Prisoner of Hera 2/3

When Alcmene befell Heracles, she realized through the breaking of the oath of Zeus' protection that the child was not safe in the palace.

So the mother put her child in a cradle, covered him with some straw, and then abandoned Heracles in the field, hoping he would be adopted.

Coincidentally, Athena and Hera were traveling together and happened to come to this field. The Goddess of Wisdom saw that the child was beautiful and felt pity for him. She also saw a mysterious possibility in him and persuaded Hera to breastfeed the child.

Therefore, Heracles was fortunate enough to inherit Zeus's bloodline and was also breastfed by the Queen Hera.

Because the Hercules bit too hard, Hera angrily threw the child to the ground.

Then, Athena took the child with compassion, carried him into the city, and eventually handed him over to his mother, Queen Alcmene, to raise.

Soon after, Queen Hera, learned the baby's true identity and was filled with remorse. She then cruelly sent two venomous snakes to kill the child.

However, Heracles, who received the blood of the King of Gods and the milk of the Queen of Heaven, possessed extraordinary divine power and killed two poisonous snakes in the cradle with his bare hands.

After this persecution, Hera's actions came to the attention of Zeus, who then dared not be too blatant.

However, her burning jealousy and hatred not only did not diminish with the passage of time, but instead intensified, and her methods became more covert.

Five years later, Eurystheus, a cousin who had been born earlier than Heracles, succeeded to the throne. At the behest of this Queen of Heaven, the King constantly drove his cousin to perform one almost impossible task after another, subjecting him to endless torment.

This is the origin of the "Twelve Labors".

Seeing Heracles overcome those obstacles time and time again to win honor and respect, Hera viciously drove him mad, causing him to mistakenly kill his own son and relatives, and to remain trapped in constant torment.

As fate would have it, in the end, Heracles was poisoned by his second wife through various schemes.

Overwhelmed by pain, the Hercules decided to self-immolate, submitting to Zeus's judgment and being forced to reconcile with Hera.

In essence, he was constantly fighting against fate and Hera's persecution.

This time, the Amazons to cause them trouble was none other than the jealous white-armed goddess.

However, fortunes change, and after Hercules was tricked so many times, the Queen of Heaven also tasted the pain inflicted by him.

Just now, Hera was careless for a moment, and with Samael's insidious tricks, she was shot through the chest by Heracles' arrow, which destroyed her spirit body. It is estimated that she will be unable to cause trouble for a while.

The wisdom of Athena?

Thanks...

Heracles paused for a moment, then looked at Samael with a warmer gaze, and felt more confident about the trip to Athens.

He is alive today thanks to the mercy of the Goddess of Wisdom, and his skills are also derived from the teachings of his teacher Chiron at the Athenian Academy.

Perhaps, Athena's wisdom can truly help him break free from this curse of fate.

"No need for thanks, we're family. You may not know this, but my other mother, Queen Aethra, and your mother Alcmene, are both granddaughters of His Majesty Pelops. We are cousins. I grew up listening to your stories."

Samael, in an attempt to lure Heracles onto his side, feigned sincerity while trying to get close to him.

Upon hearing this, Heracles's sullen face broke into a warm smile. He patted his "cousin" on the shoulder, showing even more intimacy, while also pondering honestly.

"Theseus, you will be better than me, and your future will be more glorious than mine."

Samael chuckled, seemingly unconcerned, and instead adopted a serious expression, inquiring earnestly.

"By the way, since your homeland of Argos and your King cousin cannot tolerate you, why not try going to Sparta?"

The Spartans have your blood in their veins; they revere you as a father and an idol. Before parting, the Castor and Pollux earnestly invited you to live in Sparta.

After a long period of adjustment, Heracles couldn't help but open up to his "cousin" and sigh bitterly.

"I am an unlucky person who always brings all kinds of disasters to my relatives and friends. Staying in Sparta and exposing the softness in my heart will only give that Queen of Heaven one more weakness to torment me."

Immediately, this Great Hero, whose fate was full of twists and turns, looked up at the bright sky with a forced smile, his face clouded over.

"Moreover, it is an indisputable fact that I killed my wife and children, and I will eventually have to atone for my actions."

Not only his wife and children, but also his relatives and friends who trusted him, sympathized with him, and followed him, all met with misfortune.

During the trial to defeat the Boar of Erymanthos, his centaur friend Pholus shared wine with him, which sparked a melee with other centaurs, and he ultimately died from an arrow Phloth shot by Phloth...

During the trial to conquer the Harpy Horse, Apotellus, the companion responsible for guarding these animals, was bitten to death by the ravenous monsters...

During the trial of capturing the Crete bull, his nephew nearly died again...

Perhaps, he was destined to be lonely, destined to be immersed in suffering.

Once he finds a safe haven, the storms of fate and the gods will surely destroy that beautiful place, leaving him with even more self-reproach and pain.

Samael could see that this Hercules was not merely submitting to his cousin, the King, but rather to torment himself.

What Heracles wanted to do was simply to use the Twelve Labors to persuade fate and the gods to stop persecuting him.

As an observer, he may not be able to truly empathize, but there are still some things Samael wants to say.

The ancient snake patted its "cousin's" broad shoulder, its tone solemn and dignified.

"Heracles, the misfortune of your wife and children is not your fault, and you have no need to bear any burden for these things."

Whether it's destiny or the gods, they only revere the strong and ruthlessly turn their attention to the more humble beings.

Blindly giving in won't make Hera give up. Give her a taste of hardship, and this Queen of Heaven will become more obedient.

Heracles felt a little relieved of his distress, and nodded slightly to express his gratitude for the comfort, his eyes thoughtful.

Perhaps because of his encounter with Hera, or perhaps because of their earlier conversation, Samael noticed that the pent-up energy emanating from this demigod bodyguard had dissipated considerably.

Satisfied, the ancient serpent stood up, dusted off the dirt and grass, and pulled Hippolyta onto its horse.

"We've rested enough, let's go."

"Good!"

Heracles echoed her, leaping up as well.

Samael glanced up at the distant city skyline, gently teased the owl on his shoulder, and smiled as he looked at Hercules beside him.

"Arcadia is coming soon, you should change your name. I don't want to be overshadowed by you, the Great Hero."

Heracles nodded slightly, pondered for a moment, and a faint smile appeared on his lips.

"Alcaeus... just call me Alcaeus..."

As the black Harpy Horse galloped off in a frenzy, Samael looked at Heracles's somewhat straight back and a joyful smile appeared on his face.

Heracles also has another meaning, namely "Prisoner of Hera".

"Alcaeus" was the nickname of the Hercules who stood at the crossroads.

In a sense, he is ushering in a new era.