But life still has to pass.
The golden light will dissipate, the snake corpses will be cleaned up, and the corroded floors will be re-leveled. The thrill in the room will eventually turn into whispers in the palace, and then gradually cover it with time. And Hercules grew up here day by day.
He grows fast.
It's not that time is fleeting, and you grow into a teenager in the blink of an eye.
But it is fast to see
Today, it was still light in my arms, and it sank a little in a few days; I wore just the right swaddling clothes the day before yesterday, and today I am a little shorter.
Every time Alcmene picked him up, he could feel that his little body was getting
stronger and stronger little by little. He eats a lot. 1r5Rp
If the wet nurse doesn't have enough milk, add another wet nurse. Later, I started to eat complementary foods, and if one bowl was not enough, I would add
another bowl, and then add another bowl. His food was always prepared in the
kitchen of the palace, waiting for the little guy who could never get enough to eat. The cooks muttered privately, saying that this child could eat three adults' portions by himself, and he didn't know where those things had gone. But he never made trouble.
He just looked at Alcmene when he was hungry, looked at her with those brighter and brighter eyes, and then opened his mouth and let out a soft "ah" Alcmene was hit by that look every time.
She didn't know how much this child knew, or what kind of soul was hidden behind his eyes. She only knew that every time he looked at her, she couldn't help but want to take him into her arms.
So she hugged it.
Hold often.
Hugging Hercules was a little helpless. 115Rp He is actually not used to being held like this. The memory of the past life is still there, and it is somewhat awkward to be held in your arms as a baby all day long.
But every time he wanted to break free and saw Alcmene's gentle eyes, that bit of
awkwardness quietly melted away.
never mind.
As long as I'm happy.
Meanwhile, Iphicles was also growing up.
He was Hercules' older brother, born a little earlier, but he was more like the younger brother because Hercules was too steady.
That child was steady from a young age. So steady, unlike an infant. He rarely cried, rarely fussed, and rarely did anything that gave the wet nurses headaches. When hungry, he would look at people; when sleepy, he would close his eyes on his own. He would just lie there, or sit there, looking at everything around him with those eyes, as if taking in the world bit by bit.
Iphicles is different. 1r5Rp
He was a true baby; when he was hungry, he cried so loudly it could lift the roof off; when he was sleepy, he fussed and kicked, scattering his swaddling clothes. When he was uncomfortable, he howled at the top of his lungs, driving his wet nurses to their wits' end. They would often soothe Iphicles while glancing back at the unusually quiet Heracles, secretly marveling at his behavior.
They came from the same womb, how can they be so different?
But Hercules didn't dislike his older brother, whom he had taken for granted.
That silly little guy, whose every thought is written all over his face, always smiles when I see him. He grins, revealing his still-growing...
With his pink gums, his eyes narrowed into slits when he smiled, he would reach out to grab Hercules' face, his hair, his ears, and anything else he could grab.
Hercules let him grab, occasionally reaching out to grab back. The two babies rolled together in the cradle, babbling softly.
She was babbling incoherently, making noises that were unclear. Alcmene stood watching, a smile unconsciously playing on her lips. That was her happiest moment.
Both sons are by my side, both are well, and both are smiling.
That's enough.
Amphitryon treated the two children equally.
No, maybe more than that,
He cared more about Hercules than about Iphicles.
It wasn't because of favoritism. It was because he knew.
He knew this child was different, knew where his bloodline came from, and knew his future was destined to be extraordinary.
He didn't know what he could teach him, or what mark he, a mere mortal, could leave on his life. He only knew that as long as this child called him "father," he had to fulfill the responsibilities of a father.
So Hercules began to learn.
Learn to walk.
He started walking very early. While other children were still crawling, he was already standing up, holding onto the wall. Amphitryon squatted down in front of him, held out his hand, and said softly, "Come here, come over here."
Hercules looked at him, at those rough, large hands, at that expectant face. One step.
Two steps.
Three steps — 1r5Rp
They walked over steadily.
Amphitryon caught him, picked him up, and laughed heartily.
"Good boy!
Hercules nestled on his shoulder, burying his face in the crook of his neck, his expression saying, "What's the big deal?"
His dismissive "No way" expression was masked by a subtle smile playing on his lips.
Well, it does feel good to be praised.
Learn to speak.
He didn't speak early. It wasn't that he couldn't speak, but that he didn't want to. He thought those babbling sounds were too silly, like a little fool calling out "baba" and "mama," which really hurt his dignity.
But he later discovered that not speaking would worry Alcmene.
Every time she hugged him, patiently pointing to things and telling him "this is the sun," "this is the moon," the expectation in her eyes made him unable to bear disappointing her. So he began to talk.
"mom."
The first word. 1r5Rp It was so tight he almost couldn't breathe. "Say it again?"
Alcmene stood there, stunned, then tears welled up in her eyes. She rushed over and hugged him tightly.
"mom.
"Say it again?
"mom."
Hercules nestled in her arms and sighed.
Woman.
Then comes "father".
That day, Amphitryon was brandishing a sword in front of him, telling him what this was and what that was. Hercules looked at the sword, then at the expectant face, and then spoke:
"father."
Amphitryon's hand stopped. He looked down at the small child, at those calm eyes, and suddenly felt a tightness in his throat.
"Call again?"
Amphitryon picked him up, lifted him high, and spun him around the room several times. Heracles, held aloft, watched the ceiling spin above his head, watched the sunlight stream in through the window, and watched the undisguised smile on the man's face.
A slight smile curved his lips. This feeling was quite nice.
Hercules rarely angered his parents.
He knew how much Alcmene loved him.
The woman's eyes always held an indescribable tenderness whenever she looked at him. She would stay with him while he slept.
She would gently stroke his face when he was asleep, appear before him first when he woke up, and smile like a child every time he called her "Mom".
He knew how precious these things were. So he tried his best to reassure her, to not make a fuss, not to cry, and not to cause her any trouble. She used that cautious...
When she looked at him, he smiled at her, a smile meant for her to see.
He rarely angered Amphitryon. That man, knowing full well he wasn't his biological son, treated him with more care than a biological son. He would put aside the country...
The king would come to help him practice, make him a wooden sword with his rough hands, and his eyes would light up every time he called out "father".
Hercules knew that Amphitryon wanted to teach him many things: swordsmanship, horsemanship, the principles of being a good person, and the responsibilities of a king. He actually knew all of those things—his memories from his past life remained, and he even knew more than Amphitryon. But he still listened attentively, learned diligently, and strived to be a good son.
He didn't want to disappoint the expectation in those eyes.
But at the same time, he was also controlling himself.
Take control of your own power.
The divine power awakened by digesting Hera's milk continued to flow within him. He could feel it, like a golden river, quietly surging through his veins.
It is very obedient; as long as he doesn't touch it, it will stay there quietly, like a sleeping lion.
But he knew it had always been there.
Hercules was also controlling his emotions.
That was when Hercules was six years old.
It was from that moment that Hercules first became aware of his emotional problems. The sun shone brightly that day, bathing the training grounds outside the palace in golden light. Amphitryon rarely had...
Kong said he wanted to take his two sons to learn how to drive a horse-drawn carriage.
It was ostensibly a lesson in driving a chariot, but in reality, it was mainly for Hercules and Iphicles to observe and practice. After all...
Two six-year-old children—even if one of them doesn't look six at all—couldn't possibly control the two of them.
A tall, magnificent horse.
Hercules stood at the edge of the training field, watching the two horses.
He's grown quite tall. At six years old, he's already indistinguishable from a typical eleven or twelve-year-old boy—strong arms, powerful legs, and an imposing presence that makes it hard to associate him with the word "toddler."
rise.
Iphicles stood beside him, a full head shorter, looking up at the horses with eyes full of admiration.
Wow. "That horse is huge."
Hercules glanced down at him.
"Um."
Amphitryon stood a short distance away, inspecting the carriage. Two horses stood quietly before it, their coats glossy and their muscles strong; they were well-trained dogs from the palace. He was taking his two sons out of the city today to teach them how to drive a carriage.
"Come here," Amphitryon beckoned to them, "get to know these two horses."
Hercules walked over to the two horses.
Just as he approached, the horse on his left suddenly moved. Its ears snapped back, and its nostrils flared.
The horse's hooves trotted gently in place. Hercules paid no attention; he reached out to touch the horse's mane.
The horse suddenly took a step back, and the rope was pulled taut.
Amphitryon glanced at the horse and frowned slightly. This horse was trained and usually very docile, but today…
Why was he a little uneasy? But he didn't think much of it, simply patting the horse's neck and softly reassuring it. "Get on," he said, first lifting Iphicles and placing him in the carriage.
Iphicles sat in the car, excitedly looking around. "Little brother, come on in!"
Hercules smiled, stepped forward, and reached out to grab the edge of the carriage, preparing to board. Just as he lifted his leg—
The horse suddenly reared up!
It let out a sharp neigh, its forelegs flailing wildly in the air, its entire body twisting erratically. The other horse, caught in the throes, also began to struggle restlessly. The chariot began to shake violently. Before Hercules could react, a tremendous force slammed into him from the side—the force of the horse's body being thrown towards him.
It slammed into his shoulder. 1r5Rp
He was thrown into the air.
His body flipped in the air before crashing heavily to the ground.
The back of his head hit the stone slab with a dull thud. "Hercules!" 1r5Rp grabbed Hercules' shoulder.
Amphitryon's shout came, followed by hurried footsteps. He rushed over, knelt down, and placed his hands on...
"Are you alright? Where are you hurt?"
Hercules lay on the ground, one hand supporting him on the ground, the other hand covering his head along with one of his eyes.
He didn't speak, and dared not speak at that moment.
Because in that instant, something welled up from the depths of his heart.
That's not pain.
He hit the back of his head hard, but it was nothing to him; he didn't even lose any hair.
What surged up was anger.
An overwhelming surge of anger.
It erupted from the depths of his chest like magma, flowing through his veins and burning his limbs and bones. That golden river, that power that had been dormant within him, suddenly surged forth, frantically assaulting every fiber of his being.
"Kill it." A voice echoed in his mind.
Kill that horse. Kill that beast that dared to throw you off. Hercules' breathing became heavy; he could feel the power roaring within him, he could feel it...
He wanted to break free, but he could feel it slowly eroding his reason.
cannot.
Absolutely not. 1r5Rp
My father is right next to me.
Iphicles was still in the car. He clutched his face tighter, burying it in his hands, using all his strength to suppress his anger.
Push it back, push it back into that golden river, push it back into that sleeping place.
"Hercules?" Amphitryon's voice was filled with anxiety. "What's wrong? Speak!"
Hercules' body trembled. The trembling wasn't from pain, but from exertion. Exertion to suppress himself, to control himself, to resist...
The power rushed out.
"I'm fine."
The voice was a little hoarse and trembling, 1r5Rp
He still covered his face with his hands, not letting go.
"Where is Iphicles?"
Amphitryon was stunned.
He turned sharply and looked at the carriage.
The two horses were still struggling uneasily, and the carriage was still shaking.
Ifcles sat in the car, his small body dangling with the carriage, his hands clutching the edges, his face full of horror.
"Iphicles!"
Amphitreon stood up abruptly and rushed towards the carriage.
Hercules lay on the ground, listening to the movement over there. The cry of the father, the neighing of the horse, the scolding of the coachman, and the cry of Ifcles finally couldn't hold back.
He still covered his face.
In the eyes covered by that hand, the golden light was flickering wildly.
patreon.com/Itsdragonking for more chapters