TUChapter 33. Trial by Fire
TU33. Trial by Fire
"As I was saying… I was never whole to begin with, but that is simply not true anymore," Thanatos proclaimed, a sudden, piercing coldness in his tone.
The look he gave her from beneath half-lidded eyes was utterly lethal.
With a sickening crunch beneath his burning purple boots, the Goddess of Violent Death collapsed into ash, leaving a scorched black scar upon the soil. Their deaths were nothing like those of mortals; their corpses never rotted, but instead sparkled into millions of stars. Divine.
Muted, Aurora could only stare. Her silver gaze remained unblinking.
A wide, wicked smile stretched across Thanatos's face. He savoured the moment before sliding the dull, skeletal jaw of his mask into place. The metallic click shattered the stillness of the air.
He tilted his head, both hands caressing his face, gentle like feathers. Suddenly, another set of wings — terrifyingly similar to those of the fallen Goddess of Violence — erupted from his back. Grotesque and animalistic.
He was whole once again. Thanatos, the God of Death.
Then, he laughed. He laughed at the top of his lungs, laughing until his spine bowed backward, howling at the endless darkness above and beyond.
"T-Thanatos…" Aurora stammered. Her stomach churned, and her heart sank into a dark pit.
She wasn't sure if this was the same entity she had begun her journey through the Underworld with.
And a more dawning, terrifying question arose.
What master did he serve?
Her jaw tightened, her shoulders stiffening as he finally glanced her way. His gleaming eyes flashed with pure malice.
A wicked smile cracked through the opening jaw of his mask. His hooded fabric and wavy dark hair drifted against the sudden gale.
Within the oppressive, dim chamber, he had become the ancient depiction of the Grim Reaper. The horror that haunted the ill, the sick, and the injured. The dark figure waiting at the edge of life. The reaper of souls.
Thanatos raised his chin, standing tall and mighty. His two pairs of wings fluttered to life. His tar-black feet levitated into the air, leaving only burning footprints as a reminder of his presence.
His finger moved with intent, pointing directly at her.
"Don't tell me!" Aurora shouted, her face twisting into a scowl as she rushed to summon her blade.
"Thanatos-spatha—"
The flame of death, a beautifully deadly purple, erupted and instantly incinerated her clothes.
Ablazing Aurora roared, watching the fabric on her arms melt away as her vambraces shattered into pieces. She was stripped bare. Her skin was exposed, yet the raging flames merely kissed her flesh, about to consume it whole.
Aurora grunted, her eyes illuminating with a massive surge of mana. "Ventiff!" she shouted, enraged.
Shadows formed a rapid frame before shifting violently into enormous black wings. They swept once. The very air exploded with monstrous intensity, and the burning Aurora became a streak of light.
In a fraction of a second, her claws wrapped around Thanatos's neck. Teeth bared. She squeezed.
He let her. He stared down at her, the pure darkness in his eyes reflecting her blazing skin.
"Why—" she demanded, suddenly realising she was no longer burning. "What?"
She loosened her grip. Her fingers were now encased in dark, ancient gauntlets. Despite their oversized, mitten-like appearance, as she flicked her fingers, the interlocking metal plates bent perfectly to her movements.
"An armour?"
Ensnared by the finest articulation that would put any master craftsman to shame, Aurora murmured, "This is divine craft. What's going on?"
"You truly attempted to choke me, Empress," Thanatos chuckled deep in his throat. "Were you upset?"
"I… I was enraged." She winced at his casual comment. "I thought—"
"Am I really that intimidating?" He spread his wings — ever grander, ever more terrifying.
A flush of shame hit her. She bit her lip. He looked down at her, gesturing for her to inspect herself.
She did so. The ancient armour had extended, encasing her body entirely from the neck down. The black wings of Ventiff shifted into a cloak that cascaded down to her ironclad heels, completing the terrifying silhouette of a knight of old.
"Forged by the fires of Death. And here, I bestow upon you the Aegis of the Undying." Thanatos wove his index finger through the air, leaving a streak of purple light. An ironcast laurel materialised into existence.
"May I?" he asked, hovering it over her silver crown braid.
With a sharp nod of approval, she permitted it. He gently placed the crown upon her head.
"Behind that door awaits the Keeper. He is the ruler of this underworld for a reason. I know you wish to play the diplomat, but I have served him for many eras. One might call him the God of Persistence."
"I… thank you," she said, dropping into a flourishing kneel. The plate armour brushed softly against itself. For a moment, she closed her eyes in reverence. "For reminding me that you are the same god I met at the beginning."
"How about a companion? A friend?"
"Yes, a friend." Aurora finally smiled, rising to her feet and shaking Thanatos's offered hand.
High above, the light from the Hemera still burned bright. Their gazes fixed on the final set of stairs leading to the throne chamber of Hades. Her mission had never been this close.
Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.
Aurora straightened up, her posture regal.
"After you, Empress." He opened his palm, and Aurora took a determined step toward her goal.
The arched double doors creaked open with a soft push. The white orb cast long, intricate shadows over the lavish hall's mosaic tiles. Crystallised winged cupids hung from the ceiling around a massive chandelier. The glitter caught the light, sparking like millions of trapped stars.
This room was not the empty, desolate throne one might have imagined. There were signs of life. Someone had been dwelling here for ages. The walls were lined with shelves packed with ancient tomes of lost knowledge. A long table displaying polished gemstones and marbles exuded unimaginable wealth.
The truth was exactly as stated. Hades was the Keeper.
At the far corner, where the perspective forcibly ripped Aurora's gaze, sat a stone throne on a raised platform. Grey curtains hung heavily, like ancient tapestries.
And there he was.
Beneath a mane of long, grey curls, his dark gaze was piercing, seemingly sucking the very light from her presence. Pale skin, sharp elven ears, and canine-like fangs snarled at the trespassers.
He was a devastatingly beautiful entity, but he was no elf or mortal. This was the God of the Underworld.
If she had to describe it with her gut instinct, the aura he radiated was grief — a grief long dried up, yet the strain of it had never faded. The deep scar of sorrow reflected endlessly in Hades's eyes.
Hades leaned forward in his chair. His black armour cracked and groaned. The tall, serrated edges on his crown and shoulder plates resembled the dark talons of legendary beasts. His curtaining cloak was ancient, ragged, and thick with dust.
For a while, Aurora studied him. He must have sat upon that throne, undisturbed, for only Gaia knew how long. Brooding in absolute darkness.
But why? Was this truly the god who had launched the Helltides upon her people? Doubt clouded her mind like a black plague. One question birthed two more...
Silence hung in the air. The thick atmosphere was suffocating, the tension rising like smoke toward the tall ceiling.
"Thanatos…" he rasped at last, his gaze never once falling upon Aurora.
"My King," the tall god bowed in deep reverence.
"Tell me…" Hades snarled low, his eyes suddenly ablaze. "The reason why I should not strike you down where you stand."
"Hades, King of the Underworld." Aurora stepped forward. Her tone was resolute as she raised her arm to her side. Ever regal, she bowed to him as a great diplomat should, not as the warmongering arcanist she was trained to be.
"State your piece, mortal. You have overstayed in my realm long enough."
He finally looked at her. Hatred and loathing boiled in his stare. Aurora couldn't quite explain it, but she could feel the deep-seated, visceral emotion radiating from him.
"Very well, I shall be brief." Aurora exchanged a nod with her companion. "Throughout my journey here, it has dawned on me that we — humans, Animori, Wildrens, and elves — have never invaded or inflicted harm upon your realm. Once our souls perish, they fill your domain with the commodity of knowledge and advancement. As the rules of heaven dictate, we were never meant to be foes."
Hades sat clasping his hands, listening with terrifying intensity.
Raising her index finger, Aurora continued. "So, I, Aurora Vere Borealis, the Astral Empress of Osten, have but one demand, The King of the Underworld. The Helltides, or any invasion, shall never recede onto our shores again."
"Empress…" Hades sucked in a breath, dragging a pale hand across his face. "Or should I call you the Godslayer? The Void Master… or perhaps the Endbringer? A title fitting for the end of us all."
With a powerful slam, he shattered the stone armrest into fragments. The loud crack rang out, a haunting echo in the vast hall.
Caught off guard, she winced. Her gaze fell to the ground. "Goddess Hera attacked us first. She corrupted one of our archmages because she wanted Cronos back."
"The Sixth Apocalypse is destined, whether you like it or not," Hades growled, crushing the broken rock into fine sand, letting it slip through his pale fingers. "You failed once, and you shall fail again. You had us then, but you will not have us. It is as inevitable as trying to stop souls from sinking to the Forgotten Shore."
"What?" Aurora turned sharply toward the Grim Reaper.
"The Divine Finale," Thanatos answered softly. "Cronos's army of titans was invincible. Even with the full might of the Olympic gods and the mortal races, we were pushed to the terrifying edge of defeat several times over. Until the seal…"
"O' Thanatos, my old friend. Still lacking agency. You truly never change," Hades hissed.
"Can death truly change, My King?" He countered, and with a theatrical bow.
Hades didn't respond, his gaze roaming back to Aurora, eyes narrowing. "You are his master now, I see." Eventually, the Lord of the Underworld leaned back, crossing one leg over the other. "My bargain… Deliver me the Spring, Endbringer."
Aurora's ears twitched. It was as if she had misheard him. She frowned. "I cannot deliver such an abstract concept."
She paused, her breath hitching in the darkness. If the royal gardens here had long withered, it meant the Spring was already lost in the underworld.
"Of course you cannot. Your kind are destroyers, draped in the skin of creators." He chuckled, his tone dripping with eons of bitterness all at once.
"What? We—" Aurora's words died on her tongue. There were missing pieces at play here. Was it our ancestors' fault that Queen Persephone was gone? She was so close to realising it, her lips parting to speak—
"No more breaths of broken promises." Hades brushed a stray lock of grey hair from his pale face, a wicked snarl playing on his lips. "Then I, Hades, the King of the Underworld, reject your demand—Begone at once!"
The trespasser didn't flinch at his outburst. Instead, she exhaled sharply.
"Diplomacy failed, I see," Aurora murmured. Beside her, Thanatos found himself grinning ever so slightly.
Liquid metal coalesced into Hades's hand, long and sharp. A dark obsidian bident took shape, its two sharp prongs glinting under the low light.
Hades finally rose to his feet, unfolding to a terrifying height. He was massive, perhaps even taller than his sister, Hera.
"Gaia's accursed children…" Scorn set his eyes ablaze, a searing contempt that eclipsed even Hera's fury. "By my volcanic wrath, I shall deliver them all to Cronos for their broken promise."
Shadows cast over his eye sockets, making his expression unreadable. But one thing was crystal clear. He wouldn't go down without striking at her heart.
Aurora was ready. She had expected this.
"So be it. Thanatos-spatha!" Aurora summoned her purple flame longsword to her side. The dancing pyre cast an eerie glow across the opulent chamber.
In a fraction of a second, the bident spiralled forward with incredible speed. The very air screamed in torment.
Hades flicked two fingers outward, and an orb of wind exploded before him, launching the massive weapon into the blinding dark.
Aurora dashed to the side, feeling the sheer force of the attack sail past her.
A row of stone pillars shattered with a deafening boom. Dust and smoke kicked high into the air, completely obliterating visibility.
Flying pages from ancient tomes and debris rained down, unsettled by the disturbance of his single attack. An entire section of the throne room was reduced to utter ruin.
Aurora held her breath, her eyes darting through the dust, searching for Hades.
His throne was empty. He was gone.
A dark figure emerged from behind her.
Aurora spun immediately, only to feel a cold hand clamp down on the back of her neck.
Alarmed, she twisted her blade to strike, but Hades drove his knee deep into her stomach with a thunderous thud.
Armour cracked. Her guts twisted.
She wheezed, realising the momentum alone was flinging her hundreds of metres across the chamber. She crashed through splitting oak tables, and smashed completely through the opulent wall into an adjoining chamber.
Rubble rained down on her as she skidded and rolled mercilessly across the marble floor.
Propping herself up on her elbows, her vision swam bloody red. She vomited a mouthful of crimson onto the dusty ground.
"Iasis!" she heaved, shaking off the blurry vision as she snaked her way back onto her feet. Her heart raced against the soothing leaves of healing.
Aurora turned sharply, clutching her sword hilt tightly.
"Where is he?" she roared into the dust.