《The Accidental Archmage - BOOK 9 (THE DRAGON HOUSES)》Book VIII, Prologue 1: Strangers at the Gate

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The Gates of Tartarus loomed massively in the dim light of its dimension. Before it was thin wisps of fog marking the boundary between it and the realm above, the underworld of Hades.

The barriers stood immeasurably high, and its apex couldn’t be seen. Beside it, the walls of the cursed domain stood guard, and this time, it was to keep entities inside the former prison. Instead, it watched to prevent unwanted visitors out.

The hue of the Gates and the walls depended on the being observing it. For the early Greeks, it was made of bronze, the material being the height of metallurgical craft during their time. For others, it might appear to be made of steel, adamantium, or other material, either magical or mundane.

Kerberos, the final guardian of the Gates, had been driven away, maddened by the loss of its magical link to its master. Three massive humanoid creatures now secured the outer Gates, each having six arms holding shields and weapons of magical make.

They were the hekatoncheiries, sons of the Titans Uranus and Gaia, and brothers to the fabled Cyclopes. Originally ordained by Zeus as eternal guards of Tartarus, the brothers had thrown their lot with the new overload of the damned domain. Millennia of watching over their original prison wasn’t exactly their idea of a divine reward.

For a brief time after their victory over the Titans, their now overthrown siblings, the hundred-armed brothers had enjoyed the bright sunlight, refreshing breezes, and all that Earth had to offer. Until conflicts with the Olympians started to arise.

Briareros, for one, had become an enemy of Poseidon. Also know as the vigorous, or the sea-goat, the mighty waves he created as his playground provoked the ire of the Olympian. Cottos, the striker, ran afoul of Zeus and other deities of war. Finally, the shows of strength made by Gyges, the big-limbed, among the Greeks had aroused the jealousy and enmity of many a god.

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Zeus’s well-intentioned gesture of making them sentinels of a place they never wanted to see again grated heavily on their pride and consciousness. Never mind that the move was intended to prevent conflicts between the hekatoncheiries and the numerous deities they had offended. If it was a reward, then it was too heavy and onerous a gift. They’d rather be prisoners again inside the walls and have more freedom to do what they wanted.

It was a seething sentiment Iapetus knew and used. With the fulfillment of the pre-condition of the brothers that Hades’s hound be destroyed or driven away, and the promise of a lordly life out there on the physical world, shifting their allegiance to their own kin was an easy decision. The promise of power and freedom was a temptation too strong to resist.

Now, the brothers waited for the call to battle on the surface. They knew many other creatures waited inside the walls, patiently anticipating the coming war which shall determine the lordship of the realms above.

Suddenly, Cottos flexed his magical strength, and fifty identical giants appeared above them, all facing outward. The mortal perception of each being having a hundred arms and fifty heads in one body was ridiculously inaccurate. Jokes arising out of such depictions were taken by the three in good stride, provided the speaker was powerful enough. A lesser creature would find himself immediately crushed like an insect. The two other brothers looked at the entity called The Striker.

“Something comes,” was all the colossal being would say.

Briareros immediately raised the alarm and followed his brother’s example. Tartarus was now notified, and assistance, whether needed or not, was forthcoming. He could already see Gyges’s simulacrum adding to the army being formed in the sky. The hekatonchier was enormously confident in his strength and power. It had been a long time since their last battle. And they were Titans. Without them, the Olympians wouldn’t have won.

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In the far distance, several aloft figures could now be seen. Surprisingly, they didn’t appear to be armored or armed. The folds of their hooded grey cloaks didn’t move with the wind. And they were approaching at speed.

The brethren looked at each other. Each had a broad grin on their faces.

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