Micholas A Soul Bound Novel

Chapter One

 If you follow all the rivers or traverse into the earth deep enough, one would find themselves crossing a barrier into a dark mysterious magical place.

  They would have to wonder how a seemingly cold and lifeless realm can yet be beautiful and peaceful at the same time. 

  If one pursued enough into this strange land their eyes would soon behold a large cavern encasing a splendid palace, carved into the natural stone and shiny minerals.

  The multiple rivers that flowed through this cavern, formed a massive fall into the main body of waters below. These calmer waters were lit only by the soft blue tinted torchlights that marked a path to the entrance gates of the Underworld and to the mercy of its current ruling monarchy.

  Micholas son of Hades.

  Micholas or 'Mic' he preferred at times, sat overlooking the view of the Underworld entrance from the balcony of his room. A cool natural breeze always blew through here, he opted to wear a traditional cloth tunic worn low around his waist and little else this evening to feel the refreshing coolness against his exposed skin. 

  He took a deep breath which followed into a yawn, it was quiet in the Underworld tonight, apart from the sounds of natural running waters. It was nice it brought a sort of calm within him whenever a few moments ago all he wanted to do was to rip a few heads.

  A familiar presence took shape in his room, causing Mic to sigh heavily so much for peace this evening.

  "Not one word, Lu." Mic could hear the light chuckles of amusement at his expense from his visitor.

  He didn't even bother looking over who approached him, there was only one who had the balls to do so when his mood was this sour. Lucius 'Lu' one of the few remaining acting love deities left in the Divine universe who seemed to have a pension to cross over the dark side from time to time to visit the dark king for whatever reason. 

  Mic groans, closing his eyes shut resting his head back against the cool stone wall behind him.

  "I figured I would visit a sad birthday boy." The sultry voice of the presence named 'Lu' daring to speak teasingly anyways. 

  "The servants said you had left, but as soon as they spoke you returned all doom and gloom prince of the night," Lu stated in a mocking manner.

  Mic didn't respond not even turning to look, he felt the unnerving stare of disapproval on his back.

  "What wrong? Did someone take your puppy away? Or wasn't there enough cake during this shared birthday party for your pleasure? Did it really call for such a tantrum to frighten off your servants whenever you returned?"

  Mic knew that his guest was calling him out on his behavior earlier. He was a bit harsh to the servants whenever they greeted him on this abrupt return ignoring their attempts to announce his now judgemental guest standing before him. He sighs, figuring he will make it up to them later but for now his mood was still too sour.

  "Shared," Mic scoffed, "You mean almighty Zarla daughter of Zeus's birthday party." Mic jaw clenched in a tight frown he shouldn't be so petty but one can get tired playing second fiddle to Zeus 2.0.

  Lu came fully into light dressed in a biker vest with fur trimmings overlaying a mini pink punk tank top, fingerless gloves hands ended on sleeves of tattoos, tucked in his black denim jeans.  

  Disputing the tone in his voice the love deity wore a tense smile across his face, whenever Mic finally acknowledged him.

  Lu strides in like a trained runway model in black heeled boots, around the poster bed before propping himself on the mattress propping one leg up and arm resting the hand on his cheek.

  "There are days I curse sharing the same birth season with mini Bolt. If it wasn't that my presence was requested  I would have rather been content to spend my birth season alone."

  "Perhaps your presence was too much of a mood killer for them? Told yah, should wear less black smile more be open, no one likes a total funeral vibe at a birthday party." He tilted his pink dyed punk rock styled head as the sparkling jewelry and many multiple earrings he wore flickered in the room's torchlight. 

  "I know, you shoulda made a more lively entrance, purple pimp suit with some famous dead chicks on either arm. Bring the meaning of King of the Underworld to the modern world bro. I mean dark armor and hoods are so last Halloween." He waved a gesture to the pile of clothes left on the floor of feigned disgust.

  Mic actually smirked at that, Lucious was one the few deities originally from Olympus that still treated him like a person, gave him flank for his behaviors but in the tenderness of wanting his friend to always do better and not be just the current dark and depressing ruling entity of the underground.

  Perhaps because Lu understood what it was like to be ousted, as a child of the Love goddess Venus and one her many lovers, his strange tastes and life choices had brought many tormenting and ostracizing attention upon him from his fellow peers throughout his life.  

  It didn't mean Mic couldn't throw the sass back at him.

  "Nah, honestly it was already lame before I got there, the food sucked, booze was already gone, and the only love god invited didn't bother showing up." Mic grins standing up. "Zarla was particularly upset you didn't show."

  Lu groans with an eye roll, "Can't that b***h get the hint I ain't interested?" 

  "Yet for you came back from the mortal realm to the Divine world just for me, hella gay bro, but I guess I should be happy I rank above Zarla in SOMEBODY book." Lu's pouting annoyed expression caused Mic to laugh. 

  "Scotch?" He offered his friend a peace offering. 

  "Please." Lu sighed in acceptance.

 "So how is the mortal world business?" Mic asked, opening the private liquor cabinet, pulling out the scotch, "It has been what twenty, thirty mortal years since you decided to become an oracle and make a home in the mortal realm instead of Olympus?" Time was an odd concept in the Divine universe when everything was eternal.

  "Oh so, so, you tell one Tom, d**k, or Harry, that Sally isn't that into you but for 14.99 my love potion makes you the all ladies man." 

  "Ah, the life of a con man." Mic snorted pouring the drinks.

  "Ey, it's decent living and you know for the right person and price I can actually be of real service to someone." Lu scoffed, "Oh, and happy birthday by the way!" He pulled a charm out of his pocket and tossed it to Mic who caught it in mid-air.

  "A dream token?" Mic raised a brow looking at a heart-shaped clear crystal necklace in the light.

 "Complimentary of my half brother craft."  Lu smirked, "A free ticket to the dreamscapes and some unattached mortal action my friend if you so wished."

  Mic rolled his eyes, looking at the trinket, centuries ago whenever the shift in powers occurred a barrier was erected between the humans and the gods. Without human contact, the gods' powers dwindled over time forcing them to seek other ways in gaining energies from them. 

  The Oracles were a group of deities that could cross too and fro between the realms that decided to profit off this energy shortage.

  "I'm not interested in taking on whatever mortal foolish enough to wear the twin stone of this." Mic gestures to the stone, then question his friends' choice of words "Thought being Asexual meant you aren't interested in s*x?" 

  "You sound like Eros," Lu scoffed, "One, IM not INTERESTED in s*x but that doesn't mean I can't hook up my friends who obviously need to release some tensions and can't seem to get a date on his own." He gestures to his frowning buddy before him.

  Two this is a clear crystal, Eros said that means it is a freestone there no other half and you're free to jump whatever dreams your heart content. 

  And finally, there is more to life than that like maybe I dunno actual conversations, you meet pretty interesting souls out there through the dreamscapes, it says dreams can be the window to one true self."

  Mic didn't comment on that, he had seen plenty of characters in the Underworld as is, but he slipped the pendent on anyways. Eros charms weren't cheap and Mic didn't put past him to make Lu pay outta pocket for it. 

  "Ευχαριστώ. (Thank You)" he added after as a pleased cherub nodded in response.

  He finished pouring the scotch turning to hand one to his friend.

  "Umm, Πολύ υποχρέωσε τον σκοτεινό μου φίλο. (Much Obliged my dark friend.)" His buddy takes the glass and sips it leaning back to a comfortable position against the headboard.

  One and half a bottle scotch later when their heads were getting light and the mood mellow the love deity turned to his friend.

  "So tell me about the party, what made you so ruffled?"  Of course, Lu brings that up again. "And don't lie about it, your usual calm and collected demeanor doesn't often get this disruptive."

  "If you came you would know." Mic remarked at the expense of Lu's annoyed expression. "Well let's see everything was fine and dandy, till Mini Bolt got bored and called for everyone to play fortune games." 

  Lu rolled his eyes knowing that meant time to validate Zarla's position in power trips. "Did she use the old crones for her predictions?"

  "Yep." Mic's response was quick as he downs his drink in one swing, before pouring himself another, heavens above how he hated the Fates and their prophecies. "Who better to tell your fortune than the three bitches who created it." 

  "What did they predict this time?" 

  "Little of this, little of that, they may no longer have powers over the universe but that doesn't mean they can't tear others down with their words and visions." Mic shrugged knowing Lu's raised his brow was actually an indication he meant the what where the Fates predictions of the Underworld king.

  "Basically, they predicted I'll follow in my father's footsteps." It was all Mic quickly had to add. 

  "Lame." Lu snorted, finishing off his drink.

  "To sum up the party in one word, yes," Mic sighs, "I'm sick of people. I wish they would leave me alone."

  Lu frowned at that statement, seemingly hurt by it.

  Mic quickly realized his folly, "I didn't mean you Lu, I don't mind whenever you come around." He sighs, "I just - as the centuries pass think it best I don't actively seek out the company of anyone else." He fingers the pendent, "Nobody wants to be around the gloomy king of the dead."

  Lu sat quietly obviously refraining saying what's actually on his mind. 

  "What is it?" Mic huffed, sinking into the chair feeling the cherub's eyes on him.

  "There is concerned talk among your servants here, about how cold you're getting, that you're allowing the curse of the Underworld to seep into your soul." Lu didn't cut corners once given permission to speak.

  "This again." Mic groans, it wasn't the first time he heard of this, his father warned of it in his youth even the old crone's pointed out this part of his personality at the party.

  Getting up and returning to the balcony he leans on it looking down over to the water. "I'm fine, besides would it benefit everyone, the less I feel the easier it will be to rule this place." 

  "Micholas - you're just running from your emotions, you can't let the cold claim you." Lu sighed seeing his friend wasn't in a listening mood.

  "Heck even your father loved-." Lu realized too late mentioning that he former ruler Hades was the final trigger clicked within Mic.

  "Where did it get him?!" He lashed out, moving in a blink across the room, thick darkness seeping in Lu could see the walls frosting over his breath visible as the ice-cold that envelops the air.

  "Look around you Lu you're a minority everyone hates and or fears me!" He envelops the love god in his tantrum of shadows, "Nobody especially a LOVER would in their right mind be with me." 

 "Micholas." Lu stood with an unwavering expression from the dark god's tantrum. There was something about the cherub demeanor that oddly fit with the dark chill of the Underworld.

  Mic retracted his powers with a tired sigh. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have lashed out like that I guess those old cronies  really got to me."

  "EH, not the first divine tantrum I faced, nor the last." Lu shrugged.

  Mic gave a weak half-smile, "How long before you can cross to the mortal realm again?" 

  "About a week, it sucks I have to recharge myself every time I crossover." Lu sighed.

  "Well, I think it's best for you to avoid Olympus for a bit if you wanna have safe travels back," Mic warned, patting his friend's shoulder.  

"I wish to retire, if you wish, I'll have the servants make you a room so you can fully rest before crossing the barrier again." Mic needed to gently talk to the servants about watching their tongues anyways. 

  "Sure, sure sweet dreams my friend and try the pendent you might like what you find," Lu smirked as Mic rolled his eyes 

  "No promises," Mic responded as Lu watched as Mic let that slide and walked out the room.

  Lu shrugs and opens a pocket watch looking at the face of it, "Well the  hell I ain't gonna let any old crones predictions affect chances for this union alignment."