The Trials of Hercules (52 page)
“And the Areans?” I demand.
“You underestimate your cousin’s leadership skills. He had a strong plan already in play before you reached the Chasm—a hospital bed allows plenty of time for planning. Before you ever stepped foot off the train in the east, Iolalus made Odysseus his second-in-command and ordered that each of Portaceae’s vigiles rally no less than ten vigiles from other poli. The combined forces are the largest numbers Osteria has ever seen. Odysseus has organized them and two armies are on the move to Augea and Nemea as we speak. Word has it that the Areans are already breaking camp; there may not even be a battle. Does that satisfy you?”
Iolalus is Solon and may soon rule a peaceful Portaceae. Cassie coos in Iole’s arms as Sofia sits on my shoulders and Sergio stands by my side in his best imitation of a vigile’s stance. I cannot imagine being more satisfied.
Good,” says Hera reading the smile that has taken over my face. “Now, shall we go welcome your cousin to his new position? Oh, and Maxinia to hers,” Hera says to Iole. “The peacocks will be selecting her as the new head priestess.”
E
PILOGUE
H
ADES
“Welcome to the Chasm.” No one ever truly feels welcome when they come to my realm, but it never hurts to be a good host.
“Eury, Adneta, is it?” I check my list. I know perfectly well who they are, but my sister promised I'd be receiving three new residents to replace the three little ones she'd asked for. Normally, I have a strict no return policy, but one must make exceptions for family.
So where is the third? Although Hera has her faults, she always sticks to her deals.
“Sorry, Uncle,” Hermes says fluttering his way to me. With him is a tall man with a regal air about him.
“Ah, my third.”
“I would have gotten them all to you at once, but this one,” he indicates the tall man, “refused to get in the boat with that one.” He points to Eury who is trying to slide his arm around Adneta’s waist. She crosses her arms and pulls away from her husband. With a spoiled pout on her face, she slinks over to Baruch. The tall man bends down and gives her a deep passionate kiss. I look on the scene with a smile. Always so good when lovers arrive together. It becomes so messy when they get separated. Still, this promises to be interesting.
“Adneta,” Eury cries. He reaches for her arm to pull her away, but she won’t budge. “Get away from him. What in the world—?”
“We’ll take a private room. Preferably far from him,” she says thrusting her chin toward Eury as she cuddles into Baruch’s arms.
“But darling, you love me,” Eury whines.
She gives a sharp, derisive laugh.
“What exactly is there to love? Certainly not your skills in bed. I needed Baruch for that. Yes, close your jaw. Baruch, you blind idiot. I wanted you for your gifts, for power, for the prestige of being the Solonia. I knew you would give me anything I wanted, but what can you give me here?” She casts a judgmental glance around my cavern that I think a bit rude after all the work I’ve put into the place. “Pieces of rock?”
“You bitch. Is that really all I was to you? A gift giver?”
“I'm a whore, darling. Did you expect more? I gave you what you wanted so long as you gave me what I wanted.”
Oh, this is a good show. Certainly worth giving up three rather boring children who did nothing but cry for their daddy.
“And what could he give you? He's a servant for gods' sake.”
Adneta looks up into Baruch’s eyes with idolizing admiration. He strokes her cheek with his long, elegant fingers. She turns back to Eury. The warmth in her face freezes to ice when she glares at him. “You'd be amazed at what he can give me. Over and over he can give it to me. Since you can't hold up your end of our deal in here there’s no point in our staying together.”
“Fine,” Eury says. His expression is a mix of pain and anger as if each emotion is battling for supremacy over his facial muscles. “Go be with him, you whore.”
This is my cue. Gods, such fun. I really will have to thank Hera for the entertainment. I clear my throat.
“The underworld is not a roadside inn,” I say indignantly. “Do you not know how this works? You two promised yourselves to one another forever and that's what you'll get—an eternity together.”
Cerby’s heads pant and drool as both Adneta and Eury cross their arms over their chests and turn away from one another like spoiled children.
“However,” I say. Adneta spins back to face me, her eyes bright with hope. “There are rules down here. You three came together. That means, you must stay together. The room will be a bit cramped, but I’m sure you’ll work things out.”
Complaints erupt from three mouths, fingers point, heads shake in adamant refusal. The cavern echoes with their bickering. They’ll get over it. Soon they’ll be so consumed by hunger for the flesh of the living they’ll forget why they ever quarreled. Still, this tirade is irksome. I tap Cerby on her neck and, in unison, her heads let out a roaring bark. The noise silences them.
“Now, if you don’t mind, your room is this way.”
Ignoring their grumbles and pouty glares, I lead the trio into the deepest realms of the Chasm.
T
HE
L
ABORS OF
H
ERCULES
IN
G
REEK
M
YTHOLOGY
Although I tried to be true to the legend of Hercules, the labors in
The Trials of Hercules
differ slightly in their outcomes and details than in the original ancient myths. In addition, in mythology there were twelve labors compared to eleven in this book. When it came to writing the final draft of this book, the Cattle of Geryon became an awkward fit with the plot line toward the end of the story, so I removed it.
The following are the original twelve labors of Hercules:
- The Nemean Lion
- The Lernean Hydra
- The Stag of Artemis
- The Erymanthian Boar
- The Augean Stables
- The Stymphalian Birds
- The Cretan Bull
- The Mares of Diomedes
- The Belt of Hippolyta
- The Cattle of Geryon
- The Apples of the Hesperides
- Cerberus
You can explore the world of Osteria at
TheOsteriaChronicles.com
There you can take a tour of Osteria and meet a few of its gods and mortals.
.
A
BOUT THE
A
UTHOR
Tammie Painter worked for years in science before discovering her true passion in writing. Unable to sit still for very long, she writes in various places around her home in Portland, Oregon.
Tammie has always had a fascination for myths, history, and how they interweave. She plans to release Book Two of The Osteria Chronicles in 2015.
The best way to stay up-to-date on Tammie’s projects is to follow her blog at
TammiePainter.com
. You can also connect with Tammie via Twitter
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@tammie_painter
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The Trials of Hercules
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A
LSO BY
T
AMMIE
P
AINTER
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The Trials of Hercules
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ISBN: 978-1500168384 (print)
ISBN: 978-1310094972 (ebook)