The Heirs of Elysium

Prologue

Hades prowls about the castle, his spirit restless as a caged animal. Bones long since turned to dust, the death shroud caresses the memory of his shape. Soldiers scuttle away like spiders, lest they taste his wrath.

The throne room is as silent and frigid as a tomb. Weak moonlight pierces the grime-encrusted windows, illuminating the monolithic black throne. He was due to succeed his father as the next Dark King of Tartarus. Instead he is trapped in the form of a wraith, quite literally unable to take his seat.

Frost fans out upon the obsidian surface and the temperature plummets to the depths of winter. Behind him, he senses the presence of his God and rotates to face the towering form. It is black as pitch against the shadows, absorbing all light and warmth. Phantom knees bend and Hades bows deeply.

Rise! Chaos's voice booms like thunder and causes the room to tremble.

To what do I owe the honour?

Hades, do I need a reason to visit my champion? You seem ill of spirit.

I grow weary of waiting.

Is revenge not a dish best served cold?

Perhaps, but it has been nearly a millennium. This dish will be one of ice. That is, if I ever get to taste it.

Hades knows it foolish to challenge the might of his God and yet he has never been one to be cowed.

Do not doubt that the blood of your enemies will flow like rivers. What is a few more decades? Use the time afforded to you to build your armies. Plunder the mines and tear down the trees to fuel the forges.

And how am I to gain access to Elysium? The girl sealed the gateway and it will not yield again.

True, Elissa thwarted you, but there are other, older passageways between Tartarus and Elysium. Look there for your entry points. The heart of their queen is your key to unlocking them.

I will find them and I will bring Elysium to her knees. My little sister, Celestia will pay for her mother's crimes and Elissa, well, I will destroy all that she holds dear.

Excellent. If Chaos had a face, it would be grinning. How go your alchemists in creating black gold?

I just lost my best sorceress to the efforts.

Mix the ashes of the ancestral bones of the ones you seek to control into the smelting process. With that advice, Chaos's darkness melts away.

Determination runs through Hades, much as blood once pumped through his veins. I will get my revenge!