The Man From The Sea

The name is Maldos, and I am a Satyr. In case you don't know what a Satyr is, I will be glad to enlighten you. Satyrs are Immortal beings who walk the world of man. We look like men, but with somewhat hairier bodies, and we also have goat-like horns. Oh, and I almost forgot about the cloven feet. And the unforgettable goat-like tail. It turns on the women, I swear. Isn't that a pretty picture? Ancient Greece is the magical realm I call home and Trickery is the nature of my game.

I am somewhat of a Trickster and lately, I've had to make myself scarce. That means leaving behind my favorite places and people. Why the sudden urge to move? You see, the King of the Gods himself is after me. Yes, Zeus hates my guts. He has been having an affair with a gorgeous young woman named Mylene, daughter of Moreno, King of Sparta. I am not a hater. I don't hate on a man for getting some. Hell, I'm usually chasing sexy women myself. However, it's not a good idea for anyone to get between a jealous wife and the unfaithful husband she's after. Hera, Queen of the Olympian Gods found out from the grapevine about Zeus latest affair, which was taking place right in my backyard.

The Queen of the Gods came to me. I must say, she was quite the looker. Six feet three inches tall, slender yet curvy, with long black hair, light bronze skin and pale green eyes. The eldest daughter of Kronos and Rhea, the all-powerful Titans who rule the planet Earth before the coming of the Olympian Gods. I don't know why Zeus is always cheating on her, often with ugly women. Hera was something else. However, she was also an irate woman with amazing powers who demanded to know the whereabouts of her famous husband. I found myself caught between the rock and the proverbial hard place. What's a guy to do? Sorry, Zeus, you're a scary guy and all, but your wife is scarier. Hera t old me to give up the goods, or be sent to Tartarus, the most dreadful place in the cosmos. Tartarus is a place worse than Hell. It's where the Gods send their worst enemies. I am an Immortal and thus, I cannot die. However, I don't want to spend eternity in a place worse than Hell. I gave up Zeus faster than you could say songbird.

Yeah, when Hera threatened to send me to Tartarus, I made my mind up real quick. I told her all I knew. She let me go, and that night, Zeus got the nastiest surprise of his Immortal life. Understand that Gods, Goddesses and Immortals cannot die. However, we can all get messed up in the worst way possible, and beyond. Hera is a very cruel and sadistic bitch who routinely unleashes a fate worse than death on the women her husband cheats on her with. The beautiful Spartan Princess Mylene was incinerated by Hera herself. As for Zeus, when he came to Mylene's bed, he found her charred remains, over which stood a victorious and vindictive Hera. Filled with anger, the King of the Gods seized Hera and hurled her headlong across the Heavens. Don't worry about Hera. She cannot die and she's also invulnerable, like all deities. It's only her pride that gets wounded these days. Then, he decided that he would destroy the one man responsible for ruining the life of his latest lover. In other words, he wanted me six feet under.

Now, I told you that Gods, Goddesses and Immortals cannot die. That's all quite true. However, when one is dealing with Zeus, one ought to be careful. In the stories, Zeus is often shown as a generally benevolent dictator who rules the planet from Mount Olympus, surrounded by his fellow Gods and Goddesses. That's only half the truth. Zeus is sadistic, mischievous and cruel. He's consumed with lust and will sleep with any female willing. Hell, I'm told he occasionally sleeps with men too. There's rumors that the Immortal cupbearer Ganymede shares Zeus's bed more often than does Hera these days. Yes, the King of the Gods is bisexual. That's cool. I am bisexual too. I'm mostly into females, but a night of gay passion here and there can be quite alright. What can I say? I like variety. I am not greedy, however. Zeus is beyond greedy. He's got to have it all. I don't like him very much, as you can imagine.

Zeus is famous for stealing every Greek man's wife, and sometimes that same Greek man's mistress, daughter and even mother. Sometimes, he steals the poor man's son or brother too. The bastard has no respect for anyone or anything. He doesn't look a thing like the stories say. He's not the quintessential divine patriarch. Nah, last time I saw Zeus, a few days ago, he had the appearance of a tall, good-looking, brown-haired and green-eyed man in his late thirties. Like all the Olympians, he has the ability to shape-shift at will. Sometimes, he assumes the form of a gorgeous young woman to seduce unsuspecting men and even women. Other times, he disguises himself as a handsome young man to seduce women and of course, he humiliates their husbands and fathers as best he can. Yes, Zeus is the biggest prick in the cosmos. I hate his guts. And he's fortunately never had a reason to come after me, until his dimwit of a wife brought trouble to my doorstep. Damn.

I decided to leave my usual digs until things cooled down. I lived in the woods of Rashos, in the land of Sparta. The Spartans are my favorite humans in all the world. A magnificent city that's home to the strongest men in the world. Spartan warriors are the best of the best, as everyone knows. Spartan women are famous for their beauty and ferocity. I loathe to leave them. The Spartans have come to know me as the friendly trickster. Many Immortals walk the world of man. Satyrs. Nymphs. Oh, Nymphs. Do you know what a Nymph is? The most beautiful woman you've ever met pales in comparison. Nymphs are a race of gorgeous, shape-shifting females whom Gaia, the Earth Mother, granted both immortality and eternal youth. Their beauty attracts Gods, Goddesses, Satyrs and mortals. I've had affairs with many a Nymph. Believe me, they live up to the hype.

I wanted to go to my favorite Nymph, Cecilia, but I'm glad I didn't. Let me tell you why. I approached the beautiful river Khoras, one of Cecilia's favorite hangouts. That's where I saw her talking to my one-time rival, the Centaur Kystoros. I don't like Centaurs. They're a race of half-human, half-horse creatures loathed among the various breeds of the Immortals. They're really popular with the Nymphs, partly because they've supposedly got the best of both worlds anatomically. Personally, I don't know what the fuss is about. It's not about the size, it's about how you use it. No, I don't have feelings of inadequacy. Moving on!

Anyway, I saw Cecilia and Kystoros talking. I didn't know they were so chummy. I hid in the foliage and they didn't see me. Kystoros told Cecilia that Zeus had placed a huge bounty on my head. Anyone who brought me before the King of the Gods would be handsomely rewarded. I remained silent as I watched my ex-girlfriend and my oldest enemy plotting my demise. Cecilia told Kystoros that I would turn up sooner or later. She'd seduce me, put me to sleep, and then summon Kystoros so he could bind me with Centaur magic. Together, they'd deliver me to Zeus and be handsomely rewarded. Isn't that a hoot? Man am I glad I came by when I did! And to think I trusted this bitch? Damn her to Tartarus!

I quickly got out of there. I felt completely alone for the first time in my existence. With the divine bounty on my head, I knew a lot of people, both friend and foe, would be after me. I had to hide. But where? There are only so many places an Immortal can go. If I remained in the woods, sooner or later someone would see me. The Satyrs, Nymphs and Centaurs I once considered buddies and acquaintances couldn't be trusted. A huge bounty on one's head cuts a lot of ties. I could go to Atlantis, but it's ruled by Poseidon, God of the Sea and brother of Zeus, Lord of Olympus. Poseidon would gladly hand me over to his brother. I couldn't go to the Underworld, because it was one stop away from Tartarus and also under the dominion of Hades, the Dark Lord, and Zeus older brother.

There was only one place left. The Land, Sky and Sea along with the Underworld were forbidden to me. However, there was one element which the Gods and Goddesses of the world could never completely dominate or control. Humanity. Men and women. They were everywhere. Billions upon billions of them. Black. White. Asian. Latino. Eurasian. Everywhere one looked, there were humans. I would be among them, living as if I were one of them. I smiled as I thought of my latest deception. As a Satyr, I was not at the top of the power elite among the Immortals and Deities who ruled the universe. But I did have some powers. On top of being immune to aging and being virtually immortal due to my ability to regenerate indefinitely, I am ten times stronger and faster than an ordinary man. When I wish to, I can become invisible and even walk through any solid matter, especially walls. I can become intangible at will. I also had the ability to assume human form. One human form, to be exact.

And so I did it. I looked long and hard for the mortal whose features I would mimic for the duration. I found him. A dying sailor. I don't know his name, but he was perfect. I found his body washed ashore, on a beach near Athens. He was six feet three inches tall, lean and muscular, with dark bronze skin, pale gray eyes and long black hair. A handsome, magnificent young man who had braved the perils of the sea during a storm and perished. I assumed his features, and he forever became a part of me. Before, I had never assumed human form. I never felt the need. Now, it was a necessity. Thus, Maldos the Satyr vanished, and I became Okanothos, the Man From The Sea. I burned the nameless sailor's body, and gave him a decent funeral. Then, I put on his clothes, and set about toward the nearby city of Athens, where an exciting new life awaited me.