The Labors of Hercules: The Apples of the Hesperides
Long long ago, in the age before television, Eurystheus was feeling pretty good about himself. Although Hercules had completed the ten tasks given to him he had been given two more opportunities to defeat him for Hera. He almost immediately declared that Hercules would bring back a golden apple from the garden of the Hesperides. The garden was owned by Hera and the trees that grew golden apples that could give immortality if someone kept eating them. The garden was tended by the Hesperides, magical nymphs, who in exchange for tending Hera's garden were allowed to occasionally eat the apples and live forever. The location of the garden was known only to the gods and was guarded by a giant dragon named Ladon. Hercules first caught the Old Man of the Sea, one of the gods of water, and forced him to tell him the location of the garden. The Old Man of the Sea told him that the garden was in the far western corner of the world on the edge of the world sea. Now knowing the location he set out on his journey.
Shortly after he set out he was stopped by Antaeus, a son of Gaia. Gaia was the goddess of the Earth and the apples were a gift she had given to Hera. Although not directly opposed to Hercules she didn't want any humans eating the apples and become immortal. Hercules refused to stop and Antaeus attacked. As the son of a god Antaeus also had divine strength like Hercules himself. However as the son of the earth goddess, Antaeus was able to revive his strength anytime he touched the ground. Hercules was slightly stronger then Antaeus and as they wrestled with each other Hercules would eventually manage to throw Antaeus but as soon as Antaeus landed he would be refreshed and be able to attack at his full strength while Hercules slowly wore his strength away. Hercules realized eventually he would wear himself out fighting and when that happened Antaeus would be able to defeat him. Hercules then lifted Antaeus off the ground in a bear hug and squeezed him. Hercules made certain that at no time could Antaeus touch the ground to regain his strength. Refusing to surrender Antaeus struggled to touch the ground but Hercules was victorious.
Afer defeating Antaeus, Hercules' journey was long but relatively uneventful, until he reached the garden. As he reached the entrance Ladon struck at him trying to swallow Hercules whole. Hercules dived to the side and swung with his club. He swung so hard that his club shattered. Ladon roared in pain at the blow but quickly struck again. Hercules dived out of the way again and swung with his sword this time. Ladon's scales were too hard even for Hercules' sword and it bounced right off them. Ladon stuck again and Hercules dived to the side however Ladon was smart. It guessed that Hercules would try to dive out of the way and so it intentionally attacked a little to the side so that when Hercules tried jumping out of the way he ended up jumping right into the mouth of the dragon. Ladon tried biting Hercules but his lion skin armor protected him from Ladon's teeth. Ladon then simply swallowed Hercules whole. You might think this would be the end of Hercules, and had it been any other man this would be the end of the tale, however Hercules was the mightiest of men and with his sword he began attacking Ladon from the inside where his scales couldn't protect him. It was a long, messy, and very smelly process but eventually Hercules managed to cut his way out. Free at last, and able to see the golden apples, Hercules tried entering the garden but found that he couldn't. The garden was the sacred domain of Hera and none could enter without the permission of the Hesperides who tended it. Hercules' strength could not help him as the Hesperides put a magical barrier around the garden that could not be broken by even the gods much less Hercules.
Frustrated, Hercules explored the area trying to think of another way to get in. He found the barrier went all the way around the garden and even down under the ground. He climbed a nearby mountain in order to get a view from above. When he reached the top he found Atlas one of the titans. In the age before humans the gods and the titans fought each other in a great war and the titans were defeated. Zeus had imprisoned most of the titans but some he had assigned to perform hard labor as punishment. Atlas was one of the ones who had been assigned hard labor instead sentenced to hold the sky above the earth. Atlas couldn't move because if he did he would drop the sky. Hercules asked Atlas about the Hesperides and found that they were Atlas' daughters. Atlas said that if Hercules would hold the sky for a little while that he would go to the garden and ask for one of the golden apples. Atlas said that he had not seen his daughters since he began holding up the sky and knew they would be willing to let him into the garden. Hercules agreed to hold the sky for a short while while Atlas visited with his daughters and got a golden apple. The sky was heavier then anything Hercules had ever lifted before. It took all of his strength to do it but he managed. Atlas went down to the garden and the Hesperides were overjoyed to see their father and let him into the garden. After a short visit Atlas took one of the golden apples and went back to where Hercules was waiting on the mountain. Now Atlas was enjoying being free of his burden and didn't really want to go back to holding up the sky. So when he saw Hercules he suggested that Hercules remain holding up the sky for a little while longer while Atlas went back with the apple instead. Hercules knew that Atlas was planning to just leave him holding the sky forever so he told Atlas that would be a great idea however his cloak was bunched up a little bit on the back and he asked Atlas to take back the sky just long enough for Hercules to straighten it out before Atlas left. Atlas agreed and resumed his place holding up the sky. As soon as Atlas was holding the sky then Hercules took the golden apple and ran down the mountain leaving Atlas to complete his task. The journey back to Eurystheus was uneventful and delivered the apple. Hera tried to have this task declared invalid since Atlas was the one who actually took the apple from the garden but the gods ruled in Hercules' favor. Eurystheus didn't specify Hercules needed to actually pick the apple, just to bring one back from the garden. This left one last task for Hercules to accomplish and Eurystheus already knew what he was going to have Hercules do.
Continued in Cerberus