The Retellings

The Tragedy of Picolous

Picolous wiped sweat and blood from his eyes. Above him and his brothers, the sky turned dark as lightning flashed from the skies. But there was no rain to wash their dead away. Those bolts were aiming for their own.

With a deep breath, Picolous grabbed his sword and pushed himself behind a boulder. In the field, Apollo was slaying more of his giant brothers. His arrows moved swiftly through the crowd. He turned his head to Picolous' hideout who jumped away into the field, hiding beneath the body of a fallen brethren. The putrid smell of iron and rotting flesh, mixed with the screams of the fallen pierced Picolous' ears worse than any blade ever could.

Luck was on his side, for Apollo saw Ephialtes and pulled back his bow. The arrow whistled through the air and landed in Ephialtes' left eye. The roars from the giant sent shivers down Picolous' spine.

For three nights, the giant shivered and cowered beneath the body. He didn't dare look up, for he feared the eye of the Sky Father. It was only when the thunder seized and Nyx drew her veil over the skies, that Picolous took a breath of fresh air. But he could not remain in the field for long, for in the distance he heard the Keres call out in hunger. The smell of rot and the buzz of flies followed the grotesque creatures as they made their way to the battlefield. Picolous eased out from under his dead brother and ran to the mountains. From the top, he watched the Keres tear at the flesh of the fallen and fight over dried bones.

"Savages," he sneered at the creatures.

For three days, Picolous roamed through the lands, until he reached the place where the sea and the land met. The cold sand stuck to his body and the winds Eurus blew in were cold against his exposed flesh. Before Picolous could rest his weary feet, he heard the sky above rumble. The hairs on the back of his neck stood on end. He was being watched by one he wished will never watch him.

Picolous fled to a cave where the Sky Father's eye couldn't reach him. Once more he waited for Nyx, watching the stars before he fled from his cave. He dove into the sea and swam away. Picolous' arms ached as he fought against the rising waves. The dark sky and salty water did nothing but hinder his journey. By the time Picolous was ready to give in to his watery grave, he saw land on the horizon. He pushed on until he could drag his weakened limbs onto the shore.

He kissed the sands of Aeaea, thanking his fathers for his safety. There Picolous spent a month, slaying wild boars and eating fruits to regain his strength. It appeared as though he was fated to live.

On one of his hunting expeditions, Picolous saw a blessed sight. Bathing in the waters of Aeaea was made of fair skin and dark hair. Her features were fine and her eyes were soft as she gazed at the rippling of the pond. A filthy heat rose in Picolous as he watched her caress her bare skin. He wished to be the one who could touch her skin. To kiss it and bite it tills it was covered in red.

A stick broke and the maiden's eyes turned to where Picolous was hiding. They were the colour of the night sky and as cold as the frozen winds. Picolous ran from the maiden to hide in the woods. There his mind brooded over the beauty he had seen. He would make her his. Through any means.

As Nyx rode over the skies, Picolous came from the woods. He spotter the maiden wandering into a cabin surrounded by animals. Hidden in the bushes, he waited for every being to fall under Hyno's spell before he crept out. He opened the door to the cabin and spotted the maiden sleeping above a bed of furs. Her pale skin contrasted their dark colours.

He caressed her cheek before forcing his hand over her lips. Dark eyes burst open, filled with horror as Picolous smiled at her. His teeth were rotten and bloodied from the fatty wild. The maiden wanted to scream, but Picolous' gigantic hands muffled any sound as he pulled her close to him, he lifted her and dragged her from her cabin. The animals didn't stir even as she kicked and fought.

Picolous pulled her to his den within the woods – hidden so not even the Sky Father could find them. He threw her to the floor and pushed her arms down. Tears ran from the maiden's eyes, while Picolous' foul breath burned against her skin.

But Nyx would not keep this act a secret. For as she descended, Helios rose in the sky. The sight of his daughter under the filthy giant made his blood boil. The Sky Father may not have found them. But Helios would not allow his daughter to disappear that easily.

He pulled back his bow and shot the Giant with one arrow. Picolous fell over the maiden, his eyes still red with lust.

Helios came down and pulled the maiden from the giant. "Circe, you are the mightiest witch on these lands. How can you fall to such a brute."

Circe didn't answer, her skin was burned by the giant. Instead, she watched as Gaia took her son back. Leaving nothing of the giant but moly to decorate the spot where he died.