---

They had succeeded.

At a cost. At least, his cost. The tree and its plant and inhabitants protected, a job well done if he did say so himself! He'd slain many a wraith, and though he didn't appreciate having been tackled so furiously off one of the massive trees roots that something in his leg had given a sharp pop. Not a bone -- a muscle, he suspected, or something of the like. It hurt and burned like the fires of Tartarus, right up into his shoulder.

And when it was all over?

Poseidon didn't recognize where he was.

Thick, foggy woods.

A flame. Green as green could be, like a shimmering emerald; no source, no fuel, just... a random eternal fire?

Cool.

Poseidon sat up with a growl echoing in his throat, and looked about groggily. At least there weren't any wraiths, sure, but there was no Ampoule to help him either. Not even Cetus; though, considering he didn't know where the closest body of water was, that was for the best. When he tried to pull himself to his feet, he gave a sharp, involuntary yelp as pain shot up his leg. The brute flopped back to the muddy earth with a snarl, crading the offending forelimb to his chest as tears sprang to his eyes.
Mortal bodies were fucking fragile. What the fuck? Was he made of eggshells?

Frustrated, he growled again, struggling on three paws to stand but managing, eventually.
Panting, squinting against the pain throbbing up his limb even as he kept it dangling off the ground, Poseidon took a better look at the flame, limping closer.
Before he got there, a tear slid down his nose.

Was it glowing? Blue?

What the fuck AGAIN?

Idly, he wondered where Hades was. He'd caught sight of his brother, during the battle, and Persephone. He was not alone here; though he'd sent the god of the dead here himself, it was bolstering to know that not only had he made it safely, he had found his wife, as well. She wasn't the only one missing, had he found the others?

Part of him thought perhaps he should find out where his brother was holed up.

He might've been older, but nothing really drew him to seek out Hades. They were here investigating, searching. Wasn't it better if they were split up to cover more ground?
Was Poseidon really even searching? He hadn't done more than lounge about the beaches, flirting with anyone pretty enough to catch his eye, learning how to be a fuckin' dog. That was Hades' thing, not his. He swam rivers, ruled the sea, enjoyed the water. Every once in a while, perhaps, a nice open field and four hooves.
But paws?
Pfft. It was a form he'd only graced a few other times. One he barely knew. Didn't hate, but didn't prefer.

And now his tears were glowing. When he swiped a tongue around his lips, even his saliva left behind a shimmer; looked like the bioluminescent pulse of jellyfish, or dinoflagellates floating along the water. Weird. Whatever.

For a few minutes, he just inspected the flame. Breathed. Gathered his wits. He had to get out of the woods and reorient himself, and he'd be fine.

A scent touched his inexperienced nose just a moment before a voice called out.

Right as rain, he offered back as he cast his gaze over his shoulder. A shorter, sharp-featured coywolf of tawny coloring, orange gaze pinched, Had a bit of a scuffle last night. Just a little tired.

He blinked, smiling, and jerked his muzzle to the fire.

Ever seen a green flame? Usually meant something was burning in the fire, or maybe there was copper in the ground, but from what he could tell, it was just... existing. No source, no fuel.