Prince Zagreus was of the general opinion that he was getting better at what he did. The Fury sisters routinely fell before him, and he was pretty sure that Tisiphone at least wasn't taking it personally. He really didn't like those cyclops skulls that were imprisoned in Asphodel, but he could deal with them, smashing their bones with spear or fist. The hydra was… honestly not that bad, especially when he went for a stroll with Coronacht Heart-Seeker. He could make it to Elysium most of the time.
But, blood and darkness, why the butterflies? Why?
Bleeding from lacerations all over his body, Zagreus slumped to his knees, resting his weight on the exotic bulk of the peculiar Adamant Rail, and really wished he had some of Charon's gyroses right now. That would really take the edge off all the horrible butterfly-induced injuries.
"Also don't like those heroes with shields," he muttered to himself. "Always sort of feel it's cheating for people who aren't me to use shields." He took a rattling breath. "Or Athena. She can use them. She's a good sort. Even when she makes my enemies invincible because she's irked, she's a lot nicer than the others."
But his brief respite within the green and verdant glades of Elysium where the valiant dead spend eternity was interrupted by the pillar of light which fell from the ceiling just as the Lethe fell from the cliffs up ahead. But instead of the misty white of the river, this light was the pink of the blush which arose on Zagreus's face as he realised who it was. In the light stood a woman. Definitely a woman. No way of mistaking her for not-being-a-woman. She towered over Zagerus, and was definitely tall enough to step on him. Which was the kind of thought which oft-times arose when in proximity to this goddess.
Zagreus vaguely wondered if she ever got cold. He was aware from things Achilles had said that the tops of mountains were usually not very warm, but by all accounting Olympus was a far more pleasant place than the House of Hades. The tales wouldn't be true if his relatives sat around shivering all the time.
"Lady Aphrodite," Zagerus said, trying to adjust his hair and only managing to get blood in it. "I'm afraid you caught me in something of a mess."
"Well, look at you, dearest," Aphrodite said to him, her lips curled up in a wicked little smile. Aphrodite was, in both senses of the word, too much woman to handle. "It looks like you've been through the wringer. I hope for your sake it was the fury Megaera who did it to you, because it'd be so much more fun if that was the case rather than just some of your father's boring inmates."
"I'm afraid it was butterflies, Lady Aphrodite," he said, although it was true, Megaera had left him in a similar state before.
She frowned, cupping one hand over her ear. "Butterflies? Was that what you said? It's so awfully hard to hear you from all the way down there."
"Yes, Lady Aphrodite. It was butterflies."
"There you were, dearest, saying it was butterflies again. I find that awfully hard to believe, but you're too much of a good boy to pull a cruel prank on me. Not like that awful woman Eris. Well, I suppose the butterflies do need to take a break from causing all those storms by flapping their wings." She laughed at her own joke, but Zagreus wasn't sure what was so funny. All the butterflies he had met had tried to kill him, except for - technically - that broach that Thanatos had given him.
"But while it is just lovely to hear from you, little godling," Aphrodite purred, "a little birdie told me that you had been asking questions of a certain foul-smelling boatman, and wouldn't you know it, but I decided to make an appearance and help little old you out."
"Thank you, oh mighty goddess," Zagreus said, heart leaping in his chest and also equally sure that he didn't want to get on her bad side. "If you can provide any assistance, I will be greatly indebted to you."
The goddess of love always spoke to him in what would be considered a bedroom voice if she didn't use the same voice when sending murderous and very persistent hearts after him. Which she did. They hurt. And that was why when his relatives asked him to pick between two of them, he always chose Aphrodite. Love hurt, which admittedly was not something which came as a surprise to the underworld's prince who had once been in a relationship with Megaera.
"Oh, I know about the Ghost of Sparta," Aphrodite said, with a throaty chuckle. "He was Ares's little pet for quite a while. Such an angry little man. And dreadfully uninteresting. I was a little piqued how much time Ares was spending with him. I told him, 'dearest, I'd be a lot more forgiving if you were neglecting me to spend time with scantily clad sweaty men if it wasn't just that one. He's such a bore!'."
Aphrodite leaned in. "I was lying of course. I don't take being neglected well at all, little godling. I'd have been more than willing to break the heart of anyone. But you're so much more attentive than Ares can be. Which is why I'm helping you now. You're just the sweetest little boy."
The prince of the underworld swallowed, distinctly feeling that he was in danger.
"I don't want Ares's old pet to make it back to the surface," Aphrodite said. "He should stay locked away in the Underworld, and I'd be so very grateful to anyone who could ensure that he doesn't see the light of day again. But fortunately for you, you can help me in this - and while I might not exactly have been paying attention when Ares talked about his plans for the Ghost of Sparta, I do remember that something came up which might help you. There's someone who might be helpful in the Underworld, and no doubt you'll be able to find them easily."
Zagreus perked up. Not about the 'find them easily' part, because the goddess of love clearly had no idea of the tedious depths of the filing system of the House of Hades. But he was getting somewhere! He had the man's name, he had a vague allusion from his father that Kratos was the son of one of his uncles, and now Aphrodite was helping out. Admittedly to get back at Ares, but he'd take it!
"There was quite an awful fuss a while ago that really set Lord Zeus on edge. And while I wouldn't say anything about our king, who is of course wise and even-tempered," Aphrodite visibly rolled her eyes, "he has quite the temper. It's where I get my own from, though of course I'm much more charming. And he was not happy with Ares about the death of a woman - or possibly a girl - called Calliope. I think she was kin to Kratos in some way." She swept her hair back casually, and Zagreus tried not to get distracted. "I wouldn't have recalled it, because Lord Zeus losing his temper and people dying because of Ares is just another day, but I remember very clearly that my father sent instructions down to your father that Calliope be allowed into Elysium! So you don't even have to search the whole underworld! Just a third of it!"
"Thank you, Lady Aphrodite," Zagreus said, trying to bow and feeling his body protest.
"Oh, no no no dearest, that really isn't any good. Those awful dead are brutalising my little cousin, and that really can't be permitted. Those ghosts can't be allowed to get ideas above their station. So to you, dearest, you can call on me any time you like. And I'll help set them straight, how's about that?" She blew a kiss at him, and the floating pink heart soared over his head to slice clean through a great gold statue of some forgotten hero which toppled over.
With that said, the light faded and the image of the goddess of Love departed from the Underworld.
"Aphrodite's blessing," Zagreus muttered to himself. Useful in most circumstances, certainly, but hurt as he was, he didn't think it was exactly what he needed right now. Still, better safe than sorry!
And the knowledge she had brought him was far more useful. Calliope, kin to Kratos - maybe a daughter, maybe a wife, maybe a mother? And he knew from the Furies that Kratos was a man who fell under all their domains - so a kinslayer would make a lot of sense, and would explain why he had ended up in Tartarus.
Regardless, if Lord Uncle Zeus had in fact pulled those strings to make sure Calliope ended up in Elysium when she would not have usually qualified, there would be records of that in the archives of the House of Hades. And Zagerus had in fact managed to bribe his way back into accessing them with some diamonds plundered from the lair of the Hydra. Maybe he might even be able to do something nice for Hypnos to find out something more, though the Underworld's prince was well aware that Sleep was barely more reliable than he was.
"Excuse me, old man," Zagreus grumbled, "I heard that."
Uppity Zagreus, weary and injured but aware that nothing more could be gained by sitting around, considered whether it was even worth fighting back in the next room, as he was far more interested in this investigation of his than just fighting more of the shades of Elysium.
"Excuse me! I'm not going to just throw my life away!" He paused, frowning. "Though maybe you have a point. I'm nearly dead already, and if I throw a fight against some random heroes, I won't give Theseus the satisfaction of claiming a victory against me."
The spiteful prince of the Underworld had as one of his major goals not giving Theseus any satisfaction.
"Oh, maybe if I run into Asterius on his own, I could arrange to lose to him. Asterius's a lovely bloke, let down only by his dreadful taste in men. He'd probably feel good about it, but it's also enough of a gentleman to realise that I'm coming into the fight injured so he won't tell Theseus."
Fortunately for Prince Zagreus, the choice was taken out of his hands when he ran into the murderous Kratos among the glades of Elysium. The pale-skinned psychopath had clearly not been enjoying the fire wheels, and he looked somewhat the worse for wear. Which, fair do, no one liked those annoying little explody chariots.
The man's explosive-chariot-inspired rage provided Zagreus with a fast and painful route back to the House of Hades.
He didn't say thank you, though.