Page 17 of The Trickster's Heart

“What brings you to the Underworld?” Persephone directed her question at Hercules.

Reality came crashing down around him as he realized he didn’t know how to respond to that question.

Hi, nice to meet you, Queen of the Underworld… I’m here to steal Cerberus. Is that okay with you? Should I come back another time?

“Well…” Hercules shifted his weight between his feet. Hermes chose that moment to finally release himself from Hercules, and he jumped down with a blinding grin aimed at Persephone.

“Seph, my queen of the dead, the damned, and the departed…”

“Get to the point and save your nicknames for Hecate,” Persephone cut Hermes off, but she was still smiling.

Hercules felt an unfamiliar sensation twist in his ribs. “Hecate? What nicknames?” He turned to look at Hermes. Hermes slid his hand up Hercules’s arm, patting his shoulder.

“One thing at a time, pet.” Hermes once again flashed an all-white smile at Persephone. “We need to speak to your husband.”

Persephone crossed her arms over her chest. “I don’t know how you got mixed up in whatever this is, Hermes, but Hercules will have to seek an audience with Hades like any mortal.” She gave Hercules another once-over. “I can sense Eumolpos from here. Good. You’ll be able to meet with Hades, and you can enter this domain.”

Hermes rolled his eyes playfully. “You two do love your rules and traditions.” He turned to Hercules, making a tsk sound. “It’s all foreplay to them, I swear to the gods…”

“Hermes,” Persephone snapped, her lip curling into a smirk, “don’t fuss. Hades will receive Hercules tomorrow in the receiving hall. I look forward to seeing you both.” Persephone clapped her hands once and vanished in a dark cloud.

“Does she need to ask Hades?” Hercules turned to look at Hermes incredulously.

“Ha!” Hermes scoffed, walking towards the entrance to the Underworld. “No, she absolutely fucking does not. All right then,” he let out a long sigh, “we’ve got to spend the night in the Underworld.”

“Should we find somewhere to set up camp?” Hercules jogged to Hermes’s side, unconsciously holding his breath as they crossed the threshold into hell.

“No,” Hermes said with a twinge of hesitation. “We’re going to stay at Hecate’s.”

8

Hercules couldn’t identify the expression on Hermes’s face. The god said nothing as the last of the smoke disappeared from the cavern and the doors stood wide open; Hercules could glimpse a green glen through the stalagmites. Hercules followed Hermes dutifully through the doors of hell, taking note of how remarkably…normal it looked. The Underworld was disturbingly similar to the mortal world, and a small dirt road revealed itself to them. It cut through an open meadow, and Hercules spotted a forest on the horizon.

“Hecate…the goddess of witchcraft?” Hercules called out as Hermes walked ahead.

“Do you know any other Hecate?” Hermes yelled back over his shoulder, forcing Hercules to pick up his pace.

“Well, no,” Hercules grunted, surveying their surroundings, “but based on both of your reputations, I’m surprised to hear you’re close.”

Hermes shrugged, his carefree emotion faltering for a brief second. “I thought you didn’t pay much attention to gods and their reputations.”

“There are some things that even I’ve heard… All men know about Hecate, and you’ve talked about yourself plenty over the past few days.”

“I’m a fascinating topic of conversation.”

“I didn’t deny it.” It was Hercules’s turn to smirk at Hermes, who slowed down and resumed walking once they were side-by-side. The lines around Hermes’s eyes softened. A warm shudder went through Hercules’s body as the pair fell into a peaceful silence. It wasn’t long until a small homestead appeared in front of them.

As they got closer, Hercules took note of the altar in the exterior courtyard and the columns surrounding it. He could see a steady stream of smoke coming out of a chimney on the backside of the home.

“I hope you like dogs.”

It was the only thing Hermes said in warning as they stepped over the threshold. As soon as Hercules’s foot hit the tiled floor, three huge dogs came running outside, baying at the top of their lungs.

“Fuck!” Hercules cursed, and for the second time that day, he found himself jumping in front of Hermes. Hermes giggled in response and deftly stepped out from behind Hercules, getting down on his knees as the dogs covered his face in kisses.

“Oh,” Hercules blushed, slightly embarrassed at the overreaction, “you could’ve told me that the dogs were friendly.” Hermes looked up at him with a soft grin.

“And miss the opportunity to watch you throw your big body in front of me again? Unlikely,” Hermes scoffed. Hercules opened his mouth to respond but was cut off as the courtyard filled with voices.

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