From Heroes to Gods

Act 4: Through Serene Lands I Shall Conquer

       “We feast on a glorious night as the heaven sings in our glorious might….Once a land covered in blood now a place filled with fertility and solitude.

          For now we sing a jolly hymn as we welcome our new king, all evil shall perish for light has conquer the darkness love has covered the land and peace invades the souls of those weary and lonely .I cannot believe once again I have smiled…….

.....I have found Serenity….”

       The glorious feast was over for the crowning of a new king. Now it is time for us to leave mount Olympus as the apparition carries me away to another world in a different time. I was indeed puzzled once again as the apparition said that he will be looking out for me in the heavens for my journey begins here.

I was shocked to the apparition disappeared.....

      I was left blank for I have a lot of questions about this world I have no clue on where I was going but, a weird feeling of hesitation came over me, I wish to follow a path that I might think lead me to my next destination.

     As I was walking this path, I heard the most beautiful hymn, I was so enticed I have to follow my senses onto pursuing this glorious tune.

   It was a tune coming out from a lyre. I could not help to ask this man who plays his music so gracefully, he introduced himself as Orpheus, as he continues his playing I have felt sorrow in his music. Though it was majestic, there is a slight change in the sound that mixes grief, sadness and pain. I could not help to ask on what’s bothering Orpheus.

He spoke with a silent sorrowful voice.

   He then tells me his story…He was once married to the love of his life, a beautiful maiden named Eurydice. On their wedding day, he played joyful songs as his bride dance gracefully in the meadows. One day Aristaeus saw Eurydice and pursued her.

    As Orpheus continued his story I noticed that tears were coming out from his eyes. Running away from the pursuit of Aristaeus, Eurydice accidentally stepped on a viper. Eurydice was bitten and this instantly killed the poor maiden.

    By this story of Orpheus I remembered my wife I left at home I could not help it to mourn as well. Orpheus then asked me.. Where are you from stranger? I could not help but to tell the truth. I’m Fredereich Faust from Charleston South Carolina I am a soldier. I’ve also told him the difference between this world and my world. Orpheus seems to not get the things I am telling him, I couldn’t blame him this world is very much different on the world that I came from.

      As we continued our chat, out of the blue, came magnificent creatures. They look like humans or mortals with a magical aura coating their bodies they are depicted as nymphs and water deities as Orpheus informs me.

     They have listened to the mournfull music that Orpheus plays, as these creatures wept to the music they were listening, they have agreed to help Orpheus onto retrieving the soul of his fallen lover.

      Orpheus must travel to the underworld and speak to the god himself Hades who rules the domain of the underworld. I on the other hand agreed to accompany Orpheus onto retrieving Eurydice in the underworld.

       As we set out on this journey the nymphs gave us coins we must give this to Charon the ferryman of the underworld for us to reach the throne of Hades.

      We gave our thanks to the nymphs and deities who helped us, for there we embark to the underworld. Hours passed as we continue our journey, alas we reached the gates to the underworld.

      There we met Charon the ferryman who rows the dead to the river of pain through the river of hatred and thus, reaching the throne of Hades.

       As we row to the river of pain I could notice the face of Orpheus, it was filled of hesitation and hope for once again he could see the face of his beloved. The underworld was a cold shallow place filled with darkness and lost souls.

         We have reached the river of hatred as they call it, it was the river of styx. We have reached the throne of Hades there lies Hades and his wife Persephone as Charon told us. Orpheus stood tall in the face of the god and pleaded for the soul of his wife.

         Hades agreed unto releasing the soul, but in one condition, he must play his music to sooth and entertain the god and his wife. Orpheus played his lyre accompanied by his angelic voice. Hades and Persephone shed to tears while they were listening to Orpheus music. Hades agreed onto releasing the soul of Eurydice, this made Orpheus shed tears of joy as Eurydice came out from the shadows.

         As we were about to leave the underworld, Hades sent out another condition. The condition was attached that he must walk in front of her and not look back until both had reached the upper world.

         Soon he began to doubt that she was there, and that Hades had deceived him. Just as he reached the portals of Hades and daylight, he turned around to gaze on her face, and because Eurydice had not yet crossed the threshold she was being sucked back in the underworld because Orpheus failed to fulfill the task that Hades told him. As I grab the hand of Eurydice, thinking that there is still hope, I noticed that my hand is fading away I could not touch the hand of Eurydice I was becoming one with the wind. The evanescence continues as I slowly vanish. I could not help but to cry for I know that Orpheus will never see Eurydice again.....