⚜𝓗𝓪𝓭𝓮𝓼 𝔁 𝓡𝓮𝓪𝓭𝓮𝓻⚜

💉𝑨 𝑪𝒖𝒓𝒔𝒆𝒅 𝑺𝒊𝒄𝒌𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒔💉

🥀🥀

You went back out to Charon's docks to find him standing in front of a table decorated with scrolls, bones, and inkwells. You walked up to him,
"I'm ready to help another of your lost dead."
"My, my aren't you a productive little fleshling. Tell me, how did things go with Herakles?"
"Oh we sat down for a nice cup of wine and I convinced him to go to one of the gates, without him trying to slam his mace in my skull, that is. Oh! I forgot to mention! We fought for hours and I was covered in wounds." You gestured to the linen wrapped on your bicep.
"Well at least he won't be in Tataros much longer."
"I couldn't even tell him how I liked my cheese before he started yelling at me."
"But anyways - the plague is a busy time. So busy I lost someone, a woman whose family couldn't bear to burn the body."
"So she's stuck down here."
"She now wanders the halls of the Passage of Souls, still sick with the plauge. The Thanatos Pyre can purify the dead, but the only way she'd survive the ordeal is by consuming an Asphodel flower."
"An Asphodel flower-?"
"My fleshling is in luck! Due to all the chaos you caused, there's a breach between the underworld and Elysium. You might find a flower there."
"What makes this Asphodel flower so special?"
"Everything from Elysium, that sickeningly perfect paradise, has some kind of boon."
"I'll get the flower and make sure she reaches the pyre."
"Be careful out there. Something as rare as an Asphodel flower in this place will surely draw a great deal of attention."
You left and checked your map you sketched. The Elysium breach had to be to the eastern part of the Scorched Lands. And so you ventured out to the area. You came across a hidden valley, walking into the small ravine, you were met with a patch of green and gold. Definitely not of this realm. In the center, the rays of a golden light shimmered down upon a flower.
"That's what I'm looking for!" You plucked the flower from the ground and turned to leave when you saw your old friend, you hid the flower behind your back,
"Testikles! It's nice to see you in one piece!"
"Misthios! Yes, I likes it. Nothing's trying to eat Testikles!"
"What are you doing here?"
"Came looking for magic flower... sounded so pretty. Wanted pretty flower oil. Have you seen it?" You pulled the flower from your back,
"I have the Asphodel flower. I need it to save someone who's sick."
"But I needs the flower, misthios. I came all this way to get it. And I will." You heard the growl of hell-hounds and stepped out of the way as they charged Testikles. They pushed him to the ground and began tearing at his scorched skin as you ran from the ravine.
"No flower for Testikles." You said as you ran towards Hades's Palace.

You found the woman sitting at the far end of the palace outside. She stood and you saw that she was, in fact, still cursed with the plague. Her skin covered in black boils as liquid seeped out from them.
"Just the mortal I was looking for." He spoke from behind you. You turned and saw that Hades was leaning on a stone wall,
"What do you want, Hades?"
"It's funny. How the tiniest most insignificant things to some, can mean the world to others."
"Good. More riddles."
"My darling wife hasn't been the same since the death of Cerberos. I would see her smile again... The flower you picked is the last of it's kind in my world. And it happens to be her favorite."
"But Charon wants me to give it to the plagued woman, and you wanted me to help Charon."
"Tell you what," he approached you, "give the flower to me, and in exchange I'll give you the location of one of the fallen you're hunting."
"Keep me out of your immortal affairs. The flower goes to the sick woman." Hades grabbed your throat,
"Have it your way. My hounds will get their meal. They always do." He let go and walked away. You knew that encounter was just an act after your time with Hades recently. You walked up to the woman,
"Please, stay back. I'm very sick."
"I've been sent to help you get better." You reassured her,
"Nothing can cure me. Even here I'm cursed by this plague."
"Do you remember anything of your life before?"
"I used to bake the best-smelling bread. It's all like a dream that I can't quite see or touch."
"How did you get here?"
"I remember being in my bed. I was... sick. Everything went dark, then I was by a river surrounded by people waiting to cross."
"Here," you held the flower out to her, "eat this flower. It will help you feel strong." She took the flower and consumed it,
"I feel different. I feel better," she examined her hands only to find the black boils still covering her skin, "But the plague is still with me."
"I will take you to a place where you'll feel better. There is a fire that will cleanse you."
"A fire! Are you sure it will help me? Won't it hurt?"
"The flower you ate, will protect you." You assured her.
"If this is the only way, then I suppose I have to try." You gestured her to follow you up to the Thanatos Pyre, and she did so. On the way up, plague-infested rats scurried away when they saw you two running near them. Blood was being coughed up by kneeling bystanders.
"Look! The pyre. We reached it!" The woman said relieved at your small journey upwards.
"Strange. This fire gives off no heat." You spoke, approaching the large blue flame with the woman beside you. The woman looked at you worriedly, you nodded your head signaling her that it was okay for her to enter the flames. She did so, and kneeled down in the center, praying. She cried out as you turned around. Then with a thud right behind you, you turned back to her. Her black boils gone as she examined her hands pleasingly. The woman looked up to you smiling while you knelt down beside her, patting her shoulder.