COPG: reviewing the troops
With a wave of her wrist, Elpis summoned a portal to Tartarus. With the new ring Pride forged for her, she was able to travel through Hades without being rejected by it. After spending such a long time trying to hone her new skills and powers, Elpis felt the urge to see what beasts and other creatures existed in Tartarus. She wanted to have a legitimate army to go after her pantheon, and while Pride respected the end of his bargain with Hecate. As soon as she crossed the portal, she was welcomed by a sinister creature. It was a slender, grey-skinned wraith with a thin veil covering its body. It had no eyes, and its mouth was sewn shut. Its feet were constantly bleeding, but the creature seemed unfazed by it.
"My queen, welcome to Tartarus." She tilted her head to the side, wondering if the creature was talking via telepathy or if its mouth moved, but then shrugged, as it did not really matter. - "What brings you before the dreadful sight of your humble servant?"
"I have come to see the creatures locked within Tartarus. I am sure that you know a war is coming, and I want to see who could be willing to serve your kind and me when the time is right."
"Then your humble servant is going to fulfil your wish. Please, follow me, my queen."
It felt strange to have the title Queen said to her. She noticed that she enjoyed it when they referred to her as such. Pride had logically spread the word to their subjects so they would address his beloved properly, and it warmed her heart to see that he spared no effort to make her feel like the rightful queen of the Underworld. She followed the wraith through a long corridor until they finally reached immense stairs that led to a deeper level.
"Are the most powerful of them held down those stairs?" -He nodded, and she closed her eyes- "What were their offences?"
"Most of them tried to overthrow their respective pantheons. Most of these are Olympian rogues, but we have Sumerian criminals, Indian monsters, and the other lot of them."
"I see. Had your king Pride ever met these wretched creatures before? Do they acknowledge his authority?" - The wraith shook its head as they kept walking down the stairs.-
"He had. He established dominance, but they are still trying to fight it. They believe in the strongest, and for a while, they believed our King was the strongest, but during the Seven Sins War, this belief was shattered, and they are now defiant."
"I see... Well, I will have to face them and remind them who their king and queen are.”
“Yes, my queen, please follow me.”
The trip down the stairs lasted a while, in complete silence. Elpis wondered if she should change her attire and dress more like royalty to make an even better impression on these creatures. She changed her mind and decided to look as “plain” as possible. She wanted them to underestimate her and even actively made her aura less threatening so they would show their hand, and she would be able to beat them at their intimidation game. She braced herself for the upcoming confrontations, wondering what type of creatures she would face and how old they were.
The wraith claimed that in the underbelly of Tartarus, monsters from all pantheons were locked in eternal torment, but she was wondering if the oldest creatures could be found. The first thing her mother created after birthing her siblings. Monsters with names long forgotten but predating any man-made pantheon. Her heart started to beat harder, and the goddess noted the excitement that was clinging to her bones. Now was not the time to marvel at the creatures she was to encounter. Instead, she had to focus on what was to come. Finally, they reached the end of the stairs. The wraith lit up several floating fireballs that opened their eyes to the huge hall, welcoming them. She allowed her eyes to observe her surroundings and noticed that there was a huge circular room at the end of the main hallway, faintly lit up but with shadows moving. Perhaps she could find what she was looking for if she walked to the end of the hallway.
Suddenly, as she stepped into the circular room, she heard a noise akin to a deep rumble. Something was breathing, something huge. She could feel its breath brush against her body and make her hair and fluffy dress. Despite the wraith fire lights, there was still an immense shadow. She looked up, defiant and regal. Whatever that was, she realized that it was a heavy creature. Elpis wanted it to see that she was not easily impressed. After all, why would she be? She was a primeval goddess, and existed before any creature that populated the universe. She was the love child of Chaos and Life and would not feel intimidated by anything...or anyone. Kur stirred in the shadowed depths where the earth met the primeval sea.
A monstrous dragon embodying chaos and the underworld itself. Feared by gods and mortals alike, his story spoke of floods, divine battles, and the fragile balance between creation and destruction. She knew of him, but she was not impressed. The first dragon of the Universe bent his head forward, and she noticed the chains that bound him to the depths of Tartarus. Elpis lifted her head to stare at Kur's maw and the two glowing blue-green orbs he had for eyes. His warm breath was whipping her skin harder than before, but the goddess did not flinch.
"And who dares disturb my slumber? Speak jailer. Is it another monster you are bringing here?"
"I am standing right before you, Kur. Perhaps you should address me if you want an answer." -Elpis spoke with a solemn and calm tone-
"Address you? How amusing you are, little creature. Humor me. Why should I address you?”
“Because of all the creatures locked in the depths of Tartarus, none of them compare to me.”
Kur’s sinister laugh echoed through the room, but the goddess did not flinch. She did not even close her eyes as the wind created by the dragon's laugh whipped her face. She lifted her head, allowing her gaze to meet his. Kur stopped laughing once he realized that the woman was not impressed with him. He was one of the most ancient creatures trapped within Tartarus, one from which monsters and gods originated. Who was she to be this bold and unimpressed? Who was she? She heard the hisses and rattles of the monsters locked in there with Kur. They were growing restless. Elpis tilted her head to the side and cleared her throat to urge the dragon to speak. It was as if she could not hear the ruckus caused by the other monsters. Kur growled with a low voice.
"Who are you?"
"I am your King's wife."
She decided to introduce herself as Pride's wife to the rest of the world. While they did not have an actual bonding ceremony, she decided that naming him was tantamount to actually being married to him. Kur sneered and blew air from his nostrils. The mere mention of Pride was enough to fill the creature with an unprecedented rage. He hated the King of Hell. He hated this smug little bastard who thought he was better than the God before him. Kur respected Hades but had contempt for Pride. He took advantage of the Seven Sins War to undermine Pride's authority among the monsters locked in Tartarus, and it worked. Pride was aware of that, but he decided not to intervene because he had more pressing matters to deal with. Kur and the other monsters chained in the darkest pit of Tartarus would be met with his scourge much later.
"I have no king! And you are /not/ my queen."
"Oh? Are you saying that you do not recognize Pride as your rightful king? He defeated Hades and slew his siblings. He's been ruling the Underworld and had it flourish way better than Lord Hades ever could. Interestingly, you speak as such when you are the one in chains." -Skur's eyes turned red with rage. She hit a nerve, and he wanted to make her pay for her sharp tongue. He screamed at her face; the wind made her hair and dress float and whip the air, but the goddess did not flinch.-
"He was not the one to put me there. And you have quite the mouth, little one. I could kill you if--"
"Oh, but you won't. You can't. I was giving you a way out to save face, but I see that you are an unrepenting serpent. You disrespected my husband, and I cannot let it slide. Since he is not here to punish you, I will gladly do it on his behalf."
"You talk a big game for something so frail."
"Frail?"
Elpis scoffed at the word and closed her eyes. She opened her eyes, now two orbs looking like suns against the darkness of her black sclera. Her skin was covered with little stars, and her hands were now glowing white. Her hair was constantly floating around her frame. The air around her grew colder, making the monsters wail and rattle louder. Her aura grew large, intense, and effortlessly engulfed the room. Her aura was crushing them. Kur felt the shift in the air and the overwhelming aura of the creature before him. He recognized her as a goddess, and it triggered a long-forgotten fury inside him. He opened his maw, but Elpis increased her aura and forced it shut. She yanked her head back (for theatrics) and opened her hands.
Suddenly, Life started to burst inside the darkest pit of Tartarus. Hellish flowers grew and pierced the walls, broke the bricks of their prison, and started to cause mayhem. Elpis commanded the vines to wrap around Kur's maw and neck and forced it to hit the floor. Kur tried to shake off the vines, but the more he struggled, the tighter the vines held onto him. Elpis walked a couple of steps closer to the dragon. She was small, yet she felt infinite. She was so powerful that Life was able to manifest in the realm of Death. She was able to cause anguish to all the monsters inhabiting the prison, and even worse. He felt fear cling to his bones, and it only fueled his anger. Kur screamed and kept struggling against the vines until Elpis stopped a few inches from his muzzle.
"Who...Are...You?" -He managed to mumble despite the vines tightly wrapped around his maw.- "What.. Do... You... Want?" -He stopped struggling, reasoning that it would only worsen the situation-
"You assumed I was weak long before I even opened my mouth. I can feel it, your fear. I can feel it cling to your bones. I can feel you wondering who I was. Don't fret, Kur. I will tell you right in a moment. See, I am a goddess, but not just any goddess. You've seen it already. Life brimming in a place that was not designed for it."
Her voice went lower, almost unnatural. Her voice reverberated throughout the whole room. It was deep, suffocating, and ancient. He realized that she was not a young goddess, not one he was aware of. She was older, perhaps even older than him. The dragon blinked, and his front claws scratched the floor. Who was she? Elpis grinned and put her hand on his snout. This simple touch, which he wouldn't have felt if he were in front of a human, felt like the weight of the world for the dragon. He could not move and felt that she was not displaying her full potential. Her golden orbs suddenly turned red, and all the Life that burst into the place decayed and turned into dust. Kur was no longer restrained, but he could not move because of her domineering aura.
"Are...You...Gaea?"
"No. I am better. I am stronger." She took a deep breath and spoke in such a loud and menacing voice that it made the creatures recoil in their cells. Kur writhed, but he did not speak. "Hear me out, all of you who held my husband in contempt. Pride is your rightful king, whether you like it or not. He defeated Hades and took over the Underworld. He emerged victorious in the Seven Sins War. He is what comes after the gods. He is what you should fear because his very essence can influence even the strongest creature locked in there. As his queen, I will always support my King. I will help him conquer the universe and rule over everything. Allow me to introduce myself to you. I am Elpis. Primeval Goddess of Hope, Light, and Despair. I am Elpis, Daughter of Gaea, the Life Bringer, and better than her because Life bends to my very command. I can create it. I can control it, and I can destroy it. Hope and despair are my very essence as it exists in every sentient creature, including you. I can lift you up to heights you are not used to, and I can bring you down to depths you never could imagine. I am Elpis! Daughter of Khaos. I have destruction in my veins, and I can level any city, any empire, and any civilization and bring them to nothingness. I am Balance. I am Power. I am eternal and limitless. And this power, I will use it to help my husband be the best version of himself." -She paused for a brief moment- "DO YOU UNDERSTAND?"
Kur realized what Elpis was saying. He finally understood that the creature before him was no mere goddess. She was a primeval goddess, the love child of Khaos and Gaea. A being of supreme power that was still unheard of to this day. He could feel that if she wanted, she could simply erase him from existence. If she wanted, she could destroy the universe. If she wanted... His gaze became far more humble than it was at the start of their encounter. She came to visit him; that could only mean she wanted something. In this world, only the strongest were respected, and Kur had to admit that in this room, the most powerful was Elpis. He had no other choice but to submit. She vouched for Pride, and her endorsement of the Sin forced Kur to submit to him too. Perhaps he misjudged him. Perhaps he was far more powerful than he let on. If her words were to be believed, then Pride was powerful enough to influence him too, and he could not risk losing his mind for a misplaced ego. So he stood up again but lowered his head in an act of submission.
" To what do I owe your visit, my queen?"
Satisfied with his submission, Elpis's appearance returned to her normal one. Her skin lost its glow and freckled stars to return to her natural brown hue. Her eyes returned to being bumblebees, and her hair dropped on her back. She humbled herself before the dragon, who respected this appearance of her the same as he did her previous one.
"There is going to be a war. Your king is going to march upon the Prima Donna. We are going to war against the Primeval Gods, and I need to have an army. I want the most powerful creatures to command. I want to kill them all and destroy the pantheon and the Prima Donna to build on top of its ashes. Kur, my child. I know you are eager to be free, and I came to offer you that freedom in exchange for your loyalty. If I release you, would you lead the other monsters in the upcoming war?"
"Your desire is my command, my queen. If it is carnage you desire, I can give it to you."
"Fine. I will return later. If you behave well, I might ensure a more comfortable existence in your jail. You have perhaps a chance at redemption and freedom, if you serve the King and I well. Think about it carefully, and when I return, I would like to see the army you are promising me."
She turned on her heels and quickly left the Pit. Her eyes were glowing with excitement. She was going to have an army, loyal to her, scared of her, and eager to fight her wars for her. Her eyes glowed with satisfaction, and the goddess was taken back to the entrance of the celestial jail. She could not wait to see her beloved and to watch his reaction as she would tell him that she managed to secure an army for them.
TBC
