The S.S. Olympus -under refurbishment

Chapter XVII: Perseus

"Hubris is one of the great renewable resources." P. J. O'Rourke

The crew meandered through a quiet forest for several miles. Cornelia enjoyed the fresh crisp air and kept her focus in the present. No part of her wanted to think about was ahead or behind her. 

Bird song lulled her into a walking daydream of blue skies, flowers, and dirt under her nails. She ignored the idle prattle of Apollo as he pestered Artemis and of course kept her distance from the ever sullen Hades. Until she caught herself humming a tune she had not heard for quite some time. Cornelia awakened from her dream to a Rally cry sounding from the far distance between the trees. 

URBANI, SERVATE UXORES, MOECHUM CALVUM ADDUCIMUS.AURUM IN GALLIA EFFUTUISTI, HIC SUMPSISTI MUTUUM.

Artemis squinted through the trees in an attempt to find the source of the sound, "what are they saying? My translator cannot seem to pick it up, because of the distance."

Cornelia smiled and did her best impression of a hubristic legionnaire, "Citizens, keep an eye on your wives, we're bringing back the bald adulterer.He's fucked away the gold in Gaul that you loaned him here."

Artemis groaned, "lovely," after a ponderous moment, "no matter what planet, enlightenment level, or galaxy that particular art form never seems to change." 

Apollo gave his sister a mischievous smile, "I have always quite enjoyed military chants and seamen shanties," he laughed at the smutty verbiage. "Though, where there are swords and chanting men, there are often monsters and sword fights!" He let the thought hang in the air, "shall we go see what our friends are singing about?"

Cornelia gave him a reluctant smile, "We shall." 

"That a girl!" He said doing his best mimicry of a soldier's march, in the direction of the song. "here we go to kill a snake lady, along the way our friends may be shady, but they split their thighs, and ..."

"Apollo! " 

"What?" He smirked at Artemis' chiding expression as he jovially kept on marching, "I am just trying to fit in with the culture."

It did not take long to find the stomping, trumpeting, group of 'courageous' young men off on a quest of their own making. The gallivanting mercenaries had one unusual trait that stood out amongst the clashing and banging of their ruckus making. It was the artifacts that were strapped to the exhausted and trudging horse of their glistening leader. Who, if he did not remind Cornelia so much of Gastonus, could be considered attractive.

"What in the heck does he think a mirror and weird winged sandals are going to do?" Hades scoffed. 

 The shining man with too good hair and a puffed out chest caught sight of them, and what happened next would create pure joy for everyone but Artemis. Cornelia watched as the man's chest puffed up irregularly and his chin elevated an extra inch into the air. He slid off his horse and swaggered over to Artemis. "Greetings, my glorious goddess." He said with a presumptuous bow. I am Perseus Deo Salvatore Victor Interfectorem Monstrorum."

Artemis raised an unimpressed eyebrow with her arms crossed as she waited for exorbitant name to be over.

"My mother was impregnated by golden rain sent by the king of the gods, and Athena herself told me it is my destiny to slay the monster that lurks in these woods."  He grabbed her hand and planted a sloppy and lingering kiss, "to save glorious maidens, such as yourself, from the tyranny of the creatures of the night."

"Pompous Ass," Cornelia coughed matched by Hades' snigger. 

"Hail!" The horde of young men called out behind him.