She received the gift of God [Greek mythology]

Hermes clenched his hand hanging by his side into a fist.

He stares at Epimetheus, more like a stiff mask because of his lack of expression.

Undisguised killing intent spread from his body, agitating wantonly.

The air vibrated, and the lights and curtains in the hall trembled in fear.

"Angry? Desperate? Reluctant? Regret? But there is nothing you can do, even finding a scapegoat to vent your anger is useless, because you can do nothing and change nothing!" Epimetheus laughed hysterically, His expression was extremely sober, he paused for a moment, his voice fluctuated strangely, "Just like me."

Epimetheus had evidently waited too long for such an opportunity to reveal all.In order to prevent Hermes from drawing his sword away, he firmly held the edge of the blade that had pierced into his body, and the blood soaked his palm. He didn't seem to notice it, only the speed of his speech became faster and faster, almost crazy:

"It was actually I who proposed Prometheus to deceive Zeus. It was I who loved humans more because of guilt at first; it was I who begged me because of greed and wanted to enjoy livestock for themselves; it was I who softened in the face of losing the fire I was also the one who cried and complained that the human beings were at a loss. So... my elder brother, who was smarter and more capable than me, came up with an idea. And if the deception and theft were entrusted to me, I would definitely screw up, so he simply took care of everything.

"In the end, he was responsible for the crime alone, enduring such long and cruel suffering! And I can't do anything. Prometheus is no longer here, I can't let his sacrifice be in vain, he must stay in the world. How can I not resent !"

"I can understand being dissatisfied with Olympus and the judgment of Father God Zeus. But why do you vent your resentment on her? You..." Hermes laughed back angrily, with a deep breath in his throat , With force in his hand, he pulled out the dagger suddenly.

Blood spurted out.

However, the wounds of the Titans are already healing.

Hermes grabbed Epimetheus's neck and yelled out of control: "Why do you torture her? Does that make you happy? Aren't you ashamed of yourself who can only bully the weak?!"

"Of course, I'm ashamed of myself," Epimetheus sneered, "but I also question you, all the Olympian gods, aren't you ashamed of your bullying selves?! And humans, they don't Do you feel any guilt for being forgetful and frivolous?

"While Prometheus was in terrible torment, mortals forgot him in an instant, and went on building magnificent human dwellings for the Olympian gods without incident, entering there to burn the best spices, and slaughter the strongest They offered the most exquisite fabrics and statues, as if they had forgotten what a brutal and ruthless god they worshiped. They never even thought of rebelling, and never thought of violating Zeus's prohibition and building a temple for Prometheus! Ah... my love and partiality for human beings has finally become disdain and indifference.

"However, the saddest thing is that even if I imitate you, ruthlessly use power and authority to use mortals, and form an alliance with Gaia, I will still be defeated. Even if it is you, the gentle and smooth emissary under Zeus, I am powerless to resist. I'm already so pathetic and ridiculous, so what if I'm more contemptible?! She is indeed pitiful and innocent, but so what! I forgot where I buried her so that I wouldn't repent, I didn't expect to make you angry, That's good, that's even better!"

"Epimetheus—!"

"Smart and cunning Hermes, what are you angry about? Your father, you and your compatriots created Pandora, but gave her the responsibility of bringing divine punishment to mankind. Shouldn't you have understood her from the very beginning? What will happen? Do you mistakenly think that humans will be so tolerant and continue to accept the ominous thing that brings them disaster? Even if it is not me, she will die in-"

"Shut up!" Hermes raised his sword, making a gesture to cut off Epimetheus' head.

But his movements stopped.

Even if he takes the head of the king of Epimea, the Titans will not die.If he is extremely traumatized, Epimetheus' body|body will stop recovering, and his spirit will even fall into a deep sleep, but he will still live, and he only needs one chance to regain his body.It is because they are immortal that they are gods, and it is their nature to be eternal and unending.

Fighting among the gods is futile by its very nature.

Gaia's third rebellion will fail, but he will continue to wait until he finds a suitable candidate, or breeds a monster that will be killed by the gods again.

Epimetheus smiled weakly and mockingly: "It's a pity that neither I nor you can touch the peace brought by death. I have finished what I want to say. You want to unlock Gaia's protection, right? Take out my heart, and the protection of Epimea will be undone."

Hermes performed the work silently. After finishing, he shook off the blood stains on the sword and turned around without saying a word.

"Are you still trying to find her in vain?" Epimetheus had a hole in his chest, his body breath was weak, and he still spoke freely. It was a monster-like scene.

Hermes didn't answer directly, and replied flatly: "I just don't want to be involved in the violent storm that the twin siblings razed this place to the ground."

Hermes flew out of the palace.

The arrows of light from Artemis and Apollo fell from the sky like burning dazzling stars, and the magnificent palace at the height of Epimea trembled and collapsed like a reed smelling the breath of the storm.Thunderstorms followed closely behind, and the whole city instantly turned into a sea of ​​flames, shining through the night.

Gaia's protection of Epimea is gone.The god of Olympus returns to the earth.

This means that there is no suspense in the battle of Flame Field.

Hermes stayed in the air, looking through the thick smoke and ashes, quickly searching for possible underground caves.

Why did he do this?This problem just took a head and then dissipated like a bubble.Regardless of whether he still loved Pandora or not, she should not have died, at least not at this moment and in that way.

There is nothing suspicious beneath the destroyed palace.

Epimetheus carries the core of protection in his heart, and it is impossible to leave Epimethea.But time was running out, and Hermes could not search every inch of Epimea carefully.If he were Epimetheus, where would he choose?No, where can I choose?That's not right, although it can't be called powerful, but it is a Titan, as long as he is willing, Epimetheus can easily break into the soil and underground rock formations, reaching depths that ordinary people can't imagine.Are there any institutions under the palace?Or……

Hermes couldn't analyze calmly.The more he thought about it, the more anxious he became.

Although he has the golden staff of two snakes that can reach the sky and the earth, but the ray of consciousness between him and Pandora has been cut off, and she is in the ground where he cannot sense.He couldn't lock her position.

Want to ask Zeus for help?With the help of the divine power brought by the Seat of the Sky, almost nothing on the earth can hide from the eyes of the King of Gods.But Pandora was trapped in Gaia's domain, and the whole city was under protection when Epimetheus attacked. Zeus might not be able to determine where she was.Similarly, Artemis, who is good at tracking prey, has difficulty in exercising power in the land.

Only Gaia can help him find Pandora as soon as possible.

However, even at this moment when the overall situation has been decided, the remaining Guigantes are still fighting, and Gaia will certainly not easily respond to the call of the Olympian god.

Self-esteem suddenly became irrelevant.Hermes immediately landed on the outskirts that were not burned by the flames, touched the ground with his double snake staff, knelt on his knees, and called out: "Gaia, the goddess of the earth who was born from Chaos and gave birth to all gods and creatures, please Hear my call, please answer my inquiry!"

No echo.

"Epimetheus offered you the gift of the gods of Olympus, the life named Pandora, and sealed her in a cave in the ground. Gaia, mother of the gods, I beg you, I implore you , tell me where she is."

Hermes did not give up.

Even if she is angry with Olympus, Gaia can't block her hearing, so she can definitely hear his words.In this case, he will continue to talk until the goddess of the earth can't help but respond.Just one sentence is fine.He must be able to get a clue from it.For this reason, he can say no matter how shameless or irrational he is.

"You lament the pain of the Titans and your descendants who were defeated by my father Zeus, can you turn a deaf ear to my pleas? Respect the great Gaia, am I not your descendant?"

As soon as these words came out, the ground under Hermes' feet suddenly opened a deep ravine angrily, intending to swallow him in one gulp.

The envoy dodged deftly and flew into the air to avoid it.

"Go away! Son of Maia and Zeus, I will not answer your questions. Your sword is still stained with the blood of the Gigantes. Leave the land and do not appear before me! Do not let me hear your voice! "

Hermes bowed his head and begged: "In order to get you to speak, I had to use arrogant and despicable words. I beg your forgiveness. Gaia, merciful mother of creatures and gods, as long as you tell me where she is, Even a little clue, I will do what you wish, and I will not disturb your peace any more."

"She is a creation of Olympus from soul to flesh and blood. Why should I take pity on her? Don't try in vain. Your clever words are useless in the face of my resentment. I will not give any reminders. I can I affirm, just because you can’t find her,” Gaia smiled sadly, “Haha, resent, taste the taste of remorse, Hermes. You can only blame you for being the son of Zeus, Olin Persian angel."

There was no movement on the cracked ground.

Hermes lost his expression.

No, he must be able to find her.

If he cannot do it in his own strength, he borrows all that he can.

"The goddess of the black moon who roams the night, the guardian of the three-forked road, and the ally of Olympus, Hecate, who is surrounded by the hounds of the underworld, I have something to ask for."

The shadow on the ground suddenly distorted, and a hazy figure emerged from it.

Hecate, who had accompanied Demeter in search of her beloved daughter, dragged her robes to the floor, her veil was drooping, and her face could not be seen clearly: "Mystery of Olympus, I know what you are looking for. Epimetheus buried her very well. Deep, at the edge of Gaia's realm, close to Hades."

I didn't expect Hecate to really know!

The flame of hope ignited again in Hermes' chest.But some bleak foreboding laced with joyful warmth like a thorn.Hecate was also revered as the queen of the dead.He couldn't help comforting himself that he was the messenger who brought wealth and good luck to the world, so naturally he was favored by strong luck as well.The turning point has appeared, Pandora has a secret gift from him, and it must still be waiting for him.

"I can show you the way. Correspondingly, in the forbidden area deep in Tartarus, which I cannot enter, there is something I want, and you will fetch it for me afterwards."

Hecate said it lightly, but it must be extremely difficult to get what she wants.

Hermes did not hesitate: "Of course, I will definitely do it."

Goddess Black Moon nodded, not asking him to swear a heavy oath, and handed him one of the torches in her hand.

The moment Hermes took over the torch, the flickering ruins in his field of vision were instantly covered by gray tulle, and in the dimmed scene, there was a route that stretched into the distance like a moonlight.

The purple cloak was raised, and the messenger of the gods flew away in the blink of an eye.

He hurried to the sea.

The mountains around Epimea inserted into the city wall on the edge of the harbor, forming a corner of Epimea's defense line.And at the corner where the white city wall meets the rocky reef, huge boulders are piled up, as if blocking some exit.

Even if it moves here, it is still in the city, and it will not hinder the release of Gaia's protective power.

But it's just one step away from the outside of the city.How vicious!

Hermes' golden sword was unsheathed.

The boulder shattered suddenly, revealing a deep cave, which led to the ground.

He rushed in without thinking.

The cave was like a labyrinth, and it was so dark that the sky could not be seen, but Hermes, without any hesitation, quickly shuttled through the corridor under the guidance of the torch.

I don't know how long it took to go deep underground, but suddenly there was no fork in front of me.

Following the narrow passage to the end, Hermes suddenly found himself in a vast deep valley underground.

Hecate's torch trembled, and burned from the top down the whole length, illuminating a pool of pale flame flickering light in the subterranean valley.

But Hermes no longer needs guidance.His vision became narrow after his eyes locked on a little.He couldn't see anything else, and he didn't know what it felt like. All he could see was the gray-white boulder at a valley entrance that had apparently been moved from elsewhere, and the cave entrance and exit it blocked.

The next moment, Hermes was in front of the boulder.

The tip of the sword pierces the key position precisely, completely destroying the stone carvings on the surface.

As he cut the boulder, he found his hands were shaking.can not be like this.he thinks.If you didn't know where to break the rock, the gravel would fall in and hurt her instead.be careful and quick...

In front of the weapons of God, hard stones are no different from soft soil.

The first thing to break open is a round hole.

Hermes saw a corner of the clothes.

Very close, right at the door.

He readily opened his lips and wanted to call out, but he couldn't make a sound. He could only slash to the bottom with his sword, then turned sideways, and dragged half of the boulder to the ground with brute force.Stone chips and dust were everywhere, he flew in, and hugged the person at the entrance of the cave directly by feeling.

Their reunion shouldn't be here, it was disrupted by the actions of Zeus and Eros, hindered by the disputes of the gods, but fortunately he found her.She must be angry and wronged, she would lose her temper and refuse to answer, but he would—

The embrace is a familiar outline, but it is a strange touch.

Hermes shuddered involuntarily.

It was like waking up to a cold wind, only to fall into another nightmare.

He lowered his head to wipe the cheeks of the body in his arms, brushed off the dust carefully, and called softly: "Pandora, Pandora? It's me."

Her eyelashes began to flutter, her eyelids were half-opened, and she stared at him lazily, as if she had forgotten who he was, then she finally recognized him, gasped quickly, her eyes were wide and watery at the same time, struggling to push him away. open him.She needs sleep, but he doesn't, so he can't help waking her up by pecking and sucking kisses; sometimes she will pretend to be asleep until finally she can't take it anymore before she blushes and opens her eyes to stare at him.Anyway, he was the first thing she saw when she opened her eyes, and he liked that.Her eyes were gray and his was black, so his shadow was always distinct in her eyes.He was often fascinated by finding himself in her eyes, and the uncontrollable joy made him even a little embarrassed.

It should be so.

But no matter how he called, Pandora still stubbornly lingered in the nightmare dreamland, her pale face covered with ominous light blue.

"Open your eyes," Hermes' voice began to collapse from a small place, "Look at me, look at me—"

The chilly aura from the ground came with malice, and this chill was not strong enough to attack the body of a god.He still feels cold.Same as Pandora.He was suddenly at a loss, he didn't know how to continue holding her, it felt wrong.

There is another way.can also be remedied.right.Of course he came prepared.

Hermes took out the amphora that had been hidden on his body, smashed off the cap, and brought the mouth of the bottle to Pandora's lips.

This is the food of the gods, and it is the fairy food and secret wine bestowed on the few who are loved by the gods.

The sparkling wine moistened the chapped lips, but it couldn't flow smoothly into the mouth, instead it wet the neck and clothes.He could only try to open her mouth.

"It's time to wake up..."

Hermes stubbornly continued to pour the divine wine into her mouth, even spitting the wine into mist, trying to restore warmth to Pandora's face.

Even immortal delicacies and secret wine can't bring the dead back to life?

It took him several times the usual time to figure out something so simple.

When Hermes planned, he didn't seriously consider Pandora's death as a premise, and he didn't even try to drink the immortal wine for the deceased.No other god has attempted such extravagance.

This negligence is only because he has been ordered more than once before to lead the dead souls of heroes to the sky seat, and watch them receive eternal life.He saw breathing mortals drink the god's wine and become immortal, witness the hero's soul toast and then join the ranks of gods, so he wishfully believed that the former caused the latter, confused the premise, and came to the conclusion that he firmly believed that receiving the god's wine would Get rid of the infestation of death.Not so, it is one thing to drink immortal food and secret wine while alive, and it is another thing to be crowned Olympus after death, and it is the approval of the king of gods that triggers the miracle of resurrection.His partiality is the fallacy of the latter.

"do not do that."

It shouldn't be like this.

He forgot that it was a golden arrow that kindled the fire of love in his breast, and that it was another lead arrow that quenched the flame.

At the same moment, a certain side of Hermes made a calm and cruel judgment. In fact, before he arrived in Epimea, Pandora had already begun to cool down.

Even if Epimetheus did not drink the potion, even if Gaia agreed to guide the way, this would still be the result.

And there are many other consequences that he could have but failed to achieve:

If he had suspected and realized that Epimetheus had another face earlier; if he had wrapped his heart with more layers of lies before meeting Zeus; If he hadn't stopped because of the strange feeling of being hit by the arrow; if he hadn't had a long talk with Eros; if he hadn't been shaken by Zeus' intervention; if he had responded decisively to the original call after the magic box was opened; if he hadn't prioritized Olin The battle situation in Persia; if he abandons his compatriots and escapes from the front line during the battle; if he gains more victories, the battle will tilt to Olympus earlier; Hear what Pandora is saying while he can; if he catches her calling as soon as it stops...

"I don't beg your forgiveness, but—wake up and look at me."

Even if he made a mistake, at this time... such things as miracles should happen at this time, instead of becoming the last straw.

"...Don't punish me like this."

There was a sudden sharp pain in his chest.

Hermes lowered his head.Shining arrowheads protruded from the skin of the chest, there were two in number, Can Jin and Leng Yin were close to each other, but they couldn't blend together.But now, there is something else surging in his body, repelling a pair of contradictory arrows, no longer giving them a place to live, forcefully forcing the golden arrows and lead arrows to appear together, trying to squeeze them out completely.Arrow bit the flesh and trembled, stubbornly resisting, trying to continue to influence his will and play with his emotions.

He touched it with his backhand, and touched the arrow shaft and tail feathers at the back of the heart, one was hot and soft, and the other was cold and heavy.Annoying pranks, hideous blunders.He gathered his fingers and grabbed it, and pulled it out forcefully.

No pain of body tearing felt.Maybe from an unknown moment, all he could feel was pain.

The arrow of love and hate that had broken away from its host was still buzzing, like a dying insect, Hermes pressed the arrow body hard against the rock.After the crisp sound of breaking, the arrows of Eros both bent.

He was finally truly free.

Lowering his head, he looked at Pandora again.

The pupils of the gods, who see the darkness as the day, shrank suddenly.

Xianyan secret wine dripped from the corner of the lips, leaving a wet mark on the dust covering the skin, like painted paint peeling off, revealing the original appearance of the material underneath.

He thought of how difficult it was to pull her lower jaw to open her lips just now, and he didn't dare to use force at all.She is hard but fragile, and it feels like it will break if you are not careful.

Like clay cracked by too long exposure.

"Pandora?"

No, it's not her.

It's not her anymore.

The double image is shaking, the memory flashes back, and the emotions connected with it are recovering.The vine trellis is dispensable for the flowers and leaves of the vines. Once the roots are deeply embedded in the soil, they will still grow wildly even if they lose their support.Freed from the influence of the God of Eros, the chest exploded with a ferocious surge.What is this grief?It's not Eros' trick at all.It turned out to be his own feelings that were entwined with the golden arrow of love and sprouted at some point.

He froze, his thoughts stalled, paralyzed by a belated awakening.

Low and hoarse whispers sounded in the underground valley.

"sorry."

"..."

"I beg you."

"..."

"I beg you..."

"..."

He didn't know exactly whom he was asking for mercy.

Only an echo was answered.

Something flickers in the corner of my eye.

Hermes didn't think about anything, just looked at the source of the light.He saw the box open.The one he handed to Pandora himself.There is also a red color that has solidified and darkened at the mouth of the box.

It was only then that he noticed the state of her fingers.

He looked blankly into the cave again.Then I understood why it happened like this.

No.He doesn't understand.don't want to understand.

Hermes stood up holding Pandora, turned to the cave entrance, and peeped inside for the first time.

It is not the sharp eyes that first detect and understand the clues.It was hardly noticeable, but it did exist, and he felt the breath of "hope".It was a secret gift he secretly put in the box when Zeus was not prepared.

He has already guessed what facts have been restored, but refuses to analyze the content.

In order to take his eyes off the box, Hermes looked at the rock wall.A fatal mistake.

Two entangled snakes collided into his eyes, and a short vertical line at the bottom, with rough notches accurately formed the golden rod of the messenger of the gods, calling the mysterious symbol exclusive to Hermes of Arcadia.

After looking for a relatively dim star in the night and staring at it for a long time, other stars that are close to it, and even more hidden and invisible, will flash and emerge from the depths of the Milky Way instantly.It was as if the sky had suddenly opened.

The stone carving captured by Hermes is such a guiding star.

He sees one, and then suddenly sees everything: what adjoins it, covers it, is covered by it, straight to scrawled to wildly deformed, scraped into the rock wall with sharp rubble, with dizzying The crimson is smeared out, all of which are two intertwined arcs, and a short vertical line connected to them, not only all over the rock wall, but even scattered on the ground.Without exception, all of them are the symbol of the double snake staff, the symbol he taught her to call him.

These notches and blood books became the sky, and then fell apart, collapsing towards him.

What exactly did he see?Hermes couldn't answer.

It was her cry to him for help until the last moment.

Or is it the curse that hopes to be transformed and twisted for him alone.