The beautiful carved figurehead of the great goddess—the one I broke clean in half—had been neatly packed away, according to Asclepius. The Argonauts didn't dare throw the splintered statue into the sea, fearing it wouldn't end with just a piece of wood sinking into the depths. Everyone knew how terrifyingly spiteful Hera could be. Making an enemy of her would be beyond foolish.
They handled the broken remains like a priceless relic, reverent and careful.
And honestly, I agreed with them. I had no desire to end up floating lifeless in the ocean.
As I stared at the wrecked figurehead, an idea occurred to me. Maybe... just maybe the reason the three Fates hadn't found me yet was because they couldn't identify the Argo.
The true Argo always bore the wooden image of the Queen of the Gods on its bow—a symbol of divine favor. But now, that space held only a broken mast and a curious seabird perched on it.
Could it be that the Fates couldn't find me because they didn't recognize this ship?
I hoped so.
"Let him rest today," Asclepius said gently to Atalanta. "He just woke up. Let's give him another day before putting him to work."
The wild huntress nodded in agreement and walked away, but not before shooting me a glare that said: "This isn't over. I'll deal with you later."
She joined the other heroes in the center of the ship, drinking and laughing.
Atalanta was a wild one.
"What's the celebration about, Doctor? Why are they drinking so much?" I asked.
"Oh, no special occasion. This is normal for them," Asclepius replied with a small shrug.
Wait, what?
Every day?! These guys were feasting like it was the end of the world!
I asked Asclepius where the supplies were stored. He seemed confused by my sudden concern but pointed me toward the storage room.
And the moment I stepped inside, I nearly collapsed.
We were going to starve soon.
Food and fresh water were running dangerously low. Our heroic comrades had been consuming them like maniacs. Judging by the remaining supplies, they had gone through enough for a full banquet. It was part of their heroic fate—to indulge without restraint. As if it had been written into their destiny by the Fates themselves.
So wasteful... gods above!
Based on my estimation, the remaining rations would last no more than three days. The first step was to get to land and resupply. But...
The Argo had been lost at sea for nearly a month, and there was no sign of any coastline in sight. To the left: sea. To the right: sea. In front and behind: more sea. Endless. Vast. And yes, beautiful... but I hated it now.
I couldn't rely on these reckless heroes. I had to fend for myself.
That's when I got the idea: I'd try fishing.
Since being fated to join Jason's crew, I'd somehow learned all sorts of seafaring skills at an alarming speed. Rowing, survival techniques, even how to weave and use fishing nets.
I rigged a net to the back of the ship, letting it drag through the water as we sailed. When I pulled it up...
It was more than I bargained for.
Sure, we caught some fish—but we also snagged a sea monster.
It was hideous. Its body was covered in slime, with two stalk-like eyes, long fangs, and claws that could shred metal. Its back writhed with dozens of twitching tentacles.
Gods help me... what was that thing? I'd never seen anything like it. Was this even in Greek mythology?
It looked either furious or starving. With a terrifying screech, it dug its claws into the hull and began climbing aboard.
Someone help me!