Heracles pulled the lion skin closer to him as the rain beat down mercilessly upon him. It was dark and a sane man would be home in bed before a warm fire with a full bosomed woman in his Heracles was on a quest to find the one being who could tell him where to find his missing young friend Hylas.
The sky overhead was dark with clouds but the fine gray light that filtered through them told him it was early morning. Continuing across one high peak, he stopped and listened to the moaned like a dying man through the valleys below him, but he was lisening for something else. Straining hard he heard the screams of a man in terror and pain. Hurrying as fast as he could run towards the cries, he readied an arrow in his bow.
Climbing to the top of a flat plateau, he stopped and stared momentarily at a great bird ripping into the body of a man. He had found Prometheus. Drawing the arrow back, he released it and watched as it flew true towards its target. Now the vulture screamed as the arrow pierced its back. Throwing itself into the sky, it tried to fly away but a second arrow brought it to the earth.
Leaving the bow behind and drawing his sword, Heracles approached the still struggling vulture with a dark look in his eyes. The vulture hissed at him, a futile gesture, just before Heracles severed its head from its body with a single powerful swipe of his sword.
Prometheus, eyes closed with pain and relief, did not move at was over, and in a few minutes he would be free.
Heracles grabbed the chain that held Prometheus' right arm and pulled it as hard as he could, the rock groaning in protest as he gave a great heave and yanked the arm free. Prometheus clinched his eyes shut and wept thin hot tears of was over.
Heracles broke all the chains that held the Titan to the rock and stepped back to see what the Titan would was supposed to be a friend of mankind, but after countless ages chained to a rock with a vulture eating on him, he might have some pent up anger to let out.
But Prometheus possessed no anger for Heracles or any other mortal. It was the Olympians who had hurt him, even after he sent a message to Zeus warning him about Thetis. "Thank-you," he rasped dryly. "Have you anything to drink?"
Heracles always carried a skin of water with him and untied it from his belt. Helping Prometheus sit up, he helped him drink from the skin, and it was a long deep drink.
"I'm sorry it's not wine," Heracles apologized, "but that doesn't travel well."
Prometheus lowered the skin and smiled. "It is sweeter than wine," he assured the a heavy sigh, he met Heracles clear green eyes and said, "Your friend Hylas never left the island. He was taken by the nymphs who live there and lives a life of great pleasure."
Heracles frowned and looked away. "Will he be all right?"
"He will," Prometheus assured him. "Do not go back for him, Heracles. If you did find him, in time he would be killed by someone angry at you. And you yourself are not destined for many more years."
Heracles was not afraid of dying. "Then I best make good use of what I have," he decided aloud.
"Yes," Prometheus agreed and stood on weak legs. Heracles offered him a strong arm and steadied him. "Thank-you."
The sound of rushing wind filled the air, and invisible voices followed. "What creature is this?" Heracles growled suspiciously.
"It is Eos and her family," Prometheus answered with a smile. The voices gelled into shapes and became the goddess of the dawn in her fine golden chariot pulled by golden horses. Around her swarmed the spirits of time; all thankful to see Prometheus freed. Soon the air was swarming with nature spirits, relieved that the Titan was finally free.
Heracles made his farewells and wandered off in search of new if he was quick, he could rejoin Jason in search of the Golden Fleece.
Heracles' thought touched Prometheus, and the Titan paused in the middle of the well wishes. Medea was going to wind up Jason's lover but it would not be a happy affair. He needed to warn her, but not before following Eos home to her brother's palace for a banquet.
Medea sat in her garden and listened to soft strings of the lyre float on the night air. Everything was still, and the perfume of the flowers filled the air with their sweet aroma.
The eunuch sitting among the saffron robed women stopped and looked up. Someone was behind Medea who had not been there before. The sorceress was certain she knew who her visitor was and dismissed her servants with a nod and wave of the hand.
Standing up she turned to face the Titan, now clean and dressed in a white chiton. He was even more beautiful to look at now than he had been chained to the rock. "It is good to see you again," she said curiously and plucked a sweet gardenia from the hedge."Come for more medicine?"
Prometheus smiled at the beautiful coy woman. He had come to warn her about Jason, but the thought occurred to him that her body would be soft and sweet beneath had had many lovers in the house of his cousin Helios, but Medea was the one he really wanted.
"Some Greeks are coming," he warned her. "Their leader is Jason. If you fall in love with him, there will be nothing but tragedy in your life."
Medea arched a fine dark brow and sniffed the sweet gardenia again. "Why is this Jason coming here?"
"For the golden fleece."
"So many fools have tried and perished."
Prometheus did not want to arouse her curiousity any more than he already discuss a rival for her affections? "I have thought about you all the time these past few months."
She looked at him a smile on her face. "Really?"
"Yes. I imagined what it would be like making perfect love to you."
"The love of a god is never good for a mortal," she reminded him although her dark eyes shined with anticipation. Even if for one night, Medea would claim a god for a lover.
Prometheus carefully approached her, his eyes on the soft curve of her neck and ample swell of her breasts beneath the saffron desperately wanted to make love to her. Medea laughed triumphantly when he took her into his arms and kissed the warm perfumed hollow of her throat and held her close to his body. When their lips met his hunger almost overwhelmed him.
In the garden, using her cloak for a bed, they made love with a passion unmatched. Her nails left thei marks on his body, but he they only fueled his lust. She would go to Jason, but she would have another memory to keep in her memories when Jason turned on her.
"Medea," he whispered against her lips as the first lights of dawn paled the eastern sky, "whenever you need me, call and I will help you."
"Will I need your help?" she asked softly, her lush body sated from a night of magical sex.
"Yes," he answered and vanished.
Medea raised her head in surprise when someone called out, "Medea, we have guests!"