The Goddess of Blessed Death

The First Labor

Mikrion wakes Makaria with a gentle shake.

"You are to meet Hades this morning," Mikrion says. She has set out Makaria's clothes and jewelry for the day. The ring and diadem twinkle like winking eyes at her. She gets ready quickly before half-jogging her way to Hades and Persephone's temple.

Hades stands at the end of the path leading up to his temple. He turns away from his wife's newest flowers when he hears Makaria nearing. Disappointment drips through Makaria's consciousness; she wanted to look at the temple interior.

"Are you ready?" Hades asks, and she nods. "Good. This way." He walks down back down the temple path. His movements are slow, and his eyes remain downcast, as though he is studying each step he takes. He talks in the same way, pausing longer than most, tasting each word in his mouth before speaking. "Your duty will entail travel to the surface. I know you are eager to return, but first things first. . .. You do not need to visit everyone who dies as you nearly did—"

"So, I never died?"

"No. . .. It's complicated but, no."

Makaria feels the spot on her chest where she could have sworn she felt the priest's knife puncture through to her pumping, bloody heart.

"You won't need to visit everyone who dies as you nearly did," he continues. "Your duty does not include the guiding of pneuma to the underworld or the judgment of pneuma. Elysium and Tartarus are off-limits, even as a goddess of Death. Should you cross any of those lines, you will be punished by myself. If you persist, you will be sent to Tartarus.

"Those you will watch over will die with or without your help. Still, you shouldn't abandon them, especially those in need. So, what your duty does and will include is seeing to it that those who die in similar fashions to you are granted death. The circumstances of their deaths will vary but you may grant them mercy, in which case their death will be more peaceful, or at least swifter. You will have to learn to tune into prayers sent to you. Your patronage is less feared than Thanatos or the Keres, but as a goddess of Death, be ready to be taboo until they look Death in the eye.

"In those times, they will be praying to you. You will know the content and beseeches within all of these prayers automatically. It's your own choice in who you want to answer. Just remember that you cannot keep up with them all. Death is normal and is common. Your Death is distinct, but still."

"Are you saying I should let Fate do everything?"

"I don't recommend meddling with Fate," Hades says, "but you are still a protector of your patronage. When they call for you, it will be your responsibility to decide what to do. Should something happen during or after their death, you remain their protector should they get lost. While you aren't to bring them here, you can step in should something unfortunate happen. Husbands and wives and parents are sometimes difficult in convincing their loved one must now rest permanently. They may try to step in, and without a guide, they may try anything to stop their loved one from achieving that rest just so they may have them for longer. Honestly, your duties will largely differ circumstance by circumstance, person by person. Your duty will come down to remembering who you are now and letting that guide your choices."

"You mean I should remain objective in what I do."

"If you can," he murmurs. "It's not an easy task." He says it without saying it: I would know.

They walk along the path in silence for a time. Makaria itches to know more but doesn't think pushing Hades would be beneficial. Hades stops and it isn't until he looks down the temple path that she realizes where they are: Thanatos's temple. She eyes Hades warily, silently willing him to keep walking.