The Monomyth

Chapter 3: Return Home

Thanatos shook his head as he eyed the pool of blood as the entrance to the house. Meg only shook her head as she cracked her whip when both noticed Pandora charging towards them.

"It appears that bond you share with Zagreus must be strong enough to pull off whatever plan your mother has!" Meg commented as she grabbed Thanatos to throw behind her with her flying towards Pandora with her whip.

She swung her whip to cut through the flames and spin it again to deliver a powerful strike downward to smack Pandora to the ground! Pandora cried out in pain as she turned around to see Thanatos recovering and the fight between Nyx and Medusa. She flew to protect the Goddess of Night from another magic that Medusa cast by spinning her whip to block it.

"Oh? A Fury defending the night so protectively? Reminds me of an angel defending that goddess!" Medusa growled as she waved her staff to unleash a few magical beams to strike the ground and near them!

Nyx created her barrier as Meg flew away from it only for one beam to strike her down! She grunted in pain and frustration at this only to find herself staring at Medusa's golden eyes with a chill running down her spine. In a flash, she found herself growing cold and unable to move as she became a statue.

"Megaera" Thanatos whispered in a stunned manner as he could not believe the Fury to be turned to stone so easily by Medusa.

He then noticed his mother was caught off guard by Meg's defeat and wasn't aware that Medusa still had her eyes glowing a deep, gold color.

"Do you understand your situation now, Goddess of the Night?" the Goddess of Darkness declared as she used her magic to distract Nyx, "I will return to my rightful place as queen of the Underworld! I shall be vanquished for my hatred and desire for revenge will be greater than any seal placed upon me! Now, be petrified and turn to stone to fall in place on the board I've made!"

"Mother!" Thanatos shouted as he turned to see his mother hold herself against the darkness only to find herself face-to-face with the Goddess of Darkness's golden eyes.

Taking a surprised breath in, Nyx found herself turning to stone with her body growing heavy. She sighed and accepted her fate for now as she held herself against the Goddess of Darkness. Despite falling here, the Goddess of the Night held a defiant expression until she was petrified!

"Well, at least you could stand against the odds. I wonder how long that will last for you" Medusa commented as she then turned to the last person in the house to stand in her way, "Ah, Thanatos. I remember you being a loyal minion of mine even if I had to change your form, tone, and hide your memories to do my bidding. Would you like that task again without everything I've done to you? I promise to spare your siblings from my path of vengeance"

She offered her hand to Thanatos who only replied by holding his scythe in front of himself in a protective manner with his eyes glaring at the Goddess of Darkness. Keeping his guard up, he made sure to hover before the pool of blood to the entrance to the house. Everything was coming true, just as his mother predicted. He could hear the bubbles forming around the pool with a grumbling voice to match.

"Know this Goddess of Darkness" Thanatos declared despite his impending doom and also wondering if this is how humans felt before their end, "When you struck us down, you incurred the wrath of the God of Blood who is the Prince of the Underworld and the House of Hades. You will not escape the fate you bestowed upon yourself!"

This only angered the Goddess of Darkness who lunged with her scepter and glowing, golden eyes. Thanatos prepared himself just as Zagreus groaned when he rose out of the pool of blood, still not finding the experience of dying pleasant. Waving the blood out of his hair, Zagreus blinked a couple of times to gathering his surroundings to then being alert when he saw the state of the house!

"What the hell?" Zagreus commented as he rushed into the house and stopped when he saw Thanatos facing the Goddess of Darkness alone, "Than! Get away from her! Let me face her!"

Feeling utter relief at hearing Zagreus's voice, Thanatos had no fear and could completely trust his mother and his partner to handle everything. He lowered his scythe in a form of surrender to then standing against the Goddess of Darkness before swiftly turning around to toss Zagreus Mort and a wave of darkness!

"Than! Nyx!" Zagreus shouted as he struggled to reach out to his partner, close to grabbing his hand.

The God of Death only smiled, hoping to keep everything calm for Zagreus while also wanting the last thing Zagreus ever saw of him for a while to be a happy expression.

"Fear not, Zagreus. I know you're going to save us. That I have no fear of" Thanatos reassured in a calm tone, "Please don't take too long nor die so much. I know you and I will lose a part of each other for a time, but that separation will only be temporary. Please keep our parts with you"

Snapping his fingers, the darkness that wrapped around Zagreus to pull him out of the House!

Zagreus let out a yell from the gut with anguish and rage, "No! Not the house! Cerberus! Nyx! Achilles! Meg! THANATOS! EVERYONE!"

Despite seeing the darkness clouding his vision, Zagreus could see Thanatos and the crumbling house under Medusa's rule. At that moment, the prince of the Underworld made a vow to return to the house one day. He would get his revenge on the Goddess of Darkness and save everyone, especially his family! Nothing would keep him from returning home and delivering justice to the Goddess of Darkness.

"Medusa, here my words" Zagreus vowed before falling and losing consciousness, "You've made the worst enemy of the house. I will take my sword and ensure it strikes you down where you stand. I will not let you get away with harming those I cherish and consider my family! I will return and ensure our justice and revenge is delivered to you! Not for me, but for everyone else!"