The Coins of the Styx

A hand placed in a dark river by Yaseminmsl (Pexels)I wrote this story as part of the Woodland Writers Dragons & Wyverns event, because I'd been itching to do a death dragon story. This gave me the perfect opportunity.Add to that? It won fifth place! So strap in for a story about Charon's apprentice, and why we've never heard their story before.There is often a squish that tells the ferryman that his pole has hit the bottom of the river. It is precisely then that the experienced will change their angle and thrust, giving the punt the forward momentum with the least amount of strain on their muscles. The Styx is a slow-flowing river, so one might assume that minuscule save in energy is not worth the thought it takes to execute effectively. That is what Milo thought when he became this apprentice, but the line awaiting this crossing is endless, and the burn to his biceps in those first few weeks is enough that he refuses to lift his arms once the day is done. Perhaps he should have…