Lena took a quick step back, the sun retreating with her before she spoke again.

"I am Lena, daughter of the Harvest Goddess." She said, some of the sunlight fading as she managed to get her sphere under control. "The mortal kind have named me Goddess of Spring." The redhead offered him a gentle smile, plucking a bloom of asphodel from nearby her feet and letting the breeze carry it across to Ale.

"A pleasure to meet you, Ale."

(Not naming Demeter simply because she's not claimed yet. Also, my addiction with Lena and asphodel is due to the Underworld connotation with the Asphodel meadow and all that. Don't think I ever explained that to you.)

Ale nodded, intrigued by the presence of this Goddess who... at least for now, had brought life to his island. Already he could feel the River Styx and his own arua slowly draining the life of the flowers that grew behind the woman. However it would be days until they had wilted away... He caught the flower in a gloved hand, lookingdown at the flower as it stared beautifully up at him, he smiled and tucked it away.

"The pleasure is mine, it is rare such beauty and life is seen by the souls of men once they enter my realm. Thank you, for this kind gift," he replied gratefully. His eyes focusing on her as he smiled.

She blushed, her cheeks a deeper gold than before as she hid them behind her hair. However, she continued, the flowers in her immediate radius flourishing even as the light of the sun became mostly covered by the clouds once more.

"Might I come closer?" She asked, tone sweet as she returned his smile.

Ale chuckled a bit.

"You are a God of Olympus correct?" he asked.

Lena flushed further, the girl shrugging slightly. "By all technicalities, yes, I am."

"Technicalities still count when it comes to The River, it cannot harm you, however it is not my domain... and you should still pay your respects to it," he advised, highly amused by the goddesses embarassment. It was not often he met a God of Olympus that was so open with who they are.

She crossed her arms then, not at all out of irritation and more in hopes of warming herself as a cool breeze caressed the still damp portions of her dress.

"And how, pray tell, do I pay respect to the River?"

Ale thought for a moment... Thanatos was a God that did not enjoy mortal things, in the slightest except for the rare exception. It was true that if she crossed the river with his own approval though there would be nothing Thanatos could do about it. However it would only lead to grief farther down the line...

"Plant the seeds of the asphodel's around you, and let them be norished by The River. Let those planted here be the River's flowers, so that there may be beauty in our domain," he stated with a nod. Yes... that should do.

Lena couldn't help the slight snort of laughter that escaped her, cracking a smile at Ale from where she stood. "That's it? Gods above, you made 'paying my respects' sound like I needed to provide a sacrificial offering." She teased, glancing around the river's shoreline for the perfect place to plant the seeds.

The Lord of The Underworld and Defender of Man just shrugged slightly then watched her go to work. He hoped The River, and Thanatos, would accept the offereing. It was so rare that the Gods paid proper respect to death and the after life, and such a gift as beauty was at least in his own mind... a worthy gift indeed.

Lena finally settled in on the riverbank, far enough from the sands so the seeds wouldn't be washed away, but still close enough to feel the slight spray off the water that washed over the earth.

She sat down and, uncaring of the dirt that would smear across her clothing, dug into the soft earth with one hand to create a place for the seeds to rest.

Ale watched with interest as he strood over to where he could watch her work. He was fasinated by such a simple act, he had heard of the great farms mortals cultivated on the mainland. He sighed a bit as he traveled back in his own memory, remembering the shore on the far side of the water... when was the last time he had seen it? And how had the world changed since then? The last time he had left the island was when the Olympus itself was still young... and the gods were as curious about him as he was about those far shores...

Ale nodded approvingly. He looked over to his pet who gave him three happy grins before he waded over to Lena's side of the river. Putting his center head onto the shore so that she wouldn't have to climb up him this time.

The giant dog smiled and wagged his tail happily, splashing up water on the other side before hs started walking to the other side. The River was... odd in a sense. It always seemed like a far greater expanse whenever crossing from life to death. But once you had corssed... distance between the two seemed almost insignificant...

As they reached the far shore, Spot laied down on his stomach so that she couild slide off easier. Ale waited down below, though refused to offer her a hand.... the little ray of sunlight that remained shining down on her definatly even past The River... He smiled though as he spoke to her.

"Welcome Lena, Goddess of Spring, you are now dead... or at least as close to death a God can be without some aid," he teased midly.

"It's less fiery than the mortals believe it to be." She teased, sliding off of Cerberus and settling easily on the ground after giving him a soft pat.

Lena gave him a sweet smile, a few red curls falling into her face as she looked up at him. "Shall I consider myself lucky to be welcomed by you?"

Ale snorted at that and nodded.

"The lake of fire and Brimstone is for more... special cases I'm afriad. Most mortals live well enough to at least deserve some peace," he replied as he looked out to the other side of The River. "Which means... yes, most other Gods that do not already reside here tend to arrive with far more fanfare of their own making. And unlike them... I have work to do more often than not."

Lena smiled softly, slipping the asphodel he had tucked away back out, and settled it carefully in a crevice of his armor - careful not to get too close, so the sun wouldn't harm him.

"Then I thank you, for taking time out of your busy day to greet me."

Ale bit back a hiss of pain as the sunlight shining down on her hand started to burn his face as she adjusted the flower, which had sprung back to life under the goddess's touch. It was a short moment though, hardly enough to do more than sting for a bit.

"It is my pleasure," he replied, nodding respectfully. Then he looked back up at Cerbures and snorted.

"However someone is going to have to go get me a new stick now..."

The dog's ears drooped as he hung his head, giving an annoyed snort of sorts before he bounded back off towards the mainland.

Lena frowned and quickly pulled away, clutching her hand against her chest and trying to think of a solution for them to interact.

She snapped her fingers then, giving him a slight smile. "Do you...do you happen to have a spare cloak I could borrow?" She gestured down to her still wet dress, which for some reason now refused to dry after crossing the River, even with the sunlight beaming down on her.

Ale gave her a quizzical look but nodded.

"Yes I'm sure there's one somewhere..." he said thoughtfully, he frowned a bit as he thought of waht could be used or given. He looked down to the ground around the woman's feet, her power across the river was dimished at least when it came to the dead grass around her. Here, across the river, everything was dead or in a state of decay, unless it was touched by the hand of a god. He looked back and unclipped the night black cape he sometimes wore and held it out to her. Making sure his hands was covered by the cape for when she reached for it.

Lena grinned then, holding up his cloak to shield them both from the light and giving him a cheeky wink. "See? I'm not so bad up close." She teased, taking the moment to observe the lines of his face that she could see beneath the shadows.

Ale was already quite pale, nor was he sure of it was ichor that flowed through his veins... but though the color of his face didn't change in the slightest, he felt like he should be blushing with how cloes the rather young looking, and awfully pretty goddess was... He coughed a bit awkwardly though, as she studied his face. It was marked with eons of strife, small scars that remained from the rare times he himself went into battle. A mark under his left eye where a mad titan's claw had peirce his visor, a scar of a sword that stretched down from his chin down into his armor. Tales upon tales that were long ago lost to man.

The red headed young girl smiled, the freckles on her skin much more prominent and hardly marred by the slender scar through her eyebrow. She stepped back after a moment, only lowering the cloak once she knew the sunlight wouldn't touch him.

"Thank you." She said softly, wrapping the cloak and settling into the warmth of it. She met his gaze, expression gentle as she looked over his scars once more. "You know, some on the mortal plane say scars or something to be shamed. It's mostly mortal women, seeking blessings of beauty. But..." She tilted her head slightly, green eyes bright as she looked up at him. "I think it would be more of a shame to have the world not understand all you've survived for those scars."

Lena giggled and started to move past him, into the unknown beyond. "Don't let me fall into the Titan's Pit, if you will."

Ale supressed a shudder, that was one of his... less savory duties...

"Yes well... perhaps we should best avoid that then," he said as he followed just behind the woman. He felt a warm smile come to his face and he sighed... contently. He couldn't remember the last time he had such plesant company.

As they wandered closer to the mountain the clouds got heavier and heavier, the ground becoming more and more barren until they came in sight of the gaping hole that was the true entrance into the Underworld... It's fangs jutting out of the ground like some monsterous jaw waiting to devor all that come into its reach.

Lena stopped at the edge, peering down into the hole for a moment before she turned back to Ale.

"Will you show me?" She asked softly, though she would be perfectly understanding if he refused her. She had intruded on his home, and she would at least respect his desires.

Ale shook his head.

"Another time yes, there is... a quiet form of beauty down there, at least in my mind. But with Cerbures finding a new chew toy..." he paused there and shrugged. "Someone needs to stand guard till he gets back."

He then smiled as he took a seat on a nearby rock and motined her to join him.

"Come though, tell me of the world beyond my home. I rarely get to leave my island anymore to be honest."

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