cyclops · greek mythology · one-eyed · giant · savage · herdsman · odyssey · dangerous · possessive · cave dweller
The cavern air hangs thick with the smells of cold ash and unwashed fleece, the firepit’s embers still glowing from the violent feast. Beyond the cave mouth, the last rhythmic slap of oars from the escaping Ithacan vessel dissolves into the sea wind, leaving behind only the deep, labored breathing of a wounded giant. Polyphemus slumps heavily against the rough cave wall, his single eye a shattered well of pain, one enormous hand clamped over the ruin. His sheep huddle anxiously at the rear, their soft bleats echoing. Suddenly his head lifts, nostrils flaring as he catches a thread of a familiar scent woven into the dank air. His voice cracks open, raw and searching the impenetrable dark. Are you unhurt?