Underworld

The denizens of purgatory busily grabbed and passed off boulders of metal. They were heavily diligent at their task that none failed at their specific chore. The metals that glistened were dark grey or coal black as they were handled with the utmost care. The smiths of hell were daintily sculpting large boulders; carefully stripping it and refining it. The miners quarried the caves, caverns, and grottos of the dark indigo terrain.

"Strange," Kol spoke. He and Astrid stood amongst the workers with shadowy auras around themselves. Throughout their mission Kol utilized his dark mists of night to make Astrid and himself vaporous and unseen. "It seems like their mining the metal to create something."

Astrid inquired, "A weapon?"

"We can't rule out anything. This is Alvin we're speaking of, he is the embodiment of unpredictability." Kol's eyes caught something.

Astrid saw as her partner started walking away. "Where are you going?"

"Just follow." Kol followed after the trail of demons that started hauling the metal. Stopping, he saw the monsters harvesting away from a figure in the distance. A colossal sinkhole the size of Alvin's castle, with small constructions to navigate down gargantuan vertical shaft.

Astrid's gazed at the sinkhole with sharp blue eyes narrowed in intrigue. "It'll lead us to Alvin's scheme. Let's go!"

Phasing into streams of shadows, the gods flew down the sinkhole. The sinkhole seemed like an eternity to navigate; a black hole that only got blacker and blacker. The temperature dropped and dropped as they descended.

When they finally reached the bottom, the environment changed. It was a colossal lava pit, with a tower of rock in the middle at three thousand feet high.

A serpentine beast with grey armor-like scales, a mane of ebony fur around that trailed down the body to the tail's tip. It was nestled around the rock tower as it was the beast's nest.

The demons were mining all around the lava pit. They carried the dark metals up elevators to the surface. While the beast looked enraged by what the demons were doing, it stayed its movements as it seemed afraid to move from its post.

"What is this—" Astrid couldn't finish her question before Kol flew up to the beast. The sun goddess had no choice but to follow her counterpart.

Reaching the dragon's snout, Kol—with a wave of his hand—allowed the beast to comprehend his and Astrid's presences. Seeing the gods, especially Kol, the monster bowed its head, "Lord Night…"

"You don't need to bow in my presence, ancient one," Kol waved off. Astrid arrived next to Kol with a question, "Who is this?"

"Astrid say hello to Nero," Kol introduced."

Nero spoke in a feminine voice, "A pleasure to meet you, Lady Day. Even in the Underworld your light is as bright as ever."

"Nero was one of the Ancients to battle Nothingness before Existence could take place." Kol explained.

Astrid had a look of shock, "I had always heard that Chaos was fought by Stoick and his generation. How is this possible?"

Nero grunted derisively, "Typical of the gods; not giving credit where it is due. Little girl, how could any of the gods exist if nothing else existed from them to be born from?"

"Umm…" was Astrid's intelligent reply. Nero rolled her six red eyes, "The Ancients—me and my generation—were the children of Nothingness. We rose and separated from our father eons before your ancestors formed a consciousness."

Kol smirked as he chuckled amusedly, "Show some respect, Astrid, Nero may be old, but compared to her, we're mere toddlers when it comes to power and strength."

Nero shot Kol a look from being referred to as 'old'. But Astrid was still perplexed, "But why did you war against your father? And why did Stoick conceal this information?"

"Ignorant child," Nero closed her eyes as she if she pitied the goddess, "you show loyalty to lying kings. Chaos may have been our father, but he is just that; chaos. He thought that there shouldn't anything or anyone else besides us when we decided to create more than ourselves. And so, naturally, we fought. On a positive note, the echoes of our war morphed the seas of nothingness into existence."

Astrid slowly nodded, "So how did Stoick come to power?"

Nero exhaled through her nose, "To understand, realize that Stoick wasn't the first King of the Gods. His forefathers before him, and their forefathers before them. When the war ended, and time began, we decided to create and birth others like us. And when the gods grew into the prime of their power, they thought it acceptable to assert their's over us."

"The second war that ensued was bloody and horrific; father and son slaughtering one another. For greed and power alone. I was one of the few that stayed neutral and out of the battle. The Gods won with the Ancients forced out of their thrones. And that was when the Gods elected their leader—one of Kol's ancestors—to rule over the Islands."

"Wow," Astrid had cold, inquisitive look, "I've always known there was more to the Islands' histories than what we were taught, but this is new."

Kol tilted his head, "So, Nero, why are you here in the Underworld?"

"Its quiet down here," Nero answered simply, "so I thought I'd sleep for few centuries. Turns out there's more noise down here than it is on Valka's earth."

"You came here…" Astrid questioned, "… to sleep?"

"You presume I should be doing something else?"

"Of course!" Astrid exclaimed. "Bludvist is rising, you should be helping us!"

Nero looked offended while Kol sighed and as he shook his head. The mighty dragon narrowed her crimson eyes, "I don't have any allegiance to your kings as they've never done anything to sway my loyalty. I will not take part in a war I have no quarrel in."

Astrid nodded her head, acknowledging her reason. "I see your reason, you are correct; you have no reason to join us against Bludvist. Please forgive my tone, ancient one."

Nero nodded her head, her temper sated, "Humility is a great trait to have, young warrior."

"Nero!" Kol called out. "What's happening down here? The demons—they're so organized in their task. What is it?"

Nero answered, "I'm not quite sure. I've been down here quite some time, but it seems they're mining some rock or metal; something of importance."

The night god allowed augmented his eyes to increase the intake of light and sharpened them like a blade. "They're treating it with a certain amount of fragility, like frail glass."

"We should investigate even further," Astrid flew down below; her body trailed Kol's darkness behind her.

The moon god watched the sun goddess do fly away with his black eyes. Nero saw how Kol watched Astrid, "I know of your plan, dark god. Your planning on releasing it."

"You sound like you're against it," Kol didn't look at the ancient dragon. Nero shook her head, "A master releasing his faithful companion. Why would I be against that? I am only giving you warning: Stoick will not take it lightly."

"You let me worry about Stoick. His power may be broad, but it isn't infinite." Kol's knuckles whitened when he fisted them. "I will free him, and anyone who stands between me and him; Stoick, hell, even Bludvist… will suffer a thousand deaths."

"Very well but be careful…" Nero watched Astrid with intense eyes; noticing her light golden hair and electric gaze, "even you have your breaking points."

Kol scoffed before flying away, "Whatever you say…"

Nero may have been old and isolated from others most of her immortal life, but she wasn't stupid. She could tell; once Kol's fate arrives he will have an ultimatum. Of what he thinks he is, and what he's meant to be. She may not participate, but she'll stick around… at least to see what the night god will become.

Sorry about the hiatus... I just realized that its been a WHOLE year. But I'm sure you guys can relate: school, stress, mild depression. But I'm glad to say that I'll be graduating soon and I'll be updating every week, especially once June hits. Divinity has been my most liked story, so I knew I couldn't abandon this.

P.S. I know its a bit short, but I needed a filler, hope you enjoyed.