Page 9 of Hell’s Weapon

“Urgh, I'm useless at fighting too.” Seriously, what is this girl doing here?

The portal turns a bright white as Hades steps through and disappears. Officer Dick-wipe quickly takes up position, flanking Hades right as another guard comes to his left. There shouldn’t be any threats out here but he is our leader, the instinct to protect him is as natural as breathing. I feel it too. And normally it’s me standing up there as his bodyguard when he’s out in crowds.

I’m not his lead assassin by chance. My skills in quick killing and identifying threats are the best in this realm.

“Alright recruits.” Hades’s voice carries across the valley clearly. “We would normally allow you a couple of days to settle in first but this year we’ve decided to mix it up. Your first challenge starts right now. The compound you’ll be staying in is right over the other side of that mountain.” Thankfully, he points to one of the smaller ones surrounding us. “Your task is to make it to the compound alive. All that do, will have a bed waiting.”

Assessing the climb up the steep ground, I notice several little yellow painted sticks sporadically placed across the mountainside. Hopefully, that’ll be the safest path to take. Cocking my head, I try to figure out the catch. It can’t be that easy.

“Did he say make it over alive? Like, there’s a chance we could die?” Seffy asks, still standing beside me. Oh yeah, they still don’t know about that bit of these games.

“What do you mean alive?” someone else repeats, loudly.

“As in not dead,” Officer Relishing-in-his-new-role responds helpfully.

“Can we die doing this challenge thing?” one of the guys that follows Wyatt around like a puppy pipes up.

Garrick laughs and I see Hades’s eyes crinkle.

“Absolutely,” Garrick says, recovering his composure. “Did you think interviewing for Hell was going to be easy?”

“I want out. I changed my mind,” shouts another man, one I absolutely believe is built to be an enforcer with how stacked he is.

“I’m sorry. It’s too late to change your mind. You were given the option before we crossed the portal.” Hades informs him. “If you die though, we will give your soul the chance to reincarnate, either here or back on Earth.”

Several more faces pale and the excitement that was palpable a few minutes ago has dimmed.

“We should mention the one other rule that you will have to follow whilst you’re part of this process. During the challenges, you may use any needs necessary to complete the task, even if that means killing each other. However, and I stress this, if you harm any of the other candidates outside of the challenges, you will be disqualified.” Hades pauses for a beat. “And then killed by a guard. With no option of reincarnation.

“On that note, I wish you all the best of luck, candidates. I will drop in throughout your time in the recruitment process, but I must leave you now.”

Hades catches my eye once more across the crowd before he disappears in the same way he entered, with a huge billow of black smoke.

It takes several minutes, a ton more questions and a few raised voices from the guards but eventually everyone is gathered at a makeshift starting line. Seffy sticks to my side and constantly mumbles strategy to me, about the route she thinks will be best to tackle the climb ahead of us. She sounds nervous.

“Stick to the marked path.” I throw her a tip. “Use the markers and stick to them as much as you can.”

I may not have any inside knowledge on the task, but I know Hades. And I know what has been used in these challenges previously. They’re barely ever as simple as they seem. As the officers had been gathering us to start, I’d been studying the placement of those yellow beacons. They veer off, indicating a route that looks less direct and more treacherous as they disappear over the clifftop. But, they must be there for a reason.

The adrenaline of the group rises as Officer Kitty-Cat counts down from five.

“Three, two, one, go!” he shouts and the contestants surge forward.

“Hey, aren’t you coming?” Seffy calls over her shoulder when she realises I haven’t moved over the start line.

“In a minute,” I reply back to her, folding my arms across my chest and planting my feet in the soil beneath.

“Ooooh-kay.” She gives me a puzzled look before taking off. “See you on the other side!”

Noting that she heads to the right, to where the first marker is placed, I find myself hoping she does make it.

I don’t move, waiting to assess the rest of the contestants for a few minutes.

“In a minute? Don’t you want to win?” comes a less than welcome voice as Officer Irritating-as-fuck steps up behind me. “Come on Ninety-Eight, the challenge has started.”

“Give me a second.” I don’t turn as I reply, keeping my focus on the slowly fanning out wave of humans reaching the base.

“What are you waiting for?” he asks, sounding annoyed.