She's lived in the darkness for ages now. She was one with the labyrinth's halls, wearing a tunic of darkness. She was breathing darkness and eating it, drinking it in as her only sustenance. Her ears had gotten used to the silence - it wasn't truly silence. There was a persistent cracking and an even more persistent tap-tap-tap of water drops. Sometimes she was worried it was indeed blood. And sometimes there was a scurrying that sent her flying into panic all over again. But for the most part, only those sounds accompanied the echo of her steps.

It was in that moment - Selene knew not what hour or day it was now- that her eyes saw a small light again. It was blinding, almost, the size only making it more intense in her eyes. But still, she walked closer in disbelief, not truly sure if this was the cold dead light at the end of the tunnel everyone talked about or warm sunlight.

The light lead to a room. A well defined room, with walls that she could see for once. All light in the room came from a hole in the roof, the wall having caved in on itself in the center. The source of the sinkhole was a palm tree, which had planted its roots everywhere it could reach.

Tired, Selene mustered up all her remaining strength, climbing up, teeth gritted and arms shaking from the strain of pulling her tired form up. Finally, she breathed in the grass, sunlight and the world welcomed her back. She wanted to cry. She wanted to laugh. But Selene just lay there for a moment, letting the sun tickle her face. The cool shade on her face that belonged to the palm was so much nicer than the damp underground. Right now, that palm was the most interesting thing in her surroundings. It was so tall and green and there were little yellowish fruits on it.

Now that’s interesting. Selene's face lit up. Dates.

Food.

She ate as many as she could, picking the bitter-sweet orbs until her pockets were full to the rim of her dress. Refreshed, she set off, determined not to stay in one place.

Yes, the sun was shining, driving most of the intelligent life off the Labyrinth’s streets, but that didn’t stop Selene. She was careful, though it was difficult to keep herself from skipping along. Maybe she’d let herself loose were she in different times and places.

Her surroundings didn’t change much, though that didn’t mean Selene’s awe faded. She skipped along an intersection or two, before noticing a mural, sparingly illuminated by a few beams of sunlight that had fallen through leaves.

A man dominated the large piece, raven black hair peeled away by time and erosion. He held a trident and countless fish, dolphins and octopi swarmed the lower half of the composition.

‘Poseidon.’ She caught herself thinking.

Tiny, the human stood within the ruins, realizing that the large open area wasn’t a square, rather what remained of an offering temple. Everything that could have been pillaged had been pillaged and rummaged through. Even the mural she at first thought to have been left untouched had a mark that, upon closer inspection, revealed itself to be a dry, blood-colored handprint. A giant one. Anxiety kicked in immediately. The minotaur did this…but why?

‘’There go the questions again.’’ Selene scolded herself, running a hand through her tangled hair. More importantly, if the handprint was here, the minotaur must’ve been as well.

Something skittered across the ground and Selene screeched for exactly one split second, jumping away and throwing her apron across the skittering thing. The thing was helplessly floundering in the heavy fabric. And screeching as well. Selene grabbed the little bundle, grabbing the yet to be identified creature into her hand.

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It was a tiny squeaky mouse. Very squeaky. And very much trying to bite her. She held it a little tighter, hoping to discourage any of its biting plans.

‘’Gah- let go of me woman-’’' The squeaky mouse said.

She thought for a moment whether she heard right. Or whether she heard at all. There were many more probable explanations after all. She had been alone for so many days - it must’ve been a trick of her senses. Must have, because the other implication was much more terrifying.

‘’I’m not letting you go-!’’ Selene responded, unsure why she was doing so. ‘’I’m starving.’’

‘’Great! Me too!’’ The mouse squeaked.

Selene didn’t respond again.

‘’You should close your mouth lady. It looks as though you’re going to eat me alive.’’ The mouse laughed…then awkwardly stopped when it realized Selene wasn’t laughing. ‘’...Please don’t do that.’’

Selene slowly closed her mouth.

‘’Okay now we’re getting somewhere.’’ Its tone jumped to enthusiastic, almost proud. Unfortunately, it was unclear whether that tone was directed at Selene or itself. ‘’And now you can let me go.’’

‘’Nu-uh.’’

‘’Why not!?’’

‘’Because you’re a talking mouse for one.’’

If it was possible for a mouse to look annoyed, this would be how it looked. It was a very squinty, squishy kind of mouse anger. ‘’Oh yeah? And who are you going to sell me to, huh lady?’’

She squinted right back. ‘’Who said I’m selling you? I’m obviously crazy and talking to a mouse. So I’m keeping it as a talking buddy.’’

‘’Okay, first of all your talking buddy is a he. Second of all I’m not a talking buddy, or a pet or food. And thirdly-’’ The mouse inhaled air, puffing up like a little balloon. Then paused for way too long. ‘’...I was going to reassure you about your lack of craziness, but clearly you can’t be that sane if you eat mice.’’

‘’Got it.’’ Selene breathed in through her nostrils, letting her thoughts piece themselves together. Her thoughts immediately told her to give up and then sent her a resignation letter. Great. Going with the flow it is. ‘’If I let you go…will you stay for dinner? No mice on the menu, of course.’’

The mouse squinted some more, but then agreed with a reluctant ‘fine’.

In return, Selene opened her hand as slowly as she could, half expecting the mouse to bite her fingers off and half expecting a sulphuric explosion. Neither happened. The mouse sat in her hand, paws crossed to the best of his ability.

She tried her best to keep going with that flow. She clung to not clinging to any of the details of this situation, ignoring them as best as she could. With utmost care she set her guest down. Then, with the same care and precise ignorance she pulled out the sad looking haul of fruit. She picked out what she thought to be a mouse-friendly diet of date and date, then sliced it as neatly as she could. The fruit ended up a bloodbath of juice, but it was the best she could do.

The mouse patiently waited for the fruit to be set in front of it, but the moment Selene stepped back to sit with her own portion of fruit, it dug into the meal with the voracity of a starved beast. ‘'Ah - I’ll tell you what… it’s so difficult to find offerings in this form. Can’t go stealing any cattle either.’’

‘’Offering?’’ Selene broke her silence.

‘’Yeah - what did you think gods consumed? Y’know, outside of ambrosia, nectar and all that.’’

She almost choked on her own date. There is no way. ‘’You’re-’’

‘’Hermes, yes. Shocking, I know, but please mortal, save your worship for later.’’

Selene thought about how she absolutely didn’t sign up for this. In the end, that thought lasted only a moment before she shut the door in its face, deciding to leave freaking out about it for later. So, instead she nodded. Then asked the most normal question she could think of with half of her brain powered down from how many things it was currently processing: ‘’...Why are you a mouse?’’

‘’Oh your tiny mortal brain wouldn’t even comprehend my real form.’’ He said with his mouth full of half-chewed fruit.

She paused, recalling the other things she had seen so far. ‘’I doubt that.’’

‘’Well I’m not showing you anyway.’’ Hermes crossed his paws again. His nose was twitching, with the obvious anticipation of crinkling the second she demanded more answers.

But instead the woman shrugged, laying down in the shade of the pillars. Gods, she was tired. ‘’Okay Hermes… You get the first lookout shift though.’’ And then she closed her eyes.

‘’Oh what the- why!?’’

‘’You’re a god, right?’’ She responded, sleep coloring her tone. ‘’Look after your devotee a little.’’

The mouse god sighed. ‘’Fine. I’m only doing this because you gave me food, you hear me lady?’’

But the lady didn’t hear. She was already passed out and dreaming about a pantheon of mice.