The Curse (and Blessing) of Alphaios Long ago, people of Greece sang songs and wrote tales of the hero they called Alphaios. This man had conquered many monsters in his travels and led his men to victories against invading peoples. Alphaios slayed and conquered, all in the name of Hephaestus, the god of fire and the forge, and Apollo, the god of light and truth. His foes could plainly see Hephaestus' blessing on this great hero as he strode into battle. His entire self was covered in the flames from the fire god's mighty forge, strengthening him as he fought beasts and warriors alike, and his sword shone with Apollo's rays. But this story will not talk of Alphaios' dramatic battles nor his glorious victories. This is a story of his end.…show more content… Innocent men and women were put to their blades, drawing the attention of their own gods with their pleads of mercy. If Alphaios had known of the three Celtic goddesses known as Banba, Fotia, and Eriu and their power, he would have run to the shore and swam all the way back to Greece. For these goddess' sole purpose was to save their people from invaders, and they wielded powerful magic in this purpose. They looked at these strange men, with armor and weapons that they had never seen before, and they saw the man that lead them and the insane lust for power in his…show more content… They mocked the Greek gods, angering them even further. Zeus bellowed with rage at the insults to his power over his own people, and called his brothers and sisters and sons and daughters to tear down the alien gods that had taken away Alphaios and insulted their power. And so the war in the skies began. The Celtic gods left their kingdom of grass and rivers and battled against Alphaios' gods. Athena wielded her sword against Morrigan. Artemis fought against Tuatha-de-Danann, and Hades even rose from the Underworld to battle Arawn. The heavens screamed above both Ireland and Greece as the war raged. Alphaios was forgotten amidst the struggle between the two forces. Over time, his wounds were healed, but his heart was void. His gods had abandoned, cursed him, and left him to die in a strange land. Instead of feeling anger at this turn of events, Alphaios, with rare humility, accepted his fate. He roamed the forests that outlined the land, trying to cope with his curse. Any attempt to seek help from native peoples ended with them driving him back to the trees. The villagers saw at once Alphaios' inability to speak or hear, and knew it was the work of their own