This is old. Old as '05 old. I wrote it solely because I wished to flaunt my knowledge of the Greek underworld, which has since abandoned me.

Rayce belongs to moi.

--

Rayce looked around uncomfortably from his perch in a grey tree, not appearing to be overly thrilled with his current predicament. Dull spirits, just as grey as the tree but very transparent, wandered around in a daze, mumbling under their breath in a multitude of languages. Nothing made particular sense to him, though, as jumbled as the mess was.

Why was he so uncomfortable, you might ask?

This was the Greek underworld; he wouldn't be allowed here unless he had the permission of Hades...or he had died. And unfortunately, that last option was the only one that made sense. In a twisted way it was relieving because it meant he wouldn't have turned to sea foam upon death, but that whole dying thing in general was a rather uncomfortable topic.

"This is just spectacular," the nymph grumbled, balancing precariously on the thin branch. The large gates just a few hundred feet away were wide open, but even if he could sneak past the guard as well as Alex could be expected to, there was no way he would. There was just something about a large, three-headed dog with noxious drool that struck him as a bit on the scary side.

He knew he was somewhere between the guardian Cerberus and the fields of Asphodel, and the fact that he was past the river Styx made him glad. Her waters scared him; the mere thought of breaking an oath sworn on her was enough to make Rayce start shaking. "Nine years voiceless, one year breathless and wrought with illnesses..."

The nymph was unaware that he was mumbling to himself, much like the spirits below. He wasn't exactly looking forward to joining them, out of fear of judgement. With the life he'd lead so far, he'd be lucky to end up in the fields forever. Providing he was dead, of course...maybe, just maybe, that wasn't the case.

But then...how would he have ended up here?

Rayce shook it off, stiffening when he saw one of Cerberus's ears flicking in his general direction. He stood up shakily, noting that there were no other trees around. Maybe this was...no, the Elm from which False Dreams Cling was far behind him, on the path that so many human miseries lived.

Besides, he didn't think he would be able to climb such a tree.

After a few moments of debate, the nymph dropped down from the tree. He glanced warily at the spirits and the river behind him, far too close for comfort. He had nothing but respect for the River Styx, but still...

Noting the grim path ahead, Rayce looked around for an alternate route...one that would surpass the fields, hopefully. Alas, there was no such thing. He would have to go through the fields of Asphodel, then the Vale of Mourning--which didn't bother him much, since he wasn't a sufferer of unhappy love--after which came the Plain of Judgement. That would lead him either to Elysian, Tartarus, or back to the fields.

Supressing a shudder, he wrapped his arms around his midsection and started down the worn path. This place really had a way of making one without worries fearful.

The dullness of the fields wasn't really expected. They were supposed to be like the Greek limbo, where spirits that led neither wonderful nor horrible lives stayed. He expected it to be like the purgatory he had heard about, but there had been nothing about black wheat and stalagtites. And the souls impaled on said black wheat...

That thought did strike him as funny, people getting killed by wheat. Rayce couldn't find it in himself to crack a smile, though. The neutral air of the place seemed to forbid it.

He suddenly whipped around, hearing a terrifying growl. The nymph's eyes widened when he saw the gate guardian crouched down not too far away, yellowed fangs bared and flaming eyes fixed on him. The liquid that dripped from his mouth burned the wheat that it landed on, and the smell was just a bit on the disgusting side. It wasn't surprising that the dog had inadverdantly created lethal plants. "You're not dead," Cerberus growled, somehow sounding curious but threatening at the same time.

The words brought a slight sense of relief, though it was completely outweighed by the fact that there was a gigantic dog so very close to him. Rayce was vaguely aware of his breath quickening, though he wasn't capable of stopping the hyperventilation. "That's good," he mumbled, eyes fluttering a bit.

"It's been so long since I've tasted living flesh," Cerberus added with longing, pouncing seconds later.

The nymph's eyes rolled to the back of his head as the creature attacked, passing out the moment the huge fangs tore into his body.

--

Rayce jerked upwards, eyes wide and his heart rate just a tad bit on the really super fast side. He glanced around nervously, then checked himself over to make sure that there weren't any painful, gate guardian-inflicted wounds. He swung his legs over the side of the bed shakily, reaching towards the bedside table to grope for the waterbottle he usually kept there.

Half of the cool liquid was downed in a few moments, helping him calm down a little. He then collapsed against the bed again, his breathing still rather shallow. "And to think, people wonder why I hate realistic dreams," Rayce murmured softly, curling up to stare at the opposing wall.

Dreamless sleep followed minutes later. A small smile curled the corner of his lip upwards, subconsciously relieved that there'd be no more torture for the night.