Chapter Text
Melinoë didn’t like this, there was something on the air tonight.
Everything felt just the slightest bit slower and it threw off her senses, yet there didn’t seem to be any tangible differences. Perhaps a trick by Chronos? Possible, if unlikely. His power didn’t seem to reach that far, and he was in Tartarus if Odysseus’ reports were correct. It didn’t seem like Hecate’s magick either, as while that could slow time it was far more potent - and usually didn’t affect the princess.
Regardless, the task proceeded. It was the most important thing in the universe to her right now, even above self preservation. She entered the next glade of Erebus with Descura in spectral hand, already launching waves of pure energy and godly force at the minions of Chronos that charged her. One by one they fell with the flash of her stave’s light, quickly fading away into nothing a moment after.
Melinoë was still catching her breath when another wave of shades began to appear - one far too close for comfort and already preparing to swipe at her.
She dodged to the side, and-
Of all the things, a rock tripped her up at the last second. What would have been a narrow evasion instead turned into the princess practically falling onto a shades’ sharpened claws. She hissed as its strength sent her tumbling backwards, knocking her weapon from her hands.
“Blood and…” Mel cursed under her breath as her blood painted the grass below, retreating and kneeling in pain from her new wound. She looked up to the monster towering over her - seeing her weapon lying far behind it in the grass - trying to formulate a plan. Her magick was still recovering and without her weapon the situation was dire. The princess backed away a step while raising her hands defensively, thinking tirelessly until-
Suddenly a metal spike on the end of a long chain tore through several of the shamblers, leaving some entirely bisected. The shades and Melinoë were both shocked by the sudden attack; turning their attention to the source.
The thorned chains drew back until they reached their source; the arms of a pale woman. As if by magic they receded and coiled themselves around her forearms, somehow not slicing them a hundred different ways as they did so. She had short black hair that didn’t look especially well kept, as well as what seemed like black robe or cloak with red underclothes. There was also some gold jewelry that seemed to be somewhat spiked, similar to her weaponry. Her bright golden eyes looked perpetually half lidded from tiredness and her face bore a look of someone who was hollow. A crown of thorned roses adorned her head, and face paint fashioned after running makeup or black tear-streaks ran down from her eyes.
“Stand and fight if you are able, more are coming.” The woman’s melancholic voice echoed somewhat while Melinoë nodded as she stood up and dashed for her weapon, bracing for the fight ahead.
The princess had no idea who her new ally was, but she was quite grateful that they appeared at such a fortunate moment.
Their enemies began to rush them both and the two responded in kind. Melinoë set down a large binding circle and skewered any that came close while the stranger cleaved wide swaths with her chain whips. Whoever this woman was, she was decently skilled. She wielded the two chained weapons like they were a natural extension of her arms and any enemy struck by them either perished immediately or was overcome by so much agony that Mel was able to easily flank and dispatch them.
Finally, the near endless legions of Chronos ceased appearing and the last shades faded into the earth. The princess caught her breath and restored her magick, looking over at her ally. She was rather exhausted too, chest heaving with every breath as her weapons receded once more.
“Thank you for the aid, friend. I’d have surely perished were it not for your intervention.” Mel bowed politely with a smile, performing a brief salute as well. The woman simply nodded in response with a look of being vaguely uncomfortable.
“Think nothing of it. I wish you luck on your journey but we should both go our separate ways. And quickly.” The princess tilted her head and frowned at the response.
“Oh, well may I at least have your name? Mine is Melinoë.” The woman who had cleaved at least ten shades into several pieces moments before suddenly seemed nervous, bordering on anxious. Only after several moments of thoughtful deliberation did she finally answer.
“…Very well. You may call me Zys.” Melinoë’s smile returned upon hearing the name, though a question still lingered at the back of her mind.
“Thank you again, Zys. Pardon me but I must ask; the air here feels…heavier. Almost as if everything is slower. Is that you?” Zys’ eyes drifted everywhere but on Melinoë until she finally answered, speaking quieter and slower than before.
“Ah, yes. It is just…an incantation. No need to worry - it will fade with distance; and affects our enemies far more than us.” Without so much as a farewell or another word ‘Zys’ quickly dashed off into the forest opposite of where Melinoë was headed.
That was…odd. But still, it likely saved her life this night. The princess made a future note to give Zys a bottle of nectar when she had one to spare as she continued deeper into Erebus.
~~~~~
The odd feeling on the air did eventually vanish, though the princes came no closer to discerning its source. Partway through Erebus the princess was slain by a root stalker, and with a simple incantation she returned to her tent as though nothing had occurred at all. Her thoughts drifted back to the earlier evening yet lingered on Zys and how everything about the encounter was strange.
She hadn’t tripped over something as insignificant as a rock on the ground since she was a child, the woman acted more than a bit paranoid and even seemed to feel guilty about whatever that odd feeling on the wind was. Even if it was an incantation like she had said, surely a witch with as much experience as Melinoë could sense it? Yet at far as she could tell there wasn’t a hint of magic on her.
A loud croak took her out of her thoughts.
“Well hello to you too, Frinos.” She knelt down with a smile and began to pet the amphibian. “I don’t suppose you know of anyone named Zys, do you?”
Frinos - despite his near infinite wisdom - didn’t respond further. Truly if he had no answer, then perhaps it would be a mystery for eternity.
The princess quietly laughed to herself at Homer’s words before heading into her tent.
Dora wasn’t in their shared ‘room’ when the princess returned either, which only added to Melinoë’s strange feelings about the night; building until she decided to ask the most knowledgeable person in all of the crossroads. A quick dash and a short sprint to the main hub area of their little ‘community’ later, Mel was face to face with who she was seeking.
“Headmistress, I met an odd woman in the forest who went by ‘Zys’. Do you know anything about her?” The titaness scoffed, not even turning her attention from the cauldron.
“Hm. Finally shown herself, has she? Ever an annoyance, that one…she shouldn’t be of any trouble to you but if she is, you let me know.” Melinoë frowned, tilting her head somewhat at her teacher.
“Annoyance? She seemed kind, even helped me deal with some of the shades in Erebus.” That actually did give the taller witch a moment of pause as her eyes narrowed in thought, and Melinoë was more than happy to leave out the part of the story where she nearly died tripping over a rock.
Nemesis would never let her hear the end of it if she knew…
“Surprising, considering she never came to our aid - or her own mother’s. That ‘odd woman’ is Oizys, goddess of misery, pain and several other terrible things; one of Nyx’ many children.” Melinoë took a moment to absorb all of that. Well, being saved by another goddess was certainly less embarrassing than being saved by a mortal - plus it did explain her skill and odd choice of weaponry - though she still had quite a few questions.
“Another child of Nyx…but why hasn’t she joined us? Does she know that she’s welcome here?” Since she had summoned Moros recently nearly all children of Nyx (Those that weren’t imprisoned by the titan, anyway) were accounted for and allied with them. Even Eris, surprisingly.
“Oizys and her mother have been at odds for a long time, which I imagine is reason enough. Her aid - as vexing as it is sudden - is welcome, though she has always been something of an outsider.” Melinoe thought for a moment as Hecate began to chant over the cauldron with a few witch shades, speaking to herself.
“Perhaps that can change.” The princess whispered before sprinting towards the training grounds and out through the Erebus gateway once again.