zaronxyz

[zaronxyz]

Love In Paradise In Prose

Athena walks into her observatory with a calm stride. An invisible wind gusts through her feathers, rustling them as the observatory activates. The roof begins spinning, gradually picking up speed as the stars above her blur into white blemishes. Athena walks to the middle, and a light blue spotlight appears on her. As soon as it does, time around her freezes completely, and the world gains a blue tint. The clock starts ticking.

White squares containing all of Odysseus' memories sterling around her, waiting for her to view. "Old friend, it's been ten years since I last saw you..." Athena mutters calmly. Her eyes slowly flutter shut as her breath hitches, remembering the painful memory for her.

The cyclops' rage increases, and it charges towards the sound of Odysseus' voice. Odysseus remains calm, confidently calling out to it as he continues backing away. "When we met, I lead with peace while you fed your inner beast. I am neither man nor mythical. I am your darkest moment." He stretches his arms out to the side as a victorious grin appears on his face. "I am the reigning king of Ithaca. I am neither man nor mythical. Remember me! I am the infamous Odysseus!"

Athena shakes her head, her eyebrows furrowing together as her lips purse in a fine line. The roof above her continues spinning as she brings her hand up to the memories. "Let's see where you've been." Athena's fingers press down on the white square, and her whole eye goes pure white as the visions begin to across her eyes.

Aeolus twirls around Odysseus in the air, a goofy smirk on her face. She eventually lies down on her belly next to him while staying in the air, looking over his shoulder at him. "Keep your friends close and your enemies closer~" Aeolus teases one final time before dropping the bag of winds right on his head.

Poseidon's form made of water stretches across the front of the ship, easily towering over it by multiple stories. His beard is rough and black as he smirks down at Odysseus' crew with his shark-like teeth. He raises his hand high above his head, a golden barbed trident appearing in it. "Ruthlessness is mercy upon ourselves!" Poseidon lunges his arm down, driving the trident straight through Odysseus' ship.

Circe's eyes narrow as she stares down Odysseus' sword that is pointed directly at her face. She takes a step back, moving her hand to the vanity table and grabbing a gold dagger from it. Her lips form a deep frown as she speaks, "One wrong move and you're done for. Anything I don't approv-"

Tiresias raises his staff high above his head, the shard of the moon beginning to glow across his hood. A collection of different stars and constellations swirl around Odysseus and Tiresias as his eyes close behind the blindfold. "I see a song of past romance," Tiresias pauses, his mouth forming a slow grimace. "I see the sacrifice of man..."

The siren looks at the bag containing her friends with horror. Her mouth falls open, and her eyes widen as they quickly become blurry with a combination of fear and anger. Odysseus smirks as he looks down at the siren, his sword in his hand glinting in the sunlight. He crouches down, taking the sirens chin in his hand. His eyes lock with the sirens, and he puts his sword to her throat. "We won't take more suffering from you." With a single slice, the siren's head flies off her body, her body falling limp as the head sinks to the bottom of the ocean.

The crew listens, and so does Scylla. Scylla's main head curls into a smile, another eel darting towards one of the torchbearers. "Drown in your sorrow and fears!" Scylla's eel snatches one of the torchbearers in its mouth, his blood splattering across the deck of the ship as the eel retreats with its new meal.

The rain patters down on the remaining crew as Eurylochus and Odysseus stand apart from each other. Zeus stands behind them, waiting for Odysseus to make a decision with a smirk on his face. Odysseus, meanwhile, has his head downcast and a deep frown on his face. He has decided already, but he still has to tell Zeus.

Eurylochus' eyes are locked on the top of Odysseus' head as Odysseus looks at the ground. He takes a step forward, placing his hand on Odysseus' shoulder. He will choose to save them, right? He gently squeezes Odysseus' shoulder, almost reassuringly. His voice comes out besitant and strained. "Captain...?" Eurylochus mutters out, his mouth forming into a frown.

Odysseus stays quiet for a moment longer, his eyes trained on the water seeping through the boards of the ship from the rain. He hesitantly lifts his head up, his tear-striken face now visible to Eurylochus. He has to be ruthleess if he's going to make it back home. "I have to see her," Odysseus states plainly.

Eurylochus' eyes widen, and he almost takes a step back, but he doesn't. He brings his other hand to Odysseus' other shoulder, squeezing them both gently. Tears begin to slip down his own face as the weight of Odysseus' decision dawns on him. "But we'll die..."

Odysseus steps forward and hugs Eurylochus tightly, resting his chin on his brother's shoulder. His eyes snap shut, another tear slipping from his eyes as his arms squeeze Eurylochus tightly. "I know..."

Zeus lets out a bark of laughter, obliging by Odysseus' decision. A large lightning bolt forms in his hand, and he hurls it down to Odysseus' ship to kill his crew. Odysseus lives, but his crew does not.

When the lightning hits, Athena's white eyes flicker back to their normal state, and she's thrown out of his memories. She places a hand over her chest, finding jt heaving. She had thrown her head down at some point, so she lifted it back up to look at the Memory Squares once more. Her eyebrows shoot up, and her eyes widen as she sees only one more Square left. "Odysseus... where did you go...?"

Athena hesitantly raises her hand from her chest to the square, pressing down on it once more. The smell of a tropical coast reaches her right before her eyes go white once more.

Rolling waves lap against the shoreline of the island, with palm trees soaring overhead. Odysseus slowly blinks away the salt as his eyes adjust to the sudden sunlight. The sound of seagulls reaches his ears as he hears footsteps coming up to him. He hears a voice, soft, feminine, and thunderstruck. "Morning, sleepyhead, you've been resting for a while. I swore that you were dead when you washed up on my isle." The head of the woman pops into Odysseus' view, a love-sick grin on her face as she looks down at him with her arms crossed behind her back. She has long black hair, two pink flowers inside it, and dark skin riddled with sea salt. "Did you know you talk in your sleep? Tell me, though, who's Penelope?" The woman asks with an innocent smile.

Odysseus smiles and looks down at his hand, lifting it up so his wedding ring is glinting in the sunlight. His eyes sag as a small smile spreads across his face. "She's my wife."

The woman's eyes widen right before they narrow into a scowl. Her eyes snap dangerously to the ring before she plasters on a welcoming smile once more. She walks over and lits Odysseus up by the arm, beginning to lead him across the isle. Odysseus reluctantly comes with, but his steps aren't very purposeful. "Anyways, I've got all you could want here, all you could need here, just you and me, my dear, my love for life." Odysseus' eyes widen when she says, "My love for life." He tries to rip his grip from her arm, but it's far stronger than his own. How...? The woman stops in front of her door and opens it, revealing her bed with pink curtains and sheets, a hopeful smile on her face as she gestures toward it. "Soon into bed, we'll climb and spend our time."

Odysseus eventually rips his hand from the woman's grip and takes a step back, his eyes narrowing at the woman's form. "I'm not your man," Odysseus states bluntly, not bothering to placate the woman.

The woman takes a step forward, stretching out her arms to the side a little as the smile on her face gets wider. Odysseus takes a step back in response. She loves him, why can't he see that? "I'm what you want here, I'm what you need here. Just you and me, my love in paradise." The woman takes another step forward, forcing her mouth into a teasing smirk as she lifts her hand to tap Odysseus on the nose. "Now 'til the end of time, from here on out, you're mine, all mine."

Odysseus' face scrunched up when the woman taps his nose. He takes a step back and quickly unsheathes his sword from his belt and points it at her neck, the tip just barely grazing her skin. The woman freezes in place, her eyes locking with Odysseus. "Hell no! I could kill you where you stand!" Odysseus steps forward as if to prove his point. "I'm no pet, I'm a married man!"

The woman lifts her hand slowly and tilts Odysseus' sword down with her finger, a sultry smirk on her face as she does so. "Oh, handsome, you may try, but last I checked, goddesses can't die!" The woman lifts her hand and covers her mouth with her palm, letting out a small giggle.

Odysseus steps back, his grip on his sword faltering for a moment when the woman declares herself a goddess. His eyes widen as they lock with the woman's once more. "Goddess...?" Odysseus says quietly, his voice a whisper in the tropical air.

The woman takes a step back, her feet slowly rising off the air. "You're adorable. Bow down now to the immortal Calyspo, here to entertain." Calyspo's feet hit the floor once more as a pleading smile spreads across her face. "But fear not, I bring no pain. Cause we've got," Calyspo begins teleporting both her and Odysseus across her island Ogygia, showing him the waterfalls and beautiful scenery to punctuate her words, with Odysseus growing increasingly annoyed, "all we could want here, all we could need here, under my spell we're stuck in paradise. No one can come nor go. My island stays unknown."

"No, no..." Odysseus eyes flick upon the scenery, noting how beautiful it all is, but something is off. He takes a step back when they reach a waterfall, his back to it while his face is pointed at Calypso. "I don't belong here. There's something wrong here! I won't be drawn to love in paradise! Not 'til the end of time, there is no way-"

"You're mine, all mine..." Calypso states as she hugs Odysseus tightly, as if staking her claim on him.

Athena's gaze hardens when she's brought out of the memory. Her eyes flick to the one new Memory Square, assuming it is the current day. "Seven years she's kept you trapped out of your control. Time can take a heavy toll." Athena's hand lifts to press upon the last Memory Square, and her eyes go white once more. This time, there's a rainstorm.

Rain pours down on the cliff where Odysseus kneels upon. His head is lowered to the ground hundreds of feet below him as footsteps quickly shuffle up to the cliff behind him. Odysseus' tears mingle with the rain pouring down around him as Calypso's voice echoes behind him. "Odysseus?"

"All I hear are screams..." Odysseus says solemnly, images of Telemachus, his son, and his wife, Penelope, flashing across his vision.

Calypso takes a step towards Odysseus, her hand outstretched to him. "Ody, get away from the ledge!" Calypso exclaims quickly, her hand quickly falling to her side as a deep frown spreads across her face.

Odysseus throws his hand back at Calypso before standing up abruptly, looking up at the sky. "You don't know what I've gone through! You don't know what I've sacrificed." Odysseus almost feels Polites hand on his shoulder, edging him to the ledge. He takes a step forward as he continues, "Every comrade I long new. Every friend, I saw them die. And all I hear are screams."

Calypso takes another step forward, stretching her arms out to Odysseus and putting on a big smile for him, hoping to coax him back. Internally, she's crying as she sees him take another step towards the ledge. "It will be fine, dear. Come back inside, dear. Love of my life, come back to paradise. I know your life's been hard, I'll stay inside your heart."

"All I hear are screams!"

"I love you, my dear, I love our time here. Life would be so much worse-"

"Just let me close my eyes!"

"-if you had died. Please stay away from harm, stay in my open arms."

Odysseus' head snaps up as he hears voices from above him. His eyes continue to water and stream down tears like waterfall as he feels hands on his back, slowly pushing him to the edge of the ledge. "All I hear are..."

"This life is amazing when you greet it with open arms!" Polites exclaims to Odysseus as he floats off the ledge. "Whatever we face, we'll be fine if we're leading from the heart. No matter what we face, we can light up the world. Here's how to start: greet the world with open arms, greet the world with open arms!" Polites floats forward to Odysseus and taps him on the nose before giggling, but no sound comes out when he does.

Odysseus falls to his knees only a foot away from the ledge as Polies smiles down upon him. Eurylochus flies past Odysseus and floats in front of his shoulder with his arms crossed. "How much longer 'til your luck runs out? How much longer 'til the show goes south? How much longer 'til we all fall down?" Eurylochus sneers down at Odysseus one last time before jerking his head to the side; refusing to look at his captain.

Odysseus raises his hands to his face and claws at it, covering his crying eyes from his friends. His heart is pounding in his ears, and before long, it gets too much for him. His hands drop to his sides as he screams out, calling for his last friend, "Athena!"

Athena's eyes go back to normal as she's kicked out of the last Memory Square, leaving none left around her. She's frozen, her eyes wide as she stares off into space. "He needs my help," Athena says softly. A tear drops from her eye as the observatory roof stops spinning, and she storms out of the room to Zeus' throne room. As she does, the ticking clock stops and the world loses it's blue tint.

[zaronxyz]

Mutiny In Prose

Eurylochus' chest heaves, his greatsword still in his hand from the encounter with Scylla. His eyes are blurry and unfocused, staring down at the blood around him. The crew has stopped rowing now, and all eyes are on Odysseus as he stands at the hem of the ship. Eurylochus swings around, his eyes immediately landing on Odysseus. If possible, his eyes widen further when he sees his unshaken demeanor.

He slowly walks towards Odysseus, his eyes slowly becoming less blurry. "Tell me you had not known that would happen." Eurylochus takes another step forward, his eyes now trained on the back of Odysseus' head. "Say you didn't know how that would end." Eurylochus' hand clenches around his sword as he stops ten feet away from Odysseus. "Look me in the eyes and tell me, captain," Eurylochus grits his teeth and raises his voice to yell, "THAT YOU DID NOT JUST SACRIFICE SIX MEN!"

Odysseus clenches his teeth to refrain from snapping right back at Eurylochus. Though, he stays silent. He has no defense. He just sacrificed six of his men. His hand slowly drifts down to his sword, sheathed on his hip, and grips the handle of it.

Eurylochus' eyes snap down to Odysseus' hand, and they widen once again. His eyes snap back up to Odysseus, and they narrow once again when Odysseus stays silent. He takes another step forward. 9 feet now. "Use your wits to try and say I'm crazy and mad!" Eurylochus swings his hand to the side, clenching it towards the ocean. "That this all some trick the gods have sent!" A tear slips down Eurylochus' eye as he takes another step towards Odysseus. 8 feet now. He tilts his sword upward to the sky and holds it tightly at his side. "Tell me you did not miss home so painfully bad, that you gave up the lives of six of our friends?"

Eurylochus moves his outstretched fist to the center of his chest as he stops behind Odyssues. He clenches his fist tightly, trying to get through to Odysseus. "When we fought the cyclops, you were quick to hatch a plan. And when we fought with Circe, it was you who left behind no man!" Eurylochus drops his head down to the deck of the ship, his eyes snapped shut. "But when we saw this monster, we didn't take a stand. We just ran." Eurylochus tilts his head up to look at Odysseus only to see him still standing silently. He clenches his teeth and yells, "SAY SOMETHING!"

Odysseus whips around and glares tightly at Eurylochus, his own hand clenched at his sword on his hip. "I CAN'T!" Odysseus yells, his chest heaving with emotion.

Eurylochus eyes darken. He slowly raises his greatsword, his mouth pursed in a fine line. "Then you have forced my hand." Eurylochus readies his greatsword above him, his feet planted on the worn-out boards of the deck.

Odysseus freezes, and his eyes widen. Eurylochus isn't attacking him, no. "Lower your weapon!" Odysseus quickly unsheaths his sword, raises it high, and points it at Eurylochus.

"No can do. You missed your wife so bad you trade the lives of your own crew."

"Don't make me fight you, brother, you know you'd have done the same!"

"If you want all the power, you must carry all the blame!" Eurylochus charges at Odysseus, a fire he has never seen before flaring behind his eyes. His greatsword is held high above his head.

Odysseus quickly blocks, pushing Eurylochus off him. When Eurylochus attempts to swing at him again, he jumps over his sword and slices him in the sides as he breaks into a sprint around him. Eurylochus staggers back, clutching his sword tightly in his hand. He makes another swing at Odysseus, this time at his chest, only for Odysseus to slide under it and cut Eurylochus in the knees.

Eurylochus screams in pain, immediately falling to his knees in pain. His hand flies down to where Odysseus cut him, feeling the blood now covering his hand. When he raises it to see it, his mind immediately flashes back to Scylla.

Odysseus stands before Eurylochus, a sneer plastered on his face as he looks down at Eurylochus beneath him. He raises his sword high above his head, his teeth clenched, ready to deliver the final blow. "I am not letting you get in my way-!" Odysseus feels a sharp pain in his gut. His vision becomes unfocused as he looks down, only to see the tip of a sword jetting out of his abdomen. His heart pounds in his ears, his hand slowly lowering to the sword inside him. He looks over his shoulder, only to see the rest of his crew behind him with their weapons drawn and a single member stabbing him from behind. "My brothers... why...?"

Odysseus' crew advances upon him. All of their swords held tightly in their hands at their sides. They all chant in unison, "How are we supposed to trust you now? Now your time has come, your luck's run out. Now, the time has come to shut you down. You relied on wit, and then we died on it, woah-oh-oh." The crew member that had stabbed Odysseus pulls his sword out of him, leaving Odysseus to fall limply to the ground. His eyes snap shut, and he falls unconscious.

When Odysseus wakes up, his head has a splitting pain in it. "Ah, my head..." Odysseus tries to raise his hand to touch his head, but he can't move his arms. When his vision comes back, his eyes immediately snap down to look at the... ropes binding him to a stone statue behind him. His head tilts back up to see Eurylochus sitting down on a ledge overlooking a pasture with... cows. "Where are we?" Odysseus asks.

Eurylochus stays silent for a moment, his back turned to Odysseus as he looks out at the crew, examining the cows. When he speaks, he doesn't turn his head to look at Odysseus. "Some island. The first one we found." Eurylochus waves his hand towards the cows, still not looking back at Odysseus. "It's bursting with cows, just roaming around begging us to eat. So much meat." As if on cue, Eurylochus' stomach grumbles, and he looks down at his bandaged skin. "And hunger is so heavy..."

Eurylochus finally looks back at Odysseus' bandaged form, a dead expression on his face. His eyes flick up to the statue behind him. The statue of Helios. "This statue... the God of the sun... don't know where it's from, but here's where we found all these cows to hunt right in front. And hunger is so heavy..."

Odysseus' eyes widen when Eurylochus says, the god of the sun. He looks back up at the stage he's tied to, his eyes widening even further. "Please don't tell me you're about to do what I think you'll do..."

"Ody, we're never gonna get to make it home. You know it's true."

"You don't know that's true! This is the home of the sun God."

"I'm starving, my friend."

"But if you kill his cattle, who knows what he'll send? This is the home of the sun God."

"I'm tired, my friend."

Odysseus looks back down at the statue, and his eyes fall upon Eurylochus' eyes darkening as a blank expression crosses his face. "But we're so close to home. This can't be where it ends..." Odysseus exclaims quickly, his arms fighting against the ropes.

Odysseus stands up, sheathing his greatsword on his back after picking it up from the ground. He clenches his fists at his sides as he looks down at Odysseus. "How much longer must I suffer now?"

"Please don't do this...," Odysseus pleads.

"How much longer must I push through doubt?"

"I need to get home...!"

"How much longer must I go about-"

"Eurylochus...!"

"-My life like this when people die like this?" Eurylochus finishes. He turns swiftly away from Odysseus, his steps slow as he patiently walks down the slope to the cows. "How much longer must we suffer now?"

"Reconsider! We can get home!" Odysseus quickly states, but he's cut off when Eurylochus starts raising his sword above one of the cows.

Eurylochus clenches his teeth and closes his eyes, his greatsword held high above his head. "I'm just a man!"

Odysseus finally breaks free of the ropes, and he makes a mad sprint towards Eurylochus. "Eurylochus- NO!"

Eurylochus' sword plunges into the cow, and it falls limp on the grass. Odysseus freezes mid sprint, now only 5 feet behind Eurylochus. The cow lays limp on the ground for a moment, but then the blood starts pouring out of it. "You've doomed us!" Odysseus yells. The ichor slowly spreads from the cow's body and stains the grass, and the whole crew, along with Eurylochus, freeze. "You've doomed us all, Eurylochus!" Odysseus exclaims once more. The cow's eyes become a flat color of gold, and a heavy storm begins brewing in the sky. The entire island is shrouded in total blackness, and Thunder begins rolling in. Rain starts pouring on all of them. Despite the chaos in the weather, the ocean stays perfectly still as if even Poseidon is acquiescing to Zeus.

Odysseus runs forward and grabs Eurylochus' shoulder, shaking him violently. Eurylochus mutters, "Captain...?" But before he can get the thought out, Odysseus yells at him as his face scans the remaining crew. "We need to get away from this island now! Grab an oar with all the strength your arms allow!"

The crew immediately listens to him, the rain pouring down on all their clothes and bodies as they run back to the ships. Eurylochus and Odysseus break into a sprint as well, both of their swords sheathed. Odysseus barks out another command as he runs, his eyes making sure everyone gets to the boats. "These cows were immortal, they were the sun God's friends! And now that we've pissed them off, who do you think he'll send?!"

The crew makes it to the boats, and they all take the oars and begin rowing when Odysseus and Eurylochus get on the deck. Odysseus' eyes frantically flick between them all, his eyes unfocused and shaky. "Faster! Faster!"

A thunder strike right next to the boat hits the water, forcing it to a halt. Odysseus slowly tilts his head up to the storm, his eyes suddenly focusing on the cloud swirling down to greet the ship. "We're too late..."

Third Prose piece for Epic: The Musical is now done! This is my best work aside from Love In Paradise, I think. It's just so emotional AHHH I love it

[zaronxyz]

Snippet of Love In Paradise! Mutiny will be out tomorrow-

Aeolus twirls around Odysseus in the air, a goofy smirk on her face. She eventually lies down on her belly next to him while staying in the air, looking over his shoulder at him. "Keep your friends close and your enemies closer~" Aeolus teases one final time before dropping the bag of winds right on his head.

Poseidon's form made of water stretches across the front of the ship, easily towering over it by multiple stories. His beard is rough and black as he smirks down at Odysseus' crew with his shark-like teeth. He raises his hand high above his head, a golden barbed trident appearing in it. "Ruthlessness is mercy upon ourselves!" Poseidon lunges his arm down, driving the trident straight through Odysseus' ship.

Circe's eyes narrow as she stares down Odysseus' sword that is pointed directly at her face. She takes a step back, moving her hand to the vanity table and grabbing a gold dagger from it. Her lips form a deep frown as she speaks, "One wrong move and you're done for. Anything I don't approv-"

Tiresias raises his staff high above his head, the shard of the moon beginning to glow across his hood. A collection of different stars and constellations swirl around Odysseus and Tiresias as his eyes close behind the blindfold. "I see a song of past romance," Tiresias pauses, his mouth forming a slow grimace. "I see the sacrifice of man..."

The siren looks at the bag containing her friends with horror. Her mouth falls open, and her eyes widen as they quickly become blurry with a combination of fear and anger. Odysseus smirks as he looks down at the siren, his sword in his hand glinting in the sunlight. He crouches down, taking the sirens chin in his hand. His eyes lock with the sirens, and he puts his sword to her throat. "We won't take more suffering from you." With a single slice, the siren's head flies off her body, her body falling limp as the head sinks to the bottom of the ocean.

The crew listens, and so does Scylla. Scylla's main head curls into a smile, another eel darting towards one of the torchbearers. "Drown in your sorrow and fears!" Scylla's eel snatches one of the torchbearers in its mouth, his blood splattering across the deck of the ship as the eel retreats with its new meal.

[zaronxyz]

That's enough work for this week... Arcane Act 2 is coming out tomorrow, so I'm definitely not working that day. I'll give yall a small snippet of Love In Paradise to keep yall fed, though. dw 💪

Scylla In Prose

Odysseus' ship sails slowly towards a large rock cove that stretches out of the water. It'd be a mountain, but the hole at the front signals that it's hollow. There's no life on it - just jagged rocks and stalagmites to serve as the hair of the lair. The inside is pitch-black, with the full moon above doing little to aid in the crews' sight.

Odysseus stands on the side of the ship with his hands on the rail looking out at the water. His silence does not stop the rowing of his crew as they inch closer to the cavern. The old boards of the ship rub against his war-torn hands, strongly reminding him of their journey thus far. Odysseus knows what lies in this lair, and the same thought runs through his mind over and over, "This is our only way home."

"Deep down..."

Eventually, the ship slows into the cave as Odysseus stands at the edge of the ship. Eurylochus' footsteps are heard behind Odysseus, but he doesn't turn his head to look. He feels a hand on his shoulder, urging him to turn his head, but he doesn't. After a short moment, Eurylochus frowns. "You're quiet today," Eurylochus states with a hint of concern in his voice.

"Deep down..."

Odysseus ignores Eurylochus for a moment. He speaks, his voice monotone, "Not much to say." There's a lot to say, in fact, but Odysseus can't - or frankly shouldn't - get the words out. A war in his head about the justification of his actions is oscillating between cowardice and strategy.

"Deep down... you hide a reason for shame..."

Eurylochus' frown deepens. He steps back, holding his hands up in a placating gesture of which he knows Odysseus can't see before letting them fall to his side. He sighs and runs his hand through his hair slowly, the salt that is sticking to his hair now sticking to his hand. "I've got a secret I can no Ionger keep," Eurylochus hesitates, his eyes darting up to Odysseus for a brief moment, "I opened the wind bag when you were asleep..."

"Leaving them feeling betrayed... breaking the bonds that you've made..."

Odysseus' eyes widen, his eyes shaking in place as he looks out at the inky blackness of the lair. His pupil goes red as he snaps his gaze back towards Eurylochus, his mouth pursed in a fine line. Before he can say anything, his eyes lose their dangerous glint, and he returns his gaze to the ocean. He can't snap. Not now.

Eurylochus' eyes sag when Odysseus stays quiet. He reaches out his hand towards him but stops mid-air. "I'm so sorry," Eurylochus pleads. When Odysseus says nothing, he shuffles back and lets his hand fall to his side yet again.

"There is no price we won't pay... we both know what it takes to survive..."

Odysseus stays silent, the dark of the cave enveloping the ship further. Eurylochus pleads one more time, his hand dropping to his side. "Please forgive me." When Odysseus stays silent, he turns around and begins walking back to the deck. "Full speed ahead!" Eurylochus shouts, his command reaching the crew's ears as they follow his orders.

"Deep down... we only care for ourselves..."

When Eurylochus is just about to leave, Odysseus' eyes snap back to him without turning his head. He speaks immediately, the red dot in his eye perfectly trained on Eurylochus back. "Eurylochus, light up six torches," his voice is firm, leaving no room for question.

"Deep down... we're lonely demons from hell..."

Eurylochus clenches his hands into fists at his sides but quickly nods and heads to the deck. As he does, his teeth grit together. Near the mast, there's a stand with twelve torches on it. Eurylochus grabs six and heads towards the cressets. He gestures for five of the crew standing on the deck to come closer over his shoulder as he lights the first torch.

The five crew members come up and stand behind Eurylochus in a line. The one at the front, named Varan, speaks up curiously. "Eurylochus? What's with the torches?" Eurylochus stays silent before handing a now lit torch behind him to Varan. "Captains orders." Without a word, Varan nods and grabs the torch from his hand and shuffles off. The rest of the crew behind him didn't ask any further questions to Eurylochus relief.

Just as he's done, something large swims under the boat. The thing must be at least double the size of the boat because the ripple causes the boat to jostle. Eurylochus' eyes widen, and he runs up the stairs to Odysseus. He sees him still standing at the edge, and he jogs to him with one of the lit torches in his left hand. "Captain! Something approaches."

The crew stops rowing at the sides as Odysseus stares blankly at the water off the side of the boat. Eurylochus runs to the front, his free hand gripping the edge. A woman's head rises from the water, her body hidden beneath the surface of the water. Her eyes are blank, her pupils are dilated, and her messy black hair runs off the back of her head into the water. Her eyes don't move even a centimeter, nor does her head. Suddenly, a low and raspy voice echoes from it, the mouth opening once for the sound to come out like a cd player. "Hello."

Slowly, the head rises from the water. The neck of the head extends and extends as the body rises, the sound of cracking bones ripping through the air. The hair is short-lived, leading straight to the neck bone of the creature known only as Scylla. The torso of the creature is no less terrifying than the he rest, as it's pale, malnourished skin reveals its whole ribcage. The torso itself is massive, far bigger than the boat itself. The start of two serpent's originating from the back reveal themselves as the creature rises. More and more eel like serpents extend from the rest of the creature's body as it rises, their yellow eyes, and blood-stained teeth on full display. By the time the creature is done rising, its limbless body is fully risen out out of the water with the lower body where the legs should be hidden, if it even has a lower body. The head that used to be the woman's face is now revealed to be the hair of another eel head. Six eels total.

Eurylochus takes a step back, his torch nearly falling out of his hand. His eyes are wide with fear as he states up at Scylla. He stands frozen in place before the creature he wasn't warned of. As the eels splay out near the front of the ship, all their eyes staring intently on each person who holds a torch, Odysseus continues to stare blankly at the water in front of him. After a split second, without turning his head, Odysseus yells out, "Row for your lives!"

The crew listens, and so does Scylla. Scylla's main head curls into a smile, another eel darting towards one of the torchbearers. "Drown in your sorrow and fears!" Scylla's eel snatches one of the torchbearers in its mouth, his blood splattering across the deck of the ship as the eel retreats with its new meal.

The crew's screams fill the air as Odysseus doesn't move, his eyes still trained on the water below him. His crew runs around, but not before another eel grabs Varan. "Choke on your blood and your tears!" Scylla taunts, the torch dropping from Varan's hand onto the deck.

Eurylochus runs backward, the torch still in his hand. He pulls the greatsword off his back but knows it will be useless. His head whips back from Scylla only to see another torchbearer get eaten. His eyes widen. He immediately drops the torch and steps back, now knowing why Odysseus told him to light six. He was sacrificing them. "Die in the blood where you bathe! Give up your honor and faith!" Scylla barks out, her eyes trained on Eurylochus.

Once Eurylochus drops his torch, another crew member runs forward and picks it up before spinning their head towards Scylla. Eurylochus steps forward, his hand outstretched to the crew member. "Drop the torch!" Just as he gets the sentence out, Scylla hits the crew member into the air with an eel head before snatching the crew member out of the air and eating them. "Bleed 'til you've run out of years!"

As one of Scylla's eel heads grabs a fifth crew member, the main one slithers out in front of Odysseus to stare into his eyes. "We both do what it takes to survive." Scylla slithers away, leaving Odysseus still frozen on the deck of the ship. The main head circles the mast before diving for another crew member and snatching them in her jaw just as the ship exits the cave.

The sun shines brightly above the blood, covering the deck of the ship. Eurylochus' eyes are wide, and his chest is heaving. The crew on row duty shared his composure. Odysseus, however, does not.

Second published prose piece! I'm still working on a few others, but I've found that this one is finished. There's still places for improvement (especially considering how good Love In Paradise is turning out... ❤️), but I can't find anything I want to improve on.

[zaronxyz]

Scylla In Prose

Odysseus' ship sails slowly towards a large rock cove that stretches out of the water. It'd be a mountain, but the hole at the front signals that it's hollow. There's no life on it - just jagged rocks and stalagmites to serve as the hair of the lair. The inside is pitch-black, with the full moon above doing little to aid in the crews' sight.

Odysseus stands on the side of the ship with his hands on the rail looking out at the water. His silence does not stop the rowing of his crew as they inch closer to the cavern. The old boards of the ship rub against his war-torn hands, strongly reminding him of their journey thus far. Odysseus knows what lies in this lair, and the same thought runs through his mind over and over, "This is our only way home."

"Deep down..."

Eventually, the ship slows into the cave as Odysseus stands at the edge of the ship. Eurylochus' footsteps are heard behind Odysseus, but he doesn't turn his head to look. He feels a hand on his shoulder, urging him to turn his head, but he doesn't. After a short moment, Eurylochus frowns. "You're quiet today," Eurylochus states with a hint of concern in his voice.

"Deep down..."

Odysseus ignores Eurylochus for a moment. He speaks, his voice monotone, "Not much to say." There's a lot to say, in fact, but Odysseus can't - or frankly shouldn't - get the words out. A war in his head about the justification of his actions is oscillating between cowardice and strategy.

"Deep down... you hide a reason for shame..."

Eurylochus' frown deepens. He steps back, holding his hands up in a placating gesture of which he knows Odysseus can't see before letting them fall to his side. He sighs and runs his hand through his hair slowly, the salt that is sticking to his hair now sticking to his hand. "I've got a secret I can no Ionger keep," Eurylochus hesitates, his eyes darting up to Odysseus for a brief moment, "I opened the wind bag when you were asleep..."

"Leaving them feeling betrayed... breaking the bonds that you've made..."

Odysseus' eyes widen, his eyes shaking in place as he looks out at the inky blackness of the lair. His pupil goes red as he snaps his gaze back towards Eurylochus, his mouth pursed in a fine line. Before he can say anything, his eyes lose their dangerous glint, and he returns his gaze to the ocean. He can't snap. Not now.

Eurylochus' eyes sag when Odysseus stays quiet. He reaches out his hand towards him but stops mid-air. "I'm so sorry," Eurylochus pleads. When Odysseus says nothing, he shuffles back and lets his hand fall to his side yet again.

"There is no price we won't pay... we both know what it takes to survive..."

Odysseus stays silent, the dark of the cave enveloping the ship further. Eurylochus pleads one more time, his hand dropping to his side. "Please forgive me." When Odysseus stays silent, he turns around and begins walking back to the deck. "Full speed ahead!" Eurylochus shouts, his command reaching the crew's ears as they follow his orders.

"Deep down... we only care for ourselves..."

When Eurylochus is just about to leave, Odysseus' eyes snap back to him without turning his head. He speaks immediately, the red dot in his eye perfectly trained on Eurylochus back. "Eurylochus, light up six torches," his voice is firm, leaving no room for question.

"Deep down... we're lonely demons from hell..."

Eurylochus clenches his hands into fists at his sides but quickly nods and heads to the deck. As he does, his teeth grit together. Near the mast, there's a stand with twelve torches on it. Eurylochus grabs six and heads towards the cressets. He gestures for five of the crew standing on the deck to come closer over his shoulder as he lights the first torch.

The five crew members come up and stand behind Eurylochus in a line. The one at the front, named Varan, speaks up curiously. "Eurylochus? What's with the torches?" Eurylochus stays silent before handing a now lit torch behind him to Varan. "Captains orders." Without a word, Varan nods and grabs the torch from his hand and shuffles off. The rest of the crew behind him didn't ask any further questions to Eurylochus relief.

Just as he's done, something large swims under the boat. The thing must be at least double the size of the boat because the ripple causes the boat to jostle. Eurylochus' eyes widen, and he runs up the stairs to Odysseus. He sees him still standing at the edge, and he jogs to him with one of the lit torches in his left hand. "Captain! Something approaches."

The crew stops rowing at the sides as Odysseus stares blankly at the water off the side of the boat. Eurylochus runs to the front, his free hand gripping the edge. A woman's head rises from the water, her body hidden beneath the surface of the water. Her eyes are blank, her pupils are dilated, and her messy black hair runs off the back of her head into the water. Her eyes don't move even a centimeter, nor does her head. Suddenly, a low and raspy voice echoes from it, the mouth opening once for the sound to come out like a cd player. "Hello."

Slowly, the head rises from the water. The neck of the head extends and extends as the body rises, the sound of cracking bones ripping through the air. The hair is short-lived, leading straight to the neck bone of the creature known only as Scylla. The torso of the creature is no less terrifying than the he rest, as it's pale, malnourished skin reveals its whole ribcage. The torso itself is massive, far bigger than the boat itself. The start of two serpent's originating from the back reveal themselves as the creature rises. More and more eel like serpents extend from the rest of the creature's body as it rises, their yellow eyes, and blood-stained teeth on full display. By the time the creature is done rising, its limbless body is fully risen out out of the water with the lower body where the legs should be hidden, if it even has a lower body. The head that used to be the woman's face is now revealed to be the hair of another eel head. Six eels total.

Eurylochus takes a step back, his torch nearly falling out of his hand. His eyes are wide with fear as he states up at Scylla. He stands frozen in place before the creature he wasn't warned of. As the eels splay out near the front of the ship, all their eyes staring intently on each person who holds a torch, Odysseus continues to stare blankly at the water in front of him. After a split second, without turning his head, Odysseus yells out, "Row for your lives!"

The crew listens, and so does Scylla. Scylla's main head curls into a smile, another eel darting towards one of the torchbearers. "Drown in your sorrow and fears!" Scylla's eel snatches one of the torchbearers in its mouth, his blood splattering across the deck of the ship as the eel retreats with its new meal.

The crew's screams fill the air as Odysseus doesn't move, his eyes still trained on the water below him. His crew runs around, but not before another eel grabs Varan. "Choke on your blood and your tears!" Scylla taunts, the torch dropping from Varan's hand onto the deck.

Eurylochus runs backward, the torch still in his hand. He pulls the greatsword off his back but knows it will be useless. His head whips back from Scylla only to see another torchbearer get eaten. His eyes widen. He immediately drops the torch and steps back, now knowing why Odysseus told him to light six. He was sacrificing them. "Die in the blood where you bathe! Give up your honor and faith!" Scylla barks out, her eyes trained on Eurylochus.

Once Eurylochus drops his torch, another crew member runs forward and picks it up before spinning their head towards Scylla. Eurylochus steps forward, his hand outstretched to the crew member. "Drop the torch!" Just as he gets the sentence out, Scylla hits the crew member into the air with an eel head before snatching the crew member out of the air and eating them. "Bleed 'til you've run out of years!"

As one of Scylla's eel heads grabs a fifth crew member, the main one slithers out in front of Odysseus to stare into his eyes. "We both do what it takes to survive." Scylla slithers away, leaving Odysseus still frozen on the deck of the ship. The main head circles the mast before diving for another crew member and snatching them in her jaw just as the ship exits the cave.

The sun shines brightly above the blood, covering the deck of the ship. Eurylochus' eyes are wide, and his chest is heaving. The crew on row duty shared his composure. Odysseus, however, does not.

Second published prose piece! I'm still working on a few others, but I've found that this one is finished. There's still places for improvement (especially considering how good Love In Paradise is turning out... ❤️), but I can't find anything I want to improve on.

[zaronxyz]

Why must I be forced to write the ghost trio singing at the same time.... how do i even do that... damn you Mr jalapeño.... and damn musical formats making it hard to translate into prose....

[zaronxyz]

Writing Circe fighting Odysseus with lions during the final chorus and bridge of Done For

[zaronxyz]

Thinking about making the Ensemble for Ruthlessness water imitations of Poseidon because he wanted to add that ✨️ dramatic flair ✨️

[zaronxyz]

Remember Them + My Goodbye In Prose

The clock starts ticking, and the world gains a blue tint. Athena appears next to Odysseus five feet away from him with a disapproving glare. "Have you forgotten the lessons I taught you? He's still a threat until he's dead!" Athena jabs a finger towards the frozen Polyphemus fifty feet away from them. "Finish it."

Odysseus raises his head over his shoulder, a flat stare on his face. He examines Athena's eyes for a moment before calmly saying, "No."

Athena's eyes widen when he says that. She's stunned for a moment at his defiance before she steps closer to him. "'No'?" Athena's eyes narrow as her arms fall to her sides. She clenches her fists as she towers over him. Her ears twitch for a moment.

Odysseus looks up at Athena, meeting her gaze. He stood tall and firm in his decision despite her attempt to intimidate him. "What good would killing do? When mercy is a skill more of this world could use." Odysseus steps closer to her. His own eyes narrow as he glares up at her. His arm flies to the side to the body of Polites. "My friend is dead, our foe is blind, the blood we sheded never dries." Odysseus gets an idea, and a bitter smirk appears on his face. He briefly glances back at the cyclops before his gaze flicks back to Athena's. "Is this what it means to be a warrior of the mind?"

Athena bristles at his tone, but when she notices what he's about to do, her eyes widen. "Don't!"

Odysseus ignores her warning, his smirk growing. He turns back to the cyclops, watching its movements as he begins backing away. "Hey, cyclops!" The ticking clock stops. The blue world shatters around them like glass, leaving the world unfrozen.

The cyclops' rage increases, and it charges towards the sound of Odysseus' voice. Odysseus remains calm, confidently calling out to it as he continues backing away. "When we met I lead with peace while you fed your inner beast. I am neither man nor mythical. I am your darkest moment." He stretches his arms out to the side as a victorious grin appears on his face. "I am the reigning king of Ithaca. I am neither man nor mythical. I am the infamous Odysseus!"

The world around Odysseus gains a blue tint, and everyone but him and Athena freeze in place. The clock starts ticking. Athena's head hangs low as she begins speaking to him. "You were reckless. Sentimental at best. That's not a teaching of mine." She raises her head and looks at Odysseus with a flat expression. She takes a step towards him. "You've grown soft. Your dead friends can attest."

Odysseus' smile fades as he notices the world around him freezing. He looks around, realizing he's suddenly standing alone with Athena in this blue tinted version of reality. He looks back up at her as she approaches him. Odysseus scoffs at her words, his eyes narrowing as he stands his ground. He clenches his fists, not backing down from her accusation. "Hey!"

"Put your emotions aside." Athena raises her fist in front of her chest while narrowing her eyes at Odysseus. "You're a warrior, meant to lead the rest." Athena throws her hand to the side and glares at Odysseus. "I don't know where I went wrong, but I warned you, and you failed the test. So now I'm gone."

She takes another step towards Odysseus, her hand dropping to her side. "This way, you'll know what your place is. This way, you can't cross the line. This way, when all is over, you'll keep yours, and I'll keep mine. This way, you won't disappoint me. This way, you won't waste my time. This way, I close the door, consider this my goodbye."

Odysseus falters for a moment as Athena delivers her stern words, but then he quickly regains his composure. He refuses to back down, his resolve strengthening with each word she speaks. "That's just like you. Why should I be surprised? Selfish and prideful and vain. Unlike you, every time someone dies, I'm left to deal with the strain." A sardonic smile spreads across Odysseus' face as he takes a step towards Athena.

"What's a title that a goddess could lend if I'll never sleep at night? I'll remind you, I saw you as a friend. But now we're done. This way, you're out of my head now. This way, you won't plague my life." Odysseus continues moving closer to Athena, his voice growing stronger with each step. He's no longer holding back his resentment, letting it all out and facing her head-on. "This way, when all is done, you're out of sight and out of mind. This way, you get what you wanted. This way, you can save your time. This way, you close the door and have your damn goodbye."

Athena spawns her spear in her hand, her green wings stretching out behind her. She grounds her spear as she takes another step towards Odysseus. "You're not looking for a mentor, I'm not looking for a friend. I mistook you for a general. What a WASTE OF EFFORT SPENT!"

Odysseus stands his ground, undeterred by the sight of Athena's spear and wings. His eyes remain fixed on hers, unwavering despite the growing tension. "At least I know what I'm fighting for while you're fighting to be known. Since you claim you're so much wiser, why's your life spent all alone? You're alone!"

Athena's eyes widen when Odysseus says that. She takes a step back before grounding her spear again and looking to the side. Odysseus can only see the side of her face, but he can see her expression fall and a single tear streak down her face. "One day, you'll hear what I'm saying. One day, you might understand. One day, but not today. For after all, you're just a man."

Athena snaps her head towards Odysseus and points the tip of her spear against his neck, her eyes burning with anger and hurt. "This day, you sever your own head. This day, you cut the line. This day, you lost it all. Consider this as my goodbye." Athena disappears into a cloud of white particles, all flowing upwards to the sky. As she does, the blue tint on the world slowly fades, leaving Odysseus alone. The clock stops ticking.

I finished this piece a long time ago as it was the first translation into prose I did for Epic. I've done a few since then (Mutiny, God Games, Love In Paradise, Scylla, to name a few), but they aren't up to my standards for posting yet.