SRW: Pecking Order.

Hermes' not so soft tumble against the stone staircase rang out in the maddening silence of the labyrinth. His pained grunt and sore back went unanswered by his lofty superior, who continued down the stairs without so much as offering him a helping hand. Thankfully, Eros at least gave him the opportunity to take his mind off his encroaching thoughts of the unknown that lurked in these winding stone halls. Hera was a comforting subject, with Hermes getting lost in the memories of her past exploits and the small quirks of her personality. The hard work, the determination to be the best at her craft, all of those experiences and thoughts seemed to warm his heart that was once enraptured with an icy grip of fear. His lips even curled into a smile as his mind's eye brought up images of him and Hera sharing drinks, cleaning wounds, and having each other's backs. It made things feel just a little bit better.

But then reality slowly slipped in. The bright bars and glowing beers turned into cold stone and flickering lanterns. Hera's large grin seemed to morph into Eros' disinterested golden gaze. And just like that, the Head Warden's face shattered any illusion in his mind. He was in a cold, dark, and lonely maze buried deep someplace he couldn't leave with someone he didn't like. All that warmth seeped away as his discomfort returned, his train of thought completely derailed as the bakeneko remained silent through his story and explored the room. She brushed her finger against the wooden furniture and checked for dust, but besides the occasional glance to check if he was still there, she largely ignored him.

"Both ways, eh?" Eros mused while finally giving Hermes assurance she was listening. "The editors in the cutting room upstairs say we should do her as a Heel on account she broke Gem Queen's back...but I want to do something different, play the bone snapping incident like it was a trick of Gem Queen’s and take her in a romanticized gladiator angle.”

Walking across the room, Hermes would spot another large wooden door. With a twist of it’s old and rusted knob, the opened easily with a loud and echoing KA-CHUNK! It squealed open on old hinges, revealing a deep dark hole that was even darker than the hallway they came from. There were no lights, no lanterns, not even a gentle gust of air. It was another deep dark entryway that even Eros herself could only pierce about a foot or so in with her night vision. If the pair were separated, the chances of meeting each other again were slim even with Eros’ knowledge of the area.

Slowly, Eros closed the door.

Should I…? He’s probably still walking around inside. If he sees Hermes…

The Head Warden looked over her shoulder, observing Hermes on the other end of the room. He looked so small in his suit, his eyes darting around as if he was looking for some sure spot of safety. Sometimes his eyes landed on her, but never for long. They would dart away from her just as fast as they would any dark corner or twisted shadow birthed by the lantern lights and cold stone walls. It almost made her smile.

“But first we have to get through here. Normally there is supposed to be a Warden in here with the door locked. They would only go in there if there was a problem with one of the cells, but evidently they aren’t back yet…and the only way out is through there.” she said with a nod of her head towards the door.

And in that small moment, as Eros closed the door as she tought to herself He’s probably still walking around inside., something slipped out on the ceiling from the top of the door, just narrowly squeezing out before it closed. It moved without making a single noise, its black shape blending perfectly into the shadows as it carefully slid itself out of view above the two guests.

Its lanky form reflected not a speck of light of the torches and any other light sources. Strange shapes and other extensions, including a tail that seemed to have a flower on the end of it, accentuated the creatures humanoid shape. Any light seemed to disappear into the creatures shapely void. There was however, one particular feature that stood out in the darkness, that Hermes would've noticed had he looked up.

Spoiler:

It's gleaming eyes.