It was June in Ancient Greece, the birds were chirping and the flowers blooming in a almost perfect peaceful setting. A single house rested in a beautiful valley surrounded by the wonders of nature, from the lush trees to the graceful beauty of a winding creak. On this land lived a small family of three, a Father, a Mother and their 5 year old child.
The Father was average in stature standing at 5'7 with shaggy shoulder length black hair, his face having a matching large full beard. His body was tanned from years in the sun and packed dense with muscle being a retired Greek Soldier his body littered with scars to prove his past battles. This man is named Argyris Stavreas an ex Hoplite of Greece and a survivor of the Trojan war.
The Mother stood at a height of 5'5 being taller than the average woman of Ancient Greece. She would be considered the epitome of beauty in her old village and some of the main cities of Greeze. She had flawless pale skin, striking Grey eyes that seemed to hold more knowledge than most would have. Long black wavy hair that hung down well below her waist, her name is Natasa Stavreas a potter making intricate and beautiful pots, Jars and Vases.
Then there was their 5 year old son, he took the best features from both parents turning him into a handsome young lad. He had his fathers shaggy black hair while he got his mothers Grey eyes with his fathers tan skin. He was a very energetic kid that would often get himself in more trouble than he could get out of. His name is Nasos Stavreas a young warrior in the making as he often mimicked his father as he trained with a small stick amusing the retired Hoplite.
Sadly this would be the last day for this happy moment, with the family running out of food Argyris got his trusty horse ready for a long journey to the nearest city. With bags strapped to his Torso the father waved goodbye to his wife and son before taking off, not knowing the danger Natasha's heritage was bringing to their home nor the journey Argyris was going to embark after said Danger arrives.
(Several hours after Argyris's departure)
Argyris had his horse in a slow trot smiling as he looked through his bag seeing the dessert he was able to get for his wife and child. Suddenly his nostrils were assaulted by the scent of fire, his head snapped up to see a large column of smoke rising in the distance. "NO!" He yelled snapping the reigns on his horse forcing the animal to Gallop forward as quickly as it could. It was a heart pounding, fear striking several minutes when his eyes now rested on his burning home. His heart seemed to freeze when he noticed a few bodies strung across the field and a hooded person dressed like a hunter stood by the chaos.
The hooded person hearing the horse turned pointing a silver bows at him, it seemed to relax though when Argyris hopped off the horse which slowed to a small trot circling the battlefield. The once fear frozen heart shattered as he tossed his bag away and slid on his knees to the side of Natasa and Nasos, the usually stoic and battle hardened soldier weeped as he wrapped his arms around them pulling his fallen family close. Tears streamed down his face as he let out roars of sadness his face laying against his dead sons head. "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHRRRRRAAAGH!"
As the roar of anguish and pain slowly subsided after several moments the hooded person walked closer and spoke with a calm feminine tone. "You were very close to them weren't you." She said as more of a statement than a question, she slowly squatted down taking a good look at the pale women who was slowly getting paler as the warmth left her body. It took Argyris several deep calming breaths before speaking in a broken angered tone. "Natasa...my wife, my soulmate...we have known each other since I first became a Hoplite for the armies of Greece...and Nasos, my little warrior." Argyris picked up the bodies of his deceased family carrying them away from the chaos and up a Hill which laid a Garden.
The Hooded woman followed suit watching as the man started to dig in the middle of the garden on the hill. She watched as the home in the background slowly burnt completely to ash before finally the fire sizzled out. Argyris's hands began to bleed, a small storm brewing overhead washing away both the blood and the dirt covering the ex-Hoplite. With two small graves dug and ready Argyris stood and trudged towards his deceased wife and child, the first the man buried was his son silent tears of fury getting mixed the strands of rain streaking down his face.
It was burying Natasa that truly focused Argyris on his next objective, he would find the monster that killed his wife and end it. And there was only Monster in mind that could cause the chaos he saw, The Chimera, the head and front legs of a lion, a goat's head emerging from its back and a tail tipped with a snake's head. With a slight bow of his head and his hands clasped in front of him the Ex-Hoplite gave a prayer to Hades for safe passage of his family to Elysium Clenching his jaw tightly before raising his head to the sky his arms spread wide.
"GODS OF OLYMPUUUSS!" The hooded woman stiffened slightly, thunder and lightning booming in the distance as the winds picked up speed. "I BESEECH YOU! GIVE ME THE ABILITY TO HUNT DOWN THIS BEAST! ALLOW ME TO AVENGE THE DEATH OF MY FAMILYYYYYYYY!" With closed eyes and haggard breath he waited and waited, it was about 30 minutes later and he was about to give up a thunderous boom roared behind the two. Argyris swiftly turned to see his burnt down home gone and flattened earth and in its place a set of armor, a shield and sword with a mighty spear stabbed into the earth behind the shield. "Thank you..."
he whispered before he rushed forward and immediately started dressing in the armor. "You really shouldn't rush to fight such things..." the Woman said cryptically towards Argyris who froze in the middle of strapping the chest piece first. "Especially since you aren't a Hunter, you'll be floundering around the world trying to find something as elusive as a monster." Argyris raised an eyebrow before his eyes widened in pure shock as the woman pulled down her hood. Medium length black hair were revealed with piercing Silver Grey eyes behind her bangs.
"Since you called on all the Gods of Olympus then I shall give you my assistance mortal. My name is Artemis and I grant you a gift to help you in your vengeance." With that she tapped his chest with her index finger and some of her silver aura overcame Argyris enhancing his very being. "There, now go your prey is escaping Human. Don't disappoint me" with a blinding flash Argyris had to cover his eyes as Artemis disappeared right in front of his very eyes. Rubbing his eyes trying to alleviate some of the pain from the blinding flash a chirp from a bird miles away made his ears ring in pain.
Grunting as he fell to one knee his hands quickly moving from his eyes to his ringing ears. Suddenly a wave of calm wafted over him, slowly opening his eyes he blinked and squinted realizing that his sight was several times better than before. 'Focus...' a voice came from the back of his mind making the man panic until the silver aura from before flared his vision returning to normal as it calmed him down. ' Keep your Focus and everything you've been given will work with you not against you...' that was the last thing the voice said before the presence with the voice left him entirely.
Taking a few deep breaths Argyris refocused his entire being, his face becoming completely stone as he started strapping the rest of the armor the gods gave him to his body. When he finished the grieves he grabbed the shield strapping it to his left arm before his right hand pulled the spear from the dirt. His eyes glanced towards the two freshly buried mother and son, the pain, the sorrow and the anger flowed through him reinforcing his decision.
"Alright... it's time to hunt me a monster..." getting a small crouch her rushed forward the ground beneath him shifting from the force as he took off in the direction large paw prints led with speed of a cheetah Focusing on his eyes he activated his new sight, his vision slowly zoomed in until a handful of miles away he spotted a Forrest with trees shifting from something moving between them. "Gotcha!"
(Olympus)
Zeus stroked his beard as he watched the mortal who asked for their assistance. "Are you sure he can do this my daughter." His eyes shifted towards one of the virgin goddesses, Athena, who was glaring down at Argyris as he made his way across the land. "Yes father...while I have not agreed with my daughter marrying such a man and having a child of said man. I respect his battle prowess, after all he survived the Trojan War." She said making Apollo, Hermes and Aphrodite shiver at the mere mention of the bloody and gruesome war. Poseidon gripped his trident a bit more firmly his eyes darting towards the God of War. "Something on your mind, Ares?"
Said God leaned forward a cruel smirk spreading across his face, his eyes filled with bloodlust moved towards the sea god. "I just can't wait to see this Battle Poseidon. It is a special occasion as Athena and Artemis gifted him the tools necessary to defeat the Chimera." Ares then leaned forward his gaze completely focused on both Artemis and Athena as a devious thought came to mind. "And if he impresses me I'll make him one of my eternal soldiers" Artemis contorted her face in disgust at the idea of Ares taking the man's soul like that.
(5 days later)
Argyris huffed and panted as he rested against a tree down wind, he shifted slightly his gaze landing on the Chimera as it drank from a nearby lake. The Ex-Hoplite has been chasing the beast for almost and entire week, and he was starting to extremely tire out. Right now he's waiting for the perfect time to strike at the beast, it's said that the Chimera could destroy an entire company of Soldiers and taking a closer look at the muscle dense beast with three heads, he could believe it. The Chimera finally stopped drinking and started to sniff the air, it slowly turned to the left all three heads looking away giving Argyris the chance he was looking for.
"HAAAAAA!" Argyris leapt from his hiding spot throwing his spear full force, the Chimera quickly turned dodging the spear barely. A long gash forming down its side as the goat head roared firing a large stream of fire at the soldier. Dropping to one knee Argyris raised his Shield in front of him as it glowed lightly, the flames bent around the shield keeping the Ex-Hoplite safe from the heat. Even with the magical enchantment the heat from the fire was making him sweat and his skin to burn slightly. It wasn't long until the flames stopped leaving a large smokescreen, taking advantage of this Argyris grabbed a large rock throwing it to the left.
The sound of the rock hitting a tree caught the beasts attention it roared ready to strike with its massive claws. As soon as it clawed through the tree Argyris struck blindly at the beast, his sword slicing through the tendons in left hind leg of the Chimera. The snake head on its tail rapidly wrapped around the arm holding the sword before sinking its fangs into the Ex-Hoplite shoulder making him yell out in excruciating pain from its poison being injected into him. The tail wrapped around his arm tightened and he was swung through a tree.
With Argyris's mortal body being protected by the armor from the gods the damage was halved but his exposed skin was riddled with large slivers of splintered wood. Looking to his right shoulder he saw the bleeding areas around then wood stabbed into his skin, a green ooze leaked with the blood, the beast unintentionally saved him from a painful death by its poison. Even so, the poison did some damage while it was in his system. The feeling in his right arm has Faded, he could move the joints in his arm and even use his hand, but his strength has waned leaving his sword arms weak but working.
Pushing himself up using his shield arm and his eyes landed on the limping Chimera a smirk on his face. "That was a nice trick little mortal, but you will become my snack. Especially after killing that demigod wife of yours~" Argyris clenched his jaw tightly trying to keep the pain from losing the love he lost from not only losing his wife, but the loss of his son, the boy that idolized him, that called him a hero. A fire sparked behind Argyris's eyes as he quickly got into a stance with his shield forward and his sword pointed at the Chimera over his shield.
With a snarl the Chimera swiped his massive claws at him, his military training kicking in he ducked under the swipe and slashed weakly. the enchanted blade cutting shallowly against the chimera's tough hide giving the man enough time to hop back a couple times to gain distance. The exertion it took just to dodge the swift attack and then return the attack took a toll that was already on him even further than before. Panting and sweating the man eyed the monster, trying to gauge any weak spots he may have had only to have to lean his body backwards and tilt his head to the side dodging as the snake head in its tail snapped at him.
Bending back to far Argyris started to walk backwards clumsily while the snake head kept trying to inject more venom into the Ex-Hoplite. Doing his best Argyris saw his chance dodging to the left letting the snake head swiftly pass him while he brought his sword up cutting a third of the way into the tail. The lions head on the main body roared in pain as the snake head on its tail screeched, this gave Argyris enough time to raise his sword and brought it down with its full weight completely severing the snake head from the tail. He barely had enough time to raise his enchanted shield as another stream of intense heat washed over him and the landscape.
Cautiously taking steps back until he was waist deep in the nearby Lake, Argyris ducked into the water as the flames quickly ended. Swimming to the side he watched as the Chimera's paws entered the water and his last two heads trying to see into the water. Argyris was quickly losing breath as the Chimera trudged forward past him, that's when he struck again. Bursting forth from the water, time seemed to slow itself down, Argyris let out a mighty yell as he swung his right arm with all the strength he could muster. He successfully severed the goats head while imbedding the sword's blade into the neck of the lion. Sadly the Chimera also struck its hind leg out stretched its claws pierced the femoral artery making the Ex-Hoplite bleed out.
The Chimera choked and gargled before it exploded into dust leaving a panting, sweaty, Bleeding and half dead Argyris to drag his feet to shore before collapsing onto the shore of the lake. Staring up at the sky the Ex-Hoplite's breathing started to become shallow his skin losing its color. "T-This is it...I-I-I'll see you soon...my looooove..." with his final breath Argyris closes his eyes a small smile gracing his face, suddenly as his soul was about to leave fore the underworld it was snatched by a being who's being brings about its own namesake, Chaos. "I think it's time to play a little Game Mortal, can you entertain me and bring chaos to what is fated to come?" Was the last thing Argyris heard before his very mind became blank
(New York 1993)
A young woman with long red hair was laying in a hospital bed her tan skin glistening with sweat as she was crying out going through excruciating pain. "You're almost there Miss Roma, your baby is almost out!" With another cry of pain Roma pushed one last time allowing the doctor to fully hold the baby as it was pushed out. "It's a baby boy!" The doctor said with a soft smile behind their mask watching as the baby was carried to the side to be cleaned off and swaddled. It was only a couple of minutes before the baby was held out towards the new mother who happily took her son the doctors leaving the woman with her son alone in the room.
"Hmmm now to name you...oh I know!" She exclaimed as a thought of her college days, she studied Greek Myths and stories in her free time so a name almost immediately popped up. "I'll call you Ulysses! Or I can call you Ul for short!" She said in an upbeat manner before exhaustion wafted over her once again, she smiled laying on her side as she snuggled her newborn gently. "Goodnight my little hero..." she said softly planting a kiss on her new child's soft face before the realm of dreams took her.