Annex Quest #47b

Esmeralda enjoyed dark spaces. She always had, from playing hide-and-seek in the twilight at her grandparents' place as a child to attending rave after goth industrial night after rave through her early and mid-twenties. But the cave the Annex had sent her to was, honestly, a bit too much for Esmeralda. She didn't mind the dark, no, nor did she mid the bats or how damp it was. What bothered Esmeralda about this place of perpetual midnight was that it was inhabited by a cult.

This wasn't Esmeralda's first run-in with cultists - She had been pretty deep in the Underground scene at one point and you always find yourself invited to a R'lyeh Discovery Party at some point - but something about them always creeped her out. Maybe it was the Kool-Aid (Why orange?! Blue or dark cherry, heathens), or it might have been the ritualistic human sacrifice. The jury was still out on which was the bigger evil.

As she struggled with the chains that bound her wrists and forearms, Esmeralda made the executive decision that it was the sacrifice bit that creeped her out the most. After all, orange Kool-Aid didn't decide that you were a good replacement-slash-summer-bride for Hades, Lord of the Underworld. Sure, it tasted like awful jello that hadn't earned the right to be jiggly and wiggly, but it wasn't trying to actively send her to play second-fiddle to the Goddess of Spring. Not that she'd want to be the primary lover-girl to the King of the Underworld, but seriously, spring was worse than summer, with its pollen and giant puddles...

She stopped her struggling and leaned back against the cave's wall, her eyes closing. It could be worse, Esmeralda mumbled. It could have been the God of Horses. A deep laugh to her left startled Esmeralda, causing her to scramble so she was tucked into one of the crevices along the wall. The man held up a hand, palm towards her, and his expression softened.

"Αστείο, όμορφο," he said softly, crouching down in front of Esmeralda. "Τα χρώματα σας δεν θα επιβιώσουν στο αλάτι του Ποσειδώνα."

Esmeralda frowned, her lips pursed in irritation as she took in the man's faded black robes and sharp features. "I only understood like two words of that. Y'wanna help a girl out if you think she's so pretty?" She raised an eyebrow expectantly as she stared the stranger down. "Anglika?"

The man laughed and shook his head, a soft dark curl falling over an eye. "That far removed from your Greek heritage, little one?"

"Creep-ass," she mumbled, shifting under the man's gaze. "So, are you Head of the Asshats?"

He smirked and sat down. "You could say that," he said, amusement evident in his tone. "They don't know who you are, do they, pet?" Esmeralda narrowed her gaze and pointed at the man, the sound of the chains rustling echoing around the cave.

"Three years ago, you and I made out at that underground dark-wave show in Detroit, didn't we?" The man laughed and nodded.

"Sorry I'm so forgettable, little one," he smirked. "How did you end up so far from your parties?"

Esmeralda raised a shoulder in a half-shrug. "Occupational hazard" she said, fidgeting with the chains. "I'm a part-time cinnamon roll keeper, part-time procurer, and this was supposed to be the latter. How about you, Circa 1995 Trent Reznor?"

"Oh, I'm just here for the tribute," the man answered coyly.

"Neat," Esmeralda said, deadpan. "So you are head asshat. I figured there'd be an altar and something dramatic when they tried to send me as tri.... bute.... Oh."

He laughed as he moved to stand. "As lovely as you are, I'm quite content with my sweet spring flower. Shall we get you out of here, little one?" Hades held out a hand, smiling. She took it, both her hands gripping his fingers as she pulled herself to her feet. She shook the chains in Hades face.

"Help a girl out."

The god laughed again as he reached for Esmeralda's hair and withdrew a bobby pin. "Demanding little thing, aren't you?" he said, using the pin to pick the lock that bound the chains together. "What were you after? A god such as myself, I only have one thing to offer mortals."

Esmeralda snorted and rubbed at her now free wrists as Hades set the metal bindings on the ground. "From what I remember of that trip, you had a lot to offer plenty of people on the dance floor... and at the bar... and in the restroom..."

Hades slipped an arm around Esmeralda, his hand resting on her hip. "Are you complaining?" he smirked down at her as they made their way through the winding passages.

"I'm not having this conversation," she muttered. "I need your Helm of Darkness. That's how I ended up here in the first place. These jerks have it."

"I know," Hades said, maneuvering them down a narrow passage Esmeralda knew she would have missed if she had been on her own. "I'm even going to allow you to take it." Esmeralda raised both eyebrows as she looked up at him.

"Neat," she said, he violet gaze turning back to the path before them. "Gonna help me get out of here, too?"

"What is the point of having a tool of invisibility if you don't intend to use it?" the god asked, genuinely curious.

Esmeralda shook her head. "Rule one of Library club: Don't talk about Library club. Rule two of Library club: Refer to rule one. Rule three of Library club: Don't use Library club loot." The god snorted as they entered a small chamber. "I'm paraphrasing, of course."

"Of course," Hades repeated complacently as he opened a small chest that sat upon a table. "Here you are," he purred, handing the woman a simple leather cap. "Being as it is mine, I must tell you that I would not mind if you used it. I dare say, in another time, you would have easily found a place as one of my priestesses."

"Uh... thanks?" she said. "I didn't realize you had those?"

"Not so much, no, but you aren't one to follow the crowd, are you, little one?"