Eleusinian Mysteries

“So what exactly is so very urgent that demanded my attention?” Erebus asked, annoyed with the Ferea’s impertinence to summon him.

“Sorry, Master, but I believe you needed to see it for yourself.” The patroller pointed out his finger in the direction of one of the Abyss borders, where a dammed Mortal was wandering around.

“I have been watching her for quite some time. She seems to be lost, but the border did not repel her as it should.”

Erebus nodded as a sign for his servant to go on.

“She has been fighting off the living organs trying to feed upon her and facing the violent winds that unmerciful blows with extreme difficulty, though she keeps going towards the same direction.” He looked down respectfully while answering.

How was it possible? Why is she struggling so hard to get here? Beyond the border, the river Archeronte lies- the gate to enter Tartarus. Erebus thought to himself, fascinated.

Her tortured soul will be carbonized if she touches the protective wall Hades was sure to reinforce, preventing banished Immortal creatures like Erebus from escaping from the Underworld.

Even the evilest form inhabiting this Realm was terrified of the repulsive, primordial force surrounding it. Once Charon made them cross the river, those who deserved divine punishment were about to spend their whole eternity down there in Tartarus, paying for their atrocities.

This specific region, where the humans passed immediately after death, was under Erebus’ domain. It was the shallowest circle in Hell, reserved for those who committed lesser sins. The greater the heinous crimes committed, the deeper the soul was destined to sink into the depths of Tartarus, the Underworld itself, and suffer forever.

Awed with his vast and immense powers, Zeus, Hades, and Nyx ambushed Erebus when he was trying to rescue the children of Gaia from Tartarus. First, they launch him into the depths of Acheron, the demoniac river, to diminish his powers so that they could imprison him forever.

“You can go now; I will handle this alone.” said the great God of Darkness, primordial immortal born out of the Khaos, in a harsh, commanding tone.

“Yes, Master” His servant bowed and disappeared at once.

The woman was about to reach the firewall when the Winged One raised his hands. His intense black aura created a dark mass field that instantly surrounded her completely.

“Who is there?” She shouted, confused.

“Impossible,” he snorted.

Erebus was genuinely intrigued. A wicked human could never sense the presence nor the power of a High One.

Despite his frustration, his action was effective and made the woman step back, obliterating her initial pursuit.

Good. At some point, wandering lost in the darkness, she will sense the energy of other evil beings, as her only source of survival in the Underworld is to feed upon their miserable thoughts and through malevolent acts - He thought.

Erebus did not want to draw attention to himself, much less give satisfaction to a curious human about this place’s mysteries and hidden secrets. He did not wish a gathering of perverse souls invading his domain in a frustrating attempt to get out of here.

He closed his eyes, summoning his inner strength to merge himself into the previously evoked shadows he created to get near her.

“Show yourself your coward; I am not afraid of you!” She carefully threatened, pointing out that she could oddly feel his presence once more. Even though she was incapable of seeing anything, her violet eyes were sparkling with malice. Her wrath was so compelling that Erebus could actually smell it.

“Who are you? Why are you here?” He demanded in a cold tone, sullen with her reckless audacity.

Why is he asking me this? Isn’t he here to punish me too? He could hear her thoughts loudly inside his mind, and he devilishly smiled.

Oh, but I will punish you for your own stupidity of entering my domains without permission, my dear, but now, answer my questions! His powerful, cruel voice resonated straight into her mind.

“I… “she started, shaking her head.

Erebus noticed an abrupt feeling of dread and pain reaching her mind. At the same time, he watched with amusement the tendrils of darkness snarkily coming out of the ground, doing his bidding and tying themselves onto her legs.

“I...I don’t remember my name” she barely could voice up the words.

The stubborn always need to pay a higher price for their resistance. He nodded, and the tendrils fiercely engulfed her whole body and sucking all her remaining energy.

“Enough!” He ordered, and the tendrils let go of her, lurking around him, satisfied he gave permission to feed freely from a human.

Erebus sighed, cursing himself for being slightly curious out of boredom and wasting his time with something certainly not worthy of his attention.

At least he could watch her drained body fall onto the floor, ravenous for some real entertainment and already plotting what would be the best punishment for the greedy Fereas, who mistakenly assumed he would be pleased.

When he heard a soft murmur coming out of her lips, “Erebus.” His inhuman eyes sparkled red by hearing out his name, but he was fast enough to catch her before she could hit her head.

“What did you say?” He shook her cadaverous body, unable to contain his astonishment. Long forgotten by the humans, no one ever in this Realm knew his given birth name except the Immortals ones. Can she be one, pretending to be human to deceive me? No, that’s inconceivable! Even between the Immortals living today in Olympus, Erebus was merely a shadow cast away forever in their memories.

He waited a few seconds to see if the woman could get consciousness again and answer his demanding order, but nothing else escaped her mouth. So he just stood there, watching her closely, incapable of understanding how she knew his name and why she called him.

Erebus did not remember the last time he had experienced surprise. Indeed not after I was banished to this dungeon. He furiously recollected.

He freed his immense and majestic ebony wings from his back and took off, vanishing in the darkness with the woman safely placed in his arms.