Jason felt elated. Hypsipyle was beautiful and gentle, and as a queen, she was still untouched. Their first night together was her first time!
This surprised Jason. If this queen bore a child... his child... wouldn't that mean the future king of this land would be his heir?
He quickly dismissed the thought, wrapping his arms around the beautiful queen, gently caressing her fair skin.
Staying here suddenly seemed like a fine choice.
As his hands wandered, growing bolder, Hypsipyle let out a soft moan, spurring Jason to be even more daring.
Just as he was about to dive into another round, the world around him plunged into darkness!
Startled, Jason propped himself up on the bed, looking around. Gone was the beautiful Hypsipyle, gone was everything else. All he saw was a roaring sea and howling winds!
"Where... where am I?!" Jason scrambled to take in his surroundings. He was on a tiny boat, so small it could barely hold him.
The vessel tossed violently in the stormy seas, threatening to capsize and be swallowed by the ocean!
Feeling the terrifying power of nature, Jason prayed in fear.
"Jason, have you forgotten your mission? Don't you remember what you're meant to do?"
A voice rang out. Jason looked up, spotting a light in the distance amid the dark, stormy chaos... a majestic voice emanating from it.
Devoutly, he asked, "Who... who are you, great god?"
"I am the Guiding Star, the deity protecting your journey. I sent my envoys, the twins, to guard you. Do not forget your mission. If you lose yourself to pleasure, a tragic fate awaits!"
The voice faded. Jason's eyes snapped open, greeted by candlelight. Hypsipyle slept sweetly beside him, clutching his arm even in her dreams, looking utterly adorable.
The sight calmed his racing heart. He stroked his chest, exhaling, "Just a dream…"
But his brow furrowed.
"Though it was a dream, I can't dismiss it as meaningless. It feels like a warning…
"The dream mentioned a Guiding Star, a god I've never heard of. It spoke of twin envoys protecting me, but among my crew, I know the twins... Castor and Pollux... and their origins…
"I'll ask Castor and Pollux tomorrow if they know anything about this Guiding Star."
With that, Jason relaxed, lying back down. Breathing in Hypsipyle's scent, he drifted back to sleep.
Meanwhile, the twins responsible for the eerie dream were discussing their handiwork.
"I think if I'd appeared as his father, Aeson, saying, 'The gods told me you're lingering here, forgetting your quest,' it would've scared him more," Pollux said.
Castor nodded. "You're right. That level of scare wouldn't make him leave immediately. If it was Aeson's form, he'd probably drag everyone out by morning."
"But what you did was fine, brother. If he left too soon, it'd mess up your plans, right?" Pollux glanced at the stone tablet in Castor's hands.
On it, Castor was carving something.
"This place is prosperous, a stop for travelers. Let's spread our story here... that the envoys of the Guiding God are none other than the Guiding God itself, a tale of two, not one!
"And not just here. We can spread it elsewhere, too. The more it spreads, the more it'll affect our state!"
Pollux nodded eagerly. "Yes! Then you can return to your true self... or at least regain your divinity!"
Her eyes sparkled with anticipation. "This way, we can be together forever!"
…
Unable to suppress her desires due to her keen hearing, Atalanta moved to the ship's stern, far from Morpheus and the others. It eased her tension slightly.
Feeling the sea breeze, she sat quietly, unusually calm and gentle.
A voice broke the silence. "It's late. Not resting?"
Atalanta jumped. As the finest hunter, her alertness was unmatched, yet she hadn't noticed someone approach until they spoke!
She spun, grabbing her weapon, only to see Morpheus casually sit nearby.
Why is he here? Did he notice my state and come to check? Is he scheming something?! Atalanta's irritation flared.
Seeing her silence, Morpheus continued, "No need to keep watch. Go rest. It's safe here. Save your energy... once we set sail again, there'll be plenty of nights to stand guard."
Realizing he was just urging her to rest, Atalanta relaxed, her irritation fading slightly. Still, she retorted, "No need to worry. I'm not that delicate!"
"But you're not made of stone. Flesh and blood need rest. Even stone cracks under constant pressure."
Morpheus paused, then asked, "As a hunter, you're skilled in running and archery. Ever thought about learning something new?"
"Something new?" Atalanta didn't grasp his meaning, distracted enough to forget snapping back.
He nodded. "Yes, like unique magic."
"Unique magic?" Atalanta shook her head. "I have Lady Artemis's blessings, allowing me to use magic tied to her. I don't need anything else."
She spoke with pride. Wielding magic linked to a god's authority was beyond what most magus could achieve!
Morpheus smiled. "Learning magic unrelated to the Moon Goddess could be useful. Say, a spell to stay calm. As a hunter, you know how vital composure is."
Atalanta nearly refused on instinct. Though Morpheus was polite and handsome, unlike others she'd met, she wanted to keep her distance.
As a hunter, she was already calm. Why learn a spell for it?
Before she could refuse, Morpheus said, "Don't rush to say no. Ask your revered Artemis. She might think it's a good idea."
"The great Lady Artemis!" Atalanta emphasized, but didn't outright reject him. Asking Artemis about this felt odd, but since she often shared everything with her goddess, it didn't seem too strange.
"Alright, I won't keep you. Rest, eat well, and think about what I said." Morpheus stood, bowing slightly. "Good night, Lady Atalanta."
He walked away without lingering, showing no attachment.
His demeanor made Atalanta frown.
Why does it feel like I'm not even remotely appealing to him?!
The thought sparked her irritation again.
Later, she saw Heracles. Knowing his identity, she greeted him. He approached, saying, "Not resting? Praying to your god?"
"I've finished praying to Lady Artemis."
Heracles smiled. "You're truly devout."
"Lady Artemis has been so kind to me. I'll serve her by remaining unwed my whole life!" she said proudly. "After all, she's the chaste goddess, and I'll follow her example!"
Heracles's expression nearly cracked. He glanced at the cabin at the ship's bow, barely suppressing a retort.
Watching Atalanta praise Artemis, he suddenly didn't know how to respond. One wrong word could offend several people at once!
For the first time, Heracles felt this was troublesome. He regretted striking up the conversation. As Atalanta rambled about Artemis's greatness, he could only muster vague replies like "Is that so?" or "Yeah."
Finally, when she finished, Heracles, as if pardoned, bolted back to his cabin, resolving to stay put unless something urgent arose!
Lying in bed, he thought of Atalanta's words, shaking his head. "Chaste goddess? Ha…"
***
If you enjoyed this story, don't forget to drop 5 stars and your power stone. And if you want to read more than 70 chapters in advance, feel free to visit: pat reon . com / KangTL