He and It Chapter 162: The Serpent of Pharisee (28)

Chapter 162: The Serpent of Pharisee (28)

Translated by Addis of Exiled Rebels Scanlations

Editor: GaeaTiamat

 

Palaemon was deep in thought. He looked at the golden vial in his hand, tentatively uncorked it, and smelled the liquid inside. It was clear as water, with an all but harmless fragrance.

The Gods’ commands could not be wrong, so he put his heart at ease, re-corked the bottle, and trekked toward Cilicia’s palace.

There he was met by the king of Cilicia, who received him as a guest of honor from afar, while Palaemon explained his intentions and told Kostas honestly what he had encountered on the way.

“Though such strange things have befallen thee, son of Achelous,” said the king meditatively. “I cannot permit thee. Cilicia, built from the ruins, existed to suppress Echidna, and my kingdom is strong and great because of it. If you want to save the boy, then by all means do so. Act like a hero. However, I will not allow you to kill the demon beneath. Know that I have a temple dedicated to him within my capital city.” 

Palaemon was astonished, and he questioned him, “O son of Poseidon, dost thou not recognize that this is the will of an Olympian Goddess? Or is white-armed Hera, the victorious wife of the Father of the Gods, subject to thy scorn?” 

“The Monarch of the Seas is no less than any Goddess on Mount Olympus!” Kostas frowned. “For my father is the ruler of the oceans, the brother to the Father of the Gods. If I am to agree to your mad schemes, let my father give me orders to back down, or all agreements are void.” 

After a moment’s reprieve, he said slowly, “It is better not to let saber-rattling spoil the harmony of the feast, son of Achelous. Let us drink, celebrate and watch the songs and dances today. Then tomorrow, we can argue to our hearts’ content.” 

Palaemon could do nothing about it, but in the dead of night, having thought on the goddess’s command, he drew up a document and wrote his name on it. He wrote that he was sorry for what he had done, and that he wished to apologize to Dorus of Arima with a sincere feast and purifying wine.

After writing the letter, he delivered it overnight, mixing it in with the letterheads of the many artists at the court. He counted on Dorus to see the letter quickly and meet with him.

 

Meanwhile, Xie Ning was lying on Echidna’s coiled snake tail, biting the tip of a pen in his mouth, and racking his brain on how he was going to write back to all the artists who were “learning and seeking the Way.”

“Well, let’s see…” He frowned. “Read it again. What did they say?” 

“They want you to teach them the art of painting. About your ‘skill in making paintings look like they’re alive on paper,’ and ‘the use of color, how intricate and varied it is, like the twilight and morning of a day.'” Echidna repeated. “And more flowery praise. That you ‘hold the tip of a peacock’s tail-feather, and that the gods envy the splendor of your portrayal…’” 

“Stop, stop, stop,” Xie Ning interrupted. He was getting a headache. Rainbow farts sound very pleasant, but after too much of the same old rhetoric, it was a little scary. “Don’t say anything after that.” 

He thought for a while, and still had no clue. “Painting. I’ve studied for several years to get started, it is said that the threshold of an original artist is 3,500 hours of board painting. I paint oil paintings, the time must be two or three times longer than that. A few sheets of paper, a few words…it’s not enough.” 

Echidna said nonchalantly, “Then you reply that time and talent are indispensable, and that it is not for the ordinary layman to understand.” 

“So heartless?” Xie Ning straightened up. “In fact, I looked at the works they came with, some of the paintings are still quite good, just trapped in the times. The ceiling is not that high. If I can give them a few pointers, maybe in a few years there will be another master.” 

The evil demon god grinned, as he mocked the naiveté of his little lover. “Ha. Dorus, you have to know one thing. That is, words are a hundred times lighter than actions, and words can’t describe actions, nor can they reproduce a hundredth of the depth. And the more you preach a simple and easy method for the world to learn, the less they will value your work, and the more they will be greatly disappointed in it, for it is neither mystical, nor pretentious, but it is veiled, and as plain as common stone. Therefore they will despise you, and think that you have found, by mere luck,  a shortcut which the world does not know about. For when they  try it for themselves, that plain stone is impenetrable and cuts them down to size.” 

The snake demon hissed and lowered his voice, “At this point, the world is not going to change its mind. Instead of reflecting on their own arrogance and stupidity, and their lack of talent, they will turn around and rage at you. You must have been the one who hid it! So they say, and they change their minds faster than a book. Poor Dorus, I am afraid you will still be wondering, ‘Why is it that those who yesterday adored and loved me, are now in a rage to stone me?’ I tell you now, this is the exact reason!” 

After listening to this crooked and eloquent argument, Xie Ning couldn’t help but be speechless. Echidna moved to hold him lovingly in his arms. “Of course, this is also one of the power tactics of the Gods who rule over the earth. They refuse to tell people clearly what they are going to do and why they are going to do it, and replace it with all sorts of complicated oracles and obscure imagery. They let people rack their brains to decipher it, because it is the privilege of the higher powers to be guessed by the lower powers.” 

Xie Ning snapped, “But I’m not a ‘higher being’ either.” 

“You’re not a superior, you’re my mate.” Echidna kissed him on the lips. “If you wish to share your method of teaching, then go ahead and do so, and I will pen it for you. However, you must keep one question in mind: will the world, accustomed to communicating with the Gods, be able to get used to your new way of communicating with them?” 

So troublesome…

Xie Ning muttered those words. Then after Echidna had sorted out the sketches, he wrote them on a tablet covered in divine ointment, which would neutralize the toxins in the snake demon’s skin, and not kill those who looked at it.

While they were quickly writing the reply and chatting leisurely, Echidna flicked the tip of his tail and asked, while pretending to be unconcerned, “Dorus, since you say that the stories of this age have been recorded in later times, I would like to know, who are your favorite people here? Achilles, Odysseus, Antigone, or Hector?” 

Xie Ning paused.

Why do you say you need to…? I can smell the acid. Asking this question, what are you fishing for, law enforcement officer? 

“If I tell you, you won’t be angry?” Xie Ning asked tentatively.

“No offense,” Echidna wagged his tail tip. “Mmmmm…Not angry.” 

…I’ll be damned ‘I’m not angry.’

Xie Ning sighed, put his index finger against his chin, and thought hard for a while. “I think, probably Sisyphus?” 

His answer greatly exceeded Echidna’s expectations. The demon god was surprised and asked, “The Sisyphus who revealed Zeus’s secret, deceived and bound the God of Death, so that in the end, he could only be accompanied by a huge stone, pushing it up a mountain every day, and watching the stone rolling down from the top of the mountain every night?” ¹

“Something like that?” Xie Ning shrugged his shoulders, “I was more impressed with him.” 

“But my question was who you liked.” Echidna reached out with the tip of her finger and poked him lightly in the arm. “Not who you’re impressed with.” 

Xie Ning replied, “I do think he’s nice. You see, his only choice is the boulder and the mountain, but he chooses to push the rock up to the top of the mountain day after day, knowing it’s a torturous cycle without end…and that’s why, for him, the only choice was the rock. So, for him, it’s no longer a punishment, but a testimony to taking his destiny into his own hands.” 

Echidna was silent for a long time, “The other possibility is, that if he does not do so, a more cruel fate awaits him. But your opinion is equally valid. At least I never thought of it that way.” 

“Satisfied now?” Xie Ning stared at him, then stretched out the tips of his fingers, jabbing at Echidna’s arm, “Write, write, write, write, write, write, write, write, write, write, write, write, write, write!” 

In this way, they rambled and chatted, occasionally played childish jokes on each other, rolled into a ball on the carpet, delayed finishing writing the reply, then handed it over to the giant and sent it out.

Life was a little more lively at last, and with the gimmick of “the great painter of mankind living in the lair of the demon god,” artists came and went, and who knew where it started, but a group of people who got their letters back inadvertently discovered that the stone tablets inscribed with the ancient script seemed to possess the same ancient power, and that they were actually able to combat the poisons from the wild. After they transcribed the original text, the people separated the tablets one by one and carried them on their bodies as amulets, and they were indeed protected from all insects and snakes.

After the news spread, more travelers came to Cilicia. Among them there were not only painters, sculptors and playwrights, but also many merchants and hunters, who came here because they had heard about the magical effects of the stone tablets and wanted to try their luck.

The more the crowds grew, the more Echidna watched Xie Ning closely. In his mind, the outside world was becoming more and more mixed, which was not a good sign. If he could, he would like to cut a poisonous river to separate Arima from the rest of the world. However, he really couldn’t easily ruin Dorus’s pleasure – how happy his lover was to receive a letter, how carefree his smile was.

Luckily, the situation was stopped in time: the trend of searching for magical texts could not last for long. Soon many of the gods who walked in the light of day denounced the world of the amulet seekers and their followers, for this was a dangerous trend, and Echidna was not a god to be worshiped with honor.

Still, by the end of the noisy spring, Xie Ning had made several pen pals during his first summer there.

The pen pals were men and women, all art creators from all over the world. The furthest one was from Thessaly. She was a world-famous playwright. The work “Hera Crassus Fights Death for His Friends” was a classic play popular in Athens theater.

As on a beach, after most of the spectators had left, a few shells remained underwater. In Echidna’s words, they were “stubborn stones that won’t wash away with the tide.” Those men, who cherished the friendship of their correspondence with Xie Ning, decided to stay there for the time being, and in the process honor Cilicia’s court with their talents.

No matter how martial a country Cilicia may be, it must not violate the etiquette of its hosts in receiving guests, and Kostas had to be generous in his hospitality and welcome the artists. Otherwise, even though he was a mighty king in the world, he would be subjected to the criticisms of the world. ²

Just when the numerous letters and paintings from both sides had piled up on the third bookcase, the artists co-signed a secret letter stating that they intended to organize a secret reception at a place to be designated by Xie Ning, and that the only request was that Xie Ning also attend the secret reception, as they were very eager to meet with their friend.

Xie Ning listened to Echidna read out the text, and didn’t say anything for a long time.

“…What do you think?” he asked softly.

Echidna threw the parchment away viciously, angry and anxious.

He was furious that those humans dared to try and verbally abduct Dorus. Anxious because he had spent a lot of time writing for Dorus, then watched them in the Divine Mirror, and realized that they were perfectly normal, good people, in the universal sense of the word, and would make good friends for a human to have.

Since it was a sincere plea, his deliberate provocations and criticisms also seemed to have no footing.

He moved forward and took the man in his arms. “You know my answer, Dorus! I have seen your long silence, and I know the answer of your heart. Before you, human affection was very burdensome to me, and I did not think that ‘friendship’ was a necessary thing. But these days, you are so happy to ponder over every word of your replies which makes me guess that friendship is something that is very important and precious to human beings.” 

Xie Ning smiled bitterly and said, “I realize that if I go out, there is a high probability that something bad will happen.” 

He suddenly perked up and asked, “If I invite them to Arima…” 

“Is the shade of fog, the poisonous river, harmless?” The snake demon asked. “I loved you so much, and you have been so long with me, and have used the balm, and taken the beneficial blood of the workers of the Golgotha, that you have been able to ignore the effects, but those stubborn stones could not be spared like this. If you would not be grieved and angry at their deaths, how hard would it have been for me to capture them for your amusement?” 

Hearing this, Xie Ning sat down dejectedly.

Echidna let out a long sigh. He kissed his lover’s lips, and said in a sulky voice, “If you go out in the daytime, the new gods that walk in the sunlight will surely gather around and play inhuman tricks on you. If you go out during the nighttime, Nyx will be able to watch over you, while many of the gods that lurk in the darkness are afraid of me and do not dare give you a hard time.” 

Xie Ning was surprised, “Really?!”

“Really, Dorus,” Echidna said reluctantly. Still, he couldn’t bear even the prospect of a short and predictable parting in the future, so he hugged the man tightly. “You want to go out, you want to see your friends, and you want to communicate with your own kind. How can I not think of a way to fulfill your wish? There is only one thing. If they really want to see you, they have to put up with a moonless, starless night, otherwise, everything is off the table!” 

“Yes, yes!” Xie Ning raised his hands in the air. “I’ll write them back!” 

In order for the secret reception to go smoothly, his pen pals swore by their parents and grandparents that they would never speak of it to anyone else. Xie Ning chose the nearest forest to Arima and prepared with the same gusto as a schoolchild looking forward to his annual spring trip.

Echidna, as he had said before, produced a large food basket filled with ripe figs, tiganites and bread, roasted pig and lamb, and several bottles of offered wine. The demon prepared it all with a sour heart, not feeling that it was a housewife’s duty, and that it was a shame that it had passed through his hands. He was in love, so whatever he did for the other, he did it willingly.

“You have to look at me in the mirror!” Xie Ning hung over his shoulder and said cheerfully, “If you miss me, or if it’s time, throw a gold coin down, and I’ll know!” 

In that case, Echidna would have loved to pour a shower of gold down on him as soon as he took his first step out of the dungeon. The demon god muttered unhappily, “Don’t promise what you can’t do, Dorus. You know I’m not willing to let you leave me.” 

Xie Ning wasn’t afraid of his stinky expression. He “Boo Boo’d” then on the other side of his face kissed a lot of times, then said with a smile, “They say that distance produces beauty, and a small goodbye is better than a new marriage. We’ve stuck together for so long that a little separation is also good.” 

“I don’t understand what you are saying!” The snake demon’s mouth was stuck to the negative, as he covertly turned his face to the past, while the other pasted on several more kisses.

On the day of departure, a number of stone serpents arched to open the way for Xie Ning’s trip. He set off after the sun completely set the sky, and left no light. Echidna repeatedly urged him, he had done a detailed and thorough divination for his lover’s trip, and as long as Xie Ning returned before sunrise, then his trip to the feast wouldn’t be risky to speak of.

“It was by eating the pomegranate of the Underworld that Persephone had to remain there, as Hades’ wife. It is for this reason I will use it to remind you. When I throw the golden pomegranate seeds into your hand, you shall set out to return, without a moment’s delay. Do you understand, Dorus?” ³

“Yes!” Xie Ning nodded. “I promise you.” 

Nearly half a year had passed, and Xie Ning finally stepped on the hard earth. He didn’t have to walk or jump on the hard black copper or the soft carpet. He raised his eyes and saw that while there was not a single star in the sky, the endless expanse was vast and wide. He breathed deeply the cool air of the night breeze, and felt the pores of his body open up, like he was dissolving in the unrestricted breeze.

Xie Ning’s blood boiled, excited like a wild dog out of control, at this moment, he was able to fully empathize with the stone monkey pressed under the Five Fingers Mountain for 500 years. He opened his arms, cheered, and ran wildly in the direction of his destination, while the stone snake, carrying a basket and clothes, hurriedly followed behind.

“Trees, flowers!” Xie Ning rejoiced, vaguely sensing that Echidna was watching him in the Divine Mirror, “I can still hear the birds…Oh, well. The birds have flown away, but I can still smell the grass!” 

The stone serpent opened up the path. There were no living things left, not to mention the birds, even the flying insects were scared away. Fortunately, Xie Ning had not seen the sun for a long time, so he could ignore this small flaw.

Who knew where the cold gold particles came from that gently landed on Xie Ning’s body, but he knew that this was Echidna’s response to him, so he smiled and stuffed the gold into his pocket.

Late that night, Xie Ning and his pen pals had a successful meeting. They lit their lamps and stared in amazement at the slender young man who, accompanied by a stone serpent, stepped out of the forest like a priest Dionysus, clad in animal skins that made it impossible to distinguish him from a savage demon or the ancient god.

In the middle of the clearing, artists spread out carpets and shared food and wine in the light of a leaping fire. Poets sang, playwrights talked about the democratic city-state of Athens and the tyrannical court of the Ionians, and a few people danced drunkenly….

Xie Ning, who had been very formal at first, began to tell jokes as if he were at a college dormitory party.

The noise they made even attracted the company of the jungle dryads and the spring water nymphs. However, when they glanced into the shadowed corners, they saw several fierce stone snakes were in swimming coils there, and staring fiercely. Then, they were all surprised and afraid as they ran away, for presumptuously prying into the whereabouts of a demon god was undoubtedly a fatal danger.

When the sky was about to lighten, and the goddess of dawn, Eos, was about to open the gates to a brand new day, ⁴ Xie Ning, with a bunch of golden pomegranate seeds rolling around in his hand, realized that the time to leave had come.

Though he was still a bit reluctant not to stay on the earth above, he stood under the sky to exchange gifts and make a date for the next meeting.

After that, Xie Ning rushed back to the underground palace without stopping, and the moment the stone door of the underground palace was closed, the golden carriage of the Sun God was ready and waiting to leap out across the horizon of the world.

“I’m back!” Xie Ning announced loudly, as he bounced all the way into Echidna’s arms. “I had a great time! Did you see it?” 

“I saw, Dorus.” Echidna wiped the sweat from his forehead lovingly. “You were so fast and furious, Dionysus’s banquet will have to pale in comparison to yours.” 

Xie Ning hemmed and hawed, “Why did you let me hang out so long? I thought you’d be throwing pomegranate seeds at me in no time.” 

“I had to miss you. You are the one in my heart. Without your voice and your hands, my heart cannot be complete!” Echidna confessed. “But then, how could I presume to interrupt your laughter and amusement when I saw you rejoicing? Besides, when I looked at you in the mirror, I was not very much alarmed, for what more could I want than to see my loved one safe, sound and happy? I know you will come back and that is enough.” 

Xie Ning had drunk too much wine, and couldn’t hide his emotions. When he heard Echidna’s words, he was moved to tears and shouted, “I love you too! You are my favorite person! Hmmm…My favorite people should be my parents and my grandparents…Then you’re my favorite snake!” 

The demon smiled as he listened to his drunken words, and his heart was very sweet. At that moment, Xie Ning suddenly collected his smile, seriously bit his ear, and whispered, “I’m serious. I love you very much. If I go back to modern times, if my identity allows it, I still want to marry you.” 

In a flash, it was like Echidna had been struck by lightning as he stood motionless.

His heart swelled too full. So full that it seemed to shatter and explode, while each exploded fragment became a firework, shining with the glory of eleven million years.

It was his turn to be reduced to tears. Echidna’s arms were already shaking, so much so that he could hardly hold the heavy man, and he was silent for a while before he managed to calm down.

Marriage…

His mind reeled from the word. How close to him, at that moment, earthly happiness was! It was as close as a red apple falling on his shoulder, and he only needed to tilt his head a little to take a bite out of the fragrant skin. For some reason, he subconsciously and desperately poured cold water in his heart. As a demon god, he was willing to be bound by the small and shallow contractual relationship that humans had created, wasn’t that a very sad thing? 

But no matter how much he poured, even if he poured out the cold heart of Demeter and the frost of Chaos, how could he extinguish the fire from the lava mountain that was burning furiously! He hadn’t been drinking, but now he was drunk on supreme joy, and his bones had softened.

The only thing that can outweigh the happiness of the present is the happiness of tomorrow and the day after tomorrow. He realized that fortunate fact at last, and looked about like a poor beggar who had finally won a precious pearl.

After that night, Xie Ning got the chance to go out once a month.

The days went by uneventfully and contentedly. His second biggest wish – to go out for a stroll – was realized. He fell in love all over again, made friends with like-minded people, and life was complete. He was just waiting for that biggest wish to fall into place.

Xie Ning had been waiting for Gaia to wake up from her slumber, for no other deity but the Earth Mother could call upon Chaotic Chaos.

At the second month’s secret drinking party, Xie Ning drew a half-body sketch for everyone. After drawing Echidna for so long, when he drew an ordinary person again, not only was his hand speed incredibly fast, but he also captured all the features of the spirit. So much so, that the crowd applauded loudly for him.

“Thank you, thank you!” Xie Ning joyfully accepted the praise. He had piled up discarded carbon strips in the underground palace, higher than a small mountain, enough to show that his efforts were worthy of such praises, but it was practice that made it so, so his mouth still had to be modest, “It’s not only my credit!” 

When he said that, he was implying that Echidna had provided him with help, and his pen pals were unanimously silent for a while, for the love between a human and a demon god, even though they were all surfers at the forefront of the world’s current trends, they still felt that it was too shocking.

Xie Ning, on the other hand, accepted this well, he was originally a sexual minority, and an art student, the school group of psychopaths who scrabble in the dirt for a long time, so he could completely understand that other people couldn’t understand him, and therefore only asked his pen pals to “respect him, bless on the line,” and didn’t not ask for much else.

“Are you determined to live like this?” asked the playwright. “Do not misunderstand me, nor underestimate my courage, Dorus. I know the power of the Gods, and therefore my questions are put from your standpoint. Thou wilt never take a wife or children, and thus be far from the world, but thou wilt not go to the sacred mountain of Olympus, in the company of the living Gods. You see, we have always met by night. When shall we look upon your face in the light of day?” 

Xie Ning laughed for a while, and wanted to say: I have a grudge against Apollo’s Gods, and I’m afraid I’ll be roasted by the sunlight if we meet during the day.

“No wife, no children,” he said. “Who I love is my partner.” 

After some thought, he added, “l love Echidna, and our love is strong and healthy.” 

Echidna watched all this from the other side. He was about to be furious, but he was once again in tears, touched to the core. Because of his emotion, the demon kept tossing and turning in the throne room, which caused the earth of Arima to rumble and shake.

It would have been nice if life had gone on like this, but unfortunately, the rumors of Xie Ning’s secret drinking parties soon spread, and the rumors not only spread in the mountains and lakes, but also in the human kingdom, hovering vaguely between the court and the people.

By the third meeting, they were already discussing a change of venue for the next party, and there was much gossip about what was going on in the palace.

“There are always people who come to me, wittingly or unwittingly,” said the sculptor. “Who have heard of strange gatherings in the mountains and forests, and can’t help thinking that they too should come here and have their own encounters.” 

“Who says not!” The minstrel strummed his lyre. “We are all like doves, who, when they see a field of wheat in the harvest season, wonder how they can hover in the sky and come down for a few meals. Do not overlook the threat of vultures and buzzards, for we have not gained this friendship and admission for nothing.” 

They talked and drank and laughed, and when it was nearly light, Xie Ning returned to the palace as he had done before, to see Echidna do his magic.

“…I’m not doing magic!” Echidna huffed and puffed. “This is a magical divination, bred in the shadows of earth, sky and sea before Circe’s priesthood was revealed. ⁵ It alone can go to Gaia’s dreams and make a noise to attract her attention.” 

“So, the Sleeping God ⁶ can also wake up Gaia?” Xie Ning asked.

Echidna shook her head, his tone and look disdainful, “It is true that the God of Sleep has binding power over all men and gods. Truly, he can even put the Father of Gods to sleep, and myself as well. But his dominion is only over the world of illusion, and while Gaia sleeps, His dreams all become real, for everything dreamed of by the Earth Mother shall be made truly on the earth. He dreamed the illusory death and birth of mankind, the changing of the seasons, and the grand vortex of destiny…Is the reality something the God of Sleep could truly look at? If he dares to reach into the dreams of the Earth Mother, he deserves to die there and become one with the earth.” 

Xie Ning didn’t speak again. From Echidna’s words, it wasn’t difficult to discern Gaia’s former glory, the majesty of the era when she was in power, the matriarchal clan’s most powerful era which now had all declined. In the analysis of later generations, the southern Cretan myths, characterized by “human-animal hybridization”, “goddess worship” and “fertility worship”, were defeated by the northern Mycenaean myths, which worshiped force and heroes, and patriarchal power. After the fusion of the two mythologies, the ancient Greek mythological system, which is widely known today, gradually emerged. ⁷

In the current system, Gaia was just an old and disempowered god, while Zeus and other deities were the masters of the glorious Mount Olympus.

…But that’s really the way it was done. Heh, heh.

Xie Ning kept his mouth shut and watched Echidna perform a majestic and grotesque serpentine dance in the night-colored firelight. The thick pulsation of magic radiated out from the fertile soil, like a breeze blowing over spider’s silk, which in turn drove the entire spider web to flicker.

His hands itched, but he didn’t dare to run to his drawing board. After an accident in which he “lost control of his painting and the carpet got wet and hot,” Echidna confessed to him that every time Xie Ning held a brush, it was like rubbing his bones, muscles, and his soul through the ether.

“So, it was only a matter of time before I lost control, Dorus.” 

–The Demon God said innocently, as he held his finger.

Blah, blah, blah. Xie Ning knew the flow of every muscle in his body by heart, because this “loss of control” had happened so many times.

Time passed leisurely, and by the fourth meeting, Xie Ning had pulled out a map, and talked to his pen pal – now a dog friend – about where to change the location for the next time.

 

Elsewhere, Palaemon had a hard time sleeping in the middle of the night because he had to leave for Iolcus in three days. He had stayed for a long time, but he had not received a letter in return, let alone met with Dorus. He had failed the old king, and the thought of it made him feel depressed.

“Rise! Go hunt in the forest!” A voice rang out at that moment, as if it were the echo of his heart. “Has not Kostas given you permission to capture prey in his forest? Go and hunt. Slay a lion, a bear; offer the glory of the hunt to Artemis ⁸ and the spoils of the hunt to the king you serve.” 

With this thought Palaemon arose, took his bow and arrows, and, having slung his pouch of arrows over his shoulder, called for his servants to bring horses, then mounted one of the steeds and galloped away into the forest with his men.

The woods were dark and silent, as silent as a graveyard. There were no cries of birds, no rustling of deer as they swept through the shrubs, and no long howls of jackals, wolves, tigers, or leopards in the dead of night. He grasped his bow and arrows, and suddenly something occurred to him. Everyone said that the lover of the demon would come out to the mortal world on starless and moonless nights, and that the artists of the court, inspired by the demon’s favor, would venture out in the night to drink and enjoy themselves with him.

Perhaps I will meet Dorus, the hero thought without hope.

He rode on, searching for prey in the forest. Gradually, a mysterious fog rose under his mount’s hooves, and it became heavier as he went on. Palaemon glanced back and saw that all his attendants had disappeared from behind him and he was now alone.

“This is strange,” he said to himself. He jumped off his horse, took up his shield and sword, and cautiously pushed his way through the low trees. “Is this the mischief of the Goddess of the Mountains and Forests intending to play a trick on me?” ⁹ 

As he walked on, just before the last twilight dimmed and a new day dawned, he caught a glimpse of a leaping fire in the distance. As he drew nearer, the sounds of conversation and laughter, and the movement of song and dance, became clearer and clearer.

Palaemon lowered his shield in surprise, and stepped closer to part the thick shrubbery.

“Dorus?” Palaemon said in shock.

“…Gah!” Xie Ning exclaimed, nearly choking on his pomegranate juice.

In his lone silence, Echidna did not speak, only stared into the mirror, his brilliant golden serpentine pupils already shrunk into a thin line that writhed frantically, as he attempted to discern which of the Gods had laid this plot.

Kill him.

No, not in front of Dorus, but as soon as he turned away, kill him. Shred him limb by limb, so that his father, that river god, would dry up in his grief at the sight of his miserable death.

Kill him!

The pen pals hastened to their feet, and rushed to the front, vigilant against the strong hero.

“Great son of Achelous!” said one. “Why art thou here, and for what reason art thou come? Thy sword shines bright and sharp. For whom is it sharp?” 

“Get thee hence,” added another. “Thou knowest the etiquette of banquets. We may receive wandering travelers and unfortunate beggars, but we are not compelled to welcome uninvited guests of honor!” 

Palaemon lowered his blade and said majestically, “Do not drive me out, and do not teach me to do what I do not wish! I know how to cleave with my sword, and how to walk in the steps of Ares, and win victory in battle. I have not come here to stir up strife, I have only come to say a few words.” 

Then he softened his tone as he said to Xie Ning, “Dorus, do not worry. I was hunting in the forest, and stumbled upon your gathering. I do not dare to harm you, but bring warm greetings from King Aeson. The two princes returned from the shipwreck, the king awoke and his health gradually recovered. Now, he cares for you more than for his sons.” 

Xie Ning froze for a moment, since he still harbored an attachment to that kindly old man.

“That’s, that’s good.” He pursed his lips and smiled. “I’m grateful to him…for taking care of me.” 

Palaemon marveled. “Thou can talk! And can hear me as well…” 

“Consider me recovered,” Xie Ning said wryly. “I’m learning to speak.” 

In that case, things were much better. Palaemon stepped forward and said seriously, “Then I turn to my purpose. Aeson, the king of Iolcus, has charged me to ask thee: will you return with me?” 

“Go back?” Xie Ning asked in surprise. “Back where?” 

“To the court of Iolcus,” Palaemon said, “where you will be cleared of your wrongs, while the princess, Antheia, will bow and touch your knee to ask for forgiveness. Thou will be treated as a prince, even more honorably than a prince, for you are an innocent and were misjudged.” 

Xie Ning shook his head, and said with a small hesitation, “Please tell the old King, Thank you, for me, but I am prospering, living here.” 

“Residing with a man-eating, brutal demon god is not prosperous by any stretch of the imagination.” Palaemon urged him sincerely, “Please accept my apologies and my invitation! Do not forget, Dorus, even if thou art half-human and half-god, in the eyes of a true god, thy life span is as short as dust, and thou must not waste it here. Come back with me to Iolcus, to live with the good and simple people there; to enjoy the happiness of the mundane. You will garner fame, be showered with wealth and glory, and become the pride of the Gods, as you create thy art with peace and comfort.” 

Xie Ning gave a mental “ah.”

Echidna had been right. The demigod’s hero, and most of the people here, couldn’t understand their relationship. Palaemon really had come to counsel him.

“What you say is good,” he said slowly. “Except for one thing: there is no one there whom I love.” 

Palaemon gazed at him with a look in his eyes that no one could understand, while Xie Ning stared back resolutely. Sensing the stalemate in the atmosphere, the bystanders, with their goblets in hand, hurried forward.

“Son of Achelous!” said the bard. “Hear me. The hymn says, ‘I feel next to the heavenly gods, to sit face to face with thee, and to hear thee speak is so delightful, so sweet.’ Do not offend the dreadful and lovely Aphrodite, and the power of love which she governs. Depart, thou mayst make a toast, but say no more words to spoil the fun, and to tear a loving pair of lovers ruthlessly apart.” 

With that, he handed the glass to Palaemon, and like a close friend, blocking the two from each other’s view, he pulled him around and walked away.

With no one in his way, Xie Ning sighed as he turned away from Palaemon’s eyes and turned his attention to a more important matter.

Echidna had been silent since a while ago, he was very worried about his opponent’s state of mind, and called out in a low voice, “Echidna, are you still there?” 

There was no response, Xie Ning frowned and stepped aside, “Echidna, Echidna!” 

The Demon God in the underground palace was mad with anger, his fangs were longer than daggers, just waiting for the demigod’s hero to walk into the unseen jungle of Dorus, then he would brutally kill him. When he heard his lover’s repeated calls, he reluctantly averted his eyes and focused on the teenager.

In Xie Ning’s hand, a lone pomegranate seed rolled down.

He breathed a sigh of relief, “You’re still here… Don’t get mad, okay? Look, I’ll turn him down in a minute!” 

“Yes, you’re precious, sweet Dorus, the apple of my eye.” Looking at him, Echidna whispered somberly, “But I must kill him, and when his blood is splattered on the earth, and his head is broken under the roots of a tree, my anger will naturally dissipate!” 

Unbeknownst to Palaemon, there was a demon waiting to take his life. He was sent out of the clearing by the bard, and, as with the urge to hunt, a strong thought welled up in him, and he seized the other’s hand.

“Thou art a poet of good words,” he said, pushing the cup of wine skillfully forward, “I have failed to do the king’s bidding, and am not worthy to drink before my return. Do me the favor to pass this cup to Dorus, and please use your silver tongue of eloquence to toast him for me.” 

“Well,” said the poet, “shall I pass it on to Dorus?” 

“No, I thank you.” Palaemon was taken aback, for the answer he had in mind was “Just say the word”, but somehow he had the presence of mind to deny it.

Undoubtingly, the bard nodded, took his glass, and came over to his friend.

“Please accept my toast, and let this unpleasant episode pass!” The poet said, “You know, love always protects its believers securely, and couples who love each other truly, no matter where they are, always get a good ending!” 

Xie Ning took the cup, it was cast in pure gold, with fruitful vines twined around it, and because it was once held by Dionysus the Laughing, any liquid it held, would be clear and sweet. It was a wine set that Echidna herself had chosen for him, and the demon god had given it to him in good faith, for Xie Ning had disliked the tartness of the wine.

“Yes,” Xie Ning smiled, holding the golden cup close to his lips, “thank you.” 

He took a sip, and his face suddenly changed.

The original cold and refreshing wine, once it slid down his esophagus, was like a thunderous, poisonous fire! It quickly lit up Xie Ning’s stomach and intestines, and competed with each other to eat his weak internal organs and muscles. The human teenager’s limbs trembled with fright, beads of sweat broke out all over his body, his throat cackled, and his lips and eyes simultaneously flushed with a rich, bruised purple – he seized up so quickly that the people around him cried out in fear and collapsed to their knees beside him before they could react.

“… What have you made me do?!” The poet shouted breathlessly, “You, ah! I wish I had never taken that cup, never said that toast! Vile stranger, shameful stranger!” 

The table toppled over, and in the midst of the chaos, Xie Ning fell limp on the carpet, his eyes bloodshot, the pupils of which had been burned through by the poison in an instant, and could only stare blankly at the sky at the moment.

“Echidna…” With swollen, spasming fingers, he gouged futilely at his throat, muttering and hissing, “Ech… idna…” 

 

Editor Gaea’s Note: If you think the Olympian Gods are bad now…Just wait two chapters and you’ll really hate them.