Chapter Text
Six hundred men, six hundred lives at stake. Twelve of them trapped in a gigantic ominous cave, the home of a cyclops. The cyclops had no mercy to give the men. He was angry. The wine tasted great, still, it could not erase his sorrows away.
With the faint light of a small crack on the cave walls, Odysseus gathered his men in a blind corner, hiding from the beast that tried to feast on them.
The great tactician Odysseus he was. Fast to come with a plan. Yet, he was struggling to draft it this time. His first plan was to fight the beast, or at least exhaust him till he collapsed. But, after quick pondering, the tactician knew they would be digging their own grave.
He had already saw enough bloodshed during those past ten years. They were already blessed that none of them died during the war. And that cyclops was not going to be the one who would break that blessing.
So, Odysseus needed to make a second plan and find a solution where everyone would make it out alive in their situation.
"Captain, what's the plan ?" Eurylochus, the second-in-command, asked for the others. Their captain had pronounced nothing for a few minutes already. While, the footsteps of the chasing cyclops was thundering.
Odysseus perked from their hiding spot without answering the question. He needed a visual for the plan. The cyclops was searching for something in the dark. Finally he found what he was looking for. He pulled an object about half of its size. A wooden club, Odysseus recognized it with horror.
The captain hid again and scanned the surroundings lit barely by the faint light. Strong sheeps and rams with thick wool of the single eyed giant gathered with the humans. And supplies like a ropes and firewoods were arranged on a corner.
Finally, his second plan finally unfolded itself clearly in his mind. Determination and confidence filled his heart again. Odysseus went to grab the ropes and bound the sheeps in twos or in threes.
"Alright, my brothers. Listen closely. Hide below those sheeps. Hang beneath their bellies and hold on tight to their thick wool. But, make sure nothing sticks out, that their thick wool completely covers you." Odysseus explained. And before the crew could ask any questions, their captain continued.
"On my signal, you will guide these herds toward the exit. Then, you will bring them to the rest of our fleet. And you will wait there for me."
And without the chance for the crew to ask further questions again, their captain went toward the towering beast, looking confident. The eleven men looked at the second in command, like they waiting for another order, or answers for their confusion. Eurylochus, even as skeptical as them, commanded the rest to follow the captain's plan. And so, the twelve men hung on tight on the thick wool, beneath the sheeps, making themselves smaller. And they watched their reckless captain heading straight to a potential demise.
"HEY CYCLOPS ! " Odysseus shouted, just a few meters away from the beast. And the cyclops craned his neck to look at the tiny human.
"Ah, Nobody. Why are you here alone? Where are your friends? I already gifted you to be the last to die." He said with his terrifying rumbling and indifferent voice.
"They are not important now, as I have decided that I will become your first meal. After me, then you can eat the rest." Odysseus answered, but he was already preparing himself for combat.
"Well then," The Cyclops began as he was lifting the club. "You shall be the first man to die."
The cyclops swung his club towards the human just like when about to squish a fly. But, the fly was rapid and agile. Odysseus effortlessly dodged and slided below the cyclops to finally stand up behind him. The beast turned and swung his club at the man again. And Odysseus dogded it again, and landed near the blocked exit. A smirk formed on his face as it was going right according to his plan. The club supposedly going to squish him, hit instead the boulder which was blocking the exit. A loud cracking noise echoed in all the cave.
And, the crew finally understood their captain's plan. Just two or three more hits and they would be free.
The Cyclops did not seem bothered by the fractured boulder. As he continued to chase the human with his club. He was burning with anger and frustration, trying to squish the minuscule swift mortal.
At last, with a final hit, the clearly recognizable sound of a collapsing boulder boomed inside the cave and even made the soil tremble. And hopefull brightness of the sunlight bathed the cave.
That was our signal ! the twelve men exclaimed quietly.
The hiding men immediatly hushed their sheeps to go outside. And the sheeps led the way and soon the rams followed behind. The fluffy animals trotted toward the cave entrance, then they impatiendly climbed down the rocky steps of the cliff where the cave was perched. During their bumpy descent, the men gripped even more firmly the wool and buried themselves more in it, terrified at the idea of breaking their bones if they would hit those hard rocks, or being shredded into pieces by the sharper ones during their fall.
At great relief, their bumpy ride was over. The sheeps and rams hit the grassy soil safely and walked around to eat the pasture. So, the twelve men finally detached themselves and the sheeps.
The relieved and content men grabbed the sheeps and rams to deliver to the rest of the fleet. But, a man stayed behind. Eurylochus noticed his downcast friend and went over him.
"What's wrong, Polites?" the second in command asked.
"The captain is still up there inside the cave, fighting alone against the cyclops. I know he said to wait for him at the beach. And I know Ody is a skillfull warrior and I trust him. But, I'm just worried about him, Eurylochus..." Polites answered. The always hopefull kind man now had a uneasy feeling that he could not chase away of his heart. Dread, it was. Normally, he always had faith that Odysseus would always make it back alive. But now, he was not so sure about it.
Eurylochus, empathing with his friend's distress, recomforted Polites with a suggestion. "I'm worried about him too, Polites. So, let's climb back up, make sure he's okay and fight alongside our best friend, hm?"
Polites was surprised by Eurylochus's suggestion. It was, a bit, disobedience to their captain's orders, though? But, his heart could not be at ease, worrying all the time for his best friend.
So, he nodded in agreement, hoping to feel relief and he was just overthinking. And the duo then went to climb the cliff up again.
Odysseus's fatigue could be heard in his rapid uneven breathing. He and the Cyclops had been playing their deathly game for too long. The drugged lotus wine should had already took effect. Yet, the weird duo continued their odd dance. The cyclops would swing his club everywhere he saw the human, while the human would always find a way to dogde its attacks. The tactician just needed to be patient and he had to keep his guard up still for longer.
When suddenly, after swiftly dodging another swing. He caught two humans figures at the entrance of the caves.
Eurylochus? Polites? he thought to himself panicked. What are they doing here?! They shouldn't be here!
Racing thoughts fogged his mind. He needed to order them to return to the ships. He needed to-
"ODYSSEUS ! WATCH OUT !!! "
Before he knew it, Odysseus had made a fatal mistake. He had let his guard down for a small moment.
From the corner of his eyes, he saw the blurred image of the club swinging at him. The man tried to dodge, but his reflexes were quite stingy. The impact on his left side shot a burning sharp pain all around his body. The crash landing into the rock walls was harshening the pain. Every ragged breaths felt like sharp knife tearing his skin. And his body protested violently as he tried to stand up. His head was spining and he was...seeing double? That was not good. He rubbed his head to soothe the pain, only to be horrified by the blood staining his hands.
In the end, he managed, with difficulty, to bring himself on his knees. But, then he suddenly froze still at another sharp pain in his chest.
Slowly looking down, he saw the sharp metal and bloodied tip of an arrow, sticking out from his tunic. He yelped in pain as the arrow was removed forcefully from behind. Time seemed to move slow as he caught the horrified faces of his friends. He collapsed, blood oozing slowly from the wound to his cape and the ground.
"Eury...lochus... Pol...ites..." was all Odysseus could mutter with a voice barely audible than a whisper. He tried to reach for them but his limbs would no longer response. Black spots filled his vision and his eyes fluttered slowly to shut.
"Do you feel the pain now ? Do you feel the pain so deep that you had inflicted to me ?" The cyclops rumbled, bowing his head down and clutching the arrow close to his heart. It was the same arrow that Nohbody used to kill his favorite sheep.
Then, the single eyed beast finally noticed the two standing figures at the entrance. The two humans were petrified of fear, unable to move, as they looked gaze with the towering beast.
"You're dying here and now. No escape allowed. After you, six hundred lives I'll break. And then my pain will be over." The Cyclops continued as he was lifting the club on his other hand above his head. When suddenly, the club slipped from his hand. Then, the beast collapsed at last, but his body blocked the exit again.