Chapter 11- Calm before the Storm

The Underworld had never looked so alive. Flowers of every color bloomed under the soft, unnatural glow of the Underworld's light, their delicate petals brushing against trees that reached toward the cavernous ceilings. Demeter had outdone herself, transforming the dreary domain into something that rivaled the beauty of the mortal realm.

Her greatest achievement, however, was the Garden of Styx—a perfect replica of the Hirosaki Park I had once seen in my past life. A bridge, painstakingly constructed by Brontes, stretched gracefully across the River Styx, its arches framing the flowing, ethereal waters. Lady Styx herself had approved of the garden, her pride clear as she dubbed it "The Garden of Styx." I let her claim it. After all, her river was its centerpiece.

Demeter's blessings ensured that every plant, tree, and flower could thrive in the Underworld. The transformation was remarkable, though part of me wondered if Zeus would have come even if it had been Eden itself. His disdain for my domain was as unchanging as the tides.

Poseidon, however, was here. And he was enjoying every bit of my domain. He was lounging on one of the stone benches near the garden's edge, his appearance more striking than ever. He had somehow gotten tattoos—he had these tattoos that were an exact copy of Jason Mamoa's Aquaman. I wasn't sure how he'd managed this resemblance, but the similarity was uncanny.

The girls were relaxing and talking to each other drinking tea, they got obsessed over it after I showed them how to make it. Anyways I noticed how much we had all changed since our time in our father's stomach. We were once more youthful but now we all looked alittle older. We all looked to be in our mid-thirties now. 

As for myself, the Underworld had left its mark. My hair had grown alot longer over the years, and my olive skin had paled during my time in the Underworld. 

We were sitting in the garden just taling and relaxing trying to not worry about the looming war ahead. Someone cleared their throat and we turned to see Brontes standing with Arges and Steropes behind him.

"Do you need something, Brontes?" I asked, rising from my seat.

The Cyclops grinned, his one eye gleaming with pride. "We've finished, my lord."

Excitement sparked in me. "Bring them in."

Arges and Steropes disappeared briefly before returning, each carrying two massive cases. As they opened them, I heard a collective gasp from my siblings. Inside were the most beautifully crafted weapons I had ever seen.

Brontes stepped forward, lifting the first item—a magnificent scythe. Its curved blade looked to be made of gold, and the handle of a dark wood.

"This is for Lady Demeter," Brontes announced. "This scythe was made sharp enough to split a mountain in half." 

Demeter's eyes lit up as she took the scythe. "This will make cutting grain so much easier!" she exclaimed, her voice full of delight as she gave it a couple practice swings. The absurdity of her words broke the tension, and we all laughed. Only Demeter could see a divine weapon and immediately think of farming.

Next, Brontes lifted a torch from the second case. The torch looked to be about 14 inches in length. I couldn't help but marvel at its craftsmanship. Its was made with marble and gold having a chalise-like look to it.

"This is for Lady Hestia," he said, bowing slightly. Hestia took it, her fingers brushing against the intricate carvings on the metal. She thanked them softly, her usual gentleness shining through.

The next weapon to be removed was an elegant rapier, its blade was slender about 45 inches in length the hilt adorned with delicate engravings. 

"For Lady Hera," Brontes declared. Hera's excitement was palpable as she accepted the rapier, its weight perfectly balanced in her hand. She swung the blade testing it, and ended up cutting off a lock of Poseidons hair. He made a whole scene about losing it until Brontes handed him a new trident.

"This is for you Lord Poseidon, we did rush on yours and Zeus but these we took our time to craft something worthy of the God that weilds it. Though it is simply a reforge of your old weapon and has some minor improvements, sharper prongs and made hallow to make it lighter weight and we carved ridges into the trident to allow it to glide in the air or faster.

"Seet hell, this is way better than my older trident!" Poseidon said exited. "What about Zeus? Did you guys reforge his bolt as well?"

"Yes, the Masterbolt was reforged. We had already delivered the weapon to him the other day." 

Finally, Brontes stepped up to the last case. My anticipation grew as he revealed the final weapon that took my breath away—a black longsword. The guard and pommel were silver, intricate carvings of skulls and vines weaving through the metal, while the handle was wrapped in black leather that felt both firm and comfortable in my grip.

"This, Lord Hades, is yours," Brontes said, his voice tinged with pride.

I held the sword, feeling the power thrumming through it, perfectly attuned to me. "It's magnificent," I said, sincerely impressed. "Thank you."

We thanked the Cyclopes generously. As they left, my siblings

and I spent a few more hours talking, admiring their new weapons. When they finally departed, leaving me to my thoughts, I returned to my throneroom, the weight of the sword resting comfortably in my hand.

I was pondering what to do next when a throat cleared from the entrance of my throne room. I looked up to see Cottereus standing there.

"You have a guest, my lord," he said, his tone formal as always.

"Send them in," I replied, setting the sword aside.

The massive doors creaked open, and Nyx walked in. She strode into the throne room, her dress flowing behind her looking as if it was dragging the night sky itself. She bowed slightly, her expression poised.

I leaned back on my throne, resting an arm on its cold black marble armrest. A smile touched my lips as I greeted her. "Lady Nyx. To what do I owe the honor of such an unannounced visit?"

She straightened, cutting to the chase. "Just came to visit my firend. How are your preparations for the war coming along?"

I snorted, the sound echoing through the room. "Preparations? The Underworld isn't ready to run itself, let alone shift my attention fully to a war. I'm still shorthanded with workers as it is, just last week I hired a mortal named Charon to ferry souls from across the river, poor guy was overjoyed to finally be of use to someone and took the job. Gifted him a fine longtail boat. And as if that weren't enough, Zeus—my dear, impatient brother—declared war on Kronos just days ago."

Nyx nodded, folding her hands before her. "Yes, I've heard. Many of the Primordials are betting on who will win this war. There is also a bet on who will take over as King. You or your brother Zeus."

"And what are the bets saying?" I mused.

"You are winning by a landslide, you seem to be quite favorable. And tell me what preparations have you done for war?"

"Zeus has ordered that everyone train and prepare. Gather allies to fight with us, I have been training reguarly to keep fit, and I do not need to gain any allies as I can simply raise an army of the dead to fight with mer."

Nyx listened patiently before nodding. "Understandable. That's part of why I've come. I have a favor to ask of you."

I raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "Oh? What sort of favor?"

She shifted slightly, her gaze steady. "I recently created a new species of demons—Hellhounds. I initially planned for them to live in Tartarus, but I've grown concerned about their safety there. It's... unstable, even for them. I was hoping you could house them here in the Underworld."

I mulled over her request, tapping a finger against the armrest. "Hellhounds, you say? What exactly are you offering in return for this arrangement?"

Nyx smiled. "I'll let you keep them, train them as you see fit. They will follow under your rule, and you can change then to fit your desires."

That piqued my interest, my mind then remmebered a very speciel pet that existed. "Say? Do you have a three headed one?"

Without another word, Nyx whistled. The sound carried unnaturally, reverberating through the throne room. Moments later, a massive dog bounded in, its claws skittering on the polished floor. Unable to stop in time, it slid across the room, crashing into a vase and shattering it into dozens of pieces.

Nyx winced. "Apologies," she said, snapping her fingers. The vase reassembled itself, good as new. "This," she continued, gesturing toward the dog, "is one of my youngest. He's larger than the others and was born with three heads."

I looked closer, noting the dog's powerful frame and the way its three heads each seemed to have their own personality. One growled low, another panted happily, and the third looked curiously at me. He was a Rottwieler and I thought it over, this was defenitly Cerberus. 

"I'll take him," I said, cutting her off before she could finish her explanation.

Nyx seemed relieved. "I had a feeling you'd say that."

"How many Hellhounds are we talking about?" I asked.

She paused, considering. "I created about thirty-six in total."

I nodded, turning to Cottereus, who stood silently by the door. "Bring Abel," I commanded.

The giant bowed and quickly departed, his footsteps echoing through the halls. Moments later, he returned with Abel, who looked confused but curious as he approached.

"Abel," I said, gesturing to him, "allow me to introduce Nyx, the Primordial of Night."

Abel, ever polite, bowed deeply. "It's an honor, Lady Nyx."

Nyx inclined her head, impressed by his composure.

"Abel," I continued, "you've proven yourself an excellent caretaker of my Pythagoras. I have some new charges for you. This here is Cerberus, and Nyx has also brought thirty-six Hellhounds. You'll oversee their care and training."

Abel's eyes widened briefly as he looked at Cerberus, who wagged one of his tails, his middle head sniffing eagerly at Abel.

"Got it," Abel said after a moment, his confidence returning. "Do you have any guidance on their care?"

Nyx stepped forward, offering a small scroll. "This contains everything you need to know about Hellhounds—their diets, temperament, and training needs. Cerberus, however, will require some special attention. He's a bit... rambunctious."

Abel bowed again, accepting the scroll. "Thank you, my lady."

He crouched before Cerberus, pulling a treat from his pocket. The massive Hellhound sniffed it eagerly before devouring it in one bite. Abel laughed, scratching one of the heads behind its ears. "Come on, big guy," he said, leading Cerberus toward the door. The dog followed obediently, its claws clicking against the floor.

Nyx watched them leave, a faint smile on her lips. "That boy is not from here."

"No he is not, but since he is now stuck in a unknown world I want to make sure that he is comfortable." I responded watching Abel disappear with Cerberus. "Thank you for entrusting me with this. Lady Nyx."

Nyx inclined her head. "The pleasure is mine, Hades. I know they'll be safe here."