Dirge of Hell | Greek Mythology

15 Menthe

"My Lady, My Lord, do you know where Lord Hades is?" Themis asked Nyx and Erebus, who were sitting on the porch of the palace enjoying the view of the Asphodel fields with a couple of flasks of wine, generally enjoying each other's company.

"Oh dear, I do not know. Do you know where Aidon is love?" Nyx asked her husband.

"Well…I know but…that is…" Erebus started but was cut off when another presence barged into their conversation.

"WHERE IS HE?! He's late. He hasn't been coming to his lessons!" Tartarus shouted angrily as he kicked the door open.

"Aidon?" Erebus asked with a cocked eyebrow.

"Lessons?" Nyx stared at her brother.

"Yes. He's been missing my torture lessons," he huffed as he crossed his arms. And then noticing Themis' presence for the first time, he asked, "You're looking for Aidon too?"

"Yes. He's also been missing my justice lessons, My Lord," Themis bowed respectfully. As far as primordial gods go, Themis had only seen her mother Gaea and even those meetings were sparse and few in between. Coming face to face with someone like the infamous Tartarus still made her a bit queasy. She had only been in the Underworld for a short time yet already most of its denizens warned her about steering clear of this mercurial god, so she tried her best to look as small as possible around him.

"Tch. What is that boy doing skipping school like this?" Tartarus scoffed. "I don't know if I should be proud of his rebelliousness or angry that he's rebelling against me! He's been missing for three days now."

"Please understand, he's exhausted," Erebus said. "We all know he hasn't been resting well."

"Oh," Nyx looked at him with a worried expression. "What has happened to Aidon? Do you know where he is now? Does he need me?"

She stood up immediately and was about to search for him when Erebus held her hand and shook his head discouragingly, "He's sleeping right now."

"But my Lord, I have checked his bedroom and I did not find his Majesty there," Themis interjected.

The god of Darkness looked towards the far-off horizon of the Asphodel plains and whispered solemnly, "In Elysium."

Tartarus sighed exasperatedly and ran his fingers through his flaming hair. "Her, huh?"

Erebus nodded. Nyx looked down at her hands with a pained expression.

Themis looked at the three gods perplexed, "Who is 'her'?"

"None of your business," Tartarus said coldly with a sharp look in his eyes. Themis immediately, frightfully bowed her head to avoid his gaze. Nyx looked even more downcast while Erebus averted his eyes uncomfortably. No one tried to explain it to the goddess of justice. They felt like it was not their place to do so.

"Nyx, I'm borrowing this guy for a bit," the Pit god grabbed Erebus' arm and without waiting for her permission, spirited the god of darkness to his rather large monstrous-looking abode on top of the highest peak beside the Phlegethon River where one can have a panorama of the entire layer. The mountain didn't look like a mountain but a collection of ominous dark red spikes lit by the fiery river. His castle was equally dark red like it's been soaking in mortal blood. Cerberus statues chomping down on mortal skeletons guarded its entrance, which were flanked by numerous statues showing rather horrific gruesome tortures. The inside of the house was equally horrifying. Like any proud grandfather, he had statues of all his grandchildren – the Hydra, Chimaera, Sphinx, Nemean Lion, and the list could go on and on. Yes, it was Tartarus' home sweet home and he prided himself of its internal and external décor.