Before Nyx would even acknowledge Ryker she forced Erebus to leave so that they could 'Speak in private' as she put it before ordering her horses to escort Erebus out of the room. Ryker could not help but think that the ways that the doors shut was reflective on a door in his life closing behind him. One that he simply could not reopen. But going back had never really been his style anyways. Forging onward, meeting every obstacle, and tearing them apart. That was his path. Unfortunately his current obstacle, Nyx, was most likely far beyond even his capabilities. He would, to his horror, have to use tact here. Something he was not at all good at. He and the goddess stared at one another for a long while, neither of them speaking or turning away from the other. The horses that seemed to be made from the stars themselves returned after a few minutes, taking their place at Nyx's side once more. They snorted and pawed at the ground as they stared Ryker down, obviously attempting to intimidate him.

"It has been years since I've seen Erebus." Nyx told him coldly. "Centuries in fact. And now he turns up with you in tow. And not even to offer you to me as an apology! Oh no, he wants me to help you."

She stared at him expectantly, clearly waiting for some sort of response, but Ryker remained silent. He kept his face devoid of any emotion, save for the slightest contempt that he could not totally erase. Another few minutes passed before Nyx began to speak again. "Which, of course, begs the question of why?" She mused, now speaking more to herself than Ryker. "Erebus is certainly powerful enough to accomplish anything I might do for you himself. Why bother bringing you here, especially when you will most likely not walk out alive."

Stifling a yawn, Ryker merely shrugged one shoulder indifferently. Nyx gazed at him with no small degree of incredulity and slowly shook her head. "Why do you mortal never fear me?" She demanded angrily. "I am a goddess older than the Olympians. I am as old as time itself! Older even!"

"Your point?" Ryker asked, finally speaking. "Or was this tirade supposed to impress me, perhaps make me afraid?"

"Of course!" Nyx snapped. "Fear would be most preferable! Anything would be better than you just standing there, not saying anything with that smug expression on your face!"

Ryker smirked and slowly lifted both shoulders before letting them fall, deliberately infuriating her. Nyx's aggravation was palpable, her horses pawing the ground nervously and neighing loudly. "What do you want then?" She demanded. "Why have you come here? At least tell me that so that I may have the pleasure of denying you."

Ryker stifled a second yawn and raised an eyebrow. "Why would I tell you if you were planning on just denying me?" He asked pointedly.

"Because I want to see the look of despair on your face when you realize that you will receive no help from me!" Nyx breathed in delight.

"But I already know you aren't going to help me." Ryker reminded her. "So, if you were looking for despair, look somewhere else. I don't need your help. I'll figure something else out. Maybe I'll ask one of the other gods or monsters who live down here. I'm sure they would enjoy taking part in bringing down Tartarus."

"You seek to defy Tartarus?" Nyx repeated, her voice shrilly with rage. "And you would seek someone else's help?! No one else could even begin to assist you in facing him! He would devour you and whoever helped you."

"Well, seeing as how you aren't going to help me, I guess I don't have a choice, do I?" Ryker asked coldly, scowling up at her. "I'd rather find someone who at least has the gut to try."

"And what does that mean?" Nyx shrieked, waves of darkness rolling off of her. Ryker watched, wary, as the dark nebulae-like fog began to spread across the floor towards him. "Are you calling me a coward?"

"Yes." Ryker said, pleased that he caught on so quickly. "I am."

Nyx stared him down, her night sky eyes impossible to read. "I would really like to kill you." She told him.

"You aren't the first to say that." Ryker told her.

She seemed to wait for Ryker to say something else and then asked, "Isn't this where you tell me that I also won't be the last."

"I don't make it a habit for people to wish to kill me." Ryker said coolly. "But you may very well be the last. Perhaps the next person I face, assuming you don't kill me, won't be so foolish to tell me that they wish to kill me. Maybe they simply will. Or, at least, they will try."

For the first time since he had walked into her house, Nyx smiled. It wasn't a nice smile, but it wasn't a particularly malevolent one either. It was more of an understanding grin. "I do believe I understand why my dear Erebus is so interested in you."

"And why is that?" Ryker asked, curious. Other than the fact that Ryker was the one who was leading one of the offensives against Tartarus, Erebus could have easily found someone else to amuse himself.

Nyx merely continued smiling. "So, tell me, what can I do to assist you?" She asked, stroking the mane of one of her horses.

Erebus was waiting outside of the doors when Ryker finally left Nyx's house. She had escorted him through her house personally, pointing out all the odd horrors and marvels she had accumulated in her long life. Even Ryker had to admit that some things in that house would haunt him for the rest of his days. By the time he had stepped through the doors, he had developed a healthy wariness and grudging respect of the goddess. She had winked at him and bade him farewell before closing the doors behind him. "So, what did you think of my wife?" Erebus asked cheerfully, striding happily over to Ryker. "Quite the character isn't she?"

Ryker glared venomously at Erebus. "You left me in there, alone, with her!" He growled. "She could have killed me and wouldn't have given it a second thought!"

"Oh, I knew she probably wouldn't." Erebus said consolingly. "There was only, perhaps, a forty percent chance she would kill you. The odds were in your favor."

"What made you so certain?" Ryker demanded, pushing past the god and striding down the path that led away from the House of Night. "Maybe she would have killed me just to anger you."

"Oh, she would never do that!" Erebus told him firmly. "Nyx is a sweetheart, she really is!"

Ryker slowly turned his head to face Erebus, disbelief written all over his face. "Are you out of your mind?" He asked. "You must be. She's psychotic!"

"Oh no," Erebus laughed. "Nyx has always been hot-headed. She is very passionate. Cursing this person for breathing too hard, eternal damnation for another for not being precisely six feet tall, very passionate indeed. Whatever she does, she does completely. Which is why she was your best chance for fighting Tartarus."

"Actually, she mentioned something on that." Ryker's scowl deepened as he glared at Erebus. "She said that you were just as powerful as her and could just as easily help me just as much as she did. Which means you potentially sent me to my death simply because you didn't want to become too involved."

"I did tell you I did not want to involve myself too much." Erebus reminded him. "Takes all the fun out of things. That and I just don't want to put the effort in. It's exhausting, you know, being this lazy. So what did she do to help you anyways?"

Ryker extended his right arm and a bow made of darkness sprang forth. "A bow on par with any of the gods' weapons." He said, satisfied. "And one that is bound to me. One that cannot be lost, taken, or broken."

"Well that is certainly helpful." Erebus said, frowning unhappily. "Although I think she might have made it a bit too powerful. Ah well, I'll let it slide. What else?"

Ryker dug into his pocket and removed a gold and onyx charm. He offered it to Erebus and the primordial god took it, holding it gingerly before him. "Aah," He breathed, turning the charm over and slowly shaking his head. "A way for you to escape Tartarus with your friends. If I am not mistaken this will take you back to Elysium. That's only halfway back to the surface. How will you proceed from there?"

"I don't know." Ryker said honestly. "But if Nico can do it, I should be able to as well."

"Nico di Angelo can shadow travel." Erebus reminded him. "You…."

"Me, what?" Ryker asked, prompting Erebus as he annoyingly trailed off.

"Oh, nothing." Erebus said, smirking and chuckling quietly. "When, if, you get back to Elysium, leave getting back to the surface to me. I have no issue helping you in that regard. Particularly since your conversation with my wife took the better part of two days."

"What?!" Ryker barked, shocked. It had only been a few hours surely.

"One of her little tricks." Erebus explained. "Manipulating one's perception of time. I'm sure that there were moments where she was quiet for several minutes when you spoke with her. It might have been minutes for you, but it was hours for the outside world. You have three days remaining to get to accomplish your task. Less in fact."

Ryker's eyes narrowed briefly in concentration before the phantom image of a horse appeared, enveloping him in the aura. Erebus raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms. "You have the whole of the animal kingdom, and you choose a horse?" He asked skeptically. "Really? I'm going to get you an animal encyclopedia. You really need to work on your variety. Perhaps a cheetah next time. Maybe a wolf, a bit closer to home for you."

"Do you truly have to critique my every decision?" Ryker asked, turning around and digging into the dirt. Already the horse's natural instinct to run was beginning to sink into him, the desire stronger than he would have anticipated. The instincts, as they had with the deer, gave him some pause. If the instinct of prey was this strong, what about the instincts of a predator?