Fate of the Blessed

Tae-Seong

I felt a tugging sensation; it was pulling me from my darkness. I tried to fight it; the black void of nothingness was a welcome distraction. I was loathing to give it up, to wake into the nightmare I had found myself in.

No, just a little longer.

I opened my eyes, giving up. Even though I didn’t want it to, the world came back into focus. I groaned as I stretched. When my senses returned to normal, I caught the jolly features of Charon inches in front of me. I took an involuntary jump backwards, knocking my head on the wooden wall behind me. Charon chortled in response. I rubbed my head, frowning.

“Come on, my boy, we’ve got work to do.” He said, clapping me on the shoulder.

I wiped the sleep from my eyes and climbed to my feet before I looked over to Shanti. Cerberus was guarding below, as she was still asleep. I thought about checking on her until I heard a low growl. Cerberus was eying me with suspicion.

“What are we going to do with Shanti? I can’t just leave her here?”

“Cerberus will look after her.” He said, but it did not impress me. Although I was loath to admit it, I would not leave a child here by herself. It wouldn’t be right. Especially not with a 3-headed hound from hell.  

“I can’t do that. She is my responsibility.”

I admitted to myself even though a short time ago I was planning on leaving her alone. I shook the thoughts away, because I shouldn’t have been so callous.

Charon looked at me with deep sorrow and understanding in his eyes. He walked to the window, letting out a low melodic whistle. I observed him, my eyebrows peaked with interest. A high-pitched whistle came back in response, the window flew open, smoke entered the room momentarily blinding me. As it dissipated, it revealed a young woman with flowing snow-white locks that reached her ankles; she wore a shimmering pearl dress. I had never seen such beauty before; it was bewitching; she smiled shyly at me. Charon looked between the two of them, laughing as he introduced her.

“This is Orphne, she is a nymph around these parts, she helps the dead of the Acheron keep calm. Otherwise they will pull unsuspecting souls into the waters to be lost forever.” He added the last part with a smile. I did not return it.

I noted a flute hanging by her side. She gave a low curtsy, giving a bright smile that made her silver eyes sparkle with delight.

“She can’t speak, but she will look over Shanti as she sleeps.”

Cerberus had woken. He padded over to her, nuzzling her leg before returning to his spot. He turned to glare at me, huffed, then settled into his space. I got the feeling he wasn’t fond of me. Not like I cared; it wasn’t as if I was going to be best friends with the beast. She made a shooing motion with her hands and pointed towards to the door. She cocked her eyebrow before placing her hand on her hip. Her message was obvious. Hurry and get out.

“You’re right my girl, it’s time to go Tae-Seong.” Charon said. 

“Wait, hang on, do we have any kind of plan? I can’t leave Shanti here with some stranger!” 

“Only the best, my boy, we wing it.” My mouth flew open in shock. No plan, oh God. He ignored my pleas. Instead, he pushed me towards the door with surprising strength. He picked up a large oar with his free hand. I had no choice but to follow.

This is a fool’s game. No plan, wing it, what the hell?

Orphne waved us out, then began playing her flute. A beautiful, haunting melody echoed through the door as it closed. Outside of the dust covered front, beyond the ancient wooden fence, there was an even older jetty through the mist. At the end stood what I could only describe as a gondola of sorts. It looked as if it was going to fall apart at any moment.

We’re never going to make it there alive.

I had my reservations about getting into the boat, but if Papa Legba’s words were true, then I needed Amara. I stood at the end of the jetty, my hand gripped tightly around the hilt of my sword. This was now or never. Charon had already gotten into the boat and was readying it for cast off. 

“We need to go now whilst Orphne is playing her song.” 

I hopped into the boat with ease; it rocked under my weight before it steadied itself. I sat on the worn wooden plank that served as a seat. Charon pushed off with his oar. The boat moved, ambling slowly through the murky water. It was a strange colour, a mixture of brown, grey, blue, and green, making impossible for me to decipher what its true colour was, although from the shore it looked a muddy brown.

It was hypnotising to observe; I detected patterns in the water, but I recoiled in horror when I recognised them to be the haunted ethereal expressions of people long passed. They reached out of the water like they were trying to escape, but to no avail.   I moved into the middle, tucking my hands between my legs.

“Don’t get too close sonny, they’ll pull you into the water.” 

“What is this place?” I asked, tucking myself even further into the boat.

“It’s the place where sorrow and pain live.” 

His cryptic answer puzzled me, but I didn’t press further. I was here for another purpose. I sighed. That was the point. What plan did I have? I didn’t even know what this Amara looked like. For all I knew, this could be a trap. How could I be sure Charon was a friend and not a foe? Maybe they were all working together.

I slumped back into the boat. This was folly, I knew that; I was under-prepared, and this sat uneasily with me. I had to keep my wits about me. If this was a trap, I wouldn’t go down without a fight. I would make sure of that.

Damn straight.

“Let me make a few suggestions to you.” Charon said. I snapped my head to attention, looking deep into his eyes.

“You will know in your heart who it is you’re there for.” he continued. I looked at him, but I didn’t respond.

What sort of pseudo-bullshit was this?

“I have heard that Aeron has help, their names are Phobos, Deimos and Nemesis. Try to bring them out to the water I will help you there.” 

“You’re not coming in with me?” 

Charon chuckled and wobbled his belly “Not unless you want a fat old man dragging his girth behind you.” I couldn’t help but smile. 

“Ah, my boy, here we are.” He said.

On the shoreline a darkened white Greek temple sitting in solace at the trunk of a gigantic tree came into view. My jaw dropped a little. I saw Charon chuckle out of the corner of my eye. He didn’t seem moved by the sight at all; he seemed almost bored by it.

“That is Yggdrasil, the tree of life. His palace sits at the bottom. In amongst the branches high above sit the many above worlds, and below amongst the roots lies the Under worlds or Hell, if you like.”

The tree was majestic, its long trunk went on forever. I didn’t know what Charon was talking about, different worlds and whatnot, but Yggdrasil was a sight to behold. I couldn’t help but be in awe of it as I looked up. The large branches were gigantic and its leaves constantly shimmered between yellow, green, and red. The trunk itself was a glittering black. It wasn’t like any tree I had ever seen. The magnificence of Aeron’s dwelling took my breath away. Sitting within the base of the trunk, the bright white marble of its exterior shone like a beacon, contrasting against the black. The tall Corinthian pillars that framed the outside gleamed with majestic elegance.

“If the above worlds are in the tree branches and the Under worlds are below the roots, what world lies at the base of its trunk?” I said.

“We sit on the plain of Midgard, or the Otherworld. The River Styx surrounds it; it is the place where souls rest until they decide to go back to the living or join the ranks of the dead. You could call it a type of Purgatory. However, it is still a dark and dangerous place. The Other world sits parallel with the Over world.”

I listened intently to his words, but none of them made sense. Above worlds, Midgard, it was too much to process all at once. I noticed he’d mentioned the River Styx, but we had just travelled the Acheron. My brow furrowed in confusion. What was the difference?

“If the Styx surrounds it, how have we just travelled the Acheron?”

I heard Charon let out a sigh; it was clear the patience was wearing thin, but he smiled at me none the less, although it didn’t reach his eyes. His jolly facade slipped, and I guessed there were two sides to every person. Charon was no exception. A shudder ripped through me as I wondered what would have happened if I hadn’t given him the coin?

“The Acheron runs within Midgard. In the waters are the unfortunate souls that were consumed by the waters before they could make their choice. They run into each other.” He concluded. I didn’t ask any further questions. However, I was curious to know what happened to their bodies back home?

“When your soul dies, your body does too.” He answered, as if sensing my puzzlement.

I didn’t answer, instead I brought my attention back to the task at hand. Everything was still, nothing stirred. It was too quiet. I stood as the boat neared the shore. With a graceful leap I landed, with ease, onto the dried grass. Charon continued to bring the boat closer until it slowed to a stop. 

“I’ll wait here, my boy. May the grace of the gods be with you.” Charon set about mooring the boat.

I turned my back on him and stared up at the massive temple that sat in front of me. With a deep breath, I made my way up the steps with a cautious stride, my sword slung over my shoulder. I drew it from its scabbard, readying it beside me for the unknown that lay on the other side of those doors.

Well, let’s get this over and done with.