Page 7 of Hermes
Chapter 4
Cursesescapedmybreathas I made the long voyage to Mount Caucasus. Despite me now being able to fly with my winged sandals, the journey still proved to be long and tiresome. Things just couldn’t come so easily for me, could they? It was bad enough that I was working this hard to gain Zeus’ favoritism among his children, but having to endure these trials and tribulations just to garner an apology from Apollo was another added layer of annoyance.
After what seemed liked days of flying high above the vast plains and seas, I could finally make out rigid mountains in the distance. The closer I approached them, the denser the air became. Chilly breezes swept by me, sending a shiver down my spine. I could feel my chest begin to rise and fall at a deeper and much slower rate. It was becoming more difficult to breathe. There was absolutely no way a mortal would be able to survive these conditions.
Luckily for Prometheus, he was a former titan god. And I’m sure the frigid atmosphere did nothing to affect him, for he was the titanic God of fire, after all. So why was this once mighty and powerful titan now bound to the side of a cliff by steel chains in the middle of nowhere for an eternity?
Well, my father can be thanked for that one. Being the former God of fire, Prometheus thought it would be righteous of him to supply fire to the mortals. Now that mankind possessed fire and learned how to harness it in other ways, their advancements in weapons and other means allowed them to evolve rather quickly. Zeus saw this as a threat and disdained the idea of humans gaining any sort of power. The fact that another god was the reason behind their growth and flourishment was committing treason in the eyes of my father. And thus, he punished Prometheus for committing this crime. The consequence being that Prometheus would be chained to Mount Caucasus for an eternity.
And so, here I was, now venturing to visit this fallen god in an attempt to get him to divulge a secret to me that also was a detriment to the King of the Gods. I hadn’t fully planned how I would get him to disclose this information to me, but I was more determined to get it out of him no matter how extreme the lengths. It was my duty to impress my father and to best Apollo. This was my big break. My one chance to stand out and be recognized as a god that was a force to be reckoned with. I couldn’t mess this up. It would make me lose all credibility. There would be no way I would leave this mountainous region without getting an answer from Prometheus. I was that determined and steadfast.
Although the mountains of Caucasus were vast, with many slopes and precipices, I knew exactly where I needed to go. Call it the intuition of a god, or maybe just common sense, rather, to assume that a man chained to a mountain would likely be at the tallest point. And thus, my flapping sandals carried me to the highest peak. I circled its apex, my eyes squinting to get a better scan on my surroundings. It wasn’t until I lowered myself and passed through a small enclave that I could hear heavy heaves and grunts coming from around the corner.
As I rounded the cliff, I found what, or rather,who, I had come here for. There he was, Prometheus. My eyes bulged with astonishment. For a man who was trapped against the side of a cliff for many years, he still looked healthy, fresh, and dare I say handsome? I was expecting to find the fallen god that I had imagined all this time, one who was malnourished and thin with a lengthy, unkempt beard and dirty hair. But this figure before me was a brute. He reeked of strength and vitality. His muscles were flawlessly thick and toned. His body was somehow clean without any trace of dirt or any visible cuts, wounds, or blood in sight. How was this man still able to stand even all these years later? Personally, I’d rather die and suffer in the Underworld than have to remain trapped on the side of a cliff, with nothing but sheer infinite boredom being a far greater punishment.
Prometheus must not have heard my steps as I approached him, for he remained facing the opposite direction of me. He tugged at the restraints with all his might, still holding out for hope that he could free himself from this permanent captivity.
I couldn’t help but snicker at his expense. One would think that after trying to escape from here for hundreds of years, he would have given up fighting against his fate. But not Prometheus. The hard-headed god continued to try and rip the chains from the cliff, knowing what the inevitable end result would always be. The poor simpleton. He was a bigger idiot than I even realized. Maybe prying who the rebel was against Zeus out from him would prove to be much easier than I had anticipated, if Prometheus was, in fact, this demented.
Suddenly, the titan spun around, hearing the sudden chuckle that was escaping my mouth. “You!?” He raised his arm as far as his constraints would allow him, pointing a callused finger directly at me. “Who are you? What are you doing here?”
His response elicited a heavy eye roll from me. “Let’s figure this one out together, shall we? I’ll even help you out here a little,” I sarcastically stated, rubbing my chin vigorously as if deep in thought. “I’m a male. And I managed to somehow travel to the top of this mountain here to find you. Clearly, if I were a mortal, then I would be dead on the slopes down there, the vultures probably already feasting on my decayed flesh by now.”
“So, does that make you a god, then?” he inquired.
I revealed a smirk. “There you go! I knew you had it in you. See? That wasn’t so hard, was it?”
“Hmph!” Prometheus groaned, growing more and more irritated by my condescendence. “You’ve come all this way just to make a mockery of me, then?”
I shook my head. “Not in the slightest bit. I have come with a proposition.”
“A proposition!? One that will get me out of these chains?” the former God of fire asked with more enthusiasm.
“Not quite that,” I replied, crushing his high-spirits before I continued. “I’ve come here on behalf of Zeus…”
Prometheus spit at the ground at the mention of the King of the Gods, interrupting my explanation. “Well, you can forget about your proposition. I want nothing to do with that tyrant. Don’t even bother uttering a single word about him or anything he has to say.”
The stubborn fool!
He was in no predicament to shun me or anything I had to offer, for I was the one wielding the power between us and I would make him realize it and cave in to me.
“I would think twice before choosing to ignore me,” I warned him. “Because it will only hurt you in the end.”
“Really? And what more could you possibly do to me if I don’t abide by your rules?” Prometheus asked.
“Far worse. If I walk away without having gotten what I came here for, a more terrible fate awaits you. Not only will you remain chained to this cliff for the rest of eternity, but you will further suffer by being the newfound prey of a predatory eagle.”
“You wouldn’t…” Prometheus trailed off, sounding as if he were in disbelief.
“Oh, but I will. Every day, an eagle will descend upon you and tear your flesh apart into rags, feasting upon your liver.” I laughed demonically once I revealed this to him.
“So cruel. You Olympian gods are barbaric,” he remarked.
“I wouldn’t go that far. But again, this can all be avoided if you just hear what I have to say.”
Prometheus tilted his head to the side, refusing to look at me. The sun reflected off of his beautifully carved face magnificently. I could see the veins protruding from his thick neck as he remained turned. I could feel my groin become excited the longer I glanced at him, being able to admire more of his body as I scrutinized him closely. He was truly a captivating man, but I had to brush these lustful feelings to the side. I needed to maintain the utmost focus. So much was riding on the line here.
His head then sank as he lowered it to face the ground, releasing a heavy sigh in defeat. “Tell me, then. What is it you are proposing?” Prometheus stated, while gritting his teeth.
