After killing the King's son in a fit of rage, Hercules is forced to become the monarch's slave and perform humiliating strenuous tasks. A new series from Otherside!
The Slavery Of Hercules - Prologue
by Otherside
The crowd is pumped with excitement and cheers as they watch the demigod hero Hercules and King Eurytus of Oechalia competing with each other in an archery contest. The king takes so much pride of his skills leading him to believe that even the demigod son of Zeus is no match for him.
Quite assured that he will win, King Eurytus didn’t even hesitate to put the hand of his beautiful daughter, Iole, at stake. If Hercules wins, he shall be able to take the beautiful princess as his wife.
Eurytus is confident with his mastery of archery, too confident that he believes he will win against the demigod. But he was wrong. At the conclusion of the competition, Hercules is named the victor. Fearing that Hercules might have a feat of madness again and kill Iole as what he did to his former wife, Megara, King Eurytus refused to make his end of the deal.
Feeling tricked and cheated, Hercules stormed off angrily. It just so happened that after this incident, some of the king’s mares go missing. Iphitus, one of Eurytus’s son, has resolved to seek help from Hercules. The demigod and the young prince are good friends and that’s why Hercules accepted Iphitus warmly as his guest despite the conflict between him and the king. The two of them eat and share some drink.
“Of all the people, why is it me you’re asking help from?” Hercules asks the prince.
“Because you’ve been close to my father, well, prior to the conflict you two recently had,” Iphitus answers after taking a sip of his wine. “I thought you might know where my father’s lost mares are,” he adds further.
“So you thought I know where your father’s mares had gone into?” Hercules raises an eyebrow. “Are you implying that I am the one who took them?” His tone has become cold and serious.
“Of course not!” Iphitus exclaimed.
“You sounded like you’re accusing me,” Hercules grumbles.
“No I don’t,” the prince insists.
“Yes you do! You’re accusing me of stealing the mares of your stupid father!” Hercules yells. He bolts up and with his great might, he overturns the table. The food and wine spill on the floor.
“Don’t you dare talk like that about my father!” the prince protests.
“Why shouldn’t I? He’s a cheater!” the demigod insists angrily.
Iphitus lunges and throws a fist at Hercules. Soon, the two of them are engaged in a brawl. But the young prince’s strength is no match for the might of a demigod. Hercules easily hurls Iphitus away. With that great strength smacking on him, the prince stumbles back and his body gets fling over to the window.
Hercules gets back to his senses and rushes to reach out for Iphitus. But it is too late. The prince had fallen to his death. Iphitus’s lifeless body lies on the cold hard ground, his limbs bending in awkward angles, blood pooling under his head.
Hercules is so stricken with grief and guilt. He goes to the Oracle to ask what amends he can do to cleanse himself and wash away his sin.
The priestess tells him, “You shall submit yourself to the father of the man you had slain. Serve him as what a slave does to his master.”
And so Hercules goes back to Oechalia. There, he meets the mourning king.
“What are you doing here?!” King Eurytus yells at him. “Are you happy now? I cheated you so you took the life of my son.”
“Killing Iphitus is something I didn’t mean to do.” Hercules tells the king what the Oracle had told him. “I treat Iphitus as my friend. No dignified man should take pride in killing his friend.” Hercules kneels before the throne of Eurytus. “That’s why I am here, submitting myself as your slave, my king.”
Eurytus grins. Now he can avenge the death of his dear son by making Hercules’s life a little miserable.
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