Nerves riddle my soul at the thought of seeing Ash again, and I focus on filling my mind with random thoughts to distract myself from speculating about what could happen if I find him down here.
Pandas defecate about four-fifths of what they eat.
For 20 years, a cat served as mayor of an Alaskan town.
Scientists discovered an organism with a disappearing butt. It isn’t visible even under a microscope unless it’s pooping.
I’d never tell Serenity that last fact. With my luck, she’d probably find a way to make my nickname even worse.
My attempts at distracting my brain from Ash don’t last very long as my mind is thrust back into worry mode.
So much has happened since the last time Ash was truly in control of his body. Knowing him, he would struggle to forgive himself, as if everything Anshar had done was his cross to bear. And that makes me nervous that he won't want to come back to his body to be with us. That he'll choose, instead, to punish himself for eternity.
From the short section regarding tethers that I was able to skim through in Gaia's journal before coming here, I know that I can force the tether on his soul, but he can still choose to pass through the gates to the plane of death, effectively severing the tether again.
He has to want to come back to his body once the tether is in place.
I'd like to think that our family is enough of a reason, but I just can't imagine what his mental state is going to be like. He'd had to endure so much—with Anshar and his cruelty at the wheel—for so long. During my time with Anshar, the things he had done were unspeakable, but at least I hadn't had to watch my own hands doling out fruits of his horrible imaginings.
As I resurface from my musings, I notice a simple boat gliding toward us on the river, which doesn't seem to have a current. Squinting to make out the boat through a smattering of fog, I gasp at the sight of the man standing on the back of it. He looks emaciated to the point of death.
"Do not be alarmed. That is Charon. He will deliver us safely to our destination," Thanny soothes, his voice low and even,as if I'm a spooked horse.
The boat creaks as it pulls up next to the dock, stopping without any movement from Charon, as if he mentally controls the boat. A deep and croaking voice announces, "You know the price, Thanatos," as Charon holds out a hand.
Without hesitation, Thanatos jumps down into the boat, somehow not rocking it in the slightest. Pulling two silver coins from beneath his cloak, he places them into Charon's outstretched skeletal hand.
Both of their gazes swing over to me, and I trip over my own feet in my haste to get to the edge of the dock. I find my balance before I fall on my face and straighten up, assuring them, "I'm good. All good."
Standing at the edge of the dock now, I eye the boat, which is too far beneath me to easily clamber into it. Looks like jumping is the only option, but maybe with the magic of this river and boat, it's impossible to tip over.
Bending my knees slightly, I hop over and into the unoccupied center of the boat and am immediately thrown to the side as the boat rocks from my movement.
Apparently Thanatos is just graceful like a ballerina.
My cheek smashes against the edge of the boat, but thankfully I feel no pain as I would have in my physical body. I suppose this plane of existence is klutz proof.
Without waiting for me to right myself, the boat sets off with Charon muttering quietly, "And she's supposed to be the new Mother Nature?"
Huffing, I push myself to a sitting position and stare him down. "Yes. I am."
He doesn't spare me a look, nor does he respond, and Thanny pulls my focus quickly to him as he prattles on. "Once we get to the other side, leave Cereberus to me if he's there, which I'm assuming he will be. He typically prowls the river and edges of the underworld when new souls pop in, to make sure they aren't intruders."
Turning to face him, I inquire, "Does he really have three heads like the mythology of the human world says?"
"Only when he's hungry. That's his tell-tale sign."
Hmm.Imagine if women sprouted two extra heads every time they were hangry.
The thought makes me giggle, and when Thanny looks at me oddly, I wave him off, "It's nothing."
A few moments later, we cross through a cloud of fog so thick it's nearly impossible to tell up from down. A smart tactical move to hide the entrance to the underworld, that's for sure.
The fog continues to obscure my vision and, in combination with the ominous silence, prompts me to call out nervously, "Thanny?"
"Don't call me that down here! Remember our deal?" he hisses. "We're almost there. On either side of this river is a cliff that drops directly into the underworld, but Charon would never miss his path."
How soothing.
