25 AD

"You call me your master yet, Helix tells me you have made a pact with him?" Hades flashed a mischievous grin, "Tell me Azag is this true?"

"Yesss," the demon hissed softly.

Helix watched the two, curious what Hades would do.

"Look at me."

Azag obeyed, red eyes meeting the darker crimson of Hades'.

"You may think you are quite clever, finding a way to the mortal lands and trying to recover your former glory but know this. If you fail to uphold your end of the deal not only will your oath pain you, I will rip you apart and reform you into something so pathetic you'll wish you'd stayed like this instead of meddling in my business."

"Yes, my lord," the demon bowed its head again.

Hades glanced to Helix for a moment before stepping closer to Azag, "Good, now let's get you into something more useful." The god ran a finger across the demons head, a moment later Azag was gasping skin and muscle liquifying and reforming. It whimpered quietly through the process until much too Helix's surprise, the shape settled into that of a naked woman. Almost a woman, Azag's eyes were still red and when its mouth opened sharper than natural teeth made for a horrifying image.

The demon looked down at its new body. A gasp of surprise slipped through her lips.

"Thank you, my lord, Hades!" Her voice was less eerie than before but laced with a strange accent.

"Go clothe yourself. You know the way." Hades waved a dismissive hand.

Helix watched her go, then turned back to his new army. Only one thing still remained to do in the underworld. "I guess that means I just need to find Zeus and Decuma."

"I have that covered as well." Hades smiled, "Come have dinner with me? Nona should be along in a few hours."

"Dinner?"

"Oh, don't look so skeptical," Hades started walking, Helix following, his expression admittedly a bit dubious. "I promise it will just be food and conversation. I'll behave. Mostly."

The dining room was surprisingly cozy for being in the underworlds greatest castle. Intricate tapestries depicting everything from lovers in the moonlight to great battles lined the walls. An oak table with space to seat eight stood in the center of the space surrounded by elegant, wrought iron chairs.

There were a number of servants tasked with attending them through the meal. Most looked humanoid but none seemed to be fully human. They were a quiet bunch, not speaking even one word.

Hades made up for the silence by telling Helix all about the underworld, the demons which resided within and what happened to the souls who got sent to his domain.

"Truthfully, I have very little to do with the departed unless I get bored or someone really pissed me off in life. For the most part, I leave their care and punishment to the demons and each other. You would be surprised at how miserable humans can make one another." Hades took a bit out of a perfect peach. "Speaking of mortal misery, how do you plan to deal with your little witch problem?"

Keeping his expression carefully neutral Helix leaned back in his chair, "I do not have a witch problem."

"You know what I mean."

"If Eslein has made a deal I am sure she will tell me when I get back."

"And if she doesn't?" Hades tilted his head, "If she is playing you what will you do then."

"None of your business." Helix all but hissed.

Hades shrugged, "Perhaps. You really seem to feel for her. And feelings create complications."

"Oh? Is that what Cinix is? A complication?"

Loud whooping laughter echoed around the dining hall, "Cinix is and has always been a complication. He is a being from another realm. By rights, he should be killed as the monster he is." Hades sobered slightly, "But make no mistake I know how far out of control I would allow myself to get for Cinix. What I am asking you Helix, is do you know exactly what you want to do if she does try to kill you?"

In truth, he had no idea. Helix desperately wanted to believe in Eslein. He had decided to give her a chance to explain. "If she tries to kill me maybe I will come to visit you."

Hades smiled, "Your handsome face is always welcome."

One of the servants approached the god, whispering in his ear. Mortal ears would never have caught the words. Helix's, however, heard even the lightness of his breath.

"Nona has arrived."

Hades nodded. "Let us see if Decuma can be located. You realize there is nothing keeping her from hiding somewhere new?"

"Yes. But it will give me a place to start."

Nona waited for them in the library. Her striking resemblance to her sister would never sit well with Helix. The only real difference in the three sisters look was their hair color, Decuma's red, Morta's blonde and Nona's a rich brown and the fact that only one could see.

"Nona darling, welcome again to the underworld." Hades kissed both her cheeks.

The seer blinked her green eyes. Eyes she somehow had taken from Decuma. "What do you need this time?"

"It is our mutual friend here who needs information this time." Gesturing at Helix, the god stepped back from her.

Nona's eyes flicked to him, "Your majesty." Her gaze was appraising for a long moment. "You look well. What can I do for you?"

"I need to find your sister Decuma's location."

Nodding, Nona closed her eyes and took a deep breath, "I see a hill with a ruined castle. Broken things long left to weather. She knows I seek her."

With a gasp the seer of present's eyes flew open, her eyes turning a milky white as she started to sway back and forth. Helix steadied her with a hand to the shoulder.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

"She is using her witches to pull some of her power back. Not near what she usually has but enough to take back our shared sight."

Nona taking Decuma's eye color in the Fate made much more sense, helix thought. He wondered if when they were all getting along if they did actually share the sight. Then again maybe they had never gotten along.

"Helix," She spoke quietly, "She is in Arcadia. In your families home. Both her and Zeus are there."

"Why would they go there? Of all the many places, they could have chosen?"Helix asked incredulously.

"Perhaps they hope to bother you with their choice of battlefield."

The truth was Helix really did not care. Being only eight when he had left Arcadia he was not attached to the place in any way that mattered. In fact, he thought the location rather fitting. Ending Zeus in the same place his family had been murdered had a great appeal.

"How long will they be there?" he asked.

Nona shook her head, "I have no way of knowing. I see only what now is. Only Decuma can see glimpses of the future."

Hades had said as much. Pacing back and forth Helix let his mind spin with plans and outcomes. If he could make it to Arcadia before Decuma and Zeus were finished planning or before they left he might just have an element of surprise.

Aquileia to Arcadia was over a thousand-miles by land or sea. Moving that far with such a large force presented so many problems Helix instantly had a headache. If he moved an army across Rome people would notice. The empire would assume he was a force trying to attack. Chaos would ensue. Even traveling with the five hundred wolves he wanted to make would have proved a challenge.

Each pacing step Hades gaze had followed, "Care to share?"

Helix glanced at him, "I cannot travel across Rome with that kind of army."

"No you can't," the god grinned. "But you do not have to."

Walking to the desk in the corner of the room, Hades opened a drawer removing a rough cut, deep red pendant hung from a silver chain. Helix immediately recognized the shade and feel of the stone as the same type as the tower of Fate.

"I am going to need your blood Helix."

"What?" Helix blinked.

Hades' eyes glittered in amusement, "A drop or two." He held out a needle that he had obviously pulled from somewhere in the desk. Pricking Helix's finger the god held the stone to the briefly open wound. "You almost heal too quick."

The pendant sat in the god's open palm. Hades head tilted as he began speaking in a language Helix was fairly certain was unique to the underworld.

The air thickened as the god's crimson eyes took on a glow as he spoke, "Souls bound to this king, at his command come forth. In this periapt contain the power. In this periapt hold the essence of each sworn heart. Keep whole the bodies of those chosen by him." Hades' gaze flicked to Helix a moment, "Let this periapt be the vessel to contain, carry and even imprison those of his choosing."

Helix took the offered jewel studying it, "What do I do with this?"

"I will show you." A malicious grin crept onto his face, "Alexa come now."

At once the form of Eslein's sister appeared before them, startling Helix. Nona stepped away sitting on a soft couch to quietly listen and watch with whatever mental abilities she possessed.

"Alexa Rey, It has come to my attention you have a witch trying to pull you back among the living?" The god of hell asked pointedly.

She looked shaken her eyes darting first to Hades, then to Helix, "Yes my lord. My sister."

"A necromantic trade is preposed? This one's soul for yours?" He gestured toward Helix.

"I cannot control the living's choices." Alexa blurted quickly.

"No. But perhaps you can make a difference another way. King Helix Lycon is both my ally and your sister's lover. Do you know if your sister can break her arrangement?"

"I do not know." Her eyes looked sadly at Helix.

Hades waved a hand, "Does not matter. Would you be willing to fight for him in exchange for seeing your sister again? Your mind and body whole with no risk of common complications?"

"Yes! Yes!" Alexa gasped desperately.

"Helix, say her name and order her into the periapt."

Doing as he was told Helix spoke the words, "Alexa Rey, enter this stone."

She gasped then blinked out of existence. At the same instant, the red stone flared brighter, then continued to flicker slightly.

Hades nodded, "Now will her back. A thought will do or if you prefer you can speak it."

Helix focused and a moment later Alexa stood before him, looking more solid than she had before.

"W-what happened?"

"They will remember nothing of being in the periapt. For them, time is eternal."

Helix nodded, "How close to someone do I have to be?"

"Within sight to contain them."

"Then I have an army and a demon to gather."

***

Helix stepped through the rift, still clad in Hades' gifted clothing and now wearing the periapt, filled with an army of thirteen thousand, a demon and Eslein's sister.

There was a low whistle, "Damn if you do not look fine." Cinix leaned against the wall.

A surprising feeling of joy at seeing him washed over Helix, "Cinix!" He threw his arms around him in a quick embrace, relishing the surprised intake of breath the other male let out.

"Good to see you too," There was laughter in the blonde's voice. "I take it you were successful?" His eyes glanced back to the rift, "Consul Marcus did not make it?"

"We, unfortunately, got separated," Helix did not sound repentant at all, "I was greatly successful. How goes it here?"

"Come see."

Helix followed Cinix out into the rest of the consul's mansion. Men and women too, Helix did not know were everywhere. The moment they met his eyes their heads dropped in deference. Helix felt a self-satisfied swelling of power at their deference, "All of them are...?"

"Wolf shifters? Mostly. We have also acquired a few more witches thanks to Ynyr. We are only thirty one short of your five-hundred. Not bad for eight months work."

"What?" Helix stopped dead, "How long did you say?"

"Eight months." Cinix shrugged, "Time does not move the same in all realms."

"It was only a day or two."

Cinix tilted his head, "You do work fast then. Come Ynyr and Marcel will be pleased with your return."

"Just them?" Helix felt his heartbeat quicken, when Cinix's eyes looked pointedly away, "Where is Eslein?"

***

Hello my beautiful readers! Another chapter down! The climax is soon coming and then I will have to edit... Oh the joy lol. But I am excited. Hope you are all well!