A/N: 'Cave canem' translates as 'Beware of the Dog' in Latin. If you like audio, please click the button next to the first paragraph-- I think the music is very fitting for this scene.
Can there be anything worse than walking across a rickety wooden bridge, with your sight barred by mist, and not knowing what was on the other side?
Having to drag Mercer along with you, of course. The boy has latched onto my arm, and his nails are pinching into my bare skin. As it is, I'm cold, I'm scared, and now nail marks like lion's claws down my forearm only complete the scenario.
Frankly, it sucks.
The air along the bridge is stronger, denser somehow; the mist pinches my cheeks, and my breath fogs the air further. We step together at a slow pace, feeling each creak of the wood beneath us and sending our hearts pummelling our chests.
I'm waiting for the bridge to collapse, sending us flying into the Afterlife, or to be swallowed up by some dreadful monster. But the further we walk, the less likely it seems that we're going to be eaten, and the more confident we grow. In fact, Mercer has let go of my arm as we feel the curve of the bridge dip once more, signalling our arrival on the other shore.
I turn to smirk at Mercer, whom I can only see because he's standing so close behind me that my shadow is getting envious.
'That rogue was lying to us,' I say, putting my hands on my hips with sass. Hadrian probably ran away scared— had he even been across the bridge before? He had bluffed me well! I had been completely fooled!
'Why would he do that?' Mercer questions as we walk, and I shrug. I'm too busy congratulating myself on not listening to people who supposedly know better than I do.
Then Mercer's face drains as he stares over my shoulder. I halt on the balls of my feet, mid-step.
'What is it?' I say.
He opens his mouth, and makes a small choking sound.
'What is it?' I demand, realising that I really should just turn around, but I can't help but want a warning.
Mercer's reply is a stutter. 'Big. It's big. And...hairy.'
Big and hairy? I raise my eyebrows so high they fuse with my hairline. And then I turn around.
A moment passes. I stare at the great beast before me and for the first time, feel a swoon coming on.
'BIG AND HAIRY?' I squeak, 'DID YOU FORGET TO MENTION THAT IT HAS THREE HEADS?'
Mercer's far-from-apt description of the guardian of the bridge is, granted, on the large side and, admittedly, covered in fur. But what I might have said was 'fucking-great-big-three-headed-dog', or as the legends call him: Cerberus.
Cerberus stares down at us— with all six glowing red eyes, I might add— and growls. His growl is so fierce that it sends my eyes watering and flecks of dog spit coat my face. He towers over us; at least twice our height, plus instead of being a weedy puppy, his body is solid and muscular. Rather than a guardian, he looks more like a bulldog, ready to fight to the death over a bone. His paws are bigger than my face and are equipped with claws that can probably tear apart Mercer and me without much hassle.
My hand flops in a half-hearted manner towards the cutlass at my hip, but the small slab of metal feels ridiculous in comparison to Cerberus' many options of sharp, pointing teeth to devour us with.
'What's the plan?' Mercer says faintly.
I stare at him, wide-eyed. 'I have no idea.'
'I thought you had prepared for everything!'
Cerberus's first head leans towards us, a great pink tongue emerging from his mouth and licking his lips. Gulping, we step backwards.
'I didn't think a three-headed dog was real!'
The dog makes a snapping action towards the furthest part of me; my hand, which sits outstretched on the railing of the bridge. I whip it back so fast that for a moment, I think I've lost it.
'...we've got to run!' I hear Mercer saying. He tugs on my arm, trying to get me to move.
I stand still, unmoving.
I watch as the dog sniffs the place where my hand had been, his great nostrils flickering as he tries to discern the scent. Seeing a dog sends a wave of familiarity over me; I'd always loved animals, and often spent more time with pet than owner.
There hadn't been a dog in the entire kingdom that I couldn't lure with my charms. Whether it was treats, or sticks, or cuddles, I worked out each one's weakness and befriended it.
And despite my initial terror at a dog with three heads, my inner nurturing side is cooing at not one dog's head to pat, but three.
Mercer looks at me as if I've gone mad, stepping towards Cerberus's snapping bite whilst extending a hand.
He desperately pulls my bare arm away, shouting, 'What are you doing? Let's get out of here!'
But I just have this irresistible urge to stroke the dog.
Mercer pushes me into a crouch as the dog's tail swings around, lashing at us. The bridge's handrails crack and crumble. We've barely made it, because neither of us noticed that Cerberus has equally deadly tails; three serpentine spikes, whipping towards us, before curling backwards again.
'If you want to stay and become dog food—!' Mercer begins, but he is silenced by my excited smile.
'I love big dogs!' I breathe, and I stand once more, rising shakily beneath Cerberus's massive heads. They swivel to fixate upon me, the red glow ceasing and his large brown eyes blinking at me in intelligent confusion.
He's still a guard dog, I think. And I would rather face a guard dog than my wedding night.
Shame one doesn't cancel out the other...
'I mean no harm,' I whisper, trying to convey my honesty by staring back at Cerberus's gaze, not blinking, only lifting a flat hand for him to appraise.
To my delight, he does not snap— at least, not yet. He sniffs along my knuckles and wrist, his damp nose tickling my hand. I smile as each head takes it in turn to sniff a part of my hand, flipping it over and creeping up my arm.
Cerberus makes his way up my forearm, to where there are nail marks along it, and lets out a low growl. I hesitate, wondering if this is the moment when I die and Mercer must kindly toss my body off the bridge so that I can reach my final death.
But when Cerberus gives me a great sloppy kiss with his tongue along my arm, I laugh openly, recognising the affection there.
Cerberus lifts his three heads to mine and opens his mouth to carry on licking, but Mercer lets out a high-pitched squeal.
Mercer must think I'm about to be swallowed whole; but the noise has alerted Cerberus, and one of his heads flickers towards Mercer, giving him the sniff treatment as well. Mercer has gone so white I'm concerned he may actually be marble. The dog sniffs his arm, down to his hands with culprit nails, and seems to glance back towards my arm.
Cerberus growls at Mercer in my defence.
I stroke one of Cerberus's chins, and he enjoys the scratching feeling, forgetting about Mercer. The dog obediently sits at my feet, and I have to raise my hand to pet him, almost as if I'm scratching a low ceiling.
'That thing likes you?' Mercer says accusingly, 'And you're stroking him?'
'This is Cerberus, and he's not a thing! He's a he!'
Cerberus whines, and his heads shake in a way suspiciously like he's saying no.
'Not a he...?' I say, wondering if he understands. 'A...a she?'
Cerberus gives a happy woof.
'I'm so sorry, girl!' I clap her on her sides, tickling her playfully. The dog yips and nuzzles me back. Mercer is watching us as if he can't believe what he's seeing.
'I think I preferred it when it was trying to kill us,' he says, and Cerberus stops playing to give him a surprisingly human glare.
'Ignore him,' I say to her, 'I do. It's for his own good.'
The dog snorts with all three noses.
'Don't start ganging up on me! First it was you and Hadrian, now you and a bloody animal!'
I turn my back to the complaining boy, exaggerating a huff, and Cerberus shifts to face away as well.
'Do you know how to get to the palace, Cerberus?' I ask, and the dog looks down at me, knowing. She leans into a stretch with her front paws, and glances at me as if to say, get on then.
I place my hand on her strong shoulders, and pull myself up in one motion. I swing my leg over her, so I straddle her middle, and I rub her neck in thanks.
'Can Mercer get on too, Cerberus?' I ask her gently, and the boy comes waddling up to her side.
'Please!' he says, 'Don't leave me here...I'll...give you all my leftovers?'
The dog looks thoughtful.
A pair of shoes and several promises later, and Mercer has given up anything remotely delicious to Cerberus in return for his travel fare. Barefoot, he now clambers up behind me, slipping and pulling at Cerberus's fur in a way that makes her flinch and yowl. I hoist him by the arm, and he manages to land sat at my back, his shaky arms wrapping around my waist.
And Cerberus begins to move.
She moves fluidly, more like a giant cat than any dog, prowling over the end of the bridge and into the land of the Underworld.
And the mist fades as we enter.
The pathway is rocky and narrow, and lined by lanterns that light up as we move through it. The land is dark, as if night is only ever cast here; a great moon sits low in the sky, lying crookedly and tinted pale and red. The reddish glow illuminates the kingdom below, set overlooking the waterfalls of the Afterlife and amid the rush of the waters. As Cerberus continues to walk, the kingdom becomes larger, and buildings become distinguishable from the dark shapes they had been before. Rows of slanted houses and streets, all amassing towards the foci of the kingdom, a great turreted palace of dark stone and brightly burning torches.
The palace is large, but surrounding it is the largest drawbridge and gardens I've ever seen. Leafless trees shoot into the sky, identifiable only from their spindled branches that haunt the town. Frost crunches underfoot. Plinths line the road that runs into it, signifying that the person that lives there is not only important, but godly.
And now I live there.
I swallow. Hard.
Forever.
As we pass through the houses, I notice shadows stepping from them, curious to see us. A whisper arises from the figures, but they do not take form; I realise that they are shadows, shaped like humans. The lights that awaken as we pass seem to wake the whole town, and soon crowds of shadows are coming to watch proud Cerberus and the two humans astride her back.
'What is this place?' I hear Mercer whisper, and his hands grip my waist a little too tightly.
For once, I don't have a snappy retort for him. My throat is dry, and my energy has lagged since seeing the enormity of my task. And as to the shadows...I can only guess as to who and what they are.
'It's the palace,' I whisper in reply. 'The King lives there.'
Mercer double-takes. 'Your husband? That's his house?'
A small sardonic smile tries to creep across my face. House?
I can think of many ways to describe the picturesque castle on the cliffs in front of us, but "home" is not one of them.
Prison was one of them.
We reach the drawbridge, and someone must have seen the giant dog, because it soon comes clinking down, the great chains running free as the boards slam to let us pass. Cerberus bounds across the bridge, and my thighs ache from trying to stay on her back.
At the entrance of the palace, Cerberus stretches down once more. Getting the idea, I jump in an expert fashion to the ground beside her, and Mercer falls beside me.
'Thank you,' I say to the beautiful dog. 'Can you stay with us? Or do you need to return?'
The dog whines, one of her heads nudging me. She was telling me to go inside.
'Okay, okay,' I agree, before turning to rap my hands three times on the ornate metal door.
As we wait for an answer, my mind trails to my attire, which has grown considerably shabbier over the journey. My corset is now ripped and torn in several places, my stockings are filthy, and my hair is a mess of tangles down my back. I'm certain that there's mud smears across my cheeks, but I set my jaw, stand up straight, and hope for the best.
The door slowly swings open, and my heart rises in my chest.
Is this it?
Am I about to meet the man that cost me my life?
--
A/N: Sorry for the cliffhanger! But finally...the moment you've all been waiting for (okay, maybe just me...)!
Firstly, I'd like to apologise for the long delay on updating- I normally update once a week, but I'm busy revising for 3rd year finals, and writing has to get pushed to the back of the queue :/
What do you think of Cerberus? If you haven't heard of him, he's a three-headed hellhound in Greek/Roman mythology, and has been used over the years by many writers (Fluffy in Harry Potter, for instance).
Did you like it?
What do you think will happen next?
Please click the star if you enjoyed! It makes me smile!
Larissa xxx