Chapter 3: "River of Myth" her dark purple-with chestnut colored flecks in
the irises-,
Styx's black hair flowed over the hands that rested at her temples like long dark glistening rivers. She brought her eyes up to the maps and charts that she'd been poring over for so many hours. The chestnut flecked dark purple orbs vaguely scanned the documents. She knew every coastline of every continent, and land boarder. The wicks and wax of the candles sitting on her dark cherry wood desk burn low. The faint scent of incense drifted over to Styx's weary nose.
She skimmed the map one more time to see if any of the rivers were like the one she was named after, the one she'd been searching for a decade and a half. Maybe it is just a river of myth she thought for the thousandth time, but dismissed the idea for the thousandth time.
Why else would her father have overcome such a deadly illness? Why else would he have tried to take her dead mother to a place that "never existed"? Why else would he leave a thirteen year old alone for nearly a year before she was discovered in search of a "simple myth"? Because the illness had eaten his mind, she thought but again dismissed this "novel" idea again. Besides, why else would her blood be tainted with such power? No vial of ordinary water would make her this powerful.
She glanced up at the grandfather clock. Twelve O' one. Memento was to call a minute ago, she thinks. Time to add another body to my body count, she thought chucking nastily. Styx was not a patient woman to say the least, and had killed many people in the past for misleading her-even if it wasn't intentional. She picked up the glass of red wine from the desk, gulped down the remaining contents, and got up to go to the door.
As she got up the phone rang. She snickered and thought; me of all people shouldn't give up hope so easily, then picked up the phone. She was greeted by raspy breathing.
"I was just coming to get your attention, Memento." Styx explained. "Do have the information?"
"Yes," Replied Memento's hoarse whisper.
"The correct information," She asked quickly.
"Yes." Memento answered.
"How am I to trust you? Who are your sources?" She asked.
"Have you forgotten that I can touch anything, or plunge my hands into any soil, and tell you who's ever touched it, or been there." He explained in his cracked voice.
"Yes..." Styx said.
"Have you had any luck with your research?"
"I thought I had a lead. It turned out to be some dafted nudist colony that wore pink bunny suits, " she admitted. Memento uttered a low dry laugh.
"So, what is your price?" She asked.
"Later, when the time is right, I will name it." He assured her. "The map to the underworld-where Styx lies-is kept in a Greek Museum. It was created by a prophet who everyone thought had gone off his rocker. The only difficulty isn't just getting the map, but using it. You see this prophet lived thousands of years ago and so to be able to use it you will need to gain access into time with the devices the X-men hold. It wouldn't be wise to take them on alone. I've found a group of misfits called the Lady Spies that are foes of the X-men. Get their trust and assistance and you're pretty much set if you follow the map." He explained lengthily without a breath.
"Where do these Lady Spies live?" she asked...
Styx's black hair flowed over the hands that rested at her temples like long dark glistening rivers. She brought her eyes up to the maps and charts that she'd been poring over for so many hours. The chestnut flecked dark purple orbs vaguely scanned the documents. She knew every coastline of every continent, and land boarder. The wicks and wax of the candles sitting on her dark cherry wood desk burn low. The faint scent of incense drifted over to Styx's weary nose.
She skimmed the map one more time to see if any of the rivers were like the one she was named after, the one she'd been searching for a decade and a half. Maybe it is just a river of myth she thought for the thousandth time, but dismissed the idea for the thousandth time.
Why else would her father have overcome such a deadly illness? Why else would he have tried to take her dead mother to a place that "never existed"? Why else would he leave a thirteen year old alone for nearly a year before she was discovered in search of a "simple myth"? Because the illness had eaten his mind, she thought but again dismissed this "novel" idea again. Besides, why else would her blood be tainted with such power? No vial of ordinary water would make her this powerful.
She glanced up at the grandfather clock. Twelve O' one. Memento was to call a minute ago, she thinks. Time to add another body to my body count, she thought chucking nastily. Styx was not a patient woman to say the least, and had killed many people in the past for misleading her-even if it wasn't intentional. She picked up the glass of red wine from the desk, gulped down the remaining contents, and got up to go to the door.
As she got up the phone rang. She snickered and thought; me of all people shouldn't give up hope so easily, then picked up the phone. She was greeted by raspy breathing.
"I was just coming to get your attention, Memento." Styx explained. "Do have the information?"
"Yes," Replied Memento's hoarse whisper.
"The correct information," She asked quickly.
"Yes." Memento answered.
"How am I to trust you? Who are your sources?" She asked.
"Have you forgotten that I can touch anything, or plunge my hands into any soil, and tell you who's ever touched it, or been there." He explained in his cracked voice.
"Yes..." Styx said.
"Have you had any luck with your research?"
"I thought I had a lead. It turned out to be some dafted nudist colony that wore pink bunny suits, " she admitted. Memento uttered a low dry laugh.
"So, what is your price?" She asked.
"Later, when the time is right, I will name it." He assured her. "The map to the underworld-where Styx lies-is kept in a Greek Museum. It was created by a prophet who everyone thought had gone off his rocker. The only difficulty isn't just getting the map, but using it. You see this prophet lived thousands of years ago and so to be able to use it you will need to gain access into time with the devices the X-men hold. It wouldn't be wise to take them on alone. I've found a group of misfits called the Lady Spies that are foes of the X-men. Get their trust and assistance and you're pretty much set if you follow the map." He explained lengthily without a breath.
"Where do these Lady Spies live?" she asked...
