dear_mun | (no subject)

If anyone asks, I shall call it flying all the same!

[A tuck and roll would be the obvious choice for landing such a mighty leap, but Eurydice is glad he's thought of his passenger, and merely rights herself when she slips a little at his insignificant stagger. It's nothing to her, who's weather storms in the boughs of her oak... and then the howls reach her ears, too.

Risking another glance over her shoulder, she's momentarily blinded by locks of her own hair; a shake of her head clears her vision, which fills with the unmistakable sight of the guardian hound hunting them, baying with triumph.]

...she's gaining on us-- Hercules, you are truly a hero, but you've my permission to leave me here if need be!

[He'd regained enough of his breath to chuckle at her offer, even as he slowed further.] It was in facing Cerberus (amongst other things) that I gained my fame in the first place! Besides, I've something of an advantage with this hound that others wouldn't know...

[When the mighty beast of the Underworld was nearly snapping at his heels, Herc Herc slammed one foot down and cracked the stone of the path, slewing around to face backwards even as he disengaged one hand to hold out before him. In a thunderous voice of command, he cried out: ]

CERBERUS! SIT!

[Because what Hercules knew that almost no-one else was aware of, was that a few of his friends had put Uncle Hades' dog through obedience training a few years ago.]

Oh? [Part question, part surprise, Eurydice keeps her place on his back as he screeches to a halt, hair and chiton flinging around to whip them both. She stares at the rapidly approaching hound in trepidation, glad for the hero's bulk between them.

Herc throws a hand out, and her body trembles with the force of his command--

--and Cerberus comes to a skidding halt, dropping to her haunches and panting heavily, tongues lolling.]

No... No! [Whispered in his ear, lest she inadvertently undo the effect.] How marvellous! [~~Had to.]~~

[Hercules grinned, coming to within arm's reach to offer pettings and skritches.] Who's a good doggie, who's a good girl? That's right, YOU are! And next time I come down I'll bring THREE red rubber balls, just for you!

[Cerberus wasn't so bad once you got past the brutal guardianship, the vast strength, the volcanic breath, the acidic drool, the venomous snake for a tail... The point is, she was a good girl who did her job well! Wouldn't suggest pulling the obedience thing if you're already deceased, though. As it is, Herc's relying on all the sweat he worked up on that run to mask the scene of his passenger.]

Now, show me how you roll over! ROLL OVER, girl- ohh, so good! Now, play dead! PLAY DEAD for me, Cerberus! THAT'S how you do it, stay just like that!

[And at that point, Herc's arm tucked back under Eurydice's leg and he dashed away up the path to the sunlit world above.]

So much for one hurdle, eh?

[Eurydice will not be petting and skritching, thank you. She'll be on Herc's back, pretending she's a chlamys and not drawing the massive creature's attention in any way. Peering out from behind the hero's hair, she stares with wide eyes as the fearsome animal does precisely as Hercules bids; panting and drooling and performing the most bizarre tasks.

When the hound flops to her side, all three heads with their eyes closed and jaws agape and even the serpent lying still, Eurydice can't quite believe their luck, and has to bite back her laugh lest the game be up.

Their path growing brighter with every running step, the nymph clings a little tighter to her hero, unwilling to have her grip be any reason for failure.]

Truly a son of the gods! [A whispered cry of approval as their goal looms ever closer.]

Oh, it's not the gods I learned that from. [Nonetheless, he's still got a pleased-with-himself grin on his face, not that it would readily be seen.]

On the other hand, after that little stunt I daresay they know who they're dealing with. Their next emissary is likely to be one of the few down there that can take me on... Though they'll want to act quickly, the further away we get the more tenuous their case for taking you back becomes. [This part of the trip is likely to take a little while, as winding and jagged as it is he can't really go as fast as he did on the straightaways before At least he can leap the hairpin turns, though? Oooh, speaking of leaping, there's something he meant to bring up.]

How are you holding up? I'd not insult the resilience of a nymph, you've surely been hanging on like a champion- but I can't say as I know how tired the dead get from whatever exertions they go through. [He's mainly worried about her arms, the only thing keeping her upper body in place against him- which kind of unfortunately ensured her chiton was soaking up all his back-sweat from before, sorry about that. But such are rescues!]

Then who? Surely none but they have such control? [Not seen, but definitely heard. There's a story there, and perhaps he'll tell it in detail when they're free of the shadows.]

Then I urge you to careful speed, lest they wrest my freedom from me a second time...

[The leaping of turns is no bother, accustomed as she is to storms and winds while sheltered in her oak; and truthfully, she hasn't noticed the sweat. It will be obvious when she's no longer clinging to him for literal life, but at this point in their adventure, it's the farthest thing from her mind.]

I may be small, but I am strong. I have weathered many a storm within my grove; holding onto a hero is no great strain. [It is a small strain, however - just not one that she considers worth the complaint. How often is a nymph carried to safety by a hero? That nymph should adapt to her circumstance and save mentioning discomfort for later.] And... I believe anything I do feel is because we're travelling farther and farther from the realms of the dead - I relish anything I experience.

It's not nearly so grand as that, but perhaps the story might wait for another day? [Wouldn't do to get too distracted by fun times gone by, and lose track of what you're doing in the moment. Especially this moment.]

Such is the plan, such is the plan- But breathe easy, there's few outside the family that can so much as slow me down. Which should be all the better for you; what's it like to start to live again?

[Because despite all the things he had experienced, coming back to life that way was a new one. He'd personally gone from dying to Olympus without anything in between, so it was interesting getting a new perspective from the other side.

And her response brought the smile right back to his face; good for her! Far too many treat a rescue as if it were no more than an inconvenience to be blamed on the rescuer; it's nice to have some cooperation again. Eurydice's stock just keeps rising higher and higher, in Herc's eyes!]

Well said, a lady of the forest is surely a redoubtable figure indeed. With such fleetness of foot, as well I remember! Something that could well come in handy, if I wind up in a confrontation; assuming we meet up with really stiff resistance, think you that you could slip off and run for it while I held our pursuers back?

[Such might be necessary if they sent Thanatos, though Herc had beaten him before, or if Uncle Hades or Cousin Persephone made an appearance- though Persephone probably wouldn't balk them. Sending Herc's murdered mortal wife and children to demand an accounting would likely backfire, he'd just grab them ALL up and keep going... No, there's only those three ladies Herc's worried about facing.

(Because Hercules refuses to even think of the Kindly Ones, lest he draw their attention.)]

[Happy enough to accept an explanation for his training of the gate guardian later, Eurydice instead concentrates on staying on his back through his leaps and bounds, hair and chiton flying behind them.]

I feel as though I'm climbing out of a deep sleep. That edge between sleeping and waking where your limbs are light as air but you're dragging them through water... and I can feel myself growing warmer, because the wind of our passing is chilled.

[Her words are spoken near his ear as he carries her forth, so he'll likely feel her nod at his next question.]

Yes, I can run, and I can climb. You need only say the word.

[Eurydice rather liked Persephone, from what little she saw of the woman. But it wouldn't surprise her that a hero of Herc's ilk would simply abscond with anyone else he deemed in need of rescue, so if luck is with them, they'll make it to the surface unimpeded, or with only those that the mighty hero can overcome in their way.

Her thoughts are also very much not on the Kindly Ones.

Or on the wind that has picked up behind them, moaning eerily in the distance.]

Really. You know, that sounds a truly fascinating process- one I'm not likely to instigate again anytime soon, but it does beg the question. Are you waking from the dream, or falling into it?

[Herc's met a few philosophers, and a little bit sunk in on occasion. Besides, better to have a topic of discussion than thinking about the moaning behind, right? He'll just go ahead and stretch out his strides a little more, try to preserve their lead as long as he can get away with it. Sure, it's likely delaying the inevitable- but isn't that the definition of life?]

It may come to that, but hopefully not too soon. In the meantime, let's get you as far as we can together, eh?

[Because he's not sure just how far that 'don't look at her' stigma holds up right now.]

Edited 2013-09-26 09:07 (UTC)

It could be either; both are equally as likely - but I would hope to be waking. It seems cruel to tease a mere nymph with a heroic rescue and have it only be another level of the Underworld. I don't believe Hades would bother.

[It's an unpleasant sort of sound, and one Eurydice is doing her level best to ignore, shifting her weight on his back to not impede his ground-eating strides. To anyone watching, they're but a blur, her chiton streaming behind them... It occurs to her that at some point she should gather it closer, but asking him to stop is not in their best interests.]

We'll make it. We have to. I want to live again.

[He's already seen her... but given what happened last time, it's a good idea. The wind picks up, eerie and hungry, dust swirling angrily in its wake.]

Mm, I'm fairly sure you're not dreaming the likes of me. And besides, would your imagination include what happened to Cerberus? [Yep, he'll still be amused by that one for a little while; her witnessing that might even make a decent bargaining chip later.]

With that attitude, I've no doubt you'll make it at least; you've got something to live for, right? You might want to keep that in mind. [Wind, wind- who was big on wind down there? He didn't expect Boreas or his brothers, whoever was coordinating this wouldn't have loosed a Titan from Tartarus just for this, would they? If he remembered right, Thanatos was trying out a winged look last time they encountered one another- though it's unlikely he'd be impeded by any kind of wind.

...You know what? Better to keep running over notions than to come to a conclusion, there's nothing to be gained by contemplating whoever's left.]

My dreams, when I had them, were always of Orpheus... and you're far too sturdy beneath me to be anything but real! Nor could I have ever contemplated the taming of Cerberus. I'd thought to bribe her, perhaps! [But his method was both effective and amusing.

Her arms grip a little tighter, and her knees tighten at his ribs. The wind isn't impeding anyone - it's bearing them forth, along with a chill and the faint shurrush of feathers. More than a guardian is chasing them now, seeking to stop the dead from leaving.]

I am. I can only hope it will be enough.

Oh, trust me, bribery is most assuredly involved- it's just deferred a little until I get back. She's very fond of her red bouncy balls, you see; I'll probably throw in a steak or three as well.

Because who, person or doggie, doesn't love steaks? Heck, even the gods love a good steak offering- even if the offerer gets to eat it right afterward.

And with wind at his back, Herc has that extra push on forward- though likely not enough to outrun their pursuer, especially with that familiar chill seeing into his skin, it might be just enough to come within sight of daylight before he has to make any confrontation. And what might surprise her, is how cheery Hercules sounds in response to her last comment.]

I daresay it will, fleet Eurydice, I daresay it will. If I'm not mistaken, we're to have company soon- but I suspect I can handle him, though it may require you to step down. We'll see when the time comes, eh?

And in the meantime, you might wish to glance back now and again to see how quickly he comes- Although given his grim visage, you might not, either.

You speak of things I don't know; has time moved on so swiftly without me?

[Balls, yes. Bouncy? Not so much. And steak means nothing to her, either. She heard stake, and assumes stick. Which, granted, would also work.

His good cheer is less surprising than it is uplifting, and indeed, it's his own unflagging enthusiasm that's helping her along the path back to the land of the living. Were he not so sure of himself, she'd have danced, thanked him, and accepted her fate to return with no real argument save a longing look towards the light. As it is, she's now much less than a shadow of her former self, and is growing closer to the lively nymph she should be with every flying step he takes.]

I'm ready to assist - I cannot fight, but I can flee. [And she does as she's bid, glancing over her shoulder.] I see darkness... it's grey, not black, and it's moving swiftly. It will be upon us sooner than we think-- I see wings?

Well, there has been quite a lot of time. The world's quite a bit different than it was- but there are still oak groves and music, and there is still Hercules. [Not to brag, but she should know that he's available to be called on, right? And while he might remember steaks- there's only so many ways to cut meat off of a herd animal, after all- it's pretty unlikely that a nature spirit would have cause to run across them; it's not like they can be just picked up off the forest floor.

Enthusiasm is certainly one of his best features, all right! Good thing trickiness is one of his others, closing one eye and turning his head the same direction just enough to murmur to her out of the side of his mouth.]

If our pursuer is who I think it is, he's diligent but not creative- given what he does, he doesn't need to be creative. Even so, it's an advantage in our case; watch him as best you can, and once he starts reaching for us call out a warning. And be ready to disembark shortly afterward, yes?

Then I shall be in good company. [She knows, and she'll most certainly take him up on the offer. It's not every day a nymph is rescued by a hero and taken to live in the future - he'll have to be a guide, at the very least. And yes, she is, for all intents and purposes, vegetarian. Her sustenance is primarily from her tree, and she eats fruits, nuts, berries...

His change in tone is easily understood.]

Yes, absolutely.

[Her grip shifts to one where she can easily leap away at his signal, and she clings tightly with her knees as she takes regular glances over her shoulder. It's on the fourth of these that Death himself becomes clearly visible, and on the sixth that she begins to truly worry.]

He's gaining, and swiftly!

[That wasn't what he'd asked, nor was it good enough for what he needed- but by the time he clarified, it would doubtless be too late. So Herc just went ahead and focused on that chill he was getting, that sense of approaching death- or in this case, Death- and made his call; one more bound before he's close enough...

And then he swerved once more, hands lashing out to catch and hold his pursuer as he fought the feeling of incipient mortality all over again.] NOW!

[No lock or bar can hold back the taker of souls, but with the blood of a god in his veins, Hercules surely can- and while the hero can easily be avoided by one who can disappear through the very earth, that means nothing if he's already caught you in ambush.]

Come, good Thanatos; let's see how much you've learned since last time. Remember Alcestis?

[Then she'd misunderstood him, but the result is much the same; she's readying herself at his swerve, and leaps for safety at his command. They'd been moving far too quickly for any sort of delicate landing, and Eurydice is already bracing herself for the neat tuck and roll she needs to execute to make a clean getaway.

The ground is hard, but not unlike the earth in winter, and while it's a shock to hit it after being carried on warm, muscled flesh, she makes no complaint, regaining her footing and fleeing with all her strength. She has complete faith in Hercules - he's a hero in every sense of the word - and though she wonders briefly who Alcestis is, and what she did.]

[It was with a sigh of relief that he felt her come off untouched, even as the deathgod swayed inexorably forward to come in contact with her despite Herc's indomitable grip- and the hero shifted his stance and arms, seeking to catch Thanatos in a crushing bear hug. It had worked last time, after all- but not this time, as his chilling foe changed his body's movement in response, almost slipping out of the hands of Hercules. Clearly, he had learned a thing or two about wrestling since last time... But Herc was willing to bet he'd learned more.]

Come now, Soul-Taker. You don't really want to do this, do you? She never deserved death, under ordinary circumstances she'd never fall under your purview- and she'd already been rescued once. Can you really tell me, after hearing her husband's song, that you didn't want her set free?

[Prince of Power that he is, Hercules punctuated his attempt at persuasion with a twist of his opponent's arms, working to hook them behind his death's head and interfere with his ability to twist and fight back. Work on as many levels as you can manage, in a fight like this.]

[Thanatos is displeased with being thwarted by the hero's grip - he'd been so close to reclaiming the nymph, and it irked him that some jumpstart demigod was managing to get the better of him. Herc was right; he'd learned from last time - but had he learned enough? He feels it beneath him to even have to struggle like this, writhing like puny mortals...

Eurydice risks a glance over her shoulder as she runs; she lacks the ground-eating strides of her rescuer, but she is lightfooted and fleet, managing a surprising distance in a short time. It's not far enough that her hero's booming challenge isn't heard, but the response from the reaper of souls is lost to her ears.

What she doesn't hear is Death's grunt of anger and snappish response of "It's not about want, it's about rules, and power. The conditions weren't met, she is ours to hold onto."]

[That's always been one of his big advantages, down through the millennia; he's NOT too grand for these things, and dragging others down to his level gives Herc the home-field advantage, so to speak.

Yet even so, his opponent's answer took the smile off Herc's face; he didn't like hearing that.]. I always knew you a strict rule-keeper, Thanatos, but somehow I missed the pettiness. Yet I shouldn't be surprised, it's how the family does things. We do, because we can- and you know what? I'm still freeing her from the lot of you, because I can.

[And THAT'S when the hero headbutted Death square in the face, and commenced his efforts not to hold Death off, but to start twisting him into a f***ing pretzel.]

Edited 2013-10-04 04:26 (UTC)

[The nymph whose fate hangs in the balance sees naught of this, busy running as fast as she can away from the brawling pair. Red hair growing richer and warmer in colour the farther she travels, the wind of her passing dries the dampness clinging to the front of her chiton, the material whipping about her legs.

Shades reach for her as she races past, the shadows twisting and reaching, but she doesn't falter.

Thanatos, meanwhile, is dazed from Herc's headbutt, unable to fight back as he would like due to the stars he's now seeing. It's fair to say that he's pretty pissed off. "Think you that this display will help you win? Even if you do reach the surface-- cease bending me! --I will claim her, yet."

That last isn't true; as a nymph, barring further viper incidents, she will live a very long time.

If they reach the surface.]

[Herc can't hear the nymph he's trying to save, something he considers a very good thing; let her grasp her own freedom, it's been denied for far too long.

Him? He'll take advantage of his opponent's dazed state to start stretching and bending his foe's upper limbs in ways an arm's not supposed to move, slapping a hard elbow into Thanatos' already wavering skull when he recovers enough to talk.] Aye, I'm sure that's true, old boy; neither lock nor bar can deny you, we're all doomed to fall under your rule sooner or later- Of course, I'd count as an exception to that, wouldn't I? I've ascended to Olympus, I could keep this struggle up all day. All month. All decade. {Really okay with slacking off with only HERC'S company all that time, tough guy?]

But then again, I might not have to do that. What if I braided your limbs together, deathgod, then knotted the ends together and started carrying you around everywhere like a satchel? I could show you off to my friends, watch them squeal in envy over my dynamic new accessory- and there's nothing you'd be able to do but wiggle at them and curse impotently. [Braiding... that's not exactly what Herc is doing to Death's arms right now, but it definitely suggests that braiding limbs is a distinct possibility in the near future, doesn't it?]

Are you certain you're this interested in taking a little girl? I'm almost hoping you say yes, for some reason I recently got the urge to start hurting you very badly. [Hint- telling Herc 'it's about power' when you're doing something he doesn't like MIGHT be a bad idea, because odds are good he has more power at hand than you do.

Admittedly, this is all something of a bluff; Hercules can actually understand the consequences of forcing Death to take a holiday even for a day or two, much less decades. Papa Zeus hammered the importance of mortals dying into him long, LONG ago, and the message stuck around-

But he IS a hero, and getting him riled up enough is a good way to find out whether he'll call his own bluff anyway and twist Death into friggin' balloon animal shapes. Something to keep in mind.]

Edited 2013-10-05 18:37 (UTC)

[Were her imminent escape into the world above not foremost in her mind, Eurydice would likely find Herc's display both thrilling and amusing.

Thanatos finds it neither of these things, and makes his displeasure known by way of grunts and bellows and predominantly empty threats as he struggles against the mighty hero... and finally, he quiets.

"Enough! Enough... You're more trouble than Ares and Dionysus combined--cease, before you destroy my wings! I will make you a bargain."

The god of death no longer fights, if the hero would be so kind as to step down.

The nymph in question, meanwhile, is only yards away from her goal. The light is bright, though is doesn't filter into the Underworld itself, and her whole body thrums with energy and yearning as the grass and trees beckon her forward. Her frantic flight halted, she now steps with something approaching reverence towards freedom.]