"So Author-san found that the brief interactions between characters in Hades is quite conducive to his style of writing, and after much deliberation, chose an underutilized Servant for this x-over."
(-)
"Once again the rebellious Prince of the Underworld stood before the imposing gates of the Elysium Coliseum, eager to quickly best the arena champions on his quest to return to his mother on the surface yet was unprepared for the surprise that awaited him inside."
"You are terrible at keeping secrets, you know that?" Zagreus remarked as he rested the flat side of the Stygian blade on his shoulder while making his way through the dark corridor leading to the arena's center. "But since you've gone and spoiled the surprise, mind telling me what exactly you mean by that?"
No response awaited the flame-footed prince as the gates drew open to allow him entrance. Making his way through the dark tunnel that ran beneath the audience, he soon exited to the arena proper and was greeted by the 'surprise' that the old man had hinted at. The most overt change was the lack of banners portraying Theseus and Asterius which normally lined the walls. Zagreus' own fan was still present with his singular banner, but the rest of the cloth decorations had been replaced with the image of someone else. Painted upon the fabric were depictions of an unfamiliar female warrior. Casting his gaze back to the arena center, Zagreus spotted the person whom the banners represented.
Sitting cross-legged with her eyes closed was a single woman. Her skin was the color of flawless alabaster, and her hair shimmered with a silver luster, but such appealing features did not detract from the clear indications of her prowess as a warrior. A single strip of form-fitting cloth was all that covered her chest, serving the purpose of restraining her breasts and nothing more, which allowed a clear view of her toned abdominal muscles. In fact, very little in the way cloth adorned the woman, but that wasn't to say she lacked any form of attire. Her forearms were clad with bracers lined with sharp-edged steel and possessed blackened-metal claws that extended past the backs of her hands, whilst spiked leg-guards were strapped to a pair of taloned boots. All-in-all the woman gave off the impression of her entire body being a lethal weapon.
Zagreus had heard tell of women who fit the description of the person in front of him, and his assumptions grew stronger as he continued to take stock of her. The prince concluded that she must be an Amazon, one of the warrior women whose ferocity in combat was equally feared as it was praised. Her kind wore little in the way of armor, choosing to utilize their lither forms for a faster and more aggressive type of combat that favored mobility, something that full chest armor would inhibit.
The woman opened her eyes upon Zagreus' approach, revealing dull-gold orbs that regarded him with a look of disinterest. Rising to her standing height, she revealed herself to be rather tall, only a few inches short of being in-line with the underworld prince, at which point said prince also noticed the pair of short-swords sheathed at her waist and two large, spiked balls linked by chains at her feet.
"…"
An awkward moment of silence passed as the woman stood there quietly, apparently waiting for Zagreus to initiate the conversation.
"Err, well this is slightly odd. I don't suppose I made a wrong turn somewhere during my journey through Elysium?"
Shaking her head, the woman spoke for the first time. "If you are attempting to make your way to the surface then no, you've come to the right place." her voice sonorous yet still feminine.
"Oh… Well, not to sound rude or anything, but I was expecting a pompous braggart and his oddly tolerating yet soft-spoken companion. Running into them on my way to the Temple of Styx has been a constant for some time now. Though I couldn't care less should something unfortunate have befallen Theseus, I do hold a fair amount of respect for Asterius. Especially since the bull can so easily put up with that loudmouth."
"The two of them are fine, though their egos may be bruised, primarily the former's. As for the reason to their absence," the woman began to explain as she jabbed a thumb over her shoulder. "the duty of guarding passage out of Elysium falls upon the Coliseum champion. The current champion."
"Ah, so that's what happened." Zagreus remarked as he came to understand the situation. "After I defeated them multiple times, they still maintained their posts because none of the other contenders bested them. You on the other hand…"
"Correct." the woman nodded as she grasped the chains to her massive flails. "But enough talk, now we fight."
Rotating her wrists rapidly, the momentum built up as the weapons swung around with enough force to kick up dust.
"Whoa, hold up!" Zagreus exclaimed as he brought his sword up into a guarding stance. "Maybe you could hear me out and let me pass by peacefully?"
"I refuse!" the woman shouted as she sent one of her flails flying at Zagreus.
Despite its speed, the direction of the attack was obvious. The prince dashed to the side before breaking out into a mad sprint to close the distance between them. A moment later the second flail was swung at him in a wide arc, but the overextended reach meant Zagreus still had time to rush the woman before it caught up to him, so he continued his course.
It wasn't until his opponent gave a look reminiscent of disappointment that he realized something was wrong. Reaching out with her claw, the woman used the tool to forcefully yank back on the first chain, causing the initial flail to immediately return at high-speed. On its return, the spiked ball struck the second one, causing it to close the arc early and wrap the chains around Zagreus who was too surprised by the unique attack to react in time. As his movements were now sealed, the last thing the prince saw was the woman rushing him whilst swinging her claw before his vision went red.
(-)
"Hmm, let's see here… This time your cause of death was 'head torn off'. Uck, sounds quite nasty." Hypnos remarked as he read from his book. "You know, I heard that the brain can still function for a short while after decapitation. Did you happen to get a look at your own headless body?"
"Didn't think to check. Maybe next time though." Zagreus responded as he made his way past the God of Slumber, only to come to a halt upon falling beneath his father's scrutinizing gaze.
"It would seem you failed to escape Elysium this time boy. Is this sudden shortfall perhaps a sign of things to come?"
"Well, I've been winning so often in the arena that the shades were probably getting bored by witnessing the same outcome repeatedly. Just trying to mix things up and keep you on your toes." Zagreus answered with the bitter snark reserved for his father.
The King of the Underworld huffed in amusement. "Keep telling yourself that, boy."
(-)
Entering the arena once more, Zagreus was girding himself up at the prospect of fighting the amazon warrior for the second time. His first attempt to defeat her was perilously short-lived and he hoped not to have a repeat of that outcome.
"Though the Prince did his best to remain optimistic about his chances of winning, reality would prove that attitude is not enough to win a battle."
"Can't you try to be encouraging for once?"
Stepping out into the light of the arena, Zagreus spotted the woman waiting for him again.
"I see you have returned once more." she stated plainly.
"Seeing as how I aim to reach the surface, you'll be seeing a lot more of me so long as you hold the position of Champion." the prince responded as he stabbed his sword in the ground. "I'd like to think you are a more reasonable person than Theseus, so is there any chance that I might convince you to let me go without issue, or perhaps you'd be willing to accept a bribe? I've got a lovely bottle of Ambrosia for you in exchange."
The woman snarled. "That would be a stain upon my honor as a warrior. My duty is to stop all from leaving, and that is what I shall do." she said firmly as she drew her swords. "Your cowardly attempts at avoiding combat are grating on my nerves. Now fight!" the woman roared as she kicked one of her flails directly at Zagreus before rushing him.
(-)
Running his hand through his hair to rid it of the last few drops of blood, Zagreus noticed this was one of the extremely rare times where Hypnos wasn't asleep on the job.
"Oh, look who's back already!" the god remarked in surprise. "Running into a bit of trouble Prince Z? Twice in a row you've been killed in Elysium, and this time was from disembowelment!"
"Just getting used to fighting the new champion is all. But don't worry, I'll get her next time."
"Best of luck then!"
Rather than deal with his father again, Zagreus slipped into the lounge through the recently installed side-entrance. "Might as well see if the Wretched Broker has anything good on sale…"
"Ah, what a coincidence to see you here lad." came the voice of Achilles who was on break at the bar.
"A coincidence indeed." Zagreus responded. "Not often I see you come here of your own volition."
The hero nodded in agreement. "Aye, just felt the sudden need for a drink is all. For some reason my nerves seem to be acting up, as if anticipating trouble for me in the near future."
Raising a brow in skepticism, Zagreus chuckled lightly. "Trouble? You? I'd hate to see whatever could possibly rattle a warrior of your renown. But you can always count on me to be of assistance should something come to pass."
"Careful now lad, I might just hold you to that offer." Achilles joked. "But my theoretical problems aside, how have things been going for you?"
At this, Zagreus let out a sigh. "Well, there's good news and bad news concerning my journey to the surface."
"That being?"
"Theseus and Asterius are no longer the champions of Elysium, so at least I'm not having to put up with that blowhard."
"Almost feels like that is cause for celebration, though I'm guessing the bad news has to do with their replacement?"
"Indeed. A brusque amazonian now stands between me and the surface, and I'm having trouble getting a read on her."
Achilles momentarily froze at the mention of the word 'amazonian', something that Zagreus took note of.
"Everything alright sir?"
Shaking his head, Achilles brushed off the issue. "All is good lad. Just a fleeting memory I'd rather not revisit."
(-)
Coronacht -the heart-seeking bow- rested in Zagreus' left hand as he once again entered the arena, hoping that the ranged weapon would prove advantageous to him with his next confrontation.
"Still the reigning champion, I see." he remarked as the amazon acknowledged his approach.
"And I see that you are still attempting to get past me."
"I suppose that's how things will play out for the foreseeable future." Zagreus opined before a thought occurred to him. "Pardon me for not bringing it up earlier, but I never caught your name. Mind granting me the honor of learning just who my opponent is?"
"Hmph, my name is Penthesilea, and in life I was the Amazon Queen." the now identified Penthesilea answered. "Now it is your turn. Tell me the name of the renegade who seeks to escape Elysium."
"Strange, I would have thought my reputation would precede me by now, but I suppose the Fates had other things in mind. My name is Zagreus, and as it happens, I am of royalty myself. Perhaps you are familiar with my father? He is the god who rules this realm."
Penthesilea scoffed. "You claim to be the son of Hades himself? I was under the impression I was fighting a warrior, not a jester."
"If you don't believe me, feel free to ask around. Plenty of shades will vouch for my identity, especially since my father is paying them to kill me on a regular basis."
"Enough nonsense." the former queen growled as she lifted her flails. "A weakling such as yourself claiming to be the spawn of the God of the Underworld? Choose a more believable lie next time."
Zagreus became indignant at the insult. "Now you're just being rude."
"And you are wasting my time." the amazon growled as she grew eager for combat. "Manage to defeat me, and perhaps I'll humor your delusions when next we meet."
(-)
"Huh, 'beaten to death with your own bow'? That's a new one. Usually that happens with a shield." Hypnos spoke, somewhat impressed by the unconventional cause of death.
"There's a first for everything." Zagreus opined as he made his way further into the House of Hades.
Fortunately for the prince, this happened to be one of the rare instances where his father's throne sat empty, sparing him from the imposing figure and disappointing gaze of the Underworld King, which allowed him to retire to his room peacefully. Upon entering the mess that is his living quarters, Zagreus let out a sigh of frustration. His new opponent in Elysium was proving to be quite the challenge, and though the Fates had already declared he would overcome it, their list never specified when that would happen.
"Let's try using Aegis next."
(-)
Having made it roughly midway through Elysium, Zagreus found himself funneled towards one of the lesser arenas for his next combat encounter.
"Perhaps a round of combat with the Bull of Minos will help me warm up for my fight with Penthesilea." Zagreus spoke to himself, only to be surprised by the opponent waiting for him.
Standing at the arena center was Theseus; alone and looking particularly miffed for one reason or another. Then the old hero's eyes locked onto Zagreus and his expression soured further.
" You…" the word spat out with such vehemence that the prince almost thought it was his father speaking.
"Me?" Zagreus responded sarcastically as he pointed at himself.
"You detestable, loathsome, arrogant, dishonorable, reviled, poison-tongued, rotten blackguard!" Theseus roared in fury as he pointed his spear at Zagreus with a white-knuckled grip.
"Nice to see you too, Theseus. It's been so long since we last met that I had nearly forgotten the sound of your voice. Pity that." Zagreus replied as he began his approach. "Though I am curious, what brings you to this corner of Elysium?"
"Argh! Don't act like you are ignorant of my plight! It is wholly your fault I am consigned to this lesser combatant position!"
"That has nothing to do with me and everything to do with your defeat at the hands of Penthesilea. But please, do tell me the ridiculous logic you've used to pin the blame on me. I could go for a good laugh."
Stomping his foot forward as he took a step towards his opponent, Theseus continued. "What with your constant challenging of us and poisoning our minds with your wicked words, Asterius and I were weakened to a state where our opposition stood a chance at defeating us! Not only that, but you utilized whatever foul influence you hold to demote us for further insult! The sheer amount of denigration our names have suffered at your hands!"
At the mention of Asterius, the prince finally took note of his absence. "By the way, where is your better half? I can only put up with you for so long, and the politeness of the bull always managed to even things out."
"The audacity you display in mocking me! Surely you know these arenas are reserved for one-on-one combat!" he shouted before charging ahead in rage. "DIE!"
(-)
Taking a seat at the bar, Zagreus ordered a drink and began to ponder how he should next approach the Penthesilea issue. The woman had too many offensive options to counter him with, no matter the weapon he took into combat against her.
"Maybe there is something on her in the Codex that can give me a clue on how to defeat her." the prince remarked as he opened the book and flipped through to the page on the former queen. "Wait, what?" only to be confused by the words that awaited him.
I dare not speak of this woman, let alone put my thoughts of her to parchment. Apologies, but you will need to seek out this information elsewhere.
(-)
It was a new day -or night- and Zagreus had a good feeling about his chances at fighting Penthesilea. Though it had taken quite a few attempts to do so, he was finally beginning to grow accustomed to her aggressive combat style. The Boons he managed to gather for this attempt were bolstering his strength considerably and even recently he took a refreshing drink from a healing fountain. Yes, this was the most prepared he had ever been prior to reaching his current roadblock.
"Guess who has returned for another rematch?" Zagreus spoke as he entered the arena, spotting Penthesilea leaning against one of the pillars that dotted the grounds.
The champion's eyes were closed as she had patiently been waiting for Zagreus to arrive from the moment word reached her that the prince ascended from Asphodel.
"You are very persistent; I'll give you that much." the amazon responded, her eyes still closed, and face shadowed from how her head leaned forward. "That alone is the only aspect of your character I underestimated."
"Oh, well I appreciate the compliment."
"It wasn't a compliment." Penthesilea clarified before letting out a brief sigh. "In the realm of mortals, a single failure results in death. Permanent death." she said with emphasis. "Were we both humans, you would have died during our first encounter and that would be it."
"I suppose that is one way to look at it." Zagreus opined as he gave Varatha a twirl. "But not even death will keep me from reaching the surface. And with each defeat at your hands, I learn a little more, bit by bit growing closer to victory. Failure only occurs when you decide you've been beaten."
"'You either succeed or you learn'. Where did I hear that before?" she remarked before lifting her gaze to match her opponents, only to freeze at the sight of his weapon. "That spear…"
"Hmm, Varatha? What about it?" Zagreus asked as he briefly glanced at his armament, currently having taken on the Aspect of Achilles. "Do you-?"
"ACHILLEEEEEEEEES!"
In a blink the woman was upon him, her eyes filled with a fury he had never before witnessed in his entire life. Not even his father's disdainful gaze could compare to the pure unrestrained rage currently directed at him.
And then she tore into him.
(-)
"Yeesh! 'Mauled to death by a berserk amazon'. Sounds messy." Hypnos remarked as he inadvertently visualized what that might look like. "Best of luck next time!"
"Honestly, luck alone won't be enough to beat her." Zagreus grumbled in annoyance.
His best run yet, ruined due to Penthesilea pulling out a completely new technique for no discernable reason. Well, that wasn't entirely true, as it was clear what the catalyst was that caused such an inexplicable change in the woman. The moment she saw Varatha and recognized the aspect it had taken on was enough to send her into a fit of rage that made Alecto's outbursts akin to a temper tantrum by comparison. Penthesilea had also roared out a familiar name as she charged him with murderous intent. And as Zagreus had wandered over to the hall where said person stood guard, irony reared its annoying head and revealed Achilles to be absent from his post.
"Because of course he wouldn't be around to answer my questions." the prince grumbled to himself before sighing. "Well, the codex advised I ask for answers elsewhere, so I might as well."
(-)
"You're asking me if I recall anything about a particular Shade I would have met only once, when I already deal with countless dead on a regular basis?" Thanatos asked incredulously at his friend's request.
"Okay, I admit it was something of a longshot to ask you, but at this point I'm willing to question just about anyone -save my father- if they possess even a scrap of knowledge pertaining to her." Zagreus explained, trying to get across the frustration he was experiencing for anything related to Penthesilea.
"Hmph, well you happen to be in luck." the God of Death replied with a ghost of a smirk. "Not often do I deal with a person as volatile as her. She was kicking and screaming as we forced her onto Charon's boat. Evidently, she had unfinished business on the surface and was quite literally willing to defy Death and claw her way out of the Underworld to get it done."
"And let me guess, she was screaming the name of a certain warrior the whole time? Perhaps a noble hero who happens to be employed by this very house?"
"I think you already know the answer to that Zag." his 'brother' confirmed. "While I don't know the exact details of their circumstances, it is clear that Achilles has wronged Penthesilea in some manner."
"And the wronging was so great that the amazon flies into a fit of violent rage even from just seeing his weapon." the prince agreed. "Not exactly useful information for combating her, but at least I know what to avoid lest she go berserk again."
(-)
Stabbing his sword forward, Zagreus managed to deal a glancing blow across Penthesilea's flank which left a not insignificant cut on her left side. The amazon was quick to retaliate by swinging her own sword in an upward arc with a backhand grip in an attempt to cut the outstretched limb but was forced to roll away as the green crystal in his other hand was fired at near point-blank range. Had she been a second later in trying to evade, her head would have received a wound much worse than just a slice on her forehead.
"Tch!" Penthesilea clicked her tongue in frustration as she slammed her flails on Zagreus from above while at the same time flipping backwards to put distance between them.
Both combatants were sporting their own fair share of wounds and exhaustion was beginning to set in. Blood and sweat dripped from Penthesilea's brow as she took a moment to catch her breath, much like her opponent was doing. Releasing her grip on the chains of her flails, she opted to continue the fight with her swords and claws.
"Not half bad for a jester." she remarked in amusement. "But you've still a way to go before killing me."
"Wouldn't have it any other way." Zagreus replied as he readied himself once more. "The surface beckons to me, and I'll be going through you every time in order to get there."
"Then I suppose it's about time I get serious." Penthesilea mused as she stood tall and raised her swords high. "Father! I ask of you to lend me your strength! Guide my blade in battle and let me destroy all who oppose me!"
There was a moment of stillness as the audience grew silent, only for a surge of power to erupt from Penthesilea in waves of crimson light.
"RAAAAAAAAAAAAAGHHHHHHHHHH!"
(-)
Zagreus had to give the amazon credit, she was without a doubt stronger than both Theseus and Asterius combined -which makes sense since she defeated them-, putting up a fight worth of the title Champion of Elysium. While she wasn't as strong as his father by any means, the pure ferocity she displayed in combat was nothing like the latter's overwhelming destructive force. Hades fights with the intent to defeat his opponent, whereas Penthesilea is consumed by a complete and total desire to kill whatever stands against her. A lust for battle on par with Ares himself.
But that didn't mean she was unbeatable…
Torrents of water that hit with the strength of a minotaur bombarded the former queen one after another as she used her swords to cut through the assault for however long it lasted. Just as the rush of water neared its end, Penthesilea had her vision obscured as Zagreus used a jet of water to propel himself high into the air. She lost track of him for a moment before hearing the sound of him landing behind her. Spinning around to guard the next attack, she was left momentarily confused, as all that she saw was Stygius stuck in the ground.
"Just the sword?!"
Penthesilea's body jerked forward slightly as she felt a sharp pain enter her back before a green crystal followed by a spray of blood erupted from her chest. Glancing down at the hole in her torso, she turned her head to look over her shoulder to see Zagreus standing behind her; panting with exhaustion and arm outstretched from launching his cast.
A faint smirk crawled across her face. "Well fought…" she spoke as she fell forward. "Until… next… time…"
As Penthesilea's form faded away, Zagreus let out a sigh of relief; he had finally defeated the Amazon Queen.
(-)
"It would appear that I owe you an apology." Penthesilea said upon Zagreus' return to the coliseum as he once more progressed to the surface.
"That is certainly odd. Most of the people I encounter are demanding apologies from me." Zagreus remarked in mild confusion. "To what wronging am I owed a request for forgiveness from a warrior queen such as yourself?"
"After my defeat at your hands, I decided to humor your previous claim; the one about you being the son of Lord Hades." she explained, her manner of addressing the prince now a touch more polite. "It took a bit of asking around, but I eventually received confirmation that you are indeed the Underworld Prince. So, I have chosen to afford you a modicum of respect in turn."
"Enough respect that you might allow me free passage to the temple above?" Zagreus asked, once again trying to talk his way past his opponent.
Penthesilea chuckled as she began twirling one of her flails. "I still have a job to do, and I intend to carry it out to the best of my ability. Being the Champion comes with several perks which I have been making use of in my search for someone who is likely cowering away in a corner of Elysium to avoid my wrath."
The obvious rage in her voice at the end made it clear to Zagreus that she must be looking for Achilles, so that she could enact upon him whatever form of vengeance she desires. Still, the prince thought it best not to inform her of the Hero's actual location.
Sighing as she tried to dispel some of her fury, the queen returned her focus to Zagreus. "So, until I have accomplished my goal, I will not be putting my position at risk by letting you go without a fair fight. It matters not that you are my uncle."
With what seemed like an utterly random remark, Zagreus was briefly thrown for a loop. "Wait, what? What do you mean by 'uncle'?"
Penthesilea raised her brows in minor amusement. "Were you not aware? Though my mother was human, my father is the War God himself, Ares."
"Well that certainly explains your penchant for violence and why you look like a walking armory." the prince opined in understanding. "And since Lord Ares is already my cousin, I suppose that makes me your second uncle."
"Indeed, it does." Penthesilea confirmed.
"Though, can I request you refrain from calling me that? It makes me feel unnecessarily old."
The Amazon Queen smirked. "Defeat me, and perhaps I'll consider it."