"I challenge the captain", the huntsman suddenly declared to her. As if everyone heard him, all was silent. Even the organ stopped playing. It was odd that Hades would hear him, but he was a deity, and the ship had his eyes and ears, so of course he would have heard him. Thumping sounds of boats were slowly thumping on the deck above them, until he made his full appearance while walking down the stairs. "I accept", he told him.

As Eric was being forced to sit down. The gambling table was set in front of him with one of the crewman placing the dice and cup in front of him. After Hades appears before him, the Huntsman stands, his expression remaining neutral. "The stakes?", the god asked him. "If I lose, you get my soul. For an eternity of servitude", Eric tells him with his voice still courageous and non-fearful. "If I win, you hand me this", he then set the fabric on the table before the lord of the dead. Eyeing him suspiciously, Hades picks up the fabric, only to see the drawing of his key. His. Putting the fabric down, he almost showed an expression of fear. "How do you know of the key?", he asked the Huntsman, wondering. "That's not part of the game, is it?", Eric instead asked him before swiftly sitting down. "You can still walk away", he offered. The god sat before him. Reaching into his thick black robes, a dangling object was pulled out, only to reveal that it was indeed the key itself. Eric's mouth gaped a little bit, but now, he knew where the key was. That was all he needed to know. The key was pulled away from his sight as it disappeared back into the god's robes. Both males put their dice into their cups and it a slow shuffle before slamming them back down on the table, upside down.

Silena had not expected this. She looked rather shocked, quiet even as the rest of the crew. No one had ever challenged Hades to Liars Dice before. Not within her time of being on the ship. It was rather unheard of. Hearing the Organ had stopped playing and a few moments later the heavy steps of Hades' footsteps that had come over to the toward the crew. What she heard from the Captain next was something she had never expected.

Hearing the stakes of the game that her Uncle proposed, seeing Hades change from a neutral expression to one that looked to be of fear then Eric challenging him further. With Hades having shown Eric the key and then going with this game, once the cups clashed onto the surface, a third cup clashed in unison with the other two a hand that held it pale, and thin. "Count me in." A female voice declared.

Seeing and hearing a third cup join into the game, Hades sharply looked at the cup and up to his female recruit. "What's this?!", he shouted, demanding an answer. "Don't do this", the Huntsman told her as he leaned forward towards a little bit towards her, already knowing that it wasn't necessary for her to join this. Plus, it wasn't part of his plan, and he didn't want her to get into further trouble.

Silena had heard both man and god's protest of her joining this game. She sat down casually looking more disinterested in their attempts to shake her from what she wanted to do. "Three-twos." Was he first bet, more inclined to just get this started before they could continue their arguments.

Already seeing that she just to join and side with Eric, Hades miraculously went along with it. Turning his gaze to the Huntsman, he said his wager. "Four-fours", he spoke slowly and harshly in a whisper, making the crew snicker a little bit. Eric looked down for a second and looked up again at the God. "Four-fives", he spoke casually. His turn was over, and all Hades did was turn in his gaze to the female recruit.

Serena doesnt look to her cup as she heard Eric and then Hades' bet, feeling his gaze upon her. "six-threes." She bet next. Her gaze now on the man and God.

Hades then slowly looked at Eric before lifting his cup up a little so only he could see his dice. Placing it back down, he looked back up at the Huntsman. "Seven-fives", he declared in a harsh whisper at Eric as the crew laughed. Eric didn't flinch in his current position and he lifted his own cup. That was the moment when he hesitated a little bit, trying to think up a bet. "Eight-fives", he declared, making Hades mockingly laugh at him. "Welcome to the crew, lad", he said at him, knowing that he was going to lose.

Silena heard their new bets, not showing her detest of them mocking her uncle. Still not looking at her dice, she declared her new bet. "Twelve-fives." Non-nonchalant like. Seeing Hades' features, Silena could tell that he thought she was joking. So she repeat herself. "Twelve. Fives." To show that she was not kidding. "Call me a liar or bet higher." She told him.

Just by hearing this new bet, Hades looked at Silena in surprise, giving her a face that shows that he thought she was joking. "And be called a liar myself for my trouble?", he asked rhetorically before lifting up the cup that was covering her dice, revealing all to see. Slamming the cup back down, he was far beyond pleased. So much anger he was in, he used it on her by backhanding her in the face, hard to send her face flying sharply to the left. "Silena Odinson, you're a liar and you will spend an eternity on this ship!", he declared at her in disappointment. Turning to the Huntsman, who was shocked by his previous action, he stood up from his seat. "Master Huntsman, feel free to go ashore...", he paused. "...the very next time we make port!", he finished with thunder roaring with his and the crew's laughter. Deserting them, Eric went to Silena's side and moved strand of platinum blonde hair from her face. "Why did you do that?", he asked her, clearly confused, but demanding an answer.

Silena made no move when Hades became angry about her lie. All she had grasped was that she was her head turned sharply to the left of which she made no noise or movement, she had to admit her cheek stung but other than that, she waited till Hades' footsteps were no longer within ear shot before she moved her head and let it hang till she saw Eric move within her vision. She looked up to him as he moved a strand of her hair out of the way, hearing him ask why she did it. She only sighed as she let her head hang. "I couldn't let you lose."

Eric didn't flinch when his niece gave him her answer. She was only worried that he could die if he lost the game. But with three players, she figured that if she lost, then the stakes won't become stacked up against him. "It wasn't about winning or losing", he said to her softly in order to get her to understand that himself losing, wasn't part of the game.

Silena looked confused at first, wondering why he challenged Hades if this wasn't a game about winning or losing. Wondering what was bigger purpose of the game Eric was playing. Only then did her eyes widen. Only then did it all click. Eyes widened in surprise and realization. "You wanted to know where the key was. I understand now. But. How are you going to get it?" She asked then.

Eric gave her small reassuring smile, silently tellig her that he had a plan.

Quietly walking into the captain's quarters, Eric sneaked into with quiet footsteps as he spotted the God hunched over his organ that seems to be infront of him. Knowing that Hades seemingly had the ability of clairvoyance, he smoothly used quills to move a dominant strand of his white-gray beard out of the way of his cloak. The huntsman figured that if he touched Hades personally, he would certainly know that he was there and awaken. Able to move the strands, he spotted the key in his cloak. Holding the one quill in his mouth, he reached into his pocket and took out the rolled up drawing of the key. Being able to take the real key quickly, he filled in the empty gap with the drawing. Taking the key in hand, he silently made his exit.

Out on the deck, he noticed Silena loosening one of the row boats, in order to take his escape. He approached her while strapping the key on some string and putting it around his neck.

Lowering the row boat till it was in the water till it touched the water and waiting for one to get in, Silena turned to look for her uncle till she saw him walking up as he put the key on a string and wrapping it around his neck. She turned to a barrel to pick up something up and turning back to hand it to him, a sword wrapped within a jacket. On top of it however was a little knife that looked handcrafted. "If it was ever in my blood to die on this ship, to forever serve Hades." She said with a sad sigh.

Eric approached her right before he was given a sword, nicely sheathed but slightly crusted. Overall, it wasn't bad looking, and he didn't blame his niece for not possessing any clean ones. They were on a cursed ship, after all. Strapping the belt around his waist, he attaches the sword to it, so it would be around his waist. Also, the huntsman took the jacket that was handed to him. He was thankful and relieved to have it, since he was a bit cold in the rainy weather as well as his painful injury from earlier. "That is never a fate that you have to choose", Eric replied to her right after he took the small knife from her possession, and strapped it inside of the jacket.

Silena smiles with as a weak giggle escapes her lips. She looked at the dagger he was strapping to his person. "True." Walking up to her uncle and giving him a love filled hug, feeling her heart ache but full of joy that she got to see one of her own kin. Once she finally had to strength to let go, she gave him a kind smile that she hadn't had form on her lips in years. "Should you see Loki again, could you tell him I said hello? I have missed him."

Eric didn't move from his spot as he watched the pale-blond haired girl approach him. Before he could let her touch him, he dragged her into him, almost crushing her into the love-filled hug, placing a palm on the back of her head, lightly squeezing it. The huntsman's heart was half-full as he finally found someone who was related to him by blood. Especially one who was raised by his lover. She had everything that Loki described her to have: her beauty, skills, and brightness. "I promise, I will free you from Hades' hold on you", he promised warmly as he let her go from his grasp. "I will not stop until this blade pierces his heart", he gestured to the small dagger that she just gave him. Until, he remembered something. "What if they know that you have helped me?", the huntsman asked her, almost nervous and concerned about her fate for such actions.

Silena looked to the small dagger that Eric promised to use to stop Hades' heart. Upon hearing his concern, Silena giggled knowing something he didn't. "Do not be too concerned. They will not be able to do much to me." Her features softened a sorrowful. "I am already hurt for being a slave to Hades." She added.

Eric was still fearful for her, but if she says is true, then why worry? Heck, he had every right to be worried! She was now his responsibility! But getting back to Loki was his top priority now. Cupping the sides of her face with his hands, he leaned in, and affectionately kissed her forehead. "I'll be back", he finally said to her sorrowfully, before letting his grip slip as he began to start climbing down the side of the ship, and into the dingy below. Eventually, he took his muscle to row himself away.

With a smile that still radiated her features when Eric cupped her face within his hands and feeling the affectionate kiss that was he placed on her forehead, saying he will be back. She watched him lowering himself from the ship before starting to row away.