The way back through Tartarus was considerably less troublesome than the descent.
Cerberus followed a few meters behind Strax, now far too obedient for a creature that, only a few hours earlier, had tried to tear him in half with three different jaws.
The new affinities had not completely stabilized yet. Fire occasionally escaped from the left head, ice crystals formed over the snout of the right, and small bolts of Black Lightning ran through the mane of the central head whenever the hound became excited.
Thanatos walked beside Strax with her arms crossed, keeping enough distance to avoid being licked again.
Strax watched the Goddess of Death for a while before speaking.
Her name continued bothering him in a very specific way.
Not because of the authority associated with it, but simply because it did not fit the woman walking beside him.
"I'm going to call you Tany."
Thanatos stopped.
"No."
Strax kept walking.
"Thanatos is a man's name."
"It isn't."
"Sounds like one."
