Chapter 29: Tartarus(2) - True Terror of the Fields of Punishment(TW - Gore) (1/2)

After recovering some of their energy, Alex and Achilles were ready to resume their passage through Tartarus.

As expected of a god's regenerative speed, Alex's leg muscles were fully healed by now. Nonetheless, Achilles, could not move his arms anymore and fighting was out of the question for him.

Looking around, he noticed they were in a very similar tunnel to the one beyond the doors of the Inner House.

As they walked around, the air was thick and humid and sweat had stuck to their skin, making any sort of movement quite unpleasant.

The dark tunnel was only dimly lit by the torch that was almost extinguished in their earlier fighting and the humidity of the air wasn't on their side, hence they could only perceive what was directly in front of them.

Fortunately, the tunnel this time was shorter than the one from earlier, and soon enough, the diameter of the tunnel gradually increased until they found themselves in a similar room to earlier.

They would be cautious this time, having grown aware of the dangers of Tartarus.

Shining a torch onto the walls of the room, they noticed it consisted of the same unbreakable, black and glossy material that was found in Cronus' prison.

As the air was a bit dried here, the torch ignited more intensely and the more intense flames unraveled their location.

*Tak* *Tak* *Tak*

As he was discussing with Achilles, they started hearing sharp sounds, reminiscent of a woodpecker's beak coming into contact with trees.

There was also a sour smell diffusing in the air.

”It smells like....iron, copper and other metals....” Alex listed.

Achilles stated ”It's blood. The smell of dried blood in this place is sickening.”

*TAK* *TAK* *TAK*

The noise was getting closer and when Alex saw its source, he threw the torch into the air in fear.

When the torch hit the ground, it seemed to react with a flammable substance and the entire place was now brightly lit.

There was a man, if you could even call that a human.

His...Its eyes were blood-red and ghostly, as if all of the ocular blood vessels in there were ruptured and bleeding.

The skin of the 'man' was not normal human skin but instead formed a hard gray crust, like calluses all over its body.

On the man's feet, 'he' was wearing shoes, but unlike normal shoes, these were the colour of lava, like you heated up metal in an industrial furnace. They were emitting nasty fumes into the air and made it hard to breathe.

The 'creature' was...dancing around in those shoes.

As if it wanted to speak, it opened it's mouth, but instead of teeth and a tongue, it was just a bloody gorge.

Alex wanted to vomit at the scene and even Achilles looked uncomfortable, turning around to avoid seeing this.

The flames blazing through the room also revealed something else.

On the walls of the chamber, they discerned engraved writing.

Alex tried to decode the script and came up with ”Pontifex of Medena, the clergyman who partied endlessly while his knights massacred those who did not believe in his cult. He pretended to be a god and was thus sent to Tartarus. To fulfill his wishes of becoming a god and partying eternally, he was given Ambrosia and burning shoes to dance for all eternity, healed to full health every time his body could not hold on.”

As he read through, Alex's face turned blue and sweat dripped down his forehead.

'It's...terrifying. Is this how they punish souls sent to Tartarus? Cronus' punishment looks like a playground compared to this' He thought to himself with his hands covering his mouth.

Under the text, there was an additional note written in blood, dried blood that had turned brown.

”Be afraid of the Furies. For we will punish you in Tartarus as you have punished the mortals and the undeserving.”

As he was reciting this line, Achilles told him ”Alex, let's get out of here.”

”Yes.” He was still traumatized, although this pontifex seemed to deserve this fate of his.

The flames that ignited earlier began to slow their combustion, and extinguished as fast as they ignited, rendering the room dark again, perhaps for the better.

There was a door to leave the chamber, and they rapidly exited the room.

They were back in the tunnel.

Achilles was rubbing his glabella and quietly spoke ”I knew we would see terrifying phenomena in Tartarus...But I just didn't expect...This...”

Alex nodded.

With their shock receptors now on overdrive, they quickly ran through the tunnel.

The next room was also as traumatizing.