Underworld
*
The labored breathing of Sayo and Rexis was very audible alongside Sisyphus, whose smell they can't almost contain. They helped him in his incessant rolling, and boy, was it an easy thing to do. The boulder was so stubborn, and the gravity of the Underworld kept on pulling it down.
'I wish gravity doesn't exist in this world. If there's no gravity, this rock won't roll over and drop back down. Friggin' gravity, why must you exist? I hate you, I hate you, I hate youugghhh….' Sayo is on this level of stress and she's taking it out on inanimate things, like gravity. 'I wish I have control over that shit.'
Also, she was so close to gagging because the old man smelled like a dumpster with rotten eggs, and it was taking her everything not to vomit from the stench he was emitting.
Rexis looked as if he's unbothered, but in truth, the smell was getting into him too. He might not vomit, but fainting isn't out of the question either. They���ve been in the underworld now for almost an hour, in their standard time movement, and they've made no progress so far in helping out the former king of Corinth. They rolled like crazy, to no avail.
"Yer all useless." Sisyphus didn't mask the frustration in his tone. Finally, Sayo felt that the bile was already in her throat, and she pushed herself away from the rock to throw up somewhere else.
"Gross." Rexis said, avoiding to look at it, or else, he might be done for too. When was the last time this guy had a shower? Honestly, his smell beats the smell of his week-old socks.
Sayo's head was spinning, and as she puked her guts out, her vision blurred and a sudden rapid succession of images flashed her mind. 'Nani kore?'
She must be seeing things…. how can a pungent smell defeat her like this to the point of insanity? She was seeing trees inside her mind, and the trees….they were…speaking? Their noises were incoherent, but they're definitely saying something within those cacophony of noises. One particular voice stood out, male, but sharper and more informal than the rest.
/Wake up, you awful one. Rise, for one must keep one's ears open to listen to another's tale./
Indeed, she must be crazy. "Wha - Who the fuck is there? Gravity?" She said groggily like she's drunk.
Rexis heard her, to which he only replied, "You okay there, Sayo? Were you talking to me?"
'Huh? What now?' Sayo thought. 'Oi, answer me and confirm if I'm still sane or not.'
/Alas, awful one should know about one's truth, before one becomes part of this quest of old.
For one carries the Scales, for which the odds are weighed. Order or chaos, which one shall prevail?
Ring the bells, sound the trumpets, for the day of reckoning is upon the one who listens to the ones who tell.
Rejoice, one who cries out for purpose and true might, for one shall see the light of day by the top of Olympus.
One will earn a place in the throne of the Gods. One shall replace the mockeries who sat upon there./
Sayo forced her eyes open, forcing herself to awaken from this stupid vision. "What the hell was that?"
Rexis gave her a puzzled look, so she elaborated. "I just had the weirdest…dream? Even if I wasn't actually sleeping? That man must be really smelling sooooo bad to bring me into this mess." She whispered the last sentence for a little discretion. "This is so exhausting…."
Rexis: "Yep, seems I was right in thinking you're going nuts after you just brought up gravity out of the blue."
Sayo: "Shut up, let's just continue. I was just wishing I can control gravity."
They rejoined Sisyphus in their rolling session, and strained their muscles some more to bring the boulder up. They were nearing the top of the hill, and the stubborn boulder was threatening to roll down.
Sisyphus: "Don't, don't!! We're almost there!!"
Rexis: "UP, UP, you mofo, UP!!"
Sayo: ��I freakin' hate this! Gravity, cooperate, for once and don't let this shit drop!" She kicked the rock.
All at once, it felt as if the atmosphere literally shifted, and the nagging feeling of underground pressure disappeared all of a sudden. The boulder, surprisingly, became light, and a little more push, will bring it to the top of the hill. The three of them looked at each other. They wasted no words and seized the opportunity.
'Roll, roll, ROLL!!!'
"Haaaa…..haaaaa...haaaaa…..HAAAAHAAAHAAAHAAAHAAHAA!!" Sisyphus laughed loudly, genuinely, for the first time after so long. The thing before him might be the most satisfying thing he ever saw in his entire life (or death). The stupid boulder, resting at the crest of the hill.
His punishment has ended. He was now free!
Rexis and Sayo only stared in awe at the resting rock. They did it. They ended Sisyphus' struggles.
Rexis: "Sayo, about that thing that just happened – "
Sayo: "Don't ask me, I don't know how it exactly happened too."
Sisyphus: "My friends, my friends! My bestest friends! Allow me to extend my gratitude to you! Please accept this as compensation for your kindness, this is the only thing I can repay to you!"
The old man had tears on his eyes as he said these words to them. He even made a small bow, and offered to them something that he pulled out from his loincloth.
Rexis and Sayo (thinking): 'A ROCK?!!'
How ridiculous is this payment? As if a rock can compensate for their efforts into bringing that boulder atop that hill! 'SERIOUSLY, YOU'RE GIVING US JUST A USELESS PIECE OF STONE?!!'
Moreover, Sayo was sure her eyes didn't betray her when she saw that man pull the rock from his loincloth. The rock wasn't just from anywhere else around them, it's definitely from his loincloth. It's about the size of a shoe. Also, it didn't appear to be anything special. It's just a normal rock! No – just no, she won't touch it.
Rexis: "This is ridiculous!!!"
For once, she agreed with Rexis. "Do you honestly think that a rock was worth all of that effort?" She shrieked at Sisyphus. "Huh? Do you?!"
Sisyphus: "Worry not, young one, this rock – there's more to this than meets the eye."
She raised her brows at him, not at all convinced by his words. She was about to say another savage insult when Rexis stopped her. He gave her a signal to let the old man just continue and that they should listen.
Sisyphus: "Once, there was a man who came by to help me, but he didn't succeed. Before he went away, he left me this rock and told me to give it to whoever helps me out in this hideous castigation of mine. He said this rock will return the help that they gave me. I know, I can't prove it, but at least, let me fulfill the end of my bargain, and take this. Maybe, there will come a day when you'll realize what I failed to understand from that mysterious man."
Rexis gave her a look, saying ' What now?' She just sighed and returned the look, saying, 'You take it.'
The guy's eyes widened for a bit, for he too saw where the rock came from. He shot another glance at Sayo, saying, 'Seriously?! You want ME to take it?!'
Sayo responded by looking at Sisyphus' groin area, then to Rexis', meaning, 'It came from your thing.'
As usual, Rexis couldn't argue, and he took the rock from Sisyphus' outstretched arms. "Er – thanks."
Sisyphus: "I must find the Line of Judgment, so that I'll know where I can eternally rest. Thank you, again, living travelers."
Soon enough, they bade each other farewell, and Sisyphus happily skipped away from them, who were left at a loss as to where they should be heading next in order to get to their next destination.
"Any idea where Charon's port is?" Rexis called out to the now free man.
"No idea! But if ye wanna get outta here, like I mean, here-here, just go straight and find the River Styx. Follow where it leads – it usually flows outta here. Maybe you'll find the boatman there." Sisyphus' voice became fainter and fainter the farther he gets from them.
"Thanks, old man!" Rexis finds holding the rock gross, but he has no choice – he was tasked with the tiresome responsibility of keeping it and carrying it with him until they'll meet Julius again.
"Let's just….walk straight….maybe we'll see familiar landmarks, I don't know. But I kinda remembered some of it. *sigh* Let's try our luck again if we can actually pull it off." Sayo wiped away the beads of sweat dripping from her head.
They went to the opposite direction that Sisyphus took, in search for their exit.
--
Meanwhile, back in the crest of the hill, the time have passed and the force of gravity returned. As a result, the ball rolled back to the ground. But no one else was around to hear it.