True Heroes (70 page)

and revealed Apollo from the guise as he landed again

atop the Home of the Gods.

“He approached Hera,

who guarded her husband’s chamber,

and spoke:

“‘Does Zeus still request no visitors?’

“The Goddess of Fortune spoke quietly:

“‘Our father requests a moment with his thoughts.’

“Apollo of the Sun walked past the guard,

treading with more ease the further towards Zeus’ chamber he ventured.

“The air surrounding the King of Kings ran wild with errant lightning,

and the Sun God stayed within fleeting distance of the door.

“Apollo spoke with humility throughout his voice:

“‘Great Father of the Gods,

I bring a story of unusual interest,

and could bring your mood back to the realm of joy.

May I approach?’

“The eyes of Zeus opened with a callous glare,

but his body remained back in his lavish throne as he warned:

“‘If I were a Sun God,

and my powers were as limited as the Father of Gods’ is unbound,

I would not disturb that Father without the best of reasons.’

“Apollo smiled and braved a few steps farther into the room between flowing words:

“‘To cheer the Great Zeus is the purest of reasons!

Oloosson is where my small tale takes place, Great King.

Down amongst our most loyal of subjects did I wander,

my fleshy skin sagging and my bent back keeping me lowly.

With this disguise, I blended like wheat in a field,

but a stranger wandered,

salted beard upon his chin with youth still sharp in his shoulders,

and only with a hooked loaf of bread

and a dull sword around his waist.

A trip to the tip of Olympus was paramount within his heart,

despite the warnings I dropped at his feet,

and a meeting with you.’

“Zeus, the interested King, did ask:

“‘Does this man bring violence and blood against the Gods?’

“Apollo spoke swiftly with the rise of crackling air around him:

“‘Though my mind thought so,

he said, with black portals as eyes,

as I wandered away:

‘It is not of my choosing!

Another needs me to brave whatever punishment Zeus would seek!’’

“The King of Gold Armor stood from his throne.

His feet paced along the great stone rotunda as he spoke:

“‘These words he says so freely would turn most men against themselves,

and yet the eyes of my godly son could catch no lie in his.

I must speak to this man,

but to open the doors of Olympus to strange mortals would be unwise.

I will fly to him,

and hope that he has the cure for my ailing heart.’

“The ground of Earth soon felt the weight of Zeus’ human feet

smashing hard against the dried surface,

atop the seas of Poseidon,

who could feel the waters shifting as the continent sank slightly,

and weighted down into the pained shoulder of Atlas.

Dressed in the robes of man,

his golden armor stripped, his skin young and battle-ready,

his shoulders bearing no weight, and his voice with less thunder,

Zeus went forth. 

“As the guise containing Zeus approached the man, he did speak:

“‘To the man that does lean against the small home in the moonlight:

would you turn and present yourself?’

“The man smiled and turned, allowing Zeus to speak further:

“‘Your face is free of the sea’s salt,

but your eyes would be portals to Hades

if they were within the ground and not your noble head.

Where do your supplies lay?’

“Kaneis spoke with candor:

“‘Here is half of my original bread, and here is my dented sword.’

“Though the God-King was sure he was meeting the man from Apollo’s story,

he unleashed his cunning,

and attempted to deduce the man’s intentions:

“‘With so little supply, how would you hope to strike down the King of Gods?’

“Kaneis spoke with a mighty smile:

“‘The old man,

though proper with his words,

changes my intent.’

“Zeus pushed his clever act further:

“‘You do not seek to destroy the Golden God?’

“The man before the guised god spoke evenly:

“‘Destroy?

My dear stranger, who would ever want that death?

What man would blame the highest authority for our smallest trifles?

He is what allows us to be as we are,

and the death of him would mean the end of cool breezes

and warm fires alike.’”

“Zeus began weeping through his guise and fell to his knees:

“‘Blessings to the Man of Bread and Sword!

To these words that would touch even a God most gently!

Tell me, after you have blessed me with speech,

what you are after at the tip of Olympus.’

“Kaneis spoke slowly as Zeus stood again:

“‘I would seek an entrance to the Underworld

beyond the Boatman’s slow oar.’

“The masked king showed his shock with his voice:

“‘What reason would have you,

a man with such courage,

rushing towards death?

Men of your caliber are too short of supply

to run headlong into the darkest of pits.’

“The man of deepening thoughts spoke plainly:

“‘I would find my arms around the Kraken itself

if I could but find a way into the black realm

to fix an injustice that I cannot abide.

A man’s wife, trapped and concealed,

does depend upon my body matching the courage in my heart.’

“Zeus turned and whispered to himself:

“‘Cruelty has become the Lord of Darkness.’

“He turned back and spoke with intent:

“‘The King of Golden Valor does owe a favor to this village,

and could have your feet sifting through the ash of Hades in moments.

Would you accept such a favor?’

“Kaneis hid his excitement behind his black eyes:

“‘Would Zeus allow a mortal to enter such a realm so unnaturally?’

“Again Zeus found his knees upon the ground and his arms reaching for the heavens:

“‘Blessings be upon you!

To be loyal!

To be fierce with the thought of it!

Your heart is swollen with this creation,

and it must make Zeus proud!

Of course he would allow this.

But you do travel to Hades:

brother to the King.

Travelling without a plan of action would be your fall.’

“The Man of Nowhere smiled while straightening his sword,

and securing his bread:

“‘The wrong must be righted,

no matter the cost to be paid

and time will not stop for me to plan.’

“Zeus turned his head again and whispered guidance to Hermes,

whose swift shoes took up Kaneis with one moment,

and took him from the light.

Past the rowing Boatman they flew,

and over the wide and deep Styx.

The Man with Nothing was dropped inside the chasm

without a light about him in any direction.

From behind, he felt the heat of an ashen volcano

and could feel the breath of spoken word

as his nose swarmed in choking smoke:

“‘Who brings living flesh into the realm of Hades?’

“Without the use of his eyes, Kaneis shouted:

“‘I am called Kaneis,

who humbly enters your realm, Lord of Darkness,

in response to your delivered letter.’

“The darkness again uttered pure malice:

“‘So, it is the man that would send me no souls?

Who would dare to walk through bloody sand,

raise bloody flag,

but spill no blood?’

“Kaneis gathered his courage and spoke:

“‘I am a man that has spilled no blood,

and I cannot stand by while you keep an innocent woman.’

“Sharp flame with speech spouted from the void in front of him:

“‘Then your soul would be mine for hers?’

“Kaneis, sure that the darkness was alive, spouted bravery:

“‘I would not have come otherwise.’

“The Lord of Souls laughed from the pit of his belly before speaking:

“‘Perhaps my true intention will bring you dismay.

Though her feet will touch the land of Poseidon again,

it will only be if you can retrieve her from the deepest of my pits.

Where the grandest and longest of punishments hide; to Tartarus.’

“The man swallowed by darkness closed his eyes as he muttered:

“‘My heart sinks with mention of such a place.’

“Hades did point an unseen finger towards the endless ground:

“‘To convince her that the light of day is within her grasp is your task,

and to clear her heart of guilt,

so her path into the world will be without remorse.’

“Kaneis heard his mission and took it unto his courageous heart.

His feet suddenly descended to a flatter ground,

and a lit torch burned heavily from behind a tall gate

and a massive guard.

Campe;

a head of a woman sat atop a dragon’s body

and threatened with a never-ending scorpion’s tail.

The head flashed human eyes between golden locks.

The man approached the creature and spoke with a humble heart:

“‘Mighty Campe,

guard of monsters and men of Tartarus,

I have been sent by Hades

to retrieve a woman from captivity.

May I pass?’

“Though a glorious beauty flung from her eyes,

the body of Campe seemed primed for attack as she spoke:

“‘You will pass,

but know the rules of Tartarus:

what you seek will be at the farthest reaches of your mortal soul.’

“The Man of Nothing moved beyond the slow gate,

the hinges unmoved for more years than Kaneis could fathom.

As the gate closed without speed, beasts of tremendous power

clamored against their chains,