Chapter Text
Zagreus was making his way through Elysium with Aegis on his arm and a smile on his face. Today's run was going well; he had made it past Tisiphone with only a few injuries and managed to get past Lernie in record time. He checked the nectar bottles on his hip (saved specially for Meg and Than, later) to make sure they were undamaged before heading into the next room. It was one of Charon's rooms where he set up his shop but strangely he wasn't there, the dock where his skiff usually sat devoid of any boat.
"Odd...Wonder where Charon is," Zagreus muttered to himself as he headed further in.
Something next to the water caught his eye and he turned to see a small....something. It was made of stones from the Lethe and shaped like his mother's cottage on the surface with a hollowed space inside. A handful of obols were laid inside it along with a single pom. On the top of what the young god assumed to be a shrine sat a large bowl filled with the red water of the Styx and, most surprisingly, a small wooden boat was floating gently inside. Zagreus' eyes widened in surprise. Was this a shrine for Charon? He had seen several shrines to the gods on his multiple journey's through his father's realm that the shades had made but he had never seen one for the fearsome boatman before. Sure Cthonic gods got less shrines than the Olympians but they at least existed; he'd occasionally see a shrine to Nyx and leave a coin to pay respects to his foster mother and thought once or twice about defacing some of his father's shrines before his mother had returned. He even saw at least one shrine to Hypnos, of all people, in Elysium near his home on the Lethe. But there were never shrines to Charon, not until now at least.
The sound of wood-on-wood and a familiar groan shook Zagreus out of his thoughts and he turned to see the boatman docking. The prince stood up and smiled, heading over to greet the boatman.
"Hey there Charon mate! Looks like I got here before you for a change. You think Lord Hermes will be proud?" he joked.
"Hhhhrrrrrrr...." the boatman responded, stepping onto the dock and walking past Zagreus only to jerk in surprise and whip his head around, staring down at the shrine. Zagreus watched the Charon stare at it, then slowly turned to look back at him, tilting his head questioningly.
The prince smiled and held his hands up. "It wasn't me mate, I got here just before you did. I'm sure you'd appreciate the obols given to you directly anyways."
Charon turned back to the shrine and stared at it for another moment, purple smoke pouring from his mouth.
"I don't think I've ever seen a shrine to you before Charon," the prince observed, walking over. The old god looked down at him.
"Hhhhoooohhh..." he breathed and Zagreus frowned.
"None? You can't seriously have no shrines, you have one of the most important jobs down here!" the prince objected and Charon shook his head as he started to set up his wares. "Well either way it seems like you have one now. Have any idea who made it?" he sighed. Charon shook his head again and took his place behind his wares, glancing at the shrine when he thought Zagreus wasn't looking. The prince looked at Charon for a moment, then sighed and smiled. "For another time then. Now, what have you got for me this time?"
The young god sighed as he exited the pool, grabbing a towel and rubbing his hair dry.
"Ooh, Theseus? That's rough buddy. I thought you got the hang of him by now?" Hypnos greeted, floating above his chise as usual.
"I did," Zagreus sighed. "I was doing well until I hit Elysium...." he frowned. After he had left Charon he couldn't help but think about the shrine and how Charon had looked at it. It made his heart hurt to know that the boatman didn't have any shrines when his work was so important. "Is Than in the house? I have to talk to him."
"You bet! He's in the lounge last I saw. Better hurry before he poofs away again," the sleepy god nodded, pulling his mask over his eyes.
"Thanks mate, see you later." Zagreus said before turning and heading towards the lounge.
"Try to avoid Theseus' chariot next time!" Hypnos called after him before curling up and falling asleep.
Inside the lounge Thanatos was taking the rare break, sighing a sip of tea while Nyx sat beside him. Nyx came into the lounge even more rarely than Thanatos but the smile on her face reassured the prince.
"I know that bastard is staying voluntarily in Tartarus after Zag went through the pointless trouble of freeing him, but I still don't trust him," Death complained to his mother.
"This is understandable my child," Night responded comfortingly. "It is wise to be wary of Sisyphus after his crimes against you."
Thanatos sighed again. "I know, but-" he started when he turned and noticed the prince. "Zag!"
Zagreus walked over and smiled gently. "I hope I'm not interrupting anything? I'm surprised to see you taking a break Than, you're almost as much of a workaholic as Tisiphone."
"Well everyone can use a break once every few centuries," Thanatos responded with affectionate annoyance in his voice. "...Don't tell Hypnos I said that."
Nyx smiled and Zagreus laughed. "My lips are sealed. But I have something to ask, Than; what do humans think of Charon?"
Death and Night turned to look at him in confusion. "Of Charon?" Thanatos repeated.
"Yeah, you deal with humans on the surface a lot. I know the shades avoid Charon unless they're buying something, but what about living people?" the prince asked with a tilt of the head.
Thanatos spared a glance to his mother. "....Mortals fear him and respect him as they do me. They know the consequences of disrespect to any of the cthonic gods."
"But have you seen shrines to him before?" Zagreus asked and the two balked.
"Shrines? To Charon? I've certainly never seen any. I'm sure mortals wouldn't see the point in worshiping Charon; the only 'blessing' he'd give them is passage to here if they have an obol."
"What brought up this question, my child?" Nyx interjected.
Zagreus made a face, sitting down at the table with mother and son. "When I made it to Elysium today I actually got there before Charon for once, if you can believe it, and there was a little shrine to Charon sitting there by the river right next to the dock."
"Are you sure it isn't a shrine to another god or something?" Than asked with a raised brow.
"I don't know of anyone else who's associated with obols, boats, and water from the styx all at the same time," the prince replied with a smile. "Charon acted...pretty weird when he saw it. I can't believe that he's never had a shrine before," Zagreus frowned.
"Charon has little need for the attention of mortals," Nyx replied in her usual calm voice.
"Perhaps not, but it probably feels nice to be appreciated for his hard work for once, right?" Zagreus shrugged. "I wonder who made it?"
"Probably some shade who's hoping for a discount if I'm guessing," Thanatos sighed, standing up. "Breaktime's over. Is that all you wanted to know, Zag?"
"No, actually," the prince smiled and handed him a bottle of nectar. "I wanted to give you this as well!"
Thanatos blushed and took the bottle. "Another one? I haven't finished the last two you've given me."
"Maybe we can share them later then?" Zagreus smirked and Thanatos blushed harder.
"Maybe....See you later Zag. Goodbye, Mother Nyx." Death nodded his head to them, then vanished in a flash of green light and a chorus of bells.
The next time Zagreus made it to the spot with the shrine Charon was already there and Hermes was there fluttering around the shrine chattering away.
"It's not the most impressive shrine I've seen before if I must admit, my professional associate, but it's the thought that counts right? The little skiff is a nice touch if I do say so myself! Pretty clever if you ask me," the messenger god rattled on while the boatman listened quietly, looking over said mini-skiff carefully.
"Gentlemen," Zagreus greeted as he headed over. "I see you've been introduced to Charon's new shrine, lord Hermes."
"Indeed I have boss! My associate here was just showing it to me. Cute little thing isn't it? I wonder who made it?"
"I was wondering the same thing," the prince frowned, looking it over. "Any ideas?"
Both older gods shook their heads. "Not a clue, coz. Other than me or you of course," Hermes smiled and laughed when Charon blushed and groaned at him.
"It wasn't me," Zagreus chuckled. "I asked Than about it but he didn't have any answers either."
"Hrrrrhhh......" Charon breathed out and opened his hand, revealing a handful of polished obols.
"Oh! Offerings already?" Zagreus smiled.
"Charon was just telling me that they were there when he arrived today!" the small god chirped, leaning on the boatman's shoulder while fluttering in the air.
"Then whoever made it is most definitely a shade. If I see Patroclus I'll ask him if he's seen anything."
The boatman nodded and let out a plume of purple smoke, running his thumb over the coins in his hand.