Years after the tragic event, Wingo and Orio trained on the outskirts of Athens where they planned to be far from the temples of the gods. Selas worked in Athens as an hostess in an inn, while Haidee traveled to different towns to work as a helper to farmers in exchange for food as she gets back home.
“Wingo” a disembodied voice called out to him in the darkness. Wingo searched for the direction of the voice in the darkness, he struggles searching for it, looking back and forth
“Wingo, the gods will fall by your hands” the voice once again spoke, then wind came, it was a chilly wind it blew as the voice spoke. Wingo tried to speak but not even his mouth could open, the wind became even stronger as he tried to run towards the voice
“We will see each other soon” then he was thrown afar by the wind and waken him from slumber. He awoke on his bed made out of the different fruit tree leaves, it was the dawn of a new day. The rays of the sun busted through the windows of his home.
He went out of his home and rode on his horse and galloped into the wilderness. His eyes were tired but he was eager to learn about the call, he rested at the riverbed and just gazed at the tallest mountain of Greece, where the gods preside, Mount Olympus.
Wingo went home by noon as he was carrying a deer at the trunk of his horse, he saw Orio chopping wood and Selas pouring a basket of grapes to a wine basket to crush it later on. He searches for Haidee, but it seems that she has not went home from her journey yet.
“You are finally back, Wingo” Orio greeted him as he wipes his sweat from his forehead, “it seems like we will have venison for dinner”
Wingo nodded to his greeting and stepped down from his horse. He took the deer inside to butcher it. Nyx came and it was peaceful; as the wind blew gently, the sky covered with bright lights, and the house was surrounded by the noise of the frogs and the insects. They dined around the fire they had made from the wood that Orio chopped that noon, then the bushes rustled and the sound of the moist dirt being squished, moderately. Selas hurriedly ran inside the shack to hide from the stranger, as the two withdrew their weapons and hide behind the pine trees beside their shack. Then a shadow emerged from the darkness, it was riding a horse and the shadowy figure had a lengthy hair reaching up to its back.
“Do not be afraid, it is I, Haidee” the pitchy voice excited the three and ran out of their hiding spots to greet their friend who has not come home since the last summer. Wingo gazed at her for as long as she was sitting atop the horse, that shared her beauty. She has changed in form ever since they parted ways; she has now a much bigger bust on her chest, her hair grew as long as Wingo’s arm length, her skin became as soft as a babe’s body, and her eyes glistened as the color of the ocean. He was awestruck, he saw her gentle nature developed as she was away from home, his eyes spoke the words of beauty towards her with the love that he has for her, even the goddess of beauty will envy them.
“What took you longer than before Haidee?” Selas asked as she helped her step down from the white horse, Haidee gazed at her and smiled
“A lot of things happened” she replied, “I will tell all of it as we share our experiences by the fire”
They sat beside each other by the fire and told all of their experiences and she told her experiences as well while she was away. They shared their memories while they were still young, honoring their lost family members and resolve against the gods. They talked their hearts out until they all slept on the dirt, the fire died out at midnight and it was silent.
Night after night, Wingo experienced the same dream over again but it spoke in different voices every night; some sounded like it was Leon and some sounded as if there was a crowd calling out to him. Every day he would ride out to the riverbed that had an open view towards the mountain where the gods preside and with every night that passes he slowly was able to withstand the wind that the voices spoke with.
Time passed as Wingo and Orio trained harder for their battle against the gods, within their mind they knew they were righteous and strong enough to battle the gods who left them when they suffered from the loss of their family members, Haidee would always tell how insane they are to battle the gods who have taken in ambrosia and became immortals. Wingo and Orio did not waver from their resolve against the gods, especially Heracles who did not save them when their brother, Kyra, and sister, Juno, was struck by the spirits. Even with the scars and wounds they gain after battling hundreds of wolves and harpies that would hunt for the lost mortals around the forest where Wingo and the others lived, they were tireless and never broke from their routine, they even made killing wolves a game.
“How long has it been since we we’re still Kyprus?” Orio asked, as he and Wingo patrolled around the forest
“It had been almost 25 winters” Wingo replied
“Days have been passing faster than before hasn’t it, brother?” he asked as he tried to reminisce those days that have passed, he remembered the days when he only started to fall in love with Selas, whom has denied his love but appreciates it ever since they were still young, he was still a child back then but until now he still believes that he can finally take her as his spouse someday, he continues to try to impress her with the talent he has and as always it ends.
“I guess so”
Wingo also reminisced his childhood days, when he would shut out every other girl that approaches him and always tried to impress Haidee, whom he loved ever since she saved him from his parents that would abuse his talents and use it for gaining money, they would even whip him whenever he tries to take a break from playing the lyre and fighting wild boars for the spectator’s entertainment, she also brought him to Leon’s care after she rescued him from the abusers.
It made him break a tear as he would recall those days when Heracles would pass by their town and meet with the townsmen, he remembered when he was carried by Heracles towards Mount Aetna riding a white horse. Orio and the other children envied him that day, but they all got to spend their time with the demi-god until he took in the ambrosia and was taken into Olympus leaving all of the mortals Heracles was acquainted with.
The patrol was cut short when they a load growl towards the direction of their home, their eyes widened and without hesitation they ran as fast as they can towards their home. The hit branches and thick leaves as they charged ahead, breaking even tall pine trees and some of the fruit trees they passed along.
As they were near, they hear the sound of a woman screeching for help, they believed it to be Selas as she was more of a kitten than Haidee who had the brawn as a child. They reached their home and instantly saw a one-eyed giant hanging Selas above its mouth to eat her whole.
“Not today, I will not lose another family member!” Orio shouted, immediately he withdrew his bow and arrow and aimed his shot towards the eye of the giant. He released the arrow and it flew towards the eye of the cyclops, but it was smarter than he thought, it blocked the arrow with its other hand and immediately threw Selas towards the direction of Haidee.
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Wingo sensed the action and ran as fast as the merchant god can, he jumped towards the trajectory of Selas, as she screamed in fear, and caught her by a hair’s breadth. Wingo’s eyes seemed as if there was fire on it, his heart pumped faster than before and his body weighed like a feather, he gently placed down the traumatized Selas and stood up, facing towards its direction.
“Stay away of our home!” his voice changed into a gruffly tone and as he spoke the winds blew hard at the direction of the cyclops pushing it back ten steps away from their home.
The cyclops growled in anger, it grabbed a pine tree and forcefully took it out from the ground, creating a crater that could fit a home, it threw the uprooted tree towards Orio, he then rolled out of the trajectory of the tree. Orio shot multiple arrows at the cyclops hoping that one of it hits its eye. The cyclops dodged the attack by charging towards Wingo, but Orio sensed its movement and shot an arrow with a rope towards Wingo, he grabs the arrow and threw it towards the leg of the cyclops. Wingo’s throw was fast enough to even let the cyclops topple to the ground, Orio then took this chance and ran towards the back of the cyclops.
“This is for throwing Selas!” Orio angrily stabbed the fallen cyclops on its nape, but it had no effect on the giant, it hastily stood up from the attack and tried to pick off Orio from its back; however, it could not reach its back because of its bulky nature.
Orio climbed towards the tip of the giant’s head, as he stabbed it as he climbed the cyclops tried to shake him off while hitting the trees around it. Eventually, Orio reached its’ tip and took out his dagger.
“To the pits of Tartarus you go!” he then stabbed the eye of the cyclops, it then groaned loudly in pain, it tried to tear off the dagger from its’ eye but Orio once more stabbed the cyclops in the eye with his sword.
The cyclops groaned in pain again, this time it tried to rush towards the direction of Wingo while smashing randomly at the ground, as it almost smashed Wingo, he then clenched his fist so hard that blood came out of his hand. He lifted his fist and punched it directly at the stomach area, the punch was strong enough that it created a hole in the cyclops’ stomach; it was the size of Wingo’s fist. The giant stopped moving and stepped backwards, Orio immediately took off from the cyclops, it breathed its’ last groan and fell to the ground on its’ back. The ground shook right after it fell.
Orio ran towards Selas and tried to comfort her with all his best, but the shock on her face, it spoke out her fear when she was grabbed and thrown by the dead giant, he hugged Selas and carried her into their home. Wingo finally cooled off from the heat of the battle and faced towards Haidee, he saw her face who was also in shock; but not because of the cyclops, but because of Wingo’s punch that created a hole inside its’ stomach. He smiled at her, trying to tell her it is alright now, but in an instant he fell on the floor on his back, Haidee shouted out his name in fear and ran towards him. When she finally reached him, he saw his eyes were closed and his hand was dripping even more blood, she lifted his head and rested it on his lap. She wept in panic, thinking she was going to lose the man whom she rescued when she was still young.
“Wingo, do not die on me, please!” She begged for his dear life as her tears dripped on his face. He could barely hear her, as her voice was starting to fade and it sounded like it was from a distance, he then lost consciousness and could only see darkness around him.
“You have been chosen to destroy them” once again Wingo heard the voice from his dreams, as for this time it was as if the ocean spoke to him. He braced himself for the oncoming wind but nothing came, he was now able to open his mouth, but no sound came out of it.
“The fire that will burn the lightning” the oceanic voice spoke to him once again and it faded back into the darkness, like how the waves of the sea does when it hits the seabed and pulls back into the sea.
“Who are you?” Wingo awoke from his bed shouting out the question, he was sweating furiously and was moving hastily around his bed. He looked at his hand and saw a leaf covering his right hand, he noticed that the ray of the sun illuminated his shack. He stood from his bed and walked outside his shack, then he saw Orio running towards him as he heard him shouting.
“What happened, brother?” Orio breathed heavily as stopped in front of him “did you have another nightmare?”
“How long was I gone?” he asked
“You were asleep for no more than 3 nights’ brother” Orio replied
Wingo remembered that Haidee was almost hit by Selas when the cyclops threw it at her. He ran towards the shack that she presided in to check if she is still alive.
“Haidee, are you here?” He asked as he burst open the wooden door of her shack, but she was not there.
“Brother, Haidee left to gain more money for us” Orio shouted, Wingo stepped outside and paced towards Orio.
“When did she leave, brother?” He asked in curiosity
“She left with Selas just a night ago” Orio replied, “she said, she was going out to fetch us some money while tending to the traumatized Selas”
Wingo sighed in relief as he heard those words, he grinned in joy and embraced Orio immediately.
“What is this about now?” Orio asked as he chuckled seeing his friend’s childish behavior.
“I am glad we were able to save them this time” Wingo replied in joy
Orio returned his embrace and shed a tear in relief of their accomplishment which was only four days ago. They took their time and drank the wine that Selas made for them before.
“Something bothers me brother” Orio seemed like he was too curious about what happened before, he felt uncomfortable to ask him but he gazed at Wingo’s eyes directly.
“What is bothering you?” Wingo replied
“How were you able to punch a hole inside a cyclops?” he asked in reply, Wingo was also bothered by the question, he could not recall punching a cyclops head on
“I do not actually know how I did it” Wingo was skeptical about the question
“Your voice even changed when you spoke right after saving Selas and it was as if the wind was following your voice” Orio explained to Wingo everything that had happened during their battle with the giant. Wingo was bewildered by the story Orio spoke to him.
“I could only recall my heart beating faster, my body was as light as a feather and my body was boiling hot” he tried to explain his side also, but Orio still could not understand how Wingo was able to punch a hole inside the cyclops. Orio looked at him and remembered what the people of Kyprus and Spartacus ‘The Son of Apollo’, he knelt down in front of Wingo and praised him. Wingo was shocked by the actions of Orio and immediately grabbed him to make him stand
“I am no god that you would kneel down and praise to me, Orio!” Wingo scolded him and cleaned the dirt from the knees of Orio
“They called you ‘The Son of Apollo’, and everything that has occurred must tell the truth that you are a son of a god” Orio gazed at him intently and continued to speak about the prophecies of Apollo’s children. Wingo slapped him hard enough that he fell to the ground, Orio immediately looked back at Wingo and saw the disgust in his eyes
“Wingo, I apologize for my behavior” he stood up and bowed to Wingo, this was no sign of worship but it was a sign of respect to his brother
“Brother, you are forgiven, but next time make sure you do not speak to me like I am a god” he said, “I am a mortal, only a god would treat us mortals like we are tools for their entertainment” Orio nodded to his words and embraced Wingo out of joy
“Today, we must venture out to Delphi and ask the oracle about me” Wingo suggested to Orio, as he returned his embrace
“We must venture immediately; the women might come home before us” Wingo nodded to Orio’s agreement and they packed their needs for their journey and left for Delphi.
Another lightning was struck nearby Mount Olympus; it seemed a storm was brewing soon.