Author's Note
It's the end of the school year and I am emptying out stuff and I found this that I wrote. I'm actually pretty proud of it.
This is an extra adventure for Odysseus that I wrote in after Scylla and Charybdis. Enjoy!
Disclaimer: I do not own the Odyssey, it belongs to Homer.
The Island of the Beasts
Odysseus has just finished telling the story of Scylla and Charybdis. He told the men that he drifted at sea for nine days and on the tenth night he got stranded on Ogygia. However, that is not true...
"From that place I drifted and I have told you that I drifted for nine days, and on the tenth at night the gods brought me to the island of Ogygia, but that is not true. Three nights I drifted and then the gods brought me to a treacherous island where I shall continue my tale.
"I drifted, delirious, for three days and on the third at night I landed on a beautiful island, one that made me weep for native soil. The sand was golden and soft; as I made my way to the beach, I began looking for food for I saw nothing save a few bushes in the horizon. The beach spread for miles and I walked for hours, my feet sore and my body burned. Finally, I saw berries in the distance, berries of the god Dionysus, and I feasted on berries for I still had yet to see animals. I ate my fill before deciding to rest for the day and continuing at dawn the next morning.
"I slept on the sandy beach and when I woke, I feasted on berries once more before starting off. I wander for a few hours until the time when the sun was directly overhead and then I saw my first glimpse of a forest. I was overjoyed for a forest meant food and water, yet I did not realize how dense the forest would be nor how hard to travel. For days I wandered that forest until I lost all hope; wandering in the wilderness was like visiting a foreign country in which you know neither language nor custom. The animals spoke the languages I did not know and had no way of knowing. They knew what they were doing and whose territory was whose and where to stay away from and here I was: a stranger in this city attempting to learn the ways so as not to make myself a fool or kill myself. For five days I wandered, attempting to find my escape from the foreign land.
"On the sixth day, I awoke and found Lady Luck Tyche was on my side. For days, I had been eating Dionysus' wild berries and Aristaeus' honeycomb for I had no provisions left, no meat in sight. On the sixth day, I woke and found a wild pig feasting on the same berries I had dined on hours earlier. I sharpened a stick and stalked my prey, killing it quickly and roasting it over the fire.
"I slit the throat of my meal, skinned the pig, and emptied the insides before I roasted it over the fire. I cut off the thighs and fat and sacrificed it to the Olympians and then I prayed to Pallas Athena, to Zeus Cloudgatherer, and even Poseidon Earthshaker that they might grant me leave of the beautiful island that was now my prison.
"'I pray to thee,' I prayed. I fell to my knees in submission and hoped it would appease them. 'I pray to thee, Pallas Athena, Zeus Cloudgatherer, Poseidon Earthshaker, and anyone willing to listen to a mere mortal. I have played along, followed your path, and allowed the torment. Now, I wish to go home and I beseech you to allow me to return to Ithaca to my wife Penelopeia and my son Telemachos whom I have not seen since his birth. I pray, grant me my wish, mighty gods, and I will not let my hubris get in my way. I will not anger you. I pray to thee, grant my request!'
"Thus I prayed and I went on my way and this time thought I had found my escape. I came to a clearing that smelled of juniper and honey where I saw a beautiful woman with her attendants washing their clothing.
"The attendants were clearly nymphs what with their natural beauty, which meant their companion was either nymph or goddess, of the two I could not distinguish. The woman carried a bow of great beauty with arrows that surely flew quickly as the lightning from Zeus Cloudgatherer's Master Bolt.
"The woman turned and I recognized her at once, for who could forget the face of Artemis of the Wilderness, Lady of the Beasts. She wore a white tunic as did her maidens and her hair, black as night, was braided down her back.
"'Hail Odysseus!' the fair goddess called, 'Prince of Ithaca, come closer!' I did as bade and fell to my knees, hoping she was the answer to my prayers of the dawn.
"'I am here, fair goddess,' I answered. 'Please tell me you have come to rescue me from this beautiful prison.' Artemis walked closer to me, her maidens close by.
"'Unfortunately, dear prince,' the goddess replied, 'I have not come to rescue you. Alas, you have shown strength and cunning beyond your years and so I shall grant you your request.' And so the goddess turned to the maidens with her and called out, 'Aglaia, Karme, Kassandra, and Chloros, come!' Four maidens came immediately and bowed low to the goddess.
"'How may we help you milady?' one asked.
"'You are to go with Odysseus and I while I escort him off this wretched island.' And with those words, Artemis guided me through the forest. We wandered until the moon rose and then she made us rest saying that we shall continue in the morning.
"True to her word, Artemis of the Wilderness, Lady of the Beasts woke us at dawn when Apollo began his journey across the mighty sky. We dined on pig meat, berries, and honeycomb before continuing along. We sang and laughed the whole trip until we came to a bridge.
"A magnificent creature guarded the rickety bridge which looked as if it had been unused for millennia. The creature rose and I knew immediately that it was the Mighty Sphinx that Oidipous killed years before. Her body was that of a lion's though she had a serpent's tail. She bore the breast and head of a woman along with mighty eagle wings and she carried with her two sharp swords dripping with bright green poison.
"'Who dares come to my bridge?' Mighty Sphinx roared. Artemis stepped forward and stood before the beast proudly.
"'It is I, Artemis of the Wilderness, Lady of the Beasts; I, Artemis, daughter of Zeus Cloudgatherer and Lady Leto, twin sister of Apollo, goddess of the moon and hunt,' the fair goddess proclaimed. 'With me are my companions, nymphs from the island of Crete named Aglaia, Karme, Kassandra, and Chloros. Also with me is Prince Odysseus of Ithaca, hero of the Trojan War who fought alongside Achilles. Let us through, great beast, lest I kill you.'
"'I shall let you pass, Lady Artemis,' the beast hissed. 'However, your companions shall not for they are not immortal and, therefore, must answer my riddle before I allow them passage. If they fail to answer my riddle, I have free reign to kill them so says the ancient laws.'
"'Give us your riddle Mighty Sphinx,' I stepped forward confidently for I had heard of her riddle before and I knew the answer.
"'What is the creature that walks on four legs in the morning, two legs at noon and three in the evening?' The Sphinx asked, confident that we would not be able to answer. The nymphs were confused and they looked to Lady Artemis for the answer. She opened her mouth to answer, but I interrupted her, having already known the answer.
"'The answer is man,' I stated. 'For he walks on four legs in the morning as a babe crawling on the ground, then he graduates to two legs at noon when he is a young man trying to find himself a wife, and finally he has three in the evening as an old man at home with his grandchildren and barely able to walk, using a cane to do so.' The Sphinx let out an inhuman scream and lunged forward, claws outstretched and only one thing on her mind: our deaths.
"I grabbed my sword and attacked, swiping at the Mighty Sphinx and being shoved to the side. I got poison in my gut from a cut by her sword, but I kept fighting. I summoned the courage of Lord Ares and fought like Achilles in the Trojan War, mighty Achilles who had fallen victim to a Trojan's arrow. I managed a lucky strike and struck Mighty Sphinx in her chest, killing her instantly. Then, I collapsed.
"I woke hours later to Artemis roasting a deer over the fire and Karme tending to my wounds. I had bandages wrapped around my torso tightly and Karme was washing the cuts on my arms.
"'Ah, so you have awakened,' Karme spoke, her voice light as a feather. 'You are an idiot, Prince Odysseus, for charging in like that. My lady was about to slay the Mighty Sphinx and she had to dive to the side to avoid being slaughtered.' There was disdain in the pretty nymph's voice and I realized she had a deep hatred for me, a hatred not unlike that of Poseidon Earthshaker and Pallas Athena.
"'Our lady told us to be nice, Karme,' Kassandra scolded her, walking up from where she had been assisting Lady Artemis.
"'He almost got our lady injured!' Karme hissed. 'If you feel like sticking up for him, then you may as well take care of him for I will not heal the one who almost harmed Lady Artemis!' Karme stalked away and Kassandra sighed, turning towards me with sadness in her stormy gray eyes.
"'I apologize for my sister, Prince Odysseus,' Kassandra grabbed the rag that Karme had been using to wash me and she resumed the chore.
"'I understand,' I finally replied. 'You say you are sisters?'
"'Aye,' Kassandra confirmed. 'We are daughters of the sea nymph Nereida and the farmer Lysistrate. Mother raised us for Father had a wife whom he had cheated on with Mother. He had never meant for us to be born. Lady Artemis took us in when Mother was killed and we have faithfully served her since. Karme has the blessing of Lord Apollo, the hands of a healer. I, on the other hand, have no blessing for the gods cannot stand my tongue. They say a woman must know her place and keep silent, obedient.'
"'Where do you come from?' I questioned. I had not heard of her father, Lysistrate, yet it sounded as if she came from my home.
"'We were conceived in Ithaca,' Kassandra answered. 'However, we grew up on the island of Crete nearer to the Mediterranean Sea than the Aegean.'
"'Prince Odysseus!' Artemis of the Wilderness, Lady of the Beasts turned toward me. 'In two days time we shall be on the beach and I shall send you on your way.'
"'I thank you, fair goddess,' I replied to her. The rest of the night was spent in silence. We ate the deer Lady Artemis cooked and Aglaia had made berry and honey soup. Karme ignored me for she was still upset and Kassandra and Chloros told me stories of their childhood.
"The next morning we rose at dawn and traveled. It was smooth sailing for the most part and I prayed the gods were done messing with my life and were ready to allow my passage home. However, that was not to be.
"The next day I woke to an attack. A Hydra had managed to sneak into our camp even though Artemis of the Wilderness, Lady of the Beasts had promised to protect us and keep watch. I grabbed my sword, ignoring my injuries and attacked. However, I did not know how to kill a Hydra. The Hydra had nine heads and when I chopped one off, another grew in its place. I was alone, Lady Artemis had abandoned me and her attendants were nowhere to be seen. I fought for quite some time, my injuries made worse with each attack. I kept chopping off the heads and each time another grew back until I had cut it off so many times, the Hydra had eighteen heads.
"Finally, Artemis of the Wilderness, Lady of the Beasts returned with the nymphs and helped me slay the Hydra. When we got done, I turned to her, fury clearly showing on my face.
"'Where were you?' I yelled without thinking. 'You said you would keep watch on the camp and I wake up and we have been attacked by a HYDRA!'
"'Do not use that tone of voice with me boy,' Artemis of the Wilderness, Lady of the Beasts warned. I knew that I should not use that voice, that I should not yell at a god for that is what gave me my troubles in the first place. However, I did not care at the moment. I almost died because Lady Artemis was not there.
"'You said you would keep watch!' I hissed. 'And I almost died.' I realized my mistake too late. Artemis' eyes narrowed in rage and she stepped closer to me.
"'I am superior to you,' she hissed. 'I left to make breakfast. You are a man. You should be able to take care of yourself.'
"And with that, she hit me over the head with a club. I woke up on a raft sailing in the middle of the ocean. I sailed for nine days and on the tenth at night the gods brought me to Ogygia. That is where I shall end my tale."
Author's Note
I hope you enjoyed this!
Until next time,
Malec's Daughter