Side Story – The Goddess of Vengeance, Alecto
After the war with the Titans ended in Olympus’s victory, I descended directly to the Underworld, where I made a point of eting its various gods and guardians.
Having already greeted many, from Eris, the goddess of discord, to the Hecatoncheires guarding Tartarus, my next destination was...
Step. Step.
A dark cave said to be ho to the Goddesses of Vengeance, the Erinyes.
Even among gods, the Erinyes are avoided, but having conversed amicably with figures like Limos, goddess of starvation, and Eris, there was no reason for to exclude the Erinyes.
“A guest approaches from outside.”
A lodious voice echoed from the cave entrance. It could only belong to one of the Erinyes.
The aura emanating from within chilled to the bone, a cold, eerie presence unmistakable to anyone.
The Erinyes (Furies)—Alecto, gaera, and Tisiphone—were born from the blood spilled when Uranus’s genitals were severed.
They were terrifying maidens with bronze wings, snake-like hair, and eyes that wept blood.
Hiss... Sss!
“Are you the Goddesses of Vengeance? My na is Hades. From now on, we’ll be sharing the Underworld, so I ca to greet—”
“This cave is where we dwell. Do not return.”
Cold, cutting words.
Their reputation for cruelty and distrust of strangers made them difficult to approach. To them, I must have seed like a fledgling god unworthy of notice, born long after Uranus’s fall.
Perhaps befriending them would be impossible.
But I would not give up.
As the king of the Underworld, how could I reject or ignore the gods who belonged to my domain?
I bore a heavy title, and to live up to it, I would continue walking the righteous path.
Besides...
Drip. Drip.
The sound of their ceaseless, bloody tears falling to the ground...
Was there truly no way to stop it?
Over the years, I visited their cave regularly, bringing offerings of nectar and ambrosia.
Every ti, their answer—delivered by the eldest, Tisiphone—remained the sa:
“Leave it at the entrance.”
Ten years passed in this manner. I left offerings without fail, never stepping inside, until...
“Co in.”
Finally, they permitted to enter.
I stepped into the damp, cold cave, the air heavy with the oppressive presence of divine vengeance.
The three goddesses sat motionless, their emotionless gazes fixed upon .
Alecto, the embodint of endless rage, spoke first.
“You needn’t co anymore. You’ve won.”
“Pardon? What do you an?”
“Don’t feign ignorance. We hear much and see more. When you rebel against Zeus, call upon us. We will repay you for the nectar and ambrosia.”
Beside her, Tisiphone, punisher of infidelity, and gaera, the spirit of jealousy, nodded in agreent.
Rebel against Zeus? What in the world were they talking about?
“I believe you’re mistaken...”
“Do not worry. Zeus’s gaze does not reach this cave. If secrecy is—”
“No, no! That’s not it! I’m truly not plotting any rebellion!”
“...?”
The Erinyes’ expressions turned quizzical.
Fortunately, I managed to clear up the misunderstanding.
“So you’re saying you have no intention of rebelling against Zeus?”
“Why would I fight Zeus? Managing Olympus sounds like an endless pile of work.”
“Then why have you been befriending the outcast gods?”
“I’m the god of the Underworld. In my domain, no one is scorned for their appearance or their duties.”
The three goddesses stared at , dumbfounded, their snake-like hair also freezing in place.
“...If that’s all, I’ll take my leave. I don’t want to impose—”
“No. You may enter whenever you please.”
I placed the nectar and ambrosia before them, their hands accepting the gifts reluctantly.
Sitting down beside them, I took a sip of nectar myself.
Gulp. Gulp.
“Hades.”
“Yes?”
“You’re... different from the other Olympians.”
Alecto’s unblinking gaze held mine, and I smiled softly in return.
To the Olympians, perhaps the Erinyes were nothing more than relics of an ancient era, born of blood and vengeance.
But to , every god of the Underworld, no matter how feared or avoided, mattered.
How could I call myself the king of the Underworld if I neglected its inhabitants?
“Nothing more than my duty. By the way, we occasionally hold feasts in the Underworld. I hope you’ll attend one day.”
“...That may be a bit premature.”
Hiss.
Alecto’s serpentine hair hissed quietly, but there was less hostility now.
I wondered if their emotions were sohow reflected through their serpents. It was fascinating to observe.
Ti passed swiftly after that.
The Erinyes grew accustod to my visits, even welcoming with reserved acknowledgnt.
Yet I began to notice sothing odd.
More frequently, Tisiphone and gaera would find excuses to leave, leaving only Alecto and alone together.
“Hmm. I need to check on so mortals.”
“Have... fun...”
“Just go already!”
Once again, I found myself alone in the cave with Alecto.
Lately, this seed to happen quite often. Surely, it wasn’t what I thought...
Hiss. Hiss.
Her serpentine hair slithered onto my shoulder, a quiet hiss audible near my ear.
I realized just how close we were, enough that our shoulders touched. Her faint, fluttering breath brushed against , strangely heated.
Hiss...
I glanced down at the serpents.
Though they should have been terrifying, I found them... cute. They never bared their fangs at , after all.
Raising a hand, I gently stroked one of the snakes. It tilted its head and nuzzled against my palm.
“You’re adorable.”
“W-What?! I am the goddess of vengeance—I am not cute!”
The snakes recoiled in surprise, though their wide eyes remained fixed on .
I couldn’t help but smile.
“I ant your hair, Goddess.”
“Ugh... Then...”
Her voice dropped to a whisper, so quiet I could barely hear it.
“If you think so... I suppose you can touch them more...”
How adorable.
Not the serpents, but the goddess herself.
What am I thinking?
Compared to Aphrodite, Hestia, or even my wives, the Erinyes were often dismissed as monstrous and fearso.
But now, looking at Alecto...
She was beautiful.
Swish.
As I continued to stroke her serpentine hair, she rested her head on my shoulder.
At so point, her snakes coiled around , as though embracing .
“Alecto.”
“What...?”
“You’re beautiful.”
Her face flushed crimson.
And then—
Fwoosh!
A surge of divine light engulfed her. The serpents, symbols of distrust, softened into silken hair. The blood tears ceased to flow. Her bronze wings faded to white.
“A...Ah...”
“You’re radiant, Alecto.”
The goddess of vengeance had transford.
Standing before was a goddess of pure beauty, her green hair shimring and her white wings glowing faintly.
“I will take responsibility for this. Beco the queen of the Underworld.”
“Truly...? Do you an it?”
“Yes. You are my first love, Alecto.”
And so, a new queen was born in the Underworld.
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