Night 3: The Dark Defenders
The River Styx lay dormant as a walking path. Not a ripple was to be seen on its surface. SG wrapped his robe tight around his shoulders and continued on along the banks of the surreal water. It seemed to be playing tricks with his eyes. The water's color turned blood red and then faded to a bleak white. Trying to avoid looking at the dreadful sight, SG turned his head from it and kept moving toward the ferry's rendezvous point. Each step was more difficult than the last, but this wasn't merely fatigue plaguing SG; something fowl was afoot. Then, from the river, he heard the slightest ebb of water from the shore. A glance revealed that the water was actually pulling itself away from him, as if it had no intention of granting his passage. Despite the foreboding feeling he began to develop, SG kept walking. He looked up the shore and it was as if the pier moved farther away with each step he took. Beginning to get impatient with these hallucinations, SG fought the invisible obstacle and ran as fast as he could up the riverbank, which amounted to only a quicker paced walk as it turned out. Just when SG had abandoned hope of reaching the pier, he collapsed onto his knees and let his head fall forward into the muck of the shore. "This is impossible. If the River won't allow..."
Charon: The River you say?
Startled, SG deftly lifted his head and spun so the mud whipped off his hair and stayed out of his face. On the River was the ferryman, Charon. He was aboard the ferry, but neither moved. He just rocked in the center of the River, goading SG.
Charon: It is I who deny you passage. And as long as...
A bright light filled the tunnel. Both SG and Charon were blinded for a moment. When the light vanished, SG gasped and fell back away from Charon. Charon had no idea what caused such a fearful movement, but he grinned to himself beneath his deep cowl. Teeth baring behind lips that had long ago rotted away. Amused at his prey's fear, Charon lifted a robed arm and then realized he was not alone on his ferry. A brilliantly white hand laid on Charon's forearm, giving him no other choice but to return the arm to his side. Charon hissed, but recognized his position and gave in to the God.
Hermes: If you're going to be so predictable ferryman, you should really expect some opposition sooner or later, no? Haha! You two may relax, I'm just here to make sure things run smoothly. This River is meant to be passed if the price is met. Now, SG, by all means... pass.
Hermes guided the ferry to the pier and kept a vigil watch until SG was safely across to the other side.
Charon: You'll die down here Olympian... This is Hades realm, not Zeus'!
Hermes: Take it easy ferryman, I only had interest in seeing SG pass. Besides... that's not the only trick I have up my sleeve.
Laughing to himself, the fleet-foot Hermes leaped onto the thin ridge of the ferry's port side and flew off into the darkness of the tunnel. Charon stared him down under his cowl with his dead eyes. "My Lord will here of this outrage... You will join him or die, Olympian. Join him... or die. I'll even grant you free passage... just to hear of your suffering."
---
The Achaeans weren't letting this evil place get the best of them, but now into the third night, still without having saved Odysseus, their spirits were falling and Nestor could see it. "Who to speak with... who to speak with?" He caught Diomedes by the arm as he passed Nestor's night vigil. The warrior learned much from Nestor and felt as if he could kill a God. He ran off full of exuberance, but Nestor only shook his head. "SG huh? Something tells me Tartarus isn't ready to lose that particular monster tonight." Nestor raised a dirty mug and drank some of the little wine he had left. "Here's to hoping I'm wrong."
---
Many warriors stalked through the Night, in search of blood. Lusting for it even. But their fates did not include this night. Perseus could not find Brandonb and The Siren could not find Prof. T. Both knew something was odd about this night, but couldn't quite put their finger on it. It was as if they were in a maze and knew the way out, but the rules kept changing and the walls kept moving. Eventually, they each tired and wore their frustration away by taking it out on any nearby statues or even just random stones. Worn out they sat, ever-ready for a confrontation, but more ready to rest for the day to come.
---
SG cleared his head of the strange phenomena that happened on the River. But as he shook his head a tiny shadow of a man appeared in his sights. It looked as if the man had only one arm!? He held a giant spear and carried an enormous sword strapped to his back as well. SG began to look for escape routes... fitting that there weren't any. The figure was really running fast; his silhouette was now already more than doubled since SG first noticed it. Closer and closer Diomedes came up on SG. SG stood, waiting, the sweat pouring off his head. Then the one armed warrior, Diomedes, launched his spear with the force of ten men at SG. SG held up his hands as if they could even stall the projectile, but after a few moments, nothing happened, and SG lowered his hands to see the spear hanging in front of him, completely wrapped up in vines. He was stunned. Diomedes was now almost on him. He drew the sword from his back and slashed through the vines. But they began rupturing from the ceiling and floor, the walls. They wrapped around Diomedes sword, his arm, waist, legs, neck, choking him. SG had no idea what was happening, but was glad for it. Diomedes was completely immobilized, seething with rage that only his eyes could portray. SG looked Diomedes up and down.
SG: I could kill you with a rock right now, the way you are. Look at you! Haha! All tangled up like a fly in a spider's web. Tell you what. I'll give you a fighting chance. I'd say you have about a 1 in 2 chance of surviving this.
SG smiled, Diomedes silently raged. Picking up a sharp stone, SG leaped about 50 paces away. He tossed the stone in his hand a few times, further humiliating Diomedes. Then threw the stone wickedly fast. It whizzed by Diomedes' left ear and flew another 100 paces until it hit ground and tumbled to a halt.
SG: Lucky warrior. Lucky, lucky. I feel lucky tonight as well though. Let's meet again.
SG stepped back into the shadows and was gone. The vines slowly began to rot for how could anything live very long in the land of the dead? The thought made Diomedes shout with agony. Not for himself though. He finally ripped the last whithering vine from his body, knowing SG was long gone, he bent backward and shouted again to the trembling ceiling: "Odysseus! ...dysseus!! ...ysseus!!! ...eus!!!! ...s!!!!!"
Odysseus heard his companion, but was in too much pain to even tilt his head in that direction. It fell limp atop his neck once more. His mind working ceaselessly to find a way free, but his body shut down from Hades' torment.
Demeter walked slowly onto a rotted patch of land. A place where just yesterday was thriving with vegetation. "My Daughter... please last through this winter so I may have you again." She knelt and lowered her hand to the land. She recoiled in pain. The pain the land had endured to answer Persephone so deep in Tartarus. Recomposing herself, she knelt back onto the land, placed her hand on it and let a single tear fall from her chin. As it hit the ground, vivid colors burst up from all over the earth, in a tapestry of waves, returning life to land that had given itself completely to Persephone's need. Demeter petted the newly-grown grass, "I'll keep you healthy. For helping her, I'll... I'll do anything. If only I could... no. The deal was made. I cannot venture to Tartarus. But if what I heard is correct, this is a very exiting time." The wind then kicked up and blew the fresh pollen across the fields of the Earth's Surface. And Demeter waited.
---
GC was frozen, not literally...yet, but he stood as if he were. Accidentally, he had rounded a corner and found himself a bit lost. As he was searching around a snake-like figure descended from the ceiling. He only heard it when it landed with a disgusting splat. When he turned, he knew what to expect and thus was frozen in fear. Medusa stood behind him. The snakes in her hair reaching out to GC, closer and closer, then GC heard the rushing sound of a large weapon and the deaths of many snakes. He turned. The Minotaur stood between GC and Medusa now, his gigantic battle-axe in hand. The Minotaur pushed GC away.
Minotaur: I shall be her opponent. Leave while you can.
GC nodded in amazement. He ran, half looking forward, half looking behind as the two monsters fought in a battle that could only be described as epic. The Bull-headed Minotaur spinning his battle-axe around as if it were a broom. Medusa's eyes blazing a sharp beam that petrified everything in their path. Everything except the Minotaur's axe. he used the axe to deflect the deadly rays of the Snake woman. Eventually, the two parted ways, knowing Hades would not approve if one were to kill the other. GC didn't stick around long enough to see them separate though.
---
dawh had walked by too many corpses to keep a settled mind anymore. Where was he? And what kind of beast could do this? The mutilated bodies were everywhere, mostly very old and just bones, but the bones were mostly shattered. It was an evil place and he felt ill-prepared. Then he felt it. He could sense a shadow building behind him. A shadow that was indeed material. He turned quickly, but could do nothing. All there was was a shadow. He then thought to pierce the shadow. This strange shadow of a dog. But he hadn't thought of it fast enough. A clawed paw came shooting up from the two-dimensional shape and it ripped right through dawh's left shoulder. He deftly avoided a fatal blow, but only by a hair. He then thought to use his last available resource and turned himself invisible. It was a power given to him a long time ago. He had nearly forgot he had it and now it may be too late. The invisible dawh ran silently around the area, thinking the dog-beast Cerberus could not see him, then he realized... he was fighting a ...dog. He could almost hear Cerberus laugh like a human as emerged from the shadow to reveal his true form. A giant dog made of black and fire, smoke and bones. The beast growled right at dawh. It did not have to see him. It smelled him just fine. And in the blink of an eye, its jaws stretched open and snatched up dawh without a trace left behind. The beast sauntered away, burping flames and then disappearing back into the shadows of Tartarus.
---
1) SomeGuy [Monster]
2) Impervious [Olympian]
3) LIS - DEAD
4) GC
5) Prof. T
6) dawh -DEAD
7) Kat
8) Bb
9) RMZ
10) ST
11) Artificial I
12) Riranor
13) JS
14) Randro
15) twin bro
16) IDNE
17) crazypainter
Thanks for playing dawh! Day 3 begins now and ends in 24 hours. If you have a lot of votes, please send me a Plea (and any other actions if necessary) before the time limit.
