My Cerberus Girlfriend

Book Three: Chapter 5

A tall bronze man laid against the brownish cobblestone wall, wearing a furry short tunic. He has a short black beard and short hair touching his broad shoulders. If a woman was inside the cave, she would have faded, seeing the most beautiful macho man in her sight. After all, he looked like a model from a historical romance novel. A Greek historical romance novel specifically.

Roger slowly stepped toward the dozy man. "Hercules?"

The muscled man flashed his eyes open and looked around. "It’s Heracles! Who said that!?"

"I did. My name is-"

Heracles grabbed Roger’s throat and slammed him against the wall. His fingers squeezed Roger’s poor neck like a sponge toy. He gasped for air.

"Who are you!?" Heracles roared, spraying his warm flowery breath into Roger’s face. His oily tanned skin reeked with the lotus scent. He must have eaten too many lotus flowers from the village. "Here to drug me again, wench?"

Roger couldn't speak a single word. If Heracles wanted to, he could break Roger’s neck with a single twist.

"Hold on." Heracles looked up and down on Roger. He padded Roger's chest and dropped him. "You're not a woman! Explain yourself!"

Roger coughed as he rubbed his throat. Tears dripped down his face until his voice returned. "I'm Roger….. Zeus sent me….."

Heracles glared. "Zeus? My father?"

Roger rose off the ground, resting his hand on the wall. His breath still puffed out from his panting mouth. "He said he needs your help. A Giant army is going to attack Mount Olympus. You are the only one who can fight them."

Heracles swirled his finger into his right ear. "Am I not hearing you correctly? Why do the Gods need my present to fight the Giants? Everyone knows the Gods can fight anyone without shedding their blood."

"He said specifically you have to fight the Giants." Roger rubbed his lip. "Something about a prophecy predicting you are the one who will save Olympus."

Heracles crossed his big arms. "Did the prophecy say my name?"

Roger shook his head. "No….. Zeus said only a mortal can fight them. But I understand why he chose you."

Heracles shrugged. "It still sounds silly to me."

"I know, but have you ever questioned the Gods?"

Heracles laughed. "Only a fool would question them." He pointed his thumb at his chest. "I never doubted my father. If he wants me to fight by his side, then I must answer his summon."

Roger sighed.

For that moment, he feared the great legendary hero would kill him while high on the lotus flowers. Good thing his head quickly cleared.

"Right, now let’s get the Hades out of here!" Heracles exclaimed and looked around. "First, we must find my lion coat and Riptide."

"Your Riptide?"

"My sword! Those island wenches better not have-"

Something pulled Heracles down and dragged him away into the darkness. 

"Heracles!" Roger raced after him. Even if he doesn't have Hades’s gear, he won't have time while Heracles's life is in peril.

He sprinted across skeletons and broken bones further throughout the cave. Were they all victims tricked by the women who offered them lotus flowers? 

The horror grumbled inside Roger’s stomach, but he doesn't have time to think more about it. If Heracles dies, then nobody will have a future.

As the cave grew bigger and bigger in Roger’s perspective, he reached a giant hole where a vine pulled Heracles toward. More lotus vines grew from the hole, stretching across the walls. Whatever was down there, that must be where the lotus flowers grew from.