The Son Of Snakes

12 - A Lead Downwards

"So what information are you looking for here in Athens?" Hilga asked.

Nikolas walked through the streets of Athens, tapping and waving his new walking stick across the ground in front of him, while Hilga now walked beside him.

After retiring yesterday, the deal between Ria and Hector started today. Ria was currently at Hector's Blacksmithing shop, working for him and learning smithing.

"We are searching for an entrance to the Underworld." Nikolas bluntly stated.

"...huh?" Hilga looked at him. He continued to walk forwards, not a care in the world. Did she hear him correctly?

"An entrance...to the Underworld?" Hilga repeated.

"Yes." Nikolas replied.

"...why?" Hilga weakly asked.

"To save my mother." Nikolas stated.

Poor boy. Hilga suddenly realized he was going through grief. Everybody knew that once a person was dead, there was no coming back from that. Hades never let go of a soul, and rightfully so.

Besides, an entrance to the Underworld? Even she didn't know where one was. She had nothing against Hades, but they never really talked or interacted before. She never needed to visit him.

"You do know that H-" She quickly stopped herself, remembering how people here called him. "...The Unseen One doesn't let go of dead souls."

"I know." Nikolas replied.

"Then why?" Hilga asked.

"It is a better alternative." Nikolas spoke. "Ria brought it to my attention. And I agreed with her, it was better than killing myself to reunite. This way, we can love together once more."

"You were going to...kill yourself?" Hilga uneasily asked.

"Yes." Nikolas replied. "I am glad that Ria told me of this alternative. She made a deal with me, where she would help me with my goal if I became her 'right hand man' and helped with hers."

Nikolas clenched his right hand into a fist, before unclenching it. "I still do not understand the importance of my right hand."

"It's a title...like second in command." Hilga stated.

"That makes more sense." Nikolas nodded. "I had figured as much, but to know my right hand doesn't hold any significance to the position eases my mind."

Hilga watched Nikolas. This poor boy was broken. She had thought, for a moment, when Nikolas had told her of his goal that Ria was possibly taking advantage of him. But after hearing what he was originally planning to do, Hilga realized that Ria had saved him.

Ria would need to keep a close eye on him with how uncaring he was with his life. He even told Hilga all of this, having barely met her. The day that he was planning to kill himself...It was just another day for him.

It saddened her to think he had such little value for his life. He seemed like a great boy. From what she had observed, he was quite smart, albeit naive. And he walked with a sense of strength despite his broken mind and his obvious disadvantage.

As for Ria, she was one they would need to take note of. With a little bit of help from Hilga, the necklace had worked for a moment and revealed that Ria was a daughter of Poseidon. Granted, that was if the necklace did give off a correct reading.

She'd have to be on the lookout for a child of Hades and Zeus. She wasn't sure how to tell, but she was told to keep her ears out for the name Melinoe.

"So...where do you plan on looking now?" Hilga asked.