Tales From The Story: Morpheus

Chapter 6: Mount Olympus

Thankfully, Morpheus and Adelaide's trip to Olympus was uneventful after that one arrow. When they landed at the gates, the gatekeeper hailed them. "Morpheus, god of sleep and dreams. What brings you to Olympus?" Heracles asked. "I thought you had made your home in Athens! Did Athena demand that you leave?"

Morpheus grinned at the burly, black-bearded man. "No, I simply have business here with Hermes."

"That's odd," Heracles said, frowning. "Lady Artemis said much of the same thing. What of the mortal girl?"

Adelaide frowned, looking ready to give Heracles a tongue-lashing. Morpheus quickly interrupted her. "She's coming with me. She's made a bad deal with Hades, and I'm going to help her get out of it."

Heracles's frown deepened. "You shouldn't get involved. Hades isn't someone you want as your enemy."

"A little too late to warn me about that," Morpheus said with a sigh. "I'm afraid I'm already in over my head. May we pass?"

"If you wish to," Heracles said. The golden gates swung open, revealing many stairs leading to the peak of Mount Olympus. Heracles vanished into shining golden light.

"Wh-where did he go?" Adelaide asked. She seemed overwhelmed.

"Probably to arm-wrestle until the next god wants access to Olympus," Morpheus answered. "Take my arm."

Adelaide did as she was told, and he flew into the air once more. "Why not just climb the steps?" was her next question.

"Do you want to climb thousands of miles into the air on rickety stone steps?" Morpheus replied. "I don't. None of the gods do. We all have other ways of getting to the top. Some can transform into their chosen birds, some open doors, and the ones that can't fly or do any of those other two things get Heracles to toss them to the top. Not the safest way of travel, but if you're injured, Apollo will fix you up."

"You gods are very ... strange," Adelaide told him.

"Yes, I suppose we are," Morpheus agreed. Olympus sustained his power, and he could fly more easily the closer they got to the peak. Within minutes, he was resting Adelaide down at the top of the stairs before touching down gracefully himself. "Ah, that's the stuff. I haven't felt this good in forever."

"You don't visit Olympus much?"

"No. Not since my father's death," Morpheus admitted, his face darkening briefly. Quickly, he pushed aside the gloomy thought. "Come. Hermes is probably cowering in his room. He does this every time we go to the Underworld. Most of the time, I ignore him and let him cower. He gets over it eventually."

"If you were a good friend, wouldn't you do the right thing and not bring him to the Underworld?" Adelaide said, raising her eyebrows. Morpheus led her past the massive doors into the glowing golden hallways of Olympus.

"Whoever said I was a good friend?" Morpheus replied, grinning. "Nobody. Especially not Hermes. Since he decided to befriend me, he's gotten into more trouble than he's ever been in, and that's saying something, since he's the god of thieves and he tends to use those abilities to their fullest potential."

"Who was your father?"
Morpheus turned a baleful eye on Adelaide. The mortal girl shrugged innocently. "What? I spilled my secrets; the least you can do is spill yours."

"Fine. Hypnos was my father," Morpheus said reluctantly. "The god of sleep. And since he died, I inherited the title of the god of sleep along with my old job as the god of dreams."