“Welcome to the garden. Consider it to be one of the few places in Tartarus that can be somewhat normal. Since we aren’t exactly monsters we decided to lock up Kronos in a place that he wouldn’t want to leave. It’s not like he could leave anyway.” Hades said before walking further into the garden.

As I followed him I saw plants that were unlike any I had ever seen. Some were short with red flowers on their lower stalk and a single blue one on top. Others were tall with round bush-like appendages and a large upside-down red, white, and green cone with several blue, white, and green flowers on top. Other various plants with strange-shaped leaves and fruits all grew around my feet.

Trees of strange shapes with physically impossible curves and twists were grown around us with graphs holding them together. It was as if someone was cultivating them. Small creeks flowed throughout with water that was clearer than the air in front of me and plants resembling reeds with large blue-lined bowls on top funneled water from the creek into their bowls like springs. Around these bowls were several stalks, each with its own oval leaves that bore many spines.

Other plants around these creeks were tall with several leaves, each with eight leaf blades, and held several large pods covered in red seeds. Like an inverted pomegranate. There were various other forms of plants as well but to describe them all would take far too long. There was one thing that stood out among the garden. Mainly because it wasn’t part of the garden. A large spring that had several hollowed-out tree branches acting as pipes for funneling water from the creeks into the spring to act as showers.

Resting inside the spring were several women and men bathing. Despite that Hades approached the spring as if he hadn’t a care in the world. The men and women all stopped what they were doing to look at the Elder One. as if to welcome him, some of them approached the edge of the spring and gave a bow.

“What brings our captor to this place of peace and happiness?” one of them asked with a slightly disturbed tone.

“I am here to see Kronos.” Hades asked.

“Kronos is on a walk. I believe that if you go down the path over there then you should find her.” another one of them answered whilst pointing a finger towards the path on our right.

“Thank you.” Hades replied before going down the path that they pointed to. Following behind him Hades began shaking his head.

“What’s wrong?” I asked.

“I just hate coming here is all.” Hades said as we walked. The path slowly opened up into a vast moss-covered field where several animals that I couldn’t recognize grazed. Some looked like deer with several more legs and others looked like birds but had two sets of wings or had arms instead of wings. Some creatures that looked like boar but had white fluffy coats like rabbits fur slept among the various creatures.

Beyond this field was a lake that reflected the sky like a perfect mirror. Only it wasn’t reflecting the sun. Instead, it was reflecting the night sky. The milky way danced upon its waters with a magnificent radiance. Nothing could account for all the beauty of this place by even the slightest of chances. It was as if I was in Eden itself.

At the edge of the lake was a large tree with various fruits hanging on its branches. Below it sat a tanned woman wrapped in a golden silk robe flowing down just past her knees that stuck to her skin as if it was a part of it. As we approached her she reached up and grabbed a low-hanging fruit from a branch and a new one grew in its place. Biting into it, the fruit released an explosion of juices that flowed down from her lips and on her chest. The cold juice made her shiver a bit before she took another bite. After doing so she began laughing maniacally before falling over on her side and rolling around in the grass.

The woman looked to be in her early thirties with a body that wasn’t toned nor out of shape. Her long brown hair with blonde and black strands mixed in curled down past her waist where her glazed thighs were being exposed by the edge of her golden robe. As she rolled around laughing I saw that she had purple eyes and her pupils were expanded by whatever was in that fruit.

“Kronos. I see that you are enjoying yourself.” Hades said unenthusiastically as he walked up to her. She continued to chuckle to herself for a few more seconds before sitting up and looking at Hades. She looked fairly disheveled from rolling around and her facial expression was that of an adorable dazed state.

“I am enjoying myself thoroughly. Would you like one of these fruits? They enhance all of your feelings tenfold and give you the most satisfying of flavors.” she said as she extended her hand with the fruit still in it, dripping its juices from her hand onto the ground below.

“Can you ever take things seriously?” Hades asked with a bit of anger in his voice.

“What’s the matter? Has making sure that I don’t ever escape taken its toll on you Hades?” she asked in a way that sounded like she was mocking him.

“Not at all. I just wish you understood your situation better.” Hades replied.

“That’s the problem. I understand my situation better than anyone. It’s you who doesn’t. I’ve been trapped in what is basically an endless paradise with my closest followers and am unable to die. Though, you might as well be the one who is trapped. I have no desire to leave now that I’ve found out how amazing it is here. Plus, there are no worries. I can spend all of my days in absolute bliss without worrying about any complaints. My followers don’t even care that we are trapped here either. They have found the beauty in this place just as I have and now we live without problems. So tell me, how is the world outside doing?” she said with the same mocking tone as she spread her body out in the moss and enjoyed the feeling of it upon her skin. As she did her clothes stuck to her skin revealing even more than I would like to say. Hades didn’t bother answering her question but walked up beside her and sat down.

“You know what? You’re right, but now isn’t the time to lament. I have someone here who wants to ask you a question.” Hades said before taking the fruit from her hand and taking a small bite. Upon doing so his pupils expanded rapidly and he began feeling the moss as Kronos was.

“Well, who might you be?” Kronos asked me as she rolled on her side to face me and put her hand under her chin to support her head.