Chapter 4: Cerberus
1461 Words
Brooke’s jaw dropped as she heard the words escape from Leonidas’ mouth.
“Did you just say that thing is your father?” she squeaked, clutching his cloak from behind so tightly that her knuckles were turning white.
Leonidas did not respond. Instead, he kept his eyes lowered to the ground as the giant wolf towered over him.
As the tense seconds passed by, the sound of the wolf’s heavy breathing from his three heads was the only audible noise in the air. Finally, the wolf began to shift and change, transforming into a tall, broad-chested man.
Brooke gasped at the figure who stood before them. His long, dark hair hung over his shoulders as red eyes glowered at the two of them. He wore a set of black robes similar to Leonidas’, except that his were not tattered or worn.
“Son,” he greeted in a low, deep voice. A curt nod was his only other acknowledgment.
“Allow me to introduce my father, Cerberus, Alpha and Gatekeeper of the Underworld,” Leonidas announced formally. He turned to Brooke to allow her to step forward, but she seemed frozen to the spot as her body trembled.
“Are you alright?” Leonidas whispered to her.
“What is wrong with her?” asked Cerberus, examining her with a skeptical brow.
“I’m not sure.”
“No matter,” Cerberus said dismissively. “What business do you have here?”
“Her profile has a clerical error,” Leonidas explained. “Her destination is shown as Unknown in her profile. I’ve come to bring her before Hades for judgment, per standard procedure.”
“Let me see,” Cerberus said shortly, holding his hand out.
Leonidas reached into his cloak to pull out his tablet and passed it to his father. Cerberus tapped quickly on the screen and stared at it for a moment, furrowing his brow as the silent moments passed. The bright LED screen made his red eyes glint like rubies, giving them an eerie quality.
“What is her elemental affinity?”
“Fire.”
Cerberus’ gaze flicked upward at Leonidas, and then they passed over Brooke as he studied her for a brief second.
“Very well,” he declared finally, passing the tablet back to Leonidas. “You may pass.”
“Thank you, Father,” Leonidas replied, giving him a bow.
His father waved his hand, and a gust of air seemed to open the massive iron gate on its own. The creaking of the metal hinges squealed in the air as they slowly opened to reveal a long, stone path, which seemed to disappear ahead into a misty forest.
Without another word, Leonidas stepped forward through the gate with Brooke following closely behind. She stole one last glance over her shoulder at Cerberus, who seemed to pay her no mind as he waited for them to clear the gate. Once they entered the forest, they could hear the gates creak shut behind them.
“That was your dad?” Brooke whispered.
“Yes. Why are you whispering?”
“This forest is creepy.”
“No harm will come to you here. It’s completely safe.”
“So, I take it your dad’s affinity is air?”
“Good eye,” Leonidas answered, seeming somewhat surprised by her powers of observation. However, he kept his gaze trained forward on the stone path ahead.
“You two don’t seem very close.”
“No, I suppose not.”
“Does that bother you?”
“Should it?”
“I mean, yeah,” Brooke exclaimed, as if it was completely obvious.
“Were you close with your father back on Earth?”
“Not really,” admitted Brooke sheepishly. “My parents got divorced when I was younger, and I spent more time with my mom.”
“Then why are you surprised that I’m not close with my father?”
“I don’t know,” she shrugged awkwardly.
A silence fell between the two of them as they continued their way along the path.
“How long is this walk?” Brooke asked. “My feet hurt.”
“I told you to take off those ridiculous shoes,” Leonidas answered, rolling his eyes.
“I’m not going to walk barefoot!” she replied incredulously.
“Suit yourself.”
“I heard you mention Hades?” she asked. “You mean, like, the Hades, God of the Underworld?”
“The very same.”
“You said you were bringing me to him for ‘judgment.’ Do you mean he’s going to decide if I’m going to Heaven or Hell?”
“Why do you ask so many questions?”
“Because my eternal resting place is on the line here, Leo!” she scoffed. “I’m freaking out about how this is gonna turn out!”
“You’ll be fine.”
“How does it work? Am I on trial or something?”
“I will present your case before him. He may have a couple of questions, but then he will determine whether or not you’ll continue on to the Elysian Fields.”
“That’s Heaven, right?”
“Yes,” he sighed. It was clear his patience was waning quickly from all her questions.
“Why would there be any question about that?” she asked. “It’s not like I’ve ever murdered anyone or robbed a bank.”
Leonidas snorted. “I don’t know. That’s above my pay grade.”
“Any tips on impressing Hades?”
“Don’t speak unless spoken to. He’s a busy man.”
They continued forward as they settled into a comfortable silence.
“Wait a second!” exclaimed Brooke, stopping dead in her tracks.
“What now?” snapped Leonidas, rubbing his temples.
“If your dad was able to turn into a wolf, does that mean that you can, too?”
“That’s what we’re stopping to discuss?”
“Yes!”
“Then to answer your question, yes, I can turn into a wolf as well. Can we go now?”
Leonidas turned back around to continue on down the forest path. Brooke struggled to catch up, her tall heels clicking sharply against the stones as she took quick, short strides behind him.
“So, are you, like, an alpha wolf as well?”
“No.”
“Then what are you? Don’t wolf packs have rankings and stuff?”
“Yes.”
“Then what’s your rank?”
“Technically, I’m an omega.”
“What does that mean?”
“It means I am neither an alpha, a beta, or a gamma. I am just one of many omegas in my family’s pack.”
“That doesn’t seem fair,” Brooke said emphatically. “You deserve better than that.”
“I appreciate the sentiment, but I’m fine,” he replied, his voice weary. “Are you done pestering me yet?”
Before Brooke could answer, her gaze landed on the forest up ahead, which cleared to give way to a massive palace at the end of the path. The dark stone structure rose high above the trees, with sharp turrets reaching upward toward the stormy sky. A pair of massive, oak doors marked the entrance to the castle, and the façade was dotted with lattice glass windows that indicated that there were at least seven stories, which Brooke counted quickly under her breath.
“Leo?” she asked timidly, stopping once again in her tracks.
Leonidas sighed, turning around to scold her for calling him by that silly nickname. However, as soon as his eyes landed on her wide, frightened gaze, all traces of irritation left his mind.
“What’s wrong?”
“Will you promise me something?”
“What is it?”
Her eyes began brimming with tears. Leonidas was taken aback by this sudden display of emotion, but he let her speak.
“Will you protect me in there?” she asked. “I-I don’t want to go to Hell.”
Leonidas was stunned by her words, but perhaps even more stunned that she’d become so reliant on him in such a short amount of time. She saw him as her protector, the same way people looked up to his father and eldest brother. As alphas. As champions.
She looked so beautiful when she displayed such vulnerability to him, and somehow, he was drawn to it. He realized that he’d always wanted someone to see him in that way, as more than a ferryman.
As the wolf he truly was.
“Of course, I’ll protect you,” he said, the words tumbling from his mouth before he could stop them. “I promise.”
- Writer
