The God of Olympus (10 page)

             
Hercules appreciated the help that Milo gave him.  They each then thanked each other and departed.

             
They stood on a hill alone when Hercules whistled and Pegasus came flying down on top of the hill.  Milo was startled by the great creature, but Hercules told him to not fear him.  “This is Pegasus, a gift from my father—Zeus.”

             
Milo looked like he was in shock.  “Your father is Zeus!”

             
Hercules nodded.  “Yes, although I cannot tell you more.  Now I must be off.”

             
“Where will you go now?” asked Milo.  “Everyone is waiting to walk with you into Athens to celebrate your victory!”

             
“I will be back in two days on the outskirts of Athens,” said Hercules.  “However, there is one place that I must go first.”

             
Milo nodded.  “Very well.  Good-bye Hercules.”  And that was how Milo and Hercules became good friends. 

             
And so Hercules set off on Pegasus east towards the outskirts of the small of town of Delphi, where he would pay a visit to Alcmene and Amphitryon.

             
There were many reasons why he was making this trip.  For one, after all the time he had been with them he wanted to see them again.  Another reason was to give them the considerable amount of money he was able to receive on the side by all those who won a bunch of money betting on him in the Olympic Games.  But the main reason was to show them that he was okay, that he had won the Olympic Games and understood more about himself.”

             
And so, when he arrived at Alcmene’s and Amphitryon’s house he found that all was well there.  They each were overjoyed to see Hercules and gave him a strong embrace.

             
“We have missed you so,” exclaimed Amphitryon.  “But why have you returned?  You must have other things to do…”

             
“Do not mind him!” exclaimed Alcmene.  “Hercules, you must be hungry!  Come inside and eat!”

             
They had dinner there that night where there was a long discussion about what had transpired.  Hercules told them about how he discovered who he was—a son of Zeus and Hera.  He told them about seeing Zeus on Mount Olympus, and about finding Philoctetes his trainer.  He told them about his journey to Sparta and about his victory in the Olympic Games.

             
“We are glad that you finally know who you are,” said Alcmene.  “We knew for a long time, but were told by Hermes, a messenger of Zeus, to never disclose to you your true identity, until you discovered it for yourself.  And we are impressed that you won the Olympics, although we are more grateful that you are alive and well.  This is one of our most joyous occasions.”

             
“There is a celebration of sorts to be held in Athens for the winner of the Olympics, or at least I was told there would be,” said Hercules.  “I am afraid that I must leave soon.”

             
Amphitryon and Alcmene were both surprised that he needed to return so quickly, but were not sad or unsupportive in any way of his need to speedily return to Athens.  “You must go of course,” said Alcmene.  “Your father and I will do well here as we have since before you were born.  You must go and complete the mission Zeus gave you, for the people here need you dearly.”

             
Hercules nodded.  He thanked Amphitryon and Alcmene for the dinner and then went outside.  It was dark and he found that Pegasus was tired from the journey was already asleep on the grass.  Hercules looked up at the stars for a moment, sat up against a tree, and went to sleep.  When the morning came Hercules left early with Pegasus, as they flew back towards Athens.

             
Amphitryon and Alcmene looked onward as Hercules flew off in the distance. 

Chapter 7: Pericles

             
Pericles and the Hellanodikai leader stood in Pericles’ grand Athenian palace throne room.  The room was long with several long tables.  “We can find nothing wrong with him,” said the chief Hellanodikai.  “His performance in the Olympics was, as far as we are aware of, completely fair.”

             
Pericles seemed very upset as he kicked over a vase and watched it clash down on the floor and shatter into many different pieces.  “But this is impossible!  Hercules has no great physical body like Milo.  How is it that he performed so well?  There must have been some kind of drug in him that allowed him to do so…something…after all it was Milo that was to support me in my campaign to be undisputed King over this land!”

             
“Perhaps Hercules will support you in your campaign as well!”

             
“Very well,” said Pericles.  “Where is Hercules?”

             
“Look for yourself,” replied the chief Hellanodikai as he pointed towards the balcony.  Pericles made his way towards his balcony and watched as Hercules walked into the city, surrounded by hundreds of people cheering for him.  A large man in front of Hercules yelled, “Make way for the great Hercules—the winner of the Olympic Games!”

             
People cheered and threw down palm leaves at his feet as he entered.  This made Pericles terribly upset.  “Very well, go get him then!”

             
The chief Hellanodikai nodded and then went away.  Pericles stood for a several minutes wondering and pondering upon what he should do with Hercules.  Then the doors to his large estate opened and Hercules entered, led by the chief Hellanodikai.  “I present to you Hercules, sir!” said the Hellanodikai.  Then he left, leaving Hercules and Pericles alone.  Both wanted each other as a friend and both took great measures to flatter the other.

             
“Ah yes!” said Pericles, smiling.  “Hercules…welcome to my humble abode!”

             
Hercules knew that it was a great honor to be invited into Pericles’ house.  Hercules approached Pericles.  “I come to offer you a great gift!” said Hercules.  “I can only offer you one thing…my Olympic Crown.”  He pulled off his crown, knelt before Pericles, and presented to him his crown.  This was, no doubt, a great honor and would be a valuable and unique award.  But Pericles was not interested in this.

             
He stared down at the crown and then said, “I do not want it, nor do I need it!  I will not have gossip going around that I took an Olympian’s Crown.”  Pericles waved his hands and turned around.  His voice suddenly seemed more pleasant and happy.  “Please rise Hercules!  There is no need to bow before me, for I am no king.”  Hercules nodded and lifted himself up.  Pericles placed his arms around Hercules’ shoulders and led him forward into his grand living room.  “Your performance in the Olympic Games was extraordinary Hercules.”

             
Hercules nodded politely.  “Thank you sir.”

             
Pericles pointed down to a large chair.  Hercules nodded and sat down. “Come have something to drink!  You must be thirsty after your long journey to Athens.”  Pericles offered Hercules a cup of wine but he did not take it.  “Not thirsty huh…okay…well do sit.”

             
“I am very curious about who you are Hercules…so answer a few questions for me…”

             
“Where are you from and what do you do for a living?”

             
Hercules answered honestly.  “I am from the outskirts of Greece, and by living I was a shepherd.”

             
Pericles picked up his cup of wine and took a sip.  “Tell me Hercules, who are your parents?  Are they notable in society?”

             
There was a short moment of silence.  He didn’t know whether to tell Pericles about his real parents or his adopted parents.  He decided, considering the situation, and that he didn’t know Pericles, to tell him little about either.

             
“Yes,” said Hercules.  “They are notable in society, but I will not tell you who they are, for you would not believe me if I did.”

Pericles laughed.  “Very well
Hercules, keep your secrets.  I suppose that I wouldn’t have believed your performance in the Olympics if I had not seen it for myself.  But tell me, with your great skill, speed, and strength why have I not heard of you before?  Why, for the last ten years that I have ruled I haven’t even heard your name, for I am sure that a person of your skill and intelligence must have a reputation able to reach me, the great ruler of this land?”

“I have been in hiding, away from your city-state?”

“Ha, away!  Tell me, Hercules, who have you been serving?  The Persians?  The Spartans?  Tell me, you must be a spy, but what information were you gathering?  Why have you now come into Athens?” Hercules was silent, although Pericles looked calm and patient.  “Look, we can either do this the hard way, or we can do it the easy way…either one works fine with me.”

“I serve no country but my own—Greece,” replied Hercules.  “And I must say that I have been to Sparta, but I do not serve them.  I, like you,
am for the uniting of all of Greece.”

             
Apparently this was not the answer Pericles was looking for.  He sighed and then led Hercules out onto his great balcony overlooking the city of Athens.

             
“You should know that I am not ignorant,” said Pericles.  “I know of the creatures that have been flying over this land.  They swoop around like large, devilish bats!  And they could have done great damage to our city should they desire.  But that is not what they want.  They are looking for someone.  Who could that be?”

             
Hercules shook his head.  “I do not know for sure…”

             
“I think I do,” replied Pericles.  “I think they are looking for you.  But why?”

             
“Perhaps it is because I wish to be a great hero,” replied Hercules.

“I know what a hero is,” said Pericles.  “A hero has an obligation to his people and he will serve them as long as he has an obligation.  B
ut once he becomes a God that is when he leaves them, just as Zeus and Hera have left us.”

“They have not left you,” replied Hercules.  “It is just that now they must look from afar.”

“From afar?  Well why?  Why can’t they help?  Aren’t they great Gods, the greatest that live?”

“Yes, but even
Gods must follow their own laws…”

Pericles looked upset
.  “You know what Athens was once like Hercules?  Athens was once a grand monument for the great Gods.  People were willing to abandon their very own children just to construct great monuments to the great Gods.  People believed in the Gods because they could see their workings.  But now where are they?  It seems that all the Gods have abandoned us.  And now, I, as great ruler of Athens, must find a way to keep their faith bright.”

“The other
Gods do not come anymore because there is no great God that will lead them.”

“And do you Hercules, believe yourself to be that God?” asked Pericles.  “I mean you must, with that name and all…”

“Not yet, but someday perhaps.”

“Hercules, I don’t thi
nk you know who I am.  There is a reason that I am the undisputed ruler of this city. Although I possess no title of King here people treat me as king and refer to me as such because of what I did for this city. I gave these people hope in all the Gods—in Zeus, in Hera, in Apollo, in Athena, in Artemis.”

“Yes, but that will no longer protect you or your city,” said Hercules. “The
Gods you and your people worship will not be enough.”

“What does a mere shepherd boy know of such things?” mocked Pericles.

“I want the people to belief in something else,” said Hercules. “One being, one great being that far surpasses our Gods that, to my mind, come and go with the times—albeit far slower than mortals.”

“Now you come to preach religion!” exclaimed Pericles.
“I will not have you speak this way to me in
my
house! The Gods you see, the Gods we worship, are who, in the end will save us!”

Hercules could sense Pericles’ anger. 
“I must say what I am here to do.  I fear that your nation is under a more dangerous threat than any outside nation. Your threat comes from a dark individual, someone who lies within your very own country and has been secretly acting deviously within it, preparing for a great war.”

“Tell me Hercules, this is of great concern to me.  Who is this man?”

Hercules paused.  “The man I speak of is Hades, dark ruler of the underworld and master of death and evil!”

Pericles looked slightly alarmed a
t first and then laughed.  “Ha!  Hades you say!  That is the great message that you bring to me!”

“Why do you not believe
me?  You believe in Zeus, Hera, and Athena, but not Hades?  Do you not know who Hades is?  He is no ordinary God. The God who will war against man is a God of evil, a God of the dead. He has been secretly, under your very nose, been capturing the loyalty of so many of the people here. Sir, your city is corrupt and already ready to fall! You must warn the people and prepare them for war, because whether you like it or not war is coming!”

Pericles paused for a moment and then spoke.  It seemed like he was trying to calm himself down. 
“Hercules, you must know that I have not achieved my great, powerful, respected position in this society through believing foolish traditions!  No, I have got it through reason, and through being able to see the folly in other’s words.  Know this Hercules!  There is no Hades, as certain as I live, and there is certainly nobody within my own kingdom acting deviously within it.  For a long time I have been working my magic, attaining what political power is necessary to govern this great city of Athens. And now my ruling power is expanding. I have nearly enough power to control all of Greece and now you tell me that I cannot fend off one God!”  Pericles then let out a subtle lie.  “You should know Hercules that the Hellanodikai did not think your performance fair—that perhaps you drank and consumed some chemical to give you super-human strength and speed.  I don’t know.  But either way you will need me to support you if you are not to be disgraced.  And support you I will, if you do something for me.  As you may know Athens is a crumbling city-state.  I don’t want to bother you with the technicalities or politics, but I need someone to help build up Athens again.  I need you Hercules.  And, if you accept, you can do that.  You will unite the entire Greek world under the banner of Zeus and Hera.  Sparta will no longer continually be a threat to me as they will be crushed like ants beneath my feet!”

Pericles led Hercules back into the privacy of his own living room.  Hercules sighed.  “I am sorry Pericles, but I cannot help you in fighting against Sparta, for I must help unite the world of Greece before a
great war comes to us from Hades.”

“Whose side are you on?
” yelled Pericles.

Hercules tried to remain calm.  “I am on no side but humanity’s.”

Pericles laughed insidiously.  “Ah, but the man who is on no side will end up finding himself dead in the middle of the battle.”

Hercules suddenly felt something dark in Pericles.  Pericles placed his cup of wine down on the table.  “Yo
u must know, Hercules that I have many spies and servants of my own in this city and I have much power here…to cover up the disappearance of even a winner of the Olympic Games!”  Suddenly Pericles paused.  Hercules then watched as several of Pericles dark servants moved in towards him from the dark corner of the room.  They each were armored and stood with spears and shields. “You see, you I fear slightly…for not only do you have amazing physical abilities, but you also appear to be quite crazy and this combination is quite dangerous.  Guards, take Hercules away!  Lock him in the dungeon!”

“Wait!” yelled Hercules, as he was suddenly seized upon by Pericles
’ armored guards.  “You cannot do this!  Locking me away won’t help your nation, but it will destroy it…Hades will come and when he comes all of Greece will suffer…”

Hercules pushed several guards away, but more and more armored guards came until they were able to get chains around him. 
“Not likely Hercules…not likely.  If you ever reconsider I will may be able to release you.”

Hercules wanted to say more, but couldn’t.
  He now knew that Pericles, like much of the Greek world, was being corrupted.  Philoctetes had warned him that dark times would bring even the most virtuous and righteous people to iniquity.

Hercules didn’t know what was wrong with Pericles.  Was he
scared or intimidated by him?  He didn’t know for sure.  What he knew for sure was that he needed to escape soon or else Greece was certainly doomed.