Chapter Text
The world is strange, alien, fleshy. Currently on fire.
Zagreus rubs a hand over his face and winces when he feels the soreness behind his left eye. With a shock, he remembers: slicing through hordes of bloodless with his sword, watching Thanatos across the chamber as he incinerated a dozen at once with his deathly magic. Then: a thunderous crash as something breached the chamber wall, a weightless feeling, and awakening to a tentacled monster presenting him with a toothy worm. A worm that had burrowed… blood and darkness.
No time to worry about that. He steps out of the broken pod and looks around the strange room: his eyes light on a central pool in which more of the worms wriggle around; a large, glistening round portal on the opposite side; and several other pods, mostly empty save for—”
“Than!” Zagreus leaps over to the pod containing his beloved, straining for a moment to wrench its cover off.
Golden eyes open suddenly, then blink in confusion at Zagreus. “Zag? What happened—where are we?” Thanatos accepts the hand that Zagreus offers him to step out of the pod.
“Dunno, but it’s weird. Something with tentacles touched me, and I think I have some sort of bitey worm in my head—that’s all I remember.”
Thanatos winces. “I think I have one too. We should be cautious, but we can’t stay here,” he says, gesturing at the fire spreading around the room.
Zagreus nods. “I think that—” he points across the room to the large, round indentation in the wall “—might be the door?”
“Only one way to find out.”
They approach the fleshy pink portal together. There’s no obvious knob or handle; it doesn’t look like any door Zagreus has ever seen, but this whole place seems an odd combination of architecture and biology. In contrast to the stiff structures of the pods, the portal appears soft, shiny, maybe even pliant. With a start, Zagreus realizes what it reminds him of, and he turns to Than with a wicked smirk.
“Hey, Than… does this look familiar?” As he speaks, he reaches two fingers toward the door and presses them to its puckered center, letting out a gleeful, surprised laugh when the flesh recedes at his touch. The door pulls away, revealing a path before them leading to an exterior deck.
“Zag! Don’t just go touching things… like that. You don’t know what could’ve happened.” Than peers cautiously out of the fleshy doorway and back at Zagreus with a scowl.
“Oh, come now, that entryway was just waiting to be opened up, see how easily it gave way to me.” Zag takes a step forward scanning the horizon. A bleak scene awaits him: a balcony and beyond a landscape of charred rocks, fire, and blistering heat not unlike Asphodel but somehow more unwelcoming. “Though I’m not so sure I’m very keen on what lies on the other side.”
“It certainly isn’t what I want to be stepping into, but this seems like the only way out of this… worm containment room. Just stay back, I’ll go first.” Than floats slowly out onto the balcony, planning to assess the situation before giving the all-clear to Zagreus, but the smaller god comes trotting out and passes by him.
The deck, seemingly the same sort of biological material as the doorway, is slightly yielding underfoot, and the air is hazy and acrid.
“Than, what is that monstrosity?” They both look in the direction of Zagreus’ pointed finger, but they have little time to figure out what the giant winged creature is before a lithe, silver-armored woman vaults into their path.
She quickly takes a defensive stance, holding them at the tip of her longsword.
“Abominations! This is your end!” Her lips pull back in a snarl, green forehead creased with anger.
Zagreus quickly raises his hands placatingly, but before he has a chance to diffuse the situation, his world wobbles sideways. His head thunders with sudden pain: visions of a sword, the beast from moments ago, and even his own face flash quickly through his mind.
“What is this?” The woman groans, reaching for her head. “Nnhh, my head! You are no thrall! Vlaakith blesses me this day; together, we might survive.” Her entire demeanor relaxes as she sheathes the large sword on her back.
Zagreus and Thanatos exchange a look. At least the threat of violence is quickly resolved, but their situation is no clearer.
“What made you think we were thralls?” Zagreus steps towards her, hands on his hips. The woman is green and scaly, not so dissimilar in that way to a woman he loves back home.
“You two carry mindflayer parasites, as do I. Unless we escape—unless we are cleansed—our bodies and minds will be tainted and twisted!” Her features pinch in disgust. “We will become ghaik, mindflayers.”
The same memory from before comes back to Zagreus: a tall, slender purple—squid? person?—reaches towards him, a writhing worm in its fingers.
“Mindflayers? That’s what put this worm in me, isn’t it? But we don’t even know where we are. Who are you?”
“Who am I? Your only chance for survival!” she spits back at him. “You may call me Lae’zel.”
Zagreus turns back to Thanatos, who squeezes his bicep reassuringly, though his face betrays his concern.
“What do you suggest, then?” Zagreus’ eyebrows knit together as he looks back at their new comrade.
“First, we exterminate those imps, then we find the helm and take control of the ship.” She looks back over her shoulder at two red creatures tearing apart a corpse. “We will address the matter of a cure for this infection once we reach the Material Plane.”
“Material Plane—?” Zagreus has at least a hundred questions for her, but she takes off towards the imps, once more brandishing her sword. Zagreus looks towards Thanatos.
“So, we’re not in the mortal world?”
“No, I’ve never encountered anything like this while collecting souls on the surface. We’d better go help her, then we might get some answers.” Thanatos shakes his head and blinks over to the woman as she slashes at the imps.
Zagreus watches as Thanatos waves his hand and his scythe materializes in it. He hefts the weapon, seeming confused by its weight but gives it a swing through the air nonetheless. Nothing happens.
“Don’t just swing that thing about like a yank with their first blade, kill these creatures!” Lae’zel hisses at Thanatos.
Zagreus jogs over to Than and quickly pulls Stygius from the ether.
“What’s going on, Than?”
“My scythe—it’s as if it’s been drained. There’s no power, no life to it. It feels so heavy.”
“Hmm?” Zagreus steps forward and takes a swing at an imp attempting to jump on Lae’zel’s back, and the blade connects heavy and dull. It only penetrates halfway through the creature, and Zagreus has to push it off his blade with his foot. Its screams turn into a wail as his burning foot sears its flesh. “It’s as though Stygius is the same as any mortal blade, I can’t feel it anymore.”
Thanatos takes another swing, this time aimed at the other imp’s neck. It connects, and he grunts as he feels the resistance of flesh and bone. He heaves the blade toward him until the imp’s head finally falls away with a hollow thump.
“I… haven’t killed a living creature like this before.” Thanatos looks at the blood splattered across his weapon. He almost looks regretful.
“Enough chatter from you two, at least you can wield a weapon. Let’s find the helm now!” Lae’zel sprints off towards the far end of the balcony and up a collapsed pile of what had once been a flesh walkway. She turns and beckons them pointedly.
They follow her into another chamber; fleshy, unpleasant and empty besides more doors. As they approach the nearest portal, Zagreus glances at each of his companions with a look of mischief.
“You know, I think this is the biggest orifice I’ve ever entered,” he says as he reaches out to touch it.
As with the previous door, the flesh pulls away to reveal another chamber, this one with a large central console. Zagreus ignores it.
“Oh, oh, I’m coming through,” he says breathily as he steps through the doorway, waggling his eyebrows at Thanatos.
Lae’zel stares at him with an expression of utter disbelief. “I do not understand the strange code you speak in, but I care not. If you will not forge ahead to find the helm, I will do so alone,” she says stonily as she pushes past him.
Than rolls his eyes at Zagreus. “Are you really making dirty jokes at a time like this?”
“How can you not when we’re faced with giant arsehole doors?” Zag asks incredulously. He glances over his shoulder at Lae’zel as she examines the strangely shaped buttons on the console. “Did you see how big her sword was? She really pushed her longsword through the door, if you know what I mean—”
“Zagreus, please.” Than stops him with a heavy hand on his shoulder. “You need to focus. We’re in a strange world, with no idea how to get home.”
“I know, I know.” Zagreus looks thoughtful for a moment. “But make sure you enter the door slowly, Than. You don’t want to overwhelm it all at once!”
Than glares at him and stalks through the door, making no effort to slow down. Zagreus stifles a laugh as they advance toward the alien console. Lae’zel is nowhere to be seen, perhaps having found that this room does not contain the answers she seeks.
Zagreus stares at the buttons and indentations in the console, at a loss for what they could do. Suddenly, his attention is drawn by the sound of fists pounding on glass.
“Help! Someone let me out!”
Inside a pod like the ones he and Than were trapped in, he sees a woman with dark hair tied back in a long braid. She looks panicked, just on the edge of frantic when he meets her gaze.
“Please! The bloody gith walked right past me—I’m not a mindflayer, I swear!”
Zagreus runs over to her pod and tries to force it open, but no luck. Than takes a more measured approach, examining the glowing, tendril-like controls beside the pod.
“I think this might be how we open it, but it’s missing a part. We should look around,” he says, gesturing for Zagreus to follow him toward yet another sphincter-door.
Zagreus skids to a stop in front of the door, holding out an arm to block Than as though he senses danger. “Than, wait a second,” he says slowly, turning to look up at the taller god.
Than sighs, sensing what’s coming. “What is it, Zag?”
Zagreus’ lip quivers as he struggles to keep a straight face. “Do you think this door can take both of us at once?” He sticks out his bottom lip in an exaggerated pout. “Do you think it’s ready for double penetration?”
Something that Zagreus recognizes flares in Than’s eyes, though he tries not to show it. A flash of desire, in spite of his insistence that they be responsible.
“Zagreus, we need to free that woman, your jokes can wait until after that,” Than warns.
"You’re right, we should hurry and press into—I mean, press on through that door."
Thanatos’ glowing eyes bore into Zagreus, his mouth a thin line. Zagreus has seen this look many times before, and it's almost always a prelude to getting what he wants from Than. He just needs to push a little further.
"Oh, Than, maybe we should take turns penetrating the door, so we don't overwhelm it. Do you wanna go first, or should I?" He slips his arm around Thanatos’ waist and draws him closer to the orifice.
Thanatos shakes the smaller god’s arm off, but that flare is starting to become a smoldering ember. “Just get in there already, Zag.” He pushes him towards the door.
"Than, be careful! You gotta get the door ready before you just push on in." He raises his hands and leans back, careful not to activate the door prematurely, and looks over his shoulder. "Maybe we should use some oil? Than, talk to the door, tell it to relax."
"Would you—! I'm not talking to a door, Zag."
"Don’t be so cold, Than, what's wrong with the door? You always talk me through it so nicely when entering my sphincter." Zag pushes out his bottom lip and runs his hand down Than’s arm, and he can feel the muscles tighten under his touch.
“Zagreus… I’m warning you, don’t talk like this anymore. Get in there.”
"First, I think you need to tell it how it's being such a good door, that you just know that it can handle both of us." He pulls Than’s arm, bringing them close to the door, and presses himself flush against him. “The door is being really vulnerable for us right now, Than… look how exposed it is,” he says in a low voice.
Thanatos makes no move to further encourage Zagreus’ banter, but his eyes roam over Zagreus’ chest, his arms, and back up to his mouth.
Zagreus shoots him a rakish grin and, locking eyes with Than, he leans toward the door. He opens his mouth wide and lets his tongue slide out. Slowly, as drool drips from his tongue, he presses it to the sphincter door. It immediately opens.
“Nnh, Zag, don’t. Don’t use your tongue like that.”
“Oh, how should I use it then?” Zagreus purrs. “I got the door ready for us, why don’t you go ahead and penetrate it?”
Thanatos brushes past him, and Zagreus smugly notes how Than’s hip and thigh press on him a bit longer than necessary. He takes a step in but remains by the entrance while Thanatos starts looking for the key to the pod.
“Thanatos,” he calls after a moment.
“What is it, Zag? Did you find something?” Thanatos straightens and turns. Zagreus’ smirk grows dark as he sees how Than’s chiton is bulging out below the waist.
He presses his hand to the sphincter and it closes wetly behind him.
“In fact, I do believe I’ve found something that requires my immediate attention.” He stalks up to Thanatos. He trails his hand down Than’s bare chest and abdomen and palms the bulge between his legs. “Right here.”
Thanatos’ breath catches in his throat. “Leave that be, Zagreus.”
“How can you ask me to leave it be, when Than Jr. is asking for my attention?” He pushes past the folds of Than’s chiton and starts stroking over his leggings. “All that talk of entering sphincters got you excited, huh?”
Thanatos takes Zag’s hand firmly and guides it away, but a golden yellow color starts blooming across his cheeks.
“Just let it go down, this is the last place I would want anything… intimate to happen.”
“Are you sure? It’s quiet, we’re alone…” He drops to his knees in front of Than. “I’m on my knees.”
He watches as a shudder runs through Thanatos’ frame, the gold in his cheeks deepening. “We shouldn’t, Zag… I’ll be fi—” He breaks off when Zagreus leans forward and lets out a hot breath, his mouth hovering over Than’s bulge. It suggests the waiting, wet heat of his mouth, a reminder of all the times he’s sucked Than off before. Finally Than relents, threading his fingers through Zagreus’ hair, his voice strained. “All right, just—hurry up.”
Zagreus shakes his head with a cheeky grin. “You can’t rush greatness, Than. And you know better than anyone how great I am at this. I just hope—” here he spares the door behind them a pitying glance “—that the door doesn’t get jealous.” He pulls Than’s leggings down to free his cock at last, and he finds it almost fully hard. For all Than’s shows of irritation with his jokes, his body can’t help reacting to Zagreus’ words, and the god of blood feels a flush of pride at the knowledge.
He takes in the sight of Than’s thick cock bobbing in front of his face for a moment, a faint blush creeping into his cheeks. “Than… I just love how big you are,” he says almost shyly before licking a stripe up the underside of the shaft. Than’s fingers flex in his hair in reply, a muffled moan vibrating in his throat.
Zagreus curls his fingers around the base of Than’s cock as he strokes his tongue up and down its length before suckling on the tip. After just a moment, he pulls off with a wet pop and looks up at Than with pleading eyes. “Please, Than, I need to hear you,” he whines, pushing his own chiton aside to slip his free hand down the front of his leggings. “There’s no one here. Tell me how good my mouth feels on you, please?” He punctuates the request by teasing Than’s slit with his tongue, letting little flicks play around the edges of his glans as he holds Than’s gaze.
Than bites his lip, golden eyes hazy with lust, and lets himself moan more loudly as Zagreus takes more of his length in his mouth. “Zag, nnh… need you, want your throat,” he stammers.
Zagreus wraps a hand around his own cock and strokes it, languidly at first but increasing the pace as he bobs his head up and down on Than’s cock. He works to take a little more in his mouth each time, until his mouth feels as full of cock as it can be, and he pauses, staring up at Than with wet eyes as he warms him.
Than looks down at him with a tormented expression, thrusting his hips with little abortive movements as he struggles to hold back from fucking Zagreus’ throat. Noticing the restraint gives Zagreus a little thrill; Than unfailingly cares for his comfort, even when he’s ready to explode with need. Luckily, Zagreus is more than happy to give him what he needs.
Marveling at the delicious length of Than’s cock is easy to do from his current position, and Zagreus knows he can take all of it. Breathing in deeply through his nose, he begins to bob his head forward again as he moans around Than’s length. The motion of the cock hitting the back of his throat creates lewd wet sounds that go straight to his own dick as he tugs and strokes it. He swallows hard around the tip of Than’s cock, his throat fluttering as he holds it there.
He must look a pretty sight to Than, his mismatched eyes shining with unshed tears and his rude mouth stretched open around his husband’s girth. Than looks near ready to burst, one hand gripping Zagreus’ head while the other rolls one of his own nipples between two fingers. He gasps when Zagreus swallows once, twice more, and then he’s seated as far as he can go in his throat.
Than’s face flushes an even deeper gold as he slowly, carefully begins to rock his hips forward, fucking Zagreus’ mouth and throat as he holds his head still. Zagreus' hand remains busy on his own cock, and he lets out little whines around Than’s dick at how good it feels.
“That’s it—ah, Zag, you take me so well,” Than breathes, his eyebrows knit together from the intensity of sensation. “Feels so good—nngh, to fuck your throat…”
Zagreus lets out a low hum of satisfaction, wiggling his tongue along the underside of Than’s shaft for good measure. He's drooling around it, the sounds of Than pushing in and out of his mouth getting sloppier and more debauched. Than’s balls slap against his chin with a wet plap plap, and Zagreus strains his tongue a little farther to tickle Than's sac with the tip, earning him an uncharacteristically high-pitched whimper.
“Fuck, Zag, I'm close,” Than gasps out, sweat beading on his forehead. “Your throat feels incredible, ah, you're so good for me—oh!” He sounds almost surprised by his climax but pulls Zagreus’ face flush against his pelvis as his cock pulses hot down his throat. Zagreus swallows each spurt of his spend dutifully, his muscles contracting around the tip of Than's cock as though he could milk more from it. He knows he could spend eternity this way, getting on his knees for his beloved Death and taking every inch until Than has used him utterly. The feel of Than's spend spurting in his throat is deeply erotic, and Zagreus feels his own peak rapidly approaching.
Than pulls out of Zagreus’ mouth slowly, his eyes fixed on the length as it emerges from Zagreus' swollen lips, still half hard. Zagreus fixes Than with a burning stare and sticks out his tongue a little, showing how Than’s cum still pools in his mouth. Than pulls him roughly to his feet and captures his mouth in a kiss, probing Zag's mouth with his tongue to taste himself.
Zagreus whines, so needy still, his eyes half-lidded as Than plunders his mouth. “Than, ‘m so close, need you—”
Than reaches down to pick Zagreus up in his arms, the smaller god's legs wrapping around his waist as he clasps his arms around Than's neck. Zagreus ruts helplessly against Than’s exposed chest, his hips stuttering as he comes, held close in his love’s arms. Than shifts to hold him in just one arm and closes his large hand around Zagreus’ cock, stroking him as his cock twitches his release on Than's gold-flushed skin. Zagreus whimpers, his face buried in the crook of Than's neck, as the waves of pleasure crest over him. Eventually the movement of his hips slows, and he just hugs Than tight, pressing a soft kiss to his neck.
“You're lucky I adore you,” Than mutters with a fondness roughened by his spent lust. “Couldn't have picked a worse place for this.”
Zagreus lifts his head and gives Than a wicked grin, his breath finally coming easier. “Tell that to the enormous arseholes all over the ship. How could anyone be here for more than a minute and not be tempted?” He lets himself down from Than's arms and blushes when he sees his cum glistening on Than's pecs.
Than raises an eyebrow at him. “I hope you don't think we're going anywhere until you help me with this.”
“Wouldn't dream of it.” Zagreus holds Than's gaze as he lowers his mouth to his chest, sucking and licking his own spend from the taut musculature. He sucks at the dip of Than's collarbone with his teeth, leaving a little bruised mark there. He knows Than won't love it, but sometimes he can't help wanting to claim his man in a way everyone can see.
Than moans wantonly and pulls Zagreus away by the shoulders when he's finished, preventing him from continuing any longer than necessary. His brows knit together when he sees the hickey. “Zag! I would’ve liked to be less conspicuous about—”
“Than, don't worry! No one will even notice,” Zagreus says with an innocent smile. “It’s not my fault you're so bitable.”
Than rolls his eyes. “You know what, I’m not going to dignify that with a response. Let's find that key and get out of here.”
He turns from Zagreus to continue the search he’d begun before their dalliance but still gives a barely audible hum of satisfaction. Zagreus shakes out his limbs, a shiver running down his spine, and begins looking around. The room is chiefly empty; stark, sharp architecture against a backdrop of soft pink tissue.
In the far end of the chamber he spots a chest and, next to it, a dead body. He imagines his partner would not exactly be thrilled that, on top of being inside a horrible fleshy ship with brain worms and dangerous creatures, they had made love with a corpse as a witness. So, he rummages around without alerting Thanatos.
The chest doesn’t appear to contain anything of use, so he starts digging through the pockets of the corpse’s trousers. “You’ll forgive me for the rudeness, I hope,” he murmurs.
His fingers brush something flat and smooth. He plucks it from the pocket and regards it in the dim light. “Hey, Than! I think I might’ve found what we need.”
Thanatos meets him halfway and takes the object from him, turning it over. “Looks about right, let's go try it out.” He looks past Zagreus, asking, “Is that a dead body over there? Did you find this on a dead body?”
“Okay, well, we got what we needed, so let’s go help that woman!” Zagreus deflects and offers an unconvincing chuckle, shoving Thanatos towards the exit.
They blessedly pass through the sphincter with no further puns, and Thanatos promptly inserts the rune into the console next to the pod. The machine hums to life with a whirr, yet nothing more happens.
“What should I do, Than? It’s just meat, there’s nothing here to activate.”
Thanatos looks over his shoulder. “The doors activated with just a touch, perhaps this works the same way.”
“The doors were a lot more fun to finger, but I’ll give it a go.” He touches the lumpy flesh of the console, and it sends a searing wave of pain straight to his head. Then the pain fades into a sense of connection. The machine reaches out to him, awaiting an order. Hesitantly, Zagreus thinks, Let her out?
The machine submits to the command, and the lid of the pod lifts away as the woman tumbles out. Zagreus shudders; commanding the console left him with a feeling of satisfaction not unlike his earlier pleasure. He rubs his arms, trying to brush off the feeling.
“How did you make it do that, Zag? Are you all right?” Thanatos grabs his shoulders, pulling him close to look him over.
“I’m fine, mostly. That thing connected to me the same as Lae’zel did before. It wanted me to command it. And it felt… good?”
“Tsk, let’s hurry and get out of here.”
The woman groans near their feet, and immediately Zagreus stoops to offer a hand. She gives him a long, suspicious look before hesitantly taking it.
“I thought that damn thing was going to be my coffin, what took you so long? Did you get caught up taking in the sigh—” She’s abruptly cut off as the familiar pain of connection grips them. Zagreus can feel her gratitude but also her wariness. The connection severs as the woman looks away from Zag and to the far end of the room.
“You keep dangerous company.” She grimaces and waves to Lae’zel as the gith rejoins them.
Zagreus looks between Lae’zel, then back at the dark-haired woman, wondering at the reason for her suspicion. “Dangerous is what you need in a fight.” He smirks.
“Fair point. Looks like there’s plenty of fighting ahead. Let me come with you.” Her look of disgust slowly recedes into cool suspicion. “We can get off this ship and watch each other’s backs along the way.”
“Well, I do want to get out of here, sooner rather than later. I’m Zagreus. This is Thanatos.” Thanatos steps forward. The woman looks him up and down, her eyes landing on the dark gold spot on his collarbone. “Ah, now I see. That’s why you took so long.” Thanatos’ hand rushes to cover the hickey, and she rolls her eyes. “Quite the interesting choice of setting for… entertainment. But far be it from me to judge. I’m Shadowheart, by the way.”
“Ah, now I see. That’s why you took so long.” Thanatos’ hand rushes to cover the hickey, and she rolls her eyes. “Quite the interesting choice of setting for… entertainment. But far be it from me to judge. I’m Shadowheart, by the way.”
Zagreus does indeed feel judged, but he can’t help but chuckle at being found out so easily. Thanatos elbows him. “I love you,” he whispers, giving Than a wink.
“Enough idle talk. I found the helm. There are several enemies we will need to vanquish before we can gain control. Are you prepared?” Lae’zel asks as she approaches.
“As ready as I’ll ever be, Lae’zel.” Zagreus summons Stygius once more while Shadowheart turns back to the pod. She reaches in and retrieves a strange object glowing with amber light.
“What’s that?” Zagreus asks, his curiosity plain.
“Nothing. Trust me,” Shadowheart replies flatly. Zagreus’ curiosity simmers, but Lae’zel interrupts.
“Let us take the helm now, enough chatter!”
“Lead the way, Lae’zel.” Zagreus gives her a small bow, hand extended. She scoffs but turns, showing them the way. They cautiously enter the helm room, coming upon a fight already in progress. Zagreus hefts Stygius to his shoulder and makes to enter the fray first, Lae’zel hot on his heels.
“Zagreus!” Thanatos hisses. “Just wait a moment before you go running out there.” He throws his hand up, blocking Zagreus’ path.
“I can take them, Than, let’s just get this over with,” Zagreus says, trying to duck under the larger god’s arm. Lae’zel growls behind him.
“Out of the way, you waste our opportunity with your cowardly hesitance!”
“Let’s just take a moment and assess this before we go rushing into a fight like none we’ve ever faced before.” Having convinced Zagreus, Than sighs and drops his arm. “We can make a basic plan, then you two can go out there hacking and slashing.”
“I agree with the large one. We have the advantage here, let’s make use of it,” Shadowheart adds. Than shoots her an annoyed look at the mention of his height as a primary identifier.
“Fine. Out with it, then, since you are so battle-wise. What is this plan of yours?” Lae’zel lowers the tip of her sword to the floor and rests her palms on the pommel.
“You see how the—mindflayer?—is already fighting that winged demon? We should let them take each other out, and one of us can run to the helm while the rest of us take care of the smaller creatures.” Thanatos points at the helm, then the creatures. “Shadowheart, how do you fare in combat?”
“I can hold my own, but I’m more adept at support.”
“All right, why don’t you go for the helm? We’ll focus on the smaller creatures over there, but we should be prepared to take on the larger monstrosities. They may join forces against us.”
Zagreus rushes out, barely letting Thanatos finish his sentence, and closes in on the first imp with a great upward swing of Stygius. His blade arcs, catching the creature in the soft space between hip and ribs. Lae’zel focuses her strength on the other imp, slashing again and again.
While their companions make quick work of the imps, Thanatos hovers close to Shadowheart as she picks her way toward the helm. They don’t even make it halfway when the mindflayer calls out to them, its deep voice echoing in their minds.
“Thralls! Kill this demon!”
The demon turns and fixes them with a hateful glare but makes no further move.
“Go, Shadowheart. I’ll stay here and keep them busy so they don’t get in your way.” Thanatos summons his scythe and points it at the helm. She nods and jogs off while he closes in on the two monstrous combatants.
“Than?” Zagreus shouts. “I think there’s more coming!”
“Can you handl—” Thanatos is cut off as the mindflayer grabs his arm and throws him in front of the demon. He barely has time to react to the flaming sword aimed at his head. He ducks under his scythe, and sparks from the impact of the weapons rain down on his face.
“Than!” Zagreus closes the space between them in three long strides. He slices through the demon’s Achilles tendon and throws his shoulder against him, knocking him to the floor and away from his husband. He pulls Than to him with his off hand and strikes at the mindflayer, slicing the tentacles from its face. It howls and staggers away.
“I was fine, Zagreus, don’t be reckless.” Thanatos squeezes Zagreus’ hand.
“You know I can’t just stand by and let some demon take a swing at you.” He lifts their hands to his lips and plants a kiss on the back of the larger god’s hand.
“Zagreus… I’ll finish these two off, go see if Shadowheart has the helm?”
“All right, let’s hurry up and get out of this godsforsaken ship. Though… I’ll always remember the arseholes fondly.” He winks and jogs off to join Shadowheart. He finds her struggling to figure out what to do with the bio-machinery, and she shoots him an almost pleading look.
“What am I supposed to do with this? There’s no steering wheel!” She gestures with annoyance, arms wide, at the blobby console. Tentacles with barbed ends writhe upwards from its base and downwards from a lump of flesh on the ceiling, Zagreus scratches his chin and leans in to get a closer look.
“Do you have any idea what to do?” she prods.
“I… hmm. No. But what if I just—” He reaches out with both hands and grabs two tentacles, pulling them together until they grasp onto each other. “There, I think—” He looks at Shadowheart, but she’s staring upwards, her mouth agape and working to form a word. He turns slowly to look in the direction of her stare and locks eyes with the flying beast from before. He marvels at just how big it is at this proximity, hanging onto the front of the ship.
And then it opens its great maw, fire roiling in the back of its throat that it releases in a superheated blast that fills the room. The force of it is enough to knock Zagreus and Shadowheart flat on their backs.
Zagreus quickly gets up onto his knees just in time to be blown backwards by a wave of thrust as the ship shifts into a higher gear. All of them are sent hurtling to slam against the back wall of the chamber.
Zagreus watches helplessly as Thanatos smashes into the wall to his right. He strains under the pressure to reach out to him, but just as quickly as the force struck him, it recedes, taking the gravity along with it.
He feels like he’s floating for minutes, hours as everything suddenly hovers in midair. Thanatos is just within reach, and their hands find each other before their eyes do. Thanatos’ normally distant, watchful eyes flash with an emotion that Zagreus rarely sees there—fear. Thanatos pulls him tight to his chest, his strong arms covering as much of Zagreus’ body as possible, and then they are pulled to the front of the ship with the same amount of force that drove them back.
Shadowheart flies past them, limp, and Lae’zel follows. Though Thanatos’ bicep obscures his vision, Zagreus can see the front wall of the ship racing towards them, and he feels the impact through Thanatos’ body as his shoulder shatters against it. Thanatos grunts, and his arm immediately goes limp, dropping Zagreus.
The ship is barreling through the skies, and everything is on fire. Zagreus feels resignation wash over him.
He turns, and next to him is the mindflayer, bleeding from its face where he cut it mere minutes ago. He stares into its eyes and isn’t sure what he sees there. In his peripheral vision, something is moving. It’s hurtling towards him, fast, and he has only a split second to register that he’s in danger before it collides with his head.
And then he’s gone.