Chapter 33
As they circle the stretch of Lethe and into Cocytus, Sun weighs his option to accept or reject Thanatos’ offer.
“We are about to enter Styx, sire,” announced Charon.
“Stop when you get there, Charon,”
“Yes, my lord.”
Sun continues to think. If he takes the pact, he can go back and solve Exeter’s case but with limited time and, definitely, with limited resources. He may have someone by his side – his Sentinel – yet he does not know how it could help him.
“What do you say, Sun? Will you accept my offer?” asked Thanatos.
“What exactly can this Sentinel do, Lord Thanatos?” asked Sun to confirm.
“Sentinels have magic: they have powers. They can help you in any way possible.”
“So, I am his master? I can tell him to do whatever I wanted?”
“No. A Subject can command a Sentinel, but it can opt to obey your or not, and mind you, your Sentinel can disobey you.”
“Subject?”
“A Subject is the person that a Sentinel protects. That will be you.”
“I see,” said Sun, finding a big problem with the fact that his supposed aid can choose to not follow his command.
Charon stops the boat: they have arrived at Styx – The River Of Bonding Oaths. “Lord Thanatos, we are here,” said Charon.
The God Of Death stretches out his staff and dips the point of its sickle at the surface. A ball of water from the river forms afterwards – as big as three clenched fists combined. It separates from the river and makes its way to Thanatos, floating at his front. The water is of pure black color and looks thick like grime and water combined, yet it is not pungent like polluted water. Sun approaches the ball to smell it, and to his surprise, it smelled like fresh water.
“It may look dirty, but the water of Styx is as clean as potable water,” said the God Of Death.
“What is it for?”
“You’ll see. Let us go to the Stygian Marsh, Charon.”
“Affirmative my lord,” replied The Ferryman. He rows the boat to movement.
“How about it Sun? Do you accept my offer?” asked Thanatos.
“For Exeter, there is nothing I won’t do, Lord Thanatos.”
“Sounds like a yes to me. Very well, let us make it official when we arrive at our stop. You know, Sun, if Aphrodite were here, she would’ve hugged you herself when she hears your story.”
“The Goddess Of Beauty?”
“Correction – The Goddess Of Love AND Beauty. You see, romantic stories interest her, and yours is something she will surely like – making risks for the sake of love.”
Sun cannot determine how he will take Thanatos’ compliment. As he looks at the horizon, he can see land, which he thinks is their destination. Sun knows one thing for sure: he will do whatever it takes to find out what happened to his Grumpy.
After Charon ties his boat to the black mangroves that line the Stygian Marsh, Thanatos lets Sun go out first. Afterwards, they walk away from the boat, stopping in front of the great gate before the Pavilion. Sun stiffens in fear as he sees a giant, unchained hound with three heads approaching him, with its sharp teeth all visible through its grin.
“Don’t back away if it gets close to you,” said Thanatos.
“I can’t even move a muscle in terror, my lord.”
“Just relax, Sun.”
When the hound is close enough to Sun, that is the only time he realizes how big it is. Taller and obviously brawnier, each heads drool and look down to him as if looking at their snack. Without warning, the three heads bark, which sound more like an eerie noise. When Sun hears it, he sees every agonizing memory of him replay in his mind. The memories get worse as the hound barks.
He is about to break down when Thanatos hits the floor with his staff, and three decorated cakes appear between Sun and the hound. It stops barking, which also stops the memories from appearing in Sun’s mind. The hound’s three heads each lick Thanatos in the face before sitting down to eat the cakes – one for each head.
“Disgusting,” said Thanatos, wiping his face with his hand. “Meet Cerberus. She is our gatekeeper who guards this entryway to the Pavilion and Lord Hades’ palace. She may be a hound, but she is an effective sentry,” the God Of Death continued.
“That bark. It showed me all those things I forgot and are trying to forget.”
“That is her weapon. Souls that hear her bark see all the horrors that happened in their life. Although fierce as she is, Cerberus has a sweet tooth,” explained Thanatos. They stand and watch as Cerberus licks the icing on the cakes and scoops up portions of chiffons with its tongue.
“Now that Cerberus has calmed down, let’s make our pact official.” Thanatos extends out a hand towards Sun, while on his other hand, he holds his staff. The parchment rolls and lodges itself inside his clothing. “Hold my hand, Sun,” continued the God Of Death.
Sun does what he was told, and suddenly, the floating ball of water moves and stops on top of their clasped hands. The staff Thanatos is holding shines a bright golden color.
“You are now a Tasked Soul, Dauwan Pitchitara, and you have three full moons to complete what you need to do. At the end of the eclipse of the third full moon, and you have not accomplished your task, you will be condemned to be in the Meadows of Asphodel for all time. Do you accept this covenant?”
“I accept,” Sun answered loud enough. “For Exeter, I will do anything.” He said this second one in a whisper.
“What happens next may sting a little. Think of the reason you are doing this for – that can fight off the pain.”
The ball of water above their hands begins dripping. As the water touches Sun’s hand, he feels a burning pain as if it were acid rather than water that is wetting his hand.
“It hurts…so…much…Lord Thanatos. Aaaahhhhhh!!”
“Bear it, Sun – bear the pain,” replied Thanatos providing some encouragement.
“I…can’t…hold…AAAAAHHHHHH!!!” Sun falls on his knees because of the debilitating pain. The water, like it has a life of its own, spread throughout their hands but not a single drop hits the floor.
“Just a little more, Sun. The water from Styx is nearly empty. Remember why you are doing this. Think about what and who you are doing this for!” said Thanatos.
Soon after, the water in their hands dry out, making the pact between them official. Sun is kneeling in front of Thanatos, gasping, as he holds the god’s hand. The staff is no longer glowing as well.
“Are you alright, Sun?”
“I…think so, Lord…Thanatos.” The God Of Death pulls him up to his feet. Sun looks at his hand, and to his astonishment, not a scar is visible on it.
“What kind of water is that?”
“Styx is the place where the gods make their oath to others. What I did was bind our agreement with its water, making it irreversible. That means no power anywhere can break it unless by a miracle or by another god. Remember, Sun, not everyone is given this privilege. Don’t waste it, and finish whatever it is you need done.”
“Thank you, Lord Thanatos. Uhm…What happens now?”
“Are you ready to go back to the Human World?”
“Yes, I am, but when will I meet my Sentinel?”
“You will meet your Sentinel on the night of the first full moon, and that is when your sort of timer begins. Remember, you only have until the end of the eclipse of the third full moon.”
“What happens if I do complete my task.”
“Your Sentinel will know what to do.”
“Okay. So, how do I get back?”
“By this,” said Thanatos, striking the ground with his staff.
“What is happening? Why am I turning to dust?” Sun asked as he sees his body disintegrates away from The Underworld.
“You’re going back now, Sun. Good luck on your task,” bade the God Of Death. When Sun is finally gone, parchments – rolled neatly into one cluster – appear before Thanatos, who will give them to a particular Sentinel.