Once upon a time in Sparta

He doesn't like this generation.What people do in this generation, what people pursue.He looked at that as if it were a strange ritual and affectation.

But everyone said that was the only game.

Castor, who was half asleep and half awake, felt a headache when he heard the voice of Polydoces talking to someone.

"Polydoces?" he asked bewilderedly.

A hand reached out and touched his face reassuringly.

"It's okay, you continue to sleep."

When Castor woke up again, it was broad daylight.

He got up quickly, only to find that Polydoces was still asleep.

He patted Polydoces on the face.

"Wake up, it's time for us to get up. Have you forgotten that we are leaving for Iolkos today?"

Polydoces took his hand.

"No need to go," said Polydoces, eyes closed.

"what?"

"Oneiroi came to tell me just now that Jason had completed his revenge with the help of Medea. All the heroes don't need to assemble an army to attack Iolkos. We can continue to stay at home."

Castor was stunned for a while to receive the news, heaved a sigh of relief, and lay down beside Polydoces wearily.

"Then I'll continue to sleep. I've been on the Argonaut for so long, and even now I feel like I'm still shaking."

Polydoces embraced him and kissed his forehead.

"In addition, Dream God told me, let me convey on your behalf, his family members send their greetings to you."

Castor didn't respond at first, but opened his eyes after a while.

"If I remember correctly. The race of Oneiroi did not intermarry with others, let alone have a relationship with us, right?"

"Well, so the family members he mentioned must be gods."

"His family...? More than one? Who?"

"He didn't. He left before I could ask. But anyway, the gods care about you, too. Castor."

"forgive me."

The halls of the palace were full of joy and joy.The people talked eagerly of the Argonaut's expedition.It has just ended, and it has become the center of the topic, the new favorite of poets.

They greeted Castor as soon as he entered.

He sat down beside Polydoces.

"Everybody talks about it," said Polydoces, looking as happy as the others, and more proud than them, with a crown of flowers on his brow. "Did you like this adventure?"

"It's more interesting than before. Well... well, I admit, it's much more interesting." Castor thought for a while, "And Prince Jason is very good at mediating. At least everyone is cooperating with each other this time."

"All the great heroes are there, all of them. This is by far the biggest saga."

The maid poured light wine that had been concocted for them.Polydoces raised his glass to Castor's lips and offered him a drink.

"But the most outstanding one is not them, not even Jason, but Medea. Have you noticed that after the golden fleece is actually obtained, she is the one who presides over it?"

"Yes. She's really smart, and acts like a man."

"She is a princess who helps strangers. But she is neither Scylla, princess of Megara, nor Ariadne, princess of Crete. She is a princess, but she is also a goddess."

"I heard from Oneiroi that she might go to Corinth to inherit the throne. That is her ancestral property. She will become the queen of rich Corinth."

"Those things have nothing to do with us."

After everyone ate and drank, the new poet picked up his qin and began to play and sing about The Journey of the Golden Fleece.

Polydoces laughed as he listened, and shook Castor's hand.

"The lyrics are good, and they are as lifelike as you can see with your own eyes, but it's a pity that he doesn't sing well enough, and he doesn't play well enough. Orpheus really feels like the son of the muse."

The poets in the hall sang, talking about them.Castor is extremely happy, like all ordinary people, but has a sense of dazed, indifferent unreality.

The wonderful adventure has been gone, the anecdote that should be seen has been seen, and the honor that is deserved has been obtained.

He looked around at the rapturous joy and heartfelt admiration that surrounded him, and the gilded beauty of poetry.

"Castor?"

Polydoces' voice came from behind.

Castor stood by the city wall and looked into the distance, the strong wind blowing on his face from above.

"Nothing," Castor replied. "I just feel a little stuffy in there."

Polydoces stood beside Castor.

"It feels like everything that needs to be experienced has been experienced." Castor said after a while. "I feel a little tired."

"Then have a good rest." Polydoces also looked into the distance. "Actually, Oneiroi told me yesterday that there is still a truly great war waiting for us."

"It will be more glorious than the Golden Fleece Expedition. It will be remembered and sung forever, and its name will be heard by all. Until the infinitely distant future, people will still not stop talking about it. It has never been done before and will never be There will be another war. And we will be its brightest stars. We... Castor? Are you listening to me?"

Castor seemed a little absent-minded, and Polydoces followed his gaze and saw a crow landed on the wall not far from them.

"Look, a crow," Castor said.

"Yes, what's the problem?" Polydoces wondered.

"The crows haven't been to Sparta for a long time, not a single one."

"That's Apollo's crow. Does he take good care of you?"

The young Castor tilted his head and looked at a crow that was as black as if it had been completely scorched by a fire, squatting on the poet's hand, pecking lightly at the oats in his palm.They always brought new news to the poet, and Castor had never seen any other bird so close to him.

"On the contrary. I probably have very different attributes from him." The poet stroked the bird's feathers. "These are not crows. Castor."

"What kind of bird is that?" Castor asked curiously.

"They're not even birds. They're just shadows, a patch of darkness." The bird had eaten up its food and stuck its head out for petting.Castor stretched out his hand, and the bird jumped on the poet's shoulder with a flap of its wings.looked at Castor with a particularly insolent air (God knows how a bird makes an expression).

"Don't touch it, Castor. It's dangerous."

Castor withdrew his hand resentfully.The bird's beak and claws didn't look like a joke.

The poet said it was not a crow.

But since the poet left, Sparta has not seen a crow, not a single one.Even if there were dead bodies lying outside and within the city, only wild dogs and vultures would eat them.

So much for the memories.At this moment, Castor looked at the crow in bewilderment.In the strong sunlight it appeared feathery, a very dark purple-blue as dark as night.It looks so ordinary, very ordinary.But something must be wrong.

He tentatively walked towards it, and the crow moved its paws vigilantly and ran a few steps away.He approached it again, the crow was frightened, spread its wings and flew away towards the sky as bright as copper.

Castor looked at the crow with some melancholy.

He looked back, and saw a large number of ant-like people appearing on the horizon, flocking to Sparta City.

"Who is that?"

"I guess they came to propose to Helen." Polydoces glanced at it.

Helen, the princess of the golden Sparta, the future queen, the daughter of the heavenly father Zeus, is as beautiful as the golden Aphrodite.The swan beauty that all maiden princes and kings desire.

Soon, within a few days, the most distinguished chiefs of the city-states from all over Greece came.The stables are full of beautiful horses.In the hospitable King Tyndareus' towering, shining palace of bronze, with so many rooms, every room was filled.Every day in the spacious hall is as lively as a festival.The palace was full of people, and words in various accents rang out.People chatted in a friendly and eye-to-eye manner, exchanging each other's names and family honors.They all had illustrious pedigrees, with one or two or more songs of genealogy or deeds sung to them by bards.There were so many of them that the soldiers who followed had to camp outside the city.

They all wanted to marry Helen.

"It's really troublesome to stay together with a group of restless beasts, isn't it?" Polydoces lowered his head and carefully bandaged the wound on Castor's hand.Competitive and proud young men fight each other for the same girl, just like the males courting the female.Before the official match even started, there were already several rounds of open rivalry, and probably countless secret ones.As Helen's elder brother, Castor, a complete bystander, was unfortunately mistaken for a suitor and was affected.

"I guess my father is having a headache about how to end it. They are not polite guests. No matter who Helen marries, the rest of the people will be dissatisfied. And the people of all the city-states are now in Sparta. You can think about it." That scene."

"The gods will not let such a thing happen," said Polydoces indifferently, letting go of his brother's hand. "Okay. I took the medicine, the wound will heal quickly, and it will be fine in a few days. What's the matter?"

Castor smiled at him.

"You're Helen's older brother. How come no one notices that you're equally beautiful?"

"Because you and I are brothers. People who want to marry Helen don't pay attention to how beautiful men are. They are like roosters who just fight with each other all day long. Do you remember the story? Put all the roosters in a In the cage. They pecked wildly, and finally found that no matter how loud they were, there was not enough room. So they had to stand in a circle, each looking out of the cage." Polydoces stood up and held the card. Stoll pushed back on the bed. "And we're different."

"No one would want to take you from me, and no one could."

That day, Polydoces and Castor stood aside, looking at the strongest warriors in all Greece, the living heroes.King Tyndareus' halls were like a jeweled treasure chest, full of all the pride of the gods in the world.As for Helen, it was like a highest reward or gift, being watched enthusiastically by everyone.Her face and body under the veil shone like gold, breathtaking beauty.She is indeed extremely beautiful in her own right, like an immortal goddess.But Castor always felt that there must be an invisible god standing by today, who decorated Helen with more grace, making her look as prosperous as the sun, as drunk as the moon, full of magic, which made countless People are crazy about it and die for it.If weighed with the golden balance of God Zeus, her value is heavier than all the heroes standing here now.

And there was only one thing Castor was curious about: how the gods smoothly resolved the disputes between the suitors.

He saw the answer.

The wisest Odysseus proposed: He asked all suitors to swear that no matter who Helen married, they must support her husband.If anyone insults him, he will be punished by everyone.

Very fair offer.Everyone accepted.

However, when the sworn sacrifice wine dripped into the earth and was accepted by the gods.Castor looked at the people who swore, and felt a chill running down his spine.

He suddenly realized that Odysseus's ingenious proposal might not have come from his own will.Rather, the gods breathed the idea into Odysseus' mind.The net of fate is spreading out, quietly trapping everyone into the trap by vowing.

And Odysseus himself may not know what that would mean.

Castor's eyes reflected a flock of crows, and they landed one by one on the walls of Sparta.

They haven't been here for a long, long time.

If it was in the past, or any moment as long as it is not the present.He might be happy, and jokingly said to them, say hello to him for me.

Now, he just feels cold.Under the scorching sun, the surrounding air was very, very cold.

The blood of the animal fell into the ground, and the flesh and blood of all who stand now, young and bright, feed it.

This war is inevitable.

He turned his head to look at Polydoces.Polydoces caught his gaze and smiled tenderly.

He knew how Polydoces would see the future: it would be a great war.They will achieve eternal glory.

But as the son of a weak man, he could only feel pain and... endless fear.