Chapter 2

a place of torment, evoking the quality of sinister wilderness. 

Where there is no light nor hope. The place engulf people in darkness. It is the “infernal world” of horrors. The place resembles a dungeon burning like a furnace

 

But the flames give on light, or only just enough light to emphasize the darkness—“darkness visible”.

where “rest can never dwell” and hope, which comes to all beings, is totally absent. There is only never-ending torture, since there is no release from here for the fallen angels. They have fallen into a “fiery gulf’, a “fiery deluge” fed with “ever-burning sulphur unconsumed”. The ocean of fire spreads over an indefinite space. The place is constantly afflicted with “floods and whirlwinds of tempestuous fire.” The place is compared to a volcano:

Whose grisly top

Belched fire and rolling smoke; the rest entire

Shone with a glossy scurf, undoubted sign

That in his womb was hid metallic ore

The work of sulphur.  

 

 

The “torrid clime vaulted with fire” naturally produced intense heat. The dry land is solid fire just as the lake is of liquid fire. the fiery land with the bottom of the burning Pylorus or Aetna which is torn From its base by a violent underground wind and, on catching fire, converts solid minerals into vapour and blown off rocks. What is left is a burnt surface at the bottom, all wrapped up in smoke and foul smell.

 

 

HelI, being a place where the damned arc deprived of the sight of God of Light is a place of sorrowful darkness. The land of the dead is also recalled “where the light is as darkness.” Hell is a place far removed from the light of Heaven, and the difference between the two places is clearly suggested.

The greatest punishment is to be deprived of the beatific vision, and to be immersed in eternal despair.

To punish the sinners ruthlessly, to burn them to death then bring them back to life just to burn them again in the darkest pitch black fire, the god of underworld hades who’s other name is LUCAS is in charge of giving torment to the sinners in the most ruthless way, their cries are music to his ears. Who’s presence makes sinners bones shiver, the way the hounds of hell eat out flesh of sinners on his orders, the demons of hells are not less than a puppet in his hands. The most evil and heartless god just to make justice by punishing the evil people of earth after their death.

Being my elder brother he have taken all the responsibility of running this hell hole on his shoulders, where as I spent my 25 years of whole life in fighting wars or ravishing women on my bed as I please. And he let me be as I wish, never forced me to do something but still has authority on me, like I have given to him.

The innumerable wars in the universe which I fought being a god of wars and return back with victory. There was no one born to defeat me. To be honest no one in the universe is capable of standing in front of me.

 

The things I want to burn becomes ashes just with my one touch, the way I plays with my  sword is marvellous to be truth. I moves with the speed of lightening turning blood cold of my enemies. The second I places my feet in the battle field the soldiers of my enemies bow down infront of me begging for my mercy which doesn’t exist. Not only them but the great gods themselves bow in front of me, that capable I AM. Beside making enemies hearts drop in their stomach, I also gives butterflies to every woman I lays my eyes on. Being the god who could lure people into my needs so does I play it well. As lust is my other surname.

 

 

 

 

......

 

 

 

I Walk past the gates of hell into the hallway for my chamber, after locking the man I brought with me in one of the dungeons. The second I enter my bed chamber I yell out for the maidens. “your majesty, how can we help you?”, they ask bowing.

 

“Get me a warm bath ready”, I state taking my armour off and hand it to one of the maiden while others went into bathing chamber for doing what I ordered to. I place my sword and dragger on the table. Walking towards the mirror to see my reflection.

 

The war was not that boring, I had fun. I walk into the bathing chamber to see the bath tub is filled with water, red rose petals are put into them and the golden flower vases around are stuffed with blood red roses. A smile formed on my lips at the beautiful sight. Its been years I have seen flowers in hell. This brings a lot of my childhood memories, which I hardly remember these days.

 

I Take off my robe and step into the bath tub sitting in a comfortable position by resting my back. A relaxing groan slips out of my lips. The warm water and the petal which are releasing their essential oils into the water bringing a pleasant smell making me feel so good.

A maiden enters the bathing chamber having her head low not daring to lift it up for a glance she places fresh towels beside the bath tub on the table.

 

“How come flowers are in hell?”, I ask not able to calm my curiosity.

 

“Your majesty, I just know that princess of heaven have sent them here”. She answers stuttering.

 

I know she cannot answer me more, I nod my head gesturing my hand to her to help me clean. She walks towards me standing behind me, her one hand approaches the bathing powder kept in the bowl beside bathtub. With the other hand she adds water from fillet to the powder and rub them together creating lather. Her small hands slide on my tense shoulders, neck to my hands. My hands are placed wide on the sides of the bathtub giving her good enough access.

 

As her hands press my muscles a soft groan escapes my lips enjoying every moment of it. My eyes takes the beauty of roses everywhere in the bathing chamber. One of my hand makes its way towards the vase taking hold of one of the roses. I bring it to my nose. Sniffing its beautiful sweet fragrance. These flowers are just like the ones she grew. The smell brings back nostalgic memories. “Is princess of heaven a floral goddess?”, I wonder internally.

 

“Your majesty”, a maiden calls out standing at the door.

 

“Yes?”, I ask her now diverging my eyes from rose to her.

 

“King Lucas want to see you in the main hall within 10 minutes”, she states looking down.

 

“Tell him I will be there”, I state now dismissing the maidens to get a quick shower.

 

Wearing a black dress pants along with a black silk shirt, leaving the upper few buttons undone leaving my broad chest to display. I comb my semi wet hair back, placing my black crown studded with black diamonds and rubies, I walk to the destination where my elder brother ordered Passing through numerous hall ways as my boots keep clicking the black marble beneath echoing the sound in empty hall ways just with some goblets of fire hanging on the walls enough bright to walk without running into someone. The demon guards holding the swords in their both hands kept bowing to me which I acknowledge by nodding my head slightly.

 

As I reached huge door of main hall the demons guarding bows and open it wide for me to walk in. “You called me brother?”, I ask standing infront of him. He is seated in his thorn while the other thorn beside him of mine is empty as always be. “Ah tae, yes I did”, lucas tells smiling showing his dimples off.

 

 

“Your smile tells me something is fishy”, I state matter of fact. The years we have spent together he was both my mother and father when I needed. I know him so much that I can find the real words behind his dark words which he beats under the bush to run the underworld. This smile tells me that something happened for which he is happy, happy not in a sense of inner solace, happy in a sense of success of his some cunning plan? Yeah!

 

He raise an eyebrow and smirk at me “How were the roses?”.

“huh?”, they are just roses brother. I state rolling my eyes, walking towards the table to grab a drink.

 

“By the way why did princess sent them?”, I ask taking a sip. Lucas’s smirk widens as he looks at me amused. “so you found out who sent them?”. He asks in a teasing tone. I groan irritated and ask him “come one after two decades we have seen flowers in hell”, I would be curious, its natural. I state plopping down on my throne.

 

“We got invitation from heaven”, he states I widen my eyes choking on my drink. “why?”, I ask calming myself. seeing Lucas chuckle I frown.

 

“Its princess Cassandra’s birthday, precisely eighteenth birthday, so her father, king of heaven sent you invitation to attend her birthday party”. He states pressing more on you for my liking.

 

“But why me?”, I ask frowning.

 

“come on Ethan, you are god of wars, we all know that whatever the creatures are of other universe are planning attack after attack on our universe”.

“The relation between heaven and hell holds all realms together, so to make peace with us king of heaven have called you, so that at the time of war, you be on his side”.

 

I Nod my head by processing everything my brother is saying. “okay so?”.

 

“So?”, lucas asks raising an eyebrow grinning.

 

“Tell me”, I demand.

 

“No one out of the castle of heaven precisely no god, demon or angel have seen princess haneul till now, their is a rumour that she is as pretty as full moon if that makes sense?”. yes, He trailed off.

“she have sent roses for all realms along invitations being a floral goddess and......”.

 

 

“And?”, I ask narrowing my eyes at him.

 

 

“she sent white roses for all the other realms but red roses here specially for you”. Lucas states.

 

I Blink my eyes multiple times and asks “so what?”.

 

He rolls his eyes and states “white roses are for peace, she want to make peace with all other realms but red roses are for love, she sent here to you”, what would be the reason tae? Dont act dumb now. lucas huffs.

 

 

It take a couple of minutes to understand what he is implying then I burst into laughter holding my stomach. My jaw hurts laughing hard and my eyes are teary.

 

Love? Me? With her?

 

I Stop laughing as a mad man when I find lucas glaring at me.

I bite my lower lip and take a breathe run my hands into now my dry hair, pushing them back.

I look at him. “why do you think, she loves me?”.

 

“She might have never seen me?”.

 

“She is native of heaven where as am native of hell”.

 

“Her father hates us”.

 

“To her I may be a monster”.

 

“She would never love me”.

 

I State after throwing multiple question at him. He sighs and massage his temples for a minute and looks back at me.

 

“what if king wants to marry his daughter off to you, you are god of wars, there would be no doubt when we turn enmity into a relation for the peace of universe”. He states.

 

I scoff loudly at him “bullshit”.

 

“If he wants to marry her off, am here sitting ready to marry her?”, never, not in this eternity.

 

“You never know what is waiting infront of you in eternity Ethan..., believe me or not am feeling this thing”.

 

“What if the red roses are just a mistake?”, I ask him speaking a possibility.

 

He scoff at it and said “she is a floral goddess for fucks sake”.

 

“whatever”, I say rolling my eyes.

 

“By the way who is the man you locked in dungeon?”, lucas asks.

 

 

“He was the king of the army who attacked our universe”, I state.

 

“There is something suspicious about those people, so I brought him here so that I could interrogate”. I tell him sipping my drink.

 

 

“Good, better you get ready you have to go to the birthday party”, lucas tells me grinning.

 

“Fuck you!”, I curse him walking out from the hall.

 

“Dont forget to take a present for your princess”, lucas shouts chuckling.