The Descent

“Isn't there some other way.” Alex implored.

“If there is another way, I don't know of it. And believe me, I wish there was.” Victor replied, as he gazed out in to the vast body of, or what at least seemed like, water.

“We don't need to do this.”

“You don't, but I do. In a way I owe it to him. Besides, you don't need to come. I understand if you chose to stay behind and I wont hold it against you.”

Alex contemplated the option for a moment, but he wouldn't abandon Victor, though he was not sure if it was because of his sense of loyalty or curiosity.
“Nah, I'm going with ya.”

  In the “real” world it would have looked much like the ocean, but here in Oneiros this vastness had a slowly undulating horizon, a sky filled with unimaginable celestial body's and, as far as Victor knew, no bottom. Long ago Victor had given a name to that realm, deep and dark as it was, he had only taken a peek at that world, and a peek is all that he could handle, all that he would ever of wanted to handle.
For its unknown black depths and unseen dangers Victor had named it Hades.

  They stood there on the shore, standing on the sands much like a foreigner stands at a unfamiliar border, looking out over the smooth surface of water doted by single rocky islet. The waters where ominously still and lifeless. Victor was unnerved by its tranquility, he felt as if it could suddenly pounce on him and drag him down in to its darkness, while Alex stared at him from behind, perturbed by what Victor feared.

  Alex was amazed at how this world changed Victor, it seemed to give him new life. Back home he was an old stubborn antisocial hermit that managed a rundown bookstore, but here he almost seemed like an energetic hero, though some what moody, with an uplifting aura around him, and yet Victor had only recently returned to Oneiros. Alex suspected that Victor was hurt by something in the past, something that happened in Oneiros.

  Unbeknownst to them, they had  gathered a curious audience. Feeling eyes upon his back, Victor turned and after a few moments to ascertain what he was looking at was aghast at all the creatures that stood there hidden amongst the landscape, Alex was about to mutter a question when Victor stopped him with a motion of his hand and pointed behind Alex.

  The tree limbs were perched by dozens of bird-like creatures of different shapes, sizes and colors, on one limb there was a barley visible but large snake with translucent scales wrapped around a branch. On the base of the trees poked out the heads of small long ferret like creatures whose sizes ranged from a small mouse to a large dog, next to them was a large rock that had a beetle like head meekly peering out from underneath it. Various other creatures where there, a tall sapling like insect, a six legged rodent, a large caterpillar with flowers sprouting from its back, but what they all had in common was that they were all staring at Alex and Victor.

  Victor was amused at the site but Alex felt like a dear caught in headlights, he stood there nervously wondering which one of the creatures were dangerous. Alex slowly turned back to his companion and saw no distress in him and relaxed.

“Well, I...we...umm...Can any one help us go out there?” Alex asked as he pointed behind himself.

  And with that question most of the creatures disappeared, the snake went completely invisible save for its fear stricken eyes, the beetle hid its head under the rock with a loud thud, all the creatures hid except for the ones perched on the limbs, who instead just awkwardly looked away, as if they hadn't heard the question.

“If they had lips they would be whistling nonchalantly.” Victor joked.
“Don't worry, we can go out without any help. But I need you to make the boat.”

“ME!? But your the veteran here, your the one with more experience. We would be better of in a boat of your, uh, cognition. ”

Victor sighed and started irritatedly.
“I'm the one going down...there, if I make the boat and I don't come-” Victor stopped, the thought of getting trapped there made him take pause, he drew a deep breath and spoke more softly.
“If I make the boat and I don't come back you wont be able to make it to safety, so you might as well make it.”

Alex didn't answer, but Victor knew he agreed.

Alex straightened his back and walked a few steps in to the water with an air of confidence around him, took in a deep breath and raised his arms high in to the air, Victor waited patiently while a few moments passed, then Alex questioned “So... how do I do this again?”

“AAAAAGH” Victor bellowed exaggeratedly “A BOAT!, just imagine a boat! GO!” Victor gestured toward the water, as if it were a race.

“What kind of boat?”

“What kind of-, any kind that floats, GO!” Again, Victor gestured toward the water.

“Does it have to be big?” Alex asked, to Victors further dismay.

Victor inhaled as he bit his lips, then walked behind Alex with irritated splashes, grabbed him by the shoulders and asked in a falsely cheerful tone:

“Have you ever gone fishing, Alex?”

“Why, yes. In fact I use to go fishing allot with some friends when I-”

“Thats great.” Victor interrupted sarcastically. “Now close your eyes and imagine that that same boat in which you used to fish in is floating right in front of you. Try to remember the colors, the shape, the size, the way it felt, but not the fishing gear...OK, open your eyes.”

Alex gasped as he looked at a small motorboat with the words “S.S. YO MOMA” written on the side. Alex mentally patted himself on the back.

“Yo moma?” Victor asked, confused by the name.

“It's a joke, every time someone asked us what we were doing that day we could tell them-”

“We were riding Yo Moma.” Victor interrupted jadedly.

“Heh heh, funny, right?”

“Heh heh, no.” Victor hopped aboard and heard a metallic rattling, he then picked up the source of the noise and held it in front of Alex. “Budweiser?”

“Oh yea, we were to lazy to ever pick it up. It was always on the boat, thats how I remember it.”

“Well can you remember it without the- wait, wasn't that island further out? ” Victor pointed towards the solitary islet that now seemed to float towards them.

“Should we run or something?”

“Alex, when something is dangerous in Oneiros you will know it. You need to discern your instinctive fears from your intuitive fears.”

    By now the islet was right next to the boat and slowly a large turtle like head with rocky features and sleepy eyes peered from the surface of the water between the boat and the islet.

“You asked for help?” The creature asked softly, its voice had a lulling quality.

Victor and Alex glanced at each other inconspicuously, then Victor explained their situation to the creature..

“In Hades? Do you mean the abyss? Why would he go down there?”

Victor was leaning towards the creature, his eyes turned towards Alex direction but he did not turn his head. 

“Because,” Victor started in a low voice, almost like a whisper “hes lost someone very dear to him. And he wants to get away from the pain.”

Alex starred at the creature, but he was completely focused on what Victor had said.

The creature, though not giving signs of it, was  puzzled.
“Cant he find whoever he lost? It some times takes a while to find someone.”

Victor smiled at the creature, “Ah yes.” he thought to himself. He had almost forgotten that the beings here don't even know the meaning of death, the meaning of gone forever. As the creature stare curiously at Victor he no longer saw its giant rocky shell with a small solitary palm tree like plant growing on it, its jagged beak that gave the impression that it ate rocks. Staring in to its soft eyes all he could see was one thing, and for the first time in decades he felt a forgotten warmth deep inside him.

“Auh man.” Alex sighed, he climbed aboard the boat and braced himself, expecting Victor to explain the concept of death to the creature. Victor couldn't stand to leave people in ignorance and he knew he was going to give a lecture, Alex was certain of it.

“...of course he can. He's just very...very upset is all.” Victor answered with a thin smile while Alex  tried to hide his astonishment towards his answer.
“You don't need help us, we'll be just fine.”

The creature drifted its gaze away from them while it contemplated for a moment, then asked.
“Ever since I can remember, I have been floating on the border of the abyss. I have always kept watch to make sure that no one would ever get lost in its darkness, why would I not help you?”

“Thats very noble of you, uh.” He mulled for a moment.
“We need to give you a name.” He declared, already knowing that not many beings had personal names in Oneiros.

The creature did not understand the concepts of “noble” or “name”, and asked for an explanation.

“Well, noble is just a good thing. And a name is what you call yourself. His name is Alex and my name is Victor. Now what should we call you? Turtly? No, I'm ashamed of even thinking that one.”

Alex now covered his eyes in frustration, he had a name on the tip of his tongue.

“Leatherback? Rocky? I know theres a good name for you.”

“ch-CHARON!” Alex blurted, slightly scaring, to his embarrassment, both Victor and the creature.

“Charon?” Victor turned to Alex, slightly jealous but also some what proud. 
“Well well, you got one on me Alex. Thats a fairly appropriate name.”

“I'm on a roll!” Alex thought to himself.

“How about it, do you think Charon is a good name for you?”

“Ch-ar-on, I like it!” The creature smiled subtly.

“Good. Alex, get this boat moving.”

Alex turned to the motor and, taking in to account Victors previous lessons, imagined the engine starting and slowly accelerated. Alex slowed the boat and turned to Charon.
“Can you keep up?”

  Charon now clearly smiled. His immense body heaved forward and accelerated as two pair of very long flippers on his sides slowly emerged out of the water and swooped over and ahead of the boat.
Alex was dumbfounded by the now flying turtle, his flippers now wings forming a long x.

“Well? Keep up!” Victor snapped at Alex, unimpressed by Charon's feat.

*****

    Alex was absorbed by how gently the wind blew despite the speed at which they traveled, while Victor sat in front oh him looking down at the water. Charon swayed from side to side as he flew, repeating his name in a rhythmless song. When Alex finally bored himself with the wind he turned his attention to his surroundings. The sky looked like an astronomers dream, there where countless large heavenly objects filling the sky, most notably two large planets that shimmered with terrestrial features. Alex could see mountains, oceans, lake, canyons, but then it dawned on him, where did all the light come from? He started to look around for a light source when he caught a glimpse of something in the corner of his eye. By the time he turned to give it his attention it had dove in to Hades, how big was it?

“I think I saw something.”

“I dont think you saw something,” Victor responded, still fully focused on the water. “ I KNOW you saw something.”