looked 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 said, her voice stern and grave.
"I will," Hades vowed. Then he and Hecate stepped through the portal and vanished.
Left alone, Nyx leaned against Erebus's shoulder. "What a cute couple."
"They understand each other well," Erebus complained. "They communicate with simple gestures. And how swiftly they changed the topic to avoid talking about Sister Ananke!"
Nyx smiled. "But it was funny, wasn't it?" She poked Erebus's side. "But you should learn from him. See what a gentleman he is."
Erebus broke out in a sweat. "Oh! I just remembered! Tartarus needs to speak with me about something important! Let's talk another time!" He immediately dissolved into a shadow, making a tactical retreat. As an experienced husband, he knew that staying a second longer would mean falling into a trap of listening to a long list of his past mistakes.