The Heracles of Thebes (3)

 

Heracles questioned me.

"What do you mean by ‘about me’?"

"First of all, you are aware that your father is Zeus, aren’t you?"

"Yes. My foster father told me, as did my mother and Chiron…"

Given his extraordinary abilities from a young age, it would have been impossible to keep it a secret.

"You have incurred Hera’s wrath since birth."

"Well, that’s because I’m illegitimate…"

"Not only that, but you were held in Zeus’s arms as you drank from Hera’s breast. Because of this, I was compelled to submerge you in the River Styx, to guard against the day her wrath might descend upon you."

"Wait, you mean to say it was you, Lord Hades? And that I drank from the Queen of the Gods…?"

A look of shock crossed Heracles' face. I continued to reveal the truth to him.

"Yes. Of course, protecting you in the Styx wasn’t solely for that reason; I also did so because you were destined to be a hero."

"......"

"It was a calculated decision. I assumed that with the power of the Styx, you wouldn’t die so easily."

Heracles staggered back, processing this revelation, which he clearly hadn’t known until now.

"Then, do you know what you must do when you leave this place?"

"Because of Lady Hera’s anger?"

"Exactly. Go to Hera’s temple and prostrate yourself, begging for her forgiveness. Although you have done no wrong, it must be done."

"...Understood."

"A storm may rage, curses may descend, but no matter what, do not cease your pleas for forgiveness."

Heracles nodded reluctantly. Undoubtedly, Hera would set tasks for him—tasks that would serve both to vent her fury and to grant Heracles valuable experience.

"You’ve heard the rumors about the Styx in the mortal realm, haven’t you?"

"Yes… that it grants invincibility to those who enter it…"

"It’s not invincibility. It merely fortifies the body. Do not flaunt the durability of your body."

Swoosh!

With a slight flick of my finger, I left a small wound on his shoulder. Heracles’ face betrayed his shock, which was understandable since he had likely never been injured before.

But that was all. Among mortals, his body was indeed invulnerable… but for those with divine power, penetrating the Styx’s protection was an easy feat. For the Gigantes, this would be even truer, particularly when poison, fire, or water were involved.

"You may possess a body impervious to harm by mortal standards, but the realm of the gods is different. And your goal is to become a god, is it not?"

"Blood… I’m bleeding."

"I’ll even find you suitable sparring partners. You should grow accustomed to the sensation of injury..."

Turning my head, I saw Megaira, one of the Furies, approaching. She had responded quickly to my summons; it seemed that life in the cave had left her seeking something to occupy her time.

"Snakes for hair, bronze wings…! A… A Fury?!"

"...Hades."

"Thank you for coming, Lady Megaira."

"I came because we drew lots to decide who would come here… Alecto’s pouting again."

"Ahem. As I mentioned, you’ll be sparring with Heracles here."

Her eyes, brimming with vengeance, met Heracles’. Those same eyes, which tormented sinners until their deaths. Any ordinary mortal would have fainted at her gaze, but Heracles grinned, a spark of competitive spirit in his eyes.

"If I defeat you, Lady Megaira, could I also become a god?"

"...Hmph."

The Fury laughed at his mortal audacity.

Mortals’ fascination with the gods was universal. Even Bellerophon and Mentes had harbored similar aspirations. However, with Heracles’ current level, he could never defeat Lady Megaira, nor would victory over her make him a god.

"Do you know what it means to be a god? Do you think it’s simply about possessing strength and immortality?"

"...Isn’t it?"

"A god exists to maintain the world’s balance. With such simplistic thoughts, no amount of feats will make you a god."

What it means to be an Olympian god—the weight one must carry. I believed he would come to understand these things as he pursued his tasks.

I would need to instruct Chiron to further instill proper values in him. But with Lady Megaira here, perhaps some of that arrogance and pride would be tempered.

I prepared to take my leave, addressing Heracles with an inscrutable expression.

"Then, I shall be going. The next time we meet, I hope it will be as god and god."

"...!"

As I slowly faded into the black wind, I caught Heracles’ parting words, spoken with a respectful bow in my direction.

"...Thank you, uncle."

 

Returning to my throne in the citadel, I closed my eyes, organizing my thoughts. I needed to solidify my plans for Heracles and the future.

The bloodline of Zeus, the milk of Hera, the fortification of the Styx, Chiron’s guidance, his battles with a goddess, and his ambition to become a god. With all this, Heracles would be well-prepared to complete his tasks once he reached adulthood.

If he could complete the nearly impossible feats before him and aid us against the Gigantes, there would be no reason why he couldn’t become a god. Perhaps he could even ascend before then.

As I had told Iris, should he face Hera’s challenges, they would be grueling. But as long as the trials didn’t involve direct divine wrath of a lethal nature, he would be able to endure.

I wanted to grant him Tyche’s blessing, the favor of the goddess of fortune, but that might be excessive. The tasks needed to be conquerable for them to hold any meaning.

"Lord Hades. A letter has arrived requesting mediation for a dispute on Olympus."

"What is it this time?"

Glancing over the letter delivered by the messenger, I saw it was filled with all manner of disputes. Since I had assumed the mantle of the god of fairness, I occasionally received requests to mediate disputes among the higher gods.

This time, it involved Eos, the goddess of dawn, Aphrodite, and Ares. If Aphrodite were involved, it was likely a matter of romantic entanglements. Perhaps I should ignore it… but Zeus?

There was also a request from Zeus, my brother and the king of the gods, to visit Olympus briefly.

But why would Zeus call for me now? Perhaps he had something to discuss regarding Dike, who had recently been lecturing the gods with renewed vigor…

 

Since acquiring the mantle of fairness, the most notable change has been the gods seeking my counsel.

Although Dike's arrival in the Underworld reduced my workload, situations still arose that required my intervention as the god of fairness. It wasn’t every dispute, but if a matter arose that was difficult for Zeus to handle and yet significant, it would often fall to me.

Just like now, when one of the Twelve Olympians or a similarly ranked god clashed fiercely…

"Eos! Just because mortals adore you as the goddess of dawn, does that mean you can covet my lover?"

"It’s merely that Ares’ infatuation with you has worn off, considering you have nothing to offer a man besides beauty!"

"Why… Aphrodite… that is…"

"Silence! Ares!"

Aphrodite and Ares were known to be lovers, yet Ares’ affair with Eos had come to light. Thus, they were quarreling. But was it really an affair? Hadn’t they broken up before this?

"Enough. Let’s calm down and speak one at a time. Goddess Eos, you first."

Eos, with her deep, night-colored hair that evoked the dawn sky, looked at me.

Unlike Helios and Selene, who had practically handed over their roles as sun and moon gods to Apollo and Artemis, Eos still held her domain as the goddess of dawn.

"Hmm. Hades, I have heard you now hold the mantle of fairness. I must express my gratitude for coming to Olympus to mediate this dispute."

"Small disagreements often lead to big conflicts. Just like the squabble between Apollo and Eros..."

In truth, this was no minor quarrel. A goddess of dawn and a goddess of beauty arguing over the god of war was hardly trivial.

The Furies’ curses might spread, and if one of them abandoned their duties in rage, further complications would ensue.

But most importantly, those who would suffer the most were the mortals caught between them.

It was better to resolve these quarrels before mortals unwittingly got swept up in them.

"Ares and Aphrodite are no longer lovers. Ares informed Aphrodite in advance," Eos said.

"So you’re saying Aphrodite’s reaction is because she cannot accept it?"

"Of course. Though they have had many children, it’s over between them."

I glanced over at Aphrodite, who was holding back her anger, and beside her, an anxious Ares.

"Aphrodite, isn’t your relationship with Ares over, as Eos says?"

"Grr! How dare you call it ‘over’ when Ares merely informed me unilaterally! That Eos was making advances even while we were together…"

"Calm down. Take a breath and explain."

After listening to Aphrodite’s frustrated explanation, I looked at Ares. He clenched his eyes shut before finally speaking to me with a conflicted expression.

"Ares, have you nothing to say?"

"…Uncle. The truth is, when things between Aphrodite and I grew distant, Lady Eos..."

Having heard all three sides, it was clear that this was merely a lover's spat.

1. Eos had feelings for Ares and persistently pursued him, even when his relationship with Aphrodite was strong.
2. Although Aphrodite disliked this, she didn’t act since she was confident of Ares’ love.
3. When Aphrodite and Ares grew distant, Eos approached Ares, and they became romantically involved…

 

And so, they summoned me to mediate a simple lover’s quarrel—did they lack any other reliable gods?

They could have called upon Eros or Zeus, or another of the Twelve Olympians…

Then again, perhaps there was no one capable of providing sound advice.

After some thought, I looked at them.

"I would prefer if you refrained from summoning me for such matters. Lady Eos, I am quite busy, so perhaps Dike could..."

Before I could finish, objections erupted.

"But Dike isn’t equipped to handle such matters!"

"Uncle… Dike has sworn to remain chaste, and I don’t think this aligns with her role of justice…"

"Exactly. Since it involves love, we turned to Hades, who receives the purest of love."

Though I have indeed received great affection from several goddesses, I am no god of romantic counsel.