Book 1: Episode 1 – Kal, the Man behind the Wooden Shield
Why don’t you sing to me, Muses, the man from the Argo, who was saved by the warrior goddess Athena as a child, and in search of his lost parentage ventured with the Heroic Jason aboard the Argo; in search of the Golden Fleece from distant lands. After his journey into mystery, lost on Lemnos and taken by a mistress Nymph and haunted by dreams of his one and only to-be-wife in life; Este. Again lost, surviving the sea beasts of Poseidon, spared by the Deplorable Dionysos, forged an alliance to free the distant Achaean city of Syracuse from a false despot. The great and noble mind of this man leading an army recklessly into the unknown. Yes, sing to me that mythos.
A vision of Hades, within it, Evi, mother of Kal and daughter of the nymph Azura, calling out to Kal from beyond the River Styx, speaks of Este, she is in danger and must be freed. Cal awakens, cold, and discombobulated from the recurring dream. The dream has the same feelings; vulnerable, alone, and a nameless fear from the far side of the world. Kal went to the nearby shore, looking out onto Poseidon’s domain. Kal at that moment could no longer deny the calls from his mother, a woman he had never met. Lemnos had granted him amnesty for a long time since his departure from Argo with the Heroic Jason. He now has no idea where his fellow Argonauts are, long sailed away into the distant waters.
“What is it that you want of me, gods?” He says into the wind. The gentle waves, foaming with the noticeable white on each wave, testaments towards the beauty; and fear, of Poseidon’s power. Yet, this is where Kal feels most at home, most at peace; the water beckons him. The fates work their weave of the world, and had become clear to him that his fate was beyond this land; the whispers of the sea breeze tells him that he is made for more than this. Even with a taste for adventure gracing his lips once more, as it had when Jason asked him to join his quest for the golden fleece. Kal still remembered the sight of their prize, the splendor, and the feeling of success and euphoria coursing through him as the grand light of Helios from a piece of linen. Perhaps Lemnos was not the final destination after all.
On Olympos, Athena rushed to her father Zeus to ask him why Kal has yet to find the wife made for him, and he for her.
“O’ father Zeus, king of the cosmos, why does one mortal seemingly slip your mind yet you find time for mortals whom you deem beautiful? Is Kal not beautiful?”
“Child Athena, I have not forgotten this man,” Zeus spoke with a powerful voice. “Whom you should remember chose to remain on Lemnos. I do not dictate what every man shall do, but I knew he would stay there for a long time.”
“It has been long enough, he must go to Esta, whom you know is for him, and He for her,” Athena said.
“So it has. I shall send for Hermes to give Poseidon the word to get him off that island.” Zeus declares, and signals his hand, and out comes the fast Hermes, who takes the message off Olympos toward the domain of Poseidon.
King of the Sea, God of Horses, Poseidon is met with Hermes, who tells him about the Argonaut Kal, who chose exile on Lemnios. Poseidon already knew of this man, and his father, and was bitter towards his House.
“So Zeus desires this man to accept his fate and return to Argos? Even the Omnipotent Zeus has forgotten what has become of Argos in the interlude since the mighty Argo set sail. Go ahead and tell Zeus I shall get him away from the island, but he should have also said to keep him alive during his journey.” Poseidon says to Hermes.
Kal stood upon a rock, and in a freak vision, his past mother spoke to him and told him to go Return to Argos. When the vision passed, he had fallen into the sand; a crustacean had taken residence on his chest and the light of Helios had waned closer to dusk. Kal gathered his things and uncovered the ship he had hidden away.
“I know what I must do, gods, I hope you shall provide more guidance, I don’t know what I’m looking for,” Kal says to himself, and tells his mistress he shall not be returning.
“Am I not your wife?” She said, breaking softly.
“No, she haunts my dreams and I cannot push it away any longer.” Kal is unwavering, not sad for his departure and not for her. Kal has always been headstrong, on the Argo he had fearlessly fought off an Amazon, even when he was outmatched.
Twelve years ago...
On the shoreline, defending the Argo which sat at the port there, the battle would be determined in a contest of strength, one on one. Herakles was not to participate as his strength was already known. One of the Amazons, one called Hippolota, taunts him. “Perhaps the weak-looking one? He may have a great physique, but surely is a spineless coward! Sitting in the back not participating with his comrades on the field of battle!” Kal, spiteful as he is, grabs a sword from the side of another Argonaut and takes a shield.
Kal puffs his chest out, slams his sword against the shield, and said: “Perhaps if you fought with as much gall as you do with your words and you wouldn’t have to boast!” The two sides formed a circle around Kal and the Amazon Hippolota The fight is almost too much in the Amazon’s favor, Kal dives away from most swings of her sword, then takes an opportunity to strike.
“Let your guard down so easily?” He cuts deep on her leg, she groans in pain.
“You have no guard!” The Amazon yells, cutting his hand and sending his sword flying. The Amazon wastes no time and takes his shield, breaking it over a rock. His shield broken and sword tossed aside, He wielded no more than a broken plank of wood off the Argo as a shield, fought back against the Amazon and her might. His fellow heroes cheer him on during the contest, he is beaten back time and time again.
“You Acheans cannot compare to our strength!” the Amazon proclaimed. In her hubris, Kal uses a sharp point on his shield and strikes her, impaling her with the wooden stake end of the piece.
The Amazon falls, he then takes up his sword and sends the blade into her neck. The crew lets out a cheer, the Amazons agree and let the Argonauts leave; only a few days before arriving at Colchis.
A glorious tale, as Kal recounts it, seemingly left behind in the greater tales of the Heroic Jason and the Mighty Heracles. One fateful night, when the sea was angry and a storm was brewing, the winds pushed our hero off course, Kal the Wooden Shield bearer, did all he could to stay afloat during the onslaught from Poseidon. At that moment, Athena appears before him, unaffected by the chaotic seas, to warn him of what's to come.
“Kal, The man behind the Wooden Shield, I come to warn you of the danger ahead,” Athena says, appearing as a glimpse to Kal.
“These seas are ruled by Poseidon’s greatest beasts: Scylla and Charybdis. You must sail closer to one or the other. You must succeed, Esta’s life depends on it.”
Athena vanishes quickly just as she appeared, leaving Kal to ponder which he must sail close to. The seas, unfortunately, had no care for the troubles of the Argonaut, and relentlessly sent rain and wind, the splashing of the seas against the ship putting water on deck.
Kal lashes out at the stormy sky, frustrated, cold, and tired.
“Is this all you can muster, O' King of the Seas?” At that moment, the mighty Charybdis came into view, the sea swirling around its mouth, awaiting unsuspecting sailors. Kal does everything he can to avoid the great beast, but alas, alone with no crew means that his strength is all he has. The beast consumes his tiny vessel, and Kal, now helpless in the sea; collapses on a piece of driftwood
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