King of Underworld

Chapter 80 The Story of Bellerophon – (3)

After our brief but intense ride in the sky, I handed Pegasus over to Hermes and glanced back.

“…Uhm.”

Lady Styx, still avoiding my gaze, had her head bowed in embarrassment. Although she had often approached me with confidence in the past, now, after I had taken the initiative, she seemed unsure of how to respond.

The adorable sight almost made me smile, but her timid voice brought my expression back to its usual seriousness.

“H-Hades… about what happened earlier, in the sky…”

“…It wasn’t an accident.”

“W-What? Then… does that mean…”

I decided to take another step forward. Slowly, I moved closer to the beautiful goddess, and though she flinched, she didn’t pull away. Gently, I placed my right hand on her waist, and with my left, I cradled the back of her head.

In this moment, my feelings were clear to the goddess of oaths. Embarrassment, courage, hesitation—all the swirling emotions in my mind were washed away as I moved with quiet determination.

Smooch.

This time, it wasn’t a gust of wind from Euros pushing us together—it was entirely my choice.

* * *

Bellerophon.

From birth, he had immense strength and ambition, aiming to become a great hero in Thebes. However, after accidentally killing his brother, Bellerophon sought refuge with King Proetus of Tiryns, who took him in.

But trouble soon found him when the queen, Anteia, attempted to seduce him.

“Bellerophon, won’t you spend just one night with me?”

“…I’m sorry, Your Highness.”

Out of loyalty to King Proetus, Bellerophon rejected her advances. But who could have predicted the queen’s vindictive response?

“My husband, Bellerophon tried to seduce me! He invited me to his room and made advances!”

“What?! That wretch…!”

King Proetus, deceived by his wife’s lies, could not kill Bellerophon outright due to the sacred custom of hospitality. Instead, he devised a clever plan. Proetus wrote a letter to his father-in-law, King Iobates of Lycia, instructing him to kill the bearer of the letter.

“Bellerophon, take this letter to my father-in-law, King Iobates of Lycia.”

“Understood, Your Majesty.”

Proetus believed Iobates would eliminate Bellerophon for him. However, upon reading the letter, Iobates was also reluctant to kill the hero directly. Instead, he devised another deadly task.

“Bellerophon, can you slay the Chimera?”

“The Chimera…?”

“The beast terrorizes the land, devouring humans. This letter tells me you possess great strength. If you succeed, I shall give you my daughter Philonoe in marriage and the kingdom of Lycia.”

“Is that a promise? If so, I accept the challenge!”

Iobates hoped the Chimera, a fearsome monster, would kill Bellerophon.

* * *

After leaving the palace, Bellerophon was uncertain of the Chimera’s location or how to defeat it. Realizing the enormity of his task, he sought guidance at a nearby temple of Athena.

Being skilled in both combat and hunting, Bellerophon caught several deer as an offering to the goddess of wisdom, praying for her help.

“Athena, goddess of wisdom, I seek to slay the Chimera. Grant me your wisdom.”

News of a mortal attempting to slay the Chimera, one of Typhon’s offspring, reached Olympus through Athena. The gods were intrigued by the emergence of a new hero.

“Typhon’s offspring? A mortal can’t possibly defeat such a creature.”

“It would take someone like Cadmus to stand a chance against the Chimera.”

“The Chimera is too powerful for ordinary heroes. Should we help? Perhaps if we lend him Pegasus…”

“Pegasus? But that creature belongs to Medusa and now resides in the Underworld under Hades’ care.”

“Perhaps we can ask Hades to allow the mortal to try taming Pegasus. It would be a fitting test.”

“Hmm, a trial to see if he’s worthy of the winged horse? I agree.”

With the decision made, word was sent to Hades, and Hermes was tasked with bringing Pegasus to the mortal world. Meanwhile, Athena visited Bellerophon in a dream, delivering a message.

“Take this bridle and go to the nearby meadow. Pegasus, the winged horse, will be there. If you can harness him and ride him, the beast will aid you in slaying the Chimera.”

“Pegasus… a winged horse?”

“And the Chimera can be found…”

When Bellerophon awoke, he found the golden bridle in his hand and realized the dream had been a divine message. He hurried to the meadow and, as Athena had foretold, there lay Pegasus, grazing peacefully, unaware of the approaching hero.

Carefully, Bellerophon crept up behind the horse. The great steed, oblivious to the danger, remained still, and Bellerophon successfully slipped the bridle over its head.

Snap!

Neigh!

“Ugh, you’re quite the fighter!”

Bellerophon quickly mounted Pegasus and held on tight. The winged horse flapped its powerful wings and bucked fiercely, attempting to throw him off.

Neigh!

Flap! Whoosh!

Pegasus rose into the sky, twisting and turning, trying to dislodge the hero. Bellerophon, using all his strength, gripped the golden bridle tightly and clenched his thighs around the horse’s sides.

“I’m not giving up so easily!”

The winds whipped around him as they ascended, the ground becoming a distant blur. High above, clouds drifted below their feet, and still, Bellerophon refused to let go.

Determined, Pegasus folded its wings and plunged toward the earth, hoping the sudden descent would terrify the mortal into releasing his grip.

Whooooosh!

“Arghhh!”

Despite the terrifying freefall, Bellerophon held on, his knuckles white as he fought against the fear of death.

Neigh!

At the last moment, just before they would have crashed into the ground, Pegasus unfurled its wings and glided smoothly to safety. Having failed to throw him off, the horse finally acknowledged Bellerophon as its master.

“Finally, you’ve accepted me. Thank you.”

With Pegasus now under his control, Bellerophon flew toward the Chimera’s lair, as instructed by Athena.

* * *

As they arrived at the location Athena had described, Bellerophon spotted the Chimera—a grotesque creature with the body of a lion, the head of a goat protruding from its back, and a serpent for a tail.

He readied his bow from Pegasus’s back and fired an arrow at the beast.

Twang!

The arrow shot through the air but bounced harmlessly off the Chimera’s hide.

“What the…?!”

The creature’s tough hide was impervious to Bellerophon’s arrows. No matter how many he shot, they all ricocheted off the Chimera’s skin without leaving a mark.

The Chimera, sensing no real danger, roared and spewed fire from its lion head, sending a torrent of flames up toward Pegasus.

Whoosh!

“Damn it! Pegasus, we need to retreat!”

Forced to flee, Bellerophon turned and flew back toward the nearest village, leaving the enraged Chimera behind.

Grrrrr…

The Chimera, momentarily alone, growled in frustration. However, suddenly, a strange voice echoed in its mind.

Poor creature… It’s unfortunate that you, a child of Typhon, are destined to be slain by a mere mortal.

Startled, the Chimera’s heads looked around. What was this voice? And why did it sound so… familiar?

Grrr…?

The voice continued, ignoring the beast’s confusion.

You may be fated to die, but you can still choose the manner of your death. Let me guide you.

The goat head, the most cunning of the Chimera’s three heads, whispered to its companions, noting that the voice felt eerily similar to that of its parents, Typhon and Echidna.

I will lead you to safety.

The Chimera’s eyes gleamed red as it began to move, driven by the mysterious voice.

Meanwhile, back in the village, Bellerophon pondered how to defeat the Chimera. After much thought, he devised a plan and headed to the local blacksmith.

Bursting into the forge, he requested a strange weapon.

“I need a spear with a lump of lead at its tip.”

“Lead? What could you possibly do with a spear like that? Could you even carry such a thing?”

“It’s for killing a monster.”

Confused but intrigued, the blacksmith crafted the lead-tipped spear. With his new weapon in hand, Bellerophon smiled confidently.

His plan was simple: When the Chimera spewed fire again, he would thrust the lead spear into its mouth. The heat of the flames would melt the lead, and the molten metal would flow into the monster’s stomach, killing it from within.

But when Bellerophon returned to the Chimera’s lair, the creature was nowhere to be found.

“What…? Did the beast flee? Or did I come to the wrong place?”

Panicking, Bellerophon searched the surrounding area, but there was no sign of the Chimera. Just as he was about to lose hope, a voice echoed from above.

“Bellerophon, the Chimera has fled in this direction. Hurry!”

High in the sky, he saw a fully armed goddess pointing toward the horizon, guiding him.

”

Thank you, noble goddess!”

“I am Athena, goddess of wisdom.”

After offering his gratitude, Bellerophon mounted Pegasus and flew in pursuit of the Chimera.

But something gnawed at him as they flew—wasn’t that the direction of Lycia?