Notes - Take Place After Chapter Six

These are simply the notes I came up with since I knew I wouldn't have time to actually write out much more in story form [stupid inner editor...taking up my valuable time >.>]

Before she was to get any farther, Hades was waiting at the gate beside Kerberos.  Hades asked her what her business was, mentioning that had she been anyone else she would not have as easily been able to speak with the God of the Underworld.  "I realize, oh great and mighty Hades," she spoke, "and I am very grateful to thee for allowing me such a privilage."  From here, Ambrosia began to ask if Hades would make a deal with her.  She would kill Diomedes in return for her brother's soul - a soul for a soul.  Hades declined, saying that "If deals were that simple, I'd have traded thousands of souls and ressurection would be well known." That was without the mention of Alexander's lack of a body to return to, seeing as it had been burned in the fire that destroyed Troy.  Hades did say that he'd allow her one last visit within the next 6 days if she thought of a better deal than that.  He promised not to feed Alexander until those 6 days were up, but once he took his first bite of Hades's food the deal was already off, and that Hades would no longer compromise.

Ambrosia went back to her burned city and could think of nothing for 3 days before the Goddess Athena appeared before her.  Athena told Ambrosia that she wished for the return of the palladium to safe hands, and that she trusted Ambrosia to bring it to her.  If Ambrosia could do this, Athena would grant her a wish so Ambrosia said, "I will happily do what I can to complete this task, but I wish for nothing but my brother's life back.  You see, I've already spoken with Hades but my deal of a soul for a soul was rejected.  If you can get me my brother's soul, I will get you your palladium as well as build you a new city to protect it in."  Athena said she would speak to Hades and return to give Ambrosia futher information.

Hermes arranged within a day for Hades and Athena to meet over dinner.  Persephone would be present as well as Alexander.  During this dinner, Athena told Hades of Ambrosia's desires and said that she would arrange for Ambrosia to complete a set of tasks that would help Hades get something he desired in return.  Hades thought about it and eventually settled on his 3 most wanted desires:

1) A skilled craftsman who can make Hades and his wife something beautiful upon request

2) A friend for Persephone would could make her the finest clothes

3) A fierce creature who could be a messenger of death - a grim reaper of sorts

Persephone pointed out that Ambrosia was just a young woman and mortal even, and that asking her to complete these tasks alone was nearly impossible.  So Athena and Hades came to the agreement that they would work together to make sure that Ambrosia would get them what they wanted, and they would reward her by giving her brother back and giving them long and prosperous lives [Hades's end of the deal] and give her 3 special items, as well as help her find a purpose in life after she had completed her tasks [Athena's end of the deal].  Persephone agreed to care for Alexander as well as help fashion a body for him.

Athena came back to Ambrosia that night [2 days later] and told her about her tasks.  She gave Ambrosia the following three items as well as informed her of her first task.  She told Ambrosia that there would be three tasks and that for each she would have an assistant.  She told Ambrosia that if she failed to complete any of her tasks by her yearly time limit [1 year per task] that the deal was off, she wouldn't get any second chances to save her brother, her items would be taken back [the ones that weren't used], and a horrible curse would be laid upon her.  Her items included:

1) A mirror mask.  She is instructed that this mask can only be worn one time and once it is taken off, it will disappear. This turns out to be of use to her in her task for the craftsman

2) A silver loom.  She is instructed not to use this for herself, and to actually leave it in the Underworld with Persephone. This turns out to be of use to her in her task for a seamstress

3) A golden bird cage.  She is instructed only to open it when what she wants to be trapped inside is directly in front of it.  This turns out to be of use to her in her task for the creature - Ferocity

For Ambrosia's first task: Athena tells Ambrosia about how Hades wishes for a skilled craftsman who can create something beautiful for Hades and Persephone upon request.  She tells Ambrosia that Hades only wants the best, and then introduces her to the first head of Kerberos: Guardian.  "He will be your assistant while you complete your first task," Athena tells Ambrosia, then disappears.

:::What happens:::

Ambrosia and Guardian set off to the ocean to start from there.  They end up being attacked by an angry nymph.  The nymph wrongly accuses them of stealing a ring from her, and tries to kill them, but Guardian protects Ambrosia as she distracts the nymph with compliments. Egotistically, the nymph eventually gives up and feels joyous at the attention as she shows off her beautiful set of jewelry.  Ambrosia asks where she got it, and she mentions Hephaestus.  "He makes so many beauiful things that never tarnish!  But never as beautiful as I!" she says, so Guardian asks how they might see him, and the nymph agrees to take them both to see Hephaestus if Ambrosia can return her stolen ring.  She threatens to kill Guardian if Ambrosia doens't do it, so Ambrosia agrees, and sets off to find it, eventually finding it on a very beautiful man's hand [Narcissus's hand] in a nearby forest.  She steals it and brings it to the nymph, who promptly brings them both to Hephaestus.

Hephaestus says that he has already moved once and doesn't think moving again is in his best intrest.  He mentions that he doesn't wish to leave his wife, Aphrodite.  Ambrosia gets Aphrodite to come in and asks if they could bare a son that Hephaestus could teach how to create these beautiful things to and then send this child to the Underworld to work for Hades in his place.  Hephaestus agrees, thinking it a good idea to teach his skills to someone else as well as he is sticken with lust, but Aphrodite disagrees.  "I wish not to bare a ugly child simply to get Hephaestus to stop pestering me.  If I can at least give birth to something nearly as beautiful as I who can distract this creature from me even if for but a short while, I will agree...but only then."  Ambrosia mentions that there was a very beautiful man in the forest, the one they stole the ring from: Narcissus.  Ambrosia says that she will bring Aphrodite to him so that she can have a beautiful child for Hephaestus.

When they get to the forest and find Narcissus, Ambrosia asks what kind of a woman he loves.  He points to the water and says that his only love is in there and proceeds to admire his reflection.  Aphrodite, disgused as a woman who looks similar to him, walks over to him and says "Oh, but you must love me just as much."  Narcissus looks up and laughs, "I will give you this - you are a beautiful woman, but not the being who has stolen my heart.  Now please leave me, I wish to be alone with the only one I love."  This angers Aphrodite, who blames Ambrosia and claims that if it isn't Narcissus who she bares a child with, she won't bare a child for Hephaestus to teach at all.

Ambrosia then remembers her items, and gives Aphrodite the mirror mask.  "If this doesn't make him love you, then nothing can." Ambrosia says.  Aphrodite walks up to him again and asks if he will give her a son.  When he looks up again, he sees his own face in the mask and agrees immediately.  After making passionate love to Aphrodite, the Goddess takes off the mask and this disheartens Narcissus.

"Oh, it was but a lie!" He yells, "I can never have the one I truly love, and even if I could, what good is it now after I have betrayed thee!" He begins to cry, "My life is no longer worth living," and he kills himself.  Seeing this sorrow scares Aphrodite, and so she says, "My son, you will never see yourself.  You will never face the same fate as your father," and curses her son with blindness before he is even born.

9 months later, Aphrodite has her son and brings him to Hephaestus.  "He may be blind, but he still has the ability to create something beautiful." She says and leaves.  Hephaestus begins trying to teach his wife's child how to create the things he could, but his son just doesn't understand because he can't see if what he's creating is beautiful or not.  So Hephaestus tells Ambrosia and Guardian that he has given up, and that with his son blinded he will never be able to learn how to create beautiful things like he can.  Saddened by this, Ambrosia walks away to be alone in her depression as she prepares to be cursed.  She sings a song that her and her brother used to sing together to calm herself down, then hears a very beauiful voice singing it with her.  She turns around and sees the child, who found her by listening, and asks if she will teach him how to sing.  Ambrosia agrees immediately, telling him he has the most beautiful voice she's ever heard.  After teaching him the song, she  returns to her usual praying spot and prays to Athena asking for her next task.

:::End of Task 1:::

For Ambrosia's second task: Ambrosia wakes up and Guardian and the child are gone.  Ambrosia looks everywhere until Athena appears and tells her that Guardian brought the child back to Hades, but that she has a new ally who will assist her in her second task: to find a friend for Persephone who will make her the most beautiful clothes.  She reminds her that she only has a year to complete this task, and that now that one of the 3 items are gone, she will take Ambrosia's sight away to give it to Aphrodite's son as well as all the previous punishments mentioned.  Ambrosia is then introduced to Faith - the 2nd head of Kerberos - and told that she is to find a friend for Persephone that will make her beautiful clothes.

:::What happens:::

 Faith and Ambrosia are in the forest, looking to see if perhaps the nymphs there have information: after all, water nymphs had information that helped with her last task.  They eventually come across

:::End of Task 2:::

For Ambrosia's third task: Ambrosia is woken up by Ferocity.  He's extremely forceful and tells her they have no time to wait around for daylight.

In the task: She attempts to catch a Siren - bird/woman and/or mermaid - and accidentally catches one of the men the siren was seducing.  Unable to open the cage door again, she gives it to Hades nonetheless.  The man is forced to stay with the ferryman, since he is now basically undead.

Author's Note

These are notes. They are not in story form yet.