Scroll of a Hero�s companion
I was horrified when my father told me where he was sending. Not really where, but who with made me stop in my tracks. I shouted my displeasure and gaped at my father, thinking him mad.
�You can learn a lot from your uncle,� he said. �Herakles is strong and brave.�
�He�s a buffoon!� I declared. My father continued to rant and sing praises of his supposedly immortal half-brother. I did not listen for it was the same talk every time. How great he was for his courageous feats of evil bestiary and deceitful kings.
I seemed to be the only one that understood the true Herakles. He is as I said before, a buffoon. And now, here I am, far from home trapped with this temperamental animal. So I have decided to write on a scroll to have conversation of some intelligence, even if it is one sided. All Uncle ever wants to talk about are his great deeds and the beautiful women he�s met.
Great ole� Uncle Herakles had been in a vengeful drunken stupor and �accidentally� killed Eurystheus� wife and children. I think someone paid him to do it, but at any rate when he sobered up he felt a little guilty. Being locked up by the Kings guards of course had nothing to do with his sudden empathy; so he was given a heavy penance, even for someone of his courage and strength.
The King of Tiryns gave him twelve tasks to complete. First off, he had to defeat the Nemean Lion, a beast with skin so tough no weapon could pierce it. We found him very easily, and I gave Uncle the idea of beating the lion to death with a massive club. After killing the Lion he used its own claws to skin the creature. Of course, Uncle Herakles takes it too far and decides to wear the skin without cleaning it first, being rather barbaric if you ask me. It began to stink after a few days and he finally scrubbed it and packed it away to give to King Eurystheus after we completed the other feats.
Next, he has to kill the Lernean Hydra. We are on our way there now. This creature is said to have nine heads. And when you attempt to cut one of the heads off two grow in its place. I am very excited about seeing this beast. Of course Uncle Herakles thinks it will be easy, but I�m not so sure. Wits may be necessary for this task, something my Uncle is not the best at.
Yesterday started as any other day when on a journey. We awoke and I made a basic breakfast of hardboiled eggs, half-stale bread, and an apple each. My Uncle told me about how he had saved a village from a giant, embellishing a bit I�m sure. Finally we started our days walk and realized we were finally at the den of the horrid creature, the Lernean Hydra.
My Uncle, being stupidly heroic began to waltz right inside the cave. Did he not remember the many heads of this beast that has terrified all the local villages?
�Uncle, wait� I said cautiously, not wanting to anger his gentle temper. �What of the heads that multiply?�
�Oaf,� the great Herakles grunted, �I�ll get bit a few times I imagine.� He reached into the rough sack and pulled out the flint and began to wind cloth on a stick to make a torch. As he lit the fire on the soaked torch an idea struck me.
�I have an idea,� I said quickly, hoping he would not be too proud to let me help. I took the torch from his hands, �I will burn the stubs of his neck after you cut the head off. Then like burning a wound, the hole will be healed and a new head will not grow back.�
My uncle stood back and studied me. I could not tell what he was thinking by his pensive features. I gathered it wasn�t much since he quickly answered. �Yes, by the gods, it might just work.� He pulled me to him and patted my shoulder. �It�ll save me a few injuries. You may be of some use on this trip after all.� He grinned as he turned to enter the cave.
The deed itself did not take long, though by the time we emerged from the cave the sun was going down. I had the smell of smoke and burnt flesh stuck in my nose, but the feeling of accomplishment was great. We had defeated the deadly creature, and I had actually been useful to the great hero Herakles.
�Did I tell you about the time when I was on the ship the Argo with Jason?� My uncle asked later that night. I softly giggled to myself and let him tell his story again, even though I had heard it at least a dozen times. We had ten more tasks and at least another year I would be living on the road with beasts and demons. Not to mention the deadly creatures we have to defeat, like the Amazons, the Cretan Bull, and the Mares of Diomedes that eat human flesh. But I knew it would be a fun journey with my brave Uncle Herakles, even if he is a little stupid, conceited, and has an uncontrollable temper. At least I am sure he is always on my side.