Heroes Mourn for the Sun (Part 2)

A momentous event occurred on this day, one that directly led to the change of the Sun God and altered the balance of power among the gods.

Today, the sun did not rise as it usually did, yet the world did not fall into darkness, for fires were erupting across the globe.

Phaethon.

He was the son of the Sun God Helios, though some legends claim Phaethon was the son of Astraeus and Eos, the Goddess of Dawn, and one of the star gods. In Greek, "Phaethon" means "burning brightly."

Arrogant and conceited, Phaethon pleaded with his father for the sake of his own vanity.

Helios, the Sun God, doted on his son and swore by the Styx that he would grant Phaethon any wish as a gift.

The overreaching Phaethon made the wish he had dreamed of: to drive the Sun God's winged solar chariot all by himself!

What was the point of flying high? He, Phaethon, wanted to become the sun!

After much pleading from Phaethon, Helios finally relented.

Had Phaethon simply followed his father Helios's instructions step by step, he could have passed the day in peace.

But like Icarus, another famous tragedy of Ancient Greece, the out-of-control solar chariot brought disaster to Greece, and an enraged Zeus struck him down with a thunderbolt.

Poor Phaethon plummeted through the air like a burning fireball. The son of the Sun God thus fell into the Eridanus River.

Helios witnessed this tragic scene, clutching his head in deep sorrow.

The Naiads, water-nymphs of low divine rank, pitied the young man and buried him.

His poor body had been burned beyond recognition. His desperate mother Clymene and her daughters, the Heliades, wept bitterly.

They cried for four months until, at last, the gentle sisters were transformed into poplar trees. Their tears turned into crystalline amber.

This is why one should not choose names lightly in Ancient Greece, as they may very well hint at one's own destiny.

Thaumas lit a torch, using its light to see the path ahead.

Fire is such a curious thing.

Sometimes fire brings light to humanity, dispelling darkness and cooking delicious food. Yet at other times, fire becomes the culprit that destroys everything.

Perhaps it is not the fire that is wrong?

Today, the horses of the Sun God Helios did not embark on their journey as usual, charging forward to break through the mists of dawn.

This puzzled Thaumas; he did not know what had happened, and he was not a god who knew all things.

Beside him, the Griffin followed in Thaumas's wake, just as bewildered after waking from its slumber.

"Hmm--?" The Griffin tilted its head, lost in thought, before flapping its wings and kicking up clouds of dust.

"Hmm-ah--!"

"Shall we fly up and take a look? Good idea!" Thaumas patted the Griffin's wing and climbed onto its back.

A bolt of lightning shot into the sky, rapidly ascending to the heights.

Over the past few days, Thaumas had grown accustomed to high-speed flight, slowly shedding his fear of such altitudes; he was actually quite enjoying the sky now.

But his joy was short-lived, for what lay before him was a scene of apocalypse.

Behold:

The earth was scorched, cracked from the heat, its moisture entirely evaporated.

Sparks erupted in the fields, the grasslands withered, and the forests caught fire. The conflagration spread across the vast plains.

Crops were incinerated, farmland turned into desert, countless cities billowed with thick smoke, villages were reduced to ash, and the farmers were scorched and charred.

Hills and forests roared with flames. Rivers boiled with hot water, flowing terrifyingly upstream until their very sources dried up. The sea shrank rapidly; places that were once lakes were now nearly parched.

Seeing this horrific sight, Thaumas easily deduced the truth: the solar chariot driven by Phaethon had crashed.

The people on the ground were either freezing or burning to death; the world was plunged into gloom, filled with the resentment of countless souls.

Once one has known the light, it is difficult to endure the darkness!

"Griffin, quickly! Go save them," Thaumas commanded decisively.

He lacked the power to stop Phaethon from driving the solar chariot, for he did not even know the exact time this occurred, nor did he know that Helios.

The poor solar chariot had crashed just like that...

But now, he would save as many as he could, doing his best; he would not force himself to do what was impossible, for it was not his fault, after all.

And so, the man and the beast began their rescue mission.

Come to think of it, is the Griffin male or female? Should Thaumas call it "Brother Lion" or "Sister Lion"?

He would have to ask the Griffin later—do mythical creatures even have genders?

Could it be that, like the gods, they have no fixed gender?

The palace of the Sun God Helios.

This was meticulously crafted by Hephaestus using various materials, for the Sun God held her in high regard.

The palace was supported by magnificent columns, inlaid with shimmering gold and brilliant gemstones.

The eaves were embedded with snow-white ivory, and the two silver gates were carved with beautiful patterns and figures, recording countless beautiful and ancient legends of the human world.

Inside the great hall, Upon the central throne sat a tall, imposing, and handsome man without a beard. He wore a purple robe and a golden solar crown that emitted countless rays of light, his entire being radiating a dazzling brilliance.

He sat upon a throne adorned with dazzling emeralds, with his civil and military attendants standing in order to his left and right.

On one side stood the God of Days, God of Months, God of Years, and God of Centuries, standing tall and immovable like mountains;

On the other side were the Gods of Seasons:

The God of Spring was young and delicate, wearing a flower necklace, representing the revival of all things;

The God of Summer had piercing, spirited eyes and was draped in robes of golden wheat ears;

The God of Autumn carried himself with grace, holding fragrant and tempting grapes in his hands;

The God of Winter exuded a biting chill, his snow-white hair a testament to infinite wisdom.

This was the most majestic and imposing honor guard in heaven and earth, save for Zeus.

Anyone who arrived would be unable to refrain from offering high praise.

But, This time was different, The gods had come to hold him accountable!

The first to stir up trouble was none other than the God of Light, Apollo.

After the fleet representing the Olympian Gods defeated the Titan fleet, Zeus began to distribute titles among the gods.

Apollo seized the opportunity to demand that he be allowed to drive the solar chariot and possess the power of the sun.

At the time, Zeus had forgotten that he had already promised it to Helios, so he agreed to Apollo.

However, after the fact, the Sun God remained Helios, and Apollo could only settle for second best, choosing the power of light.

And now, Helios had committed such a massive blunder that it was hard for Apollo not to be tempted.

Apollo was a radiant young man.

He possessed unparalleled handsome features and an athletic, beautiful physique, dressed in a pristine white robe and wearing a laurel crown.

He stepped forward and spoke righteously:

"Helios! You have betrayed the trust of the gods! Furthermore, you have disregarded the safety of our shared children (humanity)!

Do you truly believe you can still sit in this position? Can you possess that power once more?

Your favoritism has plunged the world into darkness and disaster, even snuffing out the light! The solar chariot has been destroyed, signaling your end! Step down from that position at once!"

"Apollo, you..."

The God of Summer, Nierde, who wore robes of golden wheat, was hot-tempered by nature; she was about to say something when Helios reached out to interrupt her.

"Nierde! Step back; we must show these main gods sufficient respect!" Helios extended his rose-colored fingers and gently tapped Nierde's restless divine power.

"Apollo, this matter is my fault.

I witnessed the tragic scene, and before you arrived, I clutched my head, mired in deep sorrow.

I grieve for the people on the earth, and I grieve for my poor Phaethon." Helios descended from his throne, apologizing to the main gods in utter agony.

"If it is only a verbal apology, how will that suffice? You must show something for it!" The one speaking was a cunning young man, none other than Hermes.

Apollo had once helped Hermes, the son of Maia, enter Mount Olympus to reside.

For Hermes' sake, Apollo had personally gone to persuade Hera.

He even went so far as to transform Hermes into the likeness of Hera's son, Ares, to win her heart, finally convincing Hera to allow Hermes to live on the sacred mountain.

Although there had been unpleasantness between Hermes and Apollo, that was in the past; now, they had formed a united front!

"This... then I do not know what I should offer in compensation?" Helios said, feeling troubled.

"That goes without saying! When one speaks of the Sun God, it can only be the sun, can it not?" Artemis laughed coldly.

She and Apollo were both children of Leto, and they were fraternal twins.

However, sometimes she was the older sister, and sometimes she could be the younger sister.

Because when they were born, Artemis came out first, but she sensed danger and crawled back into Leto's womb, ultimately being born after Apollo.

As for whether Artemis considered herself the older or younger sister, it depended on whether she wanted to be the older or younger one. She was a flexible sister.

Watching Artemis's deliberate provocation, even the usually calm God of Winter could not hold back, scolding her:

"Artemis! Do not go too far!"

"Eh? Who are you? Forget it, it's not important. Helios, you are truly incompetent! You cannot even manage your own subordinates; how shameful!" Artemis looked at Helios with disdain.

At the same time, Artemis used her finger to swipe across her cheek repeatedly to express her extreme dissatisfaction with Helios's shameless behavior.

"The God of Months naturally would not know a minor god, but this minor god has also just learned that the famous Artemis is merely a person of such poor manners." The God of Winter retorted coldly.

"Hmph! Go ahead and talk all you want. Regardless, Helios must relinquish his position as the Sun God today!

He handed the sun over to his own son to use, showing no regard for the safety of so many! He has caused a great catastrophe; he is no longer worthy!" Artemis spoke as if she were discussing something trivial.

Lies do not hurt; it is the truth that is the sharp blade.

The God of Winter fell silent; she could not refute this, for it was the truth.

If Helios did not provide a result that satisfied the gods today, these three would not let the matter rest.

"Enough, all of you, stop arguing!" Zeus spoke up at this moment.

Since the King of the Gods had spoken, no deity dared to act out of turn in his presence.

"Helios, this matter is indeed your fault. Since that is the case, the authority of the sun shall be transferred to Apollo.

He shall be the one to retrieve the Sun Chariot that has fallen into the Eridanus River, as well as to search for the four fire horses scattered across the mortal realm.

How does that sound?" Zeus's unquestionable voice echoed.

"I have no objections," Hermes was the first to speak.

"Eh—although there is no punishment for these two little gods who disrespected me, so be it. I shall be magnanimous and let them go," Artemis feigned a gesture of grace.

"This is my honor!" Apollo said happily.

The other gods had no objections either, leaving only the gods belonging to the grim-faced Helios.

Originally, this redistribution of power should have concluded right there.

"Great King of the Gods, Master of the Sky and Thunder! I am willing to transfer the authority to Apollo! However, While the Sun Chariot can still be found at the place where my poor child Phaethon fell, those four fire horses have already scattered across the mortal realm. Among them, Pylos, Eos, and Aethon are bold in nature and easy to find, But Phlegon is the most timid; he must be hiding somewhere now. If he encounters other gods, he will surely flee!

Let me be the one to retrieve the horses!" This was Helios's attempt to bargain. He could give up the Sun Chariot, but he had to keep the four fire horses; this would be equivalent to sharing the authority with Apollo.

Anything was better than losing it all!

"How could—" Artenis just started to say something, but was pulled back by Athena.

Athena quickly interjected: "There is no need to worry about that. Apollo has a way to retrieve the Sun Chariot and find all four fire horses, so you don't need to concern yourself, Helios!"

Apollo looked confused; when did he have a way? But seeing Athena's firm tone and the look she gave him, he decided to trust her.

"That's right, I will retrieve the chariot and the fire horses! I am honored to be qualified to drive the sun!" Apollo nodded and said.

"This..." Helios felt troubled.

"What is it, Helios? Are you unwilling? Since Apollo has said so, do you have any other questions to raise? Or are you questioning my decision?"

Zeus said with an impatient look. It was rare that Hera was away, and he was already itching to go off and play. No, this was to maintain his rule so he wouldn't be overthrown by his youngest son!

Only by maintaining his rule could humans and gods move toward a brighter future! This was a move made out of necessity!

Under the immense pressure of Zeus, the Sun God lowered his proud head, but still stubbornly added:

"If the chariot and the fire horses are not found within a week, the world will fall into eternal darkness.

Therefore, they must be brought back by the sixth day! Otherwise, on the seventh day, I will take back the sun myself!"

"No problem, let it be settled then!" Athena said firmly, pinning down Artemis who was about to lash out.

Meanwhile, Hermes, who saw through everything, was trying his best to hold back his laughter. He would not get involved in this, for the memory of Hera's whip filled him with dread.

Yet Hermes was always like this—forgetting the pain once the wound had healed. The gaze of this god drifted toward a certain direction.

And so, Thaumas was looking respectfully at the two gods before him.

The Griffin clearly did not want to get involved and flew off into the sky to play, leaving only Thaumas to face the two gods alone.