A Final Crusade, A Prologue

by The Brutal Legend

Every hero has a beginning, and every beginning is a story all its own. This is the story of a man who not only changed himself, but the fate of those in worlds beyond his own. This is the story of the last Crusader...

5. Golden Touch, Petrifying Gaze

(Start of Part 5)

There once was a King who ruled a distant land (depending on where you're from) a long time ago.

There were stories written and told about his' life as well as the gift that was bestowed upon him.

In this instant, the power he was given was fairly short-sighted. But first, let's explain what it was as well as who this is about.

There are many versions and variations of this story, but there are several recurring themes in all of them: The King was named Midas, and he was given the ability to instantly transmute anything into gold, which made him a very wealthy man.

And that's when things took a turn for the worst.

In some accounts, the story depicted that he had no control of what he can turn into gold, meaning anything that he came into contact with turned to solid gold, whether it was his' intention or not.

Thus, tragedy struck.

One day, as he was trying to understand the notions behind his' abilities, his' daughter at some point arrived, and whether it was his' fault or hers, upon making contact with her father, the daughter herself turned into gold as well.

Once the incident occurred, the king was heavily distraught, not only because of the issue concerning his' daughter, but another issue that affected his very being. With the issue that nothing could meet his' touch without turning to gold, the king was unable to so much as even eat or drink, and with that, the king was slowly wasting away.

And with this, the stories all ended in the same tragic manner…

But this time, an outside force decided to change all of that.

(King's Chambers-King's POV)

The situation was dire. With what I thought was a simple spell bought from a wandering merchant became a dreadful curse. Despite all the wealth that it brought me, that is all that it seemed to give me, solely material wealth and nothing more.

'Now, through this accursed magic, I lost what I cherished most in the world- my own flesh and blood. My precious daughter.' I thought, and despite my best efforts to halt them, tears began to run down along my face.

'And so it seems that I am to now pay the price for my negligence. Unable to drink even a single drop of water, let alone eat. Now both my mind and body seem to be diminishing as well, weakening as each day passes me by. A fitting end I suppose, a foolish end to a foolish king, and now I can only wait until my eventual end, and hopefully in the afterlife my curse will cease…' I turn my head slightly to my left and observe the statue that had once been my daughter, which I had brought with me to my quarters. '…and I can hold my daughter in my arms once again…'

The sound of movement reached my ears and I looked to the veranda to see what it may have been. As I gazed past the curtains obscuring the night sky from my sight, I saw a curious sight. The curtains were blowing as if affected by a steady flow of wind, though I did not feel any gust of wind enter my quarters. Then as my sight adjusted enough to where I could see past them, I could see the outline of a figure outside of my curtains before it passed through them and into the threshold of my room.

I was about to call for the guards, thinking that this may have been an assassin or something thereabouts, but before I was able to call out to them, I was interrupted by the intruder.

"Wait! I mean you no harm, I'm here to provide you aid. But first, if I may ask, are you the man known as King Midas?" The stranger said, raising his' arms up in front of him in a show of submission.

I looked at the stranger, wondering if his' words were indeed true. But I figured that if he were a danger, it wouldn't matter as my time in this world was slowly dwindling away anyway, and that anything he did would only speed up the process further. So, with nothing left to worry about, I answered the stranger's query.

"I am King Midas, yes." I said, nodding.

The mysterious individual grinned, his' mouth being the only thing I could see due to both the light from the moon as well as from the rest of his' facial features being obscured by his' hood. Then, the man spoke to me once again.

"That's good to know. I come bearing an offer from my lord. He told me of your…affliction, and he wanted me to ask you if you would wish to be rid of this curse?" He said, his' grin growing a bit wider, but was no less genuine.

I looked at him, wondering if his' offer was genuine. I started to wonder just how this figure or his' master would be able to rid me of this affliction, given that it seemed to be a supernatural phenomenon unlike any other I had heard of before. But, before I could take him up on such an offer, I wished to voice some of my concerns to the man. "And what would this lord of yours want in return for relieving me of this condition?"

The figure only gave an amused smile before responding. "Nothing. Well, there is one condition… in doing this task, he simply wishes for me, his' servant, possession of such a skill in return for removing it from yourself. But you need not worry. I have very unique…properties that will allow me the capability to harness your ability without being a hindrance to myself or those around. How about this? In exchange for taking the affliction from you entirely and transferring it to myself, I will also return your daughter to you, before she was turned into…" the figure paused, gesturing over towards the form of my daughter behind me. "…this. So, I ask again, will you accept the offer, King Midas?"

I could only blink in astonishment, I couldn't believe it. A way to rid myself of the curse! I could once again lead my kingdom with confidence! Though, what certainly caught my attention was the subsequent offer of not only ridding me of my condition, but restoring my daughter back to her previous unaffected state! Once that was said, I could only respond one way.

"I accept! In exchange for allowing you possession of this ability, I only ask that you restore my daughter back to her previous state. Do all of this, and it is more than yours." I finished, almost quivering in excitement, hoping beyond all hope that this offer was indeed not a farce or folly.

The figure nodded and stepped up to me before sticking a hand out towards me. I instinctively stepped back, not only because I was unfamiliar with the gesture as well as not wanting to affect the individual in front of me with my affliction. The robed man only chuckled before grasping my left wrist in his' right hand and gripping my hand with his' left hand. Before I could get out of the hold, worried that he would turn himself to gold, I noticed that as his' left arm left mine, the one still holding onto my hand turned a translucent shade of nothingness, though it still retained a tone of wispy shadows along its edges. Then, a moment later, I felt a pulling sensation coming from my body and leaving through my arm and into the figure standing before me.

After several moments in which not much more happened besides the sensation increasing and decreasing in certain intervals of time, I felt one last great tug in my body, greater than any other that occurred during the entire session, and then it was over. The man in front of me still completely human from what little I could see of him anyway.

The figure's hand then left mine before walking past me, and with me wondering why, I turned around to see that he was heading towards the statue that was once my daughter. I looked on, curious as to what exactly he planned to do.

The figure stopped once he was a step away from the statue and looked at it dead in the eye before reaching his' right hand up and lightly patting the statue's cheek and saying:

"Wake up buttercup." He said, lightly patting the statue's cheek a couple of times before leaving his' hand on her face.

And to my astonishment, the shade of gold that had been donning her skin since the day before melted away, almost as if it were being washed away by a stream of water. Soon enough, more and more of the light-tan color of her skin returned, and as it reached the last vestiges of her body, her face tensed, almost looking as if she had just woken up from sleep. Her eyes dilated momentarily before she finally realized that there was a figure standing in front of her. Before she could stare at the stranger further, her eyes caught something at the edge of her focus and traveled away from the figure only to meet mine, and with a look of utter relief she ran past the figure and sprinted towards me, her lovely, wavy, dark-brown hair fluttering behind her as she did so.

I barely had enough time to brace myself before she impacted my body with her own as she tackled me. I barely managed to gather my footing from the initial collision, only to find myself in her embrace, one which I hesitated to return due to my fear that a trace of my curse still lingered within myself, but after several moments of nothing else occurring, I returned the embrace in full.

I soon felt the cool touch of moisture sliding along my face and reached a hand up to see what it was. I looked on at my hand and realized that they were tears. Tears of relief, happiness, and so many more emotions I could barely identify as they all tumultuously flowed within me at this moment. However, I then paused in my reflection as I heard the distinct sound of sobbing coming from nearby before quickly noting that it was originating from my daughter in front of me. Concerned with her apparent distress, I questioned her on why she felt this way.

"Daughter, why do you cry? I am the one who did wrong by you, and I humbly apologize for what befell you. Please daughter, tell me." I asked whilst leaning back slightly in our embrace to see into the face of my child.

"Because…" she sobbed "…at first, I was afraid of what happened. It seemed that I would be trapped like that forever! I thought about not being able to see you again father. I wasn't sure what was going on, and I was afraid I was going to be hurt or worse while in that state! But then I…" she faltered as she sobbed slightly before continuing. "…I suddenly felt warmth on my cheek, and it spread throughout my body, melting away the cold shell of metal around me, but it felt as if it went deeper into my body than just along my skin and before I knew it, I was able to see and feel again. However, once I was able to see again, I only saw a strange man in front of me and I was afraid that I had passed into the underworld. But, then I saw you and I was just so relieved to be with you again, even if we were both gone." She took a deep breath before continuing. "I'm just so glad to be free once again, thank you for bringing me back from that horrible fate." She paused for a moment. "Wait, are we dead, father?" She asked, looking up at me with bleary yet curious eyes, ones which I never thought I would see again, not like this, anyway.

I laughed heartily, relieved that she was only upset about the experience and not with me for what I had inadvertently done. After my quick bout of laughter was done, I decided to answer her question before she become worried again. "Actually, we are quite alive right now daughter, so you need not fret over that." She sighed in relief, and I continued. "But it should not be me that you should be thanking. You should be thanking the gracious nobleman over there." I waved my hand towards the stranger, who had been waiting patiently as we had our moment of reunification until we acknowledged his' presence once again. "He is the one who gave me both the offer to rid me of the spell as well as revive you from your afflicted state in exchange for bearing it himself. Though curiously enough, he seems to have achieved a greater control over it than I ever did, as he was able to free you from your fate with what I assumed was a polarizing usage of the curse." I clarified, looking back to the man once I finished explaining.

My daughter turned around from our embrace to look at the stranger, and despite his' robed appearance, she didn't seem to be too intimidated by him, instead seeming to appraise his' character briefly before inquiring of the man, "What else did you want in exchange for freeing both my father and I? Surely you must want something else other than the enchantment?"

The man chuckled amusedly before replying to her question with: "No, nothing of the sort. I just simply followed the order of my lord who wanted to right a wrong done to somebody who didn't deserve it. Keeping the ability for me was just a boon, though I couldn't stand to see your father suffer as well either, which is why I opted to restore you back to your previous self." He finished, crossing both his' arms as he awaited my daughter's response.

My daughter giggled cutely before prancing over to the man, and despite her small stature, leapt up at him, only for him to catch her as she leaned forward and embraced him lightly while giving him a gracious kiss on the cheek. After releasing her hold, she landed daintily on her feet before closing her eyes and giving him a cute smile, and sincerely saying: "Thank you very much for what you have done for us dear sir!" Meanwhile, he was blushing fiercely and stood anxiously in his' spot for a few moments before quickly gathering himself and giving her a firm nod as he returned to his' stoic demeanor once again. After observing the exchange, I then walked up to the both of them before speaking up.

"Messenger, you have my sincerest gratitude for what you have done for us this day. Without what you did, neither I nor my daughter would be here now, and thanks to your efforts, you have given us our lives back. For that, I simply must find a way to repay you." I told him as I bowed my head towards him while thinking on how I could recompense the stranger for his' kindness.

"Oh no, I didn't do this in exchange for anything, sire! It's of no concern, trul-" He tried to say, but I interrupted him before he could say any more.

"Ah, of course! How about my daughter's hand in marriage? She certainly seems to be quite taken by you." I asked him, wondering if the man would accept such a generous offer.

"No, I couldn't! Sorry, I meant no offense, though while your daughter is quite beautiful, your daughter and I have only just met and marriages are very serious matters and shouldn't be done on a whim, no matter the occasion. Besides, she seems to be very precious to you, and you shouldn't have her be married off to some stranger so soon." Off to the side, my daughter held a light blush on her face, flattered that the man called her beautiful as well as seeming to have her best interests at heart, though she couldn't help but feel a small sting at her female pride for having the man turn down the offer.

"Ah, but you see, your selfless nature and concern over her and her future show the type of character that you have, young man. Are you sure that you won't accept such an offer?" I inquired of him once again.

"As good as the offer may be, I must respectively decline, sir. Such an offer is not to be made on such short notice for those involved; it is ultimately her decision on whether she wants to go with the arrangement as well. Although I suggest you let her marry for love rather than for convenience or influence, that is all I ask. She deserves that much at the very least." The young man reasoned.

"Hmm, understandable, and I will agree to your decision. I will let her make her own decision should the matter arise again in the future. But for now, there must be something I can do to show my appreciation…oh, I know! A banquet and show, how does that sound?" I asked him, hoping that this offer may appeal to him much more than my previous one.

"Of course, that sounds delightful." He said, giving a nod and grinning at us appreciatively; A gesture which I eagerly returned.

(3rd Person P.O.V., Later period of time.)

After calling in the guards and servants, the king informed the entirety of his' staff that there would be a banquet to be held on the next day in honor of their esteemed guest, as well as updating them on the newly developed conditions (or lack thereof) of both the king himself and the princess. Once news of the event spread throughout the palace, the staff was ecstatic and soon news of the miracle spread throughout the land and soon the banquet became one of the most anticipated events of the era.

As the day of the event arrived, the entire kingdom was in high spirits and numerous people were preparing everything from the food, entertainment, and decorations, all to fit the magnitude of this joyous occasion.

The banquet itself was magnificent, consisting of the highest grade of meats, the most nourishing and exorbitant display of fruits and vegetables imaginable, and lavish decorations strewn across the halls and walls of the palace itself.

During the initial period of the banquet, while many were clamoring to catch sight of the king and princess in good health once again, many more were also expectant to get a view of the guest of honor, who insisted on being called 'The Crusader', and were awed by the man's appearance once they finally caught a glimpse of him; given his' unique choice of attire and armament, a fact which slightly put off some of the people there, though that was soon settled once the king announced their honorable guest was more than trustworthy. There was also the revelation at the end of the banquet, once everyone was settled down, of the role the Crusader played in reviving the king and his' daughter, generating a roar of applause by those in attendance. It was also worth noting that the princess took it upon herself to feed the guest of honor personally, and despite his' vocal objections against her taking such action, she simply waved it off and continued to affectionately feed him whilst enjoying her own meal, occasionally asking him to try the occasional exotic or extravagant dish. And despite his' polite objections, he relented to her whims and enjoyed the meal nonetheless, much to the princess' great pleasure. Once the dinner ended, the princess excused herself from the table before disappearing off to another part of the castle, promising she would return in time for the show.

As the banquet concluded, the guests were then treated to a show consisting of performers, acrobats, and other individuals with spectacular talents and abilities. It was during this time that a crowd of dancers arrived from the entryway, but what was even more astonishing was the fact that one of the performers was the princess herself!

Once the group reached the center of the room, they began their performance. The routine was rather elegant and stylish to say the least; incorporating a style of dance suited for storytelling as it stayed in-synch with the instruments playing around them. The dance, along with the story, started out rather pleasantly with a tone of anticipation and allure for an unspoken journey ahead, then as time went on, the tone changed to one of trepidation, then sorrow, then resolve and eventually a bitter-sweet resolution full of promise, hope and love. It was then that the lead dancers, one of which was the king's daughter, finished the performance with a majestic flourish, leaving all in attendance captivated or cheering their approval.

The princess however, sought out the approval of only two individuals in attendance. Her father, while surprised with her attendance in the show, was highly impressed with her routine, wondering how long she must have prepared for such an endeavor, under his' nose no less!

Then there was the other individual, the kingdom's guest of honor, The Crusader…

The Crusader, whose thoughts were along the same line as Midas', was also quite impressed by the show presented by the performing artists and clapped in appreciation of the spectacle, but otherwise kept silent. However, once the princess turned her attention to him, he gave her a nod of approval as well as a impressed, or perhaps proud, smile on behalf of her performance.

Both of these responses, while typical, were both highly regarded by the heiress; tears shining in her eyes from the sheer joy she was feeling at the moment. With that, she barely noticed the group of dancers leaving, the previous performers filing into the room to resume their routines from earlier, and left the room as well, but not before briefly curtsying to the audience.

Once the show ended, with the princess returning after quickly changing back into her royal attire, other performers and entertainers continued to regale those in their company into the late hours of the night. Unfortunately, though many of the guests, including the king, were still enjoying the festivities, the princess herself grew weary and decided it was time for her to retire to her quarters for the night.

The Crusader, noticing her fatigue, offered to escort the princess to her dormitory. Thankful for the offer, she affirmed her agreement before setting off to her room down the halls, the Crusader falling in line beside her.

(1st Person P.O.V. - The Crusader)

The walk was rather uneventful and continued in a rather comfortable and sedate silence, one which I personally preferred to preserve in this momentary lull in my life. However, the silence was broken by the princess' voice as she turned to address me.

"Excuse me, but where are you from, if I may be so bold as to ask?" She asked sheepishly, looking away from me and turning her gaze slightly towards the ground while absentmindedly keeping an eye on navigating us towards our destination.

Noticing her nervousness, I felt it'd do well for me to ease any anxiousness she may have had in trying to both impress yet try and understand me. So, deciding to bring a moment of levity to brighten things up, I faced her and calmly replied with, "Well, I'm from a very distant and different place than here. Where I'm from, we have many types of climates. To the east, there are snowy mountains lining along the edge of our land. To the south, if you traveled far enough, there were vast, dry deserts which held many dangerous kinds of life and contained settlements and outposts that were few and far between. If you went to the west, you would come across a great ocean sea spanned the entire length of our territory and beyond. My family and I would often travel and visit the sea yearly to spend time together as a family. Then, to the north…well I guess there were more mountains, but it mostly held farmland and more civilization depending on where exactly you were. Oh! There was also a semi-dormant super-volcano somewhere in those parts, which was often toured by those visiting the territory." I finished, feeling quite nostalgic as I reminisced about old experiences and facts from my home; At some point in telling the story, the princess turned her gaze to meet my own, though I was still somewhat partially lost within my own memories of my time home.

Though, after some time I finally noticed that the princess had indeed been staring at me, even after I finished recounting my description of my home, marveled by the details and qualities of the land I had just described. Though fascinated with the landscapes discussed, she also seemed to be pondering something within herself before finally voicing her opinion aloud to me after a couple moments.

"You mentioned that you spent time with your family every year at the sea. You must have been really close. What were they like, your family?" She asked, emboldened by her sudden sense of curiosity.

I paused, just now remembering how my family must be faring not having heard word of me since the boating disaster. 'They probably assume I'm dead now that I think about it, and with me being on my journey, I may never see them again… but there isn't much I could do about it. If I went to them and told them that I was not only alive despite being missing for who knows how long, but that I was also on such a harrowing journey, they would probably never stop worrying over my safety. They'd probably even beg me to stop my mission, and I know I can't do that. Despite the security I would have if I returned to my old life, I swore that I would see this through. Besides, this isn't about me, this is about me saving people, people like King Midas, people trapped in their fates that I can change. I guess not telling them would be for the best…then we can all go on with our own lives…yeah, I guess I can live with that…' While dealing with my inner thoughts and concerns, I failed to notice the princess move to stand in front of me, gazing curiously at me as I stopped walking in the middle of the hall. Though once I did notice, I quickly focused on the present and responded to the fair maiden's question which was still lingering in the air.

"So, you wish to know of my family? Well, they are all very nice people and I care deeply about each and every one of them. My mother was a very strong and stubborn woman, she always tried to make me do more in my life, to never have to settle for anything and make the most from what I could, but she made sure I did it with both pride and respect for those around me. My father was a very hard-working and straightforward man. Despite his' tough exterior, he made an effort to get to know you and was always a friendly person to whomever he would meet. My older brother was very…troublesome. He always lived his' own life and never really settled down anywhere, and I'm not really sure where he's at right now, both literally and figuratively. I just wish the best for him, but that's all I can really do. I never really knew him and I don't think I ever truly will, just that his' heart is in the right place, and that's enough for me. My older sister is almost as stubborn as my mother yet she is very witty. She's married and has a child now from what I last heard. Lastly, there's my little brother. He's very… devious and has made a reputation of it within my family. Even though he's a good kid at heart, he still gets on my nerves and sometimes I almost hate to love him, but he's family and that's all that should ever matter." I finished, strolling through the hall at a reasonable pace as I explained a bit more about myself to her. Then, I decided to ask, "What about you? Do you have any siblings, Princess…?" I ask, hoping that she'd at least give me a name to call her by other than 'princess'.

"Oh how foolish of me! In all of this haze of activity, I forgot to give you my name!" She stopped abruptly, with me stopping as well beside her, and bowed to me before continuing. "My name is Zoe, and I am the sole heir of King Midas! I apologize for neglecting such a common courtesy. Please forgive me for my negligence!" She pleaded, still bowing her head to me as she apologized.

I looked at her in alarm, startled from her abrupt apology, as I tried to say something to remedy the situation. "It's fine! It was an honest mistake, everybody makes them. There's no need to feel bad about overlooking this small detail, in comparison to everything else that's already recently." I supplied, trying to reason to her that it was a simple mishap.

She stood up straight again, relief evident on her face as she gave me a small smile before wiping away some tears which had gathered in her beautiful, blue eyes. "Thank you for understanding, it was just such an obvious oversight and somebody as highly regarded as I am should have known better. For all that you did for us, you deserved to at least know my name, and it is such an embarrassment to have forgotten something as mundane a greeting." She sighed to herself, the action slightly releasing the tension she held in herself, before blowing a hair out of her face, exasperated with the whole situation.

"Well like I said, it was just a simple mistake, so it can easily be forgiven. I wasn't offended if that's what you're worried about. Besides, what's a little leniency between friends, right?"

Once I finished, her face turned to shock before she asked. "Friends? You consider me a friend?" She asked, a slight tone of hopefulness seeping into her voice as an optimistic look grew on her face.

I grinned amusedly at her before replying with, "Of course! You seem to be a nice girl and I actually really do enjoy spending time with you Zoe. After all, it isn't like you've done anything to make me consider not having you as a friend." I explained to her, continuing to give her a friendly grin.

She looked back at me with a joyful expression on her face before trailing behind me and suddenly leaping onto my back, almost making me stumble forward as I tried to get a grip under her legs as she reached her arms around my shoulders and reaching them around my neck. After doing this, she explained the sudden course of action by saying, "Well, as my friend, you wouldn't mind giving me a short piggy-back ride to my sleeping-quarters, correct?" She said, a hopeful and eager tone entering her voice as she asked this.

Once I was able to get a solid grip under her thighs, in a perfectly polite position mind you, I looked back at her over my shoulder before responding back to her query. "Of course not. Just hold on, we'll be at your room soon enough." I responded with a fond smile and focused back on the task of finding her room in the winding maze of hallways and passages.

After being directed through the seemingly labyrinth-esque hallways of the palace by the princess, we promptly reached the door to her room, and after quickly shifting her weight onto my back so I could open her door more easily, I opened the door and entered.

Heading inside while still toting her on my back, I took notice of the details of the room. At the far end of the room was a sliding door which leads outside to a foyer with a beautiful view of the kingdom as well as a wondrous view of the land. Perhaps during the sunset hours of the day the view from there must have been unbelievably gorgeous; however since it was night, a lot of the view was obscured by pitch-black darkness.

To the left side of the room was a modest dresser with a mirror above it with an assortment of makeups and other exotic beauty ingredients, most of which I wasn't quite familiar with but figured it wasn't any of my business to know anyway.

Further along the wall was a large wardrobe which most likely held many of Zoe's articles of clothing, casual or extravagant, respectively. Then, in the center of the room, with the headrest leaning on the right wall when entering the room, was the princess' bed, complete with an assortment of soft and plush pillows, fine sheets, soft blankets and tall posts on each of the four corners of the bed which held curtains that could be drawn to surround the bed for privacy.

I took all of this in as I moved over to deposit Zoe onto her bed. Sitting at the edge of the cot, I released my grip on her legs, allowing her to safely disengage from me.

After a few moments of her not relinquishing herself from me, I looked at her over my shoulder, giving her a questioning look. She looked at me with an exhausted yet playful look, before answering my unspoken question to her.

"Could you do just one last thing for me before you go? I would really appreciate it if you could tell me a story or sing me a song before I went to sleep; It helps me sleep much more soundly. Usually, I would have my father or a servant of the palace do it, but both seem to be indisposed at the moment. You wouldn't mind doing it for me just this once. Right, my friend?" She asked me, giving me the most innocent and pleading look anyone could muster…puppy dog eyes…sigh. I was doomed from the start.

I gave her an amused yet tired look at the expression she gave me. After a moment, I told her, "How about I do you one better?" She looked at me with a bewildered expression, wondering what I could mean as she let go of me and settled herself onto her bed.

Once I was freed from her light grip, I got up and grabbed the nearby chair which was leaning against the wall and took a seat on it. With a flick of my hands, lightning silently flowed from thin air, enveloping itself around my arms before becoming a silhouette and forming something in my arms. A moment later, my guitar, Jasmine, materialized in my arms in its acoustic form. All the while, Zoe looked on in awe, amazed with the way the instrument flourished into existence, but decided not to question it as she instead opted to silently wait and let it all play out.

Once I was certain the instrument was properly tuned, I returned my attention to Zoe and told her, "I actually had a song in mind to play for you, it's an old favorite of mine. I hope you don't mind the change of style. Right?" I asked her, hoping she wouldn't be offended with my particular choice in music, not that it was anything offensive or tactless.

In response, she gave me a reassuring smile and a quick nod. Eager to hear what I had in store for her this night.

She then drew the curtains around her bed, blocking my line of sight of her while she got herself into more comfortable clothing, which she kept in a compartment underneath her bed which she could reach from the side opposite of where I was, and tucking herself under her blankets and sheets, pulling the curtains open again with the use of a drawstring once she was finished. She gazed back at me with a wondrous look as she awaited my performance.

I nodded, readying myself to play one of the earliest songs I learned when I took guitar class in highschool- a song simply called: The Ocean.

The song started off rather slowly and melodically, but gained complexity and rhythm as it went along, as all songs do. The song itself was an abstract piece composed by my teacher, who had plenty of practical knowledge in the art and taught it to me, and obviously the rest of the class, to the point where I and everyone else in the class had it perfected by the time the course was done; though I felt that I was the only one who memorized it by heart and could play it by both ear and muscle-memory, other than the teacher that is.

With practiced ease, the song flowed forth from my guitar through the plucking of notes to the occasional strumming of chords. A few minutes later, I got to the last harmonious act of notes in the song, it ended on a final slow, echoing strum of a G chord, ringing softly across the room as the song ended.

Raising my eyes from my guitar, I looked back at Zoe and noticed that her eyes were heavily lidded. Through her fatigue she was still able to say, "It was a beautiful song, thank you for treating me to it. It's nice to hear something other than a story for a change. I appreciate you heeding my selfish request, it's nice to have a friend as kind as you are. Funny, I still don't know your name. What is it, if I may ask?" She said, exhaustion becoming much more evident in her voice and tone as the seconds passed.

"Oh it was no trouble doing this for you, anything for a friend." I said, grinning to her. "It's nothing special though, my name is –" *snore* I was interrupted by a soft snore coming from Zoe, who failed to keep herself awake any longer to hear what I had to say through her fatigue from all the events that transpired throughout the day.

"Eh, don't sweat it. Good night Zoe, sweet dreams." I said, casting away the guitar as I stood up to stretch after sitting in that chair for a good few minutes.

After I was done, I went over to her and placed a quick kiss on her forehead, causing a small smile to form on her face as I did so, and promptly took my leave. Deciding to call it a night, I went to my own quarters, intent on getting some well-deserved rest while I still could.

And as I went to bed and slept the night away, my dreams would reveal themselves to be anything but nonsensical.

(3rd Person P.O.V. – The Next day)

After a slightly restful night of sleep, The Crusader went to find King Midas in order to let him know of his' imminent departure towards the last segment of his' journey here which was given to him the previous night through a vision in his' sleep.

Stopping a wandering servant, the Crusader asked where he could find the king at this time. The servant told him that he could find the king in the throne-room and promptly gave him directions to the room before politely excusing himself to complete his' currently assigned task. The Crusader quickly thanked him before setting out towards the throne-room, post-haste.

A short time later, the Crusader arrived at the room, taking note of the various servants cleaning up the area due to the mess left behind from the events of last night and went up to speak with the king, who noticed the quickly approaching figure and spoke up to greet him.

"Ah, dear Crusader, what brings you here this early in the day? I expected you to still be sleeping at this time, especially after the events of last night." He paused to think on something. "I take it that you made sure my daughter was escorted safely to her room, I assume?" He asked the Crusader casually, but the look in his' eyes betrayed his' steadily growing tension, despite the gratitude and trust he held for the man.

"Yes, your daughter is safely tucked away in her room, asleep." The crusader answered, meeting the king's eyes with a calm look on his' own part, the tension swiftly leaving the king's face at his' words.

"That is good to hear. Now, again, what brings you here at this time?" He asked, leaning back in his' throne to get more comfortable as he gave his' undivided attention to the Crusader.

"Yes, well I was just given new orders, last night in fact, to carry out a task of significance in the area. I came to not only notify you of my imminent departure, but to also ask of you the whereabouts of the location in question?" The Crusader asked him, hoping the king would at least be able to send him in the right direction.

Midas nodded at the question and responded to his' guest with, "Of course, I will do all in my power to help you for all that you have done for me and my family. Now, what is the location you wish to know about?" He asked, his' thoughts full of speculation as to where the hero may be headed and what he planned to do once he got there.

The Crusader paused, preparing himself for the questions that would inevitably come after giving his' answer to King Midas. Girding himself, he asked the king, "Have you heard of a place called: Athena's Temple?"

(Later-Athena's Temple, 3rd person P.O.V.)

(Disclaimer)-I'm going to take some literary freedom in order to make this work for the story. I know these two stories/legends (Midas/Upcoming) may be in entirely different eras, but for the sake of the story, they exist in relatively the same time-frame. So, with that addressed, onward! (Disclaimer-End)

A woman hastily scrambled up the steps to a temple, seeking aid from the woman whom it's named after.

The woman in peril seemed to be generally normal, if you didn't include her breathtaking beauty. Though in this case, it would prove to be a detriment.

This woman's name was Medusa.

Before becoming the legend that we are all familiar with, she was a normal human being. Though, some accounts vary depending on where and when they were conceived.

However, at some point, she met a man who she took an interest in, as well as him taking an interest in her.

She would eventually learn that the man was in fact a being of great power- Poseidon, god of the sea.

After learning of this, she was overwhelmed by the magnitude of the truth of his' identity and reputation. The man she was infatuated with wasn't even human, mortal even! Such a revelation would shake anyone in the same position to their foundation, and like anyone else she wasn't quite comfortable with the idea of being courted by a god. Though, as she tried to voice her decision to Poseidon, the god became desperate to have her, enthralled by her unnatural beauty.

And if he could not have her willingly, then he would take her by force!

However, through either sheer luck or desperate cunning, she was able to free herself from his' grasp and hurriedly made her escape, perhaps to the other being besides Zeus that could protect her from this person.

Athena, Goddess of Wisdom and War.

Luckily, Poseidon's power was limited on land, which gave her a fair chance to reach the Temple of Athena, to whom she served as a priestess of the temple where she vowed to retain her chastity for the rest of her days.

This brings us up to speed on the situation at hand, as Medusa hurriedly makes her way through the entrance of the temple, scrambling to reach her mistress before Poseidon could reach her.

Medusa made her way to the main chamber of the temple, where Athena usually was whenever she wasn't away carrying out her plans or meeting the other gods.

Entering the room, Medusa made to move towards the graceful figure of Athena, who was standing at a table studying scrolls and other writings. Though, before she could take more than a few steps, she cried out in shock as she was tackled to the ground from behind.

Finding herself sprawled on her chest, she looked back over her shoulder and was terrified to see the grinning and fierce expression of Poseidon as he settled himself on her back to keep her from escaping him once again.

"Finally, I have caught you my lovely Medusa." He said in a sultry voice, a lecherous look adorning his' face.

"L-let me go Poseidon! I told you I do not wish to be with you any longer! I thought I made that clear to you before!" She said, both terrified yet angered by the situation she now found herself in.

"Ah, but you see Medusa, you forget." He said, leaning closer to her as he whispered into her ear, "I am no man, I am a god, and if I see something that I want, I take it!" He said as he started to rip off her garments, "And what I want… is YOU!"

"NO!" She shrieked, desperately trying to shake him off of her before he could go any further, but soon she realized that she was having much more difficulty in doing so than before due to his' superhuman strength as well as the position she was in. Realizing her current position, the effort of trying to get away from the god seemed more and more futile with each failed attempt to escape from him.

Turning her gaze momentarily from the god as he tried to disrobe her further, she looked towards Athena in the hopes that she would see this and attempt to help pull this man off of her. Looking into the face of the goddess, she was distraught to see that the deity instead gave her a look of both utter disgust and contempt against the both of them before turning her head away from the struggle, repulsed by such a vulgar display in her sacred temple.

Medusa, upon realizing the hopelessness of the situation she was now in, gradually stopped struggling to resist the man's attempts to claim her. Her hope for escaping this situation all but diminished.

With that, a single tear rolled off of her eye, down her cheek and onto her chin before dropping to the tiled floor below, the teardrop shattering as it impacted the against the hard surface of the ground and seeping into the miniscule cracks and imperfections of the tile floor.

Then, more tears followed as they gathered in her eyes before they too streamed down her white, perfect face.

Poseidon took notice of her waning efforts to cast him off before they ultimately seemed to cease altogether. He took great satisfaction in the fact that he could now fully indulge himself in this attractive woman before him and proceeded to further claim his' prize.

However, before he could fully discard her clothing, a voice spoke up from the entrance to the room, interrupting him from acting further as its slight proximity alarmed him slightly.

"Poseidon. Stop." A figure stated, a man if the voice was anything to go by, in a calm yet stern voice that left no room for argument. As soon as the statement was said, the figure moved forward at a calm pace from the entrance towards the struggling duo.

Poseidon turned away from the woman in his' grasp and addressed the man in question as he continued to grow near. "Who are you to demand anything from me?" He asked, appalled by the audacity of the figure. "Do you understand who you are speaking to, Mortal?!"

"I could care less about who you are. Compared to the one I follow, your power is nothing. Though, from what I can see in front of me, you are no god worth following if you lower yourself to actions such as," The figure waved his' hand forward towards the two as they lay on the ground "…this. Now, I'm not going to ask again: Let. The woman. Go."

Poseidon was affronted by the man's words, the man's audacious utterances filling him with a blind rage as his' reverence was so casually dismissed, by a mortal no less! Getting up off Medusa, he made his' way to the man at a brisk pace.

Meanwhile, Medusa chose not to escape at the moment, instead deciding to curl herself up into a ball, whimpering and sobbing incoherently to herself almost to the point of hysterics as the reality of the moment began to creep up on her.

"How dare you insult a god of Olympus?! Such an action is punishable not only with your condemnation to hades, but ensuring calamity befalls all of your progeny and kin! Who are you to defy my rule, in a temple of another one of the gods no less?!" He demanded, ignorant of the hypocrisy he himself inadvertently admitted to in that statement when it was applied to his' actions just moments prior.

"…I'm just a Crusader, and I have come to stop events like this from happening. So, god or not, I won't let you proceed to force yourself on this woman any longer. Now, I won't do anything drastic, I've already altered enough as it is, so before this goes any further, I'm going to kindly ask you to leave this temple, and this woman, alone. She hasn't done anything to warrant this type of treatment from you." He said seemingly in a polite tone, though the statement was filled with a subtle commanding undertone.

Meanwhile, Athena was standing in the background of the room, quietly observing the exchange with both keen interest and subtle curiosity, making no move to interject at this moment.

"I will do what I wish whether you agree with it or not. And after I am done dealing with you, I will resume my efforts with the woman, ten-fold! All because of what you have done and said against me." He said, undeterred by the man's statements as he prepared to eradicate this man, this…heretic, from existence!

Elsewhere in the room, Medusa curled up even tighter into her ball, overhearing the fate that was to befall her soon enough after this exchange between god and man was over. She cried softly to herself as she waited for the inevitable to happen.

Acknowledging that the god's pride had made him arrogant, the Crusader prepared himself to deal with this false god in a quick and decisive manner; deciding to go with a strategy once used by one of the most revered figures of his' faith, which would prove to be especially useful if the nature of the being in front of him was correct.

(Play: Fired Earth Music-Battlefield)

Gathering his' power before him, Poseidon then brought out his' trident and brought his' arms out in front of him, as if he were holding something high, and beckoned forth a massive earthquake.

The temple around them soon began to break off in certain parts as the earthquake continued on, pieces of the pillars and ceiling having broken apart and nearly falling upon those that occupied the room.

Athena, meanwhile, while perturbed by the damage to her temple, opted to stay in the area and wait to see how this conflict would play out. She was surprised to see that the strange figure seemed to be undaunted by Poseidon's display of power as he seemingly just waited in place for Poseidon to cast his' next move.

Medusa, after realizing the dire state of the situation, chose to crawl towards Athena as she noticed that much of the debris seemed to be falling away from the goddess and her vicinity, leaving her seemingly unscathed for the moment.

Eventually, the earthquake subsided to a smaller, yet still present, magnitude. Parts of the building were still falling around them, however that was the least of their worries as Poseidon summoned forth the other half of his' abilities that his' identity was associated with.

Through the holes and gaps in between the pillars and ceiling of the temple, Poseidon called forth, from an unseen source, massive torrents and columns of water.

Poseidon gathered the waters around him, swinging his arms around him and over his' head as he channeled the force of the roaring waters around him into a massive wave, swinging around himself again and again as he gathered more and more water, picking up numerous chunks of debris in the rushing rapids as well.

Eventually, the paths of water leading outside the temple trickled to a stop as Poseidon deemed the amount sufficient enough to fulfill his' task. The water around them floated above their heads and behind Poseidon as he had his' arms poised above him, ready to unleash the massive torrent of water at the intruder.

"So, seeing all of this, do you now truly understand the power that I hold? To have absolute control of a force of nature at your command? Now, you will understand why every man has chosen to fear me as one of their gods and how foolish it would be not to concede to my authority! Now, you will face the wrath of all the seas of the world!" Poseidon shouted, and at that moment, everyone besides him came to a daunting realization.

A much larger section of the ceiling and roofing of the marble-esque temple broke off to reveal that while the amount of water in the open room was massive, the source of it was much more daunting.

Above the temple loomed a formless blue glob of what may have been a literal ocean of water, massive enough to crush the temple and the land around it with ease.

With supreme control of it all at his' hands, Poseidon cast his' arms forth, the movement causing the water in the temple to shoot towards the invader in a massive tsunami; though the water in the sky remained unmoving for the time being.

Noticing that his' foe had cast his' first move, the Crusader met the attack with one of his' own. With but a gesture, the Crusader raised his' arms, channeling the power of his' faith through him. In turn, this caused the water which was about to crash into him to cascade around him, forming a path through the flowing water in front of him, leading straight to the god Poseidon.

The Crusader then strolled towards his' opponent, unimpeded by the massive amount of liquid that completely flowed around him.

Poseidon, upon noticing the effect that his' attack was having on the Crusader, decided to turn things up a notch.

Once the liquid in the room ran out, Poseidon summoned the last dregs of it and formed it into a semi-solid platform to raise himself with as he exited the temple through the crumbled ceiling.

Once he was raised up to a sufficient degree, Poseidon spoke to the Crusader. "Despite whatever trick you used to escape my fury but a few moments prior, it must surely have been a farce for there is no way one such as you could be capable enough to handle all of this." He said, emphasizing the last word with a wave to the body of water above them. "However, if you yield and swear yourself to me, I may show you mercy. However, if you refuse, then you will surely know my wrath. So, what do you choose, mortal?" He asked, crossing his' arms as he hoped his' bluff would be enough to intimidate the Crusader into surrendering.

"I thought I made my point clear already? I will not surrender this day, not to you. I came here to stop you from committing this atrocity this day. I will make you a counter-offer: leave this place before any further damage is done and leave this woman be, abstaining from harming her by your own hands or those you may send of your own accord or through the orders of others. Do this, and there will be peace between us this day and afterward. But, if you do not, then I will not hesitate to cast you down!" The Crusader yelled, having to raise his' voice significantly in order for the god to hear it from his' great height.

"If that is your answer, then you have committed the utmost of follies! On this day, accounts of this encounter will be recorded amongst scribes for ages and the world of man shall know of the futility of denying a god of Olympus! On this day, the world will know that man will obey the gods, or DIE!" He shouted, and with that final statement he cast his' arms forward towards the Crusader and with that gesture the colossal body of water was sent forward in numerous columns of water which enclosed around the Crusader in every direction, the power and pressure behind them powerful enough to cut through mountains.

With Poseidon's choice made, the Crusader activated both his' Oblivion-form as well as the near-invulnerable Divine Armor, but rather than using it to just withstand the force of the attack, he instead opted to just use the 3 pairs of wings that came with activating it to carry him forth, intent on taking the fight to Poseidon.

And with that, he took flight, encroaching upon the god at magnificent speeds as he met the immense torrents of water head on.

As the water met the Crusader, the properties of both his' ability and his' armor nullified the kinetic-force of the water, vaporized the powerful liquid instantly upon contact.

Realizing that the powerful torrent of water seemed to be making just as much (or lack thereof) of an effect on the man as before, despite using much more massive amounts of liquid this time around, Poseidon cast forward the rest of the body of water above him towards the nearing figure of the man before him, as well as summoning forth his' last line of defense, his' Trident.

Noticing the final actions of the god before him, the Crusader then decided to use an attack developed in his' time in the world of brutal legend, which he called Oblivion Pulse- an attack casting a wave of anti-matter-esque energy around him in a circle to annihilate anything around him; The technique was able to be expanded or receded in diameter at will by the user. Luckily, he was high enough above the temple to not actually damage it or its occupants any further with the technique's effects.

'Oblivion Pulse', He thought... and it was so…

The Crusader stopped in his' flight, curling in on himself as he called forth the technique, black energy coalescing around him for a brief moment before stretching himself and allowing the power to explode outward in an enormous radius in every angle and axis, disintegrating all the air and water around him before the former regained itself and rapidly rushed in to fill in the empty space that had once been there before the Crusader went on resuming his' approach towards Poseidon once again, taking note of the Trident that Poseidon now wielded before gathering his' own weapon off his' back, The Crescent Eclipse.

Soon enough, the two figures met, their weapons clashing with enough force to have both weapons spark upon contact; Blessed, superheated energy meeting enchanted and masterfully-forged metal in a clash of god and man.

Poseidon, upon noticing that the figure seemed to be matching him in strength despite being mortal, pushed with all his' might forward, intent on skewering the man before him with the headed point of his' Trident.

The Crusader noticed the move the god was making towards him and decided to take a risky maneuver; only needing to make skin contact with the god in order to bring his' plan to fruition.

Once Poseidon thrust the Trident towards his' opponent, the Crusader took decisive action and maneuvered his' Scythe to deflect the Trident's head downwards and away from him whilst maneuvering himself forward while the god's body shifted forward as his' momentum carried him towards the Crusader.

With the move proving to be successful, the Crusader reached with his' left hand for the throat of his' opponent while keeping his other hand on the weapon as it deflected his' opponent's.

Poseidon, upon noticing what the man intended to do, moved to roll the Trident under the grip the scythe had on the head of the Trident, intending to swing it back around towards his' opponent in an upward diagonal swing to slice into the side of the mortal.

Though by then, it was already too late. As Poseidon's body shifted forward with his' weapon, the Crusader was close enough to make contact with his' opponent, and with the form he was in, was able to siphon off his' enemy's strength.

Establishing a grip on the god's throat, the Crusader began to siphon off the strength of his' opponent, but not taking it for himself, and said to Poseidon:

"Do you yield?" He said, his' tone leaving no room for argument.

With his' strength waning, all that Poseidon could do was drop his' weapon and give a furious glare towards his' opponent, defiance shining in his' eyes with the last of his' will.

Hardening his' own eyes, the Crusader grasped Poseidon's throat tightly before lifting him and plunging them both head-first towards Athena's temple at a break-neck pace. (And in this case, literally.)

Zooming towards the ground, The Crusader angled the god's head towards the ground in front of him as he braced himself to land on the ground on his' feet.

Both figures were a blur as they flew through the sky before impacting the earth with a thunderous crash, kicking up cracked ceramic, tiling and dust as they impacted the ground.

Once the air cleared, the Crusader was shown to be the lone one standing, Poseidon laying on the ground unmoving. The steady rise and fall of his' chest being the only indication that the god was still alive, if unconscious and severely injured.

During impact, it seemed that Poseidon was angled in such a way as to have him initially make contact with the ground with the back of his' skull, his' neck, and his' upper back concurrently before settling down onto his' back altogether once the inertia of the impact wore off.

"To me, the powers of gods of any singular element, state or quality mean nothing. Because my power, like the will of my God, is absolute. This was no battle, for you never even had a chance." Spoke the Crusader, who looked at his' fallen opponent despite knowing full-well that he wouldn't be able to hear it. He, however, had intended for the statement to be heard by the Goddess, Athena, who stood only a short distance away from the impact site. Medusa, in the meantime, was sitting down at the goddess' feet, stupefied, if not terrified, by the whole ordeal.

Assured that the figure on the ground wasn't going to be waking up anytime soon, the Crusader made his' way to the two women present, intent on speaking to both of them, though each for differing reasons.

After walking the few steps necessary to reach them, the Crusader reached the two women and kneeled to the ground in front of Medusa, casting a brief glance to Athena as he did so before turning his' attention back to his' fellow mortal, and spoke to the woman.

"I know this entire situation may have all seemed very surreal to you madam, but I simply wish to ask if you are unharmed?" He asked before pausing as he took in the appearance (or rather lack thereof) of her clothing and shook off the cloak on his' armor and handed it to her. "Here, you can use this to cover up until we can find you something more suitable to wear." He said before looking away slightly from her to give her some sense of dignity at the moment, though he kept her within his' peripheral vision in case she further needed anything from him.

She looked at him, puzzled by his' line of questioning before she comprehended his' last statement and looked down at herself, and trying to drag together whatever bits of her dignity were left about her, she took the white cloak from him and quickly put it over herself, grateful for his' consideration. "T- Thank you. U-Um, well, I suppose I'm fine, if a l-little shaken." She answered, pausing as she was conflicted over whether she should ask the question plaguing her mind at the moment before realizing that she should at least attempt to get some answers from the man if she could.

"Well, if I may, I do have a couple of questions for you. Who are you? And how were you able to do what you did? No man should be powerful enough to defy one of the gods, especially Poseidon!" She stated exasperatedly before realizing that the tone of her inquiries could be misconstrued as a demand rather than as a simple question and taken as a threat against him. However, before she could rescind her line of questioning, she was interrupted from doing so as the man spoke up.

"Well, as I said to him earlier, I'm a Crusader-A campaigner for a cause. And I was powerful enough to defeat Poseidon because, compared to the sovereignty of my God, his' power was nothing. So, even though my power was given to me by the ruler of Paradise, it still pales in comparison to his' own limitless power." He told her, though he felt a slight bit sheepish as it seemed that he was boasting about his' faith more than merely answering her line of questioning.

"Oh, but before that," He continued, ", are you hurt anywhere? Do you require any treatment or aid? The destruction here was quite extensive and I would be surprised if you were somehow unscathed. Besides, I am more than capable of healing you if need be, so if you need any of my services or attention, feel free to let me know." He informed her, looking her over for any obvious signs of trauma before noticing that as she sat on the ground, she favored leaning her weight on her left leg/side rather than the right.

"Umm, y-yes. If you may be so kind, I could actually use your help. My leg is hurting quite a bit and I can barely move it." She told him, presenting her right leg towards him so that he could see her injuries which consisted of a bleeding calf and a slightly swollen and discolored ankle.

"Is there any other injury that you wish to inform me of before I start?" Getting a shake of the head for an answer, he began his' work on her leg.

Muttering a small prayer of aid before beginning, he placed both of his' hands on her leg, one on her calf while the other went to her ankle. Leaving them there for a couple moments, he raised them up only to present her legs to be in pristine condition, as if the leg itself had never been damaged at all in the first place. Medusa looked on in astonishment, marveled by the fact that such work did not require extensive treatment or ritual to heal as well as the quality of the work done. Turning her head upwards, she gave him a genuine smile in return for what he did, grateful for his' kind act towards her.

Nodding to himself as he confirmed that the process was successful, he stood up and turned towards the other conscious member of the room.

"Athena, how quaint it is to finally meet you in person, even under these less than preferable circumstances." He said, gesturing to the damaged temple around them.

Looking around the area with mild interest, almost like she had now just noticed the state of disrepair the building had befallen to, before setting her sights back on him, having to look down at him slightly due to her generous height advantage, she fixed him with a calm gaze. "It is of no great consequence- my temple can be rebuilt, in time. Though, I suppose it wasn't exactly your fault that this happened; my fellow idol should have realized the impact his' actions would have had on the area." She said, casting a brief glance at her fallen sibling before closing her eyes and letting out a sigh of discontent.

Looking back to the man before her, she asked, "Pleasantries aside, is there anything else you wished to speak to me about? I most certainly hope that you do not wish to engage me in battle as well, correct?" She said to him, mentally and physically preparing herself if the man in front of her were to become hostile towards her.

He shook his' head at her before replying, "I will do nothing of the sort. Well, as long as you don't intend to cause any harm to my being nor to the woman beside me." He pointed a thumb behind him to the woman in question, who was looking at the exchange with thinly-veiled curiosity before looking away as soon as she was mentioned and noticed by the conversing duo.

Relaxing herself slightly once the man finished his' statement, Athena looked back at him as she responded with, "You need not worry. After seeing what my associate suffered for attempting to desecrate her sanctity, I only wish to ensure that this woman's integrity and sanity remain sound, lest I end up like just like him." She told him. "Though as we both know, your presence here shouldn't have occurred, and now because of what you have done there are a great deal many things that have been altered in the times to come. So, what will you do to try to rectify them?" She asked, concerned with the after-effects that the actions here may have caused for the future.

"Actually, believe it or not, I did understand that this conflict was a possibility when dealing with the situation at hand. Which is why I made a brief stop somewhere to pick up a particular item of interest before I arrived here." He said, bringing forth an object that was slung over his' back in a sack which he promptly opened and dug his' hand inside before bringing the mysterious object into view.

Presented to those in attendance was the decapitated head of a gorgon, whose head was facing to the side and away from the gazes of those in attendance lest they themselves turn to stone; even Poseidon, if by chance he suddenly decided to wake up.

Both the women in the room were nonplussed, both in various degrees and for differing reasons. Finally, Athena sought fit to be the one to question how such a circumstance came about.

"What? How in the world could you have possibly achieved such a feat?! There are only a few gorgons in existence and none of them are susceptible enough to be attacked and killed, even by you! Where did you find this one?"

"I found this one in a relatively distinct plane of existence, and I will say that she was quite the despicable creature to face and bring down. Fortunately, I was able to hold my own against her and in the end I triumphed, as you can clearly see." He said, patting along his' body as he gestured to himself.

"Now," He continued "If my memory serves right, a man named Perseus will come to you for expertise on a matter concerning his' mother. Give him this head when he arrives and once he is done with his' task do with it what you will, though I could hazard a guess as to what you will eventually use it for." He said, casting a meaningful glance to the blank shield on the goddesses' back.

Athena looked at him, perplexed by his' knowledge of impending events. "How could you know of such events? I only know of them through my position as a goddess as well as from the oracles whose counsel I have sought on these various matters. What means did you use to receive such information?"

"My lord is far more insightful than any oracle, knowing all that was, is and will be; It was trivial, really. Though, besides his' own perception on the matter, I made my own conclusions once I arrived in this land." He answered, putting emphasis on the first sentence before he decided to present a question of his' own.

"So, will you bring this item to him when he arrives? I'm sure that both you and he are going to need it correct?" At this she nodded to him, taking the unique item and sealing it away in a hidden compartment along one of the temple's walls until a time its presence would be required, all the while awed by the influence this figure had on the fate and state of the world as it is.

"Then I assume you won't mind if I take this woman off your hands?" He suddenly asked of the goddess.

Caught off guard by the unexpected request, she paused a moment before conceding to his' demand; Unwilling to induce the wrath of the figure before her. "Of course, I have more than enough able hands to tend to my whims and demands. Losing a single pair will not be much of a detriment. It was fortunate that I sent my followers out on errands when I did, else they may have suffered less than desirable fates after all the events that have transpired this day." She said, casting an idle look over all the destruction around her.

"Good, good. I know the perfect place she can go to where I know she will be safe." He said as he nodded thoughtfully to himself before turning and addressing Medusa, "I hope you will be fine with this arrangement, right Medusa?" He asked imploringly.

"Of course! After all, you did save me from suffering such a terrible fate at the hands of such a despicable being, one that I used to revere so very, very much." She said, quieting down for a minute, pondering some difficult matter which transfixed itself within her mind. Then, she resumed, "Thank you. Not many people would have gone against a god as powerful as Poseidon just to save another person they didn't know, but I truly do appreciate your effort in aiding me in my greatest time of need." She said, bowing her head. Then, a question popped into her head, and with that she raised her head and looked at the man curiously. "There is still something I am pondering over. Why would someone as powerful as you spend your time to try and save me? Not that I'm ungrateful for your actions, but it all seems rather odd! I'm fairly certain I have not seen you before and I have no clue as to how or why you would know I was in peril? Why would you even save a stranger such as I?"

He sighed, rubbing the back of his' head for a few moments before answering. "Well, first of all, you're welcome. Though as for the reasoning for my actions to help save you, well…as soon as I knew this was happening, I couldn't stand back and do nothing, so I acted. It was the sensible action for me to take and no matter if it was a man or a god, I wasn't going to let such an atrocious act continue. Honestly, I can never understand how people can stand to force themselves on another person like that. For a god, a being that is considered to be above and beyond the average man in every conceivable way, to resort to committing such a heinous act just for physical pleasure? Sometimes, I wonder why people even continue to worship gods such as these if they resort to such actions over and over again. From what I have seen and heard of them, if this is how they seem to act and hold themselves, then they seem to be no better than any average man or woman." He finished, heaving another heavy sigh as he let out his' thoughts on the matter.

He then remembered that he couldn't always protect Medusa. Coming up with a simple solution, he stepped forward until he was right in front of her before he removed his' silver cross necklace and explained his plan to her, "Here, this will keep you safe. I will not be around forever and this way, if Poseidon or any evil forces come your way, grasp the cross and pray to the God it belongs to and he will keep you safe in my stead." He explained, giving her his' cross necklace.

She listened, eager to know the God that enabled this man to defy what she once thought of as an untouchable force. Though, she was still quite uneasy with the prospect of going against the beliefs of the world that she grew up in, but, after today, she could learn to get past it in time. Then, once his' explanation was over, she gingerly pulled the necklace over her head and placed it gingerly around her neck, inspecting it as it rested on her chest.

Nodding thoughtfully as she put it on, he let her have a minute to scrutinize herself wearing it. Several moments later she turned to him, giving him a genuine smile as she held it in her hands, the cross glinting marvelously as the light of day reflected off of it.

Once he had her attention, he extended his' hand for her to take. "Come on. Let's bring you home."

(One week later)

It had been a week since the battle with Poseidon and several things happened since then…

To start, after his' defeat, Poseidon was not pleased that his' prize had been pilfered and his' authority usurped and went to the other gods to discuss the matter of The Crusader. However, despite his' pleading to his' brother Zeus and the other gods, Athena had given the true and complete account of the incident, citing that the struggle was of his' own making as well as the damage caused by him; she even went into great detail about his' defeat by the mortal. Despite the danger presented by the appearance of this new figure, they sought fit, Athena imploring them to do so, to leave the figure be for the time being. Judging that the incident with Poseidon was the result of his' own making.

Despite this ruling, Poseidon attempted to once again claim the woman by force on a couple of occasions. But, he would be unable to do so due to interferences from both The Crusader as well as that of divine intervention. (Poseidon becoming disoriented or misdirected on the way to reaching her new place of residence, keeping him in an endless labyrinth of unfortunate circumstances.) Thus, he was unable to interfere in her life any longer, eventually deigning that pursuing the maiden any further would be a futile effort. Thus, he begrudgingly left her life in peace, forever.

Speaking of new lives, once the incident had passed, The Crusader brought Medusa to the palace of King Midas and beseeched him to allow her to stay there, explaining the entire situation between her and Poseidon as well as the incident itself. Once the King understood the full magnitude of the situation, he allowed her to stay there, only asking that she be the personal handmaiden for his' daughter, providing her with guidance whenever he could not; an arrangement to which both Zoe and Medusa readily agreed to.

On a personal front, The Crusader practiced and mastered his' transmutation ability through not only his' control over when it would affect matter, but also how it affected it; Meaning that by principle, if he could turn things to gold, why couldn't he make other materials such as foodstuffs for instance? So, using this time to refine his' control, he had achieved the means to create almost anything, barring raw energy or other mystical types of power amongst a few other exceptions.

Waiting a week to help Medusa settle into her new surroundings, the Crusader decided that with her situation under control and his' work done it was time for him to leave once more.

Once he told the three people he was most familiar with in this world the news, they all had varying degrees of reactions to it.

First, King Midas asked the Crusader if he was sure he wanted to leave so soon, asking him if he wanted to stay and take the position of advisor as well as royal protector of the realm. Though such an offer was tempting, The Crusader politely declined, stating that though he could still do some good here, he could do a lot more where he was going next as well as worlds beyond that. The king accepted this, understanding that duty came before all else, despite expressing that he wished the stranger would stay. With that, the two clasped hands, each gripping the other with a vice-like grip while Midas simply stated to the man that he would always be welcome here if he ever wanted to return before the both of them released their own respective grips simultaneously. Once their conversation was finished, the king retreated back to his' throne but didn't sit back down in it, choosing to idly stand in place until their guest finally left.

Next was the king's daughter, Zoe, whose reaction was both the least yet most predictable. Dashing forward, she launched herself at her newly made friend, begging him to stay and keep her company as well as keep her safe. Like the king's offer, despite being tempted so very much to stay, he again reasoned that it was his' duty to provide aid to those who could not help themselves or could not be helped by others. The girl cried for several minutes, the Crusader allowing her to express her emotions freely as he wrapped his' arms around her as he comforted the girl. Eventually, her sobbing receded and she nodded to him, muttering sadly that she understood that he had a job to do and wishing him good fortune wherever his' travels took him to next. With that said, she went back to her father's side, wiping away her lingering tears with the back of her hands.

Finally, there was Medusa. And despite technically knowing him for the least amount of time out of all of them, she still considered him a dear friend and ally. Hearing the explanation he gave to Midas, she too understood that he had responsibilities to take care of and an obligation to help others with the abilities he had. With that said, she went to him and reached around his' shoulders and brought him into an embrace, whispering her thanks to him for giving her the chance to live a free and happy life and giving him a peck on the cheek as she let him go and returned to the king's side, offering the departing man a sad smile.

With their pieces said, the Crusader thanked them for their warm hospitality they had shown him for his' time here as well as their courtesy they showed towards him and what he wished to do. And finally, he wished them all happy and fruitful lives before he turned around to head into the portal that suddenly spawned behind him a foot away. Before heading in, he turned around half-way, looking over his' left shoulder and offered a departing wave; A gesture which all three neutrally returned.

With his' peace made, the Crusader turned back to the portal and stepped into it.

And then, he was gone.

(Epilogue-Part 5)

After the events of the Crusader's visit, things returned to normal, or what many would consider normal in times such as this, and life went on for those the Crusader left an impact on.

King Midas would reign over his' kingdom for many years to come, leading his' people fairly and justly in tribute to the traveler who did so very much for him in his' life in the short amount of time he was here. Deciding to pay homage to the redeemer, Midas used his' authority to declare an annual holiday on the day of the man's arrival in honor for the man's actions towards aiding him and his' family; he would call this day 'The day of the wandering saint'. He would honor this tradition for the rest of his' days, even during his' retirement he would still often recall the experiences he had with the stranger to either others or to himself. He would pass away peacefully in his' sleep, having lived a fairly content and meaningful life with his' family and friends alike, before joining his' wife in the afterlife where he spent the rest of eternity in paradise.

Midas' daughter, Zoe, however was a different matter altogether. In the weeks following the traveler's departure, she would seldom come out to meet others, talking almost solely to her friend and advisor-Medusa, and her father. During her time of isolation, she would often remember the times she spent with him the week preceding his' departure, wondering why his' parting left her with an icy feeling in her chest despite claiming that she only held a deep friendship with him, before coming to a shocking realization about herself; She was smitten with him. Such feelings weren't deep enough to constitute love by any means, rather more of a crush than anything, but after getting to know him better in the short amount of time he was around, she couldn't help but wonder that if he had stayed here any longer with her, would her feelings for him have grown into something more perhaps? Perhaps it was true and maybe they could have had a happy life together, but time moves on and life doesn't always go how we would like it to. However, time can at least dull pains of the heart and so she moved on with her life, intending to make the most of it with her newfound freedom in life from her previous imprisonment in what she considered to be a 'casket of gold'. She would grow to be a very capable and attractive young woman, due in no small part to her advisor and friend, Medusa. Eventually, she would find and settle down with a polite and respectful young man from a prestigious family, both of them leading the kingdom in her father's stead once she was deemed capable enough to take the mantle from him. She would live a very happy life together with her husband, bearing a family of three children: two sons and a daughter, in that order. Still, she would often remember the Crusader at times and though those fleeting feelings for him still remained in their corner in her heart, she would still gather strength from the compassion and capability he had shown her and her family during his' stay, enabling her to live her life to its greatest potential and quality for many, many years.

Medusa, meanwhile, while not particularly as close to the warrior as say, Zoe or Midas, still considered him near and dear to her heart nevertheless. Though, she would sometimes wonder where her course in life would have turned if he had not intervened and could not imagine, or rather preferred not to, what fate would have befallen her in his' absence. However, she would always remain grateful that things went as they did, often examining the cross he left behind with her and drawing strength from it, though while not quite as capable as the power he had, enabled her to persevere through various trying times in her life. For a great deal of time in her life, she would fill the position of counselor, giving advice to not only the princess, but anyone, mostly women, who required guidance on various matters. Thus, she would improve life for not only those in her care, but the kingdom as a whole. Poseidon, nor his' agents or those of any other entity, would ever come to interfere in her life or those whom she would come to care about, and for that she was grateful. As time went on, she would find fulfillment through providing aid in the lives of others, taking to heart one of the key lessons the Crusader left her with: 'benevolence and compassion are the keys to any heart worth opening'. During her life, she wouldn't settle down in a relationship, preferring to rather look after the royal couple's children once the time came. Years later, near the end of her life, when she was asked that if she could change anything in her life, she simply answered the inquirer with, "No, I'd much rather prefer to have things left as they were. All that I've done in my life has made me into the woman I have become today. But, I know for all that I've done, I could never be as strong as the one who freed me from the chains of my old fate. Thanks to him, I was able to live again, and perhaps someday I can see him again." It was said that she passed away serenely, a smile lingering on her aged face.

Perhaps then, she achieved a peace only a saint could ever realize.

(End of Part 5)