Max retreated with his head down.
Persephone sat upright and looked down. One of her arms was pitch black. Her nails looked rotting. Her hands shook as Hades sat next to her. He took the blackened hand and uncorked the bottle that had been in the cardboard box. Persephone bit her lip as the burning liquid stung her hand. It hurt, but as the golden drops dribbled onto her hand, the color receded and her arm resumed its normal appearance.
Amazed, Persephone touched her healthy arm. She turned to Hades who was levitating the box back to its original place. His breathing was erratic. Persephone was uncertain what emotion he was conveying.
She opened her mouth to speak, but Hades cut her off.
“Don’t say anything.”
Persephone broke. “I don’t even know what I did wrong. How was I supposed to know touching a person would lead to this? I don’t understand why this happened to me. I don’t understand any of the life here. There’s nothing familiar about any of this.”
Hades rubbed her back in soothing circles. “I’m not angry at you. I brought you here. It’s my fault that you didn’t know. Demeter wanted you to be a flower in a glass here. Here, you are free. This freedom is not something you understand.”
Persephone leaned into his shoulder. “I don’t want riddles. I’ve always been strong enough to adapt to new things. I thought you wanted me to be more proactive. Explain to me what just happened.”
“Cerberos attacks souls who try to leave the Underworld. I suspect that’s why he had that person in his mouth. He was trying to return him to his deigned area.”
“Why was I blighted when I touched him?”
“A person like that soul isn’t fully corporeal. His body is on loan from me to complete his task, otherwise he would just melt into a stone. His soul is inhabiting that form. It’s borrowed. It’s like a well with poisoned water. That’s why he and his kind are confined to the Asphodel Meadows Mines. Once the Rockmen get out, they start spilling bits of themselves onto other people. His soul was melting into yours. The effects can put you completely into a coma. It’s very dangerous for anyone, especially now since you’re my queen.”
Persephone touched her arm. “That’s terrible. Did you create them?”
Hades hung his head. “I run this realm, but I don’t control the machinery that’s always been here. He was made long before I ever ruled. The rockmen mine the ore that made this structure. They’re a vital part of the building of this kingdom.”
Persephone considered this. She softly placed her hands on top of Hades. “Thank you for helping me understand. But I also think rockmen should be able to come to the store. It should be open to all souls.”
“They’re vile. Some of the worst sins are committed by that low folk.”
“I know, but I want also to know more about this world now that it’s mine. I need to explore myself.”
“That’s dangerous.” Hades clenched his fists.
“I’ll take Max and I’ll be careful.”

Hades reluctantly agreed to let Persephone explore the Asphodel Meadows. But he maintained several conditions: First, that she would be glamoured with a cloak that would repel all blights and disillusionments. This same cloak would also make her invisible. Second, Persephone could only observe and not get involved in any danger. Third, Max would accompany her.
Persephone, other than the cloak, had no intention of being faithful to his conditions. The cloak billowed around her as she set out for the Meadow. She was on a cliff overlooking the mining operations. Max appeared in a whirl of grey smoke. His fork tail shot around her before his head materialized in her hand. She scratched him behind the ear.
“Why are you so happy, Max?”
Max purred into her hand. “This, your majesty, in all the hours of lugging flowers and saving you, is what I love most. The master and I do this often. Never did I imagine that my lady also had perchance to don a hood.”
“We aren’t going into battle.”
“But you are going to figure out what happened and why. The master will be watching you with much interest. He chose you for your sweetness. Never did he imagine you would have more. I’m happy to see who I serve appear so also.”
“You’re such a strange cat.”
“I have a full underbelly now. I can taste what I eat. I can even perform most bodily functions. This is all due to you.”
Persephone smiled. “I have no idea what I’m doing. I just want to try.” She wrapped the cape around herself and disappeared from view.
The cape proved useful in assessing the workings. Most workers arrived and worked in lines so Persephone could wander around them with ease. She quickly figured out the area was arranged in a spiral with the nucleus being where the main hub of activity radiated. As one grew further and further from the nucleus, the activity grew less. She was interested first in locating Roxas. Max was a slight weight on her shoulders, but after some time of resting, he left.
Persephone had finally entered the main hub square with the shops and administration when he returned.
“I found the rocky ringleader,” Max whispered huskily.
“I’m looking for Roxas.”
“Oh, he doesn’t know anything.”
“I don’t care. I think that he was—”
“My lady, take the next left and enter into the third tunnel. You’ll find him working in the maw of the cave.”
Persephone nodded and felt the weight shift as Max dissolved again. She quickened her step. Occasionally she would feel Max’s forked tail adjust her so she wouldn’t be hit by swinging beams of jumping rockmen.
The faces were always heavy set and serious as they focused on their busy work.
“Hey hey hey get that beam over here, Groomish.”
“Stop that falling rock.”
“The ore is filled up here, rockmen!!”
Persephone spotted Roxas and sprinted over to him. He was leaning on a pickaxe. He wiped his granite forehead with a dirty handkerchief. Persephone felt Max’s tail wind around her abdomen.
“What do you think you—”
Persephone was thrown back when she was hit with a rush of air—the gigantic three-headed hound, Cerberos.
All around her, the rockman scattered. Their grinding screams gave Persephone a splitting headache. She covered her ears quickly. Max curled his body around her as the sheer rock face slid down in an avalanche of ore carts and picks. Persephone’s hood slid down. As her cloak’s charm broke, so did Max. Both of them appeared simultaneously.
The heads tore at the black body tearing it as it reformed. Roxas’s scream was shrill as the carnivore’s teeth sunk into him. Persephone was conflicted and confused. They weren’t at the gates, they were inside the mine itself. What had caused the dog to act as such?
Spittle splattered everywhere and like acid, melted whatever rock it touched.
Persephone threw her hood back on as the liquid sprayed at her. Max hid behind her.
“Max?”
“My lady, at this distance, you are safe.”
“Is there anything we can do? Why is he reacting like this? This is wrong. Something is—”
Persephone made a split decision. She lowered her hood. Max materialized and she handed him the cloak.
“My lady?”
“Maximillian, I order you to not interfere.”
“My lady, please.”
Persephone ignored him as his bow deepened. She’d caught the attention of the rabid hound. Two of the heads turned in her direction. Her long garments billowed around her. She stood stock still as the animal bounded towards her.
Persephone smiled.
The dog dropped Roxas at her feet. Cerberos maintained eye contact with Persephone. Persephone reached her fingers and petted the snouts of all three. Three tongues lolled out to reach her outstretched fingers.
“Thank you, Cerberos. I’m sorry you got caught up in this mess. This, I’m sure, has nothing to do with you. Go back to the gates. I’ll feed you later. This isn’t good food.”
The dog barked appreciatively before bounding up and out of the cavern.
Max tapped Persephone’s shoulder and pointed down at Roxas.
“He’s no more.”
Persephone quickly turned and saw the stone that had been the face was glowing. The eyes beamed with a brilliant, fluid light. The light grew bright until Persephone could see feathers.
“Roxas?” Persephone said softly.
The dove stretched out his legs one by one before flying to Persephone’s shoulder. The dove cuddled into her neck before flying up and away.
“What did I do?”
“You released him from this form. He cannot leave until his sentence is done, but he may repent instead at the store. This is your change, my queen.”
“But that doesn’t explain why Cerberos attacked him.”
“The main administrator had him dipped in harpies’ blood.”
“Why?”
“To make more rockmen. The stone that was his face is called a birthstone. Every birthstone can be exchanged with shrouds—fthe one who bring the souls to hell—for favors. I collected the birthstone to prevent this.”
“There’s a lot more here than what I first thought.”
“The master will make some changes. You should return to the flower shop.”
“I want to study the birthstone and I need access to a library. I need to know more about all of this.”
“That’s fine, you shall have everything as you desire.”
“I like freedom if this is what that is.”
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