In Pursuit of Madness

After Lydos' death the days passed slowly for Melinoe. She stayed in his house, to the great objection of his wife, and waited until someone placed a coin upon his lips. She was skeptical that anyone would do it, his children didn't quite seem to understand death yet and his wife was resolute on disliking Melinoe. His other friends and distant family members, cousins and the like, came with offerings and farewells and still no one left the small piece he desperately needed to pass into the Underworld. It had been four days when she finally confronted the small woman that called herself his wife.

"Are you not going to help him pay the fare?" she asked.

"Why should I?" the woman retorted haughtily. "He was your lover, you pay it. Or even better, go work some deal out with the ferryman or your father. You're a Goddess, I'm sure Charon would bow to your command."

At this point Melinoe was ready to rip the woman's throat out with her bare hands.

"I may be a Goddess but even I cannot sway Charon from what he is owed. If you will not pay the toll for your husband than I shall. But know this, mortal, the price I will exact will not be to your liking. I will give you once last chance to place the coin for his passage, and if you still refuse you will have to pay my toll." Melinoe warned in a scathing tone. It was in that moment that she decided that this woman would spend the rest of her life plagued with nightmares, so many that it would drive her mad. Melinoe would put anything she could into driving this woman completely insane.

The woman merely snorted and threw her hands up, stalking out of the room. It seemed that the matter had been decided so Melinoe reached up to her ear and removed the delicate silver and sapphire earring she had worn for many years, with it's twin on the other side. The pair had been a gift from Hera, who would undoubtedly be upset with her next actions.

"I can replace you," she said to the earring. "Or get another pair. But this man must cross the Rivers, and I have no coin to give him for passage. Perhaps I will wear something simpler in your stead, to represent our loss." With a heavy heart she left the house and went into the market, stopping at the first jewelry stall she found. She sold the earring to the man running the stall for a ten silver drachmas. She in turn, gave the man three for an earring that was plain and adorned with only a single black pearl. It would suffice as a replacement for the loss of the delicate piece.

Returning to the house where Lydos had always lived, Melinoe waited calmly as a few people trickled out of the door. her steps were graceful as she made her way toward his body. She leaned in and placed one final kiss on his lips, the she gently took one drachma and positioned it upon his lips.

"Safe passage, my heart." And with that she was gone, disappearing into the ether.

Charon stood in his boat, waiting for the last of the passengers to find their fare and pay him. There were a few stragglers, perhaps the ones who had no family or no money, or even ones whose spouses had just decided to not pay the toll. He was pondering all the reasons why someone might not be able to pay his fee when a man moved to stand in front of him.

"Sir?" the man questioned.

"Yes?" Charon answered in a bored tone.

The man held up the silver drachma, showing Charon that he could now pay for passage. Charon smiled at him and snatched the coin out of his outstretched hand.

"What is your name Mortal?" Charon asked.

"Lydos." He murmured.

Charon almost dropped the coin he was holding, suddenly suspicious of where it came from.

"You're her Lydos aren't you?" he asked. Lydos looked at him in confusion.

"Oh come now, everyone in the Underworld knows who you are." Charon told him.

"I'm not sure why." Lydos said.

Charon rolled his eyes at the mortal. Of course he wouldn't know why he was infamous in the Underworld, mortals were absurdly oblivious.

"You're the mortal that Melinoe loves." Charon explained.

"Oh, well yes, but I don't see how that would mean that the whole Underworld knows who I am."

"Alright, maybe not the whole Underworld but at least the more prominent of us do. It's not everyday that the princess runs off to spend eight years with a mortal. Or pay my fare for that matter."

"What?" Lydos exclaimed, not knowing where the drachma had come from.

But Charon seemed to have forgotten his presence, wondering how Melinoe had come across the drachma, or what she had to sell to get it. He was mumbling to himself about Goddesses and their stupidity, or maybe creativity, Lydos wasn't sure so he just boarded the boat and sat in one of the empty places.

Meanwhile Melinoe was resting against the rather large leg of Cerberus, contemplating all the ways she could interfere with that mortal woman's life. She was considering different ways she could use nightmares, maybe creating images of her children being murdered, perhaps a dream about being burned alive. She rubbed the large, furry shank of Cerberus and thought about working him into the dream. Melinoe was so deep in thought that she didn't hear her mother approaching.

Persephone place a hand on her daughters' shoulder. Melinoe jumped at the touch, looking up and recognizing her mother.

"Waiting for something dear?" her mother asked.

"Waiting for Charon." she replied. Her mother nodded knowingly.

"Someone finally paid the old bat then?" Persephone mused.

Melinoe turned toward her mother and brushed back her hair exposing her new earring.

"Hera will not be pleased that you gave away part of her gift."

"I have long since worn Hera's gift, but this was a matter of necessity. The wife," she spat the word out with disgust, "refused to pay him. I could not let Lydos rot on the shore."

"Peace Melinoe, I understand. I'm just warning you that Hera will not be happy, but as the patron god of marriage I'm sure she will understand." Melinoe grimaced at her mothers words, knowing that she was right.

"Your father wants to see you." Persephone told her. "He said it could wait until after you've seen Charon, but will help you with your plans with the mortal woman."

Melinoe hummed, letting her mother know that once Charon's boat had passed she would seek out Hades.

"It's almost time for me to leave the Underworld again, will you visit me when you journey forth to the mortal realm?"

"Of course I will, mother." Persephone smiled at her daughter, reaching out to stroke Cerberus as Melinoe was.

"That makes me glad. I'll leave you to wait then, remember to go see your father. I think he's in the gardens."

"I'm sure I'll find him. And if I take too long I'm sure he'll find me, he's rather impatient." Melinoe and Persephone both chuckled Hades small fault.

Speak of the devil. Melinoe mused as she saw the dark and domineering figure of her father.

"Persephone," he half whined. "I thought I sent you to fetch Melinoe not play with the dog."

The Queen of the Underworld let out a hearty laugh at her husband's expense. Hades grinned and even Melinoe gave a small smile. Once quiet, the family all stood under the large frame of Cerberus, giving the pet some attention as they watched the river.

"He'll come." Hades remarked, knowing what his daughter was worried about. "Charon always comes, and he doesn't care where you get the fare from as long as he gets paid."

Melinoe looked at her father, her clear green eyes showing a multitude of emotions. She looked like she was stuck between a smile and tears, until she noticed movement in the distance. Down the great river the age old boat came, carrying all the souls that had paid Charon. Melinoe rushed over to the bank of the river under Cerberus. It was where she knew the boat would have to pass to get through the gates, the place where she could get the clearest last look at her beloved mortal. Hades offered his wife a hand, which she took graciously, and they slowly followed their daughter waiting to see the mortal man that she had spent so many years loving.

Lydos sat in the boat looking up at the menacing three headed dog guarding the gate. He understood why it was nearly impossible for the living to pass into the Underworld, Cerberus was terrifying. It didn't take long for him to notice the three figures standing under the beast. Hades stood there with an arm wrapped around Persephone, and Lydos was surprised to see how young they looked. He knew that the Immortals did not age the way mortals did, but it was still surprising that the rulers of the Underworld looked barely older than their daughter. It was in that moment he realized why Melinoe had been so distraught at the idea of his aging. The boat was passing the Immortals now, Lydos looked up to meet the eyes he had so loved in his life. He could see a small smile playing on her lips as she mouthed the last words he had ever spoken. Tears were in her eyes as he mouthed goodbye.

Melinoe felt as if her heart was breaking all over again as the boat passed through the gate. She turned around, letting the tears she'd been holding in for days fall down her face. Hades left the side of his wife and enveloped his daughter in a hug. He stroked her hair gently as she sobbed for the loss of her love. Time seemed to be standing still as she stood there feeling crushed, like Atlas under the weight of the world. Eventually though, the tears stopped coming and finally she lifted her head off her father's shoulder and gave him a small, reassuring smile.

"Sorry Daddy," she murmured. "What was it you wanted to talk to me about?"

Hades gave her a small smile and took her hand, leading away from Cerberus and towards the vast palace gardens. Once there he sat down, pulling his daughter with him and trying to prevent the secretive smile that was playing on the corners of his lips.

"I know that you're struggling right now with his death..." Hades began. "But I have a surprise for you. I understand that right now you want to destroy that mortal and I hope that what I'm about to share with you will help you in your quest to do that but I also hope that after you've accomplished it, you will continue to see to your duties. Morpheus wasn't very happy when I have you the nightmares, especially when you decided to be rebellious. I'm asking if you're ready to start taking control of what your duties are."

"There's nothing to distract me anymore. I'm..." Melinoe was at a loss for words. She frowned, unsure of how to continue. "I'm ready to do what I need to do. I know I've been... avoiding, my duties recently, but it's time to grow up and fulfill my role."

Hades nodded, understanding what she meant. "That's good," he told her. "Because I'm about to add to your workload. Melinoe, Hecate has decided that with the mortal population growing she can't keep up with all of her responsibilities so she's giving one to you. She wants you to take control of ghosts."

Melinoe's eyes widened. Her father was giving her control of lost spirits, making her job of driving mortals to madness so much easier.