"Are you serious, Zeus?" Labda exclaimed. "You know what he did to our queen."

"We murdered her in cold blood!" Katina roared in fury.

Zeus's voice sighed. "I know what he did, but I never ordered him to smite poor Hippolyta. No matter his guilt, you must bring him with you."

"But why?" Cilla asked.

"War is coming to Mount Olympus. The great mother of the Titans, Gaea, is building an army of Giants to attack our home. My family received a prophecy that only a mortal can save us. Heracles is mortal, but his godlike strength can match the Giants."

"Why can't you fight the Giants?" Roger asked.

"Gaea somehow gave her Giants antithesis powers to fight my family. They can all overpower us."

"I thought Gods are immortal."

Zeus cleared his throat. "Only beings from the cosmos can challenge us. If we lose, nothing will stop the Giants from conquering the Earth. All will be lost if Heracles doesn't join our conflict."

Roger barely remembered the Gigantomachy battle from school. He only knew it was an important myth from Greek history.

"Can we at least carry him unconscious?" Katina asked, grinning.

"My son must not be harmed, or you will never return to the future!"

"Why not send someone else to find your son?" Labda asked.

"I sent Athena to seek him out, but even she couldn't find him. When you do, I will summon Pegasus to fetch you. He can carry anyone through the sky."

Cilla clapped her hands, grinning. "Oh, boy! I always wanted to ride a flying horsy!"

Labda glared at Cilla and faced the statue. "Can you give us time to let us discuss this alone without you?"

The statue groaned. "Be quick. Time never waits."

After a thundering clap, Roger huddled with the women. "I think we should do what he asked."

Katina snarled at him. "Bullshit! I whether watch that murderer burn in Hades!"

"He is right," said Labda. "What choice do we have? If we allow the Giants to win, none of us will exist. We must help Heracles meet the Gods."

"But-"

"Don't be a fool, Katina! Do you understand what is at stake?"

Katina frowned, glaring at the floor. "I….. I just hate him!"

"So do I, but bringing him to the gods is the only way. Do you want to exist?"

Katina shut her eyes, growling through her lips.

Roger could see the frustration running all over her face. The thought of helping someone who murdered her queen must be painful. She has no choice, but the anger could drive her insane.

With a sigh, Roger took the beast woman’s hand and stroked her palm. All three of the heads turned toward him, although his eyes settled on Katina. "It's alright, Katina. I arrested many criminals who I believed should be killed. But as a cop, it was my job to bring them in. No matter what they did, I sucked in my grudge to do the right thing. I wouldn’t be here with you if I didn't obey the law."

Katina's face blushed as her eyes widened. It was the most adorable thing he has ever seen her do. Perhaps she had a soft spot inside her after all.

"Ooooooooo, Roger," Cilla moaned, blushing too.

Labda smiled passionately, admiring Roger’s touch. "I think we're all fluttered, Roger."

Roger smiled.

"Okay!" Katina slid her hand from Roger and rubbed her arm. "We'll help Heracles….. Geez! You're making me feel weird!"

Cilla and Labda laughed.

"Excellent!" Zeus's voice suddenly shouted. "You made the right decision!"

Katina pointed at the statue. "Were you listening to us?"

Zeus laughed. "I'm a god. I can't help it. You four will make excellent heroes for escorting my son. When you arrive, I will grant your request and stop Medusa."

"Do you know where he was last seen?" Labda asked.

Zeus hummed. "I only heard him leaving Lydia after serving three slave years to Omphale."

"Why?"

"He committed another murder. Serving as a slave was a reasonable punishment for him."

Katina laughed. "That makes me happy."

Damn, and I thought he was a hero, Roger thought.

"I believe he vanished at Djerba near the Tunisia coast," Zeus explained. "Be careful when you reach there. If I can't feel my son there, then something much worse is there."

The author's narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

Cilla shook her hand up. "Oh! Oh! Can you send Pegasus now? We can travel faster on his back!"

Zeus laughed joyfully. "I will send him immediately. You will need all the help I can give you, Cerberus."

Roger couldn't believe he will soon meet the Olympian Gods in person. How in the hell did he get so lucky?

*****

Near the coast, Medusa clambered up a stiff cliff, grabbing each knob and crack, ignoring her aching fingers. She could see a cavern high above, drawing her closer and closer.

By the time her hand touched the edge, she sighed and pulled herself into the dark coastal cave. She laid down, breathing hard as she glanced at the grey ceiling.

If she was a minotaur, she wouldn't feel weak climbing the damn cliff. The only strength she has was her stone-gazing power.

As she cuddled to rest, the cave quaked. Tiny stones sprinkled down, waking up her snake hair. She jumped onto her feet and glanced around. Each tremor felt like a giant stomp, meaning something big was coming.

After swimming and walking, I still couldn’t get any rest! Medusa peeked outside while avoiding the sunlight.

Two giant men marched through the water, approaching the shore. Not as tall as Cetus, but tall enough to climb over the stiff cliff. Probably about 50 feet tall. One has a black-bearded mane while his head and the other has a red-bearded mane. Both wore bronze Linothorax armor suits and wristbands on their muscled arms. The black-bearded one carried a thin golden spear that could tower over a mountain. And the red-bearded one has a black staff in the same length as his companion’s spear.

Medusa tumbled, although she flashed a small grin across her scaly face. She was both terrified and amazed at the sight of the Giants.

Many called them Earth-borns or Gigantes because they were the children of Gaea, the Earth mother of the Titans. Unlike their Titan relatives, the Giants were less tall than their enormous counterparts. They looked human, except they have golden talon feet and more muscle than any lesser man. Although less powerful than the Titans, the Giants could outmatch the gods if they got the chance.

As Medusa kneeled behind a rock near the opening, the Giants stopped and sat down on the beach.

The black-haired Giant scratched his rear. “How long must we wait to attack Olympus? We should strike now while the gods sat on their tails!”

“Patience, Enceladus. Gaea will give the order when the time will come,” said the red-haired Giant.

The black-haired Giant, Enceladus, glared at his relative. “Easy for you to say, Alcyoneus. All we do is sit and eat while the gods might be training to overpower us. How much longer must we wait? I am tired of scratching my ass here!”

“Our mother told us to wait.”

Enceladus shook his hands in the air. “Why!?”

Alcyoneus growled. “Do I need to repeat myself?”

“Yes!”

Alcyoneus scratched his yellow teeth with his dirty fingernail. He flicked something raw off his gums. “There is a prophecy of a mortal man who will defeat us in the coming battle against the gods."

Enceladus laughed. “Absurd! No mortal can harm us!”

Alcyoneus stirred his finger in the saltwater. "There is one mortal who has god strength. They called him Heracles, the son of Zeus."

"He has another son? How many children does he have?"

Alcyoneus grimaced. "I whether not count. If Heracles comes to the gods' aid, we will be swimming in the lava pits inside the Tartarus."

"Then we should find him and kill him now!"

"Gaea already sent assassins to hunt him. We, on the other hand, must stay put."

Enceladus pulled his hair while roaring in frustration. "I didn't come here to wait! I came here to fight!"

"I know, brother. We will soon." Alcyoneus stretched his arms up and cracked his back. "Let’s head back to camp. There is nothing around here."

"Good! I was growing bored anyway." Enceladus rose and brushed the sand off his leather armor skirt. He followed his brother across the bay and climbed over a cliff on the other side. They disappeared past a short mountain where Medusa could barely see.

She stood over the rock, smiling like she found gold. If what the Giants said was true, Medusa appeared in the time before the Gigantomachy War. The time when the Giants tried to conquer the gods.

Of course, the Giants failed. The Earth would have been different if they succeeded. However, this gave Medusa a clever idea.

If she could ally with the Giants, she could help them win the battle and finally face the gods who ruined her life. Athena and Poseidon.

The Giants will do all her work so she wouldn't return to the hot cage inside the Tartarus. Revenge was all she care about, but she needed something that could match the Gods' powers.

Killing Heracles will surely make them accept her. With Zeus's son gone, nothing will stand in her way.

If she wanted, she could turn the Giants into stone and use the scepter to transform them into her minions. But she must execute Heracles first before she could change the future to her liking.

She laughed, imagining the terror on the Gods' faces when she forces them to kneel before her. She will become a goddess, even if it means sacrificing the entire world. No matter the consequences, she preferred to live in a place where nobody could touch her without her consent.

Medusa picked up her scepter and climbed down the cliff. The Giants won't trust her without Heracles’s head. She must hunt him before the Giants attack Mount Olympus. So where could he be?

*****

Outside the temple of Zeus, a white horse with large feathered wings landed toward Roger and the three-headed beast woman. He was a beautiful tall stallion with white fur glittering like a marble stone. Hair gray as the clouds in the blue sky.

Pegasus faced the two and bowed his head. His large bird-like wings stretched out.

Cilla blushed. "Awwwwwww! He is cute! Let me pet him! Let me pet him!"

Labda smiled at her. "Go ahead."

Cilla chuckled and approached the winged horse. He stood almost as tall as Katina, Labda, and Cilla.

Cilla slowly rubbed her hand on the horse's head. He lowered his head, purring through his nostrils.

"He looks big enough to carry us," said Katina. "Should we hop on?"

Labda examined the horse. "He doesn't seem to mind."

The women climbed onto Pegasus. Their legs hung in front of his wings while the horse stood as if nothing heavy pushed him down. He must be super strong.

"Wow! Not bad!" Katina glanced around the horse.

"This is so exciting!" Cilla hollowed.

Labda chuckled. "I'm so glad we didn't break his back."

Roger gazed around the horse. He has seen illustrations and logos of Pegasus at his old home. Never in his life did he think the wing horse existed.

He approached the stallion and padded Pegasus's horse. "He….. is amazing."

"Come on, sweetie! Hop on!" Cilla exclaimed.

Roger stepped back to glance at her. "How? It looks like you have taken all the room."

Katina rolled her eyes. "Just ride on our back."

"Really?"

Katina shook her finger. "But no tickling! Flying is dangerous!"

Roger nodded. "Understood."

He placed Hades’s helmet on and picked up the bident. With his left arm raised, the women grabbed his hand and swung him to their back. He hugged their waist while the bident stood under his right arm. "I'm ready."

Labda gazed forward. "Now to Djerba we go!"