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The Ferryman and the Siren

Summary:

Every night, when the sun has set and the world is sleeping, Hua Cheng, the ferryman of the dead, waits at the shores of the River Styx.
-------------------------
In all his incomparable ethereal beauty, no sane being would want to be within a hundred miles of Xie Lian. Everyone else has learned their lesson. If a regular siren can cause havoc, suffice it to say that he can cause the same tenfold.

Main Story: Chapters 1-6
Extra: Chapter 7

Notes:

I have been imagining this for a few days now and I really would just like to flesh it out. Hua Cheng's part is based on the character Charon, the ferryman of the dead while Xie Lian's is based on the mythical creature, siren, in Greek Mythology.

(See the end of the work for more notes.)

Chapter 1: The Ferryman of the Dead

Summary:

Every night, when the sun has set and the world is sleeping, Hua Cheng, the ferryman of the dead, waits at the shores of the River Styx.

Chapter Text

He hasn't been ferrying souls forever. He has a vague sense of a life before this. But he can't remember no matter how hard he tries. It is simply a void. So, he has resigned his fate to the mundane task at hand. Every night, when the sun has set and the world is sleeping, Hua Cheng, the ferryman of the dead, waits at the shores of the River Styx.

His long dark hair flutters along with the hems of his maple red robes. His face is ghastly white, but a handsome and striking face nonetheless. Paired with pointy ears and a devilish grin, no man or deity can compare. There is a hint of danger in his feverish eyes, one as red as a polished ruby, the other, a cursed obsidian.

His eyes alone have earned him quite a reputation in all three realms. For the heavens, he is the angel of death. For the mortal world, the death demon. And for the underworld, the ghost king. Regardless of how he is called, one thing is certain. Hua Cheng, with his scimitar, curved and sharp, its ominous eye as red as blood, unblinking, despite his beauty, is the spitting image of death transcending the realms, devastation always following him.

Tonight is like any other night except that a full moon hangs above the sky. The stars are happy but shying away from its wondrous illumination. While his boat bobs close at hand, his dusky black boots dig into the rocky soil beneath, his silver jewels producing a sweet tinkling melody as the playful wind kisses them. He hums an unfamiliar song as he extends a hand to make those feared silver wraith butterflies.

Not long after, Hermes arrives, as ever, not a minute late, not a minute early, with the gathered souls behind him. Souls of varying kinds hover, translucent, and seeming lost and unbelieving. There are about a hundred of them tonight. All of them, whether young or old, man or woman, have an obolus on their tongues, a coin to pay Hua Cheng for their safe passage.

It is said that those without the tribute are left wandering in the mortal world, unable to cross the river for hundreds of years until fate allows them to. In truth, it is dependent on the ghost demon's whims. It may be a few years, a hundred years, or even a thousand years. No unburied soul dares to mock him for fear of not being able to cross forever.

Hua Cheng embarks the boat, lights the lone lamp, and calls forth the souls. They surround the boat in a disarray. They immerse themselves in the water, some with their hands protruding while the others cling to the boat as if their non-existent life depended on it. They begin to wail in the dead of the night, singing the song of the departed. It is truly a sight but nothing anyone would want to behold. Thus, with such grimness, they set off for the underworld.

Chapter 2: The Sole Siren of the Underworld

Summary:

In all his incomparable ethereal beauty, no sane being would want to be within a hundred miles of Xie Lian. Everyone else has learned their lesson. If a regular siren can cause havoc, suffice it to say that he can cause the same tenfold.

Chapter Text

Ever since Odysseus defeated the sirens, the people have only remembered them by name. There isn't any fear nor contempt anymore. After all, they are a thing of the past. They were beautiful creatures indeed but they were as deadly as one could be, causing disasters left and right wherever they appeared. Thus, the people are grateful for their absence. No more sinking ships, no more lost properties, and most of all, no more lost lives.

In reality, there is one more living siren. He is special though and has not been allowed to leave the underworld ever since a certain incident and for good measure. In all his incomparable ethereal beauty, no sane being would want to be within a hundred miles of Xie Lian. Everyone else has learned their lesson. If a regular siren can cause havoc, suffice it to say that he can cause the same tenfold.

Hades should know. Once, before the incident, he had allowed this innocent siren to venture out to a kingdom. Xie Lian had heard about this place from a few souls that came to the underworld and he had taken a liking to it. So, he begged and begged and Hades, who had finally been pushed to his limits, and had no time to spare as Persephone was coming, said yes. The only condition was that no matter how moved he felt, he must in no circumstances sing the siren's song. He vowed never to do so and happily prepared for the journey.

For this adventure, Xie Lian took the form of a bird. He sprouted a gorgeous pair of white feathery wings and let his long dark brown hair cascade on his back. He plucked some narcissus and asphodel flowers and wove them into his hair with some leaves of cypress. His white ankle-length robe was so pristine, it somehow reflected his saintly soul. With a face so tender, a pair of deep-set hazel eyes, and rosy raspberry lips, you would probably smile in death as well if this was the last vision you saw before crossing the river to the other world. Even the muses and the nymphs would dare not compete.

And so off he went and flew around the kingdom's majestic landscape. The souls weren't lying, it was a world of its own. Everything was so colorful compared to the underworld. The noise was loud but it's not deafening and was full of merriment. Everywhere he looked, people were out and about, chatting and eating. Some were even happily singing and dancing. Would you not be moved to see such splendor?

For years, except maybe for the plants that Persephone occasionally brought, he had only seen multiple shades of black and white or the darkest shades of any other color in the underworld, thus he was delighted to see bright and beautiful things. He was so enamored that he started singing a song in the skies. He wondered why Hades would warn him not to sing this enchanting music. It was melodious and its harmony had always been one with the wind so he kept singing. The people of the kingdom heard and immediately knew that it was an ominous sign.

At first, everything was calm and peaceful but a few minutes later, a disaster struck. A struggle at the kingdom's gate commenced. The struggle became a fight, and the fight suddenly became a declaration of war. A few hours more and the other kingdom's soldiers had finally breached the gate and the walls, and then it was complete mayhem. Xie Lian finally understood the power he held.

He was one of the rare ones that could take the form of a human so he did and tried to help. But no matter what he did, it brought more and more chaos, defying his pure heart and intentions. He was a siren after all. Anyone who had heard his song would eventually meet their demise in no time. And just like that, that mighty kingdom was no more.

When he returned, with torn and bloody robes and hands, and a face as pallid as it could get, Hades was so furious, he only looked at him and asked one of the sons of the night to lock him in one of the dungeons for a very long time. Thus, with this, Xie Lian escaped the misfortune of the sirens. He was eventually let out of the prison but was only allowed to roam the four corners of the underworld. It has been hundreds of years, but not a single soul has forgotten the power of destruction he has in his hands.

Tonight, however, Persephone is in the underworld again and as such, the merriment will once more be endless in the next six months. Hades, with his love, becomes soft even for just a bit during these rare moments. Because of this, when Xie Lian asks, he is immediately permitted to do as he pleases. He is even allowed to venture outside the underworld.

So he decides to take the form of a merman this time as he plans to swim around the River Styx. He can sing there to his heart's content as nobody really goes there except for the ferryman and the dead souls he guides towards the underworld. He has never seen him before, perhaps he could say hello to him. No disaster for sure will befall them, as they have long since departed the land of the living.

He grows a blue and silver tail that sparkles, you would think of them as little pieces of alternating aquamarine and turquoise gems embedded on the finest silver. As before, he lets his hair down. Nothing else is necessary. There will be no flowers. The last time, Persephone allowed him to have them from the sacred garden. He doubts she will do the same tonight. Satisfied with how he looks, he starts swimming towards the deepest part of River Styx.

Chapter 3: At the Break of Dawn

Summary:

He learned of his name from Hades. Hua Cheng. The Flower City. How beautiful! He smiled dreamily when he heard this name.

Chapter Text

On some days, it is stormy, and the River Styx' murky waters run forth madly, unforgiving but most days are like this, serene and beckoning. Only the crossing dead souls abound here at a certain hour, guided by the ferryman. The river is known to have magical powers. Even the deities use this place to swear oaths upon, to break this oath means to court one's death.

There was even a point in time when couples went about throwing rings into its waters to appease the god of marriage. No one knew how and when it started and it ceased as quickly as it began. People forgot about it soon after. Although the river is mystical, it is steeped in poison. Thus, only the dead and the creatures of the underworld can last long in its expanse.

Xie Lian swims leisurely in it, unaffected. His blue and silver tail glistening under the moonlight, which seeps invitingly through the waters. A full moon illuminates the otherwise dark and quiet river while the stars are scattered like pearls in a velvety ebony sky. His long hair tumbles and flows parallel to his body as he twirls and twirls, ecstatic to be out and alone enjoying the night.

After quite some time, he bursts out, splashing the water with his hair, creating big ripples in the river. He bobs and lets his hands smoothen his hair, the small droplets of water, ticklishly trailing down his face, returning from where it came. What a marvelous sight he would make! He's giddy like a child, giggling and shaking with mirth, a rose-colored glow on both his cheeks. Tonight, he wants to say hello to the ferryman.

Looking around, he sees some odd rock formations near the shore. He swims towards it and perches atop the biggest one, facing the river. Swishing his tail back and forth, he leans back with his hands on the rock and raises his face towards the moon. He sits in silence, closes his eyes, and allows the soft light to bathe him.

It has been a long time since he has been outside the underworld. For the most part, he has only eagerly listened to the stories of the souls that were fortunate enough to cross the river. He has been entranced by this new world the mortals have built. They are truly intelligent creatures. It seems that only the underworld's lair remains unmoved. He could count a thousand years more or a hundred thousand more and it would remain the same. It doesn't matter, as long as Hades is content.

As much as he loves the mortals' stories, there is one thing he is always curious about, the lone man who ferries the dead to their world. The stories are always different. Sometimes, he is an ugly demon, so frightening, you have to close your eyes as you cross the river. Sometimes, he is an alluring dark angel, merciless and powerful, you wouldn't pluck up the courage to look at him, lest you provoke him. In any case, all of the souls who spoke about him, trembled while they did so, daring not to say his name.

He learned of his name from Hades. Hua Cheng. The Flower City. How beautiful! He smiled dreamily when he heard this name. Hades only rolled his eyes and gave him a disdainful look. How could someone with such a name be terrifying? Surely, they were lying, right? He is thinking about this moment when upon opening his eyes he realizes that the dawn is about to break. He has missed the boat. He didn't hear or see a single soul.

Melancholy hits him suddenly. Luck never seems to be on his side, no matter how many years have passed. He sighs bitterly. He can only brood and drown in sorrow. And so he sings. Sweet and melodious. A song of longing. A song of sadness. A prayer for who or for what he never knows.

I pray hard for the pain to go away

For the sorrow to ease out of my lonely heart

I pray for it to finally slip away

And that the nightmares would stop

Every day I pray to remember only the good

To only see the faces and hearts I once knew

I pray for something to appease me

Something to fill the hollowness inside

Hua Cheng hums. It feels like something he has heard a long time ago. A forgotten melody that courses through the heart and leaves one wanting. It seems familiar and yet not at all, like a haunting ghost. He has gotten into the habit of humming it every time he returns from the underworld.

Xie Lian stops. And then he hears him before he sees him. A familiar song. A song from hundreds of years ago. A song he has almost forgotten. In his head, he sealed these dreadful memories long ago somewhere no one else could reach, all of them deeply etched in his wounded heart, just lurking in the shadows.

The hums become louder and louder, closer and closer. He turns his head to the left and sees the man and the boat's full silhouette. He holds his breath, only hearing the steady hit of the boat against the waters. He hears the tune on the man's lips once again.

He dives back into the water and swims towards the boat reluctantly. He hasn't noticed him yet so he goes towards the back and clings on to it with both his hands, moving up and down along with the boat against the gentle tides. Lit by the lamp and the moon, he looks at the back of this man wearing maple red robes. Do I know him, he thinks.

Hua Cheng halts as he feels the dip of the boat's back and hears Xie Lian sing the words to the melody he is humming. He turns slowly with brows furrowed and finally sees his face.

Xie Lian catches his breath. His eyes widen.

"It's you..."

Chapter 4: A Poisoned Arrow

Summary:

No cries or tears could be summoned out of him. It was as if he was just an empty shell, his soul departed long ago.

Chapter Text

Xie Lian clings tighter to the boat, making it dip a little further.

 

A memory.

A soldier dying in his arms.

The young man had attempted to save him when an arrow was shot directed at him. He ran fervently to use his body as a shield.

Xie Lian wouldn't die. Only when those who had heard a siren's song had survived would the siren's life be taken. But all of the people in the kingdom had heard the song and they were fated to die that night. And thus, he was destined to live. Whether it was luck or not on his part, he couldn't fathom anymore. He didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

Of course, the one in his arms couldn't discern this and so he risked his life for him. Despite the armor, the arrow pierced through his back and into his chest, half of it with its poisoned tip coming through where his heart lay. Xie Lian caught him as he fell to the ground, his body trembling.

The young man opened his mouth to say something and then he smiled, his red and black eyes shining. Xie Lian only heard the last word.

"... beautiful..."

Xie Lian could only allow him to do as he pleases. The young man grabbed one of his hands and turned his palm face up. Then, he pulled out the red coral bead from his hair and placed it on Xie Lian's palm, gently guiding him to curl his fingers around it afterward. Xie Lian curled his fingers tighter. He smiled back, trying his best to hide the panic rising in his throat.

No, no, no, no...

The young man squeezed his hand and then he breathed his last.

This was what finally broke him. He didn't let go of the young man for a long time and didn't move either. He just watched in disbelief while everything else fell into chaos. The walls crumbled, the houses burned, and the blood flowed but he remained still until no one was left alive. No cries or tears could be summoned out of him. It was as if he was just an empty shell, his soul departed long ago.

Finally, the dust had settled. Thanatos' siblings had had their fill, leaving the place desolate. It was now dark and calm. Hermes appeared soon after. Xie Lian only came back to his senses when he called out to him. Despite his human body, he could tell that Hermes could recognize his real form and knew that he was the cause of the destruction.

He probably thought it odd that he stayed here until the end and with such an indescribable misery etched on his face while holding a dead body. Hermes didn't pry into which realm he came from and just simply set about doing his task.

"You must leave now," he commanded him.

"Let me...Let me bury him...It's the least that I could do." Xie Lian murmured.

Hermes shook his head and took one of the white silk bands from his caduceus. There were three of them intertwined like white snakes on his staff and they were steeped in magic. He handed it to him.

"Wrap this around him. It should bind with his soul. This will help me or Thanatos to recognize his soul and allow him to cross the river to the underworld even without an obolus." He explained.

"Won't Hades be mad?" Xie Lian hesitantly asked.

"What is one soul compared to the thousands more to be herded? I would rather let him cross than wander aimlessly here." Hermes replied.

Xie Lian nodded and laid the young man on the ground gently. He took the white silk band and then carefully wrapped it around his left hand, the one he had held earlier. He squeezed it one last time and bent down to whisper, "May your journey to the underworld be safe."

He stood up and struggled to dust himself. He bowed down to Hermes to pay his respects and say thank you. He must have looked horrible, with his blood-stained hands and feet, his face darkened by ashes, and his white robes tattered and dirty. If he proclaimed or even claimed now that he's a siren, no soul would believe him. Despite this, the deity only nodded in acknowledgment and went away to start gathering souls.

He knew that Hermes and Thanatos would become quite busy in the next few days or even months, gathering souls. Thanatos rarely helped but with siblings who always took advantage and provoked strife, doom, and suffering in the mortal world, he had developed enough conscience to assist Hermes during these times.

Many of the dead were unburied so their souls would be left wandering everywhere for quite some time but the River Styx would also be full of those that were buried and there would be no one to guide them towards the underworld. It's not quite difficult when you only had less than a hundred but a whole kingdom was quite a lot. Hades would surely be outraged but Xie Lian surmised that Hermes couldn't care less.

After this, Xie Lian could only return to the underworld, defeated, dreading what was to come next. He sprouted his wings, ascended the sky, and began lamenting in a song as he flew back to the underworld.

There is solace in darkness

The one that the heart conjures

There is peace amongst the madness

That lies beneath the tomb

That creeps and claws its way

To your dying soul

Chapter 5: A Cup Full of Memories

Summary:

A voice was calling him. The other souls hovered and moved in one direction afterward. He could also feel his soul being pulled towards this voice.

Chapter Text

At the same time, Hua Cheng looks at him intently.

Something clicks inside his head.

A void starting to fill in.

 

There was a song being sung from the heavens. Lilting, sweet, and intricate.

We are drawn to each other

Wild dancing in the fire of desires

I see the sun setting in your eyes

You see the moon rising in mine

We are in an enigmatic trance

A beautiful song echoing our heartbeats

 

Another memory hinges.

A war and in the midst, a creature descending. No one else saw it but him. It had wings as pure as snow, its dark hair adorned with white and yellow flowers, and its body wrapped in ivory-colored robes. Midway through the descent, it transformed into a human, blending among the people, trying to help. The white soon became stained with red blood.

 

Hua Cheng staggers a bit as he holds on to his head with both hands while memories flood him.

A beautiful face etched with worry was in front of him and then there was darkness, the warmth slowly dissipating.

He felt his soul separate from his body.

After a few seconds, his soul hovered above his body and the man with a beautiful face, who was holding it. The man was murmuring something ceaselessly so he drifted closer to the man's side to hear it. He couldn't understand at first but after hearing it repeated several times, he answered.

"San Lang... my name is San Lang"

Hua Cheng stretched out his hand and it went through the man. He wanted to tell him he's going to be all right but he didn't know how to. He was beginning to worry about the man too, his own frustration becoming apparent as he couldn't do anything in his current state.

He feared that anytime soon, something bad would befall this man. The war had not yet ended and everywhere he looked, there was only chaos. So even though it was utterly useless, he didn't wander but stayed by his side until nightfall when all finally settled.

 

Another memory flashes.

"May your journey to the underworld be safe."

"Thank you..." He tried to respond to him, even though he couldn't hear him.

A voice was calling him. The other souls hovered and moved in one direction afterward. He could also feel his soul being pulled towards this voice. A winged deity in jet black robes and a sheathed sword at his belt was summoning the souls and guiding them in the direction of the River Styx. He looked uninterested. It could only be Thanatos.

"I don't have an obolus." He muttered when it was his turn to be guided.

After he said this, another deity arrived. A winged hat and winged sandals. Hermes. This was the deity who talked to the man earlier. Hermes only looked at him and waved his hand towards the River Styx. Hua Cheng didn't understand, his brows knitted at a loss.

"You are allowed to cross. You are lucky. A siren has taken a liking to you," Hermes remained placid as he said this. Hua Cheng remembered something about a ribbon being tied.

"A siren?" Hua Cheng repeated. So he's a siren, he thought.

"Didn't you hear an exquisite song before your world ended?" Hermes mocked.

"How could I see him again?" He only asked.

"Do you know where I could find him?" After a moment, he added when Hermes didn't answer.

"I am not his keeper. Besides, sirens abound in all three realms. Would you scour all three just to see him?" The deity was becoming impatient. The gathering souls were becoming more and more.

"If it means I would see him again..." Hua Cheng mumbled.

Hermes pointed again towards the river.

"You should cross the river. Whatever you are thinking, the heavens would not allow it." Hermes replied and turned his back on him.

"Please. I only would like to know that he's all right." He begged.

Hermes turned around and scrutinized him. He smiled bewitchingly as he said, "My, my. It seemed like it's Eros' arrow that hit you."

"Please." It would be the only time he would beg for something.

"There is a way. If you agree to serve Hades, you will be free to cross the three realms. It doesn't guarantee though that you'll find him." He explained nonchalantly.

A sliver of hope was better than nothing.

"I'll do it." He heard himself saying.

 

The next few moments were a series of blurry images.

Hermes was telling Thanatos to continue calling for the souls. And then, he was being carried directly to the underworld to meet Hades.

When they got there, Hermes whispered something to Hades, probably explaining his wishes. Hades eyed him intently. As it was, they needed someone to ferry the souls. It was not that the journey was treacherous, it was only for it being tedious that the souls tended to get lost. And with the war, the river was brimming with them.

Thus, an arrangement was decided. His task was to ferry the souls every night. And as he would become under Hades' bidding, he was free to roam the three realms. No deity or mortal would touch him.

A daughter of the night offered him a cup on Hades' command. He accepted it, took the oath, and drank a cup of something clear and tasteless.

In his next memory, he was already on a boat and Hermes was sending him the souls he needed to ferry to the underworld, he had no knowledge of his earthly life.

It was a moonless night at the shores of the River Styx.

Chapter 6: Intertwined Souls

Summary:

There is silence as they look at each other, each having recalled his own memories. A bittersweet unfinished sonata.

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

Hua Cheng was told numerous times that he would recognize half of his soul when he saw it and there would be no room for doubt in his heart. Of course, he didn't dare to believe it. Why would he need another soul? Wasn't he already complete? But when he saw him from the heavens and heard him sing, there was no mistaking it. He knew he had found his other half.

There is silence as they look at each other, each having recalled his own memories. A bittersweet unfinished sonata. Ah! How long has it been? A hundred years? A thousand years? But what does it matter? At this time and place, everything else is inconsequential.

When he returns to his senses, Hua Cheng scrambles on his knees towards the back of the boat. He moves towards the edge, hands shaking as he reluctantly reaches out to Xie Lian, and ever so slowly he holds his face in his hands. Xie Lian closes his eyes and leans into his touch.

"I was going to look for you..." He laments.

"I remember now! I asked Hades to allow me to cross the realms so I could search for you. I drank a cup to swear my oath." A quiet sob follows.

Xie Lian opens his eyes and sees the tears like translucent crystals rolling down on the other's cheeks, staining his beautiful face. He understands then that the other has been given a cup of concealment from the River Lythe.

This river flows through the underworld and anyone who drinks from it will experience either oblivion or forgetfulness. Thus, Hua Cheng remembered nothing of his past life. But for some unknown reason, the curse has been broken, and just like a mystery unraveled, he has fully remembered everything upon seeing him.
"But I forgot. I forgot about it. I forgot about you. I'm sorry. I'm sorry." Regret and misery are interwoven in his words.

Whether it was Hades' ruthlessness or Hermes' cunning trick, it no longer matters. What was done was done. There's no more time to grieve the past, now that they are given a chance to rekindle something that they had lost. Xie Lian reaches out a hand to wipe his tears.

"I'm sorry" Hua Cheng repeats, inconsolably.

"Don't be. It's not your fault. It's all right. Didn't you find me after all?" He smiles; his eyes shaped like twin crescent moons.

"I... I...wanted to say thank you for saving me. I never got the chance to tell you...Hua Cheng." He continues but hesitates before saying his name.

"San Lang... you can call me San Lang"

"I'm Xie Lian..." He says as he places his hands on top of the ones still holding his face.

"When I couldn't find you in the underworld, I could only hope that Zagreus had already granted you a rebirth. I am happy you found me." He adds.

Hasn't Xie Lian thought about him always?

First, as the young soldier whom he saw while visiting the kingdom. He observed him silently for a while and found him adorable while guarding the gates of the inner palace.

After the war, as the young man who saved him. At night before he'd go to sleep, he would open the little silver pouch and take out the red coral pearl to hold it in his hands. And at day, unknowingly, as the mysterious ferryman that he wants to meet.

Hua Cheng lets go of his face and Xie Lian anchors himself better on the boat, it dips under the pressure, making it wobble. A lilting laugh comes out of his lips, Hua Cheng could only look mesmerized. Xie Lian holds onto his arms and begins singing the siren's song.

We are drawn to each other

Wild dancing in the fire of desires

I see the sun setting in your eyes

You see the moon rising in mine

We are in an enigmatic trance

A beautiful song echoing our heartbeats

You smile and the world is drowned

Into an endless oblivion

We are fluttering like butterflies

The scent of love descending upon us

I close my eyes and the world vanishes

Into the depths of eternity

Xie Lian pulls at him and he surrenders, allowing himself to be dragged into the waters. His whole body becomes submerged as he descends completely, his maple red robes effortlessly swaying in the water. He sinks deeper until they are finally facing each other, their lustrous hair shimmying with the gentle current.

Hua Cheng pulls him closer, narrowing the gap between them as Xie Lian curls his tail around his leg and tilts his head up to meet his gaze, lights dancing in his eyes. He feels Hua Cheng wrap him in a warm embrace. So, this is home.

In this world that they've created, who would say that others existed at this very moment? Their souls have been and will forever remain intertwined, in the past and in the future. They share a slow and sweet tender kiss, above them, the sun wakes up to a new day.

Notes:

The main story ends here! The next chapter is an extra/bonus. 😊

Chapter 7: Extra: An Eternity With You

Summary:

After a few days of traveling, they finally settled in a small hut in a quiet village. It wasn't grand but it wasn't bad and just needed a little fixing. So they worked on it together.

Chapter Text

Hades wouldn't allow anyone else to do the task. No one else was capable. Hua Cheng had to do it. What brought about this was the couple's insistence to live and wander around the mortal realm. And so, they had a compromise. Xie Lian would ferry the souls with him.

Persephone, on the other hand, was elated upon hearing their story and insisted on planning their wedding much to Hades' dismay. She simply reminded him that it was his fault that the two were separated. Hades could only remain silent afterward. It would take him nowhere to argue with his wife. He could only reluctantly agree. And thus, the wedding was set in autumn when Persephone would return to the underworld.

Like with the other weddings, their ceremony had three parts. The proaulia, however, had to be changed as both Hua Cheng and Xie Lian didn't have their families anymore. So, they simply performed the ceremony of cutting a lock of hair and offering a proteleia, in this case, a small box full of various sea gemstones, to Aphrodite. And then they had a banquet at the underworld.

On the actual wedding day, the gamos, Hymenaeus, the god of marriage presided over the ceremony. Her presence was important as it would mean that the marriage would last forever, otherwise, it would prove to be disastrous. Before the wedding, the couple had done the ritual of purification which was simply a nuptial bath to symbolize no other than purity. After this, they made another set of offerings to various gods.

The actual wedding took place in a section of Persephone's garden, the Fields of Asphodels. As the name implied, it was a vast expanse of asphodels, highlighting a remarkable underworld wedding. For the exchange of vows, the couple had chosen their most valued possession. So, Hua Cheng gave the white silk band to Xie Lian and Xie Lian gave him the red coral pearl in return. Hymenaeus gave them the red string of fate and they each tied the string to the other's finger. At last, they were bound forever.

Hermes and Thanatos were invited too. However, because Persephone knew of Hermes' "participation" in this story, he had received a decree of punishment along with the invitation. He was to ferry the souls for a year on his own while the two spent their days as a married couple. Even Hades could not do anything about it.

For the last part of the ceremony, epaulia, which was held the day after the wedding, the couple received gifts. Persephone, as expected, gifted them with narcissus and asphodel plants, as well as pomegranate seeds. Hades, as "requested" by Persephone, gave them a year off so they were free to roam the three realms, not bound by duty. The sons and daughters of the night that were close to Xie Lian presented them with various items - pots and pans, jewelry, perfume, etc. The couple happily accepted.

The next day, they took human forms and set off for the mortal realm. It had been a long time since Xie Lian went there so he was very excited. After a few days of traveling, they finally settled in a small hut in a quiet village. It wasn't grand but it wasn't bad and just needed a little fixing. So they worked on it together. The hut was surrounded by beautiful fields of flowers and crops. If you looked to the right, you could also see the nearby forest. Behind it, a clear stream was running freely.

The villagers were also very kind. When they first arrived there, they were immediately visited and were given different kinds of foods and trinkets - anything and everything that they thought would be useful for the couple. Xie Lian especially loved collecting trinkets, useful or not. Chestnuts and meat buns were also his favorites among everything that he had tasted. So Hua Cheng would sometimes go out of his way to buy these from the market or trade something off for them with their neighbors.

Of course, the couple had to return their kindness. Xie Lian taught and played with the little children and Hua Cheng helped the villagers in farming. He also guided Xie Lian in doing mundane things, may it be tending the garden or taking care of rabbits or whatever else got attracted to their sweet abode. Xie Lian even learned how to cook. They didn't really need to eat but he quite enjoyed doing "mortal" things for Hua Cheng. Of course, Hua Cheng gladly ate everything, regardless of whether it was burned to perfection or drowned in suspicious-looking liquids. It was, after all, made for him.

After a year of wandering and living in the village, they returned to the underworld to fulfill their duty. So at night, they ferried the souls together. Sometimes Xie Lian would take the form of a human and would sit or stand on the boat with Hua Cheng. Other times, he would be a merman, enjoying the waters, and teasing him. While during the day, they changed into their human forms and went back to their humble home in the village.

As the years went by, their story had been passed on from generation to generation as "The Legend of the Ferryman and the Siren". And although some people did not believe it, the tradition of putting an obolus and a trinket inside the dead's coffin continued. According to the legend, one must pay an obolus to cross the river safely and give a trinket to the ferryman's husband to guarantee reincarnation.

While people in the mortal realm carry on arguing about the truth in this legend today, somewhere in the River Styx, the ferryman of the dead souls sits on his boat cradling his beautiful siren. A sweet melody echoes across the river's vastness while the moon hangs above.

Notes:

Ah! It's finally done! And like I said before, I didn't really expect it to be this long. 😅 So thank you for taking the time to read it! 😊💕

This was my first ever fanfic and it was meant to be self-indulgence. LOL! The inspiration for this was Starember's art, a merman drawing of Xie Lian and then my brain said "write something", so I did. 😂

And just as I've told my friend, with this experience, after checking the dictionary countless times, I can now say "I am sad" in a million different ways. 😂 Also, sorry for the angst! Hualian is okay! 😭

It has been a wonderful experience. I really enjoyed writing it so I hoped you enjoyed it too!

Thank you again! 😊💕

You can check my other works here. 🌷