Chapter 12
"An Amazon queen?!" Tiona excitedly said while shaking her twin sister who has an annoyed look on her face
"Oho, so they also have Amazon there as well?" Loki asked of Zelretch
"Yes, culturally they are the same though there are several noticeable differences that you will notice when you see them later." Zelretch replied, stroking his beard
"Hehehe, wonder how difference they are compare to Tiona and Tione." Lefiya chuckled, earning her a small smile from Finn and Riveria who also looks interested
"Another stealing quest tho…I have a feeling that it might no end well…" Bell said. It can't be help as the last task involving stealing had ended with the death of Heracles' companions and friends.
"…just think positively." Aiz whispered to the boy, who nods in agreement
Heracles, to put it mildly, is quite apprehensive about the task. He really dislike to do any dishonorable task such as stealing, and now Eurystheus wants him to steal a girdle owned by The Amazon Queen.
However, he was bound to his oath and has no other choice but to follow the order. As such, he picked some friends to travel with him to the Amazon's territory.
"We're going to the land of the Amazon?" one of Heracles's companion asked
"Yes…to steal the queen's girdle…" Heracles bitterly said
"Yeah…that won't be easy."
"Stealing something from the daughters of Ares….we're screwed." Another one moaned out
'Ares' daughters?' is the question that pops out in everyone's head
"Oi oi, does that mean all of the Amazons in your world are Ares' daughters?" Loki asked of Zelretch who nods
"Yes, the original Amazons in my world are the daughters of the war god, Ares. The girdle that they must steal is actually a gift given by god Ares for the Queen, the eldest of the Amazon."
"Wait…so they're all some sort of gods then?" Bete interjected
"Well…not gods, but they do have some kind of divinity thanks to their heritage." The vampire explained
Before heading straight to Themiscyra, where the Amazons dwelled, the group stopped at the Island of Paros which is ruled by Heracles's friend, King Minos of Crete, to gather more supplies. Before the group able to leave the island, two of Minos' sons ambushed the group and killed two people belonging to Heracles's group.
Furious, Heracles struck them with his stone club…killing the both of them in a single strike. To calm Heracles's wrath and spare the island, two of Minos' grandsons offered themselves as replacement for Heracles' friends. Respecting their bravery, Heracles accepted the offer and made them his new companions. With the issue solved, they sailed for Themiscyra.
8 days after they left Paros, they finally can see their final destination. It's a massive island filled with forests. In the center of the island, a large pillar made of light with several tall buildings made out of stones can be seen. This is Themiscyra, home of the Amazons.
"We're almost there…we shall land on the nearest beach we can find." Heracles ordered
As they're getting closer to the beach, they can see several blurs sprinting out from the forest towards the beach where the group going to lands. A group of women, stood waiting for them to land. Some of them are pale, while some have olive-colored skin with various hair colors. All of them wore armors such as mails and plates, and in their hands, various weapons ranging from spear, bow, sword, and flail. The one exception is a young woman with a long dark red hair tied into a bun dressed in a unique style of clothing of soft cloth and leather. While the other Amazons are on foot, she alone is riding on a large horse.
"Ooo, there's already some difference there…" Lefiya said
"Most of them have armor on…unlike ours." Riveria muttered
"And their skin color are varied too." Mikoto commented
"Finally…Amazons that have some decency." Bete snarked
"What's that!?" both Tiona and Tione glared at the werewolf who ignored them with a smirk on his face
The Amazon in their world is biologically stronger than normal human, with greater endurance and their battle style revolve around their speed and raw power. Unlike the Amazon shown in the mirror, they rarely wear heavy armor as it will hinder their speed.
"You have to admit tho, all of them are very beautiful….and the aura they emitted reinforced their attractiveness." Gareth said
"Agreed…perhaps a trait they inherited if being fathered a by a deity…" Riveria replied to Gareth's comment
"I had heard from the birds that a ship bearing the great Heracles is coming to this land. To think that they're telling the truth." The red-haired woman said
"You're about to trespass our land. State your business or leave!" a very beautiful white-haired woman shouted to Heracles's group. She's standing right next to the horse ridden by the red-haired Amazon. Unlike the other Amazon, she wore a more revealing outfit with only some patches of armor covering her sensitive parts. In her arms are spiked ball and chain.
To prevent a fight from breaking out, Heracles stood up and said
"I have a very urgent task that requires the help from the Queen of your land."
His groupmates looked at him as if he's mad.
The red-haired Amazon lifted her eyebrows in confusion
"You want to discuss something with me?"
"Ahh, so she's the queen." Bell said
"Well…she's the only one on the horse." Ryuu pointed out
"…true." Bell smacked his face with his palm, causing both girls beside him to chuckle
"Hmm…how's he gonna tackle this." Freya smiled
"Will he truly steal the girdle as he was ordered to or he's gonna obtain it in his own way." The silver-haired goddess said
"I don't think fighting all of those Amazons at the same time gonna be easy…so probably he will think of something." Hestia said
"Yes." Was Heracles reply
The queen looks thoughtful as ponders on Heracles's request. She didn't say anything for a while before replying
"Very well, we'll discuss what you want on your ship. Your crewmates can land on the beach while we're talking."
"Thank you." Heracles bowed
"Sis…are you that is wise?" the silver-haired amazon asked with a frown
"Don't worry too much, Penthesilea, I doubt someone as honorable as Heracles will do anything dishonorable. Am I right?" the queen said, directing the question to the tanned man
"Indeed."
"Well, that settles it then. I, Hippolyta, will hear your request." The queen, Hippolyta, said with a radiant smile that causes many of the men on the ship to blush.
"Ahh, such a beauty…to think she's actually a daughter of that brash Ares…" Hermes sighed
"Yeah…how someone like Ares can produced someone like that." Loki said
"Hahaha…" Hestia laughed mockingly. She's still annoyed at Ares for that 'incident'
Soon the preparations are made. Heracles' crewmates are resting on the beach several meters away from the ship while the Amazons stood on guard from the edge of the forest, leaving only Hippolyta and Heracles on the ship.
"So, what do you want to talk about?" Hippolyta asked, crossing her arms on her chest
"First, I must asked you this…you have had heard about my labors?" the hero asked
"Who haven't?" she asked back
Heracles sighed
"For my next labor…Eurystheus ordered me to steal the girdle given to you by your father." Heracles said. He had opted to tell the queen the truth.
"Hoo, so he opted to come clean with her…" Gareth said
"A wise choice if you asked me…." Riveria said
"Yeah, at least this way he won't harm his honor." Loki said
"He ordered you to steal it…and now you're telling me this?" Hippolyta asked, confused at the hero's action
"I did." Heracles did not tell her of his reasoning
Hippolyta then laughed, causing the son of Zeus to look at her in confusion
"Hahaha, I'm sorry. I really appreciate your honesty, Heracles." Hippolyta smiled
Heracles smiled back, albeit only a little
"I'll gladly give you my girdle. There's no shame in giving that thing to someone who had accomplished much like you." The queen said as she handed him her girdle
Heracles received the gift with a shocked expression, he did not think Hippolyta would gave it so effortlessly.
"Don't look so surprised. I would get mad if you're looking at me like that!" the queen joked with a smile
Heracles smiled warmly before asking her to have a lunch with him on the ship's cabin, an offer that she giddily accepted.
"Well, that's easy." Finn said
"Too easy…to the point it makes me uncomfortable." Loki nodded in agreement
Bell also can't shake the feeling that something will happened soon, a feeling that is shared among the audience
Meanwhile, in the middle of the forest ripples of light starts to appear. Not even a minute later, a figure stood.
Hera
She had decided that the task given to Heracles was too easy due to Hippolyta's willingness to separate from Ares's girdle. She smirked. She will create another tragedy for her husband's bastard son.
In an instant, she completely altered her appearance to blend in among the Amazons. She has a fiery red hair with olive-colored skin and bronze armor. Satisfied with her look, the Queen of Olympus makes her way toward the gathering of Amazon at the edge of the forest. She faked her heavy breathing when she finally reached them.
"Q-quick, we must save the queen!" Hera exclaimed
"Huh? What're you talking about?" one of the Amazon asked
"T-the bird, they told us of Heracles's true intention!"
"…what is it?" Penthesilea asked, turning towards Hera
"He's going to kidnap the queen! That's why he's asking her to discuss something with her!" Hera said, faking tears and panic. Inside, she's smirking
"What!?"
"Unacceptable!"
"Penthesilea, we must do something!"
Penthesilea nodded, directing her glare at the ship where her sister currently alone with Heracles.
"Charge! We will save our big sister and queen!"
With a roar promising violence, the Amazon charged towards the ship
The Amazons' roar of war and the crewmates' screaming can be heard from the ship. Curious, Heracles decided to take a peak. The Amazon is charging towards the ship, weapons in hands while his crewmates are getting slaughtered. He turns toward Hippolyta with a glare.
"You set this all up."
"W-what? What're you talking about?" Hippolyta asked, confusion on her face
"Don't lie to me!" he yelled, unsheathing his sword and charged towards the queen
Seeing that Heracles won't hear nor believe any words she said, Hippolyta is forced to confront the demi-god.
It was a short fight
Hippolyta is powerful, but she's no match when her opponent is the great Heracles. She's able to damage him by breaking several of his ribs, but that's all she can do. Heracles stabbed her in the stomach with his sword, took her girdle with him before leaving her dying on the floor in the pool of her own blood.
"…I…don't know…anything…" the queen gasped
As her consciousness starts to fade away, her last thought strays towards her sisters
"…f-forgive me...you all….Pent…p…please…protect them…in my stead."
And she died
Hippolyta, the eldest and the queen of the Amazon, has died.
Heracles has used a small wooden boat to escape. With his great strength, he paddles and put a great distance between him and the ship that had been previously used by him and his crewmates. He can hear the Amazons' screams of rage and anguish from where he currently is. One thing for certain, he had make an enemy of the Amazon.
Inland, Hera smiles in satisfaction. She soon disappears, returning back to Olympus.
The audience can't really describe how they feel. Even Freya is silent.
None of them are foreign with the concept of death. For the adventurers, they had seen so many of their fellow adventurers and even friends died in the Dungeon. For the deity, they have lived a long life and seen so many terrible things in their lifespan. With the exception of Hestia, the 3 other deities had lost many members of their Familia throughout the years.
But to die because of a misunderstanding created by a goddess?
"That Hera would be a nice fit if she joins Evilus." Loki plainly said
"We're lucky that restrictions were imposed on the deities on our world…at least it will reduce the amount of damage that can be inflicted by some of them…" Hestia sighed
"So…Heracles doesn't know about Hera's action?" Bell suddenly asked of Zelretch, who just shrug his shoulders
"As far as I know, Heracles never know about Hippolyta's innocence."
"…I see." Bell muttered, his eyes downcast. This time, it is Aiz's turn to comfort him by putting a hand on his shoulder. While he's feeling a tad bit sad for Hippolyta's fate, Aiz's gesture really took his mind off from that. He can't help but blush.
"Honestly…I can imagine that he would be devastated if he finds out the truth…" Mikoto said
"Yeah…it's another blood on his hand…" Welf muttered
Upon the completion of his 9th Labor, Eurystheus quickly sends him to finish the next labor he has in his mind.
Steal the cattle of Geryon
"And where I can find them?" Heracles asked
"Island of Erytheia." One of Eurystheus's advisor answered
"And where is that?"
"Somewhere in the west or something." Eurystheus flippantly replied "Now get going!"
West. That was the only thing he know about the place. It took him nearly a month to get sufficient information about the island before he departs to finish the labor. The journey took him to the desert of Libya.
Only a week at the desert and Heracles starts to get frustrated by the intense heat. There's literally no town or even an oasis where he can rest or hide from the sun in the middle of the desert. With an angry frown, he took out his bow and let loose an arrow towards the sun.
"Did he…just shot the sun?" Riveria asked
"Yes…yes he did." Finn confirmed
"For some reason…I can guess who's gonna show up after this…" Hestia groaned
"Ah…yes. That guy…" Hermes nodded
"Ummm, what do you mean goddess?" Bell asked
"You'll see…" the tiny goddess said
"Oho, so you're the one who dares to shot the sun!" a man's voice can be heard behind Heracles
Heracles reacted quickly and face the intruder who managed to sneak up on him.
It's a brown-haired man wearing a muscle cuirass made out of bronze. On top of the armor, he also wears a brown tunic.
Helios, the sun god
"Lord Helios…" Heracles said, giving the god a small bow
"Yeah…no surprise there...the appearance are different but I guess they're still quite similar." Hestia said
"Umm, who is he?" Haruhime asked
"A god from the same area as Hermes and I. While not as obnoxious as Apollo, he's still annoying and quite arrogant." Hestia explained
"Ahh…" the renard nodded in understanding
"He's still up there when I descended into the lower world." Hestia added
"No one ever dare to shoot the sun! The sun is the giver of life and the bringer of light!"
"I'm sorry?"
"For your bravery, I offer you my golden chariot for you to ride!"
"I…don't understand?" Welf said
"Such is the nature of a god…." Lefiya whispered
"Nah, don't think too much about it." Loki waved off all the comment
"Hahahaha…"
With the golden chariot, Heracles able to reached Erytheia overnight. When he finally stumbles upon the cattle, he meet his first obstacle.
A massive two headed dog, Orthrus, brother of Cerberus….and it has mechanical body (LOL)
"To think I would see your kind here…" Heracles sighed
The massive dog snarled and launched itself towards the hero, both mouths wide open…revealing sets of sharp teeth can tore away flesh. With a mighty roar, Heracles also charged towards the beast and swung his massive stone club at it. With just one hit, the beast was cleaved in half and explodes at the spot…leaving not but large crater.
"Umm…what's that?" Aiz asked, clear confusion on her face
"Yeah….it's…weird." Bell nodded
Zelretch can't help but coughed
"Uhum…think nothing of it as it would VERY confusing for all of you. It's a REALLY long story." The vampire said
Seeing that they won't get any answer from the old vampire, the rest of the audience keep any questions they might have for themselves.
Zelretch sighed in relief.
'How am I going to explain that the Greek gods are some kinds of alien mecha that came from another planet?' he thought
After dealing with Orthrus, the voice generated by the explosion alerted the herdsman, Eurytion. The man was killed the same way, by one swing of Heracles's rock club. And then, the owner of the cattle, Geryon, shows himself.
The man is as tall as Heracles, with broad shoulder and long brown hair. He wears a chainmail and armed with 3 spears and 3 shields.
"Heracles! I challenged for the ownership of the cattle!" Geryon shout out his challenge
Heracles accepted the challenge and prepares his bow. Geryon had thought that the 3 shields in his possession would protect him from any projectile. But in a moment of carelessness, he revealed a dead spot…his forehead.
Taking the initiative, Heracles let loose an arrow that easily pierce Geryon's forehead. The battle only lasted for one minute.
Victorious, Heracles laid claim on the cattle. However, while he was able to get the cattle through a battle…bringing the cattle back to Tiryns is another challenge entirely. Heracles groaned when he realized that he needs to guide the cattle by himself.
And so, Heracles's journey back to Tiryns begin…with a whole cattle following him. To make it easier, he decides to take the road over the Aventine Hill. There, Heracles must deal with a cattle-stealing giant named Cacus who stole some of his cattle. Blessed since birth, Heracles has the ability to talk with animal and he quickly reacts when the rest of his cattle called out the giant. Seeing that it's nothing major, Heracles let Cacus go and continue his journey.
A week after the incident with Cacus, a very stubborn gadfly keeps following him and his cattle. The gadfly irritates the cattle so much that they gone to their separate way one by one.
"Hera…." Heracles growled when one day he saw all of the cattle are gone
It takes Heracles a whole year to fetch them all…a very troublesome labor indeed
Another obstacle soon follows. When he almost reach Tiryns, the great river that separated the city from the rest of its neighbors floods, makes it impossible to be crossed. If he's just by himself, he can easily tackle this obstacle by swimming but that that's not possible due to the cattle. Instead, Heracles gathered all rocks of various sizes that he can found and piled them onto the river and bridged the two riverbanks.
"Y-you really did it?" Eurystheus shuttered when he witnessed Heracles's triumphant return from the city's wall
"I did." Heracles nodded
"F-fine then, the cattle will be sacrificed for Lady Hera's honor!" the king said, he stays silent for a minute before speaking again
"Oh, and don't think finishing the 10 labors I had given you as the end of your servitude Heracles! You had help when you slain the Hydra while you also received payment for cleaning the Augean stables…that's a big no no."
"…."
"To solve that, I'll give you another 2 labors to complete! And I'll tell you now: steal the apples from the garden of Hesperides and capture Cerberus, the Guardian of the Underworld!"
"What a bastard!" Tiona fumed
"Hmmm, those 2 tasks sounds intimidating. Never heard any of them but the title Guardian of the Underworld must have weight something." Asfi said
"Wait…capture the Guardian of the Underworld…doesn't that mean he must travel to the Underworld first to do that?" Lefiya asked
"Well…that's the only way I think." Tione shrugged
"Heracles sure has a very long adventure…" Bell said from his seat, earning him a laugh from Zelretch
"He sure was. To be honest with you, it would take a long time to cover all of his adventures and feats. That's why I'm only going to show you all of his labors."
"Understandable." Hermes nodded "Being a literal demi-god, he would have a very long life."
"As god Hermes said." Zelretch said
The garden of the Hesperides. Many people said that there's a mythical garden tended by the Hesperides, the nymphs of the sunset, though the exact location of said garden was never known. All they said is that it is located in the far western corner of the world and only the Old Man of the Sea, a primordial god, know of its exact location for the Hesperides are his daughters.
Upon receiving this task, Heracles quickly travels by the shore and sometimes goes right into the middle of the ocean to search for the primordial god. It took him many months, until one day he suddenly stumbles upon a large whirlpool. Using his keen eyes, he's able to get a glimpse of a shadowy figures of an old man swimming around the whirlpool.
"Oooo, Old Man of the Sea, primordial god and the ruler of Earth before Olympus, please aid me in my quest!"
At first he received no response at all, but he noticed that the whirlpool is getting weaker until it completely disappears and an old man with long unbraided white hair and beard replace it in its steed.
The Old Man of the Sea had answered Heracles's plea
"Son of Zeus…why do you seek an audience with me?" the old man said in a booming voice.
This is a primordial god, a true representation of the World. Beings that long exist before the arrival of the Olympians.
"A primordial god?" Asfi asked Hermes
"Well…you can call them elder gods if you want. You can say that those who are classified as primordial have higher authority compare to the other deities." Hermes explained
While Zelretch would like to clarify a few things about that, he decided to remain silent as not to confuse his audience.
"The garden tended by my daughters? Pray tell why I should tell you…" the god mused
"I swear on my life and honor that no harm will come to your daughters."
"Hmmm…"
The old god stares intensely at Heracles, as if he's trying to determine whether the tanned man have any sinister and malicious intents. When he sensed none, the god relented.
"I had heard of your tales. The sufferings you have endured until now somewhat impressed me….very well, Son of Zeus, I will tell you the location of my daughters' garden. Keep walking towards the west, there you will come across 2 towering hills surrounded by a massive lake. Wait until sunset and you will find a hidden underwater cave that will lead you towards the garden."
Heracles nodded
"I give you my gratitude." He bowed to the god who nods back
"Good luck on your journey. I'll look forward for the news of your success." And the god dove back to the depth of the sea
Then Heracles continues his journey.
On his journey, he met a half-giant, Antaeus. The half-giant challenged him for a battle to the death. Not a type to shy away from a challenge, Heracles accept the challenge. Not long after the start of the battle, Heracles realized something.
Antaeus is invincible.
No matter how many times he struck the half-giant down with his stone club and pierced him with arrows, the half-giant keeps getting back up.
"You can't beat me! As the son of Gaia herself, as long as I remain in contact with her, I'm invincible!" the half-giant boasted
"…in contact…" Heracles whispered and dashed towards the giant
He struck Antaeus hard on the face which forced him to lie on the ground. Heracles quickly reached the downed giant and lifted him up into the air. As no parts of Antaeus touched the ground, his connection with Gaia is severed. With a roar, Heracles ripped apart Antaeus with his bare hands. After defeating his opponent, he buried the half-giant and continues to travel westward.
After a month, he finally reached the two towering hills described by the Old Man of the Sea, Heracles waits at the western edge of the lake. When its sunset, he dives into the lake and search for the underwater cave. One hour of swimming, he finally found the cave. He enters the cave and swim along until he finally sees the exit.
It is a very beautiful garden indeed.
Flowers and trees from various parts of the world can be found in the garden. Heracles noticed that there's not a single nymph in sight, which means that they're away at the moment. As he walks around the garden, Heracles can't help but feels that he finally found peace and think that it will be great to stay here in the garden.
Realizing the train of his thought, he snapped out of it and to focus on his task. To search the apples. After searching around the massive garden, he finally came across a large apple tree. Satisfied with his find, he's about to plug off some of the apples off the tree when his instinct suddenly went haywire.
From behind the tree, appears a flying creature reaching 30 meters in length. It has no legs, arms, nor wings. The only thing it has is an abnormally large head, which slowly opens itself…reveling a never ending darkness and hundreds of glowing eyes.
Ladon
A dragon guardian of the apple tree
"What the heck is that?" Bete asked, a little bit disgusted by the creature's appearance
"Very creepy indeed…would be a sight to see if it exists within the dungeon." Gareth said
"Oi, what is that anyway?" Loki asked Zelretch
"It's a dragon." Zelretch answered
"HUH!?"
"That thing is a dragon?" Welf asked in disbelief
"It's nothing like any dragon we had ever seen before…" Riveria commented
"A dragon…" Aiz whispered, she can't take her eyes off from the mirror that currently showing them the 'dragon'
"Don't judge it just by the appearance. Every cultures have their own interpretation of what a dragon is." Zelretch chided in a manner of a teacher
"Honestly, I had seen stranger dragons than this. This one is not even top 10 strangest dragons in my list." The vampire chuckled
"The perk of having an ability to travel to another worlds huh…I would really like an ability like that." Freya smiled
"What!?" caught off guard, Heracles was sent flying away from the tree after he got struck by Ladon's tail
Standing back up, Heracles noticed that the creature never leave its spot near the tree. Concluding that its task is merely to guard the apple tree, it's easier to kill it off from the distance. Heracles took out his bow and notched one of the arrow covered in Hydra's poison. He is careful with his aim as he doesn't want to kill off the tree as well. The arrow hit directly Ladon directly in the face, causing the dragon to writhe in pain. As it dies, its body turns into dust. That shows how potent Hydra's poison is.
Heracles quickly took some of the apples off the tree and escaped from the garden.
"That's….pretty anti-climactic." Bell sweat dropped
"Yeah…" Ryuu and Aiz nodded
"I mean….compare to some of his previous opponents, yeah it's pretty unimpressive." Tione sighed "I had high hope when I saw how creepy it was."
"Well, you also need to consider that Heracles has the right equipment for the job. Said, if it was us in his place, we would be in deep trouble as perhaps it would nothing less but the Hydra's venom to kill it." Finn explained
"As expected of a commander." Zelretch gave the prum his approval "While Ladon barely show any feats, it still a troublesome opponent for those who are unprepared to face it."
"Soo…next he needs to catch a guardian of the underworld? That would be very difficult…" Mikoto said
"Yeah…don't know how he gonna accomplish that." Hestia nodded
The next task will definitely be the trickiest labor of them all. To capture Cerberus, it means that Heracles needs to travel all the way to the Underworld, the domain of Hades. He know for certain that it's extremely dangerous to travel to Hades' realm without any preparation.
So he travels to the Eleusinian Mysteries so he can be initiated. The priestess taught him how to travel alive from world of the living to the realm of the dead and vice versa. It took him around a week to learn that technique.
"You can go to Tanaerum, that's where one of the entrances of the Underworld can be found." The priestess told Heracles before he departed
So he travels to Tanaerum. Just as he imagined, his sense is screaming at him to run away from the entrance. It reeks of the aura of the death and only the bravest can steeled themselves to goes on.
"Having trouble, I see?" a melodious voice said from behind him
It is Athena
"Lady Athena." Heracles kneeled
"Stand, Heracles. I will help you so you can travel to Hades' realm."
"Ahh…so it's Hades'." Hermes nodded
"What's wrong, lord Hermes?" Asfi asked
"Nothing. I just thought that realm might belong to someone else." The god answered
"I see…"
Athena led Heracles towards the river Acheron, where the souls would be guided by a boatman named Charon to the Underworld. The goddess begin to negotiate with Charon so he will provide safe travel to Heracles. They banter on for several minutes until Charon finally agreed to aid Heracles.
"Good luck to you." Athena said before she disappears
The journey towards the Underworld is over as quick as it starts. When Heracles finally open his eyes, he is greeted by the sights of the Underworld.
(Just Imagine Mordor please LOL)
"T-that's the Underworld?" Bell gulped
All of the mortal members of the audience shows varied reactions when they see what an underworld looks could like. Some shows fear, while some just look on disinterestedly.
"Heh, just as gloomy as ones in ours." Loki said
"You have been into one, Loki?" Riveria asked
"Yup. I can assure you that it is just as gloomy as the one you see in the mirror right now."
"Hmm…"
"What about you, Lady Hestia?" Welf asked
"Umm…I've never been there ahaha." Hestia laughed
"That chibi over there probably too lazy to go there anyway!" Loki smirked
"Shut up! Why would I go there in the first place!" the goddess of hearth glared
"Now now calm down-" Hermes tries to cool down the situation but his face got hit by a small cake thrown by Hestia
"Shut up, Hermes!"
After walking around the Underworld, Heracles finally stumbles upon a fort. The fort is manned by bunch of undead soldiers, though there are some living humans as well. They're all wear black cloak over their armor, as if signifying their allegiance to the Lord of the Underworld.
After entering the fort, he is guided by a warlock to Hades' throne room where he can seek audience with the god himself. It took them around 10 minutes to reach the room.
"He's here, my lord!" the warlock announced
There, sitting on his throne, is Hades. The god has long straight black hair. His face is grim, though it still show some youth. His eyes, pitch black, are burning hole through Heracles's head.
"Heracles…son of my brother…my nephew. Why have you come here? To steal my wife like the other heroes had done?" Hades asked
"He does sounds similar with our Hades." Hestia muttered
"Yeah…seems like he will always be a dispassionate kind of person in every world." Hermes nods in agreement
"No my lord Hades. I have come here to request something from you." Heracles said, bowing to shows his respect
"Hoo? And what is it that you want?"
"I would ask you to allow to bring your most treasured guardian, Cerberus, to the surface." Heracles politely said
"Cerberus? To the surface?" Hades raised his eyebrows
"Yes."
"I shall allow it." Hades quickly replied
Heracles looks at the god in surprise. He doesn't expect the god to agree with his request that quickly.
"It has been a very long time since Cerberus last seen the surface world. A little bit of sunshine will do him some good….and to show the inhabitants of the surface the glory of the Guardian of the Underworld." Hades said
"I…thank you."
"But…there's one condition."
Heracles nods his head, indicating that he's listening
"Due to….how delicate Cerberus is…I want you take him to the surface, without any weapons."
"I accepted." Heracles quickly agreed. If he tries to negotiate, it's highly possible that Hades would change his mind completely
"Good. He's waiting for you outside of the fort. Remember…this is my realm, and my eyes are everywhere."
It's a warning. Hades will watch over Heracles and Cerberus to see whether Heracles keep his promise of taming Cerberus without any weapons.
"For a god of underworld…he's pretty chill…" Tiona joked
"Hahaha true. I thought he would be meaner." Tione laughed
"Perhaps he's just bored? From his viewpoint, it would be an interesting thing to watch." Lefiya suggested
"Eh, never mind that. Let's just watch!" Loki shushed her Familia members
Thanking the god for his generosity, Heracles heads out to tame the famous three-headed dogs. There, outside of the fort, is Cerberus. Just like his deceased 'brother', his body is completely made out of machine. He's 2 times larger than Orthrus and has one additional head.
"I really don't know what is going on with his body…." Welf muttered
"Yeah…I can see some sort of sparks around its body." Mikoto nodded
"It's almost like this dog along with the previous is one…made out of something I know nothing about…" the smith of Hestia Familia said
"So, they're man-made? Or made by god I mean?" Lily asked
"Who knows…I had never seen anything like it."
Cerberus proves to be a very challenging opponent to tame. After wrestling with the mecha dog for few hours, he finally able to subdue it with his bare hands. Cerberus, realizing that he had lost, finally obey Heracles's command. The guardian only respects the strong, and the hero has definitely proved his strength. And so…Heracles left the Underworld with Cerberus following him into the surface.
When he finally returns to Tiryns, Heracles can see the fear on Eurystheus's face from far away. It takes all of his mental strength not to smile.
"Hiiii!"
"H-he really did it my lord…he capture the Cerberus!"
"I-incredible!"
Hiding himself behind one of the city's watchtower, Eurystheus shouted
"Fine! You had completed all of your labors, and now I released you from your servitude! Just take that thing back to the Underworld!"
Cerberus growled when he heard that noisy man called him a 'thing'. Heracles brushed his hand on top of Cerberus's head to calm him down.
"Then, this is farewell Eurystheus." Heracles said
And then he left, with Cerberus in tow. After returning Cerberus back to the Underworld, Heracles heads toward the nearest port as he stares off into the distance.
He has finally done it
He has completed all of the labors given to him
He has redeemed himself in the eyes of the gods
While he knew that he will never get rid of his regret of the past, he can feel some of the weights on his shoulders being lifted off. When he walks around the port, people are still avoiding him. It seems that while he had cleared off his name through his labors, many people still treat him as if he is a monster. Then, that man come along.
A blonde haired man with blue eyes is standing there as if he's waiting for him
"So, you're Heracles huh." The man said
He walks closer towards Heracles and begin inspecting him
"Incredible…man, I'm jealous!" the man said before turning towards Heracles
"You're certainly the rumored monster!"
"…" Heracles did not say anything in return
Realizing the way he said his words might not inappropriate, the man crossed his arms.
"But, don't worry. I'll treat you well and put you to good use."
Then he coughed on his hand "I…ahem…as long you're with me, you won't be a monster any longer. In other words, a hero...! No, you will be the great hero that shall protect the king of the future!"
Heracles can't help but be surprised by the audacity of this man. To yell something like that in the middle of a city….what a fool.
And yet…
He can't help but smiled as well when he looks at the smiling face of that man
And so it begins, his new adventure
Notes: I'm sorry if this chapter looks rushed, but I'm really getting tired of writing Heracles and just want to end his story as soon as possible hahaha. Here are several things I did not include and several things to be addressed:
1. I didn't include the part like Heracles seeing Theseus in the Underworld because I really don't understand the timeline and there are too many versions of the myth
2. Heracles capturing the Old Man of the Sea and forced out information from him. I read about this Old Man of the Sea and they all told me this god is a primordial god. Within the context of Fate world...I can't really see Heracles capturing a primordial god and forced him to do anything. If we go bye FGO Lostbelt 5, there are many gods that exist long before the 12 Olympian arrive on earth. Pollux and Castor also said they were merged into the Pantheon by Zeus.
3. I based the designs all of the creatures (From Nemean Lion to Cerberus) from what was shown in the Third Heaven's Feel movie. There're several pictures of them in the FGO subreddit. That's why Cerberus and its brother are literally mecha ZOIDS and why Ladon looks like that.
4. Some of you had raised issue about the Danmachi casts' reaction being kinda underwhelming. I think its perfectly normal of them reacting that way. We need to remind ourselves that the Danmachi character themselves are actually quite powerful, with each of them have the blessing of their respective gods and some of them have broken abilities. Some of Heracles' feats can be replicated with enough preparations in the eyes of the Adventurers. While things Gilgamesh had accomplished (Spamming unlimited weapons, EA, etc) and Solomon (Controlling the Demon Gods and OP magic) can't really be replicated.
The last conversations between Heracles and 'that man' is originated from the translated manga of Fate/Strange Fake. The next chapter would be a break for the Danmachi casts and will contain spoiler from Danmachi Memoria Frease game.
I apologize for any grammatical/structural errors. Hope you enjoy the story and I'll see you in the next chapter!