Xuimin leapt in fear, brambling and trembling all over the pace. He just needed to get away. But he knew that he was fighting a losing battle with his short stumpy legs refusing to carry him that little bit faster, the pursuer seemed to almost gain the strength that xuimin lost becoming swifter with every stride.

 Luhan had always told him to be careful by the stream playfully teasing him over his less than graceful feet ‘watch where you’re going yeobo’ he would giggle ‘or you will trip on a stick with those two left feet of yours~’ Luhan was right yet so wrong for it wasn’t a stick that the younger would trip and meet his demise rather a viper, of which he would awake with anger. A fitting death, the venom only tingling for a short while, invading his veins replacing all that was good in Minseok with the bitterness of the creature. It felt strange yet so alluring. No more did his legs ache from running, in fact no more could he even see the stranger the only thing he could focus on was the comforting feel of the grass brushing against his face oh how he would miss this meadows and the flowers, the flowers he would collect for Luhan.
 

A part of Luhan died with Xiumin, people would often say that he took Luhan’s tongue and rhythm with him into the underworld, truth be told however it was not lost forever just darkened. How could he sing about the world’s beauty when his beauty was taken away? Instead of making people dance with undeniable joy the undertones sunk into your core making you weep. The ordinary humans passed off these songs refusing to admit that the usually cheery Luhan was damaged beyond repair. Luhan was a gifted musician praised for his songs. The people, they loved his music nearly as much as he loved playing for them, unless they were sad and sad songs were all that he had.  

Luhan sighed at his Lyre, the last flowers Xiumin had collected to inspire him on his work were wilting.

 ‘Lulu, look how beautiful these flowers are!’ Minseok chirped while spinning around the kitchen for a glass vase. Luhan stopped plucking at melodies and looked up to see his beautiful (and rather short) husband on tip toes edging to reach the spare vase.

 “You know you don’t have to keep picking flowers for me” He cooed while sneaking up on an un-expecting Xiumin.

 “I should be the one bringing you flowers not the other way round” he whispered into the elders ear. Xiumin jumped at the sounds by his ear, completely caught off guard at his husband’s proximity he lost his balance only to be caught by Luhan’s warm embrace before crashing to the ground.

“You…you… pabo, here I am picking you flowers to be nice to you, and what do I get in return? you.... you scaring me” he pouted.

 “Oh so you would like me to drop you then would you?” A smirk went along Luhan’s face as he slightly released his grip on the older sending a shriek to come flying from his mouth. Luhan laughed.

“You really think I would drop you? It would be a crime to spoil such a great boazi” he said while planting a kiss on the redhead’s forehead and helping him stand up. This was pretty much routine for them, Xiumin collected flowers for him every morning believing them to be the success of his husbands beautiful songs.

“If only you knew” Luhan whimpered into their treasured wedding picture.

 “ it wasn’t the flowers… it was your light, the light which guided my songs” He just couldn’t hold it anymore he let the tears stream down his face and gave into the ugly cries of the man he could never be with. He placed the photo onto the table not wanting it to get soaked with tears knocking off the vase with the wilting flowers onto the floor in the process.

He stared at the mess on the floor, the way the petals all shades of brown were sprayed about; like blood on a murder scene, the shattered pieces of the vase; the broken body. This was the last of him, the last of boazi. Luhan had ruined Xiumins last trace to the living, and he hated himself for it.

He picked up his lyre and spewed out a song so full of sorrow and mourning that even the gods wept, they heard the cries of the musician and broke down with him, they felt all of the pain with every fibre of their beings until the deities couldn’t take the heart ache any longer.

They appeared to Luhan who was in awe never before had his songs been that powerful to distract the gods. While he stood there mouth open one of the three unfolded and outstretched her hands to reveal a crumpled map.

  “We heard your song” The tallest spoke in a voice so soft it rivalled velvet. We made a map to lead to the underground, you must speak with Had...d...” the shortest cut her off to say

“Do not speak only sing young one, he waits for you” and as quick as they appeared they disappeared in a puff of smoke leaving the man with only one thought:

He would get Xuimin back one way or another.

Luhan started his journey with no more than two gold coins, snacks, a map, his lyre as well as the ache in his heart. The trip lead him to a cave, on a seemingly normal beach that had everything a normal beach could want, the fine golden glitter at his feet and the murky green waters singing a duet with the shore in the warmth of the sun. Luhan and Xiumin had been to this beach before, in Luhan’s attempt to be romantic for Xiumins 16^th birthday they were just kids then, still in school. The only time they ever got to meet was under the cover of darkness where no one could know any better.
 

“No peeping Boazi!” Luhan exclaimed trying to hide his eagerness.

“How do you expect me to do that, when you’re practically strangling my eyes?” Xiumin whined

“Where are we even going lulu” truth be told he could feel the soft ground at his feet and the sand seeping into his poor choice of footwear but he didn’t know why they were at the beach.
 
“Were here!~”Luhan practically screamed, which sent Xiumin to furiously claw at Luhan’s hands trying to pry them away his eyes which were still clamped on Xiumin, prohibiting him from seeing the surprise that had been building up for over a month.

Xiumin had spent a whole five minutes wiggling and spitting remarks trying to get Luhan to release him, the other laughing all the while. He had however had enough of being tormented.

 I Know what will make you laugh” Xiumin said with a smirk

“wha…..AYYYYAAAA”

The seemingly innocent one had thumped his boyfriend right in the goonies.

Xuimin gasped

 “It’s … beautiful.”

Sprawled out across the sand was a lilac bed sheet bathed in the light of what must be a million fireflies, whose light spread out across the sand making it sparkle almost as much as Xiumins eyes were glistening at the sight of all different types of cuisines dotted around on the bed sheet.

It was the muffled sound of a muffled “A ya..” coming from the distance that made Xiumin snap out of his trance. He sharply turned around to see Luhan writing about on the floor, still recovering.

A pang of guilt shot over him as he ran to Luhan, he went through all this trouble.. and I hit him in the manhood… WHAT IF HE CAN NEVER HAVE CHILDREN  Xiumin thought not seeing the irony. 

“LuLu! I’m so sorry Lu can you forgive me? it’s so beautiful and …. And and” The only response Xiumin got was more moans so he collapsed down on top of Luhan and showered his boyfriend in kisses turning his moans of pains into slight giggles.

“Why did you have to go and do that, aish I don’t think I’ll ever be able to walk again” He said while rubbing his forehead.

Xiumin rolled off him “But you have to move, what if the fireflies eat all that wonderful food~” His cheeks had puffed up enormously from the pout he was pulling. Which made Luhan chuckle from the cuteness.

“I guess you’ll just have to carry me hunny, you’ve badly wounded me”  He tried to pull a seductive pose hands on hips while laying down in the sand. But Xiumin took him seriously.

“ I’m not strong enough to carry you lulu” He said down casted “But I know how to fix you!” He picked up the forgotten Lyre in the sand.

“This Lyre is magic right? I know it can heal you if I play it right” Xiumin fumbled awkward fingers across the many strings trying to stick to a consistent rhythm. Luhan watched as his partners eyes concentrated relaxing more when he thought he had found an uplifting tune. Xiumin looked almost content with himself.  (Truth is told however the tune was hideous and an insult to his prized possession) But still Xiumin tried so hard to ‘cure’ his beloved that Luhan just couldn’t help but play along.

Luhan twitched his foot, as Xiumin played his ‘healing’ melody.

“…… XIU …… I THINK ITS WORKING” He exclaimed.

“IT IS?” Xiumin carried on playing as if his life depended on it quickening up the pace until Luhan sprang up and danced around like some drunkard gone loony. The music stopped and Xiumin ran to join his idiot, and sent the both of them into a series of spins. The two spent their evening dancing in a swirl of fireflies, occasionally feasting. But never did they look away from the others eyes.

All that Luhan had left now was his memories and the cave that loomed in front of him, he never noticed the cave before.It wasn’t exactly a grand cave like you would expect the entrance for the underworld to be. It was rather small actually, but in Luhan wondered fearlessly with the ceiling barely a head above his own. It was pretty dark in here and the further he waddled in the less light from the entrance reached him, but still he could make out the protruding grey lined walls of the cave. He walked for what seemed like a long time but still couldn’t see any exit; in fact neither could he see the entrance. He wondered if maybe the entrance was on the side of the walls and he had already passed it. Well he would have if it wasn’t for the strange purple hue that was casted over the cavern in the distance. Hurriedly he quickened his pace sending the taps of his shoes to bounce of the rock until he could see an opening in the distance.

This place certainly was not of this world. The ‘sky’ looked so sickly and dank that he was afraid it could collapse in on its self. The ground wasn’t much better either for that was sticky, and tinted red. But the most unusual thing of all was the river of styx, the thing of legends. They call it a river but it’s not really a river of water, a river of souls? Yes. No water is to be seen here. Instead smog of purple rises from great deaths to pollute the surrounding air only ever rising to a certain point.

The legends say that a lone person called Charon ferries all the lost souls to Hades, he always sails alone never talking to the dead. What use is a dead friend and he the one to ferry them to their final place? His wife is the boat, his mistress is his duty. But why should a living man donate his life to the transportation of the dead Luhan thought. Then he remembered the gold coins he had in his possession ‘money’ the only reason anyone does anything.

The dead can only get across if the family of the deceased place a singular gold coin in their mouth or eyes to pay for the journey.

He certainly was not going to put the coin in his eye, ‘that’s for the dead’ he mumbled. So in his mouth it popped filling it with a bitter metallic taste.

Almost instantly the ship could be seen flowing down the river, if you could call it a ship. In its glory days Luhan could imagine it sailing through the seven seas varnished in loot stolen from less able ships and crews, but now it was worthy of the title ‘boat’ the sails were torn, wood cracked and helm battered. But alas the captain still seemed proud of his joy, a lanky fellow stood with authority on the helm holding onto the sail rope. Not for safety however it was more like he was guiding the ship itself.

“PORT” He boomed in the deepest voice Luhan had ever heard. The man who from a 30ft distance looked surprisingly young outstretched his hand and gestured for him to board the ship .Luhan of course obeyed.

When he reached the plank to board he was surprised to see that Charon was in fact young, well groomed at that too. Under his soft leather hat Charon had a fashionably short cut hairstyle black of colour. He was also exceptionally tall and lank in fresh sharp clothes fit for sailing. In front of the giant Luhan opened his mouth to expose a singular gold coin.

But Charon just stared cold and hard for what seemed like an eternity. Until finally he exposed that deep voice once again.

“You reek of the living.” How the hell was Luhan meant to reply to that? He didn’t know, so instead he just shivered.

The giant boomed.

“What business do you have here; you think this is some kind of joke?”

Luhan mustered up the courage for a simple “…p…p..please Charon”

“Charon, is that what the myths call me?” He almost looked shocked “It’s Chanyeol, you can’t be here, I can’t ferry a living”

“You have to Xiumin is waiting for me” He weakened at that name on his tongue.

“I don’t ferry out of love boy you really do think this is a joke, do you even understand the rules of the underworld?” Chanyeol raised his tone.

“ I do, I do, I’m here to see Hades”

 
Chanyeol laughed square in Luhan’s face casing a fine spray of spit to coat it
“Hades don’t have no business with ting mortals, you should go home, I have an actual job to do”

At that Chanyeol picked up Luhan by the scruff of his neck and elevated him so that his feet dangled in the air, Luhan’s broken heart fell even further as the giant roughly shoved him back down on the strange red soil.

“WAIT” He screamed, as Chanyeol was walking away. The Ferrier turned around un-amused.

“I CAN, I CAN CHANGE YOUR MIND”

“BOY DO YOU WANT YOUR LIFE OR NOT?” he shouted.

Luhan did not have an answer in words for this, only song.
 

So out came the lyre.

His perils came out like guided fiches.  He told Chanyeol his story, everything from the moment him and Xiumin met right down the journey through the cave. But still the giant had a face of stone. Cold, hard and staring as Luhan sang a final high note.

Chanyeol waddled up the plank back to the ship, dread filled Luhan ‘it’s all over he thought’ staring at Chanyeol’s coat flapping due to the speed of his strides

Just as Luhan was about to turn around and enter the underworld again but as a dead man. Chanyeol turned round and gestured exactly the same as when they first locked eyes; the gesture to board his ship.

And Luhan did that exactly.

The ferry to the underworld was beyond repair not only did it creak, but the cracked wood filtered through the purple fog of the dead.

“ Don’t let that touch you, if you value your life that is” Chanyeol warned
 

This made Luhan warily edge away from the seeping liquid.
 

“Why is it that colour” Luhan inquired.

Chanyeol sat down on the edge of the boat, staring straight into Luhan’s eyes who was standing awkwardly on the deck.

“The souls who cannot pay go there” He started. “They say that purple is the colour of spirituality, but I don’t buy that . This is what our kind really is once you strip down that layer of goodness everyone pretends to have. Our true form: resentment and this lot resent so hard that if a mortal, hell, even a dead man were to touch it you would join them”

Luhan shuddered trying to block out the screams he swore he could hear in the distance. A silence split the two of them before he mussed up the courage to ask…
 

“Why don’t you let them board with you instead of rotting in the rixer Styx”
 

“Nothing is free in this life and you better learn it son” Chanyeol played with the gold coin Luhan gave him. Until he stood up to take the wheel, singling the end of this brief dialogue. 

The ship took such an almighty turn that sent Luhan clambering for the nearest pole for safety the current on this river was much faster and rocky than the last course. Multiple times Luhan felt his legs slip out for under him although he preferred this side effect to the constant feeling of needing to lurch up the food in his stomach. The scenery hadn’t changed much either save for the looming cliffs far, far off into the distance.  He had been on this ship for at least 4 hours yet in this time the light conditions had not changed at all. He was certain it must be morning now up on the surface but down here you just simply could not tell .Luhan’s eyes felt heavy staring up at the ‘sky’ as he found himself trying to hush sleep away, but eventually giving up settling for a patch of un-cracked wood at the south of the boat where he slept curled up like a dog for comfort.

Luhan was awoken due to a rough shaking of his shoulder as well as the sight of a giant looming over him. Not the best sight to see in the morning he thought grumpily.

“Were here and I want you out of my sight” Chanyeol bellowed hoisting the smaller up to his feet. But stopped as he saw the sights around him those tiny clifs in the distance? Yeah small is not the best word to describe them.

“Do you even know what you’ve let yourself in for boy?” The man said

“Any price is worth paying” Luhan said sharply, annoyed at Chanyeols arrogance.

“You really do have some guts” Chanyeol smirked “Atop that cliff is Hades town. The lord of the underworld will be waiting. Providing you can get past the beast of course”

“Beast?” Luhan questioned.

“You’ll know when you see it, now get off my ship I have real dead souls to deliver.”

and with that Chanyeol literally kicked Luhan of the ship onto the squidgy banks below. Luhan steadied himself and turned around, to shout some snarky remark to Chanyeol. To his surprise however the ship was already gone.

a/n 

aha, ill just go in the corner and cry