One With Nature

New Arc: Prologue

You really start appreciating the little things as time pass. Especially when you don't age.

I don't really know how much time passed. I just know it's long enough for Gilgamesh and Enkidu to be gone. I guess a good thing from leaving is that I didn't have to watch them die.

I know that's just me trying to ease my conscious. I've long accepted the passing of time and needing to keep move forward.

Thanks to a certain travelling monk that was searching for enlightenment.

But that's a story for another time.

Third POV: somewhere in the ocean.

"How long until we reach the next island, Medea?" Jason asked as he stirred the boat.

"Lord Jason, for the third time, it should be sometime tomorrow according to what my aunt told us," Medea sighed as her lover asked the same question again.

"Jason, calm down," Hercules said, patting his friend's shoulder. "Circe's instructions to sailors are known to be accurate. I'm sure we'll get there soon enough."

Jason bit his lip and groaned. "It's just that... we've been running a little low on supplies lately and Asclepius has been hounding me about running low on medicinal herbs. I just want to reach the next island so we can resupply," the leader of the Argonauts began looking around in panic. "Besides... wasn't this the area where they last saw Z-Z-Zeke headed?"

"The monster of the Gorgon sisters that challenged the gods and lived to tell about it," Medea mumbled while clutching her staff. "That... that is a cause for concern. I would like to avoid confronting that beast as well," she stated before turning to Greek's greatest hero. "Hercules, didn't your Ancestor face it?"

Hercules sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "All I know about the beast are stories. My Ancestors, Perseus, apparently managed to cause the beast to run away. But all he did was cut off one of its arms, and even then some of the legends I heard said he somehow got it back. From what I heard, it is a monster made of water, rock, and wood. At least that's what the stories I heard say."

"I don't wanna see that thing!" Jason cried out, his voice ringing across the entire ship. "I'll be happy to never ever see that thi-"

Just then, something large burst from the water. All the people on board the ship held tightly as it rocked back and forth before they went into battle positions. They saw that what appeared from the water was a large squid that was currently fighting... a being made of water.

The being made of water was holding the main body of the squid with one hand and reeling the other into a fist. The fist changed shape into a blade and the water monster thrust the blade forward, making it tear through the squid and come out the other way.

The large water monster pulled his fist back and it turned back to a clawed hand. The creature then turned to look at the Argonauts with glowing white eyes.

Medea jumped forward and waved her hand, creating a large magical protection circle in front of the ship where the monster was standing while Hercules and another crewmate, Atalante, pulled out their bows and fired an arrow each at the water monster.

However, the arrows simply passed through the monster's body while it just stood still.

"You know, I can just walk around that circle, right?" The creature suddenly said, motioning to the circle Medea created.

The whole area was filled with silence with the only sound being the waves of the water. "Y-Y-Y-You can talk!?" Jason shrieked from behind Hercules.

"Someone as ugly as you can, so what's stopping me?" The creature asked, causing a few on the ship to cover their mouths as a snort broke through them.

"You... You're Zeke, aren't you?" Another one of the Argonauts, Theseus, asked.

"Zeke?" The creature seemed confused before realisation struck him. "Ah, that's what they decided to call me in the Greek Pantheon, huh? Well, it's not so bad. You're more or less right."

Atalante gulped before asking the question on everyone's mind. "Are... are you here to attack us?"

"Why would I do that?" The creature, Zeke, asked with a raised eyebrow. "Here's a tip, if something can talk, it can probably be reasoned with," he said before his white eyes fell on Hercules. "You... you're Perseus' descendant?"

Hercules tensed and the entire crew prepared for battle. "That's right," he admitted with nod.

To their surprise, Zeke simply hummed. "You have his habit of keeping your hair messy," he stated before tilting his head. "What are you doing here?"

"We were just passing through," Hercules said, Jason still behind him.

"Oh, are you headed for the island in that direction?" The creature asked, pointing behind him with his thumb.

"Y-Yes," Jason came out from behind Hercules. "So, if this is all over. We'll just be on our way and-"

"Want me to give you a boost?" The creature asked.

"What?" Jason asked with a raised eyebrow. "What do you mean a 'boost'?"

"Just hold on to something, okay?" The creature raised his hand and the water around the ship began moving.

The crew immediately did as the creature asked as the water under the ship suddenly formed a wave that the ship surfed along with as it floated in the direction of the island. The cries of the crew can be heard from miles around.

First POV:

"Hmm... so those were the Argonauts, huh?" I mumbled to myself.

Would have been cool to talk to them longer. Especially Hercules. But, I didn't really want to put up with Jason or any other annoying member at the moment.

"Meh, maybe I'll get a chance to meet them again?" I shrugged off and went my way.

I was leaving Greece anyway. The Gorgons are safe for good, and my work here is done.