⚚Son of Hermes⚚

Michal Bar

RLA C-D

February 10, 2014

⚚Son of Hermes⚚

Hermogenes, son of Hermes, had butterflies catapulting around his stomach as he slowly traipsed up the giant hall. Tall pillars rose on all the sides and flowers bloomed all around him. This was the first time he was taking this walk, and he was all tensed up with apprehension. What is the gods throne room like? Why was I summoned there? Wondered Hermogenes, intrigued. Well, at any rate, I better be good if I don’t want to come home a pile of ash and cinders! As he strode over the last few tile-lengths, the butterflies grew more frantic, and then he was there.

Taking a last, small step, Hermogenes gazed with wide eyes at the giant room, which stretched around on all sides for leagues. Grandly decorated arched windows were scattered all around the room, where the gods could peer out and observe the mortal world below. The curved dome roof was created out of a solid block of marble, strong and sturdy. Sparkling from polishing, the tiled floor was pure white and was very long lasting - it had to be, what with the gods’ tempers! As Hermogenes turned his gaze straight across the room, he saw with wide-open eyes the amazing, majestic, tall, powerful, outstanding, unique, enormous, clever, astonishing, real great gods of Olympus.

A woman, appearing welcoming and cheerful, tended the fire at the center of the room. There’s Hestia, thought Hermogenes with a smile in her direction. The gentle goddess was very kind at all times, and was one of Hermogenes’ favorite goddesses. And, around the edges of the room, on grand, engraved chairs, sat the twelve great gods. Zeus, Hera, Poseidon, Demeter. Hades isn’t here and I already saw Hestia, so that’s my six great-aunts and uncles... Aphrodite, Hephaestus, Ares, Dionysus. Persephone isn’t here either. Athena, Apollo and Artemis, my (sort of) uncles and aunts. Hey! There’s Dad - I mean, Hermes! Momentarily forgetting himself, Hermogenes darted forward toward his father’s throne.

“Dad!” he called eagerly, “I haven’t seen you in such a long time!”

“Hermogenes,” acknowledged Hermes with a cheery dip of his head, “I am, of course, glad to see you as well, but have you forgotten the other gods?”

“O-oh!” faltered Hermogenes, blushing. He turned to the other gods. “I - I’m sorry.”

“Yes,” rumbled Zeus, king of the gods, concealing a faint smile, “You should be!” Hermogenes’ face blanched in embarrassment, only his nose and cheeks remaining pink. He looked rather like a person in a mosaic, his hair dark and covered with disarrayed black curls and his clothes slightly torn. His bare feet, warm against the cool marble floor, were dirty and muddy. His face was streaked with brown stripes of dirt, including one going all the way down from his forehead to the tip of his pointy nose. Large brown eyes, rimmed by delicate lashes, peered out from under thick eyebrows.

“Hermogenes,” began Hermes, “we need you to go on a journey to Athens. I would go myself, but I can’t - I have different business. You must go alone, and as quickly as you possibly can, it may save King Aegeus’ life, but the gods cannot give you any form of transportation, for a few reasons. It’s a test, but a crucial part of your training and a lifesaver too. You must tell the king that...” Bending down, almost halving his height, Hermes whispered in his son’s ear. “Is that clear?” He asked at last, sitting up once more.

“Yes, Father.” Hermogenes tried to sound confident, but his voice trembled slightly.

“Go now,” commanded Zeus.

Hermogenes strode out of the chamber, his heart pounding. He was to go, on his own, to King Aegeus! And deliver an important message! Wow!

        Hermogenes was soon ready to go. He stood at the entrance; all his belongings were packed into the magical satchel his father had given him. Toothbrush, comb, magic tiny amphora, one set of clothes, one dagger, a metal bracelet. That was just about all he owned.

As Hermogenes ambled out of the courtyard, he realized once again how important his mission was. I must impress Dad, he said to himself, I must! His feet sped up and he started sprinting along the path. Soon, hair whooshing, feet whipping, he was full out zooming down the narrow road. A hint of his father’s character took hold, and he almost felt he was flying a few meters over the ground. And then, all of a sudden, his weariness caught up with him. His legs turned to jelly and he was collapsed, exhausted, almost out of sight of Mount Olympus. How will I ever get to Athens now? I am too tired to keep running, and I have no other way to go anywhere! Hermogenes wailed inwardly.

All of a sudden he heard a faraway sound, an almost inaudible rumble of approaching hoof beats. Terrified into action by his nervous instincts and by his father’s words - Tell nobody! Don’t let anybody know you’re even there!- Hermogenes, eyes widening, heart pounding, sprang behind a boulder and crouched there, trembling. Straining his ears, he heard it again, louder now: the rhythmic thud of approaching hooves. But there was only one set of hoof beats - was it a lone rider? The hoof beats slowed, but still got closer. Soon they were just opposite the rock. The hooves stopped, and Hermogenes heard flaring nostrils and a snort. What was going on over there?

Curiosity prevailed over caution. Hermogenes lifted his head above the rocks and saw a lone horse, rider-less, grazing on the nearby poppies. Thinking fast, Hermogenes leapt out onto the stone, vaulted onto the animal’s back, and dug his heels into its ribs. With a whinny, the giant dapple-gray reared, and then shot off. Hermogenes was holding on for dear life with one arm raised in order to try to stop the creature. The beast was enormous, each hoof almost the size of Hermogenes’ palm. Its muscled legs pushed with each stride, bumping Hermogenes up and down, up and down.

“Stop!” shouted Hermogenes desperately, “STOP!!” Pulling on the mane, yanking on the ears, he tried to stop the horse. It only made the horse gallop faster. So Hermogenes, straddling the wide, slippery, soft back of the big stallion, began to think. He pondered taking a chance and hopping off, but decided against it. He might injure himself. He wondered if he should try to stop the horse by force, but changed his mind almost immediately - what if he was bucked off? At last, Hermogenes stopped his mind’s gears and just relaxed on the broad surface. It was slightly warm, and he was awfully tired... soon he slipped off to a dreamless sleep, rocking up and down, up and down.

When he awoke, he found himself - wonder of wonders! - Just at the sinking of Helios’ chariot. And best of all, he was right by Athens’ gate! Hardly able to think straight from grogginess, and scarcely noting that he was at his destination, he thanked the horse, which was grazing on the plentiful grass. Then he dismounted clumsily, staggered to the entrance, and nearly collapsing, he moaned to the guard, “I... have come… to give a message... to the king... and I’ve been traveling... such a long time...”

The guard gruffly allowed him to pass, telling him to go to the palace and deliver his message immediately. Wondering vaguely why he got in so easily and how the horse knew where he wanted to go, Hermogenes, eyelids slipping, bottom aching, did as he was told and recited the message to the king. Soon his dreams blended into real life, and before he knew it, he was asleep once more in a big, warm chamber.

This time Hermogenes envisioned that he was once again in the gods’ great hall. He felt Zeus’ large powerful hand touch his head, he sensed his father tap him gently with his golden, two winged wand. Then he heard a faint whinny, and he fell into a deeper sleep, smiling, and dreamed nothing more for a whole entire night.

The next morning, when Hermogenes opened his eyes, humming quietly to himself, he noticed that he was no longer in the place where he had fallen asleep. Bewildered, he lifted himself out of bed, only to find that he was not even in King Aegeus’ palace. Wandering curiously along the halls, peering out the big arched windows, Hermogenes, peeking into every corner, found that he was in a large building overlooking a busy, colorful agora. As he ambled slowly along the corridors, he saw a door labeled STABLE. Puzzled, Hermogenes entered the room, gasped, and stopped short.

In the chamber was a giant stall with a robust, dapple-grey, large, and contented-looking stallion in it (as well as a few grooms). The creature’s hooves were shiny, its dappled coat translucent with polishing. As he entered, the horse stretched its neck toward him and nickered welcomingly. Gazing about in amazement as he patted the horse hesitantly on its nose, Hermogenes, his face aching from gaping, noted that above the loose box was a sign declaring the horse “Gray-dapple: Owned by Hermogenes, son of Hermes.” Also, he observed in astonishment, on the ground in front of the stall was a golden plaque, upon which was inscribed in large, carefully formed calligraphic letters: Gray-Dapple the stallion; given by the gods to Hermogenes in honor of his great mission to warn King Aegeus of the upcoming attempts on his life. Well done, Hermogenes. You have pleased the gods.

And there, on the tiles next to the plaque was a small, torn scrap of paper on which was written, ‘From Hermes, your father: You have done well, my son, Hermogenes. I am proud of you.’

Suddenly, Hermogenes realized what he had done - helped the gods! Saved a king! Reading the plaques and notes once more with a newly understanding grin, Hermogenes turned around and walked out into the large building, ready to explore and examine every inch of his new house. Unbeknownst to him, at the same time up in Mount Olympus’ peak, Hermes too was smiling. His son was a credit to him. His fellow gods were content. For now, all was well in the halls of gods and mortals. For now...

image url: http://majorolympians.com/hermes13.jpg