Melianoe's games

(Demeter Pov)

I have to admit my nephew took little to nothing from his father. He was kind enough to offer to accompany us to the palace of Hades.

Cerberus was a little sad that he couldn't get more belly rubs, so Arkon left his minion with him. Cerberus accepted without hesitation.

Such a good dog. Unfortunately he has decided to have a horrible owner. Although I guess he's really happy to play with my nephew and daughter.

"We have arrived." Arkon says.

This palace is truly terrifying. Hades' aesthetic sense is horrendous. This building is a mockery of everything my brothers and I have built.

"Thank you very much, Arkon." I thank you.

As soon as I enter, my beloved daughter Persephone embraces me. Obviously, I didn't take long to return her embrace.

"I missed you my baby." I say they hug her back.

Hades appears near us. The classic party spoil. I won't let it ruin my reunion with my daughter.

"Glad to see you and my grandchildren again." my mom says as she uses her dominance to calm my nerves.

"Thank you, mother. You must be tired from the long journey. I have had your rooms prepared." Hades says.

"Thanks brother, but you don't have to worry. We are perfectly fine, thanks also to Arkon who has guided us here." I say.

"I hope it's not a problem that I came early." says my mother.

"There was no problem, Grandma." Says Persephone.

(Flashback, Persephone Pov)

"Dear." I say.

"What is it, My Spring?"

"I thought my mother would come by herself and she would do it tomorrow." I say.

"That's it." says my husband.

"Then why are you and Grandma Rea at the entrance to the undergrown?" I ask.

My husband's eyes widen in horror.

"Let's get dressed, quickly." He yells jumping out of bed.

"Some servants prepare the rooms for my mother and Demeter. Stop working and all present yourself at the entrance of the castle to greet them. I mean, those who are not busy preparing the rooms, go and return them to the entrance of the castle." He screams making himself heard throughout the castle.

(End Flashback, Demetra Pov)

Arkon is a really good boy, nothing to do with his father. He also seems very interested in agricultural techniques. I can only assume that this is my dear Persephone's good influence.

He also asked what mortals were like on the surface. I told him that many of them didn't live happy lives. They are surely too busy surviving.

Ares is a hothead. The wars he has caused have diminished the number of farmers. The famine that Apollo launched claimed many lives. Many are getting rich thanks to constant wars, others are losing more and more.

Most of the people who die are peasants and people who cannot defend themselves.

He asked me what kind of tools mortals used. He seems to be interested in blacksmithing techniques, but I can't tell him much about that. I only know agricultural tools.

He seems to have many interesting ideas about agriculture. Too bad that few plants can survive the underground environment. Otherwise he could have a nice garden.

I asked him if he wanted to visit the surface world. He said yes, but Hades says he's too young to walk away from the Underground. What nonsense! At best, he's too young to stay here. What child could thrive in this realm?!

I proposed that they go to the world of the living with me and Persephone next year. However, Hades has merely insisted that he is too young to be so far away from home.

Makaria is exactly as she was last time I saw her. It is clear that the atmosphere in the underground is not good for her. After all, no one could feel comfortable in this forgotten place.

Melianoe, it's… Melianoe.

(Arkon POV)

I would like to help my fellow men. Although… technically they are no longer my kind. I was thinking about introducing some modern growing techniques. Maybe I could help humans survive. However, I really don't know how to do it.

I might, try to stop the bloodshed. But I don't know how to start.

Maybe I should ask the interested parties directly. Mh, to do this I would have to go to the surface. However, my father will not approve of him. He can be overprotective in his own way.

I could ask Melinoe. She often persecutes people. So you have the opportunity to provide me with the information I need.

I go to Melinoe's rooms, the most disturbing area of ​​the entire building. The whole area is filled with evil spirits and haunted ghosts. Even my father avoids going in here.

"Hey young man." He asks a voice behind me.

I turn around and see an old man crawling on the ground. His legs and right arm were cut off.

"You could cut off my other arm." he says.

A sword appears not far from me. Without meaning to, my body moves and takes the sword. My arm lifts the sword and cuts off the old man's arm.

He screams in pain, but is soon silenced by a second swing from my sword. His head is detached cleanly from the rest of the body. Splatters of blood come out of my neck and smear my face.

"Dad!" He screams a voice.

Footsteps are heard. A man emerges from the fog. He runs towards the old man I just killed. He holds him in his arms and weeps over his corpse.

No, I didn't kill him. This is just an illusion. An effect of Melinoe's power.

My hand moves by itself and hits the man with a jab in the stomach. A little blood comes out of the poor man's mouth. My body draws the sword to re-skewer his stomach. Blood flows profusely and stains his clothes.

"Did you kill my dad?" I hear a voice ask me.

"Melinoe!" I scream.

The image dissipates as if it were smoke. I take deep breaths to calm myself, but to little effect.

Without thinking too much, I move on. Finally I find Melianoe.

"I don't understand why you are so interested in mortals. They are insignificant creatures." Melinoe says.

"Fuck Melinoe, did you do it on purpose? Don't do it again." I say with ill-concealed anger.

"Oh, I held back. It wasn't extreme at all. A lot of mortals are going that way lately." She says with little interest.

"You know that's not the point." I say.

"You are really too good, but you can rest assured. You won't be like this

pointing at my trembling hand.

"Did you have fun?" I ask. It's not a rhetorical question.

"It wasn't for me that I did it. What did you feel when you killed them? Fear? Guilt? Or maybe amusement or sadistic pleasure?" I say.

"Only the second and the first." I lie. I felt fear when I was about to kill the old man, and guilt for killing him. But somewhere in me I felt at least a little…joy.

"Why are you here?" she asks.

"I would like you to help me go to the world of the living." I say.

"Why would you do that? You don't strike me as the type to take pleasure in persecuting others." Melinoe says.

"What's the harm in being curious?" I ask.

"Curiosity kills the cat." says my sister.

"We are immortals, not cats." I say.

"Besides, why should I reveal my secrets to you. Don't you know they are some of the most precious things in the world?! I'm the only one who can go to the mortal world without our father's permission. Do you know how precious a secret like that?!" Melinoe asks.

"I'll pay you back, okay?" I say.

"Reward me?! You? Don't you have something that's that important." Melinoe says.

"There is nothing I can do to change your mind." I ask.

"No." Melinoe says.

"Okay, I'm leaving." I say as I open the door to leave.

"Wait… there's one thing." Melianoe says.

I turn around and see a slight unsettling grin adorning her face.

"I can allow you to come with me on three conditions." she says.

"Would they be?" I ask.

"First condition: You will not disclose or use the method I use without my permission." she says.

"It seems right." I say.

"The second is that you will help me persecute mortals." Melinoe says.

"I refuse, I know what you do to mortals, I won't be part of your perverted games." I say turning my back on her.

"All this drama just for a little fun." Melinoe mocks.

I'm leaving as fast as possible. I head to Makaria's room. The stress and panic previously experienced is replaced by calm and serenity.

"Hello Markaria." I greet.

"You smell of despair and regret. What happened to you?" Makaria asks.

"Ah, the result of an unfortunate idea. Something I immediately regretted. Can I ask you something?" I ask.

"You're already doing it." Makaria says.

"Right." I say.

I tell Makaria what I want to do and what happened with Melinoe. Makaria listens patiently, but she doesn't seem very interested.

"Mortals need nothing… except to accept their fate." Makaria says.

"You're talking about death. Yes, but I meant what they have to face in life." I say.

"I too am referring to what they have to face in life. Living and how much more painful it can be for a mortal. The only hope of existing outside of disasters are Elysium or even better the Fields of Asphodel. A painless extinction , this would be the best gift for them.

(Author: what the fuck, this is pessimism)

"Um, do you have anything but extinction" I ask.

She says no and I walk away disconsolate. I go to my room to reflect. Maybe humanity just needs someone to end all wars. Perhaps by unifying all men under one banner.

But is it really possible? Doing something like this requires power and skill that I don't possess. Also I'm a god, other gods would intervene if I did such a thing.

It would take a mortal to do it. An extremely powerful, yet equally capable mortal. A powerful demigod and interested enough in the fate of humanity to want to take charge of all of Greece. Of course he will need a lot of help. Other demigods will have to swear unconditional allegiance to him.

It wouldn't work. Demigods aren't like that, they prefer glory and honors. Demigods are often heroes and rarely have the qualities that would make them worthy of such a task. All other demigods and their divine parents would not welcome such a concentration of power. Especially if it's a god they have problems with. Some god would like his son to sit on the throne. Or maybe it would be the demigod who would ask for help in his enterprise.

Sigh, what a problem. What would be the solution?

The solution would be to choose a common mortal. Not being able to count on divine powers, he would need magical artifacts and the ability to use spells. He should have a good background, be rich and educated. He would also need to have the blessing of many deities, which he could hardly get.

On the other hand, gaining the approval of a deity is difficult. They usually don't give mortals a single glance (except if they want to have sex). The assumption that a mortal could rule over demigods is insane. It doesn't matter how smart he might be.

Demigods wouldn't want a mortal to rule them. This would cause a war between the two species. The result would not be pleasant because mortals and demigods would destroy each other.

This brings me back to square one. If I don't choose a mortal, I'll have to choose a demigod. But I can't choose a demigod without causing an endless series of massacres.

What to do? Is it possible that there isn't an alternative?

I should first help them in the present, before thinking about the future. If most of the people who die are the weak and the sick, then I should find a way to protect the weak and helpless.

Mh, I may have a solution. However, I'll need to practice a lot with my second domain.

The blood.

Shit, no. I want nothing to do with that domain. I have enough problems without taking charge of the entire human species.

Nereus, I must capture Nereus.

(The day after) (Arkon Pov)

I make a horizontal slash, but Thanatos blocks my blow. She replies with a jab, I dodge.

A shadow materializes and tries to hit Thanatos with a jab. Thanatos dodges, but I take the opportunity to try and hit him.

He dodges.

"Great job, you've already learned to use your powers and sword at the same time." Says Thanatos.

"Not all my domains." I say.

"Blood is not a simple domain. Blood is a domain related to life. Something very ancient and very powerful." Says Thanatos.

"Something I want to use as little as possible." I say.

"This will not change the influence of your domains." Says Thanatos.

"I know." I say.

"Your parents are very worried about you." Says Thanatos.

"I know." I say.

"Your father doesn't want you to go and capture Nereus." Says Thanatos.

"I know, he was very clear on that point." I say.

"Makaria confided in me about what happened with Melinoe. You won't become that evil, it would take more than a domain or two to make you that way. Actually, I don't think it's possible for a deity to become that way." Says Thanatos.

"Really?" I ask.

"Yes, domains can greatly influence a deity, but they still hold a will of their own. A deity who savagely reaps the lives of mortals because of her domains? That won't happen." Says Thanatos.

I sigh in relief.

"Thanatos, is there a way to be free from fate?" I ask.

"Only primordials are. I'm sorry, but I can't think of anything else." she says.

"I understand." I say.

"We're done for today, but I'd like to take you somewhere." she says