Not Just Another Fae (Vegas Fae Stories Book 4) (19 page)

"The blood of Persephone runs through me," I
replied. "If she could live there, then so can I. Even if I cannot return,
I must do this. The gateway is moving and should it find its way to the other
High Fae... Well, that is something I cannot allow to happen."

"You ask much for one who has offered little," she
said.

"Name your price," I said. "The offer of
alliance still stands, whatever your decision on the other matter. But one way
or another, I must find a way to close the gate."

She didn't reply immediately. Then the mist slowly formed
back around her and she alit onto the ground, changing back into her more
pleasant form. She raised her hand and the two servants came running, refilling
our wine before returning to the temple.

"I must think over your offer," she said after
taking a drink, then she took a few steps up the bank.

"Before you go," I said. "May I contact a few
of my Fae? I did not wish to do so without your permission."

"Contact who you will," she said in reply, and
then the mist surrounded her and she was gone.

I wasn't quite sure how that went. But I knew there were a
few things I had to do before she got back, if I was going to convince her of
my sincerity.

About an hour later, clouds of black mist descended and
Kyras once again appeared, this time with two others who stood behind her.

"What is this?" she asked, looking suspiciously at
my own companions.

"Queen Kyras," I said. "Allow me to introduce
several Fae that you should know. This is Polixia, a Naiad of one of the springs
that flow into your river."

"Well met, Queen Kyras," Polixia said with a bow. "Not
since before
The Fall
have our kind watched over these waters. We will
do so again, if that is your wish."

"I have also asked two others to come," I
continued as I pointed out my other companions. I'd already told them what they
might expect from the Keres, and to be prepared if they switched into their
other persona.

"This is Sendy, of the Aurae. My messenger Fae. She has
brought Fiora with her. She is a Faerie of my gardens. If it is your wish, she
will bring others to attend to the flowers and other growing things."

"Are you trying to entice me to accept your offer?"
she asked in a dubious tone. But she bowed to all three of the Faeries and bade
them well.

"Yes and no. As I said, there is no reason for you to stand
apart from the other Fae. Your waters and gardens should be stocked and
maintained, if you so desire. If not, these two will simply return. Whether you
accept or decline my offer of a formal alliance, these things are yours by
right."

"He is correct, my Lady," Polixia said as she rose
from the stream. "Since no other may lay claim to this stream that flows
through your lands, it can only be by your wish that I tend to it for you. Say
but the word and I will return to my own waters and leave you in peace."

"As for Fiora," I said. "I can have Sendy
take her back now if you prefer."

"No," she said. "Wait." She turned to
the two Keres behind her and held a silent conversation. When she was through,
she turned back to me. "This is Nosia and Akhlia. They will speak with
these two. As for me, I would confer with you in the temple."

"As you wish," I replied, telling Sendy that she
could return. The other two Faeries went to meet with the Keres as I returned
to the temple with Kyras.

"More wine," Kyras commanded as we entered. "Then
leave us."

The couple scrambled and returned with the same engraved jug
and refilled our cups. Capaneus then placed the jug on the table which had
already had the trays of fruit and cheeses replenished. Then the two hastily
retreated into one of the wall's recesses. I sat back down on the couch.

"You are not what I expected," she said when they
were gone.

"Yeah," I replied. "I get that a lot."

"First, I sought you out because of your victories,"
she went on. "They were much sweeter than the other High Fae’s. I thought
you fought for glory, as did many of the old Gods. Instead, I find that you
free those that once opposed your kind; fighting only when necessary."

"Well, I wouldn’t exactly say that."

"Wait! I must say more."

I waved for her to continue.

"Then, when you asked my name, I expected you to offer
me a battle. Instead, you seek to engage me in a war against what you call evil.
Never before have the Keres been asked such a thing and that was not something
I was prepared to do." She took a long sip from her wine and then sat down
next to me.

"Always, because of our ways, have we been relegated to
the darkness. Looked down upon by the other Fae. Yet, as we speak, a Keres
meets with a Naiad and another with one of your kind, neither of whom are
repulsed. I am not sure what to make of this change."

"As I said," I commented. "You are of the
Fae. That should never have been forgotten."

"Perhaps," she replied. "Yet we must suffer
the blame for that as well. We have shunned your kind, as they did us. But that
will end. I will accept your offer, with conditions."

"And they are?"

"We will not blindly follow you into battle. Nor would
we ask you to do so for us."

"Agreed," I replied.

"There is something else," she said. "You
will assist us in this new role. We must learn more of the ways of the others,
if we are to interact with them."

"I can do that," I said.

"Good," she replied. "Then the matter is
settled. Now, as to your second request. I can take you to the Underworld, but
you must do something for me. This I ask of a King, as Queen of my realm."

"I understand," I said. "How can I be of
service?"

"I will have a daughter," she replied. "She
will need to learn the ways of the others and the humans. You will teach her."

That's another thing about the female Fae. They don’t need
sex to procreate. At least not when it comes to having daughters. Don’t even
ask me how it works. It's the magic. Any female Fae can have a child. It'll be
a daughter, of course, which is probably why there are so many more females than
males in the Fae line up. As for a boy, however, that's another story. Believe
me, I know it all too well. It takes two to make a male. Now that's not to say
that you can’t mix a little DNA when choosing to have a girl, it's just that it
isn't a requirement. Anyway, in Kyra’s case, I just assumed that was what she
was talking about.

"I can arrange that," I replied.

"Good," she said, taking my hand. "Then let
us bind this agreement in the old ways, if you are up to it."

I didn't answer. There was no need. She led me to another
doorway. This one led to her bedroom.

"Are you out of your mind?" Diantha asked, shocked
when I told her where I was going.

"What'd you think I was gonna do?" I replied, pouring
myself another cup of coffee. "Hell, you helped me figure out what to say
to the Keres."

It was early evening, and we were in my kitchen,
preparations already made for my trip with Charlie to the Underworld. I'd had
to procure a few items before Kyras would take me and it had taken a few days
to get everything in order. Of course, I'd given no hint of what I was really
doing. That had been the easy part. Everyone was already out hunting Demons.
I'd had to send one more back myself the other night. The only one that knew
was Ordunez. He'd figured it out the moment I'd called him to ask a question.
But now I'd told Diantha to let the others know after I was gone.

"An alliance is one thing," she replied. "But
I never thought you'd try and go yourself."

"Who else was going to do it?" I asked.

"I could still go with you," Diantha replied.

"I thought you said I was out of my mind."

"I did," she said. "But at least I cannot
die."

"True," I said. "But I won’t risk you getting
stuck down there. Besides, I've got a few tricks up my sleeve." I held up
my hand, a fire Demon's ring on my finger. I'd been given it by one I'd
defeated in battle. Although they also lived in the Underworld, it was a
different place than where the Hells were located. Still, it was close enough,
and Demons could go where they wanted in that accursed place. So I'd been told,
anyway.

"Do what you must then," she replied.

"I'll be fine," I said as I picked up the backpack
I was taking, then headed for the doorway with Charlie in tow.

"Have no fear," Charlie said, turning back as I
opened the door. "Hell is no match for the two of us."

Then we went walked out of the yard and made our way down
the street toward the cemetery.

"That was kind of cocky," I said to him some 10
minutes later, as we cut through fence into the graveyard where Kyras was
waiting.

He didn't reply, but instead sped up and then stopped in
front of the Keres.

"Well met, Karalos," I heard her say as I walked closer.

"You are prepared?" she asked me, looking up.

"I have everything you told me to get," I replied.

"Good," she said. "Then we will go." The
dark mist surrounded us and then we were somewhere else.

We appeared a moment later in a dismal place. On a dirt path
that led between dead and dying trees. Well, maybe they weren't dying, but they
damn sure looked pretty sickly. They were stunted and at best, the tallest
might have stood ten feet. Not my idea of a forest, but what did you expect in
the Greek equivalent of Hell? It's been said that there were areas with real
trees. There just weren't any here. The ground was hilly, and mists covered most
of it. There was light, but it was like an overcast day. Enough light to see
by, but not enough to hearten the spirit.

"This is as far as I can take you. Behind me lies the
Plain of Judgement. Your destination is that way," she said, pointing to
the left. "The forest will hide you from the view of the judges, if any
still exist."

"Thank you," I replied.

"It is, I fear, a fool's errand. If you do not find
what you seek, search out the Tower of Cronus. Perhaps the portal is still
there. If not, find a way to get a message to me While I cannot search this
place to find you, I can return if I know where you are."

From what I've been told, getting in to Hades was the easy
part, getting out... not so much. If I could find the Helm of Darkness, I'd
have it made. If not, I'd have to find another way; if there was one. According
to what I'd been told, after their family squabble, Hades brought Cronus to the
Underworld, where he ruled over the Elysium Fields, and the Isle of the Blessed,
where his tower still stood. Kyras believed he had a gateway there; one to the
rest of the worlds. It was just a rumor. But we know he moved about, so at least
it was a good one. Getting her a message might be doable, but it was also a
worst case scenario. Apparently, things in Hades weren't what they used to be.
I watched as the mist began to curl up around her, then she stepped forward,
kissed me, and was gone.

"She is not such a bad Fae after all," Charlie
commented as he leapt ahead. "She is pretty as well. I think she likes you."

"Will you stop it1" I replied as I followed. "Let's
just find the palace before something finds us first."

The terrain was much the same for quite a distance; just
hills and dead and stunted trees. Occasionally, I'd see wisps of something more
substantial floating in the mist, but whatever they were, they didn’t seem
interested in us. Eventually Charlie stopped at the top of a rise. I slowed
down and carefully caught up with him.

Ahead of us, across a shallow plain, was a palace. Made of
what looked like black marble, it stood in the center of the vale. A road led
past the front and, on the closer side, it eventually split and weaved through
an Arch, beyond which stood a magic veil that led to the place I knew to be the
Elysium Fields. What had caused him to stop wasn’t the palace; instead it was
what roamed in front.

"You have got to be kidding me," I murmured as I
lay down next to him in the mist. "Harpies and Chimeras? I thought they'd
all be on the Tartarus side. Shit!"

They were about halfway between us and the palace. A flock
of eight to ten nasty looking birds about five-foot-high, with human faces. The
flock was being stalked by two giant, lion-like, Chimeras, each with a ram's
neck and head sticking out of their backs. Their tails were like snakes and as
one approached the flock, fire bellowed from its mouth, scattering the Harpies.
The other chased a Harpy as it flew close, causing several of the things to fly
up above it and bat at it with their wings and claws. The Harpies didn't seem
to fly that well. They appeared evenly matched and I could hear the wail of the
Harpies as several of their kind attacked before the Chimeras could spit fire.

"What do you think?" I asked as I rolled onto my
back and pulled my sword and my seax. This was not the sword of Zeus, although
I'd brought that as well. This one I'd taken from my armory in Fae. Supposedly
carried by Demeter herself; it was a Fae blade forged in the days before
The
Fall
, and powerful enough in its own right. "It's the flying ones I'm
worried about. I can block the fire with magic, I think. Even diminished, it
should work well enough. But I'm not sure I can do both if they attack from
above."

"Too many to attack in such a group," Charlie
growled. "Let me lead them away long enough for you to reach the door.
Then I will join you later."

It was worth a try. I'd seen him run and he was fast. I'd only
have to deal with whatever stayed behind.

"Okay, whenever you're ready'" I said, turning
back around, sword in hand.

He started off slowly, slinking near the ground and allowing
the mists to conceal him as long as possible. By now, the two Chimera had
retreated some distance and were preening themselves in the dim light. The Harpies
were no longer wailing, but their attention was focused on those two as they
bunched closer together.

The Harpies noticed him first. He'd put on a burst of speed
as he cleared the mist and as soon as their attention turned toward him, he started
barking. Within seconds he was within their circle, scattering them like
chickens in a barnyard, when the farmer's dog decides to have some fun. Dust
flew as they bolted in all directions, their wings flapping and voices howling.
The Chimera's two heads turned and they got to their feet, now moving towards
the source of the commotion. As the Harpies regrouped, Charlie took off
parallel to the palace. The Harpies took chase a moment the later, with the
Chimera not far behind.

I'd made it up the stairs and was almost at the door, when
the Harpy came at me from the side. Dropping and rolling, I avoided her claws
and got up to face her. She was going to make another pass, her claws
outstretched and wailing. Seconds later, she swooped down on me. I raised my
sword and swung, moving my head to the right as a sharp claw grazed my face.
The blade connected, cutting her through the midsection as she fell at my feet.
Well, at least they could be killed. Looking around I saw that I was alone
again. Charlie had led the others far enough away to be out of sight.

There wasn't much I could do about the blood, or any scent
left behind, but I grabbed the Harpy by the legs anyway and dragged her to the
doorway. I was hoping, at least, not to leave anything that could be seen at a
distance. The door was another problem; it was locked.

What to do? What to do? I thought to myself as I felt all
around it. There was no knob or handle. Reaching out with magic, I tried to
will the door to open, but didn’t have any luck. There was nothing lying around,
so I took a moment to think. Placing both hands on the door, I did my best to
think of Persephone, and that she was part of my line. Nothing. I had to get
the door to recognize me. I had an idea. I reached up and pressed where the
Harpy's claw had cut into my face. With the blood on my hand, I placed it back
on the door, thinking again of Persephone. Blood was special to the Fae. It
worked! The door began to open.

I stepped inside and stopped the massive wooden door as it
began to close again. Moments later, I heard Charlie's paws as they hit the
ground, the sound of Harpies not far behind. A burst of flame shot by, and then
Charlie came flying through the entrance. I slammed the door behind him just as
the Chimera came into view, mouth agape as it readied to spew fire again.

"Cut that a little close, didn’t you?" I asked as
he came to rest on the floor a few yards away.

"They were faster than I thought," he replied. "I
do not think they liked being disturbed."

"Don’t feel too bad," I said, walking away from
the door to check out the room we had entered. "I left a dead Harpy on the
porch. I doubt they'll be too pleased with me, either."

I was staring into a large room that connected to the entry.
Inside were several couches, a fireplace, and a table. By the dim light, I saw
what at first appeared to be a statue of a man standing by one of the couches.
Walking closer, I saw it was just a skeleton. Its feet appeared to melt into the
floor and whatever clothing it had once worn were now rags. I'd heard the story
of Pirithous, of course. He'd been bound to the ground in Hades for lusting
after the God's wife, Persephone. The stories varied. In some it was a rock, in
others it was the chair of forgetfulness, but in the version I'd read, Hades
had released him before
The Fall
. Looks like they got that part wrong.

"Ok," I said, turning back to Charlie. "Let's
find this cap or helmet and get out of here. Be careful. Who knows what other
surprises still exist in this place."

As palaces go, this one wasn't that shabby. Sure, these days
it was dark and dusty, but I could tell it must have been pretty nice at one
time. A lot of what was left was not in the greatest shape, but what would you
expect after sitting empty a few thousand years? We searched for hours, then on
an upper floor, on the other side of what had to have been Hades’ bedchamber, Charlie
found a small room accessed by a hidden door in the wall.

There was a desk of hard wood and a table. It was dark, but
with the open door I could see that the walls were lined on three sides with
shelves, and on one, a full length mirror stood, recessed into the wall. It was
made of a highly polished silver, allowing an image almost as good as the mirrors
of today. Unlike the rest of the palace, this room seemed unchanged. Here,
whatever magic had once been found in this place was still present.

"What have we here?" I asked out loud as I entered
the hidden chamber. I knew better than to risk sitting in the chair, which was
cushioned in deep black. Especially after the reminder of the skeleton
downstairs. Who knew what this chair did, if anything. But why risk it? Using a
lighter I'd brought from above, I lit the wick in the lamp on the desk.

Artifacts lined the shelves and there were even a few
helmets and smaller metal helms. I tried them all on, but none was the object I
was looking for. Perusing the shelves, I found a few things of interest, but
nothing that seemed magical enough to traverse the different Hells. Feeling
dejected, I slunk down against a wall and sat on the floor to think. Then
Charlie's nose went up in the air and he moved toward the ancient mirror.

I got up and stood beside him, examining it first with my
eyes. Looking closely, I now saw a faint glow of magic, barely noticeable from a
distance, surrounding the frame. I ran my hands over it but found nothing that
indicated it would open. Once again, I placed both hands on it and reached out
with my magic. There was something, but try as I might, I couldn’t connect with
it. Figuring it had worked once before, I pulled out my seax, cut into my palm,
and placed my bloody hand onto it. There was a deep rumble and the glass-like
surface disappeared.

Inside was a suit of Fae armor, a shield and two weapons; a
bident made of metal, and a grey flint scythe, or sickle, still stained with
dried blood. The bident was leaning against the armor and the scythe was on a
small shelf that protruded from the wall. I'd seen statues where Hades carried
the two pronged weapon, but unlike the trident of Uranus, there was no record
of it being a magical Fae weapon. The scythe was another story.

There were several references involving hardened stone
sickles in Greek history. The one that interested me most was the one used to
castrate Ouranos. But there was another that was alleged to have been used by
Zeus to strike down Typhon, the last child of Gaea. Could this be one of those?
If so, then perhaps this was what Gaea had wanted me to find. But why was it
here in Hades' palace? Of course, it was said that anything that was buried
became the domain of Hades and some stories say that the sickle had been buried
in the earth. But, even so, why would she need me to come here and retrieve it?
You'd think she could have come down here and fetched it herself. Since I
already carried Cronus' sword, this seemed to be quite a coincidence. But then
again, coincidence was the word of the day where Gaea was involved.