Deals
My banishment was less than fair. Simply because I was the troublemaker of the three of us, I was banished to the Underworld while my brothers lived in the lap of luxury. Zeus over Olympus and Earth and Poseidon over the seas. They could come and go from the heavens whenever they pleased. But I could not. I was forced to take rule over the underworld because ‘someone has to do it’ but I was never allowed to leave. I can’t physically leave even if I tried. There are hexes guarding the entrance keeping me and the lost souls that i protect in.
I let out a cough. I felt absolutely miserable. The heat, sulfur, and lack of sunlight that this realm holds has done a number on my health. It started with my hair. The once blonde locks turned snowy white, then my skin turned grey, and i lost a tremendous amount of weight. That’s just what can be seen. My body had become frail and weakened over the centuries that I’ve dwelled in the Underworld. There wasn’t much i could do to stop my health from further depleting either. My magic wasn’t the healing type so it wouldn’t do me much good. I had sent out several soul collectors to spread the word of my health and try to find someone who could help me, whether they wanted to or not. My plan was to drag their soul to the underworld and force them to heal me. Only when the job was done would i allow them to return to their life with the living. So far I had had no luck.
I heard footsteps coming down the corridor from where the entrance was. That was strange. My collectors made no such sound and none of the Gods, not even my brothers dared step foot in my domain. I rose from my throne and hurried to the corridor. There was a girl. What in the name of Zeus was a mortal doing here? True the hexes didn’t keep people out it just kept the residence in but no mortal ever dared enter. So her presence was baffling.
She stopped a good few feet in front of me looking up at me without the slightest hint of fear. She was beautiful; hourglass figure, porcelain skin, long flowing pink hair, and bright blue eyes. I opened my mouth to question her as to why she had come but she spoke up first.
“I am Persephone.” She introduced herself, her eyes scanning me. “I’ve heard the rumours of your poor health. By your appearance it’s true.”
Oh I would have a long talk with my soul collectors. They were only supposed to send a soul not a living mortal! I would take what I could though. I was sure there was some kind of deal I could make her. I nodded. “Yes. I’ve been less than well.”
She reached up and place a small hand on my cheek, her skin burning my own at the touch. Her eyes locked with mine. “I am here to help you.” She began. “But I do come with a price.”
There it was. No mortal ever did anything for free or just because they wanted to. I nodded. Whatever her price was i was sure i could pay it. Most mortals wanted riches or a free pass from the underworld. Both of which I could easily grant. It was against the rules to let a soul stay in the land of the living longer than what was intended but they always got tired of life and begged to be taken. There was also other ways of bringing them to the underworld without directly going against it. Just set up a natural disaster like say a fire or a venomous snake bite instead of sending my soul collectors. They never knew the difference until it was too late. “Name your price.” I told her. “And prove that you can indeed help me.”
She moved her hand away, the burning stopping as she did so. “There is your proof.” She replied fishing in a satchel that hung at her side. She pulled a small mirror out and showed me mine own reflection. A blue mark had appeared under my eye where her had had rested. Magic runes. A healing magic that was a very rare practice among the gods and even rarer among the mortals. That would certainly help. “You’ll need many more than just that one.” She put the mirror back away before she continued to her price. “I only ask you return my lover to the land of the living.”
That was the one thing that I really wasn’t allowed to do. Not without a price at least. However I could do it. I nodded an acceptance. I needed her help. I could work out how I would hold true to my end of the deal after I’d been healed. “You stay here.” I told her. I couldn’t allow her to run off and leave me even if i hadn’t completed my end of the deal just yet.
She opened her mouth to protest but I held up a hand to stop her. “You want your lover back you stay here, with me, until your job is complete.”
As time passed she created more and more healing runes across my body. I had lost count of how many there were ages ago. She assured me that my skin and hair would always remain the color they had turned but my strength would return and I wouldn’t be dying from the effects of the underworld. She was surprisingly gentle. She didn’t hate me for keeping her locked away down here. She even showed me compassion and pity. She looked at me like I was a man and not a monster like so many others had.
I contemplated how I was going to go about handling my side of the deal during the long months that turned into years that she was healing me. I couldn’t return a soul without an other taking it’s place first. So the only logical conclusion was to keep her in the Underworld with me and return her lover to the living. I knew it wasn’t what she had wanted but it was all i could do without suffering consequences myself. I wasn't willing to take heat from my brothers for returning a soul that had been marked dead years ago without it being traded. She didn’t know this though or she would have put more precautions on her terms. That was her loss though. She should have known better than to accept a deal with the God of the Underworld without any more terms than was presented.
The day finally came that her treatment was finished. Her bright blue eyes were locked on mine and she gave me a smile. “My work here is done.” She told me happily.
I gave her a weak smile but it quickly faded away. “Thank you.” I mumbled. I knew I had to tell her now that she would not be leaving here even though she had helped me. However I would be holding my end of the bargain. But she would not be happy about it.
She gave me a confused look. She knew something was wrong. I normally was much more charismatic, even while I had been dying. But now that my life has been saved I act sad? She knew for sure this was not the Hades she had lived with for the past few years. “What is it?” She started slowly and softly.
I bowed my head. “I’m so sorry but our deal isn’t going to quite work the way you had expected.” I looked up holding my hands up before she could protest. “You’re lover is still going to go free...but I can’t do so without a price.” I sighed.
She looked at me in silence for a moment. “You need a replacement don't you?” She asked slowly.
I simply nodded in silence.
“I see.” Was all she said before storming off. I had expected much worse from her. But this wasn’t much better. I had come to care for this girl over the years and hurting her was the last thing I wanted to do. I knew how much it had to sting to hear.
After a few hours she returned to me. Her eyes were red and puffy like she had been crying but she held her head high nonetheless. “I will stay.” She spoke softly but determined. “Just please let him go. He was so young…”
“As are you, my dear.” I told her. I didn’t want to see her waste her life in this miserable place. She’d already spent a few precious years here she didn’t need to spend any more.
“I’m staying.” She said raising her voice a bit. “Just let him go.”
I nodded. There was no getting her to change her mind. I had learned that over time. Her mind was made up. She was taking her lover’s place in the Underworld.
The next few days I didn’t see much of her. She kept to herself, presumably coming to terms with the fact that she would never see her lover or the outside world again. But at least she knew that he was safe. So I gave her the space she needed.
Over time she came to speak with me again and eventually we became friends. We fell in love.
She never really forgot about the world she left behind or the man that she had sacrificed it for. I couldn’t blame her for that. I knew that this wasn’t what she expected when she came to me that day. But I’m grateful she did because she gave me life and happiness. Two things I had expected to lose in the world long ago.