Mercury

Lore
Mercurial. A word that evokes volatility, quickness, and cunning. But to compare anything to the speed and wit of the Messenger God Mercury would be to compare a hot day to the searing forge of Vulcan, or a blooming rose to the glory of Venus. It is but a pale comparison. Mercury can leap the space between lightning and thunder, outfox the fox king, and reach tomorrow before the sun.

As an infant, Mercury escaped the watchful eye of his half-brother, Apollo, stole his cattle, fashioned a lyre from a tortoise shell, and snuck in a nap, all before Apollo found him missing. His father, Jupiter, found the child’s mischief boisterously entertaining, and awarded him the task of delivering messages for the Gods, traveling between the Heavens, the Earth, and even to the depths of the Underworld.

Now war looms and Mercury races to keep the lines of communication open, though he is often caught in the thick of battle. No stranger to combat, he once slew the monster Argus, the demon with one hundred watchful eyes, using speed and guile alone. But this war is different. The foes are stronger, the stakes higher, and Mercury a pivotal cog in the machine. Should he fail to deliver even a single order the balance could tip, and the time left for this world would be truly mercurial.