Chapter 2
Rise of the Romantic
The sun was already rising high above the valley as Nacissa made her way to the window. Drawing her red shawl around her body she gazed at her husband. Pulling at the plow watching the sweat glisten off his muscular body. Frustration appearing on his face, Nacissa sighed seeing how frustrated her husband was now-a-days. She could see the boredom in his face. The desire for battle and glory was easily visible whenever he was home. He wasn't a farmer. He wasn't meant for the agriculture life. However, she was glad that he was home. Whenever he was gone, she seemed to pine for him for days. But his happiness was beyond these four walls. They were beyond this valley in some distant land. His mind was always in that land, but his body remained in the valley.
CREAK! The door to their house swung open. “Mommy,” came a familiar voice. It was high and before she could take in her son's face. He was already leaping into her arms. His head burrowing into hers. “Oh my little Lasos, how was your stay at grandma's?” Pulling him away, Nacissa looked deep into her son's eyes. He was almost the spitting image of her. His blue eyes were striking and easily melted her heart. His blonde hair despite being wavy curled in the humidity of the valley. His face was smooth but hardened like his fathers did. Although, his sweetness was comparable to a cup of sugar. “Grandma let me play with the goats!” “She did now, did she?” An older woman made her way into the house. Weary and wind swept she smiled wiping her glistening face, “that boy...can't keep up with him! Lasos I told you to never get ahead of me...haven't I told you that!” “I'm sorry,” he whispered snuggling into his mother. “Lasos I told you that you do as your grandma says! Didn't I say that?” Lasos nodded slowly just as Jercules emerged from the bedroom. “Daddy,” cried Lasos as Jercules bent down, “Lasos my son!” Lasos scrambled out of his mother's arms and was immediately thrown into the air by his father. “You are home early!” He exclaimed hugging him, “you can help me out in the field now.” “Jercules he should really take a nap. He's had a journey from mom's and...” “Nonsense,” Jercules retorted beaming at his son. “You ready to help your dad...come on my boy!” “Jercules don't you think that you should let him rest first?” Glowering down at Nacissa's mother, he frowned slightly, “I believe he is my son and not yours. I think that he should learn that life won't give you breaks simply because of age nor how...tired...one...is!”
Placing his son down on the ground, he slaps him playfully on the butt. “Come on Lasos, we got lots to do!” Nacissa watched her mother glance at her with a slightly offensive look. She shrugged, “he means well mom. Life is a constant lesson he always says.” Moving towards her, she gazed out the kitchen window. “Yeah well if you ask me if Zeus would have been around more he wouldn't have such a stick up his ass.” “MOM,” Nacissa said unable to control her chuckling.
Meanwhile miles away, Pygolaus was walking hand and hand with his wife Melina. “God it's such a lovely day isn't it Pygolaus...Pygolaus?” “Hmm,” he said turning to his wife who stared at him with adoring puppy dog eyes. “I'm sorry, what were you saying?” “Pygolaus, you have been distracted all day! You hardly are listening to what I am saying.” Pygolaus gazed at the road ahead, “I know I'm just worried about the hand maiden we got.” “What about her,” Melina asked suspiciously. “I wonder if she is going to work out.” Scoffing at him she gripped his hand, “I was the one that told you in the beginning that she was too frail and petite for farm choirs. She looks as if she has never worked on a farm ever. Why did you hire her anyway if you are so worried?” “Well, I...I...hired her because...she...well, she was affordable.” “Affordable,” Melina says chuckling. He nods and repeats, “affordable.” “So, you're worried that she won't be able to do the jobs we hired her for?” “No...I mean, yes jobs we hired her for.” Melina stops, “you said no? Why did you say no? What would you be worried about other then the work she will...” “I was confused...your question confused me and caught me off guard that's all.” “Caught you off guard,” Pygolaus nodded smiling, “yes, now come on baby there’s something that I want to show you.”
Gripping her hand, they walked uphill on the dirt road letting the flowers pass around them. Melina gripped him close when they reached the top of the hill. Gazing down they saw a small caravan filled with cages and many wagons. “Oh Pygolaus what is it?” Gripping his hand Melina's eyes traced every wagon and every cage. The mere wonderment filled and captivated her eyes. Pygolaus chuckled, “It's a traveling festival! They have animals in those cages.” “Animals...what kind of animals?” Melina clapped her hands on her cheeks in utter excitement. “I know they have a lion,” “a lion...a real lion? I have never seen a lion.” Pygolaus gave a sly, “you want to go take a little look?” Melina turned to him, “c...can we?” “Sure,” he said gazing up at the sky. “We better hurry though looks like a storm is moving in.” She nodded unable to hide or contain her excitement anymore.
Melina was practically skipping down the road dragging Pygolaus behind her. “Hurry Pygolaus,” she exclaimed as she made her way towards the camp. Luckily, the lion's cage was next to the road. They stopped several feet back as Melina's mouth fell open. “That's a lion,” Pygolaus nodded watching Melina move forward. The wind starting to pick up as the sky grew darker. The dark clouds seemed to be rolling in as if a mudslide was taking place thousands of feet above them. Her eyes stared at the lion almost trance like. Licking his paw as she became too frightened to move any closer. “Is...is it a man eater?” “It could, but this one has probably been in a cage all it's life. It could definitely eat you.” The lion stretched it's legs yawning widely. It's teeth exposed revealing blood stained fangs that could tear into a human like warm butter. “How much do you think it weighs?” Pygolaus moved closer rubbing his chin, “Um 430 maybe...440, I can't see it getting much exercise to work off the weight.” “HEY,” yelled a man from behind the cage. “If you want to stare any longer then you're gunna have to pay!”
The wind was growing more intense as the flags and banners of the caravan flapped wildly. Thunder began to rumble above them, “We should get back anyway Melina. It could start to rain any second.” Gripping her shoulders, Melina gave a faint nod as they turned to head back up the hill. “Thanks Pygolaus that was really fun. I can't believe it...a lion...a real lion!” CRACK… a bolt of lightning streaked across the sky, “oh Melina it looks like it's going to downpour we better hurry!” CRACK... another bolt of lighting spanned almost the entire sky, “Pygolaus please let's hurry! I'm scared!” BOOM... what seemed like a small explosion came from directly behind them. Turning just in time to see a large bolt of lighting crack the road next to the lion cage. The very Earth seemed to split as a hole opened. It was as if the Earth had begun to fall into itself like quicksand. “We need to get out of here before the lighting gets us.” CRACK... the lighting hit the side of the lion's cage. It wobbled on the spot, teetering near the ever growing hole. The wooden wheels wobbling on the edge as the wagon swayed. The wind blowing hard and then the wagon tipped over. The lion's roar was drowned by the howling of the wind.
SNAP... the cage door burst open as the lion toppled out of it. The very Earth seemed to swallow the lion up as it's paws tried helplessly to crawl out. However with the added weight of the wagon, the lion didn't seem to have a chance. It disappeared as the rain began to fall like an entire ocean needed to be released from the sky. “We have to get home now!” “But the lion,” shrieked Melina. Pygolaus gripped her arm, “we have to go before we get struck by lighting!” Giving her arm one final tug he began to drag her back towards their home. The people of the traveling festival were scrambling to the wagon trying with futility to rescue the lion. Their shouts of anguish and concern were drowned in a wail of the winds and the cracking of lighting. “Pygolaus look...Pygolaus,” Pygolaus turned just in time to see lighting strike the very metal bars of the lion's cage. The lighting danced over the Earth like water squirting from fountains.
The men retreated backwards afraid of possible electrocution. A small explosion went off followed by a puff a black smoke. It bellowed out from a section of the hole. Through the hailing rain and howling wind, Pygolaus could barely see what was emerging from the hole’s depths. It was a large green and blue peacock feather. “Hera,” whispered Pygolaus as the feather blew in the breeze. It disappeared into the trees. “What was that Pygolaus...Hera...did you say Hera?” Pygolaus fell silent noticing his clothes were soaking wet. Melina was shivering as well, “are...are...you...saying...H...Hera did this?” Pygolaus turned to his wife, “we should go and tell Jercules!”
Two hours later Jercules and Melina were sitting at the kitchen table shivering under towels. Nacissa was stoking the fire as Jercules sat without any concern on his face. He tossed back his black shoulder length hair. “You're sure that it was Hera Pygolaus?” “Well, it was a peacock feather I know that! It just...appeared out of the smoke. Well...aren't you concerned?” Jercules crossed his arms as he leaned back in his chair. “Concerned...” he repeated. “What do I have to be concerned about?” Pygolaus began to dry his hair letting his pony tail droop like wet hay. “Aren't you worried that Hera is up to something?” “Hera is always up to something! Should I be worried everyday then?” “Well, she could hurt the people in the area or...” “Well, it hasn't affected my family or me. So, it is none of my concern. What do you do want from me Pygolaus? You want me to run off to fight Hera every time someone thinks she’s up to something? I am not Hercules Pygolaus! I don't care...I repeat I DO NOT care!”
Pygolaus's eyes gazed at him in an almost pitying expression. He sighed as he wiped off his shoulders, “aren’t you afraid that she’s going to try to kill you like she does with Hercules?” Jercules shrugged, “she hasn't yet? Why would she start now! I don't mess with her and she doesn't mess with me. Hercules is the one that goes and destroys her temples. I doubt if he even knows that I exist.” Pygolaus laughed, “Of course he does! If random people know who you are and come asking for help. What makes you think that he doesn't know about you?” Waving his hand, “whatever Pygolaus you get my point. Hera has no reason to come after me...no reason at all.”
[Traveler’s Camp]
Night had fallen as the workers at the traveling festival were now cleaning up the freak storm’s destruction. Men grumbled as they picked up scattered banners and rounded up loose animals. Wagons were picked up from the mud to gain traction on the remaining grass. Voices yelled with pains of tiredness and frustration. It seemed that clean up could last not only through the night but through the week. “It's going to take us forever to get everything back together and on the road,” cried one man. He cried trying desperately to get his mule out from under a large lopsided tent.
The very Earth began to rumble as the ground shook violently. The wagons rumbled as the animals began to cry out in terror. A large claw like paw reached out from the bowels of the Earth. It stretched to the sky wiggling each claw as if waking from a deep slumber. The Earth fell away around it as the body of the once proud lion emerged from within the depths. Only the lion wasn't a lion anymore. The men of the traveling festival stood in horror watching a creature larger than life pulling it's body from the dirt. The lion was larger than a bear. It seemed to grow more and more appearing to be as large as a horse. It was thick and muscular pulling more of it's body out. The lion flopped on the ground breathing heavily. It staggered to it's feet stretching a large set of bat like wings. It was as if the lion was reborn and even surprised by it's own new features. This wasn't a normal creature. This was a monster created by the god's themselves. The workers of the festival watched as the beast roared loudly stretching it's long scorpion tail. The stinger protruding slightly as large bucket sized droplets of venom fell lightly from it.
“It's...it's,” cried one of the men unable to speak from sheer terror. “A Manticore,” cried another man and soon the workers fled in every direction. This was the wrong decision to make. The Manticore slashed it's paw at the first human it could reach. The woman crashed against a wagon with the force of an explosion. The Manticore leapt as easily as if it was made of feathers. It slashed a man in the back, then sank it's teeth into the shoulders of another. It seemed that the Manticore wanted to get revenge on everyone in the traveling caravan. A man gripped his horse as the stinger from the Manticore's tail hit him in the stomach. The man groaned and started to scream. He screamed in pure blood curdling agony as victim after victim fell beneath the creature's wrath. Leaping into a wagon he sent it toppling over several times before it crashed into a tree. The Manticore roared loudly overlooking the destruction that it had caused. Bodies scattered over the muddy ground. The trees and bushes rustled and then died away from the fleeing survivors.