"I think we're... there. If I'm right, Cerberus should be waiting for us just up ahead."

"Really?" she says, beaming. "Okay, well, then let's go!"

Back to her shoulder perch she goes!!

Past another little transitional room, he drinks some from the fountain and replaces his necklace with a black spiked collar/choker, and onwards to...

...indeed...

...the Temple of Styx, a walkway surrounded on both sides by the mouth of the eponymous river and whose gate is guarded by an enormous, red, three-headed dog.

Wow, that dog is absolutely terrifying. Uh. Are they going to have to fight the dog? She'll do it, but that seems, uh. Difficult.

"Think we could maybe sneak past...?"

The rightmost head looks straight at her—even though it's rather large it is still quite clear that it is looking at her—and starts growling.

"meep."

"So it's really come to this, boy?" asks Zagreus, walking up to the dog. "After everything we've been through. Well then, if this is how it has to be, there's nothing left to say. Except for: on your guard!"

Now both the right and middle heads turn to look straight at Zagreus and start growling.

...but the left one fails to keep the straight face and barks once then starts panting happily and wagging its tail, and the other two can't help but join in, lowering closer to the ground so all three heads are looking at him.

Which makes the godling laugh and walk up to the left head to scratch it behind the ear and around the jaw. "Sorry, boy, couldn't help it. Who's a good boy? It's you!"

Wag wag wag.

Oh.

Well, of course Cerberus is the family dog. He's the son of Hades. That makes this very easy then, doesn't it.

"Awwwww, hello," she coos.

Bark bark wag!

"No, but seriously, boy. I know why you're here. There has to be a way to make you look the other way."

The leftmost head lowers all the way to the floor and Cerberus covers that snout with his front paws. It whines a bit.

"Say, I've heard the Temple of Styx up here has a pest problem, what if I help you with the satyrs, would you let me go? Please. I have to find Mother. You know what this means to me."

The right head whines a bit but the left head opens its eyes to look at him. The middle head makes a long humming noise and then finally barks in a decidedly affirmative fashion, which seems to make the day of the left head who once again barks and licks Zagreus from toe to head.

"Hahahahaha, yes, okay, I'll take that as a yes!"

"Awwwww," says Yvette, and Cerberus seems like quite a smart dog, so she guesses she'll come out and see if she can give the great big doggo some pets. First she'll hold out her hand to a nose to let herself be sniffed, because she knows literally anything about manners around dogs, and then she can give the good boy scritches. Right? Yes?

"Middle and right heads don't like being petted," Zagreus says, stepping away from the left head so she can have her turn.

But the left head sniffs her hand then pokes its tongue out in a huge doggo grin accompanied by more tail wags.

"Oh I see, okay. Thank you for helping me navigate the specifics of etiquette with three headed dogs." Scritch scritch scritch, only on the left head!! "Sorry I thought about sneaking past you, I didn't want to fight a big brave scary dog like yourself and didn't realize negotiation was on the table. I was very foolish. I will pay reparations in scritches, though. And Satyr killing." Scriiiiiitch?

Wag wag wag sllllluuuuuuuuurp.

She is now covered in hellhound drool. This was, in retrospect, predictable. She giggles anyway.

"Okay, I'm going back to being a shoulder decoration for now, but it was lovely meeting you." That's aimed at all three heads, even though the other two seem to be a bit more work-focused. "Keep on being the absolute best boy!"

And then, fwoop! Back to Zag's shoulder.

Bork bork!