At the end of the stone corridor, Roger and Persephone stopped in front of a tall double doorway. Two hound dogs, standing on their feet, were carved on the door, trying to reach the ceiling.

“My husband love dogs,” Persephone explained. “I like deers, but dogs are great protectors.”

“Is that why he turned Katina, Cilla, and Labda into a three-headed dog?” Roger asked.

"Only for their punishment. Hades needed someone to replace Cerberus. Without the hound, the gate will be invulnerable to trespassers. The Amazons just happen to be available in Hade's present."

"And he told you that?"

Persephone shrugged. "You can ask him once we freed him. But take my warning for your own sake." She gazed into his eyes, giving him a cold stare. "Be cautious of what you say to him. He will get angry and torture you for eternity."

Roger gulped. "I'll….. Be aware of that."

Persephone kept her gaze on him for a while. Then she smiled cheerfully. "Good! Let's free him!"

She marched straight toward the door and pushed it open.

They stepped into an empty chamber with another door at the back. The doorway reminded Roger of a giant vault at a bank. And vaults usually contain valuable things, which nobody wanted to be stolen.

Persephone pointed her finger at it. "That should be the cell where my husband is! Only the strongest prisoners get locked in those chambers."

"Okay, but how do we-"

A giant creature dropped from the ceiling and landed in front of Roger and Persephone, shaking the floor a bit. The thing appeared as a male lion. But he has a goat head and a serpent tail, hissing with long pointy fangs. The goat head screamed, and the lion roared like thunder. It felt terrifying up close.

Persephone stepped back from the creature. "Shit! It's the Chimera!"

Roger was surprised the cute gentle goddess cussed, but avoiding the thing was more important. "What do we do?"

"You will distract her while I open the prison door!"

"Ok-what? That thing is a she?"

"Yes! Do you see any male genitals hanging down beneath her buttocks?"

Roger assumed the monster was a male because the lion’s head has a mane. All male lions have manes, grown to protect their thick necks. Female lions have low testosterone, which isn't enough to help them grow their own manes around their necks. It's just how lions matured in their habitat.

Due to being a fusion of three animals, the Chimera could have a high level of testosterones to appear as masculine as a male lion. In fact, Roger could consider her as a she-male in the lion kingdom. What other abominations could the gods have created?

"Fine!" Roger pointed his spear at the creature, stepping to the right from Persephone. "Hey, you male-looking lioness! Over here!"

The lion and goat head gazed at him. However, the snake tail focused her eyes on the goddess. If the thing was clever, it could watch both Roger and Persephone at the same time.

Reaching Hade's prison won't be simple.