Filled with gratitude, Finnius reluctantly said goodbye to them. The heroes of Pen ~ Fun ~ Pavilion www.biquge.info Argo have embarked on a new adventure. At first, because of the north-westerly wind blowing on the sea, they could not sail for ten days, until they were blessed with sacrifices to all twelve gods and prayed devoutly, and they were allowed to speed up again.

After a while, they heard a loud thunderous sound in the distance, the roar of two huge crashing rocks floating in the nearby sea, accompanied by the huge echo of the shore and the howling of the waves. Timfers watched carefully at the rudder, holding the rudder steady. Young Auvermoth rose from the cabin with a pigeon in his hand.

Finius had predicted that if the pigeons could fly fearlessly between the two rocks, then they would be able to move forward with confidence. As soon as the two boulders parted, Oyuformoth hurriedly released the pigeons. Everyone watched expectantly.

The dove was flying past, and the two boulders began to approach each other again. The sea made huge waves in the strait, the sea and the sky roared, and the two floating boulders were about to come together, leaving only room for the pigeons to fly. The pigeon flapped its wings and finally flew safely, and the colliding rock clipped off the pigeon's tail feathers.

Typhas loudly encourages the oarsman to take advantage of the boulder's parting to row away. The sea sucked the boat in, and the boat moved forward with the current. Disaster threatens them. A huge wave swept over the mountains and seas, and the heroes couldn't help but gasp and hurriedly buried their heads. Timfes composures himself and orders to stop rocking the oars. The waves rolled and crashed into the bottom of the ship, lifting the boat high above the closing boulders. Now, as they pleaded as hard as they could, the oars bent like bows.

Suddenly, the whirlpool pulled the ship into the middle of the overhanging rock, and the rock almost grazed the hull. If Athena hadn't quietly pushed it, their ship would have been smashed to pieces. Still, the colliding rocks caught a few planks in the stern. The planks were crushed into pieces and fell into the sea, where they were washed away in an instant and disappeared without a trace.

When they saw the blue sky and the empty sea again, they breathed a sigh of relief. They felt like they had escaped from hell.

"It's not because of our strength that we succeed!" Times exclaimed, "It was Athena who helped us. Now we need not be afraid, because according to Phineus's prophecy, we can easily overcome all the other dangers we encounter in the future! “

But Iason, shaking his head sadly, said, "Good Typhas, when Polyas persuaded me to take on this post, it made it difficult for the gods. Actually, I would have liked to be chopped into pieces by him at that time! Now I'm **** worried about your lives every night. Can I save you from danger and bring you home safely? “

Iason said this only to test the hearts of his companions. But they all cheered him warmly and asked to move on.

They continued their voyage again in good spirits, and at last they came to the mouth of the Thermodon River. Unlike any other river in the world, the river originates from a spring deep in the mountains, flows for a while, and then divides into ninety-six tributaries and flows into the sea.

The Amazonians lived at the mouth of one of the widest rivers. This people are all women, descended from Ares, the god of war, and are warlike by nature. If the Argonaut heroes land here, there is no doubt that there will be a bloody battle with the Amazon women, because they can rival the warlike heroes. They did not live in the cities, but divided into many tribes and scattered in the countryside.

A westerly wind blew, causing the ship to change course, and the Argot heroes avoided the warlike Amazonian woman. After a day and a night of sailing, as Phineus had prophesied, they reached the kingdom of Calybel. The people here neither farmed nor herded, and spent their days digging iron ore in the desolate land in exchange for food with people from neighbouring countries. They toiled hard in the gloomy cellars and thick smoke, living without joy.

When the Argot heroes arrived at Aritya, or Ari Island, a bird flapped its wings and flew over the ship and shot a pointed feathered arrow that struck the hero Aleus in the shoulder. Oleus collapsed in pain in the cabin and could not continue paddling. His companions plucked his feathers and bandaged his wounds.

It was very strange for them to see such arrows. After a while, a second bird flew. Clytivos bent his bow and shot an arrow, and the bird fell and fell on the ship. "Looks like the island is just around the corner!" Amphidamus, who has been a seasoned sailor, said, "Ignore the birds. There must be a lot of them, and if we land, we won't have so many arrows to shoot them. Let's think of a way to expel these aggressive birds.

I suggest that you all wear helmets with tall feathers, decorate your ships with shining spears and shields, and roar loudly. When the bird hears the cry and sees the feathers on the helmet, the sharp spear, the shining shield, it will definitely fly away in fright. “

The heroes praised it as a good idea, and they all did as he suggested. They didn't see a single bird again. As they approached the island, and struck their spears and shields with a roaring sound, countless frightened birds flew up from the shore and swept over the ship like dark clouds.

The heroes of Argo shielded themselves with their shields, and the sharp feathers of the birds fell like locusts, but they could not harm them. These terrified and terrible birds flew across the sea and far to the opposite shore. The heroes of Argo landed on the island.

Here they unexpectedly meet friends and partners. They had walked a short distance ashore and were confronted by four young men in ragged clothes. One of them hurried up to them and greeted them, saying, "Whoever you are, good people, help us poor people in distress, give us some clothes to wear, and a little food to feed us!" “

Iason kindly offered to help them and asked them for their names and backgrounds. "You must have heard stories about Phryxos, the son of Athamas and Nephile." The young man replied, "You know that he brought the Golden Fleece to Colches, yes?" King Aetes betrothed his eldest daughter, Calciopes, to him, and we are his sons.

My name is Argos, and our father, Phrixos, died not long ago. In accordance with his will, we sailed to retrieve the treasure he left in the city of Orkomenos. “

Hearing this, the heroes were very happy. Iason immediately recognized them as cousins, as his grandfathers, Atamas and Cretheus, were brothers. The lads went on to tell how their boat had sunk in the wind and waves, and how they had drifted to the island where no one could help them, holding on to a plank. The Argot heroes tell them their intention to go to sea, hoping that they will join their party and go on an adventure together. When they heard this, their eyes widened in horror.

"Our maternal grandfather, Aetes, was a cruel man, said to be the son of the sun god, with extraordinary powers. He rules over the myriad races of the Colchis land, and is guarded by a terrible dragon next to the Golden Fleece. Hearing this, several of the heroes were so frightened that their faces suddenly changed. But Peleus, the son of Aeakos, stood up and said, "Do not think that we will be defeated at the hands of King Colcastus, and do not forget that we are also the sons of the gods!"

If he doesn't give us the Golden Fleece obediently, we'll snatch it away! Then they had a sumptuous feast and encouraged each other during the meal, which added to their courage.

Early the next morning, the sons of Phryxus dressed in new clothes, fed and drunk, and then came to the ship, where the Argo set sail again. After a day and night of sailing, they saw the peaks of the Caucasus looming over the sea.

When twilight fell, they heard the sound of birds flying in the air, goshawks pecking at Prometheus' liver. It flew in the air above the ship, flapping its strong wings violently, whipping up gusts of wind and puffing up the sails. After a while, they heard Prometheus' moaning in the distance, as the eagle pecked at his liver. After another while, the moaning was gone. They saw the goshawk flapping its wings high in the air and flying back.

It was that same night that they reached their destination, the mouth of the Faris River. A few men happily climbed the mast, unloaded the sails, and rowed the boat with their oars to the wide river, tracing the river so that the waves seemed to bypass the road in front of the boat. To the left of the ship they saw the Caucasus Mountains and Kitaia, the capital of the Kingdom of Kolkas.

On the right are the vast fields and the sacred grove of Ares. There, a dragon watched over the golden fleece that hung from the oak canopy, with its sleepless eyes. Now Iason stood up, holding a golden cup full of wine, and held it high, pouring offerings to the river and Mother Earth, to the gods and the heroes who died on the way. He asked the gods for help in protecting the Argonauts.

"Now that we have come to Darkis safely," said Ancoos, the helmsman, "it is time for us to take seriously the matter of whether we should make friendly pleas to Aetes, or whether we should use some other means to achieve our ends." "Let's talk about it tomorrow!" Tired heroes shouted. Iason immediately ordered the boat to be parked in a shady bay. As soon as they lay down, they fell asleep. But not long after they slept, it was dawn, and the morning sun woke them up.

Early in the morning, while the Argot heroes were discussing, Iason stood up and said, "I have a suggestion: everyone stay quietly on board, but take your weapons and be ready. I would like to take the four sons of Phrixus, and two more of you, to the palace of King Aetes. I would like to ask him if he would give us the Golden Fleece. There is no doubt that he will refuse our request, but he must be responsible for all the consequences of doing so. Who knows, maybe our persuasion will make him change his mind. Didn't he also be persuaded to take in the innocent Phryxus who had escaped from his stepmother last time? “

The young heroes agree with Iason's suggestion. So he took the staff of peace of Hermes in his hand and left the ship with the sons of Phryxus and his companions Tramon and Augeas, king of Elis. They set foot in a field overgrown with willow trees. They were horrified to see many bodies hanging from the trees tied in chains. But the deceased was not a criminal during his lifetime, nor was he a foreigner who was killed. There is a custom in Colchates that dead men are not allowed to be cremated or buried, but are wrapped in raw cowhide and hung from a tree far from the city to allow the body to dry. Only after the death of the women are they buried.

The Colchas are a large people. In order to keep Iason and his companions from being discovered by the inhabitants, the goddess of protection of the heroes of Argo lowered a thick fog to cover them. It wasn't until they entered the palace that the fog lifted. They stood in the front yard of the palace and were amazed at the thick palace walls, the majestic gates and the majestic columns.

The entire building is surrounded by a protruding stone wall. They crept past the gate in the front yard and saw a pavilion covered with vines and four constant fountains. Strangely, one squirts out milk, one squirts wine, one squirts sesame oil, and the last squirts out water that is warm in winter and cool in summer. It was made by the highly skilled Hephaestus for the king. He also made a copper ox with a mouth that breathed fire and a sturdy iron plow. Hephaestus dedicated all of these artifacts to the sun god, the father of Aetes, and thanked the sun god for rescuing him in the battle with the giants and allowing him to escape by hiding in the sun cart.

They walked from the front yard to the middle yard. The pillars on both sides, separated from the left and right, lead to many palaces and the heroes of Lin *** Argo walked forward, and saw several opposing palaces. One palace housed King Aetes, another his son Absimitos, and the rest housed court maids and king's daughters Calciope and Medea.

The youngest daughter, Medea, rarely made an appearance, as she was the priestess of the temple of Hecate and often lived in the temple. But that morning, Hera, the goddess of protection of the Greeks, kept her in the palace. Just as she left her room and was about to go to her sister's place, she suddenly ran into these heroes on the way.

She screamed, and when Kalchiope heard the cry, he hurried open the door and came out, but suddenly he burst out loud and screamed, for she saw her four sons standing in front of her. They immediately threw themselves into their mother's arms. The reunion of the mother and son is really a mixture of joy and sorrow.

Aetheus and his queen Aedeia also heard the news. After a while, the compound was crowded with people, and there was jubilation. Some of the servants were busy slaughtering a large bull for their guests, some were chopping firewood, making fires, and some were busy boiling water. While everyone was busy, Eros flew high in the air, drew an arrow from her quiver, and then silently landed and crouched behind Iason, aiming at Medea, the king's daughter. No one noticed the arrow, not even Medea, she only felt a burning pain in her heart, inhaled deeply from time to time, and then secretly looked up at Iason. She didn't think about anything else, her heart was full of sweet pain, and her face was crimson with shame.

In the cacophony of joy, no one discovered Medea's thoughts. The servants had brought the food and wine, and the Argot heroes had bathed and changed their clothes, and were gladly seated at the table, feasting on a sumptuous meal and drinking from it. During the feast, the grandson of Aetes recounted what had happened on the way, and the king took the opportunity to inquire quietly from him about the strangers.

"I don't want to hide it from you, grandfather," Argos whispered behind his ear, "these men have come to you for the Golden Fleece. There was a king who wanted to drive them out of their land, so he gave them this dangerous mission. He hoped that the heroes would provoke the wrath of Zeus and provoke Phryxus' revenge. Pallas Athena helped them build a sturdy ship that could withstand rough seas.

Heroes from all over Greece bravely rallied on this boat. “

The king was astonished when he heard this, and hated his grandsons very much. He thought that they must have attracted so many strangers into his palace compound. The king's eyes were filled with rage, and he said loudly: "Get out, you traitors, and don't let me see you!" You have not come to take the Golden Fleece, but to rob me of my scepter and my throne. If you hadn't come all the way to be my guest, I really wouldn't have spared you today! “

When Telamon, who was sitting beside the king, heard this, she was very angry and was about to stand up and scold the king, but Iason stopped him in time and said gently: "Aetes, rest assured, we have not come to your city and into your palace. Who wants to drift across the seas and go through such a treacherous voyage to come and seize someone else's property and make himself rich? It was poor fate and the orders of the tyrant that pushed me down this path. If you give me the Golden Fleece, all the Greeks will praise you for it, and we will repay you for it. If you are at war, then consider us your allies and we will fight for you! “

When Iason said this, he wanted to reconcile with the king, who was secretly thinking about whether to kill them at once or try their power first. He pondered it for a while, and felt that the latter method was more appropriate, so he gradually calmed down, and said:

"Why be so timid? If you are truly the descendants of the gods, then you have the means to get the Golden Fleece back. I like brave men who are willing to give them everything. But how can you show me what you are capable of and what you are capable of? I have two sacred cows grazing in Ares' fields:

They have brass hooves and a spitting fire in their noses. I was accustomed to ploughing the land with these two oxen, and when the land was all ploughed, I sowed not grain in the ditch, but the terrible dragon's teeth. And the harvest was a crowd of men, who were coming at me from all directions, and I had to swing my spear and stab them to the ground one by one. Every day, I put a yoke on the cattle early in the morning and plough them until the evening after the harvest I can rest.

Outlander, if you can do this, like me, on the same day, then you can take the Golden Fleece with you. Otherwise, I will not be able to give it to you, because brave men are not afraid of hardships and dangers. Iason, sitting silently, undecided, for he did not dare to take the liberty of agreeing to a terrible adventure. Later, he said firmly: "No matter how difficult the task is, I am willing to put it to the test." King, I am willing to die for it. Is there anything worse for a mortal than death? Fate sent me here, and I am willing to follow the arrangement of fate. “

"Well," said the king, "you may go and tell your companions. But think about it! If you can't complete the mission, then just let me do it, and leave my land as soon as possible! (To be continued.) )