The Two-Headed Giant of Erytheia

Tenth Story of History of the Twelve, previous Story Thermodon's Amazoness

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

Thoth was once again limping away from one cell to another cell holding a member of The Dodekathlon. He was thinking about the last thing that he had heard Hippolyta say as he walked away from her cell.

"So some people's lives do come with reset buttons..." she had said. Almost the exact same thing that Cerberus had said to Wrath after the end of the fight in the North.

"He's had a lot more influence on these people than I thought he had..." Thoth muttered.

"Cerberus was our saviour." Hesperides said calmly. Though she was normally quiet and barely audible, in the stone halls of the Magic Council's prison area she was loud and clear.

"Saviour?" Thoth repeated. "He's destroyed entire towns and even tried killing Stymphalos and would've killed Bull as well."

"And yet he took us eleven in. He saved our lives while taking the lives of everyone else." she replied. Thoth sighed in aggitation. "I believe you're here for stories. Here to gather the history of us twelve. Who's story do you need now?"

"Geryon's." Thoth replied.

"He died, so I suppose you would like me to tell you his story as well as mine." Hesperides said.

"How'd you know I was here for that information?" Thoth asked.

"Guards talk." Hesperides answered. "I overheard some of them saying how dumb you were to get the history of criminals."

"Those who don't learn from the past-" Thoth started.

"Are doomed to repeat it. Yes, yes, a popular saying. But no matter how true it is, no one ever learns from the past." Hesperides interrupted. Thoth sighed again. "But you're here for stories, not for a discussion on the idiocy of the human race."

Thoth didn't say anything, simply waiting for Hesperides to begin the story of Geryon.

"Geryon was from a village called Erytheia in the country of Stella. He was the younger twin of the Village Chief and was therefore all but written off as nothing more than someone who could embarrass the Chief." Hesperides said. "So naturally Geryon was nothing more than a trouble maker just to get some attention for himself. His magic, Chimera Magic, was unknown as he hadn't overcome and fused with anything. His brother's magic was Titan and was a great help to the village."

"So he suffered from an inferiority complex." Thoth sighed.

"You sigh a lot, and interrupt a lot too." Hesperides said. "But yes, he felt inferior. It reached a climax when Cerberus showed up and began slaughtering every mage in the village, well every mage but Geryon. With his pride hurt, Geryon absorbed him brother with his Chimera Magic and chased down Cerberus. With the use of his magic, to give himself multiple limbs, and his brother's magic to increase his size he challenged Cerberus."

"So he challenged Cerberus to avenge his wounded pride? Not for his destroyed village?" Thoth groaned.

"Yes. Cerberus, of course, beat Geryon within an inch of his life. But Geryon's pride interested Cerberus and he offered to let Geryon join The Dodekathlon and improve himself." Hesperides said. "Geryon, eager to have more reason to be prideful of himself, joined and the Magic Council knows the rest of the story."

Again, Thoth was a little surprised at what someone would do to save themself or what they'd do for such selfish reasons.

"Next, I suppose, would be my story." Hesperides said. "That, probably won't meet your expectations either."

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

Continued in The Tartessian Snake Charmer