The God of Olympus (27 page)

Chapter 18: To Rescue Meg

The rest of the day Hades spent in bringing desolation upon Athens.  His warriors were able to defeat the rest of Athen’s warriors and Hades spent the rest of the day placing every Greek he could find in Athen’s prisons and murdering all those who opposed him.

Hercules knew he was sacrificing much in leaving Athens in such a horrible state, but he knew that his parent’s sacrifice was far greater.  And their last wish for him was to go to Meg.

Pegasus flew as fast as he could through the skies away from Athens towards Hades’ underworld.  He hoped that there he would find Meg alive and be able to save bring her safely back to Greece.

The journey to Hades’ underworld from Athens was about two hundred miles and Pegasus was already tired from his journey to Cythera and back to Athens.  But it seemed that at least a small portion of Hercules’ great God power poured into Pegasus, who found a new-found strength.  Now Pegasus flew with speed like he had never flown before.

The night had come and gone by the time Hercules and Pegasus arrived at the island of Crete.  When they arrived at Crete Hercules leapt up off of Pegasus with his sword drawn.  He noticed that the gate to Hades’ underworld was torn completely off of the cave walls.  He thought this odd and first checked to make sure that the underworld was safe.  After he didn’t see anything he motioned for Pegasus to follow him into the tunnels.  “You may come Pegasus.  It appears Hades no longer has possession of this world!”

Pegasus did not seem thrilled to enter Hades’ underworld, but he did want to be with Hercules and thus followed him. 
As Hercules searched the underworld he was surprised to find that he needed no torch-light.  His own body, now that he was a complete God, emitted a light so powerful as to light up all the area around him.  Hercules spent the next several minutes searching Hades’ throne room, his armory, his tunnels, and his grand arena.  There was no sign of Meg or anyone.  He figured that everyone went with Hades to war.  There was only one place that he hadn’t searched.

He approached the large hole in the ground with caution.  From the depths of Tartarus a thick yellowish-green fog fumed up from the crack in the ground.  “This is where Meg must be,” said Hercules sadly to Pegasus.

  Hercules remembered Hades’ words that Tartarus could kill even a God.  Hercules also remembered Tartarus’ one rule: “For every mortal person who enters Tartarus, one person had to remain.” This rule allowed for leeway, however, as it didn’t specify that the person who actually went there needed to stay in its depths.  It also did not specify that if a God entered he had to remain.

Hercules looked down into that pit and then back up towards Pegasus.  “Pegasus, you must stay here.  I do not want to lose you in the darkest abyss of this horrid place!”

Pegasus looked disappointed that he could not come with Hercules, but reluctantly bucked his head in agreement.  Then Hercules, with his sword in hand, jumped down into the crack into Tartarus.

What passed in the next few seconds for Hercules seemed like an eternity.  Hercules passed through a thick film of what appeared to be toxic gas.  The gas was a different kind of gas than any he had ever previously beheld.  It was thick and seemed to help slow his long fall.  Of course, when he breathed in the gas it hurt his throat and lungs very much.  He figured that the gas would kill any mortal thing living, thereby ensuring that no mortal could reach the lowest depths of Tartarus alive.

After what seemed like several minutes of falling Hercules passed the foggy gas and landed down onto the hard ground below.  There he had his first view of what Tartarus was like and it was a scary place beyond reason.

The ground was hard and black, but was not rock.  Large cracks up to a foot wid
e ran along the ground.  In the distance Hercules could see a dark lake of some kind, with water as black as the land around it, and with small steams that descended away from the lake. When Hercules walked he had to be careful not to step into any of the cracks and fall into, what appeared to be, a poisonous liquid (it was the same color as the gas, but was a liquid). 

Hercules looked out over the landscape and didn’t see an end either way to the great prison.  He could see many human souls, or what appeared to be human souls.  Some seemed to merely be dark shadows that wandered throughout the land.  Others seemed to be vile creatures, as they wrestled and roared at each other and f
ought terribly with each other.

These people no longer looked like people, but evil creatures, creatures molded by evil and darkness.  When they saw Hercules they growled and revealed their evil teeth.  But Hercules held his sword up and, with the light that emanated from his being, they didn’t dare go near him.

After searching for several minutes he finally saw someone that was different than the rest.  This person lay down on the ground next to a large rock.  Next to the person was an old wooden shepherd’s staff.  Hercules looked down at saw that this was Meg.

She looked completely dea
d, dark and alone, shriveled up in fetal position against the rock.  Meg didn’t look very beautiful, but Hercules did not care.  Her eyes were closed, her skin parched, and her hair wrinkly.  He looked down at her and then knelt down beside her.  He placed his hand against her face and neck, hoping she was still alive.

To his surprise Meg’s eyes fluttered open.  She seemed surprised to see Hercules, but was altogether too weak to respond.

Hercules wrapped his arms around her back and lifted her body close to him.  “Why have you done this?” asked Hercules.  “Why have you come here, to this horrible place, this place underneath all things?  Why are you here where happiness cannot be felt? A goddess such as you should be free and abroad, ruling over all.”

Hercules
could tell that she tried to smile, but then the smile faded away.  “It is amazing how love can take precedence over every other force in the universe,” said Meg.  “Every other human passion can be supplanted, burying beneath the earth all selfishness.  Indeed, you may say that love can make a person do crazy things…Hercules I am so sorry for what occurred in the past.”

Hercules smiled and looked her in the eye.  “Let the
past be the past.  Never dwell on it again, for I know of your love towards me!”

“
Hercules, why have you come?  Do you not have a heroic mission to complete?”

“This is my heroic mission,” said Hercules.  “W
hile you are lost I cannot save the rest of the world.  You have saved me, given me something other than obligation and duty.  You have given me love and I will continue to believe in it!”

             
Suddenly the two kissed there in that dark place, where kisses were the last thing that would be thought of being felt.

             
Meg was weakening now and Hercules could tell. Her kiss was less intense, less passionate, even though he knew she was giving all she had.  Even Hercules, as God, was feeling weaker.  He looked down and realized that Tartarus was being to affect him.  He felt a great darkness rush through his soul.

             
“Come let us go!” declared Hercules. “Let us escape this abyss!”

             
“But there is the rule,” said Meg. “Only one of us may escape!”

             
“Then that person will be you!”  Hercules whistled for Pegasus and Pegasus came soaring down into Tartarus to Hercules and Meg.  “Go!” said Hercules as he pointed towards Pegasus. “You must leave, not me!”

             
Meg cried and said, “I would rather die than not be with you, so I will stay.”  Meg suddenly collapsed to the ground.  Hercules looked towards Pegasus, who also seemed to be getting wearier.

             
“Pegasus, leave us both here, for we will not leave each other,” said Hercules.  Pegasus shook his head.  Of course he would not go either, to be away from the two.  “So it appears we are all terribly foolish!  None of us will leave!”

             
Hercules looked into Meg’s eyes, and watched as her mortal body seemed to fade away into the darkness.  She looked much paler.

             
Hercules remembered how Hades said that Tartarus had enough power to kill even a God and he too was preparing for death.  Hercules’ own countenance began to diminish in brightness.  This caused the insidious creatures in that prison to congregate around them.

             
But then, something very strange and unusual happened.  In the darkness the cave seemed to rumble and quake.  At first the floor shook.  This frightened all the other creatures around them and they scattered away into the darkness.  Then the walls and ceiling began to shake incessantly.  This caused pieces of rock, both small and large, to come falling down around them.  It was as if Tartarus itself was collapsing.

             
“Come!” exclaimed Hercules.  “We must leave!  The cave is crumbling!”

             
Hercules suddenly grabbed Meg and lifted her up onto Pegasus’ back.  He then mounted Pegasus.  Immediately after this occurred it took no words for Pegasus to move.  He immediately took off up towards the exit.

             
Pegasus found it difficult to see at all as he flew up through the fog and smoke.  He was hit in several places with rocks and dust, but after a few moments he was successfully able to burst up through the opening.  But as he did he realized this was not the entirety of their journey.  Because Tartarus, the lowest level and foundation itself of Hades’ underworld was collapsing, every part of Hades’ Underworld was collapsing.

             
Hercules looked ahead at the falling pieces of ceiling and then looked back at Meg, who was barely conscious.  “Come Pegasus!  Fly towards the exit!  We will make it!”

             
Hercules, Pegasus, and Meg zoomed out of the underworld just in time before the rocky mountain completely collapsed.  Hercules, Pegasus, and Meg rested on the ground and took several deep breaths.  They then looked back at Hades’ underworld, now just a large pile of builders.  “And so passes Hades’ underworld!” exclaimed Hercules.  Hercules knew that their escape from Tartarus and the destruction of Hades’ underworld marked the first step in the turning of the tide.

Hercules looked down at Meg, who seemed to be getting better quickly.  As Hercules touched her hand and arm he watched as her hair returned to normal, her skin looked not so pale, and her eyes lit up brightly.  She began to gain strength and the expression in her face changed to joy. 
Hercules, too, was beginning to feel his old God power return to him and it felt great. 

Meg smiled and looked up into Hercules’ eyes.  “So what made you be willing to give up everythin
g for me, a woman you had only known for a short time?”

Hercules sighed.  “I thought about what it would be like for me if you died and it was a world that I never could bear to live in.  That was when I knew you were my destiny.”

Hercules looked up and realized that it was early morning now.  The sun was just beginning to rise.  Hercules looked over at Pegasus, who seemed to feel better as well.  He ran his hands through his feathers.  “Thank you, my great steed!  You are the greatest friend there can be!  But we must be quick and return to Athens!  There Philoctetes will need our help!  Do you have strength to make that great flight?”

As always Pegasus was enthusiastic. 
Pegasus was pleased to and began soaring through the clouds with great strength.

Chapter 19: Hercules’ Return

There were many things that Hades had done while Hercules was gone.  First, he conquered the rest of Athens as he and his armies slew the Spartan and Athenian warriors, until they surrendered.  Hades laughed as he looked at all the warriors
held hostage, surrounded by thick chains.  “Herakles!  Put them into prison!  Make them all suffer for their fight against me!”

Hades then strolled up to Pericles
’ palace where he made himself King and declared to all those in the assembly: “A new age has come!  The age of Hades and his rule has begun!  Either you will pledge yourself to me or you will die!  You have one day to decide!”  Hades tried to give them a time limit because he did not know when Hercules would return, and this seemed to plague his mind.

There, in the great throne room in At
hens, Hades paced around.  Herakles and Ares, the leader of the fallen heroes and fallen Gods respectively, both waited for Hades’ command.  “This Hercules has evaded my presence.  In some way the sacrifice of his parents Zeus and Hera allowed Hercules to gain back his God power.  This was some devilish magic that I could not foresee or predict.  I do not know when this is, but he shall certain return and we cannot allow things to be as they were—as a great, eternal war of the Gods!”

Hades dispatched his flying servants, except his great dragon, to fly across the land in search for Hercule
s.  “Find him!” yelled Hades.  He then watched as they all scattered away chaotically through the air like bats.  Of course, deep down Hades knew that his flying servants were no match against Hercules the God.  But in having his flying servants go abroad searching for Hercules he could at least continue to instill fear on Greece, keep his flying servants busy, and perhaps find out a little more about Hercules’ whereabouts.

The rest of the day n
obody seemed to dare rebel against Hades and his dominion, especially with his great black dragon lingering over the city.  You see, the dragon had made his home comfortably on the top of the hill of Athens, the Acropolis.  There the dragon watched what occurred in Athens.

Hope
, it appeared, had descended that day with the setting of the sun.

However, that night, after Zeus and Hera were killed by Hades, Philoctetes did what he did best—hide.  He placed his hood over his head and found places to hide himself as Hades and his men roamed the city.  It
was a great period of sadness for Athens, but Philoctetes would no longer just hide.

In secret, that night, Philoctetes knocked out several of the guards surrounding the pal
ace prison and released many of the Athenian and Spartan warriors left, including Milo.  Milo saw Philoctetes and with joy said, “Thank you my friend!”  Philoctetes instructed Milo and his men to keep quiet and secretly open another prison, releasing all the men he could.

Milo obeyed his orders and throughout the rest of that night
prisons were secretly being opened, by men that Philoctetes had released.  Philoctetes ordered Milo and all the men he had released to meet outside of the city of Athens for secret meeting.  He obeyed. 

Once outside of the city, Philoctetes made his boldest move yet.  He declared before all
the people: “Hercules is alive and he is not, contrary to what Pericles has said, a traitor.  He has gone to Hades’ underworld to get a person he loves, but he will be back!  Hope shall return!  But in the meantime we must fight Hades!  We must fight for all we hold dear—for all the loved ones that he has killed!”

But then someone shouted up from the crowd.  “Who are you to lead us?  Why not remove your hood and show us who you are?”

Philoctetes nodded.  He realized that now the time had come.  “Very well…”  He tore his hood from off of his face and everyone saw his hideousness.  At first there was only silence, but then there were some evil moans.

“He is hideous!” exclaimed one
person in the crowd.  “He is a creature of the devil!”

Another person said, “We cannot follow him into battle!  He has horns like a beast!”

Then Milo stepped forward and yelled to the people to silence them.  “This man is Philoctetes, the greatest trainer of heroes that has man has ever known!” exclaimed Milo, as he placed his hand on Philoctetes’ shoulder.  “This man has led hundreds of heroes into battle, and he has experience in fighting Hades.  This man trained Hercules himself and it is because of Philoctetes that we are not stuck in our own prisons.  I don’t know about all of you, but I will follow Philoctetes!”

Suddenly there was a great silence in the asse
mbly.  Everyone looked back and forth and didn’t know what to think.  Many, if not all of them, looked up to Milo and knew him as the great Olympic warrior.  One man broke the silence when stepped forth and said, “I will follow Philoctetes.”

One by one everyone within the assembly
cheered for Philoctetes as their military leader.  Then they all slept for a few hours and prepared to gain their strength for, what they knew would be the last great battle of their age.

Before the battle was to occur Philoctetes ordered twelve warriors to go to the cities to the north and south and gather as many people and could come to fight.

Early in the morning Philoctetes looked over all the armies assembled and said to Milo, “We must hope that there is a destiny controlled by a force even greater than the Gods we worship.  Milo, quickly, get your men together to fight, one last resistance!”

It was about nine in the morning, when Ares approached one of the prisons, that he found the prison empty.  He quickly had his
Gods search all the prisons but they were all empty.  He rushed up to inform Hades, where he found Hades in his throne room.  “Hades!  I bring grave news!”

“What now?” replied Hades.

“Sir, the prisoners…the ones left from the battle,” said Ares.  “They have all escaped.”

“What!  How is this possible?”

“Some people say that they saw a devilish hooded creature jumping on rooftops and through alleyways.  You were too arrogant.  You should have placed more men to guard the prisons.”

“Nevertheless, we shall still have our victory!” exclaimed Hades.  He then suddenly turned around and
on his patio, facing the center of the city, saw an army of Greek warrior before his palace.  People have gathered on the housetops.

On top of a broken statue, in the center of the group, stood Philoctetes, with his hood removed.  Hades looked insidiously at this part man, part creature and immediately knew he must have been the one that released the prisoners.  “Who are you?” declared Hades. 

Philoctetes laughed and yelled loudly, loud enough for Hades and everyone there to hear.  “Who am I?  Do you not remember me from so long ago?  I am Philoctetes, the trainer of heroes, a man who for so long was forced to dwell on a cursed island with a cursed form.  It was I who so long ago opposed your rule!  And it was I who trained Hercules!  And it is I who will make you pay for what evil you have done, for what good lives you have taken!”

Hades suddenly realized who Philoctetes was.  Only, before, he knew him as a great handsome man and leader.  Now he looked more like a
goat.  Hades laughed.  “It was you that was bitten by my snake after the great war of heroes, wasn’t it?  It was you that was forced to run back for your own life and tell everyone of your own failure!  You were to raise up heroes that could defeat me!  Well, no heroes can defeat me!  I thought you would have learned your lesson!”

“
We are all here because we believe in freedom and we will see your rule come to a speedy end!”

Hades laughed.  “Not likely!”  Suddenly Hades pointed his staff down at Philoctetes and fired a powerful blast of magic.  But Philoctetes anticipated this and jumped up and to the ground just in time, as he walked the statue blasted to bits.  Then the final battle began.

Ares and Hades’ other fallen Gods quickly burst into the streets and began fighting.  Herakles and many other fallen heroes came from the other side and began fighting Milo and his men.  Then Hades’ great dragon lifted himself up into the air and began diving down on Philoctetes’ men.  Even Hades moved into the city to fight.

Philoctetes fought valiantly against Hades.  Milo fought against Herakles. 
The battle there was several hours long because more and more soldiers came into the city from other cities on the Greek mainland to fight for Philoctetes.  It was the late afternoon, after much fire, destruction, and desolation on both sides, that Hades swung his staff at Philoctetes and cut his side.  Then he swung his staff at Philoctetes and flung him back towards the ground.  Philoctetes was in pain, but managed to stand up.

All of Philoctetes’ men, now of whom were no more than two hundred, were trapped, surrounded by Hades’ men.  It was then that Hades’ dragon appeared above them, who could extinguish then with one billowing breathe of fire.

But it was here that Hades motioned for his men to stop.  “It is over Philoctetes!” exclaimed Hades.  “Like before, you have failed.  But if you join me your lives will be spared!”

Ph
iloctetes could not move, but Milo moved forward and spat into the ground.  “We shall never surrender!”

“Very well. 
You have all chosen death!” exclaimed Hades.  He then motioned for the dragon to unleash a great ball of fire on those who remained.

But th
en, before it was all over, everyone looked to the sky and saw a bright, flying white creature.  It soared through the sky so elegantly and gallantly.  Milo and Philoctetes both smiled.  Milo saw that it was Hercules, riding his great steed.  “It is Hercules!” exclaimed Milo.  “Hercules has returned!”  People throughout Philoctetes’ small army cheered.  They watched as Pegasus landed up on top of the Parthenon.  Hercules dismounted Pegasus and lifted his sword up in the air.  This time he was clothed in great armor.

Hades laughed.  “It is but one God!”

“Not one!” yelled Hercules, with a voice loud enough that it seemed to ring throughout the city.  Suddenly Hades looked all around as, one by one, great Gods began manifesting themselves.  From a distance Hades watched as Athena, who glowed bright, stepped upon the ground next to the Parthenon.

Athena wore a tight, bright white gown.  On top of her head was a helmet with a colorful red feather.  In her right hand she carried a golden spear.

Then Hades watched as more Gods began appearing next to her.  First, the great Poseidon, arrayed in his greenish-blue robe and holding his great trident, moved forward next to Athena.  Then, on the other side of Athena emerged Meg, having armor and a sword of her own.  Then came Apollo, next to Meg.  Apollo had no shirt, but had a yellow cloth around his hips.  He had a bow and quiver over his left shoulder and a white staff in his right hand.  Then, next to Apollo appeared Aphrodite.  Aphrodite was arrayed in a red rode and held no weapon but her own beauty.  Then appeared Demeter, who had a golden sword in her hand and wore a dark green robe that covered almost all of her body.

Then came Artemis.  She was clothed in a bright white silk cloth
.  She had a bow with poison arrows.  There was even Asclepius, the god of healing.  He had a white robe and a wooden staff.  Once all these Gods manifested themselves on the top hill in Athens Hades seemed enraged.

Philoctetes
saw these people and cheered, saying, “The Great Gods have come—come before the end!”

Then Athena declared, “Hades, we have come to bring justice and peace to the surrender!  You are surrounded by great and powerful
Gods!  Will you surrender?”

“I will never surrender!”

Athena turned and then said, “Very well!”

What Hades saw next
was to disturb him even more.  Apollo sent a blast of light up into the heavens, which pushed away all the clouds and let the light of the sun beat down upon the city.  Apollo’s light seemed to be so great that it temporarily scared or blinded Hades’ dragon (as he was not used to a light so bright as the sun), as Hades’ dragon flew away from Athens, to hide behind the wall in the darkness. 

Artemis drew her bow, raised her hands, and suddenly many different animals appeared behind her.  She
motioned for all her animals to charge Hades and his men. 

The rest of the
Gods then began to their great charge down into the city.

Hercules sat upon the top of the Temple of Athena and kept his sword raised as a symbol to the people.

Fighting began in the streets and Hermes flew through the battlefield to give Philoctetes and Milo a very important message.  There Hermes bowed and said, “I bring an important message from Hercules!  He has told me to tell you to evacuate all your men to the high ground of the Acropolis.  He says that he has something special planned for them.”

It infuriated Hades seeing Hercules on the top of the Parthenon that he turned to his commander Ares, as said, “You fight down here.  I am going to take care of Hercules once and for all!”

Hades moved through the city and appeared before his great dragon, who hid his head behind the wall.  “Come!  Fear not the light!  We must destroy Hercules!”  His dragon had no choice but to obey and so Hades mounted his dragon and he flew up towards Hercules, who stood on top of the Parthenon.