When I got to the Island of the cicones it was a very hard battle. I killed all the men who fought me. We also enslaved all the women. My men and I were very close to death to be honest. However, my men made it a good fight and they worked until they couldn't anymore. All of us that were left stayed grieving over our men for two days and nights until the third dawn came.
Once we escaped the Cicones we came upon the coastline of the Lotus Eaters. We just landed here for a meal, but then I sent two men to go explore the land and make sure there were no threats to us. Soon they came across the Lotus Eaters who live for the lotus flower. Even though the Lotus Eaters showed us no harm, they had a secret weapon that none of us figured. These men offered the flower to my two men that went to explore and they never came back to report and they forgot all about their homeland. The thing with these flowers is that they make you loose hope of home and forget what your mission is. However, I figured this out and I would never forget about you two back at home waiting for me.
We arrived on land filled with caves. Once we came upon a good looking cave with a huge boulder of a door we let ourselves in finding a feast of food. Then a huge cyclops came into the cave and moved the big boulder in front of the the doorway. I realized that we were in trouble so we offered him some of our fantastic wine to get him drunk so we could escape. When the cyclops, Polyphemus became drunk and fell asleep we made a wooden stake and jabbed it in his eye. Startled, he woke up screaming and asking for help, however since I am so clever I told him my name was Nobody and when he was screaming for help he would say "Nobody is hurting me!" We then tied ourselves underneath his sheep and escaped without the cyclops even knowing. You should have seen the look on his face Telemachus, he looked so stupid running around saying "Nobody is hurting me."
After we escaped Polyphemus we landed on the Island of Aeolia and I came across the wind king who took all of the stormy winds in the air and packed them into a bag for me. He does this so none of the Ithacans are harmed by them and it will help me get home. However, my sailors decided to be idiots and open the bag while I was fast asleep because they thought it was gold. Of course when they opened the bag all of the wind bursted out and pushed us all the way back the Aeolia.
After the horrible cannibals, we landed on the island of the enchantress Circe. I sent twenty-three of my men out to explore and search the island. They came across a beautiful stone house where mountain lions and wolves stand by and glare at them. After a while, Eurylochus came running and shouting that all of the men were doomed by magic and turned into pigs. On my way up to Circe's hall, I ran into Hermes who gave me a plant that would weaken Circe's powers. Once the magic of the plant resisted her power she persuaded me to stay with her for a while and release my men. After many seasons, she tells me that I must go to the Land of the Dead to find my way home. However, once I get there I have to enter alone and find Teiresias.
As I arrived at the Land of the Dead, I had to take a black lamb with me so that I could sacrifice it for the gods. I heard crying and moaning everywhere and it made me feel so scared and sad. Finally, when I met the prince of Thebes he told me that I would arrive to Ithaca alone with all of my men dead, and my home would be filled with trouble. He told me that there would be many men asking for your love Penelope and it made me want to get home as quickly as possible.
On my way home Circe was warning me about sirens. The sirens sing beautifully and hypnotize you forget about your wife and children. Once you hear their voices you will fall in love with them and want to stay with them. However, there are bones and skin of men beside them that have rotted and died. Circe knew I would want to listen so she told me to have all of my men tie me up tight and have them plug their ears with beeswax. If I even yelled and demanded to be untied, my men must only tie more rope around me.
The next thing Circe warned me about was Scylla and Charybdis. This horrible monster had six heads and twelve tentacles. Scylla devoured six of my best men and she was trying to strike again. I glanced up and caught sight of arms and legs dangling above the ship. There was a man who was casting his long rod and caught a fish to use as bait. The fish was going to be ripped from the surface and dangled in the air. Then, Scylla went for it and ate it and she was then screaming and reaching for me.
Then we were coasting Thrinakia, the island of the sun god, Helios. I made my men swear not to touch the cattle of the god because Circe warned me that we would be punished if we did. There was plenty of bread and good red wine on the ship to keep my men happy for a while. However, towards the end we started to run out of food and wine so my men went out to hunt. They came across the cattle and couldn't resist. I prayed to Zeus and the gods to forgive my men for killing the kine, but sadly when we set sail, one of Zeus's thunderbolts destroys our ship and everyone but me drowns.
As I started to see a hope of Ithaca, I landed on the island of an enchantress, Calypso. Even though she was pretty, she never compares to you Penelope. She offered me immortality and she kept insisting that I stay with her forever, and of course I couldn't leave you two at Ithaca because I love you guys and I wanted to see you so badly so I denied her and asked her to let me leave. After this she was getting insecure about herself and questioning why I was going back to Ithaca for a mortal life and wife. Finally, she gave me a raft and some advice to get home and I was on my way.
Lastly, I was found by the Phaeacians and they were a great help. Athena showered me with a mist that prevented the Phaeacians from harassing me before I met them. At first, the king thought I was a god because of the way I was dressed, but then I assured him that I wasn't. They were very helpful and told me how to get home. On my way home I was so excited and nothing else crossed my mind except for seeing you two loves.
Credits:
Created with images by Radoan_tanvir - "sea ship sea oil ship ship on" • baptiste_heschung - "soldier war normandy" • Yoshikazu TAKADA - "Lotus Flower" • geese - "Cyclops" • Julia Velkova - "Islands" • @Tuncay - "Giant" • larsen9236 - "staniel cay swimming pig seagull" • LoggaWiggler - "fire burn hell" • wsilver - "Sunset sirens" • Gary Soup - "Three Heads Six Arms" • AdinaVoicu - "sunset birds cloud" • Crazyflyinmidget - "The Beautiful Enchantress" • cogdogblog - "Sunset From Bush Point"