บท 8: New Names and Encounters
A little peek into what Herasterus was up to before Skye/Scathach lily's rescue.
I love how almost all the comments are about rape or how Alcides/Heracles is NOT a love interest but not about how Scathach accidentally killed Atlanta's mother bear lol.
To incest lovers:
Your immeasurable disappointment is rather perverted, lol. I know, it is greek mythology...but the twins are more like the Dioscuri. You don't have to make EVERYTHING sexual with siblings of the opposite gender. BONK.
AND I made it very clear why I thought it would be feasible for Scathach to be as old...I mean immortal enough to be in the greek mythos era. It wasn't a random idea.
Yes, our twins will be summoned as a servant...one day. On we go.
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A month before their grand rescue in the underground ring...
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Three years had passed since the impromptu naming 'ceremony' of Lady Hera.
Iphicles -or who others call Herasterus was now a young man at the age of thirteen; a blessed prince who carried an air of royalty that made even kings bow in respect.
What was once unblemished skin had crimson tattoos of divine heritage etched onto them, a visual side-effect due to the consumption of Hera's ring finger. His right eye also changed into a vibrant gold that reminded him of the glint of a polished coin, which probably reflected the sudden awakening of divinity within his body.
In these three years, a lot happened.
For one, he crafted his very own weapon by accident in the forge. While that may make little sense, it was precisely what had happened.
One day, he walked into the forge with a newly crafted oak club in his hand and saw a piece of iron laying on the forge. He had sought to retrieve the new sword and shield he had ordered for his sister and was just about to leave when a brash and idiotic idea crossed his mind.
In these few years, he had completed his training from the best Mycenae could offer, and the King had recently started calling out far and wide for heroes who were willing to provide tutelage to the young prince and princess.
In other words, he was bored. And boredom could do very dangerous things to a sound mind.
So, the boy walked over to the piece of brittle iron, lit his wooden club with Hestia's blessing, and smashed the club against it with all his strength.
In his defense, he just wanted to experience what it was like to be a blacksmith. It didn't go as intended.
The brittle iron was smashed apart into several jagged pieces and lodged themselves into the wooden club, a club alit with the embered glow of the divine flame of Olympus. The iron fused with the wood in a way no mortal technique could accomplish, leaving a weapon like no other in the young prince's hand.
Herasterus' reaction was simple. 'Meh'. He shrugged and walked off to show his sister the product of his failed forging experience.
To the twin's surprise, the club was actually decent enough as a weapon. It could even be called a masterpiece if one considered it a mortal weapon.
The wood had turned into something with enough elasticity to bounce back and deflect an impact that would have easily shattered a bronze shield, and the iron shards acted as a shock-absorbing core of sorts, which made the club hit back twice as hard in retaliation against the initial attack it received.
Of course, it wouldn't fare well against weapons enchanted by the gods, and it was a far cry from a legitimate symbol of power befitting of a prince, it was still the very first weapon of his own making and he was fond of it.
It was evident in the way Herasterus spent days smashing giant rocks into pebbles like a child with a new toy.
As for his sister, Alcides...or Heracles as the people called her, she was a lot more mature in her way of spending time.
She accompanied her brother whenever she could as if she feared a second coming of the 'incident' that would endanger, or even worse, snuff out her brother's life.
The girl thought back to that fateful day with a sigh as she watched her beloved brother's one-millionth attempt at 'Smashing the damn dimensional-leaping phantasmal beasts people call Swallows' with his malformed club.
The Glory of Hera could remember that harrowing moment as vividly as it was yesterday.
When she suddenly felt a great lapse in the mental connection she shared with her twin, she didn't know what to do.
It was the first time such a thing has happened, and she was so dumbstruck that her mind went blank. She was rooted to the spot, unable to move from the terrible dread that crept up her spine. Her lungs felt as if they were clogged with miasma, and her ears were ringing.
She knew something went wrong in the short time she left her brother alone. Something horribly wrong.
Before she knew it, she was bounding across the crowded streets of Mycenae and onto the open rooftops, charging as fast as she could to the destination where she last felt her twin suffer a great injury.
The disturbance in her twin's body and mind only meant his existence was fluctuating from some outer influence. A curse? An artifact? Or perhaps...a god?
Her heart pounded wildly against her ribs, as she reached her brother just in time to see him rub his neck. The glow was already diminishing, but it was enough to make out the golden words that were previously etched onto his throat.
'The Star of Hera'
A blind rage nearly consumed her when she processed what the words meant. It was only the calm demeanor with which her brother greeted her that made her calm down and slow her charge to a trot.
That was when she finally realized the woman...no, the queen which stood beside her brother with a hand on his shoulder. With her raven black hair, emerald green eyes, porcelain skin, and earrings made of peacock feathers, she was so distinguishable that it was simply impossible to mistake her identity.
Alcides knelt down with her head facing toward the ground at the goddess' feet.
The queen narrowed her eyes but said nothing. She pointed her chin upwards as if ordering the eyesore in front of her to speak up. Alcides obeyed.
"Lady Hera, I ask for your forgiveness for me to live my life with my other half in peace. For we are one, our Fates intertwined."
Hera looked down on her imperiously. Slowly, steadily, Hera reached out her hand and gently lifted Alcides' chin so that their eyes met.
She tilted her head to the side with almost child-like innocence, as if she was observing a rare insect crawl across her turf. To squash or cherish was up to her, and both were aware of that fact. Alcides' Fate was literally in her hands.
"...Very well.", the queen said after a long, stifling silence.
Hera lifted one finger and pointed at Alcides.
"If you so wish to share your brother's Fate as one, then a new name you must bear."
Alcides looked straight back at the vengeful goddess, defiant and unwavering. Hera's lips curved upwards in the shape of a thin, crescent moon.
"Ἡρακλῆς: Glory of Hera"
A great pressure seemed to set over her shoulders. The very world seemed to shiver at the name that was spoken.
Oftentimes, naming is a ceremonial thing. Names carry power. Names mold a human. Names are identity.
Thus, it was only natural that a name bestowed by a goddess, and a queen of Olympus nonetheless, would be both a charm and a curse.
If thou art worthy, immeasurable power thy Glory shall bring.
"It would do you well to remember the significance of this act. From here on out, thou shall bring Glory to the path which the Star lights up, in my name, and my name only."
Alcides dipped her head in her kneeling position.
"Of course, Lady Hera."
Someone coughed awkwardly. Both Hera and Alcides looked at the source. Iphicles...or the newly named Herasterus, scratched his head with a sheepish smile.
"Eh...all good are we? One big family? Friendship for the win?"
The incredulous look both women shot at him was enough to make him sweat profusely. He lifted up a finger, ready to preach another peculiar quote of his when he suddenly scrunched up his nose...and sneezed. Repeatedly.
"...Pft."
Both of the twin's heads suffered a mild whiplash as they whirled their heads toward Hera, unable to believe what just happened. Did the stern and stoic queen just...!?
In a pillar of golden light and a blinding flash, the queen disappeared, leaving them to wonder if what they heard was actually real.
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On the day of the rescue
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This morning started ordinarily enough.
I woke up beside my sister, brushed my teeth with some mysterious herbs, chewed on Chios Mastiha (Mastic gum; the world's oldest chewing gum, helps your breath stay as refreshing as the forest wind and your teeth as white as purified salt), and danced for the gods.
A morning routine of my daily life. Until that is, our dear father and king of Mycenae sent a messenger to deliver us shit news.
The king's spies had found the illegal group of slave traders and drug dealers that was plaguing the slum districts recently, and our dear father wanted to make us prove our worth to the people by single-handily wiping out the entire gang.
To be fair, it wasn't neglect on his part that he ordered us on this mission, but an objective analysis of our current strength which was at least a hundred men. The gang had a mercenary group, but that was just about it.
It was an easy job with no risks of dying, especially if Heracles was by my side.
Normally, I would be shaking in my boots since this was a typical flag that read 'shit's about to go down' which would then irrevocably lead to an apocalyptic event, knowing my rotten luck.
However, this time, I was rather optimistic. Our father had done a thorough research on the gang's underground ring where most of the kingpins would assemble, and he was taking no chances since he was risking his kingdom's future aka his son blessed by Hera.
We knew where the gang was hiding, when they will assemble, and how many guards were at which exit.
All in all, we were confident that this would be a walk in the park. And to their credit and my relief, we were right.
We breezed through the first level, with Alcides and I smashing the guards unconscious before they could raise an alarm. We met no resistance whatsoever as I sneaked to the door leading to the speculator's seats above the ring, with Heracles in the corridor as a backup.
Our original plan was to announce my presence, break a few legs if they weren't cooperative, and send in Heracles if they had some monstrous ace-in-the-hole soldier. In other words, we were to bring them in alive if possible.
That thought flew out of my mind and beyond the fucking stratosphere when I saw with my own two eyes what they were doing.
I knew as knowledge what shit they were up to; Illegal slaves, illegal fights, illegal poaching, rape, extortion, murder, drugs...all of the above and beyond. The usual Mafia stuff.
It was completely different seeing it in person.
Two young girls no older than ten, pitted against each other in a death fight, with one being raped and the other being drugged.
Somewhere, deep, deep inside, I felt that sight looked familiar. A flash of memory. A headache. War. Gunshots, bombs, smoke, decay.
Somewhere deep down, I felt something snap.
I stepped forward and into the seats.
I felt light-headed. My rage was so great, that it went over the top and became an icy cold tundra. I was so furious, that I reached a Zen-like state of pseudo-enlightenment.
'Those trash need to die. No use for them after I extracted all the information. We have enough undercover agents.'
Something hot coursed through my mind as if a liquid fire was inserted into my neural pathway. I opened my mouth.
"Stop. Right. Now."
I didn't know what happened. I didn't care.
What I did know, was that they must obey me.
The ground cracked under my feet. I jumped.
The rest? You know what they say. History.
...
...
...
The screams of the pig had long since died down.
The remains of the greasy mongrel lay on the floor in a hump of quivering flesh. A girl stood over it, her face twisted in an immoral expression of pure ecstasy. Her white skin was slightly pink from exertion, and her eyes were glazed over in pleasure.
...On second thoughts, maybe I really shouldn't have allowed the girl -Skye, to torture the pig to her heart's content. She may or may have not opened a few doors of her sexuality, and I was not prepared to go down that rabbit hole.
Though damn does she look sultry in her age...NO! BAD! HORNY BONK! She's a child rape victim!
As if sensing my thoughts, she sent a glance filled with passion toward me and smiled seductively. Was that...desire I see in her eyes!?
Did...god...did she just leer at me!?
I mean, yes, I know this world is barbaric, and child marriage is not frowned upon in this age, though still...
Skye walked over to me, step by step. I couldn't help but notice how her long white legs showed from her short and tattered Chiton (Greek clothes), how her blossoming breasts could be glimpsed from the confines of her cloth, and how she never broke eye contact with me as she neared.
Unknowingly, I took a step back. Heracles was staring at us with an intensity that rivaled the giant serpent of Hera.
I gulped nervously.
Skye raised a single finger and pointed at my nose.
"You!", she declared. Her face was flushed red with excitement and something else.
"Me?", I asked back timidly.
Skye nodded. What followed next, made time stop.
"Become my Mate!"
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KarmaIsOP
KarmaIsOP Barbaric Celtic/Greek style marriage proposal. Poor Herasterus. Poor Heracles...getting NTR'd at such a young age (NOT).
That joke about dimensional leaping swallows is a meme about Kojirou Sasaki. It's actually speculated that the swallows Kojirou 'sliced' was an incarnation of an old Japanese spirit. I mean, hey, a sword art that is borderline True Magic to kill a bird? WTF.
Review/comment for the wholesomeness and Greek Kiritsugu-style infiltration!
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