Chapter 54: After the first five steps into the trail of floods, I regretted my recklessness. The trail was slippery, the air was stifling, and the constant fire floods that washed over us really annoyed me, being a Froster. The heat was unbearable and I was starting to feel lightheaded. I should have been grateful that we weren’t walking, but I was in too bad of a mood to care. “What should we expect when we meet Cerberus?” I asked. “A fight. Cerberus doesn’t let people just enter the palace willy-nilly.” “He has three heads right?” “Five. And a serpent tail,” Phoenix corrected. This was going to be tough. “How did you get past him?” I asked her. Fang of Blood snorted. “None of us has ever gone to the palace of Hades. So none of us have ever tried. We see Cerberus sometimes though, as he is of course immune to fire, as well as any weapon that is using fire. He walks through our lair like he owns it, but nobody fights him, it’s not worth it. Yet I wouldn’t be sad to see him defeated.” “However, it would also mean I cannot defeat him. My very essence, not to mention blade, is laced with flames,” Phoenix admitted. “So it’s up to me and my ice blade?” I asked, groaning. “Sorry. But yes,” she responded, grimacing. “If it’s a help, all you need to do is force him down, and keep him down until he whines.” “Except he has five heads that need to whine.” “Yes, don’t fall for the trick of less than five heads whining. So many have fallen for it. And then the remaining two heads get to fight back.” “Get ready. We’re almost there.” Darkness warned. Indeed, in a matter of seconds we could hear the deep barks of a dog.
Chapter 55: It was just as Phoenix had described, but so much worse. Its teeth dripped with saliva as it barked at us, blocking the entrance to an enormous palace. The dog was easily the size of a small horse, with thick black fur and five different pairs of eyes, each a different color. Its muscles rippled beneath its skin, and its jaws were large enough to swallow an adult whole. Five heads looked at us all at once. Darkness and Fang curled their lips in disgust, but I stood my ground. "I am Artemis and this is Phoenix," I said, meeting the dog's gaze. "We ride Darkness of Night and Fang of Blood. And we are here to see Hades." The dog growled again, but this time it sounded more like a challenge than a threat. "Very well," it said. "But you will have to face me first." “I accept,” I responded. “But it is only fair that I and Darkness are the only ones you combat.” “You find me weak?” it snarled. “No, I find you so strong that just me and Darkness of Night are enough for you. If we fail, not only will we turn back but we will give you tribute for the next five years.” Darkness snarled. Hopefully not at my complete lack of logic. “Very well. I like your logic,” Cerberus laughed, a hideous laugh. And then he pounced. Author's Note: Wow, Cerberus must really not have logic -Jenna
