Dark Narcissus (HotCider & deadlylaurels)

[HotCider]

The Visitor

The climate was perfect. The sun lit the open pasture in gold and the flowers danced vibrantly in the breeze, swaying in blues, pinks, reds, yellows, and whites. There were beds of flowers so thick they resembled pillows. A stream of the purest water cut through the flower fields like a river of crystals to disappear into a forest where the vegetation was ripe and plump. Trees bore apples the size of softballs, oranges so full of nectar they looked ready to burst. Carrots swelled out of the earth, potatoes were plenty, and there wasn’t a plant that grew in the forest that wasn’t edible or didn’t serve a purpose.

Seated upon a boulder by a lake was a woman with fiery-orange hair and eyes as blue as violets. Her hair fell in thin, wavy ringlets about her shoulders and down to the small of her back. A crown of driftwood she had collected along the riverbank sat above her brows with intricate carvings of deer. Her breasts were larger than any mortal woman’s would naturally be. Her tanned nipples were fat and puckered beneath the white, silk gown that settled against her curves like a bed sheet.

In her lap sat a flower unlike any that grew in her garden. Her pink lips curled in warm content as she combed her ivory fingers through hair as fine as spun gold. From her lips hummed a mother’s song as she gathered the locks in her hands and began to twist them into braids. She joined the two braids behind her head with a vine, leaving the rest of her locks to hang like a curtain of sunlight down her back. Reaching behind her, she cupped in her hand the half of a juicy pear drizzled with honey. She offered it to the flower before she began weaving peach flowers in her hair.

“You are very beautiful my daughter,” said Demeter. “My sweet, sweet Persephone you are the beauty that comes with spring: bloomed flowers, ripe fruits, ice waters, and youth.”

Finishing with her daughter’s hair she rested her hands upon her shoulders and with her thumbs massaged circles against her smooth skin.

“You are safe here, my dear. Nothing will harm you here.”

She draped her arms about her child and drew her close against her bosom. She rested her cheek upon her head and closed her eyes as she savored her daughter’s warmth. The gods often felt that she coddled her daughter too much for she was no longer a child and sat in her mother’s lap a full-grown woman. The poor girl had never seen the world outside the Eden Demeter had created for her. Hidden from the gods, Demeter only permitted her two sisters and best friends to visit.

“Athena and Artemis will be coming to pick flowers with you soon. Won’t that be fun?”

Demeter kissed her daughter’s cheek and stood with her. Running her fingers once more through her hair she bade, “I must go, but I will return later.”

She cupped her daughter’s cheek before she stepped away from her as her body dispersed in a swarm of colorful butterflies.

I won’t be long, she promised, her voice a whisper on the winds as the butterflies vanished into the skies.

 

[deadlylaurels]

Slender and graceful, Persephone sat still in her mothers soft lap, humming the song that the canaries of Eden shared with her as her mothers deft hands braided her golden locks.

“You are very beautiful my daughter,” her mother cooed sweetly, “My sweet, sweet Persephone you are the beauty that comes with spring: bloomed flowers, ripe fruits, ice waters, and youth.”

Attractive and youthful she was, with her high cheek bones, plump lips, and soft golden curls. Persephone smiled modestly at her mothers words, but beneath that sweet smile was the pride she felt at the compliments Demeter so often showered upon her.

As the Harvest Goddess finished her braiding and hands moved to massage the supple fair skin beneath her hands, she turned her head to lock eyes directly with her mother.

“You are safe here, my dear. Nothing will harm you here.”


At home in her Eden, Persephone felt a queen. She knew every trail, flower, tree, and creature that walked through the only land she had ever known.

"I know mother, I believe you." her eyes gleamed innocently, a shimmer of blue with tiny flecks of gold. "I'm safe as long as I stay here." Her mother embraced her, and Persephone could faintly catch the scent of strawberries.

“Athena and Artemis will be coming to pick flowers with you soon. Won’t that be fun?" her mother asked, still cradling the young godling in her arms. She lifted her head from her mothers bosom and her smile grew wide and her voice a tad higher.

"Truly? I have missed them both terribly.

Though her sisters were close to the Spring Goddess, they often had other affairs to deal with that came before joining Persephone in her garden. While she always had the companionship of the nymphs, she often felt lonely in her paradise.

Demeter's soft hands helped lift the young Goddess up and her soft lips made no noise as they pressed against her daughters tender cheek. Her shoulders drooped slightly the moment her mother spoke of leaving. Every single one of the Olympians and even the minor gods and goddesses has their freedom.

Except for her.

"Don't be too long." Beneath her smile was a sadness that so often lingered until her mother or sisters returned to her. She admired the butterflies which fluttered around for a time before they too disappeared along with her mother.

Persephone let out a quiet sigh as she brushed the wrinkles from her gauzy periwinkle dress. Her tiny pink nipples beneath the gown stiffened as the chill of wind blew through the garden. She crossed her arms as goosebumps began to rise across her smooth flesh.

Her body moved across the familiar land as she journeyed to the field she knew grew the loveliest of flowers. Her sisters would know to find her along with her attendants.

The field was a lovely sight to behold, for it's simplicity was the thing Persephone found the most refreshing. It was not as extravagant as the gardens that Hera and Aphrodite had created, but it suited Persephone perfectly. Just enough sunflowers, narcissus, and poppies grew for the Goddess to pick to her hearts content.

As she found her favorite spot, several nymphs wandered over towards her and greeted her with kisses and sweet words that warmed her heart.

"Will your sisters be accompanying us today my lady?" Eveina asked, the silver haired tree nymph whose eyes reminded Persephone of storm clouds, though she was as sweet as nectar.

"Yes." Persephone replied excitedly, eyes shining brightly as she looked towards her lovely handmaiden.

The flapping of wings distracted the goddess and her eyes lifted up towards the heavens and she smiled.

Minerva, Athena's owl found a sturdy enough branch to land on as his master floated quite gently beside the spring Goddess. "Sister," Persephone greeted, throwing her arms around her clever sibling in a tight embrace.

"Careful now, don't scratch yourself on my breastplate sweetling." Athena murmured into her ear as she lifted her own arm to wrap around her.

As Persephone detached herself carefully from her older sibling, Athena turned her head side to side and surveyed the field. "Where is our little huntress? I would have thought she'd arrive sooner than I."

Her pale shoulders shrugged before she spoke. "I'm not sure, but then again you know our dear sister. She's probably found a new friend."

"Sorry! I know I'm late." A familiar sharp voice called out, making Persephone's heart flutter in surprise. The wild goddess ran across the entrance to the field, where the mortal plane ended and the gate to Persephone's paradise began. The veil was thin, and she watch it seem to dissipate the moment Artemis's young form ran like a gazelle through the barrier.

Behind the young goddess was the form of one she could not make out. It ran almost as swiftly behind the girl until Persephone cried out to her sister. Artemis peered behind her shoulder to see the creature pursuing her, and oddly enough the Virgin Goddess's cheeks grew bright.

"Artemis, who is it? Who have you brought to my Garden?" Persephone questioned, though she hid behind Athena's tall form with only her tendrils of her blonde hair in view.

Artemis smiled sheepishly before gesturing with a hand towards the figure behind her. "I was playing with a huntsman, twas why I arrived late. I had no idea he would follow me here.." Persephone watched behind her sister as Artemis spoke hushed words to the "huntsman" before the man walked towards them.

Once he entered the light, Persephone saw exactly why Artemis had played with him. He was fair haired youth and quite tall that he managed to tower over even Athena. His hair was short and was a chocolate brown color which reminded her of the brown shaggy pups that followed Artemis around while she went hunting. She stepped out of her elder sisters protective stance and walked to where the youth stood.

"What's your name?" she asked, curiously. He stared back at her with his bright green eyes, mouth agape as if he had not expected her to speak.

"I...Meus. My name is Meus ." He licked his lips as Persephone continued to stare at the man in utter fascination.

"Where did you find him Arty?"

The girl gave the handsome youth a smirk before giving her sister an answer. "He was hunting in the woods outside Sicily, and he offered a pelt at my shrine. "

"Meus." Persephone started, offering him a small smile before continuing, "Do you like games?"

The lad seemed surprised at her question, but he answered after a few moments had passed"I...I suppose so miss." Persephone giggled at his nervousness, before turning to her siblings. "Can he play with us then? Please?"

Athena glanced anxiously over to where Artemis stood, stretching excitedly as if she were preparing for a foot race and nothing was out of sorts. "I'm not sure that's such a good idea Perse, what if Demeter was to come home early and see him?"

"Athena," she pleaded, doing her best to give her elder sister the most pitiful look the Goddess could muster. "I promise it'll only be for a little while, then we can send him back. Please?"

Whether it be her words or looks, she could see the Goddess relenting even before she let out a deep sigh of defeat. “Only for awhile then,” her sister told her. “Do you understand?”

“I understand” Persephone said, but she could not help the smile which played upon her lips from another battle won against the Goddess of Strategy.

“Alright Meus, Artemis, Athena, and I will hide and you count to fifty.”

Before the man had a chance to speak, Persephone latched onto both sisters arm before pulling them along with her to hide. The wood nymphs began to giggle hysterically as they too looked for places to hide.

As Persephone ran, she could hear the sound of her new friend counting behind her, though his voice grew fainter as the girls went deeper into the garden.

The game had begun.

 

[HotCider]

Meus lowered his arms and blinked to see the maidens that he had been conversing with nowhere to be found. He whirled left and then right, gazing across the rich, green fields that bore a soft ethereal hue. This had to be a dream, he thought. He must have fallen asleep at the shrine. Never would he have thought that chasing a goddess would lead him to such a magical place.

“I’m…I’m coming!” he called though he wasn’t sure who would hear him.

The forest seemed like the obvious place where they would hide. He jogged towards the woods with a growing smile. He was curious which goddess he would find first. He started through the trees and pushed a few branches aside. One branch snagged his shoulder and before he could knock it aside, he watched as the twigs became fingers and a brown, wood nymph playful giggled at him. She released him and sprang away from him before he could close his arms around her.

“Naughty little thing,” he laughed. He was finding this hide and seek game to be actually fun.

Hoo!

Meus glanced in the direction of a hooting owl.

“Minerva be quiet!” Athena whispered.

Hoo! Hoo! Minerva hooted. The little owl was sitting on a branch in a tall tree that Athena had climbed into. She was hugging the tree behind the branch her owl was on as Meus wandered below.

“I know you’re here. Come on out,” Meus called with a laugh.

He glanced up into the boughs and grasped the trunk with every intention to climb until his fingers gripped what he thought would be a solid surface. His fingers grasped supple flesh that gave and swelled against his touch. A sudden cry of startle soon emitted from the tree as the outline of a woman molded from the bark. Meus gasped and released the nymph’s bosom. His cheeks glowed in embarrassment as he backed away from the creature.

The nymph only coyly raised the back of her hand to her lips as she giggled and darted away. A second nymph darted passed the huntmen pinching his bottom and making him jump.

“Hey!” he exclaimed.

From what Athena could see, the wood nymphs had taken over the game. She climbed down from the tree and Minerva flew down to perch upon her shoulder. With her arms crossed, she watched Meus randy and engrossed in catching the naked, fae women.

One nymph squealed in his arms before she morphed into a tree. With his arms wrapped about a tree, Meus stepped back and muttered, “No fair!”

Artemis eventually came out of hiding to stand next to Athena. “What’s wrong? Where’s the Meus human?”

Athena simply pointed at the huntsmen chasing around the nymphs.

Artemis frowned and stamped her bare foot upon the ground. “Aw! We saw him first! They ruined the game!”

Lost in the game, Meus continued to chase the nymphs. One of them had blindfolded him with leaves and sap and were poking at him as he tried to feel about for where they were. His hands felt a pair of breasts that were larger than his hands.

“Oh-ho! And who is this?” he queried.

He squeezed at the flesh, running his fingers over the silky material.

Artemis gasped; her hand clapping over her mouth and she quickly hid behind her sister Athena to see the mortal fondling the Harvest Goddess. Demeter’s eyes shrank in anger and her fiery hair flared like hackles. Her blue eyes shifted yellow and the white sclera about them turned black. Her silk gown stripped away as thick, red thorns rose about her body to embrace her breasts and hips. Meus cried in pain when he felt the rising thorns cutting into his hands. Staggering backwards, he removed the sticky leaves from his eyes and his face paled when he took in the sight of a wrathful Demeter.

“Who brought this man here?” Demeter snarled. Her voice rumbled like the earth and her lips curled as she bore her teeth in an ugly expression.

“F-Forgive me, Great Goddess!” Meus whimpered. He searched pathetically for Artemis, and Artemis feeling sorry for him stepped out from behind Athena.

“Demeter please! He followed me here. Let me take him back,” Artemis pleaded.

Tears twinkled in the young goddess’s eyes, fearing for Meus’s life.

“He has seen too much!” Demeter replied.

Thorns erupted from the earth to snake around Meus’s body. They tore at his clothes and flesh, growing tighter as he wriggled wildly and expelled excruciating screams. With tears streaming from her eyes, Artemis raced to her youngest sister.

“Persephone!” she wailed. She clapped her hands over her eyes not wanting her to see Meus’s inevitable death.

Athena joined Artemis, covering Persephone’s ears hoping to guard the maiden’s innocence.

Lost in a mesh of thorns, Meus’s bones emitted a sudden crack and his screams instantly ceased. Blood soaked the soil, and the soil quickly drank it as the thorns pulled Meus’s corpse beneath the earth to Hades. In the spot where Meus had died bloomed a bed of flowers and Demeter’s attention turned toward Artemis and Athena.

“Get out,” she hissed. “GET OUT~!”

Artemis quickly hugged Persephone and apologized, “I’m sorry Persephone.”

“You will never be allowed here again!” Demeter shrieked in her rage. “GET OUT!”

Artemis took off with the speed of a deer, wiping at her still weeping eyes as she went. It was all her fault. Poor Persephone. She should have never been so careless.

Athena sadly regarded her sister and spreading her valkyrie wings she soared into the sky. Being the harder sister, she shed no tears but her heart wept for Persephone and the pain they had caused her.

After making sure Athena and Artemis had truly left her Eden, Demeter cast her dark eyes upon her daughter.

“There was a mortal man here and you didn’t warn me? He could have touched you!” Demeter scolded. “No more visitors!”

Demeter’s beauty returned and her silk gown dropped like a curtain from her shoulders. “I-I can’t allow anyone else to find you here.”

 

[deadlylaurels]

Persephone had watched the huntsman chase the playful nymphs throughout the wooded area, envying how much fun they seemed to be having. Like her sister, she had swiftly climbed a tree several feet away from where Athena and Minerva had hid themselves.

Eventually she had followed Athena and Artemis as they ventured out from their hiding spots, to join them in watching Meus give chase after Persephone's mischievousness handmaidens.

The joy she had felt at the beginning of the game quickly turned to dread as she felt her mothers presence enter the field. She watched with horror as the mortals hands moved to caress the breast's Persephone often laid her head upon. She let out a wail, knowing her Mother's fury would be great.

Her sisters let out similar sounds, both in shock and protest as the Harvest Goddess's anger manifested into the deadliest of thorns any had ever seen.

“He has seen too much!” Her mother had cried, her eyes no longer held the gentleness nor warmth Persephone loved.

Persephone watched as her mothers thorns burst from the warm earth to attack the poor man she had made friends with only minutes before. They tore his clothing, his skin, and to her his soul itself as he cried out in the most agonizing tone. It was her fault, she had pleaded with her sister to allow him to stay. Her curiosity had caused more harm than good, and she had no words to describe the amount of guilt she now felt.

Her sisters protected her eyes and ears from horrors before her, but neither of them had the power to keep her gentle heart from aching at her terrible crime. The thorns remained in her head, replaying the scene she had watched before her sisters hands became a barrier of her senses.

Mother loves me. She loves me so much that she would kill for me, and to protect what we have. But her love is too much like the thorns I have seen. It stabs itself into you until it manages to take root and then it remains for an eternity. I cannot breathe, but I love her. She bears the only love I have ever known.


When the deed was done and her huntsman was nothing more than a bundle of flowers, enough to fill a basket, Demeter turned on Persephone's sisters.

Demeter's commanding voice gave no room for argument, so the two sisters; one wild, one wise, took their leave of the Spring Goddess. She sank to the ground and all the tears she held in by pure will were now unleashed to pour heavily down her soft cheeks.

She could barely hear her mothers scolding over the sounds of her own weeping, and no matter how many times she reached to wipe away the crystal tears that seemed to flood her eyes, more came after it.

I-I can’t allow anyone else to find you here.”

She gave an audible sniff before looking up to see the woman who had braided her hair earlier in the morn. " I'm..so..sorry,"she hiccuped between words, "I meant no harm, I only wanted him to play with us. "

Demeter's face softened and she glided to where her daughter sat, kneeling in front of the girl and taking the child's hands in her own.

"Everything I do is for you little flower." She rubbed her daughters hands softly , eyes now clear of rage, but the sternness of her voice remained. "No more visitors though, at least for a time. You must promise me as well that you'll have no more men or anyone mother does not know inside of our haven. Can you promise me that sweetling?"

Persephone did not answer, for fear her voice would betray her. Truly it was not fair. Artemis and Athena were the only guests her mother allowed here. Not even her father had permission to enter the Garden or her brothers. What was it that men had that seemed to frighten her mother so?

"I promise," she replied, her voice a husk of the delighted girl she had been hours before, "No more strangers."

Demeter seemed content with the promise that she gave her daughter a tender and gentle kiss to her brow before lifting both Persephone and herself to their feet.

"Dry your tears child. There are still flowers to gather for the day, are there not?" Persephone thought about that. “I can still pick flowers?" She had expected her mother to be too beside herself to let her do much of anything.

Demeter nodded, all smiles and sweetness as she ruffled her daughters flaxen hair. "Yes, but stay in the field for today. You aren't allowed near the pond or forest for the rest of today."

Oddly enough, the field suited her just fine. At least then she could deal with her grief without her mothers watchful eyes. Her mother released her hands and left Persephone to do as she liked.

As long as she remained alone to do so.

 

[HotCider]

The Underworld

Meus awoke on the rocking floor of a ship. He blinked the disorientation from his eyes as they cleared to reveal a ceiling riddled with lengthy, black stalactites. The air was thick with smoke and rot. His nose wrinkled and he grasped his shirt, lifting it to filter out the stench.

“Whe-where am I?” Meus whimpered as he shakily rose to his feet.

His eyes grew to the size of saucers and his tunic tumbled from his fingers as he became weak with dread. Beneath the ship was a river of a greenish-blue mist. Meus walked to the side of the ship and peered over its edge to examine the water it sailed on. The soul of a woman with her arms wrapped about a crying child swept by in the current, and the muffled cries of her child made the hairs on his neck stand on end. Chills and goose bumps broke out across his skin like a plague.

“What is this Hell?” Meus cried.

“Hell, is exactly what it is,” a man spoke.

He had just appeared and other souls were manifesting before his eyes. The man was wearing a glum expression. He appeared to be a warrior clad in bronze armor with a round shield. Meus shuddered and turned in a dazed circle, taking in his surroundings as though it were a bad dream.

“No! I can’t be dead. I’ve committed no crime. I’ve done nothing wrong!” he panicked.

The Spartan scowled at the young man. “You don’t need to have committed a crime to die. Death happens and when it is your time, it is your time.”

“But I was murdered by Demeter! What did I do wrong?”

The Spartan’s brows rose in surprise. “I can’t help you there, friend. Demeter is the sister of the Lord of the Underworld. If you plead your case to the dark lord, then maybe you can find peace in the Elysium Fields.”

“I want to live again!”

“There are no second chances. The Underworld takes and doesn’t give back. All of my brethren have fallen down here, and I plan to join them. I warn you boy; do not speak of second chances with the god of the dead. If he gives you the Elysium Fields then take it. It is better than where you could go.”

Meus dropped to his knees and wept in his hands. “I should have never chased that goddess. I worshipped her and she got me killed.”

“Do you grow balls or breasts? Don’t show your weakness in front of me. When it comes to death, the fault is always your own.”

Meus wiped his eyes and sniffed. He then stood and found a corner in the ship to sit in until the cruise ended. By the time the ship reached the docks, it was nearly overflowing with souls. They were packed on it by the thousands and the deafening noise of sobbing, screaming, and shouting filled his ears. He had pressed his hands to his ears to try and mute it, but there was nothing he could do.

Dear gods; make it all stop! Meus mentally screamed.

From behind the stalactites black creatures began to descend like bats and snatch the souls off the boat. On the shore, a man; no, a monster waddled toward the ship with a whip clenched in its meaty fist. Upon its shoulders were two heads bearing teeth that protruded from their lower jaws like a dog. They cracked the whip at the souls aboard, tearing into one soul and causing it to dissolve into a plume of ectoplasm that the whipper parted his jaws to inhale and consume. His neck swelled as though he had swallowed a skull whole and the spirit descended into the depths of his round, drooping belly that was probably packed plenty with souls.

“Get off the ship!” the demon bellowed and grunted.

The crowd grew thinner and Meus rose to his feet. He followed behind the other souls, jumping in fright when he heard the crack of the whip, turning another soul to mist that The Whipper gobbled down. Meus stared at the creature and trembled. If he was to ask an audience with the God of the Underworld, then he would have to talk to someone before he was whisked off to his fate. When he stepped off the ship and came before The Whipper, he stared at him timidly as he walked by.

Do it now Meus! Say something before it’s too late! his conscience screamed at him.

Tensing, Meus dove to the ground before The Whipper’s feet and cried, “Oh Great Devil and Master of Souls!”

The Whipper peered down at the ground and could only see his protruding tummy.

“Huh?” he queried in confusion. His hands grasped his girth as he shook it around and pressed his ear to it.

Meus stared up at the confused demon and timidly rose to his feet so The Whipper could see him better.

“I am here, my lord,” said Meus.

Both heads of The Whipper gazed at Meus with an arched brow before they released their gut.

“Move along!” The Whipper roared.

“I must request an audience with your lord. I have been wronged!”

“What do you got to offer?”

Meus blinked in confusion. “What?”

“To see Lord Hades, you must have an offering. No offering? Then move along!”

Meus tensed when he saw the demon raising its bulging arm to crack the whip. He fell quickly to the ground as the whip cracked the soul behind him and The Whipper sucked the spirit into his gob like a vacuum. His cheeks inflated and an explosive belch smelling of rotten eggs left his throat before hot drool descended in clear strands down his sagging breasts.

An offering? What do I have to offer? Meus frantically thought.

His brows then shot upwards as an idea popped into his head. Quickly he stood and exclaimed, “I-I have an offering!”

“Huh?” The Whipper grunted. “Where? I don’t see no offering.”

“It’s a story.”

“What? A story?” The Whipper rested its claws against his belly as he roared with laughter.

“Yes, a story,” Meus said weakly. He didn’t find it so funny. He watched The Whipper’s belly quiver and got a clever idea. “You seem to enjoy the taste of souls. I bet you can’t eat all the ones that remain on the ship.”

“What?” The Whipper grunted. “I could eat that whole ship you worm!”

“I don’t think so. You look like you’ve had enough.”

“Watch me!”

The Whipper wildly cracked his whip until a grey cloud of soul matter began to build. Meus watched as the souls on the ship were reduced to a mist, and then watched as The Whipper opened both of its mouths and inhaled the fog. The demon swelled like a balloon, growing larger and larger until he looked as round as a globe. His jaws came together once the last wisp had entered his gullet and he collapsed back upon his rear with a thud that cracked the stone beneath him. Meus raised his arms protectively as shards of rock lept at him. He failed to see The Whipper crack his whip once more and the huntsmen was reduced to a mist. The demon swallowed Meus, unknowing that Meus had been the last straw. The Whipper’s eyes widened in shock when it felt its sides giving and with a single, shrill fart, the creature exploded, popping like a balloon to send souls flying in all directions.

Meus screamed as he went flying helplessly through The Underworld. He felt his spirit begin to descend and below was a creature that resembled a dragon. It had three spiny heads covered in black scales and when it looked up with its ghostly-white eyes, it reared back its heads as though ready to snatch him between its spiny teeth.

Oh no! Meus mentally screamed.

His face paled and he clenched his eyes closed as the creature attacked, spreading its jaws to clamp around him. Suddenly, the soul was snatched out of the air. Now crushed within a cramped space, Meus rasped and tried to see where he was, but it was too dark but outside his prison he heard a voice.

“Too slow,” the god teased.

The drake snarled and barked as sparks of flame lept from its throat. The dark god opened his hand and dangled Meus before Cerberus like a treat.

“Aah~!” Meus shrieked.

He flailed and kicked with his one free leg until he could see who had him. The god was colossal, a Titan in size. His skin was as dark as night and muscle was packed like marble upon his bones, bulging and defined. He was bare except for a skirt of seemingly-black silk that clung to his waist. It had been a gathering of shadows that swept the floor at his feet. The god’s eyes were white, irises black, and pupils white. He was devoid of color, appearing akin to an inked sketch. Was this Hades?

“Lord Hades!” Meus cried.

The god was still focused on teasing Cerberus. The dragon huffed and puffed in agitation and stomped its clawed paws.

“You want it?” the god teased.

Ceberus’s heads angrily screamed.

“Lord Hades, please! Demeter!”

Hades gripped Meus in his fist and made a throwing motion that had the soul uttering a muffled scream for his life. Cerberus’s heads snapped in the direction it thought its master had thrown the soul, and in a mad dash, the beast charged off into the darkness. Hades smiled and chuckled at his pet.

“Stupid beast,” he muttered. The god, feeling bored and lazy started away from his pet’s pin and opened his hand to gaze down at the little soul. “You say my sister’s name as though it means something to me.”

Meus stared up at the god in awe, so it was him! “My lord, I must request an audience.”

Hades arched a brow. “Did you bring me something? Hopefully something other than your life.” He snickered with dark humor. After spending an eternity as The Underworld’s keeper his jokes were still sooo hilarious.

“I, uh…” Meus stuttered nervously.

The dark god stopped. “What? Nothing? Where’d that beast go?”

“A story! I brought you a story!” Meus cried.

Hades frowned, showing his clear distaste, but he said nothing. He stood there in thought and even tried to hide his interest. Peering at Meus out of the corners of his eyes, the god reluctantly questioned, “About?”

“About how I died. Demeter killed me.”

Hades grinned, flashing rows of jagged teeth. “I have to hear this. I’ll take it as an offering.”

The god carried Meus to his throne room and delicately set him upon the floor. He then walked over to his black, obsidian throne and turned around to plop into it. Resting his elbow upon the armrest, he opened his hand and rested his chin within his palm. Meus hadn’t noticed how fast the god had changed shades. His complexion had gone from black to white, and his eyes black with white irses, and black pupils. His hair was black, short and feathery upon his head. Hades waved his hand in the soul’s direction, cuing his commence.

Meus had a rough start explaining to the god about how he had found the goddess of the hunt.

“That’s my niece Artemis,” Hades informed. “And?”

Meus went on to explain how he followed Artemis to an Eden in the mountains.

“Skip to what got you killed,” Hades ordered irritably.

“Well, uh…I don’t know exactly. I think it may be because I uh…”

“You what?”

The god’s breath was suddenly on him. The entire throne had suddenly moved—at least that was his explanation. The dark god was bent over in his chair, his ear hovering right above Meus. The soul swallowed nervously and blushed as he squeaked, “I grabbed her breasts.”

Hades sat upright in his chair in shock. “You what!”

“Forgive me my lord! I didn’t know. The wood nymphs had blinded-”

Meus’s plea was interrupted by laughter. The God of the Underworld was back across the room, roaring with laughter at his story. He slapped his knee and leaned over in his chair as though he would fall out any minute.

“How-how did you do this?” the god asked.

Meus blinked. “I do what?”

“Grab her breasts. Show me.”

“What?”

Hades’s complexion turned dark and he bore his craggy teeth in anger. “I said show me!”

Frightened, Meus raised his hands and made grabby-grab-grab gestures as though he were fondling invisible breasts.

The dark god’s complexion shifted back to white and with a howl of mirth the whole Underworld seemed to quake when he struck the floor. Tears rolled like black ink from his eyes as he crossed an arm over his stomach and hammered his fist against the floor.

“I am going to die of laughter!” Hades cried and grew more boisterous at the irony.

Meus felt awkward, watching the God of the Underworld enjoy his tale. It hadn’t been enjoyable for him, and it wasn’t over.

Panting heavily, Hades’s chest rose and fell as he calmed his laughter. He wiped the tears from his eyes and started his crawl back onto his throne. Once he was right in his chair, he breathed a sigh of relief and smiled, still enjoying the image the soul had put into his mind.

“That was worth it. You please me greatly mortal. I haven’t been able to smile since I pulled the wrong straw. You can go off to your fate now.”

“And what is my fate, my lord?”

“You committed a crime against my sister. You must go to the Fields of Punishment.”

“What? But I made you laugh.”

“You definitely did.”

“But what about the Elysium Fields?”

“And what of them?” the god questioned. He was growing agitated.

Meus was afraid to say anything further concerning them. “I didn’t finish my story.”

Hades’s head returned to his palm. “I didn’t find the details amusing.”

“Please, let me go back to where I entered the Eden.”

“If you bore me further than the state I am already in, then I will eat you myself. I know who you are. You made my whipper explode. Let me enlighten you, if I eat you, there is no coming back. You just won’t exist anymore.”

Meus shuddered when the god smiled at him. “It won’t bore you I promise.”

Hades sighed and once again waved at Meus to continue.

Meus told the god how he had found Artemis and two other maidens picking flowers.

“My other niece, Athena. The other…”

The god frowned. He couldn’t remember any of his current nieces appearing the way the soul was describing. Sitting up in his chair, Hades’s upper lip curled in disgust. “You are a liar.”

“I would never lie to you, my lord.”

Hades slowly stood from his throne like a cobra prepped to strike. “You’re just trying to waste my time. You aren’t going to the Elysium Fields. You are going to the Fields of Punishment for wronging my sister!”

“My lord, if I am wrong then you shall eat me, but if I am right, you will send me to the Elysium Fields.”

“If you are right?” Hades growled.

“I am right! I saw her. Hair of gold, eyes of the bluest skies, an innocent angel.”

“I have no nieces like that!”

“I don’t know if she was your niece or in any relation to you, but Demeter was so protective of her that she hid her in an Eden in the mountains!”

Hades’s fists trembled in his anger and he closed his eyes and eased his temper. There was no reason to get riled up. There wasn’t a thing in the mortal plane that he couldn’t find and see. Stepping away from his throne, Hades held out his hands and the stone floor rose into a bulb between them. The structure resembled an eye that opened to gaze upon the god.

“Show me this Eden,” he demanded.

The eye closed and when it opened a light radiated from it so bright that Hades flinched. He raised his arm and squinted his eyes that weren’t accustomed to such a heavenly brightness. Sitting in a field of flowers was the woman, the soul had described. Hades lowered his arm to watch as she sat there...alone. A paradise surrounded her and yet she didn’t seem to be happy. The god was mesmerized.

“Who is she?” Hades questioned.

“I know not, my lord.”

“Why have I never seen her before?”

“She is hidden away in the Eden. Before I died, Demeter had said that I had seen too much.”

Hades stepped back and sat upon his throne and the eye tilted its round head so that he could continue to watch the maiden. She was so lonely. He too was lonely.

Meus’s hands fondled each other. Again, things had become awkward as he was left standing in the dark lord’s presence. “My lord, well, our deal-”

“Elysium fields go!”

Meus bowed as a few tears escaped his eyes. His hard work had finally paid off. “Thank you, my lord.”

Meus glowed in a white light before he winked out of existence, leaving the god to his show.

“We are so alike,” Hades muttered.

For several days, the God of the Underworld remained rooted to his throne, watching the spring goddess and Demeter. The Underworld stopped and the dead stopped dying. Ares fell into a rage that reached his father’s ears and Zeus was forced to send Hermes with a scroll to The Underworld. Hermes landed before Hade’s throne, his winged sandals fluttering like dove wings. He arched a brown brow at the god and how his eyes were glued to the sphere before him. Hermes sprang into the air and fluttered around behind Hades to gaze with him into the eye.

The winged god’s brows rose and he exclaimed, “It’s Persephone!”

Hades suddenly snagged him by his tunic and hissed in his face like a mad man, “Who is she!?”

Hermes rasped, “It’s my sister and your niece.”

“How come I never heard of her until now?”

“She disappeared somewhere. Nobody got a chance to see her. Look! I’m just trying to deliver this message from Zeus, okay?”

Hades released him and went back to watching his Persepho-vision. Hermes held out the scroll and parted it next to Hades to reveal Zeus’s mug.

“Hades! What in the Styx is going on down there? I have a raging, tantrum-throwing son up here destroying my palace because you’re not doing your job!”

Hades said nothing and the god of lighting’s eyes flickered in his anger. “Do not ignore me brother. My lightning may not be able to reach you, but I can send someone down there to torment you!”

“You had another child,” Hades muttered indifferently.

Zeus blinked. The remark was so random. “I did…”

Hermes angled the scroll before the eyeball and Zeus’s white brows rose. “Persephone! Where in the Aegean has she gone?”

Hades arched a brow. “You mean you don’t know?”

“No, she disappeared.”

“I said the same thing,” Hermes defended.

“A soul that was murdered by our beloved sister told me that she’s been imprisoned in an Eden in the mountains.”

“Is that where she’s been keeping her? Someone needs to get her out of there before she goes mad.”

A long and wicked smile stretched across Hades’s face from one ear to the other. “Yes…someone. You have answered my questions brother. Thank you. I will make sure the dead go where they belong.”

“Thank you, brother. Now to get this damned son of mine out of here!”

Hermes closed the scroll and narrowed his eyes suspiciously at Hades.

The God of the Dead turned a cold, white eye over his shoulder as the eye sank back beneath the earth. “Would you like to stay? Forever perhaps?”

Hermes jumped and darted off into the air and out of The Underworld faster than a bullet.

Hades held out his right fist and parted his fingers as a black narcissus unfurled from his palm. He stared at the flower as an eager smile curled at his lips. “You will find this flower. Its color is unlike any you’ve seen and once you find it, you will find me.”

The flower detached itself from the god’s palm and floated toward the ceiling. Hades craned his head to watch it drift toward the surface, his face maliciously contorted and teeth gleaming hungrily.

 

[deadlylaurels]

For days on end, Persephone walked throughout her Eden in a trance. Her mother, true to her word, had banned all visitors since the little incident within the garden. Never before had Persephone felt so somber in her own home, where even the flowers she had loved to pick had brought her no comfort.

"Mistress," Eveina began, her grey eyes full of concern for the Goddess, "it pains me to see you in such a state."

Persephone had heard the maidens words, but she only continued to sigh tiredly as she looked out into the grassy fields.

Eveina continued to gripe about Persephone's mood until an idea formed in her head. The nymph smiled wickedly before tapping her lady's shoulder with her index finger.

"You're it my lady."

It took a moment to realize the words her handmaiden spoke, but when they registered the gloominess that lingered in the Goddess of Spring's eyes faded and she sprang up from the soft grass she laid upon to chase after the girl.

"You'll have to run faster than that to catch me, my lady" Eveina squealed, the picture of youth as she ran across the bright green fields. Persephone, while not as fast as Artemis nor quite so hardy as Athena, could still give chase if she put her mind to it. Bright flowers sprung from the earth with every light step she took, and a trail of poppies, pansies, and daises would lead any nymph or creature straight towards the Goddess.


She would have continued her chase, had her attention not been taken by the most lovely blossom of narcissus she had ever seen. In her field of light, she spotted a Queen among them. She knew all the flowers which grew in her valley, but this flower was an outcast among them.

The godling stepped lightly, taking care not to trample over the other flowers she met on her way to the narcissus

The sweet Goddess knelt down to where the black narcissus lay. No other flowers grew near it, as if they too understood they were mere peons beneath the majestic petals the Dark Queen grew.

"How have I never seen you before..," Persephone asked, leaning down with her palms flat against the dense warm earth beneath her, "you who is a Goddess among your kind, sweet narcissus."

By now her loyal friend and servant had realized her mistress's sudden disappearance and had backtracked to where Persephone now sat.

"What happened to our game?, " the nymph whined, plopping herself down next to her lady. Persephone ignored her question, too mesmerized by the flora to notice much else.

The nymph raised a dark trimmed brow before turning her head in the direction Persephone was looking. When she spotted the dark flower, her eyes grew as wide and as curious as the Springtime Goddess's.

"What is that?", Eveina asked, her voice a mix of wonder and suspicion.

“It's a narcissus,” Persephone said patiently. “The darkest of it's kind. Isn't it lovely Eveina?”

“Perhaps we should leave it alone,” Eveina said. Persephone could see her grey eyes darkening, like the beginning of a thunderstorm.. “Nothing good could come of such a dark flower. Let us leave this old thing and pick berries from the fields.”

“Fine, but I'm taking it with us,” She replied. Before the nymph could protest, Persephone reached for the flower and plucked it as gently as she could, making sure a single petal did not fall .

She pressed the bloom to her smiling face and inhaled and slowly as she could. To her surprise, the flower bore no scent, not even the sweetness so many of it's brethren had shared with her on many occasions.

"Strange..," she whispered, the flower pressed still to her rosy cheek.

"I think you should leave that.., that thing alone my lady."

The Goddess could hear the nymph whimpering behind her, but she did not listen . She only continued to hold the flower to her face, and try with all her might to find a scent for her Queen of flowers.

 

[HotCider]

The dark lord stood with his white eyes cast to the ceiling. His eyes were wide with anticipation, watching as Persephone pranced through the fields, chasing her nymph companion. As she neared where his flower stood, her blue eyes snapped in its direction, her blonde locks whipping in the breeze and Hades’s maw parted and his teeth bore like a shark. She had found it. Anxiously, his hands rose and arms spread apart in welcome.

“Come to me, my dear,” he invited.

Tearing his eyes from the ceiling, he held out his hand to the darkness and spewing from its blackness on clattering hooves were four horned stallions pulling a black, spiked chariot. The wheels ground on a low and hollow roll that rumbled ominously in its approach. The beasts halted when the chariot was before their master and Hades stepped over to it, running his hand across the cold steel and stepping into its car.

Regarding the ceiling once more, he saw that Persephone was knelt over the narcissus. The nymph tried to persuade her to leave it be, but Hades could see that the little goddess was captivated. Persephone reached out, her hand growing closer and Hades’s face growing tenser the closer it drew. Her delicate fingers pinched its stem and effortlessly she plucked it from the earth and the ceiling of The Underworld parted in a beam of light that bathed the dark lord in white.

He rises.

The ground parted in a long black seam behind Persephone as she buried her nose in the narcissus’s blooms. Eveina collapsed in startle, her legs growing weak from the sight. Frantically, she crawled backward as the earth opened wider and black wisps spewed like hairs into the blue sky and snaked like serpents through the fertile lawns that surrounded it, sucking the very life from the vegetation. The most frightening thing about the phenomenon was that it happened in deathly silence. Eveina felt lost in a nightmare, petrified and voice caught in her horror. She watched with gaping eyes her mistress stand oblivious to the evil that churned behind her; and then, erupting quietly from the earth were four, demonic equines. With black manes rippling like torn banners in the breeze of their sprint they charged to her left and right, bringing with them no winds but the chariot they dragged behind. The lord of the dead parted his strong arms as his chariot passed through Persephone intangibly. Abruptly, he locked his arms about her, his right hand snagging her throat and his left arm curled about her hips. Instantly, the horses and the chariot froze.

Eveina slowly rose to her feet, her eyes large and lips parted as though her very soul was escaping from them. She was awe-stricken as she gawked upon the still-life before her. The horses were motionless and in mid-trot, their mouths agape, fiery eyes ablaze, and manes still flared.

Hades moved, staring at the color that flooded across his skin and feeling the warmth the spring goddess exuded. Upon contact, her spring powers seeped into his being and his black and white complexion became olive and his eyes black with golden rings. Those haunting eyes travelled over to the nymph who gazed at him like a deer. The grin that expanded on his face stretched his mouth to inhuman lengths. With eyes bleeding black with the darkness that filled his heart, Hades chuckled in wicked triumphant before the chariot lurched backwards, swiftly descending back into the chasm and pulling its horses along in a backwards coaster.

Eveina finally forced a dreaded scream. She charged and dove at ground where the earth had swallowed Persephone, screaming and weeping as she tore at the grass and flowers with her nails to no avail.

The Rape.

The chariot halted in his throne room and his hand raked down from her neck to catch the gown on his claws and strip it from her body. The horses vanished on dark wisps as Hades bent Persephone over the front of his chariot. The shadows fled from his hips and the dark god pressed his meaty phallus against the soft lips of her chastity. He leaned over her until his solid abs were pressed against her back and pecs against her shoulders. He ground his cock against her pussy, wanting her to feel the girth he would soon force inside her.

The one hand that wasn’t holding her down grasped her right, dangling breast and gave it a firm squeeze as it swelled within his grip. The horny god then lowered his head over her shoulder and parted his jaws as his tongue tumbled like a black serpent, passing down her chest like a slug to curl about her other tit, constricting it until her pink bud looked as though it would pop. Drool tumbled and rolled in clear hot strands down her chest as the god breathed on breath that escaped him on a black plume and smelling of coal, a wicked sigh of pleasure. No longer a god but a lusting monster, the spring goddess’s irresistible beauty and innocence had transformed him.

 

[deadlylaurels]

The light had left her.

For a single second, Persephone had felt infinite. With her flower in hand, she had felt as if she had captured beauty itself and nothing could diminish the happiness she now felt.

As she turned, triumphant in her picking of flora, two hands grasped her and pulled the Goddess close. She had thought it was Eveina, playing another one of her games to get Persephone to leave the flower and give chase once more, but it was not. The arms which held her were unfamiliar to the girl. Muscular and strong, they were different from her mothers and sisters. They were a mans arms. She did not feel safe in them.

The Spring Goddess tried to speak, but the hand that laid across her throat prevented it. Her vocal cords could form no sound, and the arm thrown around her hips kept her from running.

Then she was pulled. Away from the sun Apollo made rise every morning, and the clouds formed from her fathers fingertips. The last thing she saw before earth snapped shut it's jaws above her was Eveina's eyes.

They look like storm clouds.

When she and her captor had finally stopped falling; for that it was it felt like, though her eyes had briefly caught the sight of the dark beasts which pulled the chariot, her heart fluttered with fear.

She could not turn her head to peek at the creatures face which held her. His hands did not prevent her from seeing the room she was in. There was a throne, filled with the darkness that not even the night carried. The hand which kept her from screaming finally released her throat, but only to tear her gown apart and throw it off to the side.

"Who are you? What are you doing, let go of me!" She wailed, her hands reaching behind her to feel the face of the creature behind her. Her hand briefly touched what she thought was a cheek, but it was so cold she almost thought it for stone.

She let out another shrill shriek when something large pressed against her lips. It was hard and throbbing, and unfamiliar. She knew it to be the "sword", as Athena had once explained in hushed whispers, that all men carried.

A large hands reached to fondle a breast, and she winced at the ferocity behind it. "Please,...please, stop this." The man paid her pleas no mind as he bent his head across his shoulder and unleashed his snakelike tongue, flickering, down her chest to grasp her other bosom in vice like grip.

Now she began to cry, and she was sure he could taste her salty tears as they fell from her sky blue eyes down to her chest. With a tongue as dark as death, she knew it could not be a man or god.

It was a monster which had taken her, and a monster that would destroy her. Her pleading did not stop, nor did her salty tears. She pleaded for her mother, sisters, brothers, and friends. At one point she even cried out for her father. His tongue remained around her breast, and the large flesh between his legs did not disappear.

“You are safe here, my dear. Nothing will harm you here.” Her mother words bounced around her head.

"Liar, liar, liar. You promised but you couldn't help me."

 

[HotCider]

Hades chuckled as he tasted her crystal tears rolling in hot beads alongside his tongue. It retracted back into his mouth and the god eased off Persephone, his hips pressing harder against the swells of her bottom. His eyes narrowed mischievously and a smile stretched on his face. He listened to her terrified cries for her mother, her sisters, all of their kin. She even begged him to stop and let her go. The dark god’s mind was stuck on the question she had asked before.

“Sshh,” he cooed.

His right hand had released her tit to press against her shoulder, holding her down and keeping her bent over his chariot. He dragged his left hand up her left leg from her calf to her thigh, his large hands hot and rough like stone and his black nails lightly tracing her flesh with the sharpness of a blade. She was scrumptious and the potent smell of her virginity had him salivating.

“I am your opposite,” Hades explained. “You have every right to be terrified of me, but you will learn to love me just as much as I love you. You cry like a child, but you are a woman. I will destroy what my sister has created and remake you as my queen. I will show you pleasures unlike any you will ever experience. Do not feel ashamed at the sounds you will hear yourself make or the wanton behavior you may experience. I will make you scream; I will make you ache; but most of all…” His lips parted into a toothy smile. “I will make you crave more until you can crave no more.”

Hades giggled wickedly behind a jagged smile. His cock rippled against her lips and his bulbous head rose to snuggly enter her peach, winding along her tight passage ways. From the tip flicked a forked tongue and the dark lord’s cock morphed into a serpent. Spreading its maw, the snake flaunted its sickle-like fangs as drops of venom formed at their tips. With the swiftness of a cobra, the serpent sank its teeth into her damp supple walls and unleashed its venom to pass euphorically throughout her system, warping her conscious with hallucinations or they could have very much been real.

The chariot; The Underworld; the evil god vanished around her and she collapsed upon a bed of hands. Black hands with sharp nails like the dark god grasped at her flesh, squeezing her muscles, fondling her bosom and ass and raking their digits through her blonde locks. Fingers probed her body inside and out, stroked her skin, pinched her nipples and teased her clit. The way they moved beneath her and over her was like an ocean, rising and falling, interlacing with her fingers and toes in a heated assault of her senses.

The sea dispersed when a pair of hands grasped at her inner thighs to spread her legs about strong hips. Her knees were drawn upwards by a pair of hands that came from behind her and her bottom smashed against a second pair of hips. In her daze, she may have noticed that she was back in the chariot, but two dark gods surrounded her; both one and the same. The Hades behind her held her legs, raising them in a V and exposing her pussy vulnerably to the Hades before her and the drooling beast he stroked with his thumb. Persephone’s back was against his solid chest and with a few bucks from his hips, his erect spear passed between her tight cheeks to sink deeply into her ass. Following the first penetration, the Hades before her eased his blade between her plump petals and he pumped into her until her cherry began to weep. Her innocent blood that dripped upon the chariot floor excited flowers and grass to bloom beneath the god’s feet.

Holding Persephone against him, Hades pressed his lips to her ear as his twin aggressively sawed away inside her.

“I am Hades,” he told her with a smile. “God of the Underworld; God of the Dead; and your twisted uncle. I will be your everything and you will have no one to fear for I am all there is to fear.”

He kissed the side of her neck and rose off the chariot so that she was sandwiched between him and his other. She rode them both. With her legs now looped about the crooks of the arms of the Hades behind her, the Hades before her continued to crash his hips against hers, which forced her ass against the spear of his other. The Hades before her grasped her tits and massaged them between his fingers, his thumbs rubbing circles against her nipples and he pressed his lips against her own, his tongue entering her mouth to coil around her own. When he drew back, from her lips was a white light that entered his mouth with the texture of milk and sweetness of honey. It was her innocence and it was leaking from her body the more she indulged in his dark delights. As he massaged her breasts, it leaked from her nipples to roll hotly down her tummy. The more she swallowed his cock, the tighter she gripped him, and the more she showed secret pleasure excited her innocence to flee her body from the darkness that was tainting it. Hades swallowed as the white innocence ran like milk from the corners of his mouth to drip from his chin. He smashed his juicy lips against hers again and coaxed more from her throat to enter his own, while his other parted his lips and his lengthy, black tongue lapped at the milky streams that leaked from her breasts.

 

[deadlylaurels]

He smiled like death.

He was terrifying and beautiful. With rugged hands, he traced her flesh back and forth and goosebumps rose across her body. His mouth opened wide to speak, and she could feel his hot breathe linger on her skin.

He spoke in hushed tones, almost as if to soothe her,and she stopped crying to listen. Words of passion passed from his wicked tongue, but it did little to help the fear that flooded her. The only thing that registered when his villainous lips was when he talked of"love"

"Is this love? To be taken from your home and held in a prison of darkness?" Persephone thought, but not daring to speak out against the God's words. When he laughed, she braced herself against the chariot. The hard flesh between his legs caressed her outer lips. She had no time to truly prepare when he entered her, or the quick prick of pain before the feeling of pure euphoria which followed.

Her eyelashes felt heavy, and it took effort on her part to raise them. The throne room and darkness left her if only for a moment. Her mother, sisters, and friends all danced around her; faces filled with smiles reserved only for her.

She reached out for them, but the illusion vanished and was replaced with another. Bodies meshed together, some above and beneath her and yet she could still feel their cold flesh. Some hands fondled her skin, and some massaged the warm and wet pink flesh between her legs. She finally found a hand to hold onto; the one comfort in an unfamiliar land, and she did not let go. Her warm pale finger caressed a black claw, which shone so clearly she could see her own reflection within it. In her delirium, she saw herself; cheeks stained with tears, but her face the same as the day before. The only difference within her was the golden hair that fell across her shoulders. No longer the shade of gold she had always known, it rippled and turned to silver.

That vision, if it was truly a vision at all, left her too. It was replaced with two dark creatures, both bearing the same wicked smile of it's counterpart. They both entered her, and she suffered a pain that both delighted and frightened her. They bit into her flesh, but also her soul itself. She crossed the threshold of pain and ecstasy, and her screams were filled with both. She could feel a wetness between her thighs, and cast her gaze down to watch her own fresh blood pollute the ground beneath her.

“I am Hades,” he murmured to her. “God of the Underworld; God of the Dead; and your twisted uncle. I will be your everything and you will have no one to fear for I am all there is to fear.”

Persephone's crystal eyes gave away nothing, even though her mind began to replay the stories her sisters once told her of the Lord of the Dead.


"He never comes up to Olympus," Athena said quietly, turning her head in case Demeter was near, "he's as cruel a man as any, but with the powers of a God. You don't want to cross him."


Artemis wrinkled her brow.“Didn't he help during the Titanomachy?” she said, uncertain. "He can't be all bad."

"Yes, but then Father tricked him into taking the worst position among us. "She had turned her wise grey eyes towards Persephone then, a reassuring smile forming from her lips. "Don't worry, he's too far beneath us to do anything here. He only punishes the dead."

The memory left her as the God crushed his marble lips against her own.

She had shared many kisses with her nymphs, but never like the ones he now pressed upon her. His counterpart continued his bucking, digging deeper into her ass, but the throbbing of her behind was suddenly forgotten when she felt his wicked tongue embrace her own. He ravaged her, but the kiss was still sweet.

The throbbing walls inside of her pulsated , and the pain lessened. She was still frightened; still a girl, but with every push, kiss, and fondling she felt her purity leave her and the corruption he inflicted beginning to spread .

Persephone's screams now echoed throughout the chamber, and something dark clawed it's way into her, settling itself deep inside her to stay.

The fear came back again, and she wanted nothing more than to curl into a ball and forget the nightmare she had begun to enjoy. He did not stop, and if possible his passion for her intensified.

Persephone tried to stifle her moans, to bite her tongue to keep from encouraging him. Each thrust inside of her makes it much harder, and soon she stops trying.

She succumbs to the joys of flesh and lust; tossing the thoughts of her mother and Eden from her head. The light leaves her eyes, and is replaced with a metallic shine, transformed into steel to match her hair. Her skin changes from sun kissed to alabaster, and the flowers which grew from her innocence begin to wither.

Her fingers rake against his flesh, and she can no longer deny the feelings which threaten to consume her.

Pleasure.

 

[HotCider]

Persephone’s screams and moans made him feel ferocious. They aroused him greatly and his engorged cock throbbed within her. The dark god watched her slow transformation from spring goddess to dark queen. As her hair and eyes became argent, her tears ran dry and her moans became deep and lecherous. Her nails dragged across his back and Hades bore his jagged teeth as a bestial growl rumbled from his throat. He stopped to stare sternly at the spring goddess. He appeared to be offended, but in actuality, he was awed.

Hades had never loved a goddess, or anyone, in the manner he was feeling. Persephone had denied her passions until that point and now, finally, she had given in. In lust, she had opened up to him, morphing into a woman. He had always been so sexually deprived. On the surface, they spoke ill of him and no goddess dared to confess her admiration. His brother had been the prominent power figure they all craved: to have power over the surface and not the gloomy depths of The Underworld. It was because of their prejudice that Hades never visited Olympus or partook in the festivities there. But here, this goddess in his clutches, held prisoner from the world and deprived of its treasures, she may actually grow to understand and love him.

The Other vanished behind her to leave only one Lord of the Underworld before her. His hands slid down her sides to her round hips and then to encourage her to wrap her legs about him as he eased her back in his chariot. His right arm curled behind her back to give her comfort and his left hand grasped her left, rear cheek. She no longer felt like a lay. The succubae had never made him feel the way she did. His heart was throbbing and the lust that filled his core was hot and giving him the impulse to fuck her dry. He was feeling wild; crazy; no longer in control of the situation as he had been before.

The same hand that had gripped her ass rotated to rest on top of her thigh, forcing her down against his cock as he started up again. He pounded her pussy, her thighs clapping wetly against his crotch. His thrusts came stronger than they had been before. No longer concerned for her delicacy, he let loose the strength of a god, and it passed through her like a mighty quake, the vibrations passing all the way to her core.

A sinister grin was etched on Hades’s face as aroused laughter mixed with grunts of pleasure leaked from his smile. Parting his craggy jaws, a lusting snarl left his maw before he snagged her left shoulder between his teeth. They pierced her flesh like syringes and excited her senses like morphine. He bit and kissed her chest above her left breast, his sinful venom augmenting her senses until his mere touch had felt so sensitive. He desired her orgasm. His every intention was to get her to eject the last of her innocence.

 

[deadlylaurels]

When her steel eyes locked onto his own, his expression became hard and Persephone's heart fluttered.

She thought she had done something wrong for a moment, but the growls that he emitted seemed to be of pleasure. Instinct took over as the Lord of the Underworld made his twin behind her disappear. She felt relief at that instantly, her bottom already feeling sore from the God's counterpart.

His strong stygian hands traveled along her leg. It was strange to her still how such a simple touch could electrify her as much as him pushing and pulsating inside her. Her legs wrapped around him; the contrast of her soft legs against his statuesque form was startling. He was made much differently then she, that much was certain. Her ankles crossed behind him, holding him closer to her and deeper still.

It did not seem possible to her that he could drive deeper into her, or exert more power than he already had, but he managed to. She was finally able to catch a glimpse of what was between his legs, and it surprised her. Never did he pull out of her, but she was able to see it was large, glistening, and throbbing.

She did not fear him, nor the power he held over her. Her wickedness excited her, and the fact her mother was not here to punish or scold her made act between her and Hades all the more pleasurable.

When his fangs pierced her flesh, she felt only the tiniest of pricks, much like the roses whose thorns she had the misfortune to touch.

Everything became clear then. She could practically smell the sin in the air, and nothing tasted better than his wicked tongue wrapped tightly around her own. Warmth flooded her body, drowning her as they swallowed her senses. Waves upon waves of pure bliss crashed around her until she felt she could bear no more.She wrapped her thin arms around him in the peak of her ecstasy. This time, it was the Spring Goddess herself who initiated the kiss. Her hands matched her ankles in the way they locked behind his neck, holding her kidnapper closely.The silvery tendrils of hair bounced with every movement Hades made, and her eyes shined brightly even as her curious tongue roamed his warm mouth. She kissed him so thoroughly, so passionately that she forget all other things.

The kiss was the final catalyst to her passion. Her entire body shuddered and she let out a moan that resonated within the halls of the dead .Now even the spirits which sought their judgement were able to hear the sounds of her pleasure. The smell of sweet alyssum filled the throne room, leaking from her body as the shudder came to a stop.

Whatever had happened so suddenly left her panting, flushed, and very aware of the situation she was in.

"What happened" she mumbled, speaking half in awe and half in embarrassment. Would he be displeased with her? Was her body supposed to react in such a way? Why in the River Styx did she want to kiss him again?

Too many questions flooded her mind, but she spoke aloud no more. She only rested her chin on the God's shoulder to keep her suddenly bashful expression from being seen. It seemed ludicrous even to her to suddenly be embarrassed after all this had happened; but she was, and it made her feel like a child again.

 

[HotCider]

Persephone’s arms coiled around his neck and the dark god tore his teeth from her flesh to catch her lips in a heated kiss that she had surprisingly initiated. That had to mean something, but he was still unconvinced. He had filled her with his venom for if he hadn’t she may have never stopped wailing. He wanted to believe that but her kiss had been so intoxicating. The goddess had become a bad addiction. He wanted her even if she resisted him. She was in his Underworld.

The god’s tongue danced with her own, rolling and twisting, making their lips wetter. It was when her head rocked back as she expelled a cry of surprise that Hades knew it was coming. Her body tensed, her sensitive walls clenching his member as a hot, creamy wave of cum squirted free about his shaft, glowing in the form of her innocence. The dark lord eased his head back, his eyes shifting into a brilliant white as he smiled sinisterly. His cock began devouring her remaining innocence, swelling and contracting like a pump as he drank it all in. Her nectar had been sweet, and like being full after a meal, he couldn’t have been anymore satisfied.

As she rested her tired head against his shoulder, Hades lifted his head. His strong, black arms embraced her and with a sympathizing smile, he gave her his critique, “Still a virgin.”

“Rest. Time does not exist here.”

His arms loosened and the god drew his sticky sword from her tight sheath. Around them was an audience of devils and ghouls. They had watched the sullying of purity in rapture. Virgins were like diamonds in The Underworld, and a virgin goddess was a rare delicacy. Hades stepped away from Persephone as three succubae approached him from behind. The darkness weaved about his shoulders and arms to hang in a long robe that pooled at his feet. Two red-eyed succubae walked over and clung to the sides of their king as they stared at Persephone with impish smiles. The third succubus walked over to Persephone and pouted as Hades curled his arms about the waists of the two fiends and turned to head in a direction away from the goddess.

He ordered over his shoulder, “Take care of her until I return.”

“Yes, my lord,” the succubus, Demina replied. The succubus was eye-catching. Her skin was red and hair black like coal. Her horns were large and extended to her left and right like a water buffalo’s. She was as wild as Artemis, sporting a similar outfit but much more provocative. The black skin of a foreign beast formed a stringy cradle for her ample bosom and a thong that vanished between her swollen cheeks.

With a soft frown, she watched her sisters leave with the dark lord. Their spaded tails were curling in their excitement as they playfully grabbed his cock and fondled it greedily. Hades flashed his vicious rows of teeth and raised his hand to snag the breast of the succubus to his left. He clenched her tit like an apple before he sank his teeth into it, causing the succubus to cry in her pleasure.

Demina wrinkled her nose and glanced over her shoulder at Persephone. With spaded tail swishing like a cat’s, she eyed Persephone enviously. Sighing, Demina rolled her yellow eyes and stepped over to the goddess to snag her wrist and yank her out of the chariot.

“Come on,” she ordered irritably. As they started walking, Demina’s dark brows knitted as she vented her frustrations aloud. “Why did I have to get stuck with you? Surely, he doesn’t believe that Jade and Raza are better than me? This is all your fault. If you knew how to please Lord Hades, he wouldn’t have had to select amongst the three of us. What were you thinking when he was ravaging you girl? You had him doing all the work. No wonder he didn’t come.”

Demina then slapped her forehead with her fingertips and groaned. “I forgot. You’re a virgin. He had more pleasure draining you of your innocence than fucking you. Well, we’ll have to fix that. As much as I hate to admit it, I have never seen His Darkness so happy. Before you showed up, he took me and my sisters to his chambers all the time, but never have we seen him react the way he did with you. You may become the first queen The Underworld has ever had, but with how you are now, you may not make the cut.”

“Hmm…” Demina’s tail rose to her mouth as she gently nipped the tip in thought. Whipping it back behind her, she declared, “I guess I will have to teach you all that I know but you must bathe and rest. My lord would be furious with me if you were still covered in filth.”

The demoness led the goddess through an archway and beyond it was a corridor carved from basaltic rock. The corridor grew dark and at the end was a fiery-orange light. When they reached it, the corridor had opened into a spacious chamber with a large, blazing fireplace. To the left was a bed stacked with furs from mysterious beasts and to the right was a black pool. Water filtered into it from the mouth of a gargoyle that protruded from the wall.

Demina released Persephone’s wrist and muttered, “Hope you can stand on your own.”

She then pointed at the gargoyle with a black nail. “He is what happens when you anger Hades. His name is Lumyel. It was a little unfair how he was punished. He was randomly picked to entertain His Darkness and failed.”

The succubus walked over to the statue and brushed her hand over the creature’s head. “He can never become animate. He’s forever stuck in his stone shell cleaning this tub.”

Once her tale was over, Demina faced the goddess. “Do not worry about him. You must clean yourself quickly and sleep while you can. I don’t doubt His Darkness will summon you soon. I am called Demina and I am here if you need me. You need just call, virgin.”

It had been her new nickname for the spring goddess until she proves herself.

 

[deadlylaurels]

“Still a virgin.”

With their lovemaking at an end, the worn out Goddess was finally able to group of dark underlings who had been watching them so intently. Some avoided her eyes and others leered at her with hungry expressions.

He released her from his grasp, and Persephone's hands moved immediately to hide her breasts. Not that they haven't seen it all already, she thought sheepishly, though keeping her white palms pressed over sore mounds of flesh. The effects of whatever he had injected into her were already fading, and the fear was slowly seeping back into her.

She watched as two she-devils emerge from the darkness and move close to where Hades stood. His arms wrapped around their slender waists, and Persephone's eyes narrowed. A third woman, matching in looks to the two others, came to stand near Persephone as Hades gave her orders.

The woman looked annoyed at being left behind with Persephone, and her expression only grew more irritable when she saw the others begin groping the Dark God's cock eagerly. For some odd reason, seeing that made Persephone feel a bit annoyed as well.

The horned woman took her wrist and Persephone wobbled out from the chariot and her feet met the cold stone floor. She shivered and desperately wished she too could have formed a robe of darkness as her uncle had.

While the demoness dragged her along , she also complained a bit to the Springtime Goddess. “Why did I have to get stuck with you? Surely, he doesn’t believe that Jade and Raza are better than me? This is all your fault. If you knew how to please Lord Hades, he wouldn’t have had to select amongst the three of us. What were you thinking when he was ravaging you girl? You had him doing all the work. No wonder he didn’t come.”

Persephone arched a brow. Was she being chastised for not providing him enough pleasure after he had just kidnapped her? Even she wasn't naive enough to think what he had done to her was a normal act between two people.

She shook her silver tresses, and said nothing until the woman paused and realized what she had said.

"Why would I want to make the cut? He took me without even courting or bringing my mother a gift."

They finally came to a pause, entering a large room filled with things Persephone had never encountered before. Never had she seen such an extravagant room, nor one devoid of all the colors she loved. Everything was dark and gloomy, but she was thankful enough that there was a bath.

“He is what happens when you anger Hades. His name is Lumyel. It was a little unfair how he was punished. He was randomly picked to entertain His Darkness and failed.”

Persephone tilted her head and stared at the immobile gargoyle. She wondered if she too would be transformed into such a thing if she made her uncle angry.

The she-devil finally introduced herself, and Persephone managed a thin smile. "Thank you," she murmured.

She took the woman's advice and walked eagerly into the pool. The water, unlike most of the Underworld, was warm and felt heavenly after the days events. Her body lowered itself deeper into the pool until the warm washed over every inch of her body and her head sank down along with the rest of her.

Silvery strands of hair floated around her, and her mouth opened wide to let out a scream. Bubbles floated out from her lips, but not a sound could be heard from the surface. She screamed until there was nothing left to scream about.

Ugly tales of Hades's cruelty had been told to her since she was a child. She would listen, wide eyed and terrified, as Athena spoke. Never had she heard of him loving, or even lusting after any goddess or nymph before. The great tales of romance belonged to Eros, Apollo, and even Zeus.

Her hands warm hands, already beginning to wrinkle underneath the water, wandered down to where the Lord of the Dead had entered her. Nothing terrified her more than he had, but she had never felt more pleasure than he had given her.

It was wrong. Sinful even, and she knew that.What made it worse was how wonderful it felt. Perhaps it had been his venom, and perhaps it had been the passion born from the moment, but the feel of him inside of her felt wonderful.

Stop it, she scolded, staring as strands of silver floated around her head, it would have felt good with anyone. He never should of touched me.

Finally she rose from beneath the clear water. She moved too quickly and the pink flesh between her legs throbbed.

If he really loved you, he would have been gentle.

She sat on the edge of the pool and scrubbed until her white flesh became pink and raw, and the only evidence of her encounter with Hades were the small pin pricks from where he had bitten her.. When she was finished, she stepped out from the bath and reached a hand up to touch the gargoyle Lumyel's head.


Freshly bathed, Persephone found no towels or clothes for her to wear. Too tired to search, she walked slowly to where the fur covered bed lay and laid herself down. The exhausted Goddess didn't have the energy to shed anymore tears before Hypnos blessed her with sleep.

 

[HotCider]

The hearth bathed the goddess in bronze and warmth as she slept. Demina approached the bed, holding in her hand a white gown with a round, black bead carved from obsidian glass at the shoulder. She tossed it on the bed before her red tail swung forward to tag Persephone’s bottom, leaving behind a small mark.

“Get up. Lord Hades summons you to his offering table,” the demoness reported.

She eyed Persephone as she woke and recalled earlier how she had reacted in the tub.

“You should feel honored that Lord Hades fancies you for he has never loved anyone else not even the enchanting Aphrodite. You are fortunate whether you feel so or not.”

Demina beckoned the goddess with a sharp finger. “Come, I will take you there. If Lord Hades knew that I left you to wander and get lost in The Underworld, I would end up like Lumyel or worse.”

The Offering Room.

The room wasn’t a room, but a stone table placed upon a jutting piece of land that stretched into the River Styx. With the river of souls to its left and right, the ambiance was cold and dark. The feast upon the table overflowed. There were fresh fruits, vegetables, breads, cheeses, wines and meats swelling and often tumbling to the floor. Hades sat at the head of the banquet already gorging on the splendor. He wore only the black skirt, he had worn before and nothing more to obscure the titanic muscles that rippled his body. He was popping eggs into his mouth and washing the yolk down with a leg of ham. His teeth pulled at the pink meat, tearing slab after slab and whittling at them until they disappeared behind his lips.

The offerings were not food for the body for Hades bore no mortal flesh. His servants on the surface offered him the gifts that he would consume to fuel his godly powers and might. He wasn’t as popular as Zeus, but death came naturally, and often times the mortals prayed to him for their loved one’s soul to find peace and paid for it with an offering. Not even a god could consume all of the offerings upon the table. The table would overflow for as long as he was worshipped, and the extra food, tumble into the River Styx.

Demina stopped yards from the table and looked at Persephone. “Walk the rest of the way. He doesn’t wish to see me but you. Please be sure to show Lord Hades respect. You must beware his temper.”

 

[deadlylaurels]

Persephone woke from her dreamless slumber from Demina's tail flicking against her soft bottom.

"Ouch," she mumbled, raising herself up and resting on her elbows as she struggled to push past her drowsiness. The succubus's words sounded like buzzing to her, but she understood them well enough. She was used to being bossed around, and she obeyed wordlessly by slipping the obsidian gown over her slender figure and rising from the fur covered bed.

The dress made her feel safer, and less exposed to the eyes of several dark creatures she and Demina passed on the way to her uncles table.

“You should feel honored that Lord Hades fancies you for he has never loved anyone else not even the enchanting Aphrodite. You are fortunate whether you feel so or not.”

Persephone bit her bottom lip to keep from replying. I wish he had picked Aphrodite.

While she and the demoness walked, Persephone could feel her legs turn wobbly. Each step became more difficult, and soon she was leaning on the succubus for assistance. When their footsteps paused and Persephone spotted the feast Hades was devouring, her heart began to race.

"No! Don't leave me," she whispered, turning her body to face the succubus . No matter how much she pleaded, the succubus ignored her and offered not even a single word of comfort. Instead, she was pushed in the direction of where her uncle sat to continue the walk on her own. He wore darkness itself around his waist, but other than that he remained bare, exposing his muscular chest to the entire Underworld.

She took a few steps forward, taking her time before she stood only a good six feet away from the Lord of the Dead. She cleared her throat to alert her presence, merely watching as her uncle devoured eggs and meat in a beastly fashion. Unsure of how to greet him after their last encounter, she offered a small bow of her head and did not dare stare directly into his soulless eyes as she had done hours before.

All the confidence his venom had granted her evaporated completely with her slumber, but their was a fierceness in her eyes that remained.

 

[HotCider]

Hades overheard Persephone clearing her throat and spoke through cheeks round with the fruits he was currently gorging on.

“I know you’re there,” he answered, slightly insulted that she would think he wouldn’t have known. “There isn’t a crack in The Underworld that you could hide in to escape my vision. I can see everything that happens in my domain as it happens. Sit and eat from my table. I am sure you starve…” He added impishly. “In many ways now.”

The dark god pressed a peach to his lips and not even the peach was dense enough to resist the sharpness of his teeth that reduced it to sweet mush. He even ingested the stem and the seed, crunching it between his teeth. The god’s ghostly eyes rolled over to the spring goddess as he gulped down the fruit remnants.

“I hope that you aren’t sore with me,” the god said and then erupted into laughter at his own joke. His voice resonated throughout The Underworld’s emptiness and he slapped at his thigh.

 

[deadlylaurels]

His gluttonous behavior made her ill; her stomach churning as she watched juices drip down his jaw. Despite his inference in assuming she was hungry, the maiden was not. Even looking at the banquet before her made the young goddess feel queasy. It was unsettling to watch him devour the peach perhaps even more than any other fruit. Every other fruit looked just as delicious, perhaps as if it had been grown in her own Mother's garden; perfectly ripe and glowing. The round fuzzy produce Hades held in his hand only reminded her too much of her own self. Was she just another peach to him? To be devoured only for his own enjoyment and hunger?

She lightly pressed a hand to her stomach, trying to settle the tumultuous feeling inside of her without him noticing. She opened her mouth, about to speak when her uncle spoke again, this time making the youthful girl's cheeks redden with rage and embarrassment. She knew acting out towards him would be much like a child beating against it's mother's chest when they don't get their way. Useless and tiring.

His laughter echoed across his hall, causing a few of his minions and creatures of the dark to cackle with him.

"Did you summon me here merely to have a living audience to your jests?, " she questioned, tightening her jaw and doing her best to keep tears from brimming over in her eyes. Mentally, she was screaming. Cursing herself for not being stronger. like her brothers and sisters. The hand at her stomach remained flattened, but the one behind her back was clenched into a fist as if she expected some sort of battle.