⚜𝓗𝓪𝓭𝓮𝓼 𝔁 𝓡𝓮𝓪𝓭𝓮𝓻⚜

🍎𝑲𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝑴𝒆 𝑶𝒏𝒄𝒆, 𝑺𝒉𝒂𝒎𝒆 𝒐𝒏 𝒀𝒐𝒖🍎

🥀🥀

You caught up to Brasidas after your one-on-one encounter with Hades.
"Sorry I took so long, Brasidas. Hades was informing me of yet another problem." You lied. And he looked at you, grinning. Then he noticed the giant discoloration with teeth marks placed upon your neck. A look of worry replaced his grin. You awkwardly placed your hand over the mark, slightly rubbing it, laughing in embarrassment while you blushed a bit. Brasidas decided to not pry into your business, and continued with the task at hand. You entered The Eternal Battlefield first, coming across two displays of Brasidas's death on the left and right side of the opening gate. "His" lifeless bodies on their knees, a spear impaling his hyoid bone and shooting through the top of his head. Mouths opened exposing the spears shafts shooting up from the impacted area.
"Don't look, Brasidas. Hades is only trying to get to you." You walked further in as Brasidas stood for a second before entering behind you. The two of you walked in together passing by the soldiers who were frozen in place and converted to stone. And there he stood. His back turned to you.
"It's been a long time, Brasidas. Come, face your undoing."
"I am not afraid of you, Deimos."
He turned slowly around, thick, muscular arms crossed across his chest, with a smirk plastered onto his face. Huge onyx eyes squinted and you both realized. That's no Deimos. That's Brasidas.
"What is this?" Questioned Brasidas baffled at how it messed with his brain, the replica looked as if Brasidas was staring into a mirror. The resemblance, uncanny.
"An even greater enemy defeated you long before Deimos ended your life. Deimos was blessed by the fury of the gods, and even after he cut you down once, you still didn't learn."
"It wasn't hubris - I fought for honor."
"You made Sparta proud that day, Brasidas. You honored your father's oath."
"Perhaps I didn't. A Spartan should trust the warrior at their side."
"This time we fight together." You smiled at him, and he returned the expression.
"It would be my honor." Brasidas took a small bow as you and him laughed shortly. Then, the Bane of Brasidas lunged at you two attempting to strike at you both with a swing of his sword before colliding with Brasidas's worn-down shield. For all the battles it's been through it's surprising to see it block such an attack that the Bane of Brasidas threw. Brasidas struggled, gritting his teeth and forcing his eyes shut, pushing back the sword and moving it to the side so he could strike his identical with a swish of his spear. You joined in by bringing out a twin pair of daggers, hurling them through the air at the Bane to ultimately distract him while dealing some damage. They plunged into his shoulders, black liquid seeping out from under the blades as he turned to you, forcefully ripping the knives from their spot and throwing them to the side, he began charging at you. You didn't know what to do so you acted quickly, ducking under the Bane's attack, picking up a broken spear from the ground, lodging it into his larynx, fully standing up as he continued going forward, you saw the tip of the blade poke out from the nape of his neck, you grabbed it roughly, the sides of the arrowhead cutting into your distal transverse and thenar emenince as you ripped the buried spear all the way through his throat. And Brasidas stampeded to The Bane running half of his spear through his lumbar enlargement, extending all the way through and finally piercing the air, The Bane was halfway run-through the spear, then fell to his knees, ebony ichor rushing down from his mouth, and toppled over to the side, jerking as blood spilled from his mouth before he finally stopped moving. Brasidas placed his foot on The Bane, grabbing the spear and forcing it out of his body.
"It was good fighting together again." Brasidas nodded, wrapped an arm around the back of your neck, leading you to the front of the gates, then stopping at the end of the bridge.
"I guess it's my time to say goodbye."
You nodded happily, grabbing his hand and pulling him into a hug, patting his back. You pulled away, waved and left with a "Chaire." As you began to walk you looked at the ground for a bit, and when you picked your head up, you saw the mimicked dead Brasidas right in front of your face, you jumped back, the adrenaline rushing through your veins at the sudden scare.
"Very good. The spears were my brother's idea. Poseidon can be cruel sometimes." You turned to where his voice was coming from and saw Hades sitting on the shield of a giant bronze statue. Finishing his sentences, he got up and levitated down to Brasidas and you. Fingertips pressed against one another.
"I did as you asked. You promised me Elysium."
"Hmm... not quite." He lowly spoke, turning his head to the lifeless Brasidas, waving his hand and the spear launched back, making the dead Brasidas's head move up to face the sky with a crack in the neck, the false Brasidas toppled over onto the ground. Hades approached Brasidas,
"But you said-"
"I said to walk Elysium in death, the son of Sparta must confront that which defeated him in life. And you have not yet done so." An angry assertion on his face as he leaned into Brasidas. He then turned and walked away for a bit,
"I know, I know. It's all very hard to wrap your little mortal minds around. Which is why I'm going to help you." He placed his hands in one another behind his back, then turned to face you hearing your sweet voice,
"Why these games? Why not just let him go?" He came closer to you, his chest puffed out in your face while he smiled amusingly.
"Because eternity is long. Letting him go wouldn't be much fun, now would it?" When he pronounced "him" he turned to Brasidas.
"Find the Forest of Oizys. The dead will point the way." He beamed at the last sentence before turning to you, expecting your questions,
"The Forest of Oizys, sounds inviting."
"It's where I keep the miserable humans who ended their mortal suffering by their own hand." His guise annoyed, "If there's one thing I hate, it's uninvited guests."
"The dead will point the way to what?"
"I wouldn't want to ruin the surprise. You'll just have to trust me." He blinked one eye at you, grinning at your annoyed-flustered expression. You rolled your eyes at his teasing,
"Come Brasidas the sooner we get this done, the sooner you can be free of this place." Brasidas nodded and took off without you. Again. Now you were left with Hades yet again. Hades smirked when his eyes followed Brasidas fleeing, his expression changing quickly to displeasure as he turned to you. Fingertips pressed together once more,
"You and that... Spartan dog... what's going on between you two?" He asked narrowing his eyes at you.
"Who? Brasidas? Him and I are just friends. Why? You jealous?" You taunted him.
"And why would I be jealous? Hm? What's there to be jealous of?" He furrowed his eyebrows more when you giggled but he also turned a light shade of pink when he saw you put a hand to your mouth when you did so. You rested your hands on your hips, getting closer to him, puffing out your chest while you looked at him with confident eyes and a smicker,
"What's there to be jealous of? Don't tell me you can't remember all our encounters and how they... end up." At the last two words you took another step towards him, leaning over his hands, keeping eye contact as you winked. His cheeks reddening, "I-"
"Oh, no no no! You don't get to explain yourself and make up excuses this time. I'm onto you now..." You stood on your tippy-toes to have your lips be at level with his ear, "...Hades." You whispered into it, making him draw goosebumps. He stared at you eyes wide open as you backed down and walked away tracing Brasidas's tracks to the Forest of Oizys.