The Goddess of Blessed Death

There Is Also Life

Makaria jolts awake, a sheen of sweat covering her body. She changes, trying to forget the string of nightmares. Mikrion watches her carefully as she crosses through her temple and wishes her a better rest of her day. Makaria nods non-committedly, a lingering exhaustion seeping into her marrow. As she walks through the underworld, it is a layer she slowly sheds, heart thumping. As inconspicuously as possible, she speed-walks past Hypnos's and Thanatos's temples, keeping a lookout for either brother.

Hecate's hounds come alive when she reaches the temple and race up to her, circling like a couple of clingy herding dogs instead of what appear to be stoic hunters. A little pushy, they lead the way into Hecate's temple. In a knee-length chiton and hunting boots, a triple-bodied statue at the center holds twin torches in either hand with a crown of spikes (1). Two lionesses wrap around her statue, one's nose touching the other's tail. Around her temple frieze, turning Queen Hekebe into the black dog after she leaped into the sea following Troy's fall, turning the witch Gale and the midwife Galinthias into polecats, Hecate helps Demeter after Kore is taken to Hades, and her various work with necromancy, sorcery, ghosts, poisonous plants and all manner of animals. (2)

The Molossian lets out a booming bark, making Makaria jump. One of the statue Hecate's eyes blink, and Hecate herself steps out from the statue. Dawning a long chiton and bare feet, the goddess smiles. It is both kind and dangerous, a warning not to cross a goddess such as her.

"I'm glad you've come," she says. With a snap, her hounds fall into place at her side—and into one another. Three becomes one: three heads, the height and shoulders of a Mollosus, the girth and leanness of a Laconian, and the fox head and tail of the Alopekis. (3)

Distracted by the transformation, Hecate is suddenly on the other side of Makaria, having circled the young goddess. Makaria steps away.

"Don't be afraid unless you have reason to," Hecate says. Makaria is not entirely sure she likes being told that, but she imagines being a companion to Hecate. How wonderful and dauntless it would be.

"No, I don't," Makaria says, "but I do have a request."

"You want to see your family, and I'm the only one you feel like you can ask."

"Yes, actually."

"Alright," Hecate says. "I'll take you."

"Right now?" Makaria's heart expands in her chest.

"Unless you'd like to make an appointment?" Hecate smiles again, and it makes Makaria's gooseflesh raise. "It'll be rather difficult given Cronus works differently down here without Helios."

"No, now is good," Makaria says too quickly. It's overly eager, desperate even.

Hecate gestures to her statue, still smiling. It's simultaneously off-putting and assuring, entirely coaxing. No room left for 'no.' No desire left for 'no.'

Makaria walks up to the statue. Her heart, still expanded and pressing hard against her chest, climbs up towards her throat. Shutting her eyes, she steps forward. There is no falling upside down. Nothing except suddenly the feeling of warmth washing over her. Not just any warmth, it's the sun's warmth. The kind that weighs heavily on you and blinds you during the summers. The only kind of warmth that melts during the cold months, so that you can soak it up.

Makaria opens her eyes and squints against Apollo's sunlight. Hecate's three hounds, having detached themselves from one another, prance around the dirt. They stand in Athena's temple, the Athena Parthenos and Nike statue behind them.

People praying before the statue are screaming and fleeing from the temple; it takes Makaria to hear and see them, and she blinks in surprise. Hecate's hounds race forward, but the ground is immaterial. Tail wagging and tongue lolling as they bark excitedly, they race above the panicked group of humans, whose shrill screams could have reached Olympus. When all have dispersed, there remains only one.