#heracles10

[my-name-is-heracles-blog]

Cerberus is a fierce hound, there is no doubt, but he could still not overpower me. I managed to subdue the beast and bring him to Mycenae.

King Eurystheus nearly fainted upon seeing the Hades' three-headed dog enter his throne room.

[my-name-is-heracles-blog]

Athena, Hermes, and I visited Hades' palace in the Underworld. He granted us permission to temporarily take Cerberus if we are able to coax him out of the Underworld. I believe Hades thinks he is humouring us; he does not believe that I am capable of overcoming Cerberus.

I will soon show him otherwise. We are approaching Cerberus now...

[my-name-is-heracles-blog]

The Underworld is not what I expected it to be...

[my-name-is-heracles-blog]

Prometheus' plan was extremely effective. I have already presented Zeus' golden apples to King Eurystheus, much to his surprise.

As Prometheus directed me, I visited the titan, Atlas. I requested that he retrieve the golden apples for me, while I carried the burden of the sky on my shoulders as he always does. The titan jumped at the opportunity to relinquish the sky, and agreed to fetch me the apples. I held the sky up for hours. It was more difficult than anything I have ever had to do, but the point at which the sky meets the Earth is also one of the most beautiful sights I have ever witnessed.

When Atlas returned, he claimed that he would return the apples to King Eurystheus himself. I did not let the titan abandon me, only to hold up the sky for eternity. I asked to momentarily take back the weight of the sky, so I could adjust my shoulders. I did not think Atlas would believe me, but he took back the sky once more.

Then I fled, golden apples in hand an a furious Atlas left behind. It was exhilarating, and frightening... but only for a moment.

[my-name-is-heracles-blog]

My journey to find Zeus' golden apple tree has been successful thus far.

The sea god, Nereus, told me exactly where the tree was located, after a great deal of questioning and some forcible confinement. However, even better was my encounter with Prometheus.

The broken titan was being endlessly tortured by an eagle, which gouged at his liver daily. It was his punishment at the hands of my father, for giving fire to the humans. I could not stand to see someone so self-sacrificing be tortured in such a manner. I shot down the eagle on the spot.

I received this from the Hermes Postal Service earlier today, and visited Prometheus. He devised an excellent plan that will ensure that I retrieve Zeus' golden apples.

[my-name-is-heracles-blog]

My eleventh, and one of my final labours, is a complex challenge.

I am to retrieve golden apples from the tree Hera gifted to Zeus on their anniversary. This is a tree important to the goddess Hera, who has never enjoyed my presence. Also, it is protected by the nymphs called the Hesperides and the hundred-headed dragon, Ladon. It will be difficult to go near this tree without being struck down by either the mighty dragon or Hera's divine power. But that's if I overcome my greatest challenge of them all:

I do not know where the tree is. First, I must find someone who does.

[my-name-is-heracles-blog]

After travelling far and wide for weeks in search of Geryon's cattle, I finally managed to recover each animal and return them to King Eurystheus.

When he received the cattle, he sacrificed them.

To which goddess?

Hera.

[my-name-is-heracles-blog]

A GADFLY.

A puny, insignificant gadfly managed to frighten Geryon's entire herd of cattle. The beasts ran, terrified of the small insect. They all scattered in different directions...

...and now I must retrieve them all once more. Something tells me this was not just the work of the Fates.