Post by Deleted on Feb 16, 2016 21:21:27 GMT -5
Orcus walked along the pathless Underworld. His cane was gone. His suit was gone. He was him. Golden skin, odd unnamable color eyes, crinkled greenish hair, and what looked like snake skin and red leather for clothing (which it indeed was a giant serpent’s hide). His knee-high lace-up boots made no sound at all as he walked through the gloom. He belonged here. This was his – okay, not strictly his – realm. Usually he was the cruel, but just god roaming the earth for unlucky but deserving morsels. But he’d done that already today. He wasn’t about to sleep and face the nightmares. They were coming more and more now. And he knew just what they meant. He’d never had them before, but he knew two people who had. Those two people were no longer with him. These… were the dreams from the Fates.
He was an old god. Most his age were crazy my now, or dethroned, or simply gone. He remembered his days with Helios. They had been close. Odd duo, but they got on. His job had entirely been taken over by Apollo and Helios was now just a memory. And Nyx, the polar opposite. They were partners in crime. For many oaths were broken in the secrets of the shadows, and her being the night goddess… well, they got something of a treat working together to sniff out new cases. She the witness, he the judge. She was locked in a pit in the Pit. Driven completely mad in isolation. He sometimes visited her, but it simply wasn’t the same. As Orcus’ life went on, friends and companions came and went. His wife came and went. His son came and went. Everything came and went. He had solemn few friends these days. There was only one still making offerings to him, and he knew it was mostly out of pity mixed with the tiniest bit thanks, so at least the thanking part counted. Pity? He didn’t want that. He didn’t want to survive on pity. But he appreciated the gesture. In fact, his diet appreciated the gesture too, since his only remaining altar here in the Underworld – the one in his front garden in his meager home here – had had a lovely fresh croissant on it this morning from his one “admirer”. The boy better do right, was all he cared, but the fact that he left a bit of food did stir a little faith. He would avoid that area for a while, unless justice called and he had to go. Until then, he left well enough be. So he ate the croissant and left a denarii. Not traditional to do so for a god, but Orcus wasn’t traditional. Usually accompanied by a short note, but not today. No, he was too preoccupied with the note he’d been left. He crunched it up in a ball and threw it as far as he possibly could into the grey of the Underworld in utter rage. Thankfully this was after he’d eaten. He left a coin and that was it. He stormed away and dealt out some particularly nasty punishments. Yes, he was starting to know madness too. He just… wished his sustainer was not the one who stole everything from him. Now offering back little teasing things. Signs of life to the dead man walking. That’s how he saw it, anyway. But it was all keeping him here that he knew of. Look at what he’d been reduced to. A monkey on a rope at the circus.
Words: 590
Tag: totally open!
Notes: