A/N: Chapter 14 already. This will be a fun one to write, I'm doing something different this time around with Garden of the Hesperides. Should be an interesting chapter!
With Samson, summer 1966
This place, this mountain fortress place has a presence that I can't even describe fully in words. I don't use such black and white terms for things, but this place is evil.
Such malice and sorrow, it makes me want to curl up in a ball and cry. The things that live here, the nymphs and Satyrs must be surely mad by now. I can feel the taint of this place tugging at my mind.
The Mountain of Despair is a name well earned.
Mori grasps my hand with hers and our eyes meet. Both of us are scared, but together we can succeed. Thomas places a hand on my shoulder and gives me a lopsided grin. He's sweating and clearly uncomfortable. This place is so evil even Thomas is affected, we've got to get to the garden quick!
We start up the path towards the garden, we have a few hours until the sun begins to set and an hour's hike to the garden entrance. As we follow the path I notice the architecture, or at least the remnants of it. The crumbled stone towers and pillars are a sight to behold.
Everything is made out of this strange black marble. They glimmer in the light, making even the crumbled statues look beautiful and terrifying at the same time.
We walk for around half an hour when Mori stumbles to her knees behind me. I quickly spin around and run over to her side and help her back to her feet, "Mori! What's wrong? Are you okay?" She only mumbles something in response.
Thomas and I each take a shoulder and walker her over, and sit her down on a loose bit of rock. She's rubbing her temples with her fingers, "I'm fine, don't worry. It's just the amount of mist in this place. Mothers magic can be overwhelming to her children in places like this. Just-just give me a minute, once I get used to it I'll be fine."
She leans back against a pillar, closes her eyes and instantly dozes off. Thomas and I relax off to her sides, we can rest for a few minutes.
"Interesting little gathering you fellows have." Thomas and I are instantly on our feet, sword and knives sling to life as we spin around.
The Satyr, we note, bleats and cowers behind a tree. "Blaaaah! No weapons, puts them away!"
We don't and move to the sides of Mori whom is still passed out.
"Who in the Hades are you? Tell me or I'll run you through and let my brother make gyros out of you!"
He hisses and peeks around the tree he's hiding behind. Craggily is the best word to describe him. For a Satyr he has large and impressive ram horns, but they're heavily worn and cracked. His hair and fur are course and wild, almost like he hasn't bathed in months. His scent, even from here, seems to prove this thought.
He's wearing worn leather armor with a small knife strapped to his thigh. His teeth are crooked, and his eyes are an ugly shade of bloodshot yellow.
Dudes pretty fucking ugly.
"This one is named Tumnus, we fought for the Titans as a scout moons ago. Now we waits in the ruins, we waits for fresh ones. New friends."
Thomas and I share a look. Dude is sketchy as fuck, something is really wrong with this Satyr. "What about the Nymphs that served your masters? Aren't they lingering around here somewhere?"
He makes a strange tsking sound, almost like a swarm of bees.
"Cursed wenches! Foul harlots always makes fun of us! They like to trap us in roots and branches when we feel randy. No fun for our poor Satyr, only themselves!"
I scowl in disproval, then I nearly slice his head off in fury when I see him turn to look at Mori. I hear Thomas start spinning his knives in his hands, and I grip my sword tighter and the leather audibly croaks in my hand. Tumnus stops his peeking and cowers behind his tree more, seeming to try and blend in it like a Nymph.
"Watch where you look beast, or I will take you to the highest standing tower and chuck you right off the edge!"
He whimpers and hides further in the old tree. "O-of course master! We's were only curious, never do we see beautiful maidens in these ruins."
I activate my swords fire and he cries out in shock. He tries to back pedal, but trips over the rubble and slams onto his rear.
"Wait, waits! We meant no offence! Beauty is a rarity in this mountain, we only wish to look!"
I put my boot on his chest and press down hard. He tries to reach for his knife but I slice his hand with my sword, the heat of the blade sizzling nasty in the wound as he cries in pain. I take the dagger from the strap and chuck it far away.
"I'll spare you once, but if I see you around us again you know what I'll do!" I step off and kick him hard in the side. Tumnus scrambles to his feet and makes off bleating in fear. He calls out through panicked gasps, "Watch your back halflings! We will get our revenge for your cruelty! Your bitch will be-"
He's cut off by a fireball blasting him in the ass and sending him tumbling down a stony hill.
I turn around and Mori's pointing her sword at the Satyr, her previous signs of weariness have faded away.
"Bloody bastard! Horny nature spirits don't get to talk about me like that!" Her sword vanishes, and she walks over to me and pecks me lightly on the cheek.
"Thanks for giving me a good target babe, I've always wanted to light someone's ass on fire!"
We snicker a little and Thomas gives us a sly grin.
"Now come on, boys. Let's get these apples before goat boy brings his friends!"
We start back up the path, the incline becoming steeper and more difficult as we have to traverse damaged steps and toppled pillars.
Eventually we reach a split in the path and follow the trail leading away from the true ruins. As pleasant as a trip to one of the evilest palaces on Gaea's green world, we all would prefer a trip to one of the most beautiful and serene gardens in existence.
We continue to hike for another thirty minutes, and our timing coincides perfectly with sundown. If we were too late of early we would never find the entrance, thankfully we were spot on, so the winding path and foliage parted to reveal a beautiful grove.
The trees reach high in the sky and almost twinkle in the fading sunlight. We quickly race into the trees so we don't miss our chance.
Most can't tell, but to enter the Garden you must pass through the trees that hide it from view. Usually you would wander through them and appear on the other side, but only at this time of the day would you be able to end up at the garden instead.
As we move forward a heavy mist starts seeping into the forest around us. Good, we're crossing the barrier.
We stop as four figures seem to faze into existence from the mist in front of us. Each of them is similar, nearly identical, with flowing black curls and caramel colored skin with volcanic black eyes.
Dear gods they are gorgeous. Mori slaps me hard in the back of my head and I mutter a quiet apology.
One steps forward, her chiton seems to flow in an invisible wind, "Heed our warnings and turn back demigods. This garden is not safe, and your kind are no longer welcomed here. Turn back lest you find yourselves inside the belly of Ladon!"
No tact in these ladies that's for sure! I heard in the tales that the Hesperides used to let men in the garden since they can't leave to meet any. Mori's going to hate me for this, but perhaps I can use their loneliness to our advantage.
I bow forward and try my hardest to be suave, "My ladies-" the words roll off my tongue smoothly, "It is an honor to make you acquaintances. The legends of your beauty failed to reach even a portion of the reality!"
They seem unimpressed. The lead Nymph even raises an eyebrow and gives me a look that kills all my previous confidence. Mori places a reassuring hand on my shoulder, "You tried, tiger. You tried."
Thomas steps past us and approaches the Hesperides. They tense at his approach but don't otherwise flee. He makes a come-hither gesture with his finger and the lead lady leans down. Thomas whispers something in her ear and a mad blush rakes across her face as she gasps lightly.
She turns to her sisters and they start whispering amongst themselves. They start giggling like the Aphrodite campers as they take peeks at a grinning Thomas.
They all walk forward and surround Thomas and start leading him away into the fog. He leans back and gives Mori and me a lecherous wink as he disappears in the fog with the four ladies.
The fog then lifts and in front of is the most beautiful garden I have ever seen. Patches of flowers, some I've never even seen before, roll across the meadow for seemingly forever and up towards a small hill. On top of that hill is the most beautiful tree I have ever seen.
The bark is a deep brown and spirals high and branches off into a blooming pink canopy. Hanging in the branches are dozens of beautiful and agonizingly captivating shining golden apples. The scent draws me to them, but I stop myself and Mori.
Movement in our eyes alerts us to the massive beast wrapped around the tree like a snake. The thing is massive and unbelievably thick. It's wider than me in diameter, and it's snake body curls back around the tree into a massive swarm of slumbering python heads.
Suddenly the heads snap forward and they all stare directly at us. Their eyes glowing an angry orange and it almost feels like I'll die just by their glare.
Ladon as I now realize makes no attempt to approach us, his duty is to guard the tree -not chase demigods thirty yards away, but he does hiss angrily at us. The sound of a hundred snake heads hissing simultaneously makes goosebumps roll down my arms.
I steel my courage and slowly pull off my backpack and fish around in it, my eyes not once leaving Ladon's many glares. After a second my fingers brush a vial and I pull it out. It's clear with flowing clear liquid inside and an elaborate golden topper.
Mori opens her pack and pulls out a sealed back of raw goat meat. She opens the pack and hands me the flesh. I dribble a small amount of the liquid onto the meat, being very careful I don't splash some on my skin. If any touches me, then there's a good chance I'll never wake up again.
Ladon hisses angrily, clearly aggravated by the scent of blood. I toss the meat in the air at Ladon, and like a bullet the heads shoot out and in a second the meat is gone midair.
He goes back to glaring at us and for a moment all we do is stare at each other. About three minutes later loud gurgling comes from Ladon's gut and the heads start to sway. Several fall limp while others start drooping as the eyes start blinking sleepily.
Then the body goes limp and the heads slap quietly onto the floor, loud snoring starts flowing from his many noses.
Quickly and quietly I start tip-toeing around the back end of Ladon, Mori readies a spell in case hewakes up and she needs to cause a distraction. I start climbing up his body and freeze when he fidgets. He stops adjusting and falls still again, save for the rise and fall of his chest.
I wait a second, sweat falling down my face, to see if he wakes. He doesn't, and I resume my climb. I sneak to the bark and pull myself up the branches. I reach into the tree and pull down an apple and place it in my bag. I reach up again and take a take a second apple, doing the same with the first.
I slide back down the tree and off Ladon back onto the flowing luscious grass. Quickly sprinting I race back to Mori and collapse onto the ground, releasing the largest breath of air I could muster, the plan worked!
Mori sits back on the grass and starts laughing, "Holy shit! Babe, that was fucking CRAZY! What the hell did you feed the big lug? Ladon is one of the strongest monsters I know of, even Hercules couldn't get the drop on him!"
I lean up into a sitting position and pull out the vial so we both can look at it, "It was a gift from my mother. She gave it to me so I could use it against Ladon. This stuff is so strong it could put a god to sleep for a year or so!"
Her eyes widen as she stares at the powerful liquid in my hand, "Well throw it away! I don't want anything that strong near us!"
I toss it behind me and Mori rests her head on my shoulder. We sit there for a few moments and enjoy each other's company, the cool air and the quiet serenity of the picturesque garden making us practically melt into the other.
"Hey, Mori?" My voice is quiet. She leans off my shoulder and looks at me, "Hmm, yes babe?"
I twiddle my thumbs nervously, "Do you love me?"
She tilts her head to the side, "Of course, silly. I love you so much, why else do you think I would help you on this quest?"
I reach into my pack and pull out the one of the golden apples. Her eyes widen at the sheer beauty of the simple fruit.
I turn to her and place it in her hands, "Mori, I love you more than anything. I want you to keep this apple as a symbol of our love; eternal and beautiful."
She looks at me incredulously as tears brim in her eyes, "Samson, I-I.."
"When we're ready, we'll split this apple together. That way we'll always be with each other, from then on and forever."
She pulls me hard into a hug and starts wailing into my ear, "Yesyesyesyesyeyes YES! I-I-I wil!"
Mori starts a sloppy make-out session with me whilst also plugging in random 'I love you' between breaths for air. She throws me onto the ground and our kissing progresses into intimate touching followed by a loss of clothes.
We make love in the world's most beautiful garden in the shadow of the world's most precious tree and next to one of the world's most deadly monsters.
Only demigods, as mother would say.
We must have dozed off after we were finished as the moon is now high in the sky. Gods I hope Artemis doesn't get pissed off at me for 'defiling' a sacred place.
Mori wakes up too and wraps a tender arm around me as we relax in the grass.
We sit there content with everything for a while before I break up the mood, "I suppose we should get dressed, I don't think Thomas can 'entertain' the Hesperides forever." She grumbles something angrily, and we start getting dressed.
I put my clothes on and help Mori find her undergarments somewhere. I was in the middle of helping her put her bra back on when a shrill screech pierced the silent meadow.
We spin around and see the Hesperides, of which I note they have the same afterglow Mori and me have, emerging from the forest and very much not appreciating our state of dress.
Thomas peeks from behind them and makes a silent 'uh oh' as he points at us. The nymphs reach into their bed wrangled hairs and pull something from them. Whatever they are quickly transform into shining celestial bronze Xiphos's.
The head nymph points at us, "Defilers! We let you into our garden and you dare stain it with thine taint!" Mori looks like she's about to throw a fireball, but chooses to put her camp shirt back on and finish buttoning her pants.
"You will die here demigods!"
The nymphs then charge at us with startling speed. In an instant the leader is on me slashing to take off my head.
Quickly I roll backwards and my sword springs to life from my ring. I look around quickly, but I can't find my silver jacket. Fuck! Now I'm unarmored without my shield and my dagger is in the grass somewhere.
I'm glad I have my pants on, so I have some dignity in this fight, now if only my shirt was on too.
Lead Nymph quickly brings her sword around to stab my heart. I deflect with a hard strike from my cutlass that rattles her arm hard. Thank you, Joseph, for that strength training.
A Hesperide zooms behind me to slash my spine and I quickly twirl and catch it in the curved guard of my sword. I launch a hard kick that knocks the wind from her with an 'oof' as I send her tumbling backwards.
I duck a side swipe from the leader and slash her midriff with my sword. She cries as golden ichor pours from her wound, but quickly flurries her sword and cuts me deep in the side.
Blood gushes from my side and I dodge her follow up swing. She goes for a stab that I spin around and punch her hard in the cheek.
Godsdamn it feels like punching a wall, but I hit hard enough to send her to her feet. I quickly note Thomas and Mori fighting with the two other Hesperides.
I back pedal to put distance as the two laid out Nymphs levitate to their feet and face me, their volcanic eyes seeming to radiate pure hate from them as they face me.
With a blink they are on me unleashing a flurry of furious swipes and stabs. I deflect and parry each blow, my training from Joseph ensuring my survival as I push my reflexes to their max.
Loud tinkling and clanging echoes through the garden as we face off against the Hesperides. They are no light foes as they almost manage to overpower us. If we were ordinary demigods they would have cut us down long ago, but we're anything but ordinary.
Thomas ducks under a swing and quicky thrusts upwards, stabbing straight into the forearm of a Hesperide while also taking his second knife and driving it deep into her thigh, gold blood pooling from her as she cries and falls to the floor in pain. He thankfully stays his blade as she weeps on the gold stained flowers.
Mori deflects a blow from her Nymph and grabs her sword wrist with her hand. Smoke steams from her wrist as hot air burns third degree into the Hesperide's arm. She screams in agony as her arm is cook and drops her sword and falls to her knees. Mori takes mercy and slams her cutlass pommel into her temple, knocking the daughter of Atlas out cold.
She crumples to the ground and Mori races to my side and helps me face the last two Hesperides. Thomas stays behind to help his Nymph tie her wounds. Mori hands me a piece of ambrosia and the relief quickly washes away the pain as the wound in my side starts to close. The two Hesperides exchange a nervous look but turn and continue our fight.
Mori and I trade blows and parries with the remaining Nymphs. In a blur of speed we cross blades until I find an opening and duck under a slash and kick the lead Nymph in her wound and send her to her knees. With her out of the way we focus on the very last Hesperide. Sweat trickles down her face as she breathes raggedly.
Her sword shakes in her grip from a combination of exhaustion and fear. Her eyes harden as she steels her courage and charges at us. Her movements are slow and pained, so Mori and I sidestep her, each making a deep gash as we bring our swords through the sides of her waist.
She slams to the ground as her ichor seeps out of her wounds in a torrent of blood. We cut deep but didn't bisect her, these Nymphs are sacred and killing them is out of the question.
I look at Mori then direct her gaze to the fallen Nymph. She nods and kneels by her side, yellow magic flowing from her finger tips as she sets to work healing the thankfully asleep Hesperide.
I turn and face my foe as she tries and fails to rise past her kneeling.
"P-please…" She coughs out as ichor drips from her lip, "Have mercy,-" HACK "-let us be. Take what you need and leave us."
I give her a stern look and she shrinks under my glare, "Swear upon the Styx to tell no one of what happened here. Swear and I will spare you. If not, then the Olympians themselves will not stop me from throwing your sorry asses into the sea!"
Her eyes widen in fear, but accepts her loss regardless, "I, on the honor of the Styx, swear to tell none of what transpired this day. Nor will I tell any of whom came here."
Thunder rolls off in the distance and I nod and lower my sword. She drops her head in shame and refuses to raise it until I leave.
I give her one last passing glance and move past her to gather the rest of my discarded items. After a few minutes I find everything and dress, then move to help Mori find her missing items.
I takes a minute, but I find her trench coat thrown over Ladon's many heads. I freeze when I see where it went and look at Mori. She gives me a sly smile and shoos me away. I groan and sneak over to the monster whom slept peacefully through the battle.
I snatch her coat, and like a bat out of Tartarus my ass is back with my companions.
Thomas passes his gaze between Mori and me, a shit eating grin on his face as he silently asks us 'what were you two doing?'.
We respond back with our own knowing look. Seriously? Four Nymphs? He shrugs and doesn't even have the audacity to try and look embarrassed. Instead nothing but pride is written all over his face.
The Hesperides have stitched and covered up their wounds in the few minutes we spent finding our shit. They look at us one last time, silent frustration is practically radiating off of them before the disappear in a puff of mist.
I hear one mention 'this wouldn't have happened if papa was here!' and that gives me a fun idea. I look over at Mori and Thomas, "Hey guys, want to take a picture?"
They look at me and Mori pipes up, "What of?"
Holy. Shit. Atlas is a freaking MAN. This dude is huge and jacked! He's at least eight feet tall, and his stature and the shadows rolling across him gives the impression of a monster about to gobble you up.
So the fact that he's wearing a painfully false smile on his face and talking in a tone far too gentle for a man this size makes it all the more funny and disturbing at the same time. His demeanor and torn chiton gives him the impression of a childhood monster rather than the second strongest Titan ever.
"Hello, children! I'm your uncle Atlas, think you could do be a favor and hold this for me right quick? I haven't been able to stretch in a while ha-ha!"
He fake laughs at us, but the desperation in his eyes almost makes me sympathetic. Keyword, almost. I look at Mori and Thomas, and an evil grin appears on our faces.
Mori calls out in a stupidly sweet voice, "Awww, but Aaaaatlas I don't wanna!" Her voice is unbelievably childish.
Atlas's eyebrow twitches, "Now sweetie, it's only for a moment, so please TAKE THE SKY!"
She snorts and walks over and starts poking Atlas in his biceps while Thomas starts doing pull ups on his other arm. "Babe! Come over here and feel this dudes arms! They're made of concrete or something!"
Atlas beams in pride but quickly remembers what he's trying to do, "Please! Children, enough fooling around now. Take the sky for me and I promise I won't RIP YOUR HEADS OFF- I mean I'll give you all something sweet, okay?"
Holy Zeus this guy is desperate. I go over by Mori and start feeling his arms. Damn, that does feel like concrete! Guess I know where the Hesperides get it from.
Thomas hangs off Atlas's neck and starts drawing on his face while he squirms in discomfort.
"Blah! Bah! STOP THIS! Children, cease this foolishness right now! Leave me be or I will tell Hera of your trespassing here!"
Thomas stops drawing and pulls himself so close to Atlas's face they're only inches apart. The look in Thomas's eye makes Atlas sweat in nervousness as he leans in close and begins to whisper, "…go ahead… call her… she'll never come… she'll never hear you…"
…okay then. Thomas jumps off Atlas and pulls a camera and Tripod from his backpack. He sets them up about twenty feet away and sets up a timer. We race over and quickly pose in front of Atlas.
The camera clicks, and the picture taken is one I'll remember for years to come. Thomas sits on Atlas's shoulders, I'm hanging off his right arm like I'm doing a pullup, and Mori swoons off his left leg like she's a poll dancer.
And Atlas, the man himself is screaming red in rage, his anger and promises of pain stored forever in a silly colored photo with three little shits for demigods hanging off his trapped body.