What is existence? Is it good or wicked? Is it defined by an appraisal from others?
Cyd couldn't call himself good. Each of his actions was motivated by self-interest, not by a noble or pure soul. Yet, his name became famous across Greece as the Hero of Pure White. He hunted down the demon pig and the demon dragon, helped Jason obtain the Golden Fleece, and earned the Blessing of the Gods. With the help of certain individuals, Cyd's fame surpassed even that of Hercules.
Cyd was undeniably good, noble, and pure, for he achieved feats impossible for mortals without seeking any reward.
One day, as he was living on the island of Demeter, Cyd encountered a bandit attack on a village. "It seems I'm destined to always run into bandits," he sighed, readying himself to vanquish them. With a mere flick of his fingernail, his jet-black dragon claw emerged, making the bandits kneel and surrender immediately.
The villagers cheered, welcoming Cyd as if they had known him all along. They called him the Hero of Pure White, and young girls offered him fruit. One girl even gently traced a finger along the back of Cyd's hand as he accepted the fruit.
But Medusa, who accompanied Cyd, seemed indifferent.
Seeing the villagers' adoration, Cyd began to understand why the Hero of Pure White's reputation was so exaggerated. People are weak and always face problems they can't solve alone. They need hope and someone who can resolve their worries. Thus, they turn to the gods, who, though omnipotent, are capricious and often create more problems than they solve. That's where heroes come in.
A hero solves problems that others cannot. But heroes are human too, with their own needs and demands. Often, they expect something in return for their help. Villagers, desperate to avoid becoming a hero's burden, would comply excessively, sometimes giving up more than they could afford. Some heroes, worse than bandits, would plunder villages under the guise of a reward.
Yet, villagers still hoped for a hero who wouldn't ask for anything in return. Someone like Cyd, who appeared when they needed him most, defeated the bandits with unmatched strength and asked for nothing in return. He even refused the reward the village head offered, taking only two apples from a tree.
He was a hero with a soul as pure as snow, unlike any other.
When the village head suggested asking Demeter to improve the island's crops, Cyd complied, earning the villagers' heartfelt praise.
"If everyone were as willing as I am, life wouldn't be so dull," Cyd muttered, tossing an apple in his hand. "Should I smile now?"
"If it were anyone else, they'd laugh," Medusa said, nibbling on her apple.
The villagers praised him almost excessively. Young girls cast longing glances his way. Any other hero would have laughed and galloped off to his next adventure, but Cyd was different.
"I would have sought out Demeter even without their request," Cyd said, looking at the flowering shrubs in the distance, where the villagers said Demeter lived. "But what should I say?"
"The world looks different to everyone," Medusa replied, biting into her apple core. "Even if the crops were good, even if the villagers hadn't asked, as long as you sought out Demeter, they would believe you did it for them. They need a pillar of hope."
"They say Demeter has been listless here. No one knows why the harvest isn't as usual," Cyd said, scratching his head. He noticed a shadow crouching in the flowering shrubs. "The pressure of their expectations is overwhelming."
"Don't worry," Medusa said, patting Cyd's shoulder as best as she could on tiptoe. "I'm here with you."
"Okay. I don't need their praise, but it does ease the burden a bit," Cyd said, rubbing Medusa's head before walking towards the shrubs.
"My daughter..." Cyd heard a sorrowful voice as he entered, noticing the flowers around had withered.
"Demeter-sama?" Cyd called out cautiously to the figure hugging her knees among the shrubs.
"Hmm?" Demeter looked up, her eyes red from crying.
Legend described Demeter as a noble, grave, and dignified woman, but now she seemed disheveled, with withered flower petals in her golden hair.
"Waaah! Listen to me..." Demeter cried, clinging to Cyd's sleeve. "My daughter Persephone says she's happy in the Underworld. Why would she say that? She used to be so unhappy being away from me! What does that gloomy man have that's so great?"
The surrounding flowers withered completely as Demeter's mood darkened.
Cyd swallowed hard. He had thought Demeter would be easy to deal with, but her current state was alarming.
"My dear Persephone must have been deceived by that gloomy man. She used to love these flowers, but now she claims to be happy in the Underworld!" Demeter clung to Cyd even tighter.
"It's not good! I must save her!" Demeter declared, looking at Cyd with a desperate intensity that made his scalp tingle.
"I heard you're a hero who can achieve anything," she said.
"No, that's just a rumor," Cyd protested, trying to free his hand from her grip. He knew he couldn't take Persephone from Hades.
"Please! You must help me!" Demeter cried, refusing to let go.
"Persephone returned to the Underworld on her own, and earlier than usual," Cyd said, feeling helpless. According to legend, Persephone spent three months in the Underworld each year, and the rest with her mother. But this early return was different for Demeter.
"She used to cry about not wanting to go back. Now she says goodbye with a smile!" Demeter wailed. "What if she never comes back?"
"The daughter married is like water poured out..." Cyd began to say instinctively, realizing too late the impact of his words.
Demeter's eyes filled with rage, and the surrounding land began to wither.