Chapter 30: Fallen Hero & Helen of Sparta, 1205 BCE

[Aphidna, near Athens, 1205 BCE]

As soon as I saw Theseus galloping his wagon across the city, I immediately gave chase. I dashed to him, probably breaking the roads as I dashed. My dash is probably so loud that the entire city could hear it. Naturally, Theseus could hear my dash too, he looked behind him, and I could see his face turn paler and paler.

Then, I did one final jump, the ground beneath me cracked, and I landed in front of the wagon, scaring the horses and making their ropes cut off, breaking them free.

"Hello Theseus, long time no see." I said, giving a mocking salute to him with a smile.

His face went from pale to purple in an instant. "Y-You!"

"Yeah, me." I nodded. "Who's that? Is this how you spend your time now? Kidnapping little girls?"

Theseus seemed to not care about my words. "You didn't age at all!" he shouted.

I raised my eyebrow. "I thought you should know by now that I'm an immortal?"

He then jumped from the broken wagon, and ran straight to me. He grabbed my clothes, seemingly desperate about something. "H-How can I be immortal?! As the king of Athens, I command you!"

I frowned. So he was looking for immortality huh… I grabbed his hands, and crushed it with my bare hands. As soon as I did that, he shrieked in pain, writhing on the ground.

"H-How dare you! I am king of this land!" he cursed.

"Oh how low you have fallen…" I murmured. I looked at the little girl who was crying on the wagon, she looked like she's in pain. I walked up to her, and I saw her face. She was gagged with a cloth, her face was so pale and her eyes were so red. Poor girl…

"You're okay now little girl…" I soothed the girl, caressing her hair. I untied her and ungagged her. But she kept crying, seemingly afraid of me. Perhaps it is natural, I just crushed Theseus's hands with my bare hands after all…

"G-Guards! Arrest this man right here!" Theseus desperately shouted, he crawled away from me frantically, afraid.

I didn't care that the guards were rushing towards me, instead, I looked towards the highest point of the city where the Domo was hidden, and I whispered:

"Are you okay with this Ajak? Sersi? Thena? This pathetic king ruled over the city you have built, and this man kidnapped a young girl for his selfish desire…"

No answer.

I sighed. "Fine, don't speak, just watch."

I cracked my neck and knuckles as Hydra possessed me. Its nine heads appeared from behind my back, as if I had grown more heads.

The guards who were rushing towards me suddenly stopped, afraid of what they saw.

"I am here to claim your king's debt, do not interrupt me." I said coldly to the guards. Surprisingly, they obliged. It seems Theseus have loyalty issues.

I then looked at Theseus, who was probably pissing himself. "It's time to claim the law of surprise Theseus. I don't know what surprise you got back then when you went home, but I'll just take this girl."

The little girl was now suddenly afraid again, she probably didn't know what I would do to her.

"No! Never!" shouted Theseus.

I raised my eyebrow. "No?"

"Y-You! You don't know how I felt when I went home! My father killed himself because of you! I have to endure that bitch because of you! Me, who is regarded as a hero-king, was now called a senile old man because of you!"

"Me? Why me?"

"I-... If only I was immortal like you, I could conquer all the known world!" he shouted. "I looked for a solution… that bitch didn't give me any heir, so I need to find a suitable bride for me, and Helen of Sparta, rumoured to be the daughter of Zeus, was the most suitable one for me!"

Oh, so this girl is Helen of Sparta? "Who are you to deserve a god's daughter?" I sneered.

"I am a hero! If only I was immortal like Herakles…"

"Herakles? You mean Gil?" I chuckled. But I quickly changed my expression to be a poker face. "And we both know you're not the true hero right here Theseus… your stories are merely a lie."

Theseus gulped loudly as he heard my words. "N-No… No! I would not give you the girl!"

"Then you know what will happen to you now, you broke our promise after all…"

"G-Guards! Arrest hi-"

Before he could speak any longer, a golden spear suddenly impaled him from the back, surprising the guards and myself.

"Yes, I suppose it's time to get rid of this man anyway." Suddenly a woman's voice sounded. The guards turned around, and saw a beautiful woman with a golden spear and shield in hand walking towards them.

"G-Goddess…" the guards whispered, but they were too afraid to even kneel, as I was still there with my hydra heads staring at them.

"Finally showing up huh?" I smirked. Looking at the goddess of war, Thena.

"You show up here after centuries and the first thing you do is make a mess?" said Thena sarcastically. "I should punish you right now."

"Please, it's your city, you can punish me as much as you want later, but for now, we need to take care of this." I pointed at the little girl that was pale as a ghost.

As soon as her gaze landed on the girl, her face softened. I unsummoned Hydra, and me and Thena walked to the girl, kneeling in front of her.

Thena caressed the girl's eyes, who was red because of the crying. "What is your name child?" she questioned softly.

"H-Helen…" The girl spoke softly, a bit afraid, but she calmed down a bit.

"Where are you from?" Thena questioned once again.

"S-Sparta…" again, the girl spoke softly, still sobbing.

"Let us take you home… Do you want to go home?"

"Y-Yes… I-I miss mother…"

When I heard that phrase, I was reminded of the scene of the battle field, where women and children were crying when they saw their deceased loved ones. Perhaps…

"Then let's go bring you home." smiled Thena.

"T-Truly? Y-You can bring me home?"

"Yes, I promise…" Thena then turned to me. "You will follow me as well Pluto."

"What about Ajak?" I questioned.

"That can wait, Ajak allowed it, the others will clean this up." she hummed. "For now, let's bring this child home."

I smiled, it's the same old Thena I guess. "Very well."