The Argonaut Expedition - (5)
In the dead of night, a red dragon rampaged through Colchis, setting the royal palace and the town ablaze.
No one could fathom why the dragon, once a guardian of the Golden Fleece, had turned against the people. But the soldiers summoned to stop the beast had no choice but to grit their teeth and raise their spears.
If not for the gifted sorceress, Princess Medea, they would have long seen Thanatos looming before them.
Then, unexpectedly, reinforcements arrived.
"Meleager! Aim for its eyes or mouth with your spear! Atalanta, you too!"
"Zetes, let’s take to the sky and distract it from above!"
"Is there no one else who can use magic?"
The heroes, each worth a hundred men, divided into groups to face the dragon. It was evident they had experience in such situations, moving in perfect coordination under the command of a man named Jason.
Yet, despite the heroes’ fierce assaults, the dragon bore no wounds. Its impenetrable scales remained intact, even against their relentless attacks.
This was no ordinary beast. It was as if they were mere moths flinging themselves against a divine power.
Then, his arrival changed the course of battle.
"Jason! There were many people trapped in the rubble, so I’m a bit late! We just need to kill that dragon, right?"
A man draped in a lion’s pelt, wielding a massive iron club and golden sword, towering over the others with a physique that made grown men look like children.
Though there were many imitators of the great hero Heracles even in Colchis, this man was different.
Until now, the dragon had been toying with them, rampaging wildly as if it had been playing all along. Their formations crumbled, and the soldiers shut their eyes tight in despair.
But then...
Boom!
"Wh-What?! He actually stopped it!"
"Who... who is that man?"
Unlike any other hero, he met the dragon’s claws with his iron club, avoiding the flames as he counterattacked. He wasn’t just holding his ground; he was matching the beast, blow for blow.
This was no mere pretender. The true Heracles stood before them.
Feelings of relief and hope surged anew, and some soldiers found their vision blurred with tears. In their line of sight, they saw Jason clasping his hands in prayer.
The great hero Heracles was mortal, not a god. But in this moment, he was closer to them than any deity.
Realizing this, the soldiers began to clasp their hands in prayer one by one.
"From this dreadful dragon... save Colchis."
Oh, my god.
Kraaaaa—!!!
As Heracles fought the fire-breathing dragon, exhilaration shone on his face.
Other humans were too weak. Even battles against fellow heroes felt lackluster. Monsters had their challenges, but none had truly tested him.
His duel with the goddess Megaera was more a sparring match, and his clash with Triton had been far too brief.
But this dragon was different.
Its fiery scales rivaled the strength of the waters of Styx that had fortified his own body.
The scorching flames and razor-sharp claws capable of wounding him.
It felt as if he were battling a god.
It was a worthy opponent.
"Haaah!!!"
Heracles abandoned his iron club, severed by the dragon’s claws, and clung to one of its wings. Despite the dragon's violent flapping in an attempt to shake him off, the great hero tore the entire wing apart.
Splrrrch!
Kraaaaaa!!!
The dragon screamed, writhing in agony as fire burst from its gaping maw, hitting Heracles directly. The intense heat seared his flesh.
"Hahaha! More! Give me more!"
But even in the face of searing pain, he laughed wildly.
Is this what they call a true match? So, this is the thrill Theseus spoke of, the joy of fighting a worthy monster!
Just like the Chimera that fought Bellerophon, or the Ismenian Dragon that Cadmus had slain... this beast, too, was a challenge placed before him.
Now, he tore off the dragon’s mangled left wing with his bare hands and began pummeling it, just as he had once seized the Nemean lion’s mane and battered it with raw, primal strength.
Wham! Crack!
A man charging at a dragon with his fists—an unbelievable sight. But what was even more astonishing was that the dragon was in pain, desperately trying to shake him off.
"Is he... insane?"
"Am... am I dreaming?"
"Oh, Zeus..."
Everyone stared in awe at Heracles, the soldiers, the greatest sorcerer in Greece, the heroes who had traveled alongside him, and even the leader of the Argonauts.
"Hahahahaha!"
Kraaaaa—!!!
A mortal clashing barehanded with a dragon—the pinnacle of all monsters.
His name was Heracles.
An overwhelming sense of exhilaration. Power surging within him, a sense of invincibility. He continued hammering away at the unyielding scales, tearing the remaining wing, crushing incoming claws with his fists...
Blood, he couldn’t even tell whose it was, streamed from his body, fierce and relentless.
Thwack—
Finally, wrenching off a sharp horn, he drove it deep into the dragon’s neck, and the apex creature slowly fell silent.
Thud!
"Oh my gods... he killed the dragon with his bare hands."
"...Is he a god?"
"Is the great hero Heracles truly a god?"
"Heracles! Are you alright? Asclepius, check on him...!"
"He’s covered in blood! But wait... there’s not a single scratch on him."
Standing atop the slain dragon’s head, Heracles looked down at the heroes rushing toward him, then realized what had happened.
He had fought with all his might, moved with all his strength, yet he was not tired at all.
It felt as if boundless energy flowed endlessly within him.
His vision sharpened. He understood what he could do, and what he had to do.
"Heracles. You... you seem... different."
"Jason."
"Uh... uh?"
"Thank you. I owe you."
Smiling at his friend, who clearly did not understand, Heracles took the golden sword he had received from Chrysaor and raised it high, slicing through the dragon’s neck.
"Woohoo! We did it!"
"Thank you! Oh, gods of Olympus!"
"Glory to Colchis! We protected our people!"
The dragon that had set the city ablaze was felled by a newly reborn god.
The battlefield was swiftly cleared.
The Golden Fleece, retrieved from the dragon’s stomach, was granted to the Argonauts. The people of Colchis willingly relinquished their claim, grateful for the heroes’ aid.
"My father perished in the dragon’s flames. My younger brother holds the throne, but... he and I have reached an agreement."
"My condolences on the passing of King Aeëtes."
"It’s alright. This was a calamity beyond anyone’s control... sniff."
Through the battle with the dragon, Jason and Princess Medea had fallen in love.
The union of the beautiful princess of Colchis and the heir to Iolcos was beneficial for both realms.
With Colchis’s royal family weakened by the dragon’s rampage, and Jason’s uncertain claim to the throne with Pelias unlikely to yield it willingly, their alliance was sealed swiftly by love and necessity.
"Jason. I understand the princess is beautiful, but maybe keep a bit of distance?"
"Ugh. I don’t even have a fiancée, and yet..."
"Hmph. Princess, are you really coming to Iolcos with us?"
"Is love an illness?"
"Well, we’ve secured the Golden Fleece, so this expedition is a success!"
Thus, amid the celebrations of the Colchian people, Princess Medea boarded the Argo.
With the princess of Colchis on board, the Argo sailed swiftly toward Iolcos. Any sea monsters in their path fled at the mere sight of Heracles.
"No way. Heracles..."
"I’ve never seen monsters run away like that."
"...Could it be?"
On the island of Crete, they encountered the bronze giant Talos. Crafted by Hephaestus, this giant would sink any approaching ships and kill any who dared draw near...
"One punch and... well, it is Heracles, after all."
"I had planned to use magic to put him to sleep..."
"Indeed, only the weak need to rely on tactics."
With Heracles’s single blow shattering every obstacle in their path, nothing could impede the expedition.
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They even returned to the island where Heracles’ attendant, Hylas, had gone missing.
"A nymph? Have you perhaps seen a handsome young man named Hylas on this island?"
"T-That... well...!"
"If you don’t speak up, I’ll sink this island whole."
"Eek...! I’m sorry! The elder sisters kidnapped him because they found him handsome..."
"This is the first time I’ve seen nymphs trembling like that."
"As expected... hmm."
They managed to rescue Hylas from the nymphs, who seemed too fearful to even meet Heracles’s gaze. Apparently, the island’s nymphs had kidnapped him out of infatuation.
"Thank you... I thought I was going to die."
"What exactly happened to you? You look so gaunt."
"His cheeks are hollowed... did they overwork him?"
"Why are your legs shaking...?"
After many experiences, the Argonauts finally set foot on solid ground once more.
They had returned to their starting point, Iolcos.