Beyond Hades: The Prometheus Wars (29 page)

"What? A wooden stake through the heart? Silver bullets?" asked Wes incredulously.

Kharon grinned humorlessly. "Nothing so simple, I'm afraid. And before you ask, I'm not going to tell you," he said to Wes, whose expression abruptly dropped.

"The rest of my kind came here," continued Kharon, ignoring Wes's brooding look. "Here we found a world with life which did not require what you would consider murder. We developed a way - much as you have just witnessed - of absorbing a life force completely. This way the creature we absorbed did not die in the strictest sense of the word; rather it lives on within us."

"Still sounds like murder to me," muttered Wes. Talbot nudged him and gave a warning glance. It wouldn't do to upset the one creature in this realm that seemed to be helping them. He understood Wes's misgivings after Kharon had devoured Heracles, but their mission had a much larger goal. If they died trying to avenge someone who had given his life freely, they were even more foolish than if they trusted Kharon. At the moment they were heading the way they needed to, and that was enough for Talbot.

Kharon shrugged. "You eat meat. Would you not think it more merciful if that meat were not subjected to horrendous treatment before being consumed by you? Would not the joining of two beings, with you in control, seem much more blissful in comparison?"

Wes opened his mouth, but he had no response, and quickly shut it. What Kharon described was inarguable. Talbot moved to say something, but the skiff suddenly juddered as it skidded up onto shore. He'd been so entranced with the conversation, he'd forgotten to pay attention to their surroundings. They were now on the far bank of the river Styx, one step closer to Hades - and one step closer to what lay beyond Hades: Tartarus.

"I can go no further," said Kharon. "My duty to my liege is here, but from the memories of Heracles I know that the task ahead of you is momentous, so I leave you with this advice: When your path seems fractured, return to the beginning of your trail, and your answer will become clear once more."

Wes and Talbot sat in the beached skiff for a moment, absorbing the words and trying to discern their meaning.

"What the hell is that fortune cookie crap?" scoffed Wes, standing and leaping lightly to the stony ground beyond the dark ripples of the Styx. "Return to the beginning of the path? What does that shit even mean?"

"It will make sense, when the time comes," replied Kharon without the slightest animosity in his tone.

Talbot jumped out of the skiff slightly less elegantly than Wes, skidding before the SAS commando grabbed his arm, helping him to regain his balance. Talbot nodded his thanks to Wes, and turned back to Kharon, unsure of how to address the creature who had effectively
eaten
his companion, but who had also delivered them safely across a river of virulent toxins and God knew what else. He eventually settled for a small salute, immediately feeling like a total idiot for having done so, moving to follow Wes up the bank.

"Remember what I have told you, Talbot Harrison," echoed the Ferryman. "It is not mere trickery as your companion suspects. My kind has seen more than you could imagine, and we are privy to knowledge you could scarcely comprehend."

Talbot turned back to respond, but Kharon was gone, not even a ripple left as evidence of him ever having been there. Almost beyond shock by now, he nonetheless took a step back in surprise. He stood there momentarily, before shrugging his shoulders, and finally following Wes toward the entrance to Hades's domain.

***

Talbot paused at the mouth of the valley, his jaw dropping.

Before them towered a set of gates he could have never imagined outside of this realm. They were at least the height of the Statue of Liberty, seemingly constructed directly from the rock of the sheer vertical walls which travelled away in each direction for miles on either side until the mountains consumed them. Or maybe those mountains had birthed them, growing them like children to join in the center, the gates grasping like hands, forbidding entrance to this most dreaded of kingdoms.

Comprised of what appeared to be black obsidian - commonly known as volcanic glass - carved into the gates were figures engaging in acts of hedonistic torture and what appeared to be various sorts of bizarre copulation, some figures seeming to be joined sexually with half beasts, others devouring the body parts of their lovers: a gigantic sadistic sculpture within a desert of hopelessness.

Wes strode off ahead, the sword of Chiron held lightly in his right hand, once more leaving Talbot to marvel at his ability to make anything seem less daunting. Even here, in the most inhospitable environment imaginable, faced with gates of such intense repulsiveness, Wes's nature appeared indomitable. The casual way he regarded the gates before turning and spitting, showed his contempt for things which would render normal men - men like Talbot - terrified.

As if on cue, Wes began whistling. It was a happy tune, and he was still strolling casually toward the gates depicting indulgences of anguish. Incredible. With such a simple action, Wes made the entire situation seem more bearable, and Talbot found himself grinning as he followed the commando.

The huge gates were sealed against them. They seemed impenetrable, unscalable too, due to the intensely slippery surface of the volcanic glass. Along the top, Talbot spotted cruel, downward-pointing obsidian spikes which would make it impossible to climb over, even if by some miracle they were able to get within reach of the top.

A rumbling thunder echoed through the valley mouth, and the gates began to move. Slowly, ponderously, they opened outward, and Talbot glanced around hurriedly for a place to take cover. Wes merely stood, Chiron's sword held casually beside him, his left thumb hooked into the strap of his supply pack in case he had to lose it quickly.

Nothing rushed out.

No beasts from the pit were disgorged from the opening maw.

Talbot needed to pee.

The gates took several minutes to open fully, and when they had, a long, black, glittering road led off into the distance. Wes glanced around at him, raising an eyebrow.

"I guess we have to follow the sparkly, black road, then," mused the commando. He began to walk, humming quietly, before breaking into song with the tune from
The Wizard of Oz.

"Follow the sparkly, black road. Follow the sparkly, black road. Follow, follow, follow, follow, follow the sparkly, black road...."

Talbot thanked God or whoever was in charge that Wes was on
his
side. Talbot stepped through the ominous gates, jumping slightly as a loud
CRAAACK!
indicated the synchronous shutting of the gates behind them. Within moments, they had closed completely, sealing them in, leaving no room for retreat.

Talbot jogged slightly to catch up with Wes. Even carrying the pack full of supplies, Wes set a hefty pace.

"How do you do it, Wes?" he asked when he was eventually alongside the commando.

"Do what?" countered Wes, his eyes scanning from one side of the valley to the other, occasionally flitting back to check behind them.

"How do you seem so calm amid all this craziness?"

Wes grinned. "This stuff ain't so bad, mate. You should try being married."

"Were you married?" asked Talbot, intrigued by this tidbit of insight into Wes.

"Nah, fuck that!" said Wes emphatically. "Do you think I'm crazy? No way, single all the way buddy."

Talbot stared at him for a moment, perplexed at the amazing contradiction of Wes's statement, but brushed it aside. "How come it doesn't affect you?" he asked again.

Wes finally glanced at him, gauging him. "It comes down to what there is to actually be afraid of," he said finally, his features serious.

"What do you mean?" asked Talbot.

"People are always so scared about
everything
," said Wes, his eyes resuming their constant scan of the area as the two of them strode through the obsidian-walled valley. "For instance, what are you afraid of right now?"

Talbot paused for a moment.

"Why do you have to think about it?" interjected Wes. "If there is a direct threat, you should be able to answer immediately."

"Well, there isn't a direct threat," said Talbot.

"So why are you scared?"

"Well...." Talbot looked around. "Something
might
happen."

"Then worry about it when it actually happens. I mean, sure, keep an eye out for shit, but don't let it affect you internally. Even when some bad shit does happen, you need to react - so you shouldn't be scared then either. For me, I'm more interested in finding out who opened those big fucking gates back there, and right now nothing can come at us without us spotting it - unless it comes straight through those rocks, which isn't impossible after everything we've seen so far, but I somehow doubt it. I mean, why make the gates out of that black shit if things can move straight through it. So tell me; why are you scared, Doctor Harrison?"

Talbot paused, Wes carrying on for several steps before stopping and looking at him. Broken down into such simplistic terms, Talbot realized his foolishness and tried to release the tension he held deep within. He had vowed back at the centaur village not to be afraid anymore, but since that moment it had crept back up on him, little by little.

What did they really have to be afraid of, right at this moment?

And then it came to him.

The unknown.

That's what Talbot was afraid of, what he had always been afraid of: the unknown. A specific event or action never really scared him, but not knowing what was going to happen next had always terrified him. Perhaps this is why being with Wes strengthened him; the man's confidence made him feel nothing uncontrollable was about to occur.

Or it could just be because Wes was the toughest guy Talbot had ever met.

Talbot grinned, once more following Wes down the glittering mountain pass, somehow feeling his fears repressed once more.

As he prayed they would stay.

CHAPTER 12

The haunting melody floated down, surrounding them, caressing Talbot's mind with promises of comfort and love. In an instant, Wes was forgotten, their mission became unimportant, life itself held no significance - the only thing that mattered was the wonderful song....

Talbot wandered off the glittering ebony path, strolling across the shale-like stone and through a small gulley. They had left the walled section far behind them, and now the broken desert of Hades stretched forever in every direction.

The music dragged him, his feet moving of their own volition. He yearned to meet the singer, the orchestra, whatever was pouring his most desirous yearnings into this song. Everything Talbot had ever imagined was promised to him, conveyed along an emotional thread so deep he soon felt tears coursing down his cheeks.

And then he saw her.

Beyond beautiful, she sat atop a short outcrop of rocks, reaching out to him, her soul-wrenching song seemingly emanating from within her. Blonde hair cascaded down, surrounding the most incredibly beautiful features possessed by any woman.

And she yearned for him!

Talbot couldn't believe his luck. He ran down the small slope, his feet skidding slightly on the loose shale as his beautiful beloved ran toward him, her loose dress flowing behind her, the warm sun upon her cheeks -

Sun? There's no sun in Hades.

Talbot tried to follow the path of the thought, knowing something wasn't right about this situation, but the song hit him once more, pushing aside all his doubts. She loved him; this wondrous creation wanted nothing more than to be with him forever and ever....

Talbot reached for his beloved's hand, longing to taste her mouth, his need all consuming. He grasped her, pulling her toward his embrace, her mouth opening slightly in anticipation of his kiss.