After forcibly taking Medea’s purity, I allowed her to rest for a while before discreetly sending her back to her room. It was imperative that no one knew she had visited me tonight. The invaluable information Medea provided about defeating the Dragon was crucial, and her unwavering loyalty was now mine. She had swiftly chosen to follow me, showing no concern for her father, the King.
Her sole desire was to be with me, and she had fallen head over heels in a remarkably short span of time.
Medea’s devotion was profound; I was confident she would never betray me. Instead, her loyalty was so intense that she would willingly kill anyone for my sake.
The next morning, I awoke to find Semiramis already up. Her restless demeanor suggested a poor night’s sleep.
“Lord Commander… may I ask something?” she inquired hesitantly.
“You may,” I replied, slipping into my clothes.
“How… how did you get the Princess… hum…”
“In my bed and how I took her? If you wanted details, you should have stayed and watched,” I replied, my tone dismissive.
“It’s not that! I just can’t believe it! If the King learns about this…”
“By the time he finds out, it will already be too late. We will be far away,” I assured her, my voice filled with contempt. The King should already be grateful that I am wasting my precious time on his ridiculous challenge or whatever nonsense it is.
As we stepped out, we were immediately met by a group of knights.
“The King ordered us to take you to the Golden Fleece,” one of them announced.
We followed them, soon meeting the other four. They were heavily armed, clearly apprehensive about the threat guarding the Golden Fleece. They appeared well-prepared for the upcoming confrontation.
Heracles looked at me with a stern expression. “I tried to arrange a deal, and you refused. You can only blame yourself for what is about to happen.”
“I will take both the Golden Fleece and Medea, and you will be left with nothing but tears,” Jason added, his eyes filled with determination.
I observed them for a moment before turning away, dismissing them entirely. I was disappointed. Were these the great heroes of Greek myths I had heard so much about on Earth? Of course, myths often exaggerated their characters for the sake of the story and to increase their fame, but I had still expected more.
We walked for about half an hour until we reached a cliff, protected by imposing gates.
“We cannot accompany you beyond this point,” the soldiers declared before turning back, leaving us at the cliff’s edge.
“Now, it’s getting exciting,” Jason grinned, gripping his sword tightly.
“Let’s be careful,” Heracles cautioned, his voice steady.
I allowed them to walk ahead, considering the possibility of dangerous traps lying in wait. Atalanta seemed to read my thoughts, shooting me a sharp glare.
“Coward,” she hissed.
“Don’t waste your time. Your Goddess will be angry,” I retorted.
“Don’t speak so informally of Goddess Artemis!” she snapped, her eyes flashing with indignation.
I truly couldn’t care less about her deity. My indifference was evident.
“Don’t answer his provocations, Atalanta,” Orpheus interjected, his tone measured.
He was clearly the smartest of the group, and I decided to glean some information from him.
“After this, will you be taking part in the upcoming war against the Trojans?” I asked, my curiosity piqued.
Orpheus was momentarily taken aback by my question but soon nodded. “That is the plan. We are defending our pride by upholding King Menelaus’s honor. The Trojan Prince must be punished for his crime,” he explained.
I understood the gist of it. Paris, the Prince of Troy, had been invited by King Menelaus for a potential alliance through marriage to his daughter. Instead, he betrayed Menelaus and kidnapped his wife, Helen. Helen of Troy. The name resonated with a familiar ring.
“Are you going to participate in the war, Lord Commander? Being from a foreign continent, I suppose you won’t,” Orpheus inquired, a hint of curiosity in his voice.
“I have no interest in a war fought over a cheated husband. It’s embarrassingly trivial. That king should just end his own life; it would save many lives and the little pride he might have left,” I said bluntly.
Orpheus and the others were rendered speechless by my harsh words. A war that would cause extensive bloodshed and the fall of a once-peaceful city over a single woman seemed absurd to me. If Menelaus truly wanted her back, he should undertake the task alone instead of dragging other kings and princes into his personal vendetta because he was powerless on his own.
“Stop! I sense a dangerous presence!” Heracles commanded, halting us after a ten-minute walk.
I peered into the darkness with my single, shining eye, narrowing it slightly. As expected, a true dragon.
“Graaahhhhh!” The roar echoed through the cave, shaking its very foundations and causing stones to fall from the ceiling.
Semiramis shielded both herself and me as I observed silently.
“A dragon!” Orpheus exclaimed in shock.
Emerging from the shadows, a massive golden dragon flew high above, its scales illuminating the entire cave with a radiant glow.
“Finally! I can see the Golden Fleece!” Jason exclaimed, his eyes fixed on the treasure hanging on a tree several hundred meters away.
No sooner had he spoken than a torrent of flames erupted from the dragon’s mouth, cutting off our path and melting the ground. The dragon was determined to prevent us from reaching it.
“Cover me!” Heracles shouted, cracking his knuckles before leaping high toward the dragon.
BADOOOM!
With a single punch, Heracles sent the dragon crashing against the wall. But as he landed, he groaned in pain, his right fist heavily bruised and red.
“The scales are incredibly strong. If even Heracles’ fists can’t penetrate them, how can we defeat it?” Orpheus remarked, concern evident in his voice.
“With swords, of course!” Jason laughed, kicking off the ground with inhuman speed. He reached the dragon and brought his sword down with a mighty swing. The shockwave reverberated through the cave, powerful enough to blast away even the strongest opponents.
Following Jason’s attack, a rain of arrows shot toward the dragon’s face. Atalanta, with her bow, fired arrow after arrow at a frightening speed, each one striking the dragon’s body powerfully.
Yet…
“Graaaah!” The dragon roared even more ferociously, swinging its massive tail toward Jason.
“Shit!” Jason brought his sword up to shield himself, but it shattered upon impact, and he was sent crashing to the ground.
“Jason!” Orpheus rushed to his side, likely to heal him.
“Heracles!”
“I know!” Heracles clenched his fists, and the ground rumbled beneath him. His fists glowed bright red, and the very air around them trembled.
“Fists of the Goddess!” Heracles shouted, swinging his fists with immense power.
BADOOOOOM!
The dragon was knocked back, roaring in pain. Some of its scales showed faint cracks, but the damage was minimal.
“How is that possible?” Heracles was shocked.
He wasn’t the only one.
His fists indeed strong enough to destroy even mountains but it barely scratched the dragon.
“Because you are weak,” I replied, stepping forward.
It was time to end this embarrassing display.