Designed Destiny

12. Living Nightmares

They were. "What? No! I'm always this tall, we just don't usually stand this close!" He protested with a huff, then brushed past him, Hades followed him outside with a smile. "So what kind of monsters are we slaying first today?" Persephon asked, tossing his beautifully wavy flaxen hair out of his eyes covered by golden sunshades. As usual, there was no use for sunshades, but he was never deterred from making a fashion statement so left them in place despite the overcast day.

"We? We don't slay monsters, I do, and you try not to get eaten by any." He informed him curtly as he led the way down to the beach, he then summoned his command over stone and a gondola rose out of the black water. The excess water sloshed over the sides as it rocked back and forth before calmly sailing towards them, the brisk breeze drying the boat as it went.

"I resent that," Persephon shot him a look as Hades hopped into the gondola. "I used to be a fencing champion before my days as a polo star, you'd know that already if you had any interweb connection in this damned place and followed my MyLife page."

"Call me old-fashioned," he offered his hand.

"You're old-fashion," he retorted and awkwardly clambered into the boat on his own, nearly stumbling overboard before he managed to sit down, smoothing his hair behind his ears with embarrassment. Hades smiled softly to himself as he guided the gondola away from the island. "Okay so," Persephon huffed, crossing his arms as he tried to summon his typical attitude. "If we're not "mons'er huntin' in t' swamps" today, what are we up to?"

"I'll be check in on the cities, making sure the spirits are settled, spread the charm, you know, shake hands and kiss babies, that sort of stuff."

"Eh, why do that again? It's not like anyone cares."

"Actually," he shot him a look. "They do." The demigod arched a challenging eyebrow. "If I didn't visit all of the havens for the spirits regularly then they'd be preyed upon and attacked by the unflinching collection of fiends, alps, succupi, incubi, and all the other soul-suckers that live here. My presence alone is typically enough to scare them off but sometimes it comes down to a more exciting intervention..." He said softly as he steered them into one of the dark mountain tunnels.

"So wait, let me get this straight, you're a guardian to the spirits in the Underworld?" Hades nodded. Persephon shook his head in disbelief. Okay, whoa. Who the hell knew Hades had an actual job and wasn't just acting spooky and creepy all the time? "Hey uh, if this whole planet is inhabited by like, ghosts, ghouls, whatever may have you, how can you visit like, all the cities? Do you have like, a summer palace on the other side of the planet?" he asked eagerly.

"This is the summer palace," he smirked. Persephon made a face. "And no, I only live here. But I had Cerberus create these tunnels through the mountains, highways basically that transport me wherever I wanna go in the Underworld."

"Nifty trick Fido has up his miserable, mangy sleeve."

The dreary light of the tunnel -only offered by the lantern hanging from the staff of the boat- was suddenly swallowed up by ashen white sunlight; the gondola emerged from the mountain and was then sailing peacefully through another ancient city. This one was actually suspended off the ground, impressively floating over a dark jungle's floor teeming with vegetation, the black river they were winding down looped around and in-between various trees the glorious houses hung from.

"This is...intense," Persephon breathed with amazement as he stared up into the sky filled with enormous leaves and massive structures. "Like a...haunted, giant birdhouse exhibit or whatever."

"Haunted?" Hades cocked his head in surprise, then slowly nodded as if just remembering something. "Ohhh...you can't see them, can you?"

"Huh? I see them just fine; they're scary and dark," he insisted.

Hades looked a little dismayed, then said softly, "I mean, you cannot see them the way I can."

He was surprised and stared at the God of the Dead in bewilderment. "How do you see them?" He inched closer with interest. Hades was looking around with his dramatic mirror-like eyes reflecting everything around them mystically.

"I see what the spirits see...warm sunlight, laughing families, a lush, temperate jungle in full bloom...so many exquisite colors."

"Really?" Persephon whispered as he looked around with new eyes, trying to envision the setting the way the God of the Dead described.

"It's peaceful, not quiet but peaceful, serene...Sometimes I wish I could join them," he admitted and then ducked his head when the demigod glanced at him.

"Well...why can't you? I mean, you're their protector and whatever, why wouldn't they want you at a backyard barbeque?"

"I wouldn't wish to impose," he said indifferently.

"Yeah right, what's the real reason?" Persephon pressed.

Hades shot him an annoyed look, then heaved a sighed as he looked around again at the eerie jungle, a cold breeze blew shrilly through the trees wrapped in leafy vines. "I don't want to scare them," he finally said. "Everything near me looks exactly like this," he gestured with one hand at their surroundings. "Constantly dark, constantly decaying, constantly cold...It would ruin their scenery in other words," he cleared his throat dismissively and kept rowing farther down the river.

"So, you basically have no friends."

Hades exhaled with frustration.

"Hey, they're overrated, trust me," he insisted and leaned back in the bench seat. "All they do is bitch and whine about you behind your back, suck up to your mother so that way when you and your homie have a fight, she's on their side because 'aren't they that sweet one who said I look twenty-three?'" He mimicked his mother's voice, Hades snorted with amusement. "And then you have to keep track of everyone's fuckin' birthdays, keep track of who's fuckin' who and who doesn't know it, and..." He prattled on and on as Hades continued to make his rounds, only then the routine it didn't seem so desolate and lonely anymore.