Yue

 2nd January

18:21 GMT +3

Lantern Dul looks around in confusion as she takes in the orchards of Erebos. "This… Are we under the island?"

"Metaphorically or literally?" I raise my right hand in greeting to some of the dead picking the fruit, and a few wave back.

"Literally." She glares at her ring. "I can't tell where we are. Is it magic?"

"This is the realm of the Hellenic dead. You could think of it as a pocket universe if you wish."

She turns her head to look at the apple-pickers. "Those people-."

"Dead."

"They don't look dead."

"No?" I shrug, turn and walk towards a small work party. "Excuse me!" They turn their heads in my direction. "Sorry to bother you, but I was wondering if you could help me."

A young-looking man climbs down his ladder and ambles over. "You serve Eris, don’t you?"

"I'm a devotee, certainly."

"Well, always up for a spot of fun." He looks over Lantern Dul for a moment before returning his attention to me. "What's the game?"

"My colleague here isn't convinced that you're dead."

He narrows his eyes at me, craning his neck slightly. "Y'wot?" I shrug in the helpless manner of an intelligent man asked to escort a fool. "Okay." He looks at Lantern Dul. "Usually I look like this, but if you're really not convinced…"

His neck.. twists around, bones misshapen and misaligned, wounds clearly visible on his head. Lantern Dul makes the gagging noise that thanagarians make instead of gasping. "Believe now?"

"How'd that happen?"

His neck twists back into place as his body reassumes the appearance of normalcy. "Some idiot smacked me with an oar 'cause he wasn't paying attention." He shrugs. "Bit stupid, but it weren't murder."

"That…"

"Here." He steps up to her and gestures to his neck. "Have a feel."

Lantern Dul reaches awkwardly out and puts her hands on the man's neck. She won't feel any breakages of course, but I wonder-.

"You don't have a pulse."

"Why would a dead man need a pulse?" The man shrugs as she pulls her hands back. "I only breathe out of habit."

"One day…" I look around. "I'll be coming here. Permanently. Not too soon, but as afterlives go it's not so bad. How do you think thanagarians would take to it?"

"They'd be as bewildered as I am." She flaps her wings, flying up to just above the tree line and then turning her head this way and that. "There's-. There's no horizon."

"Why would there be a horizon? This isn't a spheroid planet. We're in a pocket universe sustained by the inherent magics of a fallen titan straight out of the Dream. Don't bring your GCSE-level Objects and Motion physics into it."

"This is insanity." I grin, throwing my arms wide as if offering to embrace her. Or perhaps offering to embrace the world. She looks around once more before descending back to ground level. "Are we dead?"

"No, you can come here without dying. You just can't easily leave once you've died. The thaumaturgy is actually quite simple."

The farmer raises his eyebrows at that. "Simple, he says."

"How long have you been.. dead?"

"Owh, that's a tough 'un. Near two thousand years, I think. Been able to think clearly for maybe a third of that."

"What stopped you before?"

"Think it was something to do with Lord Hades giving us some of his power." He looks at me. "The thaumawhatever's probably dead simple."

"No, actually, it's really really complicated. There's a reason why he's a top tier god. Doesn't rest on his laurels." I nod politely to the man. "Thank you for your time, but I'm afraid we're needed in Lord Hades's court."

"I'll not keep you, then. Good journey."

Lantern Dul and I take to the sky, and I smile as I notice that she's using her wings rather than her ring. "I spoke to Dox while you were busy. Given the status of the Thanagarian Empire, we agreed that it was sensible to reassign you there pro tem."

"What 'status'?"

"Active demon cult. We'll probably call you back once we're certain that the Seven Devil Cult has been completely rooted out, but until then you're to assist Imperial Intelligence."

"Understood."

"I want to be clear, Lantern Dul: while we are prepared to accept you sending information to the Thanagarian Empire, you work for us. Your mission does not include reinforcing the High Council's control, expanding the Thanagarian Empire's borders or fighting Alstair. If you are unable to accept that, you may return your ring to me at any time."

"I.. understand. I was instructed to accept those conditions."

"Good show." We pass over the edge of the orchard and head towards the palace. I requested that Lord Hades meet us in the garden-. Ah, there he is, along with a portion of his court. "And I will personally stress the importance of your mission. I do not want to fight the Seven Devils. Or even one of them."

"Yes sir."

I land first and bow before Lord Hades, while Lantern Dul lands a little way back. I suppose the Seven Devils don't make the best impression as far as deities go.

"My lord."

"Pavlos, rise! Rise!" Lord Hades smiles warmly. "I am eager to see what new amusements you have brought me!"

"My lord, do you accept post-mortem conversion?"

"If they are genuine, yes, certainly."

"And you're prepared to judge those not raised in the Hellenist faith?"

"I'm prepared to judge you, and I'm sure that you'll be more trouble than anyone else could dream of being."

"Well then." I take an unpowered Dolmen gate out of subspace. "The other end of this is on another world." It didn't take Ambrose long to confirm that Mother of Mercy's feeding methods could indeed result in there being millions of ghosts on Ater Clementia. That's the sort of problem I'd like to stay on top of. "Certain.. events of late have made me aware that those who die in deep space might be condemned to spend eternity there. You, my lord, my god, are the one I would have judge them and give them a place to spend eternity." His face grows more serious. "You should be able to feel how to activate the gate. And in future, if I locate mortal remains, I would like permission to bring them here."

"I will not take those who are sworn to another god. But..." His eyes unfocus as he extends his hands towards the gate. "I will accept."

The gate shimmers as it activates, and the first translucent shade is drawn through. Lord Hades gestures and it solidifies into a form which is humanoid but obviously not human. They look around in bewilderment.

"Take a moment to get your bearings! No hurry!" Lord Hades looks at me. "How many are there, would you say? A few dozen? A hundred?"

"Millions. Possibly billions. I'm sorry to say that funeral traditions in many places just aren't what they should be."

Shades begin trickling through the gate, one after another.

Lord Hades stares.

"Billions.