Descendant of Darkness - Chapter Two
Watching from his window, Arcadian grimaced as the medic tended to his burns. He glared toward the stars, wishing he had kept Araceli from fleeing. “Soon, dear sister, I will have disposed of you. I will have secured the throne for my brother and you will watch from the underworld as we wreak havoc on this world. This terrible world that you love so much will fall and the age of eternal darkness will arrive.”
“Sir, you have to sit still for us to do this properly,” the medic stated, hands glowing as they hovered over the second degree burns covering Arcadian’s forearm. “What were you even doing so close to the fire?”
“It was just a freak accident. No need to send someone to investigate. I was enjoying myself and things got a little out of hand. Things happen like that all the time. Let it go.” He returned his attention to the night sky, glaring at the constellations. “I will have my revenge, Araceli. You will die by my hands.”
“Did you just say Araceli?” a shadow asked, forming into another person. “Medic, leave us to speak with him alone.”
“Yes, sir.”
After the medic left, he turned back to Arcadian. “What is this about Araceli? You have found her?”
“Patience, Drusico. I'll have her disposed of and she'll be nothing but a bad memory.” He smirked. “She might have father's blood, but she will never be welcome in our kingdom.”
“You know father wants her to come back,” a new voice stated. She materialized beside Drusico. “I've wanted to meet her myself, to be completely honest with you.”
Arcadian scoffed. “Why, Gaea? She's a menace. She doesn't belong with us.”
“She's still our sister.”
“I don't really agree,” Iris stated, leaning forward in her chair. She smiled at the shock on Gaea’s face. “I've been here, speaking quietly with Arcadian. We both think she needs to disappear and disappear quickly. She has commoner's blood in her, but more than that, she has her blood running through her veins.”
“Lady Corrine is the woman father loves. Do not take her so lightly.” Gaea crossed her arms, frowning at the younger two. “Father would be ashamed of the both of you.”
Standing up, Iris glared at Gaea. “No, Gaea, he would be ashamed of you. You've always had a bit of a soft spot for mortals and good people. We're the royal family of darkness. Start acting like it or I will get rid of you after killing Araceli.” Turning on her heel, Iris exited the room.
Arcadian smirked. “Look out, Gaea. Iris is out for blood and she might spill yours just to satisfy her hunger. Like she said, we're the descendants of darkness. We're supposed to be hateful toward everyone who isn't worthy of us. That includes Araceli’s pathetic mother. We might as well get rid of her, too.” He followed Iris out of the room, wanting to catch up to her to discuss strategies.
“What are we going to do?” Gaea turned fearful eyes to Drusico. “You're the eldest child of the king. What would be the best course of action?”
Sighing, Drusico rubbed his temples. “We have to find Araceli first. We have to make her come with us even if she wants to resist. Use whatever knockout powers you possess. If those two get to her first, we'll have to admit defeat and cut our losses. I’m just glad that Araceli has had some sort of combat training. Whoever raised her taught her well.”
“Word on the street is that it was Athena, the goddess of wisdom.”
“Athena raised her? Then she can hold her own against Arcadian. He's way too hot-headed to win against someone trained by Athena. The challenge would be fighting both Arcadian and Iris. Those two make a very formidable team.”
“Watch your back. I’m leaving tonight to see if I can track her down.” Gaea bowed once to show her respect before sneaking out of the window. Despite it being a few stories up, she was pretty agile. She landed on her feet, crouching to absorb most of the impact. “I call upon the power of the earth. Guide my steps to Araceli, lead me down the right path!”
Reaching a distant village, Araceli stopped. She wondered where the wind was leading her until she noticed a tavern on the side of the road. Eternal Tavern, Where Patrons Never Die. Steeling herself against whatever might be inside, she headed for the door. She was slightly surprised to see it was open to minors, but was thankful for it. Stepping inside, she took a seat away from the windows at the bar, ordering a simple glass of water.
“I haven't seen you here before. You new to these parts?” the bartender asked, leaving the pitcher of water beside her glass.
“I'm just passing through,” she replied, taking a small sip of her drink. “I'm looking for some people, but I’m not sure where to go from here.”
“Who are you looking for? Oh, my name is Hades.” He grinned at the stunned look on Araceli’s face before chuckling and lowering his voice. “And, yes, that Hades.”
“How did you know I was thinking of a particular Hades?” Araceli blinked, the man behind the counter waving her closer so he could drop his voice even more.
“Everyone always thinks of the underworld Hades first. It's pretty much a given, but I am who I am.” He stood back, hands planted on the counter so he could take in Araceli’s appearance. “Tell me who you are looking for. I might be able to help you. And if I can't, I can give you someone else that can.”
Looking around, Araceli lowered her voice. “I need to find my parents. Do you know where Corrine or Seriphus reside?”
The room seemed to grow cold as she uttered their names, the look on Hades's face complacent. “Lady Corrine isn't really spoken highly of around here. As for King Seriphus, these lands are his. Claiming to be their daughter is a cruel joke, kid.”
“I'm not a kid, Hades. And my name is-” Her voice was drowned out by the door slamming open.
“Araceli!” the pair shouted at once.
Hades's eyes widened and his eyebrows nearly shot into his hairline. “You're Araceli?!”
Standing up, Araceli faced the two that shouted her name. The entire tavern was quiet, all of the patrons staring at her in disbelief. “So much for being unseen in this place.” She glared at the two before her. “What business do you have with me?”
“We are friends of Athena. We're the twins, Artemis and Apollo,” they said in unison again.
“She sent us after you,” Artemis stated, taking a step forward. “She wanted to come after you herself, but she was upset. She said you promised you wouldn't leave without telling her first.”
“And she wants you to go home,” Apollo added. He held out his hand. “Araceli, daughter of Lady Corrine, I beg of you, please come with us.”
“I can't go home yet.” Looking down, Araceli frowned. “I want to speak to my parents. I want to know why they just cast me aside like yesterday's garbage.” Locking eyes with them, the twins took a step back. “Why didn’t they raise me? Why did they send me here?”
“It's because father had us,” Arcadian interrupted. He smirked as the patrons of the tavern grew pale. “If you wish to have your lives spared, leave at once.” They all scattered, leaving Arcadian cackling. “So, Araceli dear, how do you wish to die?”
“I'm not dying today, Arcadian. If anyone dies, it'll be you!” Focusing her energy, Araceli created a small ball of wind in her right hand. “I've gotten a little better in the past few hours since our last encounter.”
“You've fought him before?” Hades jumped his counter, falling in place next to Araceli. He pulled out a scepter, the orb atop it glowing dark purple. “You both know very well that going up against a god is futile. Leave my tavern at once.”
“Both?” Artemis asked, screeching a second later when Iris appeared from the shadows. She jumped and twirled through the air, Apollo following suit to land on either side of Araceli.
“Leave at once or be dragged to hell.” Hades held his scepter toward them. “I won't put up with you trying to fight inside my tavern. It took me a very long time to get this clientele. I’m not losing it because the pampered prince and princess don't know how to act in public.”
Grimacing, Iris growled under her breath. “When absolute darkness falls over this world, Hades, I'll have the new king banish you from earth. You can rot in your precious underworld for eternity.” Looking at Arcadian, she nodded toward the door. “Let's leave for now. They can't hole up in here forever, brother. And when Araceli steps outside, we'll take her.”
Araceli watched as they left, exhaling a breath she hadn’t know she was holding. The ball of wind vanished from her hand and she looked at Hades. “Thanks, Hades. When I fought Arcadian before, he completely destroyed a factory in his attempt to kill me.”
“Where is Athena now?” Hades turned his attention to the twins, both of them shrugging.
“We guess she's still at home. Should we return there and regroup? It's neutral territory,” Apollo replied.
Artemis frowned. “Why don't we stop by her place and all head toward Lady Corrine's domain? We'll be safer there with the others surrounding us.”
“The others?” Araceli looked to all three of them. “Who are the others?”
Smiling, Hades pointed to a photo on the wall. It held a large group, all smiling at the camera. “The others. The ones who support Lady Corrine and help keep the world balanced. Ares, Poseidon, and Zeus are the closest.”
“Zeus? Athena’s father Zeus?”
“Yeah, and my brother.” Hades smiled wider. “Technically, I’m Athena’s uncle.” He pointed to the twins. “There's, too.”
Araceli pointed to the twins. “They're Athena’s cousins?”
“Yeah. It's a little complicated, but we'll show you the family tree sometime.” He turned to the bar, reaching under the counted and hitting a switch. The shutters closed over the windows, the doors locked, and the lights dimmed. Another door opened behind the counter, a staircase to a hidden basement being revealed. “Come on. This is a secret way out.”
“Hades always has more than one way for us to leave. You'd be surprised at the amount of people that try to attack us on a daily basis.” Apollo chuckled, shaking his head. “I honestly don't know who the deadliest of us is. Artemis has her bow, but Ares has his violent attack strategies.”
“You can't leave out Poseidon’s ability over water. He can be very deadly,” Artemis added.
“And then there's Hades. His name kind of speaks for itself.” Grinning, Apollo held his hands up in mock surrender as Hades looked at him. “It's a good thing, really. You make people tremble in fear just from uttering your name. It's kind of cool.”
“You're just saying that so you stay on my good side.” Heading down the stairs, Hades hit another switch, the door closing and seeming to seal itself shut, blending into the wall with ease. “No one has ever seen me leave or enter my tavern. This way, they never know if and when I’m watching.” He smirked, opening the door at the bottom of the stairs. The lights on the walls lit themselves as they walked, each of them a bluish purple hue. “Welcome, to my home.”
Araceli looked around, taking in the appearance. The walls were bright white, the carpet a pale blue. The solid oak furniture was well polished, not a speck of dust collected anywhere. Bookshelves lined the walls and a small spiral staircase wound up into the ceiling, leading to another part of his underground home. Smiling, she took a few steps into the luxurious home, spinning as she took everything in again.
“This is beautiful,” she murmured, looking over at the others. “You live underground?”
Hades shrugged. “Partially. The staircase leads to another part of my home. It's where the bedrooms are. And it's completely invisible from the outside world.”
“It's invisible to others? How is that even possible?” Araceli reached out, letting her fingers trail across the plush couch, the suede fabric soft under her fingertips.
He took a few steps toward her, leaning in close and smiling slightly. “It's magic.” Walking away from her, he went into another room, turning on the light. The sound of running water was all that could be heard before cupboard doors opened and closed.
Araceli looked back at the twins. “Magic? Really?”
Rolling her eyes, Artemis smiled. “You grew up with a goddess, met another one, and two gods. You fought your estranged younger brother with his fire power and your wind power. You still don't believe in magic?” She plopped down onto the other couch, stretching out as if she were at home. “We used to come over here all the time.” She closed her eyes, a small smile still on her face.
Apollo walked over and flicked her forehead, making her pout. “If you want to sleep, your room is upstairs. Go on, Artemis.” He shooed her toward the stairs, but she refused to move. “Go on, before I ask Hades to light a fire under you.”
“That's not very nice,” Hades interrupted, coming back into the room. He had four mugs on a tray in his hands, steam billowing from each of them. “I wouldn't light a fire in my home. Everything is much too expensive to even think about doing something like that.”
“Why did you get such expensive things then?” Apollo took one of the mugs, taking a small sip of its contents before humming in gratitude. “I've missed your tea. It's as splendid as ever.”
“You know that I wasn't the one who furnished my home, Apollo. Your father did, as a thank you for a few things.”
“So, Zeus is rich?” Araceli took the mug Hades handed her, thanking him with a smile before taking a sip. It warmed her up, from the inside out. “Why didn’t you just tell him that you didn’t want over-extravagant things?”
“Telling Zeus not to buy something like that is pretty similar to asking it not to snow in Antarctica. It's impossible.” Artemis sat up and chugged her tea, licking her lips before setting the mug back on the tray. “I'm going to go rest. Wake me up when you've come up with a plan.” She headed to the spiral staircase, going up and disappearing overhead.
“Don't think that everything out of my sister's mouth is true.” Apollo set his empty mug down next to his twin's. “She tends to over-exaggerate a few things. Father's money spending is one of those. He's appreciative of Hades, so he treats him well. The only thing he tends to splurge on is birthday presents. Last year, he bought Artemis and I matching cars. They're very shiny, very fast vehicles.”
“What'd he buy?” Araceli took another sip of her tea, letting the warmth overtake her.
Grinning, Apollo pulled out a set of car keys. “He bought us green Ferrari Enzos.”
Hades rolled his eyes, sitting down in his armchair across from Apollo. “Your father spends way too much money on you kids.”
“It's just to help us get around on earth. We don't take any earthly possessions with us to Olympia.” Standing up, he stretched. “I think I'll sleep for a little while. Following Araceli around for hours today was tiring.”
Smiling sheepishly, Araceli looked up at Apollo. “I apologize for that. If I had known you were searching for me, I would have stopped and let you catch up.”
“No, you wouldn't have. Athena sent us to bring you home, not aid you in your search for answers. She might not be related by blood, but she is your family. We all are.”
“Not all of us.” Hades stared at Apollo. “Not all of us see Araceli as a part of this family.”
Araceli frowned at Hades's words, uncertain of what he meant. Apollo disappeared up the staircase as the room fell silent. She stared intently into her tea, her reflection showing how upset his words had made her. She knew she wasn't a part of their family, but she wanted to be so desperately. She needed a family, needed somewhere to call home when all of this was over. Thinking back on the events that happened earlier, she frowned, trying to find any underlying meaning to Arcadian's words.
“Hades, do you know my father or anyone from the Dark Kingdom?” She looked up, face an unreadable mask. She didn’t want to get her hopes up, but she figured if anyone might know of her father or his people, it would be the god of the underworld.
“Not personally, no.” He fumbled with the ring on his index finger, not knowing what to tell her. “I only vaguely know the people that die. They're all sent from your father's kingdom straight to the underworld. They don't really have a conscious left since they're all pretty corrupt to begin with. Thieves, murderers, people who always cheat others just to get something better for themselves; those are the people that your father's kingdom harbors.”
“Then what of my mother? What about her people? And what does an envoy of light do?” Araceli clasped her hands together, trying to keep them from trembling as she tried even harder to keep her voice from shaking. The emotion running through her was on the verge of releasing and if that happened, a whirlwind would undoubtedly sweep through the house.
“Your mother, Lady Corrine, is one of the best envoys of light. You see, an envoy of light travels the worlds, trying to bring about peace and stability whereas your father sends forth destruction and desperation. They are to balance each other out. When one world suffers, another is prospering. It's rather difficult to keep everything well balanced, so someone is always suffering somewhere.” Hades took a deep breath, leaning forward in his chair. “These worlds, Araceli, are very fragile. The slightest tip in the balance can plunge everything into darkness or into light. Your brother, he's definitely working for the side of darkness.”
“What would Arcadian gain from it? He said that my father wants me to take over the throne when he's done, but he wants his older brother to be king. What of this plan of his to have darkness consume this world?”
“If darkness can take over, banishing the light from this world and everyone that holds light in their hearts, the Dark Kingdom might be able to make itself known. Right now, there's too much light for the residents of that kingdom to survive here.”
Araceli looked down at her hands, unable to look Hades in the face while she spoke. “What side are you on?” Her voice was barely a whisper, but it carried in the silent room. She hoped he wasn't on her father's side. Something told her that she could trust him, but another part told her not to. The part that wanted to trust him, she believed it was the good side of her, the one she must have inherited from her mother. And the one that told her not to trust him or anyone she had met so far, was most likely the part of her inherited from her father. Being born of both the darkness and of the light, she would have to choose a side in the end. And if her instincts were anything to go by, whichever side she chose would win the war, invisible to all who were not a part of it.
“I'm neutral. Either way, people still die and enter the underworld. Nothing would change in my life if one side overpowered the other.” He watched as Araceli’s face fell, frowning himself. “If the situation called for it, and my brothers needed my help, I would aid them. And they are on your mother's side. They came to earth, hiding away much like Artemis and Apollo do, but they reside in Lady Corrine’s domain. That in itself is reason to believe the Dark Kingdom will never completely take over. Your mother has gods and goddesses on her side.”
“But my father has Arcadian and my other siblings. How would my mother fight against them when they hold traits of the man she once loved?” Despite her best efforts, Araceli found her hands trembling again. Inhaling deeply, she unclasped them and gripped the edge of the couch she sat on. Exhaling, she looked up at Hades, ignoring the sting of tears in her eyes. “How does one fight against their family?”
Sensing Araceli’s distress, Hades stood and crossed the room. Kneeling in front of her, he placed his hands over hers, stopping them from trembling entirely. “Listen to me, Araceli.” He waited until he was sure he had her full attention before continuing. “Despite being related to you by blood, they aren’t your family. Blood doesn't mean family. Trust, friendship, love. Those are the foundations of family.”
“What Apollo said earlier, about me being a part of Athena’s family and theirs...” She took a steadying breath, trying to fight down her tears as best she could. Talking about family always upset her, but this was time was the most difficult. Athena wasn't there to tell her otherwise and she had never felt so alone. “You said that you didn’t see me as family. If you don't, then what do you see me as?”
Hesitating, Hades bit his lip. “We can start as acquaintances. I’d say strangers, but we've already been introduced. Besides, I know more about you than you do about me.”
“Then tell me something so we can be friends. I’ve only had Athena since my twelfth birthday and, I love her, but it's gotten boring talking about the same things repeatedly.”
Smiling, Hades took a seat beside Araceli on the couch. “Despite the myths of all of us, only some of it is true. Our powers, for one, are mostly true. Some things are exaggerated, but Zeus really can throw lightning and Poseidon can control water. I'm really the god of the underworld and Athena is really the goddess of wisdom.” He felt himself relaxing without meaning to. Speaking about him and the others to someone that wouldn't run away screaming or ask for a million things, it was nice for once. “Artemis and Apollo are twins that pretty much do everything from hunting to drag racing to even ballroom dancing. Those two are very odd at times, but are the best friends one could ever have.”
“What about their father being Zeus? Is that true, too?” Araceli pulled her legs up, curling them under her as she rested her head against the back of the couch.
“Yes, Zeus is their father. Athena, the twins, and Ares are all half-siblings, bound together through him. Their mothers, Hera, Metis, and Leto, used to be really close friends. Hera thought Metis might want the throne, so Metis left, taking with her something that belonged at Olympia for all of us.” He stared at the coffee table instead of at Araceli as he continued. “What Athena’s mother took, it was a piece of history. She went to the library and tore out the pages of Athena and herself, taking them with her as she vanished. In every other book in the world similar to it, Athena and Metis were erased from immortal history. We all knew they both exist, but the newer immortals, the offspring of others, know nothing of them.”
“Is that why Athena was on earth seventeen years ago? She came in search of her mother?”
“Most likely.” Hades met Araceli’s gaze, finding an emotion there he couldn't quite name. “Is something wrong?”
Shaking her head, Araceli placed her feet back on the floor. “No, nothing's wrong. It's just, if Athena hadn’t come to earth searching for her mother, I probably wouldn't have made it. I was still just a baby when Athena found me.”
“It was fate that everything happened like it did. Your parents, they weren’t meant to raise you. If they had, you'd be sitting on one of their thrones and the balance in the universe would have been thrown off long ago. You have a purpose here, Araceli. Whatever it is, none of us know. But you were meant to find things out this way.” Seeing that she was about to say something, most likely asking why things had to be this way, Hades held up a hand to silence her. “I don't know why it played out this way. All I can really say is that you will most likely end up being really powerful. The things Athena was able to teach you and the things you will learn on your own, they will shape you. Fate can go one of two ways for you. You can use your powers for evil and help your father's people in the Dark Kingdom come to power. Or you can devote yourself completely to the light, aiding your mother in suppressing the darkness.”
Looking away, Araceli thought about both options, frowning when neither sounded too pleasing. On one hand, helping her mother sounded great until she would have to banish her own siblings and potentially her father. But helping bring about the end of everything good and letting darkness reign was too awful an idea. Sighing, she stared at the clock on the wall. A few minutes had passed and she straightened, looking back at Hades. She found that he was picking at a loose thread on his sleeve.
“What if there was a third option?” she asked, gaining his attention.
Eyebrows pulling together, Hades frowned. “There isn't a third option. One side will have to destroy the other. It's written that they'll fight forever until one is completely gone.”
“There's always another way, one that doesn't involve fighting of any kind.” Smiling at the confused expression still on his face, she went on. “Maybe that's why my parents had me in the first place. Hades, they're always fighting because it's in their nature. Good and evil always fight each other in everything I’ve ever read, seen, or heard about. But I don't really belong to either side. I belong to both sides.”
“Won't you have to choose a side in the end? Whether it be your mother or your father, won't you have to choose?” He unconsciously turned to face her more directly.
“Not necessarily. Everyone always makes that assumption, but what if I don't pick a side? If my father's people get too out of hand, then I can help keep them in line. But I won't kill innocent people. That is just a no right from the start.” She turned to face him fully, smiling as she continued. “Think about it for a moment. In everything you've ever been told, one side always has to win. But what if a treaty could be formed? Why can't earth be completely neutral territory and they can have complete control in their own places?”
“Their own places are on earth. Their domains, they're on opposite sides of the world. Your father controls the northern hemisphere for the most part and your mother, the southern.”
“Why can't they each take over a small world? It would keep them from fighting over this one and they could do whatever they pleased without having repercussions. This world would be a little more balanced because they would have less influence here.” She waited for Hades to respond, watching him closely.
Chuckling, Hades ran a hand through his hair. “I have to admit, you have a point. I don't think anyone has ever had enough courage to propose something like this. It might be just the thing to end their feud over earth. I'll have to talk to Poseidon and Zeus about it, but I think they would agree. So many people reside here and with war ripping it apart, too many people who aren’t even involved get hurt.”
“Like my friend, five years ago.” Araceli’s eyes widened, surprised at her own small confession. When Hades opened his mouth to question her, she held up a hand. “On my twelfth birthday, my friends from school came over for a party Athena was throwing me. I was inside because they were saying my parents abandoned me.” Thinking back, it seemed like it happened a million years ago. “Athena came and spoke to me, telling me they did it because they loved me, that they wanted me to be happy. When we went back outside, there was this shadow creature. It had killed one of the kids at my party.”
“An innocent person with no connection to the war.”
Araceli nodded. “After my encounter with Arcadian tonight, I realized that he was behind it. And the dog attack when I was four was his doing as well.”
“Arcadian was behind it?” When Araceli nodded again, Hades frowned. “There was never any conversation of them being able to control animals nor being able to control shadows like that. The most they could do was create the shadows, not really control them. That's what made things so dangerous. But if he can control them, you can most likely assume that the others in the dark kingdom can as well.”
“He didn’t just call them shadow creatures. He called them lower level demons. And he said that a child of darkness could control them. If only certain people can control them, that makes the ones that can't susceptible to failure and those things running rampant across the earth.”
“Perhaps the one that attacked your friend on your twelfth birthday was a rogue shadow demon. If so, that would explain a few things. Arcadian might have had enough control over it to make it go to your home, but something might have depleted his power and made it kill your friend. That might not have been his intention.” Hades looked over at the empty mugs on the table. “How about I make us some more tea and we continue our discussion?”
Smiling, Araceli nodded. “That's sounds great.” She waited as Hades got up, picking up the tray, and walked into the kitchen. She heard the water running in the other room, something that sounded similar to glass cracking coming from behind her. She turned around in time to see ice shatter the door that led back to Hades’s tavern.