Page 32 of A Touch of Chaos

His eyes fell to the lion’s corpse with its impenetrable fur.

And armor, he thought as his fingers closed over the blunt end of his new knife.

Hades set about skinning the lion, a tedious and bloody task. He did not enjoy it, nor did he think it was anything the monster deserved, but he was about to enter the labyrinth, and he had no idea what he would face. There were likely worse things than this creature.

He had no salt to spread over the hide so he used sand—not that it would help preserve the skin. He merely hoped it would make it less…wet. When he was finished, he wore it like a cloak, and with his claw blade in hand, Hades entered the labyrinth.

He was not sure how long he walked, but he quickly lost all sense of space and time. There was a quiet within the labyrinth he had never experienced. It was a physicalthing that felt as solid as the walls around him.

The darkness was bitter and blinding.

The longer he wandered through the sinuous tunnels, the more he felt as though his whole body was winding and twisting too. His mood wavered. Sometimes he was angry that he felt so separate from the darkness, that he did not feel like himself. Other times, a strange peace descended on him, and he seemed to navigate through these passages with a cool detachment.

He recited poetry and then composed his own, attempting to convey Persephone’s beauty, if only to cling to his own sanity.

“Her golden hair swept down upon him like rays of burning sun,” he started and then paused. “That’s fucking stupid. Besides, I hate Helios.”

He tried again.

“She emerged from the dark, a sweet-voiced thing with hair that flowed like a river in spring.”

That was worse.

He moved on to singing.

“Is that… ‘Laurel’ by Apollo?” he heard Hermes ask.

Hades glared at the god who appeared beside him as a small, chubby baby with white wings that fluttered like those of a hummingbird.

“I will murder you if you tell anyone what you have heard here.”

“That is very aggressive, Daddy Death,” said Hermes. “Everyonelistens to Apollo. There’s nothing to be ashamed of. He’s a vibe.”

Hades decided not to ask what a vibe was.

“Why do you look like that?” he asked.

“Like what?” Hermes looked down at himself.

“Like a cherub, Hermes.”

The god shrugged. “Perhaps you should ask yourself that question. You’re the one hallucinating.”

“Trust me, I would never manifest Hermes as a child. He’s annoying enough as an adult.”

“Rude,” Hermes said, and then he grew taller, and his feet touched the ground. He spun and faced Hades as he walked backward down the corridor.

“You know, Hades, what you need is—”

“I need out of this fucking maze,” Hades said.

“I was going to sayfun,” said the god.

They were coming to another break in the wall, and with Hermes walking backward, Hades thought he would miss the turn, but he was surprised when he shifted to the right and continued down another dark passage.

“You need a hobby.”

“I have hobbies,” Hades said curtly.

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