Elysian Fields

CHAPTER 15

The air was completely still; it would have been suffocating if there were not a sense of peace about the place. A bed of clover cradled Kore's body, soft leaves brushing against her skin in a whisper of comfort. Colors danced behind eyelids, swirling reds and oranges, closed against the bright sunlight overhead. Such a restful place gave way to joy and healing; at least, that is what the archangel, Dante, purports. Still, Kore couldn't claim that she did not acknowledge a nagging feeling at the back of her mind as if she had forgotten something very important, but if this was truly the afterlife, perhaps she was made to forget for a reason. After all, if the Elysian Fields were meant to be a place of peace and healing, why would the harsh memories of the living plague the soul?

Darkness eclipsed sunshine, and Kore's eyes reluctantly opened to assess the inconvenience. A figure towered overhead, a mere silhouette against the sky. An inexplicable chill tinged with a hint of dread replaced the warmth she'd been basking in moments before. As the figure began to crouch down, Kore propped herself up on her elbows, deep pools of cerulean coming into vision.

"Hello," Kore's voice was barely a whisper. Apart from encountering Dante on her first day in the Fields, she'd not come across many other souls. Dante claimed that it was because healing meant being isolated, which she could not fully understand; healing meant comfort in her mind. The afterlife was so different.

"Hello. May I join you?"

Before Kore could respond, the figure moved to sit beside her, reclining back against the cushion of clover. She watched him warily, studying the way his eyes closed as he settled into the ground. Taking a deep breath myself, she chose to lay back, slowly relaxing her lungs, reminding herself that if this was a place of healing, she would come to no harm.

After moments of silence, Kore's curiosity got the better of her, "Are you new?"

"I'm sorry?" he asked, a hint of amusement in his voice.

"To the Underworld. Are you new here?" Kore was unsure how to start a conversation. How long she had been in these fields, she had no clue, but it was long enough to consider it home.

"Ah," a pause. "No, I am not new. I have been here as long as my memory serves."

"Then how come I have never seen you here? In fact, I have never seen anyone here," Kore turned to glance at him and found myself staring into those midnight blue eyes once more.

"It wasn't time yet. But now..." a nervous smile danced across his lips. "Now it is time."

Fear pooled in her belly. Time for what? Had she finally healed completely? Was it time to meet Hades and be taken either to a peaceful final resting place or thrown into Tartarus? She swallowed thickly.

"Oh," a shaky breath rattled her rib cage as she sat up, moisture building in her eyes and blurring my vision. "Right. Okay. It's time. Right. Um, you've been here for a while. Can you tell me what it is like?"

His raven-colored eyebrows kissed as confusion plagued his features. Good. At least Kore wasn't the only one struggling to comprehend.

"I'm not sure what you are asking. What is what like?"

"Meeting Hades," Kore's voice had shrunk to a whisper, her heart pounding in her throat constricting her airways. "Is he as terrifying as I imagine? Is he cold and unforgiving?"

"I wouldn't know." Entertainment laced his features and his words, a slight laugh parting his lips. "I've never had the opportunity to meet him."

"Then what is it time for?" And why was he so entertained? Death was a terrifying thing, with more questions than answers and nobody to inquire.

"For us to meet, I suppose," he shrugged and sat up, reaching out a hand. "I'm Aydon."

Kore took his hand, giving it a swift shake, "Nice to meet you, Aydon." Laying back down, she closed her eyes to bask in the sunlight.

"And your name?"

"I'm not sure," She sat up once more, running her fingers contemplatively over the clover surrounding them. "I don't know that I have one. Occasionally, I hear the wind whisper destroyer to me, but that can hardly be my name."

"Destroyer. I like it," Aydon stood, stretching his limbs and turning on a heel before heading towards the horizon. "I'll see you later, Destroyer."

Kore stood, shaking out her skirts, ready to tell him that her name was not destroyer, but by the time she stood and lifted her head in his direction, he was gone.

Companionship was something she'd longed for since coming to this place, but for some reason, his companionship did not bring the sense of comfort as it should have. Padding towards her cottage on the edge of the forest, Kore couldn't shake the feeling of dread and the idea that her time in paradise was coming to a close.