He bolted upright as he reached for his non-existent weapon and almost collided with a female fire daemon half the size of Kakos. 

She hopped back but tripped over one of the cot’s legs. 

Hades steadied her. “Are you okay?”

The fire daemon flinched and dropped her head so her long hair, which resembled cooling embers when it moved, fell in her gaunt face. “I’m sorry, my Lord.”Hades removed his hand from her delicate wrist. “No, it’s okay.” He managed a half-smile. “I startle easily. It’s my fault.” 

The fire daemon wouldn’t meet Hades’ eyes. “If you say so, my Lord.” 

Her fear curdled Hades’ mood, but he understood. He could only guess what Kore’s people had had to put up with while they’d been on Mount Olympus. Zeus wouldn’t have allowed any upper-dwellers to cause fatal harm to the under-dwellers, but he wouldn’t have punished any harassment. 

Hades sighed and edged away from the fire daemon. “Are we leaving soon?”

Space calmed his guest. She raised her head, though she continued to refuse to look in Hades’ direction. “Yes, my Lord. My Queen wanted—” 

“Mulstra!” 

The tent opened, and Kore entered. 

The fire daemon jumped and bowed so low Kore couldn’t see her face. “My Queen?” 

The frantic glint didn’t leave Kore’s gaze as she took Mulstra’s hand. “What did I tell you?” 

“I can’t remain idle, my Queen. Not when everyone has a task except me.” 

“You’ll relapse. I won’t have that.” 

“I feel fine. I—” 

Kore shook her head. “Go to Kakos.” 

Mulstra frowned. “He won’t let me out of his sight.” 

“That’s what I’m hoping for.” 

Color flared in Mulstra’s whitish cheeks. “My Queen...” 

“It’s just until we get home.” 

Mulstra nodded. “As you wish, my Queen.” 

The fire daemon left, and Hades chortled. 

Kore pinned him with a furious stare. Moments later, her features relaxed. 

She managed a slight grin. “They’re not usually this ill-behaved. The Upperworld makes them forget themselves.”

 

“They only act up because they care.” 

Which was so unlike the servants at Zeus’ palace. 

Fights broke out regularly because none of them wanted to service Zeus. He showered them with inappropriate attention, and though Zeus knew Hera would punish the servants (her fury had already killed several servants and had severely wounded dozens of others), he expected equal amounts of devotion in return.

Hades and Hestia had attempted to convince Zeus to adopt a better, less sexual manner with the waitstaff.  Each time, they’d been ignored. Hades had suggested replacing all the females with males, yet Hestia had warned him Zeus would hurt them worse than Hera ever could the females. 

Kore nodded. “Still a bit frustrating, though.” 

“I can imagine.” 

The Daemon Queen looked around the tent. It’d been stripped bare while Hades had slept. How had the activity not woken him? 

“When do we leave?” 

“Shortly. I just came to warn you about the Underworld.” 

Horrendous tales surrounded Kore’s domain. No upper-dweller had gone to the Underworld and returned to tell its secrets.  No under-dweller had confessed, either. 

“You know what the principal purpose of the Underworld is?” Kore continued. 

“It’s where the dead go.” 

“Yes, and only under-dwellers can see the dead.” 

“So, it may seem odd in places?” 

Kore chuckled. “An understatement.” 

Hades wasn’t worried. 

Over the years, he’d traveled many places, had witnessed sights some wouldn’t believe. Whatever the Underworld contained, he could handle it.

“I’ll be all right.” 

Kore regarded him. The corner of her mouth twitched. “I’m sure you will.” 

With the playful glint in her eye, Kore seemed less the imposing Daemon Queen. Hades glimpsed the youth she might have been if the Underworld had allowed her to indulge her spirited side. No doubt, her upbringing had been better than his, for nothing could be worse than existing at Cronus’ mercy. 

“Do you need an extra hand?” 

Kore frowned. “How often will you say that?” 

“Whenever fitting.” 

Kore sighed and exited the tent. 

Hades grinned, unsure why her irritation amused him. She could easily kill him, even in her weakened state. Any other being, Hades would leave well enough alone. Yet, he couldn’t stop himself. 

Maybe the upcoming parts of his journey wouldn’t be as difficult as he feared. 

***

The expedition to the Underworld’s entrance (one of several, Kore told Hades) was a somber affair. Many of the daemons had a trying time staying upright. They leaned on supplies, weapons, and each other. Some suffered coughing fits that resulted in them spitting up blood. 

One female had blood dripping from every orifice, and she had to be carried by two males not much better off. 

Their misery enraged Hades. 

Zeus had made them wait on Mount Olympus, so this would happen. It might not have been so bad if Apollo had given the under-dwellers his salve earlier, but he disliked Kore and her people more than anyone. Only Hestia’s prying had gotten the under-dwellers any relief.

Hades would have preferred walking alongside the daemons, to keep them motivated, but Kakos had shackled him to Kore’s chariot. The ice daemon had taken the spot next to Hades, though he stood too close to his queen. Kore had ordered him to march with the others, but he’d argued with her until they’d had to leave, and she couldn’t afford to waste any more time on his pettiness. 

Kore had promised him a lashing when they returned to court. Her declaration hadn’t upset Kakos. In fact, Hades sensed the ice daemon would take death over leaving his queen alone with the god. 

Kore’s people had glared at Hades after their queen’s announcement. More than one had made threatening gestures at him. Because of this, Hades kept his attention focused ahead. 

If he didn’t see it for himself, Hades wouldn’t have believed that a bat would be faster than a team of horses, yet Kore’s giant bat traveled at a pace that blurred. It didn’t strain as it pulled the chariot by flapping its wings and hovering above the ground, and Hades figured it’d been magicked. Or maybe was a native Underworld beast. 

The bat’s gait wasn’t as smooth as a horse’s, though. Thanks to the shackles, Hades didn’t tumble out of the chariot, but he fell more than he liked (every time he did, a chorus of laughter swelled; encouraged by Kakos). 

Somehow, Kore never lost her footing. She maintained a firm grip on the reins, with perfect posture.

The party traveled over the countryside, all hyper-aware of their surroundings. Earth wasn’t a safe place, not for Titan, god, or beast. Danger lurked at every turn, even more so with the war. 

Nothing unsavory made its presence known as they raced toward the nearest Underworld entrance, much to Hades’ relief. If he had to lose his life, he didn’t want it to happen because Kakos offered him up as a distraction.

After riding and marching for half of the day, everyone’s pace slowed to one more comfortable for the sick beings. 

Hades glanced around, prepared to see that the Underworld entrance was cleverly hidden or so grand it shamed Mount Olympus’ gate. 

It was neither. 

The group approached a large cave opening, which Kore announced was their destination. 

Hades remained skeptical. If she told the truth, the Underworld’s depths would have been explored by many, too-curious up-per-dwellers. 

Kakos had been studying Hades as they approached the cave’s mouth. He smirked. “It’s not as easy to find as it looks. You won’t be able to launch an attack.” 

“I wasn’t—” 

Hades stopped. 

Why should he bother? 

The ice daemon had made it clear: he hated every breath Hades took. Hades would never convince Kakos he was worthy of trust. The more he tried, the more Kakos would despise the god. 

They entered the abandoned cave, and glow stones in the smooth rock walls illuminated the entire long, winding path. The path tilted downward, and the further they went, the warmer and damper the air became. 

In no time, Hades’ monochiton clung to his sticky body, and his throat ached. He longed for water or wine to quench his thirst, but he didn’t dare ask. The request would go unfulfilled, and it might frustrate Kore’s people to the point they punished him.

To take his mind off his discomfort, Hades glanced at Kore’s entourage. A few appeared better. Their eyes had lost their glossy sheen, and they weren’t as pale. Their footing didn’t falter as often.  

A smell like sulfur hit Hades’ nose as the tunnel ended at a bridge over a narrow, crystal clear river. Hades swore he heard wailing, but when he searched for its source amongst the daemons, he couldn’t find any of them in distress. 

Had it been the river?  

Beyond the bridge was the gate Hades had been expecting. It stood twice the size of the one Zeus had built. The low light from the glow stones gave the pearl-colored stone the gate was made from a misjudged fragility. 

Symbols Hades vaguely recognized from the under-dwellers writing system formed, in the gate’s center, a large, six-pedaled flower. Hades had noticed the design carved in Kore’s chariot and etched in the clothing of Kore and her most important staff. He’d never seen the flower before but thought its subtle beauty flattered the Daemon Queen. 

Kore removed her staff from her back and banged it on the chariot floor. 

All noise died as movement ceased. 

The Daemon Queen repeated the action, and it echoed in the tunnel. 

Before the echo ended, the gate swung open and offered Hades his first look into the Underworld. 

If not for the muted colors and the overcast sky (how the ceiling resembled the sky, Hades couldn’t fathom), Hades would have thought they’d gone back the way they’d come. Trees, shrubbery, flora, and grass were abundant. He couldn’t name any of it, but they appeared to function like what he was used to on the Upperworld. 

The tunnel’s dirt floor became an encrusted gold road beyond the gate. Lamps containing more glow stone hung from tall poles along the road. They cast a pleasant haze that allowed Hades to see various colored and sized daemons running about. The sight confused Hades, but it took him a few moments to figure out why. 

Then he realized that some daemons seemed to talk to themselves. They also mimed odd movements, mostly those that walked toward a large, square building in the background. The daemons who didn’t do this didn’t seem to find their companions’ actions unsettling. 

“Ah...” Hades muttered as he remembered what Kore had told him. 

The daemons interacted with the dead. 

Despite the weight of the surroundings, Hades wanted to laugh at the strange sight. 

Several healthy soldiers approached Kore’s chariot. Their eyes widened when they spotted Hades, but they bowed at their queen. 

“My Queen?” said the senior of the soldiers as he stepped forward. 

Kore ignored him and pointed at a thin soldier. “You, Bovian. Send a message to my healers. They’re all needed here, with pallets and medicine.”

A soldier from Kore’s party, maybe a general from the respect Hades had seen others give him, stepped from the group to stand near the senior soldier. Hades recalled him being called Ziren. 

Ziren bowed. “My Queen, we can make it to the city.”  

Kore shook her head. “No more energy will be wasted.” 

“But, my Queen—” 

“Bovian!” Kore called, and the smaller soldier snapped to action. The Daemon Queen gestured to the soldiers Bovian had come with to her worn party. “Aid them.” 

“My Queen!” Ziren said. 

Kore snapped the reins, and her bat surged forward. 

Ziren leaped out of the way to avoid getting toppled by the determined creature. 

Kakos grumbled under his breath but didn’t make enough noise to alert his queen. 

The chariot neared a large bridge that spanned a pitch-black river. As they passed over it, Hades swore a figure swirled in its depths, no doubt the river’s nymph. She glared at him, and in her eyes, Hades found a depthless hate he’d never encountered. 

He shivered and glanced away.   

Up ahead in the center of the road stood a startling being. 

Half of her body was as black as a starless night, and the other half was as fair as snow. She wore a peplos in similar shades of her skin, but in a patchwork design that didn’t compliment her. 

Kore pulled on the reins, and the bat paused. 

The being raced around Kore’s chariot and hopped on the back. She bent close to Hades and allowed him to note her jaw and eyes had the same tilt as Kore’s. Even the way she held herself mimicked the Daemon Queen.

Kakos stepped toward the being. “My Lady, I don’t think—” 

Without warning, the being slammed her forehead into Hades’. 

A shock of intense pain flooded Hades, and he passed out.