The S.S. Olympus -under refurbishment

Chapter X: The Nemean Lion

**stand my ground--within temptation** thank you _lovepenny for the music choice.

Dedicated to @JRShepherd for his excellent feedback that has transformed parts of this chapter :-) 

The sound of angry geese shocked Cornelia awake. "Holy gods," she groaned and rolled out of bed. When she wiped the sleepiness from her eyes she realized that she was alone. Still lost in the haze of her fading dream she stretched lazily, unfolding her tangled limbs. She was alone in the room and she enjoyed the brief silence. Allowing herself to slowly welcome the day. "Here we go," she sighed and pushed herself up off the cot.

She found Hercules and Hades standing outside of the home. They were preparing a few shaggy looking geldings with provisions. She snuck in between them and asked what seemed to be an obvious question. "Why all the provisions and horses? Can we not just pop in kill the thing and pop out?"

Hades ignored her and continued preparing the horses. It was Hercules who spoke up in his stead. "The mountains block the signal."

"Oh," she said still confused but feeling too silly to continue to ask.

Hades sighed, pulling tight on the horse's girth. "Sorry 'princess' we are roughing it." With that, he swung a leg up over his mount and clicked moving it forward. Cornelia rolled her eyes and popped up on her own horse and rode up ahead of him.

"I think in 'roughing' it Hades, I have a lifetime's more experience, thank you." She clicked and her horse galloped ahead of the group toward the mountains. Hades laughed and urged his horse on. They raced for miles enjoying the wind in their hair pushing past small huts and into wheat fields. They raced until they reached the edge of a thick forest.

"Here we continue on foot," Hades said sliding off of his horse. Hercules had just skidded to a halt. The super-human android did not bother with a traveling mount. As he was not stronger than a horse, but faster too. If anything Hades and Cornelia only slowed him down on his quest. 

Cornelia grabbed her sword. She knew it would do nothing against the beast, but it made her feel better. She took a couple of steps into the forest path and inhaled deeply. Eager to take in the fresh evergreen smell and the clean mountain air. Instead, she exhaled in a fit of nauseous coughing. This place didn't smell like a forest.

Her nose was assaulted with the smell of rotting flesh.  The smell of animals left to rot in the sun by the side of a road. She covered her mouth and nose with her arm her eyes still burning from the stench. "Gods, what is that?" She asked scanning. It was coming from something in front of Hades and she tried to move around him to trace the smell. 

Hades stayed one more step ahead of her, his long legs carried him deeper into the forest where the rancid smell became more pungent. His and the forest's silence were deafening in their combination. His strides never made a sound on the forest floor. It was as if she was following a dark ghost through the mist-covered forest. Hades said nothing he simply walked like a ghost towards a strangely shaped pile a couple of feet away. Still covering her nose she approached him. Flies bombarded her face she gave up protecting herself and began swatting wildly at the biting flies.

Hades' hand flew out and held her back. "What?" She said as she swatted away at the flies. She caught the pained look in his eyes and froze. The intensity of his gaze made her feel as if a ghost had passed right through her and a chill ran down her spine.