"Damn the sun..."

Asclepius scowled at the celestial body moving overhead. His black hood which he usually kept up was now down to reveal his silver, white hair. A small bead of sweat rolled down his forehead and into his left eye, adding to his increased annoyance.

"You'd best be careful with your words," Heracles warned, though his look was that of amusement. "If lord Apollo or lord Helios were to hear you, they may just blast you on the spot."

"Father can try for all I care," Asclepius grumbled without fear, though he softened slightly at the mention of the sun titan. Perhaps he had some form of respect for the older deity of the sun, who his father had essentially overtaken as the main solar deity. "Why must it shine so bright on our march? The clouds had already been hanging for a few days."

"It really isn't that bad. You simply just don't get out as much," Shirou chuckled. "If you trained alongside me and Heracles, you wouldn't be struggling so much."

Asclepius only mumbled back an inaudible response before returning to his silent brooding. In truth, they believed that their residential medic was just being a drama queen. For one, as the son of Apollo, he must have some sort of resistance to the heat of the sun. Of course, he'd deny it instantly on the basis of hating his dad.

Then again, it wasn't hard to see why. From what Chiron had revealed to them, Apollo had essentially incinerated Asclepius's mother and then left him in Chiron's care before dipping out of his life entirely. Anybody would hold a grudge after that. While Zeus never visited Heracles, it wasn't as if he was left without parents. Asclepius had none to begin with. As much as Chiron made a good substitute, it would never change the fact that he wouldn't get the chance to know his parents.

Perhaps that's why Asclepius was so focused on perfecting the art of healing. In a way, he wanted to get back at his father by surpassing him in one of his main godly domains. It was an admirable goal, but there were consequences in attempting to challenge the gods.

Just ask Bellerophon.

Regardless, Shirou was glad that he tagged along. He really needed to get out of his cave and focus on something else besides healing for a change. He may just die of overwork otherwise.

"We are nearly there," Heracles announced as he spot sight of a nearby landmark. "Are you alright, Shirou? The load isn't becoming unbearable, is it?"

Shirou shook his head. "No, I am fine. My muscles aren't even aching."

To make a point, he lifted the sack containing the precious metal easily. Even with one arm, his muscles barely trembled. Really, it was an amazing sight to behold. Heracles could easily replicate the feat thanks to his demigod strength, but Shirou? It was unthinkable. The metal's power really was something if it was able to raise a regular human's strength to one comparable to that of a spawn of Zeus.

Shirou still couldn't beat Heracles in an arm-wrestling match, but the demigod would never admit that he just had to put the tiniest bit of effort into winning now.

That was a secret he'd hold on to for as long as possible. No need to give Shirou a big head.

"I wonder how the metal works," Asclepius muttered curiously as he stared at the sack. "Think about the possibilities available to us if we were able to unlock its secrets."

"While that's good and all, try to keep yourself in check," Shirou said dryly as he gave the man a deadpanned stare. "Need I remind you that I submitted myself willingly to enough of your tests to last me a lifetime?"

"Yes, yes, and I appreciate it," Asclepius waved him off. "But I'm still baffled by what I'm seeing. How can a metal boost a human's efficiency to several times its normal abilities? No matter how many times I attempt to analyze it, I'm just led to another dead end."

"Then perhaps it is a sign for you to stop," Heracles suggested.

"No. Not when I can potentially increase the lifespan of an average human."

Shirou sighed. "Don't try to talk him out of it, Heracles. You know how he is."

"What's that supposed to-"

The three of them suddenly froze as whooping and hollering sprung up around them. From the nearby bushes, six large men hopped out. They were shirtless, revealing bulging muscles filled with testosterone, and wore simple, dirty rags. In their hands, they wielded bronze clubs of crude design. Shirou didn't need the power of structural analysis to understand that these weapons had claimed many lives if the dried blood and indents were anything to go by.

Moving in tandem, they encircled the trio and palmed their weapons menacingly.

Or at least, as menacingly as they tried.

"Look at what we have hear, boys!" Thug #1 hooted with a cruel smile as he eyed their bags greedily. "A group of wayward travelers... You all must be new to these parts."

"Something like that," Heracles nodded, unconcerned. "What's it to you?"

Thug #1 smirked, apparently unafraid of the hulking demigod who stood a full head above him. Perhaps he was feeling a little brave with five other buddies backing him up.

"You gotta pay a toll to get through here. This is our territory," The thug jabbed his finger into his own puffed up chest proudly. "We keep these roads safe day and night! Only natural that we are properly recompensed for our work! So cough up the money, big guy! Or else..."

Silence.

Shirou stared blankly at the man. "Or else...?"

"Or else we'll take it off your dead body!" Thud #3 spoke up from the side. A chorus of 'yeahs' rose up from their group, banging their clubs against the dirt as if they were some sort of muscle-headed barbarians.

Which they were.

Asclepius sighed. "Ah... stupidity. There's little I can do as a doctor to cure such a disease."

"Agreed. In times like these, only pain can serve as an adequate teacher," Heracles nodded.

Thug #1 scowled and lifted his club. Apparently he didn't take too kindly to being mocked, go figure. "Eh?! You want to say that again, buddy? I'll have you know that me and my boys are more than enough for the likes of you!"

"Prove it."

And then, with lightning speed, Heracles ripped the club out of thud #1's hands and knocked him upside the head. In an instant, the man's conscience left him and he crumpled to the ground in a heap. It was as if his skeleton vanished completely from his body.

Silence reigned supreme over the road. The remaining thugs were too shocked to move as their minds scrambled to comprehend what had just happened, and they defaulted to staring at their fallen companion in disbelief.

Shirou sighed and set his pack down, turning his attention to the thugs nearest to him. "Let's get this over with."

Within the depths of their consciousness, the thugs were beginning to think that maybe, just maybe...

This wasn't as good of an idea as they once thought.

Iolcus was a peaceful city.

They were one of the largest trading cities in the region. Members from numerous different kingdoms gathered here to trade food, wares, and even attempt to recruit men to go on journeys and adventures.

Protected on land by a large stone wall and boasting an impressive navy, they were easily one of the stronger kingdoms. It was inevitable that any invader would suffer heavy casualties if they attempted to attack. As such, it was more profitable to remain peaceful and foster good relations with the kingdom.

As such, most of the crimes happened outside of their borders. The random bandit here or there... the occasional monster charging out of the woods... those were the only threats that they had to remain vigilant about.

Unfortunately, the large gaps between these events meant that there were periods of time where nothing would happen. As such, complacency would set in with the guards.

"Eyes up, boy."

The young guard's droopy eyes twitched as he forced his tired eyelids back up. From beside him, an older guard with a scraggly beard and more than his fair share of scars stared at him sternly.

"You will not foster a strong spirit if you cannot do something as menial as being aware of your surroundings."

He fought the urge to roll his eyes and thankfully managed to do so. "Yes, sir."

Prexinos, the elderly guard who had served the kingdom for many long years and seen many soldiers come and gone, realized that his words simply went out his charge's ears. In the old days, he would have served up a verbal tongue lashing that would have crushed the boy's dignity. But in his older age, the energy to do so rarely came.

Instead, he sighed and turned his gaze back onto the road before him and let his mind wander to thoughts some would consider... treasonous.

Simply because he was wary of the new king.

The former king of Iolcus, Aeson, had been imprisoned and dethroned due to alleged allegations put against him by his half-brother Pelias. Soon after, Pelias took the throne and became king in his place after purging Aeson's spawn. Nobody dared to question it since nothing really changed under his rule and Pelias proclaimed that the bloodline was of evil descent, but there was also an unspoken agreement to not discuss about such things in public. After all, no one would risk joining the former king in the dungeons.

So after a while, people forgot about the old king and continued living their lives.

But not him.

He was a loyal soldier to Aeson, damn it. The king was nothing but wise and generous to all. For his people to ignore what had happened to him was something that angered him. Was it not the duty of the citizens to serve their king, especially one who treated them justly and fairly?

But he knew he could not do anything about it now. When Pelias took the throne, he demoted all those loyal to the old king and replaced them with officials loyal to him. If they attempted to plot a coup, it was likely that they would be snubbed quickly before they could truly do anything.

However, there was a rumor floating around. An unlikely one, but it would be major if it were to be true.

Whispered in alleys and dark pubs, people speak that one of Aeson's spawn managed to survive. They were sneaked out in the dead of night and brought to an undisclosed location in order to protect their identity until they grew strong enough to take back the throne.

Pelias's response had been immediate. Soldiers had been sent out all over the countryside with orders to find any traces of such a child. If they found it, they were authorized to terminate the child on sight.

Some searched halfheartedly, while others sought their target with fervor due to the promise of rewards in the form of riches. Luckily, nobody has yet to return with any report of a child who bore the former king's likeness.

He was thankful and hoped that such a rumor would prove to be true. If Aeson's child were to challenge Pelias for the throne in front of everyone, there was little he could do to stop them. Then, it would simply fall down to the will of the gods.

But until that day came... he'd have to swallow his anger and bear the false king's visage.

So lost in his thoughts was he that he didn't notice the sight of three men walking towards him with six captives in tow until his fellow guard exclaimed loudly in a surprised voice.

"Sir, look!"

Refocussing back on reality, he blinked when he saw a hulking figure of a man bear down upon him. The limp figures of two naked men were dragged unceremoniously behind him while his companions dragged two figures of their own.

So surprising was the sight before him that he momentarily forgot his words for a moment.

"Bandits," The giant rumbled as he dropped the men's legs. "They attacked us on the way here."

"We brought them here to you seeing as how we weren't that far off from the city," The red-haired boy explained with a curt nod. "If you wish to put them on trial, that is up to you. We simply cannot leave them alone for them to commit another crime."

"Should have just killed them... what a waste of space," The white-haired man in a coat scoffed with an irritated look on his face.

Prexinos blinked. His eyes darted to the three of them and then to each of the unconscious men at their feet. None of them appeared to be dead and were simply passed out. Bruises and welts had formed all over their bodies, and he inwardly felt a hint of pity for them. Once they woke up, they'd be sore for days.

Well, it was only a fleeting sense of pity. They were evil men who preyed on innocent people in order to make a living. Not exactly a noble job.

"You have my thanks," He bowed to the men with respect. "We shall deal with these villains. Please, enjoy your stay in our city."

The three nodded and passed through the gates wordlessly, although he could hear the white-haired fellow mumble something sounding similar to 'about time'.

He watched them go before turning his attention to the younger guard, who stared down at the bandits with wonder.

"What are you standing around, fool? Go and grab some guards so we can haul them down to the dungeons!"

The guard jumped before saluting and running off. Prexinos sighed and gently prodded the nearest bandit, causing him to moan something incomprehensible.

He winced. Poor bastard wasn't going to last long in the dungeons.

As expected of a sea trading superpower, the kingdom of Iolcus was busy.

Merchants and customers swamped the market, making it hard for the three of them to maneuver around. The smell of fish and other seafood flooded the air, giving the place a weird smell that would have caught anyone from the mainland by surprise.

Shirou and Asclepius twitched in discomfort and Heracles gave them amused looks.

"Not used to the smell of fish?"

"Not this many," Shirou admitted as he leaned away from a nearby stall that was selling some recent catches. "It's not the most pleasant smell."

"Some herbs smell bad, but I've never dealt with a stench as putrid as this," Asclepius looked like he was about to gag, though he didn't appear to be as upset as Shirou thought he'd be. "But I'm quite curious about the benefits of fish... we eat it all the time, no? It'd be useful for us to understand what's exactly in these animals in order to increase its benefits."

Shirou and Heracles sighed. Of course, that was the only thing he'd think about. While Shirou wasn't a scientist by any means, he remembered reading about how fish contained certain chemicals that were good for the brain. Perhaps that's why, as a nation who survived off of the sea, that the greeks spent most of their time thinking about stuff.

"Let's just get out of here as soon as possible," Shirou hurried. "Who knows when we'll be able to get a ship."

"Indeed, though I suspect it won't be that hard," Heracles said as he scooted past a group of men lugging nets filled with fish. "Ships pass through here all the time at every hour of the day. It's unlikely that we'll miss out on some ride to our destination."

The three made their way to the pier, a tedious process thanks to the large crowd. When they reached the docks, a whole line of ships greeted them. Some were small, some were large, but the sight before them was a splendid one indeed.

Shirou noted that there were several unique designs painted onto the side of each ship. One had a white owl painted onto prow while another had a red lambda symbol etched into the side. One even had a strangely designed bird of which he could not discern its species.

Heracles caught him staring and chuckled. "Those are the emblems of the different kingdoms. Sparta, Athens, Epirus... it's so we don't mistake our ships for any other."

"Makes sense," He glanced upon the rows of ships with a pondering look. "So which one is Thebes and which one is Lemnos?"

Heracles pointed towards a ship at the far end. "The one bearing the symbol of a shield is that of Thebes. As for Lemnos..." He then pointed towards a smaller ship sitting just two ships down. "...Would be that one."

The symbol etched into the boat Heracles was referring to was that of a red flame held in a brazier. Considering their patron god was Hephaestus, it wasn't really surprising.

"And how do you imagine that we get a ride?" Asclepius asked. "It's not as if we have any money to spare."

"Ah, yes. That may be a problem," Heracles nodded as he reached into one of his pouches and produced several silver coins. "Here. This should be enough for both of you."

Shirou opened his hand and allowed the coins to fall into his grasp. Staring at it for a few seconds, he nodded at Heracles before extending his other hand for a shake.

"Thank you, my friend."

"It is no problem," Heracles took his hand and shook it with a smile. "We shall meet again, I am sure of it. Until then, be safe."

He then turned towards Asclepius. "You too, physician. Be safe. And if things get rough, remember to take care of Shirou."

"That's a given," Asclepius curtly replied, though he couldn't help smiling as well.

"Alright, that's enough," Shirou rolled his eyes. "I'm perfectly capable of handling myself."

"We both know that's a lie."

The demigods laughed while Shirou glared, though he couldn't help smiling as well.

This would surely not be the last time they got together like this.

"So you two want to board my vessel, eh?"

The captain of the ship heading to Lemnos was a large and swarthy man. While he wasn't as tall as Heracles, he was larger and appeared to be older by several years. He appraised them with a critical eye, almost as if he was looking for any defects they may have.

"Do you have the money?" He asked gruffly. "Can't just allow anyone on board. We're a cargo ship, not a transport ship."

"Is this enough?" Shirou asked as he extended his hand and dropped the drachmae into the captain's hand. The man's eyes drifted towards each of the coins slowly before eventually nodding.

"For one of you," The captain decided. He caught the look the two gave him and he scowled. "Don't give me those looks. It's a hard life out there, and this amount of money would only be enough for three good meals."

Shirou and Asclepius glanced at each other with troubled expressions. It wasn't exactly an unreasonable offer. There was a certain risk in letting strangers on board your vessel. You never truly knew what they'd pull later on, so it was an unspoken rule to take what you can before things flew south.

But that captain wasn't a heartless man. Years and years of voyaging to all sorts of places had simply hardened him into a more wary man. He had a responsibility to his crew in order to keep them safe... but he understood how hard it was to get around if you couldn't sail.

And there was something about these two which made him inclined to help. Perhaps it was the look of purpose they had which so many younguns lacked.

He scratched the back of his neck and sighed. "Listen, if you two have any particularly useful skills then I'll consider letting you onboard... provided you can pull your weight."

Asclepius's eyes narrowed under his hood. "I am a physician. Would care for many potential illnesses and health problems be of sufficient use?"

The captain looked surprised as he appraised Asclepius. "A physician? Is this true-"

"?!"

Asclepius held out his hand and a slim metallic object appeared before him. It was not a weapon, but an oddly futuristic-looking staff. Strange designs decorated its exterior, but the most eye-striking detail was the slim metal snake which was wrapped around the top.

The captain's mouth was agape. "A staff of healing? You must be a priest of Apollo, but- no-" He shook his head. "You're too young. Rather, a son?"

The demigod's eyes narrowed slightly and Shirou worried that he may sic his metal snake upon the captain, but he just nodded. "Yes. I am a son of Apollo."

If his anger was felt by the captain, he didn't show it. Instead, the man just nodded with a satisfied look on his face.

"We get all sorts of unfortunate diseases on the high-seas," He eyed the staff with wonder. "If you can take care of those problems for us that'd be more than enough for payment."

Unlike in modern times, sickness wasn't so easy to combat. Unless you were one of the few people who knew how to utilize herbs in order to treat wounds or practiced magecraft, you were likely to die a terrible death.

The snake Asclepius carried with him, or rather, on his rod, was something that would later come to be known as his symbol when he'd ascend to godhood. It was a gift from his father, but Asclepius never really bothered to speak much about it. So long it was something that could help with his healing, he'd take it without complaint.

He tried to analyze the staff using his tracing ability, but nothing concrete would come back to him. The only thing he could understand was that it was meant to be utilized for medicinal purposes, but the process by which it did so was far too complicated for him to understand. Anyway, it wasn't as if it would be useful in his hands.

"Well, that settles it. You two are free to travel with us to Lemnos. Prepare yourself for the expedition. It's a shorter journey than most, but the seas can be unpredictable at times."

"When will the ship take off?" Shirou asked.

"Soon," The captain declared as he began boarding the ship. "We sold most of our wares this morning so my crew is resting for now. Once they're done, we'll begin the journey back. Until then, you're free to get yourself accommodated. The estimated time of arrival is two days."

The sea was a realm of mystery.

When one looks upon its surface, you can see the life which teems within its embrace. Fish, plant life, and aquatic mammals of all kinds lived beneath the waves and flourished. It painted a beautiful picture, but it was a mere fraction of the truth that humanity was allowed to see.

Monsters of all kinds swam in the deepest depths. They were beings so old, so powerful, they would be a threat to humanity if they were allowed to roam unchecked. That was why the lord of the sea kept a firm grip upon them, subjugating them with his authority.

But sometimes little things would worm their way out of his gaze.

In the deepest parts of the sea, away from the light of Apollo, a massive palace made up of coral and marble stood. Around it, nereids danced and sang praises to the god of the sea alongside an assortment of creatures ranging from dolphins to whales. However, all was not truly well.

Swimming hastily within the halls, a young man with the lower half of a fish weaved around the servants and creatures as he made his way to the throne room. When he arrived, he quickly threw the doors open and approached the seat of power and the man who sat upon it.

"Lord Poseidon!" He called with an urgent expression. "We have trouble!"

The man who sat upon the throne looked up with a groggy expression. His dark, scraggly beard was unkempt and small dark bags were beginning to appear under his eyes. It took a lot for a god to grow tired, but it wasn't impossible. Especially for someone as busy as Poseidon.

"What is it, Triton, my son?" He asked wearily as he sat up in his throne. "Speak quickly, for-"

Triton blinked as Poseidon suddenly winced and put a hand up to his ear as if he were listening in on something. "Erm, father? Are you alright?"

"It's those damn whales," He moaned as he slumped in his chair. "Those damn things keep making a ruckus lately since it's mating season. Not only do they keep fighting with other species and complain about territory, but the sounds of their copulation are also annoying. I hear everything they do, my son. Everything."

Triton winced. Yes, that truly sounded horrible. As the sea was his domain, Poseidon was responsible for nearly everything that goes on within his realm. Unfortunately, during times like these, he often lamented his duties. Not only did he have to answer the prayers of the mortals who sailed above, but he was also forced to mediate between the wildlife which existed below.

And dealing with them, he knew that dolphins and sharks could be more troublesome than humans. Really, their words were equivalent to pointed spears and jagged rocks.

He shook his head. No. Now wasn't the time to think about that. There were pressing matters to attend to!

"Milord, I have received word from Lord Delphin that one of the Cetus escaped from their den! They have attempted to track it, but it has slipped away to parts unknown!"

Poseidon's eyes widened and he abruptly stood up. His nostrils flared as he grabbed his trident, suddenly glowing with power.

"What is the meaning of this?!"

The water around him swirled viciously in response to his temper, and Triton skittered nervously. Just as the sea could be calm, so too could it be violent. As lord of the waters, Poseidon could also exhibit these same tendencies, often to disastrous results.

"The Cetus are dangerous monsters, the strongest of which can easily ruin multiple kingdoms! How can Delphin be foolish enough to let one sneak out?!" Poseidon growled as his eyes flared with energy. "Why, they barely listen to me! That is why they needed to be contained! If my brother were to find out about such an event, I would never hear the end of it!"

Triton cowered under his father's aura. The Cetus is a species of great water serpents whose strength was enough to rival a minor god. In all of the monsters which dwelled within the deep, they stood at the top of the food chain as the apex predators. Their jaws were powerful enough to easily snap whales in half, and their movements were able to stir up wind and rain. When they were whipped up into a frenzy, even Poseidon had some trouble attempting to corral them.

He pitied Delphin, for he surely would receive a stern berating from Poseidon once he calmed down. If there was one thing that could rile their lord up, it was the words of his brother Zeus. While they didn't necessarily have an unhealthy relationship, their quarrels could often get... out of hand.

The sea god rubbed his head and sighed before tapping the butt of his trident against the ground. The water stilled around him and Triton found himself comfortable enough to lower his guard a bit.

"We'll have to track it down, see to it that it doesn't cause any unnecessary problems," Poseidon ordered as he began floating off. "Send word to all of the soldiers. Tell them to enforce security around all the Cetus nests. I do not want another to cause problems while I am away."

"As you wish," Triton bowed as he followed behind. "I will inform the soldiers and they should mobilize quickly."

"See to it," Poseidon stopped as he reached the door and turned his head to look at him over his shoulder. "And tell Delphin that I will be having words with him later."

As Poseidon vanished out the door, Triton let out a shiver. Subtly, he sent a small prayer to his mother in order to protect his comrade.

At this point, Delphin may be turned into soup.

Just as the captain said, his crew had returned back to the ship in two hours and introductions had been made. Luckily, they seemed to be comprised of some good people, though a little rowdy as Asclepius put it. When they were told that Asclepius was a physician, he soon found himself surrounded by crew members wishing to express their medical grievances.

"I got this weird feeling in my stomach from time to time... you know anything that can fix that?"

"Hey, I have this weird rash on my right arm. It doesn't hurt, but the itching is unbearable."

"There's this weird wart on my foot for some reason. Do you know how to remove it? The ladies won't go near me otherwise."

Shirou thought about pulling the demigod away from the crowd and giving him some space to work, but Asclepius seemed to be right in his element as he soon began addressing their grievances with a professional demeanor.

So he left him to deal with the crew's problems and went to the bow of the ship where it was quieter. Sitting down on one of the wooden chairs, he set his stash of metal next to him and closed his eyes in an attempt to relax.

Several hours passed uneventfully, with nothing but the sound of the waves to keep him company. It was certainly a peaceful experience... and he could certainly get behind such a life. He had little experience sailing so he didn't bother trying to help the others. Instead, he decided to just take it easy and relax for a bit.

"Um..."

He opened his eyes and glanced at to the side, locking eyes with a teenage boy staring down at him from a nearby door. Though his expression was meek and shy, his uniform marked him as a member of one of the crew despite being perhaps only a year or two younger.

His physical features were expected of a boy his age, but the color of his hair was quite striking. It was a pale shade of blue which seemed to glisten ethereally in the moonlight. Odd color for sure. His face was also quite feminine for a boy.

"Yes?" He asked.

"The... captain wants you to know that we'll be eating soon," The boy spoke slowly. "Mostly seafood... we forgot to stock up on meat."

"Hm... That's fine," Shirou shrugged as he stood up and stretched. He eyed the boy inquisitively. "What's your name?"

The boy jumped at that and looked nervous for a moment. "M-Machaon, sir..."

"Shirou," He finished as he grabbed his bag and turned towards her with a friendly smile. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

The boy looked down and skittered nervously. "Likewise."

A shy one, huh? Rin would have had a field day with this.

"Well," He spoke again in order to ward off this aura of awkwardness the kid was creating. "If it is no trouble, I'd like to help with cooking. Would your captain be alright with that?"

The boy looked up at him in surprise. "You can cook?"

He shrugged. "I'm not half bad."

"Well, I'm not sure what the captain would think. I mean, you already paid to be here, so..."

Shirou shook his head. "Well, just consider it further payment. I'm not particularly useful on a ship, so anything I can do that could be useful would comfort me greatly."

The boy gave him a weird look before giving a light shrug. "Well... I suppose the captain won't be upset... provided you can cook."

He smirked as he strolled past the boy. "Well, I better not disappoint him."

Machaon stared at his back as he walked away and made to follow, but stopped suddenly as a strange feeling made the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. He glanced at the water below, the growing darkness soon concealing the life below. It was... uneasy.

He shook the feeling aside. It was probably nothing.

As he left to catch up with Shirou and show him the way to the dining hall, a scaly appendage silently rose out of the water before submerging back into the depths below.

Ποσειδῶν (Poseidon)

Poseidon is the god of the sea, he who commands the deeps and is one of the most venerated gods in ancient Greece. It is no surprise, seeing as how the main method of traveling from one place to another was by ship. Sailors would pray to him for safe voyages and protection from both monsters and storms, while fishermen would pray for good catches. Like it or not, the world depended on the generosity of the sea.

He possesses a dual nature, often reflecting the state of his domain. On the one hand, he could be calm and cool on a good day. On the other hand, he could be as stormy and fickle as a typhoon on a bad day. It is this nature that garners both respect and fear from the populace, for his strength was rumored to rival Zeus himself. Indeed, in Mycenaean histories dating back to an age which predates the formation of what would be considered the 'canon' of Greek Mythology, there is proof that the Ancient Greeks once held Poseidon to a higher standing than Zeus himself.

His mighty trident was said to stir up the seas, and with it, he could demonstrate authority over the earth by flipping mountains and islands alongside striking the ground to create massive earthquakes. This is the reason for one of his epithets as 'Earth-Shaker'. He also created the first horses, the finest of which were named Pegasus and Arion, outstanding even amongst their peers.

He is a god to be feared, for the depths of the sea is an area shrouded in mystery even to those of the present day. Horrors slither and creep within the blackness below, and Poseidon has dominion over them all. If he wanted to, entire fleets could vanish without a trace, devoured by creatures from beyond your imagination.

Remember that the next time you go swimming.

Sorry this chapter took so long! I was fortunate enough to pull Skadi, but I didn't have the materials necessary to 10/10/10 her! :( Grinding ended up taking most of my time so I'm sorry about that!

That said, there's a lot to go over this chapter. It's sort of laying the groundwork for what's going to happen later on, and those of you who know about Greek Mythology probably can pick out some details.

For instance: If Jason was raised by Chiron at a young age, why isn't he shown with Shirou, Asclepius, and Heracles? Also, just who's this Machaon character?

Well, all will be revealed later on. Also, if you know just WHO Machaon is, then perhaps you'll be scratching your head in wonder as well. Don't worry, that'll be revealed soon :)

Here's some responses to some reviews.

SentinalSlice: Having the metal reforged by Hephaestus doesn't take away from the fact that those blades will be HIS. Just because it wasn't forged by him doesn't mean that it is something that was 'copied' from someone else like every other weapon he used. They would be created for him, named by him, and utilized as weapons possessed only by him. The reason he's going on this journey to get Hephaestus to forge them is that he doesn't know how to handle the weapon. It's unknown to him, so it'd be wiser if he got someone who did know how the metal worked to handle it.

Hekkasi: The effects of the metal increase his durability, strength, and utilization of magical energy. As the metal efficiently utilizes energy to highly efficient levels, Shirou would end up living beyond the normal lifespan of a regular mortal.

Guest: To the guest reviewer who asked if Shirou can now trace Divine Constructs, the answer is no. Or at least, not easily. His brain is still human, and while the metal increases all of his physical capabilities, it doesn't increase his brain's computing power to fully understand the material which makes up Divine Constructs. It is why he has to go to Hephaestus to forge his weapon because he couldn't fully understand the metal through his tracing alone, and it'd be foolish to try and mess around with it.