Headed by a Snake

"Hades, god of death and the dead," Tycondrius glared... "I will have you provide a second conjecture... one of similar or better plausibility."

"Or... uh-- maybe the uh... the other way around?" Hades picked at his ear, "Like, maybe your girl didn't actually believe in her goddess?"

The massive orc squinted his eyes in thought... "Y...eah... that pro'lly makes more sense..."

"Tss," Tycon scoffed at the thought... but the possibility came to him as a relief.

As of recent, he'd been far too willing to add literal deities to his list of enemies.

In retrospect, it was too arrogant and foolhardy... even for him.

"Yo, Tycon. You done sightseein', man?" Hades yawned, "I'm soberin' up... and besides, we should *really* get goin'."

"This is *your* domain, Death God," Tycon crossed his arms, "Why do you seem to be in such a hurry?"

"One of my many domains," Hades corrected. "I'm kinda like... an overseer-- or a landlord."

"That is beside the point," Tycon groaned. "Your reasoning, Brother-Hades?"

"Err... well, uh," Hades coughed into a closed fist. "The longer I stay, the more f*cked up shite I see 'bout this place."

"...You and I both have a very high tolerance for... 'f*cked up shite,' Brother-Hades."

"Eh. I mean--" Hades paused... "I mean like shite not up to code, y'know?"

Tycon took a deep breath, then steepled his fingers in front of his lips... "So the longer we remain, the more tempted you are to do your job."

The orc refused to meet his accusatory gaze.

Hades was a good friend... but his work ethic when it came to his profession, proper, was... lacking.

Tycon glanced around, looking for Rena. Given her personality, it was peculiar that she had left him alone for so long.

"Empty night," He cursed, "Fool girl."

"Ey, hold up, Tyc--"

Before Hades could stop him, Tycon stomped over and grabbed onto Rena's hand before she could scoop up the river water into her mouth.

Tycon had to step ankle-deep into the shallows to do so and his clothing suffered a splash from the short Tyrion girl's flailing... but he couldn't be bothered with it.

He kept a single thought at the forefront of his mind: getting her away from the shoreline before the magic of Letherna could affect him.

"S... so thirsty," Rena whined.

"Have you always been this *needy*?" Tycon groaned.

"H-have you always been this handsome?" The girl leered.

"The thirst is real," Hades remarked.

...Tycon wilfully ignored both comments.

Flicking his wrist, he summoned a full waterskin from his spatial ring. He unstoppered it and forced it into Rena's mouth.

The girl obediently took hold of it, a full hand and a hazy, smoky one... drinking not dissimilar to a young child.

"Drink slowly," Tycon glared. "No one's going to take it from you."

"Mmph," Rena puffed out her cheeks, pausing for a moment to glare at him.

...Then she went back to drinking without arguing further.

"Ahem," Hades cleared his throat... "You can't take her with you, Tycon. Jus' like the other kid."

That was not what Tycon wanted to hear.

"Hades," He grimaced... "You owe me."

"Uh haha... not, uh-- what I meant," Hades chuckled uneasily. "I *guess* y'can take the girl with you. I mean-- I don't give a f*ck 'bout the rules. But c'mon, guy... look at her. She already drank from the river... and not only once, y'know?"

Tycon narrowed his eyes, "Then I. will *cook.* her some. f*cking. fish."

"Dude..." Hades looked away, sucking air through his teeth, "This chick is... too far gone, man. You knew that before I said it."

Tycon rested his hand on the sword on his waist, "Please elucidate me as to your meaning."

A glint of green mana flashed in the orc's eyes and his voice lowered to a ground-shaking rumble... "Oy... Tyrael...

"Your girl... she doesn't remember you-- not y'name, not yer face... not any mem'ries you guyses shared. Da broad don't even know 'oo she is."

Rena put down her waterskin, "That-- that's not true!"

"Oh, yeah?" Hades snorted, "What's your name, then, girlie?"

"It's... it's um..."

Rena idly rotated the waterskin in her hands, "Taylor Swift."

"Incorrect," Tycon groaned.

"Bruce Springsteen."

"Bro," Hades frowned-- his voice having abruptly returned to normal. "You know Bruce Springsteen?"

"That's not even a female name," Tycon chided. "And no, that is also incorrect."

Rena slowly blinked her eye... "Gwen Stefani."

"...Where are you even getting these from?"

"My name," Rena willfully puffed out her chest... "is Lady Guh-gah."

Tycon drew his short sword from its sheath.

"I was lying!!" Rena threw herself onto the beach, "I'm sorry! Please don't kill me!!"

Tycon stared up into the sky, trying not to sigh for the third or fourth time, "You... are already dead."

"WhaaaaaaaaaaAAAAT??!" Rena shot back up, wearing an expression of complete and utter shock.

Tycon took a breath as he pursed his lips... "Did you really not know?"

The girl looked down, staring through her partially translucent hands and legs, "Y...you're gonna think I'm a really stupid girl if I say yes, huh?"

Tycon gulped and whispered in a quiet voice... "Why would it matter how I feel for you?"

Rena slowly raised her head, staring curiously with one widened eye and a brightly glowing silver orb.

"Do I... know you?" She asked.

Hades crossed his arms, "If she really does remember, I'm gonna feel pretty f*ckin' dumb."

Tycon met Rena's intense gaze.

...After several moments, he shook his head while tapping the blade of his sword against his shoulder.

"She does not. She was making assumptions using conversational context."

"It. STILL. COUNTS!!" Rena insisted, "I still KNEW! Now you HAVE to tell me! Who are you?! Who am I? Are we like-- together?"

"HuhhhhHHH?!" She gasped dramatically-- an ugly sound, "Are we *together*? Like TOGETHER-together?"

Tycon cradled his head in his palm, "Could you *please* contain yourself, Rena?"

"MY NAME IS RINA!!!!" Rena shouted, "I re-MEMBER NOW!!"

"Lost cause," Hades shrugged as he walked off.

"I'm not lost," Rena humphed. "I'm just... waiting to be saved."

Tycon took the girl's hand, "What kind of fool would I be... to want to save a girl like you?"

",