The Story of Bellerophon - Part 4
Bellerophon, riding Pegasus, flew swiftly in search of the Chira. The monster's trail was unmistakable.
“Damn that beast…”
It was heading straight toward the city of Lycia, the very place from which he had been tasked with slaying the monster. The ground bore deep scars from the Chira’s sharp claws, and the plants and trees along the way had withered, poisoned by the venom dripping from the snake’s head.
Whinny!
He urged Pegasus onward toward the city of Lycia. As he neared the city, the sounds of screams and collapsing buildings grew louder. Despite pushing Pegasus to its limits, it seed he might already be too late. Which direction should he take?
"Help! Help us! There’s a monster! Athena, protect us!"
"Quick, this way, everyone!"
The temple of Athena, built on the outskirts of the city, was engulfed in flas. A beautiful statue of the goddess of wisdom had been shattered in two, lying in ruins on the ground. Soldiers and civilians ran in a panic, trying to flee the destruction.
Whoosh—
Another surge of fire erupted from the temple.
Bellerophon circled the temple on Pegasus, scanning for the beast, but the Chira remained out of sight. The monster was clearly inside the burning temple, but to enter, he would have to dismount Pegasus. Without his divine steed, would he stand a chance against the Chira?
Could he possibly land a blow, piercing the beast’s throat with the lead-tipped spear without Pegasus?
As Bellerophon hovered in the air on Pegasus, deep in thought, the desperate citizens of Lycia noticed him. Exposed to the danger of the Chira, they clung to the hope that this winged rider might be their savior.
"Are you sent by the gods? The monster hasn’t left the temple since it arrived!"
"A winged horse… Could it be a ssenger of the gods?"
"Please, whoever you are, save Lycia!"
The hero gritted his teeth as he looked down at the terrified, soot-covered people. Just then, the voice of King Iobates rang out from among the soldiers surrounding the temple.
"Bellerophon! You truly are favored by the gods!"
"Your Majesty?! How are you here…?"
"How could a king not act when the temple in his own kingdom is in danger?"
Though Iobates had initially sent Bellerophon to his death by ordering him to slay the Chira, the sight of the hero riding a winged horse had made the king realize his mistake.
"Bellerophon! Co here for a mont!"
"Yes, Your Majesty!"
As Bellerophon dismounted Pegasus and approached the king, Iobates handed him a letter, his expression filled with regret.
"This letter…!"
"Yes, it’s true. The letter from my son-in-law claid you tried to seduce his wife, and he asked to have you killed."
"But the task to slay the Chira… It’s a misunderstanding! I would never…"
"How could a hero chosen by the gods be tempted by another man’s wife? I now realize the error of my ways. I’m truly sorry…"
Iobates placed a hand on Bellerophon’s shoulder, his tired eyes eting those of the hero.
"I know I wronged you, but can I ask one last favor? Please, slay the Chira."
"...!"
"Please, you are the only hero who can save us."
The sight of the king bowing in request before a commoner shocked the surrounding soldiers. Bellerophon, his lips bitten hard enough to draw blood, knelt on one knee and shouted to the king.
"Of course! I was sent by the gods to slay this beast, and I will fulfill my duty!"
Despite the initial mission being driven by ambition, Bellerophon was still a hero. Witnessing the destruction of the temple and the suffering of the people had stirred his heart. The king's humble plea solidified his resolve.
Without waiting for the king’s response, Bellerophon picked up his lead-tipped spear and entered the burning temple.
Step by step.
Without the winged steed sent by the gods, carrying only the spear with its leaden tip, he was now facing the Chira alone. Death seed inevitable—he would likely be consud by the flas, his body burning in agony.
But a hero…
"Bellerophon!"
"Please… be safe!"
"May Athena’s blessing protect you!"
A hero is one who never retreats, even when faced with certain death.
As Bellerophon pushed deeper into the temple, his vision was consud by fire. The heat was unbearable, and the lion’s head of the Chira seed to be in a frenzy, belching flas that burned all around him.
"Urgh…"
The smoke choked him, and the swirling ash clouded his vision. Where was that monster? Where was it hiding?
He moved farther into the temple, only to see the Chira glaring at him with fiery red eyes. With a quick reflex, he dove behind a marble pillar just as another burst of flas shot toward him.
Whoosh—
Though he had avoided a direct hit, the environnt itself was against him. The searing heat was relentless, the smoke thick and acrid with every breath. Pegasus, his ally, was outside, and there were no other reinforcents in the temple.
It was a desperate, life-or-death situation.
Whoosh—
"Argh!"
He dodged again, gritting his teeth. He couldn’t keep evading the beast forever. The mont would co when his luck would run out. His breathing was already labored, and the heat scorched his back. Had the flas already licked at him? The Chira’s growls were terrifying.
Grrr—
The Chira crept slowly toward him, its reactions far faster than his. Even if he managed to throw the spear at its mouth, would it be enough? Without being mounted on Pegasus, could he even survive long enough in this inferno to make the throw?
There was only one option: he had to shove the spear directly into the beast's mouth. But if he did, the enraged Chira would certainly engulf him in flas.
Grrr—
Leaning against the hot marble pillar, hiding from the monster, Bellerophon squeezed his eyes shut. He had always dread of becoming a hero, and beyond that, even a god. That’s why he had originally set out for Thebes, where he had heard that the gods themselves would train those who made it. But his dream had been derailed when he accidentally killed his brother, forcing him to seek refuge in another kingdom.
They said those who passed the trials in Thebes always beca heroes, for the gods personally trained them. Was he destined never to be one because he hadn’t made it to Thebes?
Thud.
The sound of the Chira’s footsteps grew closer. Soon, it would find him and unleash its deadly flas, and he would be done for.
Grinding his teeth, Bellerophon’s mind flashed with images of the people who had burned alive in the fire, the king bowing his head to him, and the deep ambition he had carried in his heart since childhood—to achieve sothing great and beco a god.
Thump.
Grrr!
Without waiting any longer, Bellerophon sprang to his feet and charged. The Chira, seeing him, opened its mouth wide and unleashed a torrent of fire, but he didn’t stop.
Whoosh—
"I’ll prove that I can be a hero even without going to Thebes! I, Bellerophon, will show the world!!!"
His body was engulfed in flas. It burned. It burned. It burned so much! His skin, his hands, his arms, his legs—his entire body was consud by fire.
His muscles lted, and the strength in his hand, which gripped the spear, faded. His eyes, too, were lting, and his legs scread in pain.
Yet the hero never released the spear from his hands.
Thunk.
Grrraaaaahhhh!!!
The spear struck its target—deep into the Chira’s mouth.
After a while, the Chira's agonized roars subsided, and the fire began to die down. Soldiers surrounded the temple, bringing water to extinguish the remaining flas before entering.
Among the first soldiers inside, one found sothing.
"This is…!"
"Your Majesty! You must see this!"
King Iobates, now entering the temple, saw two figures lying in the center. The Chira, with the spear lodged in its mouth, was expelling black smoke as it lay dead. Next to it stood a charred figure, presumably Bellerophon, who had died standing, the spear still clutched in his hands.
It was a tragic yet noble sight, and everyone in the temple was filled with reverence.
"He didn’t let go of the spear until the very end…"
"Your Majesty, it appears the lead in the spearhead lted from the Chira’s flas and flowed into its stomach, killing it from within."
"Even a monster like the Chira would succumb to molten lead… He was truly a hero."
Based on the evidence, it seed the lted lead from the spear had entered the Chira’s body, killing it. The creature’s death had co at a great cost, but it had been brought down.
"Take care of Bellerophon’s remains."
"Yes, Your Majesty!"
Crackle—
As the soldiers tried to retrieve Bellerophon’s remains, his charred body crumbled to ash at the slightest touch.
Whinny…
Pegasus, having entered the temple, let out a mournful cry, as if grieving the loss of his rider. The majestic creature, who had fought alongside the hero, now stood in sorrow over Bellerophon’s sacrifice.
King Iobates, who had been watching the scene unfold, spoke in a heavy, solemn voice as he gazed at the fallen Chira and the ash that was once the hero.
"...Erect a statue in honor of Bellerophon, the hero who saved Lycia."
"Yes, Your Majesty!"
"May Pluto bless the soul of this hero."
"Athena, please guide him..."
May he receive his due reward in the afterlife.
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