Chapter III Hyenna

"Goodbye, Uncle," I heard a male say.

"Goodbye, Apollo. Visit me soon, will you?" I recognized that voice—it was the man's who had saved me.

Oh, why couldn't I remember why I'd been in the ground? Everything before that man seemed like one big jumble of incoherent, not understandable jibberish!

"I'll try, Uncle. I'll be sure to send Demeter." He said.

"Thank you, again."

"My pleasure…She should be waking up soon." Apollo said.

She? Me?

"Oh, and Hades?"

There was hesitation. "Yes?"

"Be careful, with her, I mean."

"Thank you, Apollo. I hope to see you soon." Came Hades's curt reply.

I closed my eyes, in thought, and drifted back into sleep.

"Hyenna! Hyenna, where are you?" Somebody called. Somebody for me…?

"Sister!" Was it a girl calling for me? "Sister, where are you? Sister, come out," the voice pleaded. "Mother is worried, sister, where are you?"

I woke up with a hand on my shoulder. I swallowed as my eyes met with light grey eyes.

"Are you alright?" His voice sounded like Hades's, so that must be who he is.

"I was just dreaming," I said softly. "I think I'm alright."

His eyes swept over my body, then came back to mine. "Do you need help getting up?" He asked me.

I nodded, my whole body feeling weak. He helped me up, one arm slipping under my arms, and the other holding my waist, after he'd placed my arms around his neck.

He pulled me up, being as gentle as he had been before. I tried not to fall into him again, considering I was still embarrassed about that.

I did though, but not as hard as before. My head was against his warm chest.

I swallowed again. Could this just stop happening to me?

I let go of him, my cheeks reddening. "I'm sorry," I said softly.

"It's all right, if you're okay." He told me.

I nodded. "Thank you, for all of your help. Who knows where I'd be if you hadn't shown up when you did."

"It was my pleasure to help you. Though if I may ask your name?"

I looked at him, and then smiled, looking down. How embarrassing would it be if I told him I didn't really know it?

"It's Hyenna," I think.

"That's a pretty name," Hades commented, and I only realized then that he was still holding me. He let go of me, slowly, as if waiting for me to protest.

"I suppose," I said in reply. I couldn't remember any other name, so I had to think it was a relatively pretty name, right?

"Do you want to get changed?" He asked me.

I looked down at the bloodstained white shift I was wearing. "That does sound like a good idea, doesn't it?" I smiled for him.

He walked over to a large wardrobe, opening it to reveal a few female robes. I saw one made of an almost shimmering, light green, gauzy fabric with a similarly colored shift underneath. He took it out and handed it to me, along with a pair of gold sandals.

"Try these on," he told me, his voice still soft. "They should fit you."

"Thank you," I said, gently taking the articles from him. "Where should I change?" I asked him.

"The bathroom is right through that door. You should probably take a bath as well," Hades suggested.

"I will," I turned around and walked through the indicated door. The bathroom was huge, the golden tub alone as big as the bed I'd been sleeping on moments before. The walls were brown, with red accents and gems encrusted into them. The floor was cooper colored tiles, warm underneath my feat. The room was illuminated with a warm light, brighter than a fire, but not quite like the sun.

I would not dwell on the light though, as the dried blood on my stomach was beginning to irritate my skin. I looked at the tub, wondering how to make it work. I reached out to touch the knobs that were on the side of the tub against the wall, causing me to lean over the edge. I moved the one on the right, and was shocked by how cold the water was that came out of it. I gave out a surprised yelp, quickly shutting off the water.

Cautious, I touched the middle one, but it would not budge. Annoyed as some of my hair fell in my eyes, I struggled to reach the one on the left. I was pleased as warm water came into the tub through the middle knob, which I know realized was a spout of some sort.

I took off Hades's cloak, holding the warm black fabric in my hands for a moment. It had been nice of him to give it to me, right? He was a nice man…

I shook my head, not knowing or wanting to know where my thoughts were drifting off to. I took off my white shift, and then moved into the warm water. I realized I didn't want my hair getting in the way, so I looked around for something to hold it up.

I found an ornate gold stick (or something like that) that had a few gems in it. I twisted my hair up, and then put the hair accessory though my gold hair, keeping it off my shoulders.

I sat there, letting warm water sink into my skin, softening the dried blood on my stomach.

I looked at the array of things next to the knobs. One was a piece of cloth, and then there were many different bottles, all different sizes, shapes, and colors. I hesitantly took one that was medium sized and orange, taking the top off. I smelled it, curious. The liquid had a soft, orange smell, and experimentally poured a bit onto the cloth.

I put the cloth back on the edge, and then rubbed the cloth together, biting my lower lip as bubbles formed. Such a curious thing! I touched it to my stomach, where some of the blood had already come off on its own accord.

I scrubbed the rest off, feeling quite odd as I put pressure on my stomach. I took the bottle off the ledge again, pouring a little more onto the cloth. I scrubbed it on my shoulders and my neck, and then lingered in the warm water for a few moments longer.

I sighed, leaning back as the water worked its way into my muscles, making them softer, rather pliable.

I looked around the bathroom before I got up. There was a robe hanging up next to the sink and mirror, and a towel next to the sink. I turned off the warm water and then got up. I reached for the towel, wrapping it around myself, drying off in the process. I was already so cold!

I finished drying off, and then reached for the robe. I was grateful that it was made out of the same soft material that Hades's cloak was.

I looked at myself in the mirror.

"I should probably do something with this hair, shouldn't I?" I said to myself, seeing how dirty the long blonde strands where.

I took the pin (as that is what I settled on calling it) out of my hair, letting the matted hair fall down to my mid back. I looked at the sink, and quickly figured out it worked the same way as the tub.

I went back over and took the orange bottle from the edge again, then walked back over to the ledge.

I ungracefully put my head in the sink, turning the warm water on. My hair was soon wet, and I used the orange soap as a shampoo. I put my head back into the sink—which caused neck cramps, but if that's the price to look pretty, then whatever—I washed the shampoo out of my hair.

I stood up straight, looking around for a brush or comb. I found one, and I suddenly found that I felt guilty. Whose things was I using? Certainly Hades wouldn't use a golden hair pin, or orange blossom soap! And why would he have a purple robe? And this golden brush and comb set?

I swallowed, and hurried with finishing my hair. I braided it quickly, and then coiled it, using the pin to secure it. I quickly scrubbed my face with the wash cloth, and after that, I finally got dressed.

The light green shift feel to right below my knees, and the dress itself took me five minutes to figure out how to do. I was—eventually—able to secure it, and then I put on the gold sandals.

I looked myself in the mirror. I did look relatively pretty, didn't I? Even just a little bit.

I shook my head, and then walked out of the bathroom. I shook slightly, like a breath of cold air was chasing me.

I was unsure of what to do when I saw that Hades wasn't in the bedroom. Where was he?

I hesitantly walked out into the hall. I was about to call out his name when someone startled me.

"What are you doing here?" His voice was deep and rough.

I felt nervous as I turned around, finding myself staring into deep maroon colored eyes.

"I'm, ah, Hades found me, and he…brought me here…" I was losing myself in those eyes. They looked so familiar…

"Right, because Hades would just suddenly have a girl in his home." The man, who was probably a little older than me, made a tffed sound.

"It's true." The man spun around as we both heard Hades's voice. "Cerberus, this is Hyenna. I found her this morning in the tunnels on the other side of Styx."

I looked down as Cerberus turned to look at me. "You mean, she's actually…this girl is alive?" He asked, surprise in his voice.

"Barely," I muttered before I could stop myself.

Hades chuckled. "She is. Now, shouldn't you go and do your job? The last thing I need is another living man searching for a lost lover."

Cerberus gave one last look at me before replying. "Yes milord. That won't happen again." He walked down the black marble staircase, his grey shirt moving with his muscles.

I blinked, trying to understand where I'd seen him. I was trying to remember. I couldn't remember anything before this morning, before Hades. It wasn't fair.

"Hyenna, would you like to see the gardens?" Hades asked me.

I had a feeling this was something that he did not offer often or get the chance to. "Yes, I'd like that." I told him.

He offered his arm and I took it as we walked down the staircase, in the direction of the blue light lit gardens.