As we know the witching hour is 3 am to 4 am. So it shouldn't have been all that surprising what happened 3 pm on September 7, 1251 BC. This story starts a few hours earlier, when a legendary figure was born.
In Thebes, a young mother, Alcmena was writing in pain. She knew her labor would be painful, but she didn't know it would this painful. Hera was most definitely upset that she was going bear her husband, Zeus another child. She felt like her insides were ripping open. She had thought she would go into labor soon, but her children wouldn't come out. Alcmena knew it was probably Hera trying to not allow her to give birth to Zeus's child. It felt like hours had passed before she was finally able to give birth to her child. She named Zeus' child Alcides and her, husband's, Amphitryon, Iphicles. Alcmena knew Alcides was special. He would have to have something of his father.
In the Oracle's cave, Tiresias, had a vision. He saw death walking, a special child, a plage, a savior, darkness. He didn't know what it meant, but he knew who the child was. He understood that something terrible was coming and the child must survive.
At the same time, a young sorceress, Mira, had the same image. Except she had a curse that allowed her to see the future in very clear detail. The child, he was familiar. But from where? Now she remembered. His parents used Tiresias' visions. He was so unreliable. He could only give bits and pieces of information. Yet, everyone went to him. They never came to Mira. Mira sighed, this was not a time for envy. The world was at stake here. Mira called upon a wind spirit and asked him to deliver a message. Once Hercules was born, he and his mother had to leave. She didn't need Hercules having double memories. That would mess up the entire time web. Mira quickly gathered her staff, Ruby Mirror, and her Future Mirror. She then opened a portal to her Iron lair.
~~~~~~
Hercules had just entered the cave that led to the Underworld. He was a slight bit relieved, but at the same time a bit nervous. He was almost done repenting for his sins, but at the same time, he was about to embark on his most dangerous task and may die.
He continued down the path, meeting many people and creatures. Some fought him and were in turn killed. Others were friendly and gave him no trouble. Some paid him no mind. He continued going down when he reached a dead end. No, he looked closer and saw a door in the stone wall. Was this the entrance to the Underworld? Hercules opened the door, expecting to find the dead and ghosts that was the Underworld.
Instead he was greeted with a beautiful woman. She was sitting on small pillow, her long hair wrapped around the base. She was sitting so still that Hercules thought she was dead. Then she spoke. "Come, sit my dear," her voice was airy and magical. Hercules sat, thoughts of his current quest struggling to stay his main focus. He was so entranced by this women.
"Hercules, you must save yourself."
What? Hercules was confused. Was she saying that he would die trying to complete his next task?
"I need you to walk through this mirror and defeat the great peril that stands there," there was a slight sense of urgency in her voice, but her calm and cool demeanor stuck.
"Walk through a mirror! You must be insane!" Hercules erupted.
The woman, unfazed by his words raised her staff and spoke, "Ruby Mirror, open for my companion and I." Her words produced a slight red tint that the mirror absorbed. The mirror shimmered and the woman stood and pulled Hercules along with her. She was surprisingly strong.
Hercules was being dragged by a women whose hair probably doubled her weight. He was very embarrassed that she had enough strength to drag him. He just had to ask, maybe there was a reasonable explanation that wouldn't hurt his pride as much. "How-," he was cut off by the woman.
"You're surprisingly very light," she commented. Way to hurt my pride even more. She had more to say.
"My name's Mira, more commonly known as the Ice Witch.. I'm a sorceress and seer. I'm taking you back in time to when you were born. Your newborn self is in danger and you are an important person so cannot die like this."
'This woman is hurting my pride then she's boosting my ego,' thought Hercules. Still, Hercules was beaming at the compliment. "Okay. So what do I have to do? What is the great danger that I have to defeat?"
"As much as I wish to tell you, I fear you will think I'm mad if I do tell you. It's better for you to find out yourself. I can only prepare as best I can," Mira explained.
So for the next hour, Mira helped Hercules prepare for his great task ahead of him. She gave him weapons and charms. She gave him information about them without saying what they were. Mira gave Hercules a slight makeover so he would be disguised.
"You must now go. The events that set forth the disaster to occur begins soon," Mira said, kicking Hercules out of the cave.
~~~~~
After her long and difficult labor, Alcmena called for her servants to help her with the children. She was tired and all she wanted to do was sleep. But, alas, things are never how you wish. A young messenger boy was sent up to her room. "Tiresias has received a vision and says that you must leave your home and take your children, to the Ice Witch's cave"
"The Ice Witch's cave? Why?" Alcmena tiredly asks.
"She can be trusted. Tiresias says there is a great danger coming and that you need to survive it," a sense of urgency entered the boy's voice.
Tiresias has never been wrong before. He has been a valuable asset for many generations. Alcmena dragged herself up and called for her children. She made the servants pack a couple bags for them and brought a couple with her. The messenger boy brought them to a carriage and took them to the Ice Witch.
"Welcome, I'm the Ice Witch or Mira," a sweet, magical voice said from the cave entrance, "Come, make yourselves at home."
The boy was getting ready to leave when Mira called to him. "James, come back here! It's too dangerous to make the trip back."
"Ah, it's no hassle. I can go," James protested. Mira glared at him and James obeyed her wishes.
~~~~~
When Hercules stepped out of the cave, he saw that it was morning. The sun was shining brightly overhead. It looked like a beautiful day, but Hercules knew there was some catastrophe on its way. He heard the sound of hooves clomping up the path, towards Mira's cave. Hercules quickly slipped out of view and watched as some women and two infants got out of the carriage driven by a young boy. He recognized one of the woman as his mother. 'So this is how they'll stay out of danger,' thought Hercules.
Once he determined there was no danger, Hercules began heading back to the city. As he got closer to the city, something odd started to occur. Hercules was sure it was only mid-day, but the the sky was darkening as if it were night. This was only the beginning of the disaster.
Once Hercules reached the city, the sky was completely dark. He looked for the guards at the gate, but found none. 'Strange.' The city took guarding the gates very seriously. He entered the city to find that the streets were completely deserted. Where was everyone?
Hercules decided to knock on one the doors. Then he heard thumping and a scream. He looked every which way but found no signs of where the sound came from. He went along the street, knocking on the doors. He was just about to leave and try somewhere else, when he heard footsteps behind the door. It opened a crack, then just enough for him to enter as the man at the door ushered him inside.
The man led him down to an underground cellar. "Where's everyone?" Hercules had to ask. He got no answer and a warning to stay quiet. The man took a seat at a table and motioned Hercules to the other side. Hercules saw that there was pieces of parchment, ink and a feather pen. The man took the paper and quickly wrote. 'My name is Movsar. We cannot speak. Our enemies are very sensitive to sound.'
'My name is Alec,' Mira had said a fake name would be better for anonymity, 'where are our enemies and where are they?' Hercules asked
Instead of answering, Movsar led him back out of the house. They headed toward the graveyard. Mosvar took a delicately, intricate backway to the graveyard. From their vantage point they could see the graveyard but know one would see them. Hercules couldn't believe his eyes and if he hadn't seen it he wouldn't have believed it. There were corpses climbing out of their graves. Hercules watched for a while. The corpses were mindlessly wandering the graveyard. 'How is this possible? They're dead.' This scene confused Hercules very much. A young man appeared out of the nearby farmhouse. He was immediately spotted. The corpses rushed to him, burying him under them. The man's scream only brought more corpses. After a few minutes, the corpses stood and began their aimless wandering.
Hercules stood, he had seen enough and had more questions to ask. Mosvar led them back. Hercules took the parchment and wrote, 'What are those things? How is this possible?'
Mosvar answered shortly. 'I'm not sure exactly. As you saw they came out of the ground. They are the dead of the city. As to how this is possible, I don't know. But I think Hades is mad and is punishing us.'
Hercules took this information in. It was normal for Hades to get mad, but mindlessly, wandering corpses who eat people didn't sound like his kind of punishment. Hercules asked the question he was wondering for a while. 'Where are the people?'
Mosvar's face became somber. 'When those corpses first arrived, many were killed. Others turned into one of them. The remaining, like me, went into hiding.'
Hercules gasped. They were all killed. Who would be affected if he destroyed the corpses?
As if reading his mind, Mosvar wrote, 'There are more of us than you think. Now if I understood the seer correctly, you are the one who will defeat those monsters?'
'Yes, I am. What seer did you meet?'
'A man named Tiresias.'
So for the next hour, they spent planning how to defeat these monsters. Hercules gave knowledge of the corpses and the item that he carried.
~~~~~
The plan was set. Now to put it into motion. Hercules walked into the graveyard. There were corpses on him in seconds. They all finished as came closer. His body was radiating heat. He pulled out a charm and recited the incantation. A burst of light engulfed the graveyard, lighting the for miles. The corpse were shrieking. As quickly as it came, the light left. Hercules then used another charm and Greek fire came spewing from all directions. The corpses burned to dust. Before the fire could touch the ground, Hercule used one last charm and he doused it in water.
There were limbs that hadn't been burnt scattered. The plan had turned out successful.
The sun was shining brightly overhead. It was going to be a beautiful day.
END
This was written for the #HistFicZFic contest.
Tell me what you think in the comments.
~KC~