He was a man dressed in warriorship through a body made master in the art of physical training. His own bare hands didn't hesitate to defeat a lion to save the city of Nemea, making him renowned.
He then became a symbol of masculinity when he killed a fire breathing creature whom its multiple serpent heads kept on growing back after being chopped off to rescue his own home city.
This fabulous man who captured a fearsome marauding boar on the loose. The famous man blessed with high sexual prowesses who wasn't afraid to clean a stable of three thousands cattle in one day, making him the pride of Zeus and the first ever Semi God.
Those were just a fraction of Alcaeus' glories, however deep within the Lost Mountains of Artemis and by Athena's mouth, the so-called hero was another man.
"So, you had Alcaeus built all in that fantastic muscly armour flesh in front of that lion with a tiny blunt knife?" Athena clasped her hands in this moment, shaking her head at the event she was there to witness and to help. Lying there nested in Artemis' arms and bed, dipped into the darkness and yet lightened by fire torches, Athena could no longer hide her frustration. "You're a hunter Artemis, if you want to skin an animal, you used a bigger knife than that and a sharp one too. I was tightened in my mission to protect him from our father, so I have to put on an old woman's disguise and suggested to him to use one of the lion's claws instead."
Artemis chuckled at the recollection, her eyes enamoured by her goddess with her lips freezing into a silly grin. "Indeed, he doesn't seem very bright." And she leaned down for a kiss.
Since Athena's return from the underworld, they had been both buried in the unfathomable Lost Mountains, where they knew no one could find them. Bathing together in the fresh water of the mountain stream with their faces lightened by the moon, they were cut from everything and made rulers from their own dreamed world.
Artemis lived for those days, the time when Athena would be all hers and between two caresses, though, she couldn't help but to reminisce another event from the Alcaeus' mission.
"Do you remembered when he tried to catch our golden hind here?" A giggle escaped Artemis' lips while Athena rolled her eyes. "It was quite amusing to watch. Apollo and I forgave him for the sin against the divertissement he provided us for that entire mortal year. I'm glad he finally succeeded in all his labours. Hera must have been in the most unpleasant mood at Mount Olympus."
The memory was innocent—the only time Athena came for a halt close to Artemis' domain during Alcaeus' endless twelve labours and yet the same event made Athena rose in a sudden.
Sitting up and away from Artemis' touch, Athena brought her knees closer to her body with her eyebrow drew together. "Did he bring the animal back to you?"
Artemis shook her head, "No!" with a snigger. "She came back to us all by herself, just like we taught her to."
Concern grew ugly wrinkles on Athena's face at the answer. She stood up and paced all over the dimly lighted room. Each torches, each nook on the cave wall reminding her of the pending consequences if ever something were to happen to the borrowed Cerberus.
"I need to go!" was the first thing Athena said, ruining her brief holiday with Artemis.
Athena left right in this instant even with sadness lingering on Artemis' reddened eyes. The latter just sniffed and swallowed down her pain before falling back into her bed, solitude embracing her tighter.
As they spoke, Alcaeus had finally reached the estate of king Eurystheus with a chained and limping Cerberus behind him. They had walked for two whole mortal months. Unlike Sisyphus, Alcaeus didn't take any shortcut, he didn't take any rest either.
Pillar by pillar to the entrance of the palace, Alcaeus dragged Cerberus along with a crowd acclaiming their hero while ignoring each of Cerberus' blood stained steps. If ever he had the ill will to slow his new master down, Alcaeus wouldn't hesitate for one second to hit Cerberus with another brutal knock from his wooden club to one of his tree heads.
Bleeding from one of his eyes with one of his leg looking flattened, this wasn't the first time but the result of many more previous abuses during their long journey. Cerberus still raised his chin up, carrying the secret hope that he would be soon back home to his family—Hades and now Persephone too.
This was how cruel the divine hero of the mortals truly was.
Once facing the throne of king Eurystheus, Alcaeus tossed at him, a wounded Cerberus before pulling him back with his chain, causing him to fall on his back.
Never in his entire existence Cerberus was humiliated like this before.
He stood up, shaking off his sore head without being able to shake the wetness of shame from his eyes. The fingers pointing at him didn't help, the booming of laughters at his sight was even more unbearable and even women held their children away from him with horror on their faces.
They showed him nothing but fear.
They soiled his pride, fuelling even more Cerberus' hatred for humans. None of them in this court gave him any sympathy for his awful conditions or offered him water to calm his thirst. A cheap glance of mercy in comfort for his soul would do, but they were only mirages from his many wounds.
A man stepped ahead in front of the throne and asked, "Did you conquer him in a fight?"
"In a fight," Alcaeus answered. "Father Amphitryon, come closer to look at his multiples injuries. Don't they speak for themselves?"
Amphitryon only let out a hmph in agreement. His behaviour caused a frown on Alcaeus' face. This man who had raised him like his own, had never loved him as such and without a word, Alcaeus knew they all had wished him to fail.
His suspicions were confirmed when Amphitryon carried on with an even more grating tone. "You were supposed to bring him to your king with no mishap." He then clicked his tongue, crossing his arms over his body in disappointment. "Aren't you scared of the Lord Over All's wrath if he knew of the injuries on his hound?" Anger fired now in his voice, causing Alcaeus to dip his chin to his chest. Amphitryon grunted with his hands, pulling back his long hair behind his head. "You always hit before to think, Alcaeus, that is all the wrong with you."
"Enough you two." A small disembodied voice resounded before its young owner revealed himself out of behind his throne. King Eurystheus came out from his hide with heavy beads of sweat on his forehead and loud clattering teeth. "Alcaeus, I am now convinced of your will to be redeemed for your crimes. Please, leave my abode. I am releasing you from your penance. You are free to go with your trophy. Take him far away from me. I'm begging you."
Fright dictated the plea from the young king but not the anger and concerns from the old Amphitryon. "My King, my son had injured the hound. This was unnecessary and not requested by us. If the unnamed ruler of the departed knew, he would curse our people with a plague that would make us all join his realm."
The small Eurystheus snorted and took a seat at his throne. "Uncle Amphitryon, I know you are worrying. I am too, but if he doesn't see us, he won't punish us for this crime. Please now Alcaeus, leave at once my abode."
The solution was simple, but not to Cerberus, whose muscles tensed.
They would not get away with it.
"What if I would tell him?"
Cerberus raised his voice, making a rain of astonishing eyes coming to crash down on him. As a dog, they would never expect from him to possess the abilities to understand or even more to speak. Yet Cerberus took courage and moved right before their frightened king.
"You mortals are all distasteful. I am here surrendered to your eyes like a war trophy for your so-called hero who did nothing but to abuse of my flesh. I am his own scapegoat, like he is yours. Trust my words, my master Hades would hear everything about it, and I hope he will drag you all into the bottomless pit of Tartarus."
Silence conquered the entire place. No one knew what to do in that moment apart from Amphitryon. He leaned down to face Cerberus' middle head, his eyes fixed on this animal and he acted as the saviour of his race when his low-pitched voice answered instead to Alcaeus.
"Listen to your king, my son. Take this abominable beast away, far away from our sight. Somewhere, he could never find his way back to his master. Our survival will depend on the success of your new task."
Alcaeus nodded at his father before dragging a choking Cerberus out of the palace to an unknown fate.