21 Strait of Messina

Eschios pov:

After arriving at Tiryns, I went to the castle and showed the dead body of Asterios to Eurystheus.

Seeing the dead body, Eurystheus' face paled, with the look of his fear increasing.

"G-get that away from me!"

"..... What's my next quest? Will the generous Lady Hera order me to kill a child again?"

Ignoring his demands, I asked him, indirectly mocking Hera a bit.

"..... She has ordered you to go and kill the two monsters at the Strait of Messina. Go and defeat Scylla and Charybdis! Don't bring their dead body this time! I have to get the floor to be cleaned up now..."

.....Kill two monsters? Isn't that basically two quests mashed up into one?

Well... I shouldn't expect that much from Hera, of all goddesses.

"Fine. But I'll decide if I want to bring the bodies or not. Remember that you're only the messenger of Hera to me, nothing more."

"Y-you..!"

Lifting the body of Asterios, I walked out of the castle.

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Finding the perfect place to bury the dead wasn't hard for a fast person like me.

After checking every place there was, I found the perfect hill to bury Asterios and got permission from the nymphs and spirits around the area to have his funeral.

I couldn't bury him where people could reach his body. Who knows what they're going to do to him, considering that he's a monster in their eyes?

After I and Buck finished digging, I carefully placed Asterios in the hole we dug.

Throwing flowers on top of him, I stared at his face, which wasn't set in pain or discomfort, but had an expression of happiness and relaxation.

As Buck threw the dirt back into the hole, I kept staring at Asterios until he was completely buried.

"...If I knew everything, could I have saved you?"

Could you have lived a life of happiness, Asterios? One that you deserved? One of glory and love?

What do I not know? What was hidden from the records? How do I find out about them?

I thought I knew everything.

But I didn't.

I have to find out about everything. The future. My future, others' future, everyone's future. So that I can prevent everything.

I have to know everything about it. I need the knowledge. I have to know... everything there is.

After placing a rose on the grave, I left the hill. In the hopes that he may be loved by someone even after he dies, I placed a rose, which symbolizes love.

May you be loved in the eternal dream of yours.

Sweet dreams, Asterios.

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Narrator pov:

As Buck arrived at the strait of Messina after flying for some time, Eschios saw the six long snake-like heads of the Scylla beside a crooked cliff.

The monster had six necks and heads, with the heads of giant dogs around its waist, and twelve serpent-like tails.

Close to it was a giant whirlpool, sucking up everything close to it. Charybdis.

Since Scylla was the one who could move on the surface, Eschios decided to take care of it first.

Nearing Scylla, Eschios called out to the monster.

"Hey, do you have a secret story that no one knows about except for the part where a goddess turned you into a monster?"

His question was answered by a loud... yelp.

It yelped.

Eschios suddenly remembered that Homer described the sound Scylla made as a yelp of a dog.

*pfft*

"It yelped... Oh my god, I'm going to laugh."

Unable to hold it in, Eschios began to laugh uncontrollably.

Angered by the insult, Scylla launched itself up toward Eschios and Buck, its sharp teeth ready to tear them apart.

Flying and swiftly dodging all of the attacks, Buck let out an annoyed sound.

"I'd ask you to be my mental support as a personal clown, but sadly you have to die!"

Eschios then jumped high up from Buck, whistling to signal the griffin.

Roaring loudly as an answer, Buck flew and charged straight at Scylla, using his claws to stab and slice its legs from its body.

Right after, Eschios rapidly fired eighteen arrows from his bow in the air, with three of each stabbing into the eyes and forehead of the heads of Scylla.

As the Scylla screamed in pain before dying, Eschios landed on a large rock and jumped to get on Buck. After landing on Buck, Eschios took out his remodeled spear, which now looked like a Javelin.

Feeling the blessing of impaling Apollo gave to all of his spears, Eschios got into a throwing position as Buck flew right above the giant whirlpool that Charybdis created.

"You're making it so easy to kill you... I even know where to find and kill you. Thanks."

Throwing his spear full-power to the center of the whirlpool, Eschios watched as the spear went deeper and deeper into the water without losing its speed until it hit Charybdis.

Being impaled from its mouth to its back, Charybdis writhed in pain before the impact tore its body apart, and part the sea in a circle-shape around its body parts.

After the sea covered the parted area again after Buck threw the body of Scylla in it, Eschios and Buck returned to Tyrins to get their third quest.

"This was an easy one. Much easier than... last time."

"Squak."

"Yeah, buddy, I hope the next one will be just like this. Easy and simple."

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Eschios pov:

After returning to Tyrins, I found out that Heracles was on his fifth quest already.

Damn it, I'm losing. I have to finish things quickly now.

I have to be on time with Heracles for his seventh quest, which is going to be about capturing the Cretan Bull.

He's Asterios' genetic father… but he's just a bull. I shouldn't save him or anything.

In order to stop the war that the Cretan bull would later cause, I must first stop Heracles from releasing it.

What was Heracles even thinking? Releasing the Bull on Athens isn't exactly a smart move.

My thoughts were interrupted by Buck, who whistled in high-pitch to me.

Swooping down near the ground, I could see it. The target for my third quest.

The Manticore.

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A/N: Eschios is now in thirst for knowledge and anxiety for the future.

By the way, after Eschios left Asterios' grave, it is said that a new type of flower was born named "Asteriah". It's a completely original flower made from this story, but I though that it'll be nice to add it.