The Tale of Sisyphus and Thanatos

Chapter 1

A Peaceful Mortal Realm

Born of Aeolus, the god of the winds, and a mortal woman named Enarete, Sisyphus was a demigod. As the king who founded Corinth, he was known for his cunning and craftiness.

Many anecdotes illustrate Sisyphus's wisdom, particularly his encounters with Autolycus, a demigod and the son of Hermes, the god of messengers and thieves. Autolycus had the ability to steal without getting caught, a gift from his father Hermes. Sisyphus once fell victim to Autolycus’s cattle theft but turned the tables.

"Look here, my name is engraved on the hooves of these cattle. They are mine, and you have stolen them."

"Shut up! Your men must have secretly engraved your name there!"

Sisyphus had preemptively engraved his name on the hooves of his cattle, catching Autolycus in the act. Despite changing the gender and color of the stolen cattle with his abilities, Autolycus had no way to refute the clear evidence.

Sisyphus's reliance on his cunning led him to make a grave mistake.

"Are you Asopus, the river god?"

"What does the king of Corinth want from me?"

"I know where your daughter, Aegina, has disappeared to."

"What? You know where my daughter is?"

"I will tell you if you grant Corinth a spring of clear water."

Persuaded by the confident Sisyphus, Asopus, the river god, made a spring of clear water flow into the city to find his missing daughter.

"Your daughter was kidnapped by Zeus."

"That... that wretch! Is it true?"

"It is. You will find them if you follow this mountain path."

Asopus hurried down the path Sisyphus pointed out, soon finding his daughter weeping after being violated by Zeus.

"Father... sob..."

"Lord Zeus! How could you do this! Aaah!!!"

"Ah-hem. I shall take my leave now."

Though Asopus discovered the truth, it was too late to act against Zeus. Yet, this was not the end.

Zeus discovered Sisyphus’s betrayal. Enraged, Zeus demanded punishment.

"How dare a mere mortal interfere in the affairs of gods! Tell Hades to send Thanatos to deal with this sinner!"

With the king of gods behaving in such a manner, the future of Olympus looked grim...

* * *

In the Dark Underworld

Thanatos, the god of death, resides here, exhausted from sending countless minions to the mortal realm to guide souls. The god, with black wings and the appearance of an elderly man, was unexpectedly pleased with his new task.

"Thanatos. Zeus has sent word, asking you to bring a grave sinner to the underworld."

"A mortal who has committed such a grave sin? Hades?"

"I am not sure... But he requested your presence in Olympus. Please go and return quickly."

"To Olympus? It's been so long since I visited Olympus, thank you."

Though Thanatos rarely went to Olympus, always busy with his duties, this was a rare respite allowed by Hades, who pitied his hard work. Thankful to the lord of the underworld for this brief vacation, Thanatos set off to Olympus himself, not just sending a minion.

"Thanatos! You finally arrived. That man there! A mortal dared to meddle in the affairs of gods!"

Thanatos saw Zeus pointing and raging. If a mortal interfered with the gods, perhaps he had stolen an offering or influenced a divine decision. Following Zeus’s command, Thanatos sought out the mortal.

The founder of Corinth, King Sisyphus, was leisurely drinking in his palace.

"But what was the grave sin he committed..."

"I know a bit about that mortal, Thanatos."

Thanatos's question to Zeus was interrupted by Hermes, the messenger of the gods.

"Overconfident in his wits, he bested my son using the powers I granted. He must have angered my father again."

Thanatos accepted Hermes's explanation. The mortal must have done something wrong. And if Zeus ordered it, punishing an insolent mortal seemed fitting. After all, once in the underworld, Hades or the three judges would pass judgment.

With his black wings flapping, Thanatos flew to the Corinthian palace.

* * *

The Corinthian Palace

King Sisyphus shared a secret with his wife, Queen Merope.

"Zeus is holding a grudge against me and will send Thanatos."

"What? What should we do then?"

"Listen carefully, my queen. If I die, do not hold a funeral. Understood?"

Predicting Thanatos’s arrival, Sisyphus prepared. He told his wife to take precautions and armed himself with a large oak club, hiding behind the curtains of his bedchamber, waiting for Thanatos.

Soon, the god of death entered to take Sisyphus to the underworld. Sisyphus gripped the club tightly, ready to strike when Thanatos approached.

However...

'Does he think he can evade my senses? And strike me down with a mere club? Has he lost his mind?'

Thanatos, of course, was aware. Sisyphus, though a demigod, had no strength beyond his wits. In contrast, Thanatos, the son of Nyx, the goddess of night, was an ancient god, older than Hades and respected by him. The personification of death with powerful hands, Thanatos laughed at the foolish mortal.

Thanatos entered the bedchamber naturally. Sisyphus, thinking the time was right, lunged out, swinging the oak club.

"Thanatos! Finally, you’ve come! Take this-"

Whoosh—

To a god like Thanatos, the club seemed to move slowly. He smirked at the foolish mortal attacking him but then thought...

'Wait, if I pretend to be knocked out by this fool, could I get some rest?'

Thanatos, the god of death, had never rested since birth. Death in the mortal realm was constant, requiring his presence daily. The Thanatos here was not a mere minion but his true form. If he pretended to be struck down, he could rest.

However, he pondered if he could indeed take a break. If he neglected his duty, it would burden his fellow underworld gods.

'Sigh... But if I rest, who will do this work? As an elder god of the underworld, I must set an example...'

Images of his colleagues, also toiling, flashed in his mind. Despite his hardships, other gods also suffered.

"Thanatos, you work so hard harvesting souls. Click, click..."

Before the great flood, some gods had helped him a bit but mocked him when the flood started, like Hypnos.

"We're lucky not to be Thanatos, right, Moros?"

"Of course, Ceres."

Even gods like Ceres and Moros, who managed aspects of death, had it easier and often made fun of him.

"Thanatos, I am always grateful. If I were a god of death..."

Lastly, Morpheus, who always approached with a sly smile, also mocked him for his burden.

Thanatos's face twisted in frustration. He rationalized.

That demigod might let his guard down and strike me. If I rest a bit and then resume work, no one would fault me.

Just one day... one day of rest!

"Ugh!"

"Huh...?"

Before the club even hit Thanatos, he pretended to fall, staging an unnatural performance.

Sisyphus, unknowingly gaining the notoriety of having struck down a god, stood frozen, club in hand.

"...What just happened?"

Sisyphus stared at his club and the fallen Thanatos, then awkwardly bound and imprisoned him in the basement. However, he did not realize the consequences of his actions. Imprisoning the personification of death would impact the laws of the world.

The very next day, the underworld's operations, managing the dead, were thrown into chaos.