The twists and turns of his mind ran over him over and over as the days turned into a week and then on the 11th day of searching while traveling west he found a mage who bought his story. Unlike the rest of the world he was loyal to the gods, but not of this time, the fathers of the current gods who ruled. It was often times hard to not lie and since most mages were very careful about reading people, not to mention his common practice of covering his face, while leaving his upper torso quite bare showing his massive size. No doubt some of them took him for a Sarian agent, but he cared not of what he was called, not many got it right.  Finding a particularly kind mage who would except his trade of gold for a quick teleport from the lower end of Indiana to this Redwood, California. The only issue Akribos noticed when he arrived was the fact that Redwood, California turned out to be several miles and miles of thick forest. As the rush and blur of the mages spell wore off Akribos shook his head while he reached up to the dishdash and pulled it from his face revealing his mouth open while he dropped to one knee again, his body feeling like it was decaying and his liver again throbbing from the stabbing pain in his lower back. The map flared up in his mind as he jerked his head back snarling out while he gripped the spear with both of his massive hands while he breathed heavily as if his body was in shock.<br/><br/>One thing that his mind held onto was the fact of his goddess of worship got both off and entertained at the suffering of her servants even if it could end their lives, they would suffer till that point. Shaking the pain he glared at the area scanning for anyone, his dishdash was only pulled down enough to show his upper lip to mid neck to anyone who might have been here before he arrived. Adjusting his large cloak over his back once again so that it covered more of his large scarred upper body, while also moving the dishdash back up over his face covering the deep gash scar over his left side of his lips. Coughing lightly as he stood Akribos sniffed the air after clearing his throat, his eyes looking from between the dishdash top and bottom around his eyes. This place truly was amazing to look at, the forest were thick, though they were peaceful it seemed, oh how Turael would vomit if she saw this place in the flesh, but then again she would do no such thing.<br/><br/>Stepping out on foot Akribos could sense the location, because the closer he got the more pain his side was giving, he no doubt looked like an old creature by the time he reached the location of the clearing, his breath calm, but his body hunched as he leaned on the long 8 foot spear he carried before the pain suddenly vanished from his body. Glaring at the clearing Akribos could feel the tingle over his neck as he moved from between two of the trees to behind one of them, his darker clothing, both the cloak and pants of leather were black, keeping him hidden. Sighing he continued to count his breaths as he sorted through the scents, though it had been no doubt two weeks or more since each of these creatures had their dreams, after this long, Akribos had learned the "smell" that the mortal of this time gave off in accordance with each god. Breathing in deep he could smell the more powerful of the four beings he sensed around him....<br/><br/><em>'Four?!'</em>his mind rushed, how could he had not felt the forth one? A woman, she wasn't there moments ago, but then his mind remembered his own travel arrangements. He smirked, another mage or person who got help from a mage like himself. Calming himself he looked slowly from behind the tree watching the two men talk, and smirked at the white haired elf. Athena. Looked like the preachy goddess finally got a decent looking animal for her side. The elf carried a dagger with him, not to mention the large cat that crawled out scaring the smaller human. Sniffing the air Akribos could smell Artemis all over him, the virgin archer. That goddess should have been less obvious about her gifts of beauty and stick to archery rather than taunting her brother and employing boy's with knives and pebbles for her fighters. The smaller one who spoke his name being Zedd made Akribos smile, the human was young, very young in comparison to the creature behind him, or the cat with the servant of Persephone.<em>'A dryad?!'</em>No, not a Dryad, they were not the....no mixed. The human with the animal was mixed with dryad blood, now that was interesting in itself, but even more so what a creature that was not meant to be in a battle, not by any means, would be chosen by the supposed goddess of the underworld. This looked easier and easier for him, Akribos was sure that no doubt the true instrument of power would soon be shown to this place, but Akribos preferred being out in the open than in the shadows outside their camps.<br/><br/>No doubt Turael would be angry, but if he could pull off convincing these few that he was for Ares service, he would no doubt fit right in. Though the elf who named himself as Feldor Kelmaric, would no doubt be suspicious of him as his own goddess being Ares brother, not that the goddess would sense anything, but the risk remained. He would no doubt pass for a servant of Hades, but then again the new arrival of the human who smelled heavily of Dryad was in service of the underworld's king jerk off's wife. It was a damned if he did, damned if he didn't. He could always have said he was in service to Eros, but having the body and groin of dreams for women who no doubt prayed to the horn god of sex and lust for a visit from a man with his size. Though his lack of owning half of the skin on his skull would no doubt turn that down. Smiling he nodded on the Olympian that many would think he served anyways, if not for Ares still being alive, Hades. It seemed only true that the god of the underworld would bring a warrior of the old world to fight, no doubt that if they didn't think him human, he could pass off that he was a raised general from the days before their time, and was here to fight for Hades.<br/><br/>Nodding to himself he agreed that was what he could do, it would be the mask he could wear for a few days. Stepping up he adjusted his body and twisted his cloak around his body and now wore it mainly hanging off his back and covering only the shoulder of his left arm, his shield arm. Grabbing his shield from his back and pulling to his left arm as he hooked his arm in the leather grip piece on the underside of the shield. The Cat-O-Nines under the bronze of the outside lip, covered completely under a few strips of leather. Gritting his teeth he turned from the tree and sighed as he walked out suddenly from behind the boy and in view of the elf. His eyes where hidden under the shading of his wraps around his face, and his pack on his back hiding his helm designed for his face by the goddess he now served, able to hold the golden rings through his flesh on his head without risk of ripping them out.<br/><br/>While walking towards the two men Akribos smirked at their expression of no doubt shock at seeing a man of his size come from behind the trees on the clearing, carrying his shield and large spear. "Good day to ya sir, and you too elf. Mind you telling me what the likes of you are doing in the path of Hades who has ordered my body here?" His accent was thick and rough, very much so Greek, rather than his much rougher and Pagan Irish sounding one. To fit in was his first goal when he became immortal. Glaring at the node and then noticing all the lines going around the clearing, Akribos stepped over the lines in his heavy black boots which had his golden greaves coming up from them and to his knee on each leg. Gritting his teeth he looked over the two men and smirked holding his spear at his side and his shield chest level, his head wandering as he gritted his teeth not just from the annoyance of the men, but also on the smell of the Olympian worshipers that they wore. Devote no doubt, heavily devote. Snorting slightly and lifting his rags for just a quick moment to spit he then looked back at the Olympians.<br/><br/>"Hades has sent me here to kill something which should have already been dead, where is the monster? Evil of some prime source no doubt eh? Well then you two would kindly explain where the being is I can get this done and go home eh?" Glaring down at the two much smaller men, hell Akribos had a foot on each of them at least, Akribos adjusted his grip on his spear to a more relaxed state, and nodded with a slight bow. "My manners, forgive me, I have been quite alone for quite a few decades, I am not used to dealing with people again. No doubt my lord would not enjoy me screwing up his already bad name. Talos, Talos Vern is my name." The lies were truth to Akribos, his eyes barely flinched as he had been going by that name for the past two weeks to assure he wouldn't slip.<br/><br/>"Warrior and servant to my lord. I assure you that you boy would like to tell Artemis to hire someone who looks less like a whelp with rocks and a knife and more like a man who can actually learn not to touch the big glowing thing in the middle of the clearing that half the champions of the Gods and Goddess's are gonna show up to. As for you elf, your big cat seems to have found a servant of Persephone, might want to help bring her here. Before you ask I am very old, very tired, and very annoyed to be here amongst the lovely happy forest of California, so let us move on and just get the mission over with eh?" He no doubt seemed long winded for having just entered the clearing, but assuming command and moving those in his way seemed spot on for both Zeus and Hades, if Akribos's memory hadn't faded yet. Looking at the two men Akribos did not extend his hand, nor let go of his spear, he wasn't about to show kindness, Hades didn't seem like the type to be decent to another living thing. Although he didn't serve Hades, if the Sarians had killed the Titans instead, he would no doubt serve for Hades instead, he gave off no such scent as they did either. It was as if he was an empty being, no god or goddess could be smelt, or felt on him, he was seemingly untainted other than giving an aura of being very lethal and cold, not to mention old. It was how over the past Millions of years he remained hidden and alive, these mortals could not break his masks and ways he kept himself a secret.