HBWnovel Chapter 8: Hecate
Chapter 8: Hecate
Chapter 8: Hecate
Hypnos had no trouble finding the abode of Hecate. She was a chthonic goddess, so she obviously lived in the underworld, and the shadow plane was conveniently connected to the underworld.
The underworld was the realm of the dead. It was a domain where the mortal souls of the Greek pantheon were destined to travel after death for their eventual afterlife. It was an instinct etched into the deepest crevices of mortal souls to seek out the land of the dead. They were moths drawn to the bright light.
The problem that spelled true catastrophe for the souls of the dead was that the Underworld had no order, absolutely no order. The land of the dead was simply a desolate place with five rivers. There was no Elysium for heroes and the virtuous, nor were there any punishment fields for sinners and blasphemers. It was simply a barren realm engulfed in perpetual darkness.
The mortal souls who entered the underworld spent the rest of their existence aimlessly wandering through the black plains of the underworld, gradually losing themselves and eventually fading away. Even worse, some unfortunate souls would dazzlingly drift into the five rivers of the underworld and melt away into nothingness.VịSit no(v)3lb/!n(.)com for new novels
The Titans simply disregarded the existence of the Underworld. Nobody among the chthonic divine entities residing in the underworld was suitable or even interested in taking on this enormous role and responsibility. It would have remained trapped in an endless cycle of chaos if it hadn't been for his brother, who saved all the lost souls.
Thanatos, after opening his realm, led all the lost souls of the underworld to Tenebrous, where he judged them. He also temporarily assumed control of the underworld until a suitable ruler could be found.
So Hypnos could finally stride through the dim and distant lands of the underworld in serene silence, free of the wailing and cries of millions.
The river Lethe flowed peacefully beside him, with opium poppy plants growing all along its dark banks. He occasionally bent down to pick up the best plants and teleported them to his castle.
If he ever decided to start his own cult in Greece, the poppy plant would be extremely useful. It was a good sleep aid and the source of the majority of future drugs such as morphine, codeine, heroine, and so on. If he's not mistaken, psychedelic drugs were very much a part of ancient Greece. It was used for a variety of purposes, ranging from medicinal practises to divine rituals.
Hypnos increased his pace toward Hecate's abode as he pondered creating new drugs for his eventual cult, and he soon arrived.
The light from the torches illuminated the home of Hecate, which was a cave. But to call it that was to demean it, for it was not made of dark stone but of pale silver quartz, thrumming with mythical echoes of magic.
The dim yet vibrant fire burning in torches swayed gently, elucidating a divine woman standing in the entrance. She had haunting green eyes and flowing black hair. Her face was as pale, beautiful, and ageless as a Greek statue. Her dark gown rippled as though ink spilled from it, and a silver crown with a crescent moon symbol adorned her head. The darkness of the underworld grew thicker around her, with stars swaying in its dark ocean like the night sky.
The ethereal woman was none other than Hecate, daughter of Perses, Titan of Destruction, and Asteria, Titaness of Falling Stars and Divinations.
"I have been waiting for you," Hecate lightly bowed. "Lord Hypnos."
"Hecate." Hypnos nodded. For a goddess, Hecate was absolutely terrifying. She had too many divinities, each of which was powerful in its own right: magic, witchcraft, mist, crossroads, necromancy, ghosts, the moon, and night. Her powers extended into numerous domains such as the underworld, sky, earth, and even oceans.
He wouldn't be surprised if she could beat most of the Olympians, yet she was regarded as a minor god by them. And the fact that Hecate always hoped and worked to get good grades despite her vast powers totally perplexed him. Even now, in the Titanomachy, she chose to betray the Titans and help the Gods...
Titanomachy!
The realisation hit him like a bolt of lightning.
Hypnos, you're such a moron. He chastised himself.
Hypnos was perceiving the entire situation wrongly. The Goddess of Magic was willing to help the Olympians now and even serve them most of the way in the original story because they were totally favoured by Destiny. She was just following the right path of Destiny and worked so hard not to get in the good grades of Olympians rather Destiny herself.
As he was regarding the Goddess of Magic, Hypnos followed Hecate into her abode. The interior of the cave was massive and illuminated by torches. At one end, there were rows of tables strewn with silvery instruments that whirled and emitted small puffs of smoke from spider-legged tables. The walls were covered in parchments and manuscripts. An iron bench with straps arose on the left side platform, surrounded by numerous stands hung on the wall, each holding glass jars containing organs and specimens from various species, mostly humans.
A dozen worn books covered with esoteric engraving, like runes and alchemical symbols, were seated on the carved shelves. And at the far end of the room, there was a single bed, thick and draped with dark veils of night.
Hecate summoned two chairs and motioned for him to sit in one of them. Hypnos followed, sensing a mystical force embroiling every nook and cranny of this cave, though it avoided him like he was a plague.
It was magic. Magic was, well, unbound and unfettered. It felt like potential given form, and he had an odd sense of familiarity with it.
Restraining his flying thoughts, Hypnos guessed, breaking the momentary silence between them. "Divination?"
To be more specific, he stood on the land that the future civilization would call Afghanistan. It was surrounded by the rising civilizations of Egypt, Sumer, the Indus, and Xia. The thrum of divinity filled his senses as Hypnos felt the presence of thousands of gods in his
brief probe. He almost felt like he was in the epicentre of the present world, of human
civilization today.
Hypnos extricated himself from the surreal feeling and focused on Hecate. He immediately felt her divinity flow into reality. Without interrupting, he peered at her.
The Goddess of Magic walked in front of him. She extended her hands, and two torches appeared in them with a shimmer of magic. She then raised the torches high into the twilight
sky.
Brilliant flames burst into existence in them, and with that, the orange sun sank into the horizon, and the last colours of twilight were extinguished by a shimmering dark curtain sweeping the sky, ushering in a night brimming with millions of stars.
"This is," Hecate said inscrutably, her haunting face illuminated by mythical flames. "the land of Aryana. The first interaction between various aspects of human civilization transpired here—the first exchange of language, knowledge, culture, and trade between mankind." With each word of the Goddess of Magic, Hypnos felt it. In his perception, the very essence of human civilization appeared. It was like a massive river with numerous tributaries that flowed and forked through Asia and Africa.
All of the branches of the river met together in the land where Hypnos and Hecate stood before further branching off into the civilization of humanity.
"This was the very first crossroads of human civilization." Hecate murmured, her figure dissolving into specks of light that returned to the night sky. "I wish you success in finding
the answers you seek, Lord Hypnos."
Hypnos gazed at the fading starry light for a fleeting moment, and then he looked ahead at
the dark desert with faint traces of roads and footprints etched all around.
This was it.
He was here.
The expected nervousness and reluctance did not fill his heart, but rather an absolute firmness
was all that settled within his being.
First, Hypnos willed a veil of Concelament, draping it over the first crossroads of human
civilization and hiding it temporarily from all prying eyes.
Then, under the mighty roars of the river of civilization, the Primordial of Sleep raised his hand, which was coiled around the docile snake. He uttered, his voice filled with power.
"I, Hypnos, the Primordial of Sleep, summon the Fates, the three who are one, the one who is
three."
The night sky brightened. Millions of stars glistened and sparkled, revealing three primal
figures shrouded in an ethereal aura.
"Hello, my dear cousin."
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