The room was deathly silent as Hades took his seat at the end of the table, all eyes on him. Including the still unmentioned horsemen standing in the corner.
With the quirk of his eyebrow he cut through the silence. "You want Arges head on a pike, which considering his crimes is warranted, so I will be done." A moment later he turned to Cara.
"Bring Arges and Bronte here, now." He wanted Bronte to witness what he was going to do to his little brother, to see that their pact won't save them from consequences. He had already given him his punishment, now he will endure the Dark Fay's.
Cara promptly stood and exited, while the others looked to Hades with wide eyes. Most knew of his agreement with the cyclops, and his close partnership with the three brothers as well, so it was a surprise to all when he is so willing to kill one of them. Including to the Dark Fay leaders who wanted him to.
"Uh.. good! All we ask it that justice is done." The younger fay said, caught off guard at how easy it was.
Hades responds, "Of course, I value my relationship the The Moors greatly, and I agree that justice must be done. However, If I am to put one of my allies on a pike I need something from you." They pause at that all of them wondering, what? Over the course of them dealing with Hades it was him who had given them things, metal, equipment, special food even lost magic his Acolytes had found. The only thing in exchange was them teach a few mortals how to use magic. But now he was asking for something else, and no one knew what, he was King of the Underworld, God of the Dead, The Rich One, what could he possibly ask of them?
"As things progress and the Mortals grow, civilizations rise and power spreads in order to ensure we, as neighbors united in common goals survive, I need assurance in the form of a.. student, if you will. You will give me a young Dark Fay, one as strong and with as much potential you can find and give them to me. I will take them as my charge, train and nurture them to become the peak of your species, and when I am done, they will return as protector of the Moors for as long as I see fit. Do we have a deal?" Their brows furrowed. Wariness and confusion with a little anger in their eyes as they looked at him.
Their species was nearly extinct, numbering in barely a thousand. Their birth rates nearly non existent along with Hades decimation on Greece and then the war against Odin felling the few who fought it. Giving even one child, especially their most promising to Hades for an indeterminate amount of time only put them at greater risk.
As consequnce of so few number, the lesser species, the mortals, had begun to venture into the Moors in search of 'treasures' ie: magical flowers or the magical bodies of the creatures residing and to the chagrin of all Dark Fay, protectors of the Moors, they were often successful. Simply too big of an area, not enough bodies.
His offer to train them however, to make them the greatest of their species was tempting. Hades never lied and they knew he had the power to do such a thing. All the Dark Fay into room look to each other, trying to read what they were all thinking. In the end it was decided by the oldest Dark Fay left in existence.
Mourndrel, over a thousand years old he looked youthful still a perk of his Dark Fay physiology. He was alive before the Olympians were even conceived, lived in the Moors during Kronus' rule, saw the tyranny of him personally. Compared to Kronus he much prefered Hades strategy when it came to getting what he wanted. A win win for both parties.
He spoke his voice gravelly loud and clear, " We have a deal. The continued partnership of both our parties is paramount, I appreciate your understanding when it comes to our demand, Lord Hades. As for your charge I have the perfect pick. My daughter, Maleficent, will be under your care." Before Hades can respond with a smile a tall knock comes from the closed double doors. Cara had returned, two Cyclops in tow.
Instead of letting thme in Hades speaks through the door, "Take them to my throne room, we will be ther shortly." The sound of footsteps fading follows.
"It is good you see the opportunity I present you with Mourndrel, it will be good for both of us." Standing up he straightens his robe, glancing toward the three horsemen still standing silent in the corner like ghosts. He shakes Mourndrels hand and continues,
"Please head to my throne room I will fulfill my part of the deal promptly, I must speak with my Horsement first however." With a nod the group of Dark Fay scramble out the door, excitement for what is to come.
Only the four of them no he eyes the three humans. They come closer and fall onto one knee in front of Hades.
"Report, how did it go?" He said his smoldering charcoal eyes looking down to them.
Mirin hesitated for just a moment, the entire time he had been racking his brain on how to explain himself yet could find no answer. So, with a quiet sight je began,
"We confronted Jusus in a small courtyard, he would not fight us voluntarily so we took a hostage, the three of us were no match, his speed and strength far surpassing our own. However he seems to pose no threat, uninterested in violence or war of any sort."
Hades grins at that, it was what he expected to be honest. Although never having an on camera scene he knew in the Marvel universe Jesus was an Omega level mutant. Plus given that in this timelines the 'gods' were actual gods not just aliens, he could guess God is real or maybe he was One Above All. Either way he had no plans of giving all his followers over to Christianity but for now he'll let him be.
"And the king what of him?" Mirin audibly swallowed at that, extremely worried about how he would react.
"He-he still lives lord Hades. But not without reason!" He hastily adds seeing Hades brows furrow.
"Explain yourself, clearly, I dont want to mishear A. Single. Word."
Shifting nervously while bowing his head deeper he speaks again, "We arrived to the palace, the king was handling petty matters that hour so it was simple get close to him; however when confronted with the information of attacked supply lines and traders he knew nothing. King Solomon had proposed speaking with you to get to the bottom of it had I had thought yoy might want to hear more about the situation.. so he still lives My King."
Hades eyes go wide at the name drop, King Solomon, the wise. The middle east was far, across the great midterranean sea and out of his grasp, his information was fickle and miniscule so he had not known, who, the king was just that there was one. Hearing that it was THE King Solomon was quite the surprise. He was glad they had not killed him, it gives him opportunity.
Looking down on them, his shadow engulfing the three he responds with a sharp, "Interesting".
A moment later and he follows with "Well done on testing Jesus, we will let him be for now, return to the Sanctumvalorditorum I will speak with you more later. Begon." They hastily move to leave stiffly walking down the corridors back to their part of Hades palace.
With a heavy sigh of his reality getting even more complicated he leaves as well heading to his throne room.
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Cara Pov
On one side of the room stood her, the two Cyclops standing a step behind her, Bronte looked composed, but expressed his confusion when they were walking down the hallways, Arges in the other hand seemed jittery, and more than wary of the Dark Fay across the room. Look at the winged bipeds she was sure they wanted the dash across the room and rip his head off themselves. But this was Hades throne room. The second most sacred place in all the underworld, only Hades could spill blood here and they knew their place.
The loud thuds of her lords steps alert her of his incoming presence, adjusting her pencil skirt and bluse to be perfect she wait for him to enter.
His tall form towering over all but the cyclops passed through the doorless arched doorway stepping up the 6 steps of his throne he takes his seat, his glowing embers igniting for just a moment as he scanned them all. He was majestic a king of absolute authority and power, and he would enact it now.
He spoke regaly, his voice emanating throughout the room deep into her audio receivers, her servo spinning in what could be interpreted as excitement.
"Arges, stand before me." He did the giant lumbering forward like he was on deaths row, which he was, she thought languidly.
"What can I do fer ya Lord?" He was twitchy in front of Lord Hades, eye to eye with his power once again, she was sure he was scared.
"This is giving me Deja Vu, once again you forget to Kneel!" Darkenss attack his legs forcing him on his knees, exactly what had happened once before.
"You can do anything for me Arges, no, I'm going to do something to you. You see your chicken has come to roost, the Dark Fay want your head."
Cara could see it in their eyes Bronte and Arges both, the confusion then the immediate shift to assurance, they thought Hades couldn't kill them, that they would get no lasting punishment, that the birds would have to cry all they way back their dark forest without what they came here for. Cara nearly let a smirk form on her face at the absurd notion. Hades has his ways, she was sure of it.
"Bu-but you cant lord! We have a pact!" Arges beastly voice screams toward Hades, cockiness radiating from his face. Oh he's gonna get it now Cara thought as the scene only got better. The birds on the other side of her looked at Arges with disgust, the brute behaving exactly as they'd pictured he would.
Hades kingly form stood abruptly his eyes igniting in a blinding light, Arges froze as he looked into them.
"We do have a pact. They will have your head nonetheless." Strutting down his obsidian steps, a bloom of flames and his sacred halberd was in his perfect hands, its edge glinting in the green light of the braziers.
Bronte stood silent behind her, good, she thought, no need to invoke his wrath.
"Bronte, brother! PLEASE SAV-" His plea is cut short however as Orphan anihilator bisects his head from his body right above his vocal cords, the large head tumbling around the floor, blood staining the previous pristine obsidian.
Yet contrary to what she assumed the others thought would happen, Arges continued to blink, eyes franticly searching to get his bearings.
Hades touched the rest of Arges body, black rot reducing it to ashes only the head remained. Picking the large pumpkin of a head up by its stem Hades looked into his eyes telling him exactly what was going to happen, whether he liked it or not.
"Your head will be put on a pike where your massacre happened, your soul will remain within this empty head of yours and you will endure 100 years as nothing but a decoration, a warning." With his declaration, he tossed his head toward the Fay like a sack of potatoes, a thud sounding in the silent room as it impacted the floor.
Cara looked to her lord eyes sparkling, that was so cool.