The whole crew stumbles as the ship hits shore, Odysseus turns to them. "I will go ahead, Polydeuces, make sure Nefeli doesn't wander off... She doesn't look good..."

"Yes sir..." Polydeuces sighs as Oddyseus steps off, leaving to meet with a glowing figure upon the cliff. Lotus whines, cuddling closer to her Nefelis' chest as the woman holds her close. "Nefeli, pick yourself up." Eurylochus sighs deeply as he approaches her, "we all lost someone... The best we can do is move o-" Eurylochus' words were cut short as he was met with a punch from Polydeuces.

"Do you listen here yourself!? She just found out her mother died!! Her brothers' souls are blaming her for what happened!! Look around damn it!!" Polydeuces yells at the other man, rage worming its way into his heart.

"Listen, their blood is on my hands as much as they are on hers and Odysseus'!!" Eurylochus yells back only to realize his mistake. "Forget I said anything..." He mumbles, walking off. "No... What do you mean by that Eurylochus?" Nefeli frowns, getting up slowly to face the other. "You have been filled with guilt ever since...."

At that moment, Nefeli understood. A pit formed in her gut as she mumbled. "You opened the bag...didn't you?" Eurylochus' shoulders dropped, not saying a word. Disbelief, betrayal, anger... it all crashed into her, but before she could act upon her own building vengefulness.

"You son of a bitch!!" Polydeuces punched him again, grabbing the man by the hem of his subermail. Almost growling in Eurylochus's face, "you better tell Odysseus, Or i will!!" He scoffs as he lets the man go, "come on Nefeli..." Polydeuces began walking off the ship, onto the shore. Nefeli glares at Eurylochus as she follows silently, both leaving Eurylochus to drown in his own shame and guilt....

Deep into the cave of the underworld, Nefeli walked ahead. Clenching her fists in nothing but pure rage. "I can't believe it... after so long.. After losing everything... that bastard is the reason they are dead....THE REASON MY BROTHERS ARE DEAD!!" Her voice, stronger than a thunder, drums out energy that seemed to blast an echo through the land.

"Nefeli... p-" before Polydeuces could finish that sentence, a thunder struck right next to him. He stumbled back and fell on his ass. The small woman stomped up to him, "don't! Dont you fucking start with your 'greet the world' bullshit!" Polydeuces puts a hand up between them, clearly shaken and just as angry as she was. "I wasn't going to..." He sighs and pulls himself up; lotus shook in his hair; "scared 3:"

"Come on... let's go meet up with Oddyseus, he might need our help." Polydeuces starts walking past Nefeli, trying to remember better times. But now, with everything they've been through.. Twelve years and they lost their entire fleet. It all was so straining, and he didn't know how much more either of them could take.

Nefeli just follows behind him quietly, lighting dancing from her fingertips up her forearm. She failed to return home, she tossed away her morality, and for what? To lose everyone she ever cared about... well.. almost everyone... Polydeuces was still here, if he'd been gone like everyone else.. She was sure even Mount Olympus wouldn't stand a chance.

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Meanwhile, Oddysseus approached the glowing figure. A prophet dressed in shambling robes with wrappings around his eyes. The man's eerie presence would've sent any other poor soul shivering like cowards. "I am the prophet, with the answers you seek." The figure turns to face Odysseus, using his staff to light a path to Oddysseus. "Time, I've unlocked it. I see, past and future running free." The single stream of light branches out into many broken lines on the cliff's surface. Odysseus just stares at the man, unamused and uncaring, just wanting to know the way home.

"There is a world where I help you get home... but, that is not a world I know..." Odysseus steps up to the man; brow furrowed and fists clenched, "what?" Before Odyseus could take another step forward, the world around them shifted and changed; showing the Ithican faint memories and predictions. "I see a song of past romance. I see the sacrifice of man. I see portrayals of betrayals, and a brother's final stand."

Each glowing image seemed so life-like and real. As if, Odysseus could actually reach out and touch them. But, they would fade just as quickly as they appeared. "I see you on the brink of death. I see you draw your final breath. I see a man who gets to make it home alive..." Odysseus could feel the very souls of the underworld crawling over his own. Seeing a figure much like himself, cloaked in darkness...

"But, it's no longer you...."

Odysseus shakes and faces the prophet, "this can't be. We suffered and sailed through the toughest of hells. Now you tell us our efforts, for nothing?!"
The prophet only tilts his head, "I see your palace... covered in red. Faces of men, who long believed you're dead! I see a wife... with a man who is haunting. A man with a trail...of bodies..."

"WHO??!!" Odysseus' anger boiled over, hearing of his Penelope with some other man being the final straw. He grabbed at the prophet ready to end this here and now. The man only grabbed his arm as the rivers below them came alive with the souls, of memories, and images.

"I see a song of, past romance. I see the sacrifice of man. I see portrayals of betrayals, and a brother's final stand." The prophet let Odysseus go, the Ithican took a few steps back in horror as the underworld came alive with the five hundred and fifty-six men. Who, all floated from the rivers below; swarming him, and causing him to fall. Odysseus grabs onto the cliff's edge, struggling to keep himself from being dragged into the glowing depths.

"I see you on the brink of death. I see you draw your final breath. I see a man who gets to make it home alive." The prophet continued, walking up to him; as if; uncaring about the Ithican's fate. "But, it's no longer.... You...." He points at Odysseus, one eye glowing from underneath his wrapping. Odysseus gasps as his grip finally fails as he falls into the abyss below.

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"Captain!... Odysseus!!"

Odysseus gasps as opens his eyes, seeing Polydeuces and Nefeli worryingly checking on him. He sits up with Polydeuces help, checking himself over. He had no signs of his previous encounter, and the prophet had seemingly disappeared. "We found you passed out... Ne was about ready to shock you.." Polydeuces sighs, "are you okay?" Polydeuces' concern and question went unanswered, "captain?"

Odysseus silently pulls himself up to his feet walking to the river's edge in heavy thought. "I'm sorry...." He mumbles, the other two barely able to hear him over the other hushed whispers around them. "Sorry?" Nefeli questions, "the prophet won't help us get back home.." Odyseus tells them guiltily, unable to look at his two friends. Knowing, they'd be as disappointed and disheartened as he.

"What?" Nefeli growls as she storms up to Odysseus, "what do you mean he wont help us?! Your saying we went through all this.. For nothing??!" She yells in his face, and Odysseus didn't have the strength to fight her back. "Nefeli..." Polydeuces cautiously approaches the two, trying to think of some way to reconcile this.

Nefeli huffs, her hair becoming a raging cloud as she turns on her heel. Hands shaking with lighting, "how has everything been turned against us? How did suffering become so endless?" Nefeli looks down at her own scared hands, the lightning intertwining around her fingertips.

Odysseus looks away with a sigh, "how am i to reunite with my estranged? Do we need to change?" Polydeuces reached out to them both, but they seemed so far away.

Odysseus walks up to Nefeli's side, "we're surrounded by the souls of those we've lost." The two stare out at the glowing river, "we're the only ones whose lines we haven't crossed." Nefeli, peeks at her friend "what if the greatest threat we find across the sea... is me?"
Odysseus meets her tired gaze, his own features mirrored in her expression. "What if we're the monsters'? What if we're in the wrong? What if we're the problem that's been hiding all along?"

Nefeli grabs at Politie's headband wrapped around her spear, "what if I'm the one who killed you.... Every time I caved to guilt.."

"What if I've been too kind to foes, but a monster to ourselves?" Odysseus softly touches her shoulder. To which she moved away from his touch, kneeling as he placed the lone fabric into the waters. "What if I'm the monster?" She watched it sway in the glowing river before disappearing into its depths, to be reunited with its owner.

"Is the cyclops struck with guilt when he kills? Is he up in the middle of the night?" Nefeli slowly stands back up to her feet, facing Odysseus. "Or, does he end my men to avenge his friend? And then sleep, knowing he had done him right?"

Not too far off, Polydeuces lowers his hand from almost reaching his friend and his lover. "When the witch turns men to pigs, to protect her nymphs. Is she going insane? Or did she learn to be colder as she got older, and now she saves them the pain."

The other two Ithicans look to him, Nefeli over with a furrowed brow and ironing will, her clouds became purely black "When a god comes down, and makes a whole fleet drown!! Is he scared that he's doing something wrong?! Or does he keep us in check, so we must respect him. So, now no one dares to piss him off!?"

Odysseus joins them, "does a soldier use a wooden horse to kill sleeping Trojans cause he is vile? Or does he throw away his remorse and save more lives with guile?!" The three Ithican turn to face away from each other; back to back in a triangular formation. "If we became the monster, and threw that guilt away. Would that make us stronger? Would it keep our foes at bay? If we became the monster, to everyone but us. And made sure we got home again, who would care if we're unjust? If we became... the monster.."

Souls of their fallen brethren seemed to surround them, chanting with them. "Monsters" Nefeli narrows her eyes at her three brothers, "ruthlessness is mercy upon ourselves."

"Monsters"

"And deep down we know this well." Each soul representing all the three has lost appearing before them. " I lost my best friend" Polydeuces mumbles, Polities smiling back at him. "I lost my mentor." Odysseus stares down Athena. "I lost my mom!" Nefeli's mom blindly hums her song. As Nefeli's lighting starts mixing with the souls around them. "Five hundred men, gone."

Odysseus clenches his fists, determination radiating off of him like the lighting. "I must get to see Penelope and Telemachus! So, if we must; sail though dangerous oceans and beaches. We'll go where Poseidon won't reach us. And if I have to drop another infant from a wall so we all don't die!?" The three simultaneously take the hands of their own shadowy selves; their souls intertwining between light and dark.

"Then, we'll become the monsters'! We will deal the blow! And, we will become the monsters; like none they've ever known! So what if we're the monsters, lurking deep below?! We must become the monsters, and then we'll make it home!"

"Monsters."

"Penelope... Telemachus!" Odysseus yells reaching for his wife and son. "Anezka!!" Polydeuces does the same, trying to hug invisible images of his sister. "Ruthlessness is mercy upon ourselves..." Nefeli mumbles, her eyes glowing brightly. "I'll become the monster...."