Erinyes Game
The Hemera phase greets you with bright sunlight and silver cobwebs threatening to obscure your vision. You swat them away and make yourself get ready for the day. You’re no stranger to feeling uneasy, but you’ve really got a bad feeling about today.
You make your way down to the kitchen and find Aphrodite already there.
“Good morning,” she mumbles around a mouthful of toast. “Have you seen anyone else yet?”
You shake your head. “I have a weird feeling about today…is that strange?”
“Not at all. I’ve had bad feelings since the beginning.” Aphrodite’s smile is strained.
“Morning.” Hephaestus enters the kitchen.
“Hi, Hephaestus, you doing all right?” You ask.
He looks surprised that you’re concerned, but he nods.
“Hello you three,” Apollo says as he walks in with Artemis in tow.
“Now only Hermes and Hera are left,” says Artemis, glancing at the door.
“What was that?” Hera strides in.
You and Aphrodite exchange a nervous glance. Maybe Charon protected Hermes, and he’s just late in coming down?
“Only one way to find out,” you say. Aphrodite and the others follow you up the stairs to the eleventh room. Taking a deep breath, you push the door open.
Hermes’s room is simple and warm, with minimal decorations. You pay that no mind, turning your attention to the bed. There’s much less blood than when Dionysus died, but the stench is unmistakable. Approaching his body lying on top of the sheets, you see that his throat is slit, sightless eyes staring up at the ceiling.
“A-at least it was probably a quick death,” whispers Aphrodite, leaning into your side. You wrap an arm around her. “Maybe he wasn’t in a lot of pain.”
Seeing one of your closest allies like this is almost too painful to bear. You ask for a little time alone, and the others file out of the room. When they’re gone, you finally let yourself cry.
“I didn’t know we’d end up being such good friends,” you whisper. “When you approached me like that, I thought you’d try to kill me. I’m so sorry I couldn’t help you.”
Reaching over, you shut his eyes. Just then, you notice a spot on his bed next to his hand. His hand is covered in his own blood, for some reason. Leaning over Hermes’s body, you see that before dying, he had written something in blood.
A single letter: A.
Later on, you join Aphrodite in the entertainment room. You pull out the usual deck of cards to play, but it simply isn’t the same without Hermes there.
Eventually you notice Hephaestus walk by, and call out to him. “Hey, do you want to play a game with us? It’s better with more people.”
He freezes right outside the door, looking stunned. “O-okay.”
Hephaestus is quiet and more than a little awkward, but he’s surprisingly good at cards. The three of you have a nice time, and you find yourself genuinely smiling.
But you can’t ignore that blood message forever. Your mind wanders back to it more than once.
“Hestia, you okay?” Aphrodite asks. “It’s your turn.”
You make your way down to the kitchen and find Aphrodite already there.
“Good morning,” she mumbles around a mouthful of toast. “Have you seen anyone else yet?”
You shake your head. “I have a weird feeling about today…is that strange?”
“Not at all. I’ve had bad feelings since the beginning.” Aphrodite’s smile is strained.
“Morning.” Hephaestus enters the kitchen.
“Hi, Hephaestus, you doing all right?” You ask.
He looks surprised that you’re concerned, but he nods.
“Hello you three,” Apollo says as he walks in with Artemis in tow.
“Now only Hermes and Hera are left,” says Artemis, glancing at the door.
“What was that?” Hera strides in.
You and Aphrodite exchange a nervous glance. Maybe Charon protected Hermes, and he’s just late in coming down?
“Only one way to find out,” you say. Aphrodite and the others follow you up the stairs to the eleventh room. Taking a deep breath, you push the door open.
Hermes’s room is simple and warm, with minimal decorations. You pay that no mind, turning your attention to the bed. There’s much less blood than when Dionysus died, but the stench is unmistakable. Approaching his body lying on top of the sheets, you see that his throat is slit, sightless eyes staring up at the ceiling.
“A-at least it was probably a quick death,” whispers Aphrodite, leaning into your side. You wrap an arm around her. “Maybe he wasn’t in a lot of pain.”
Seeing one of your closest allies like this is almost too painful to bear. You ask for a little time alone, and the others file out of the room. When they’re gone, you finally let yourself cry.
“I didn’t know we’d end up being such good friends,” you whisper. “When you approached me like that, I thought you’d try to kill me. I’m so sorry I couldn’t help you.”
Reaching over, you shut his eyes. Just then, you notice a spot on his bed next to his hand. His hand is covered in his own blood, for some reason. Leaning over Hermes’s body, you see that before dying, he had written something in blood.
A single letter: A.
Later on, you join Aphrodite in the entertainment room. You pull out the usual deck of cards to play, but it simply isn’t the same without Hermes there.
Eventually you notice Hephaestus walk by, and call out to him. “Hey, do you want to play a game with us? It’s better with more people.”
He freezes right outside the door, looking stunned. “O-okay.”
Hephaestus is quiet and more than a little awkward, but he’s surprisingly good at cards. The three of you have a nice time, and you find yourself genuinely smiling.
But you can’t ignore that blood message forever. Your mind wanders back to it more than once.
“Hestia, you okay?” Aphrodite asks. “It’s your turn.”