Under Jason's command, the heroes tied the thick ropes around the Argo and began dragging it toward the sea.
At this moment, Jason began to show his so-called "captain's bearing."
Except for Alaric and the two girls, whose special status exempted them from the hard labor, all the other heroes stripped to the waist and threw themselves into the work.
Only Jason, their "captain," stood aside, waving his arms and shouting encouragements, yet never once laid a hand on the ropes.
His smug, supervisory attitude made Alaric roll his eyes.
Still, during the ship-dragging, Alaric got to witness the true might of the legendary Uncle B, Heracles, the demigod of immense strength.
He was the first to take the lead, standing at the very front of the group, doing the work of ten men by himself.
The heroes had dug grooves into the sand before the Argo, laid down rounded logs as rollers, and then Heracles took up the rope on his shoulder, leaned forward, and stepped ahead. His bulging muscles knotted and flexed, bursting with overwhelming strength.
The Argo, weighing several tons, actually began to move under his pull.
The others, inspired by the sight, threw in their strength as well, some pulling from the front like towmen, others pushing from behind, and together they dragged the Argo forward along the grooves.
The rollers beneath the ship were polished smooth, reducing the friction. With each rotation of the round logs, the ship slid more easily toward the sea.
Before long, the Argo glided into the water.
Then Heracles once again took command, pulling in the opposite direction with several others to halt the ship's inertia, preventing it from drifting too far.
They fastened it to a wooden stake by the shore, and at last, the Argo had been successfully launched. The heroes were ready to set sail.
Before departure, as tradition demanded, the heroes performed a ritual of offering under Jason's lead, praying for the gods' blessing on their voyage.
Though Alaric already knew, thanks to Artemis, the divine schemes hidden behind this expedition, the Greek heroes themselves were completely unaware.
By the seaside, the group built a stone altar. Orpheus placed upon it a statue of his father, Apollo, the sun god, who also held the divine office of protector of sailors.
They spread dry olive branches across the altar. Jason ordered servants to bring forth two bulls as sacrifices, while others fetched holy water and grains.
Then, as initiator and leader of the voyage, Jason stood before the altar and prayed to the gods:
"O great deity who resides in Pagasae and the city of Aeson. This city, named after my father.
Hear me! When I sought your oracle at Pytho, you promised to show me the way to fulfill my quest and the end of my journey.
This mission was born from your will; now, please guide this ship and my companions safely forth and back to Greece.
Accept our offering, O great one. This is our first act of gratitude for this ship, our toll for this voyage.
Let me, as you have instructed, loosen the ropes under auspicious signs of peace. Send us fair winds, that we may sail smoothly upon the sea."
As he prayed, Jason scattered the grains.
Heracles and Ancaeus, both mighty men, stepped toward the bulls.
Heracles swung a club, striking between the bull's brows, a single blow felled the beast instantly. Ancaeus followed, cleaving down the second bull with his bronze axe.
The carcasses were placed upon the altar, coated thickly with fat, and set aflame. Jason poured out pure sacrificial wine, thus completing the ritual.
And Apollo, not to be outdone, sent down a divine sign, affirming the gods' support for this voyage.
No one noticed that throughout the ceremony, Alaric and Circe had not participated at all.
With the aid of a potion that diminished their presence, the two seemed to fade into the background, completely overlooked.
Although Apollo was Artemis's brother, that didn't mean Alaric owed him any respect.
When the divine sign faded, the heroes cheered in excitement.
Before setting out, they held a banquet on the shore, wine and roasted meat were plentiful, and Orpheus played his lyre, singing verses of beauty and courage.
That night, almost everyone drank themselves into a stupor.
At dawn, all boarded the ship.
Under Jason's command, Tiphys took the helm, and Lynceus, whose eyes could see farther than any man's, climbed to the mast as lookout.
Inside the hull, the warriors sat in two rows, oars in hand. Heracles manned the foredeck; the brothers Peleus and Telamon took the stern.
Asclepius served as ship's doctor, while the others each had their own duties.
The ropes fastened to the stakes were released, the Argo had officially set sail.
Under the gods' blessing, the white sails billowed with wind, carrying the Argo swiftly forward.
Within the ship, the heroes rowed in rhythm to Orpheus's harp, their oars striking the waves in thunderous unison, scattering plumes of spray.
The deep sea foamed white on either side as the mighty heroes' strokes churned the water into roaring turbulence.
The wake trailing behind the Argo turned pure white, like a straight road carved through a green meadow.
At the stern, Tiphys steered with full concentration; atop the mast, Lynceus gazed into the horizon; the sailors adjusted the sails with ropes.
And the most relaxed man aboard was, of course, Captain Jason. Dazzling in his golden radiance, he stood proudly at the bow, brimming with confidence and charm.
Alaric, Circe, and Atalanta were equally at ease.
Standing on the deck, Alaric faced the sea breeze, quietly admiring the ocean's grandeur.
Suddenly, as if struck by intuition, he turned his head sharply toward the sky behind them.
There, above the clouds, he saw Zeus himself, surrounded by all the gods of Olympus, gazing down at the Argo and the demigod heroes cutting through the waves, all wearing expressions of satisfaction.
Yet none of them recognized Alaric or Circe hidden among the crew.
Though Alaric had once made a dazzling appearance in battle against the gods, this time he had completely changed his attire and even altered his appearance slightly through makeup, making him look subtly different.
Circe, for her part, had never once revealed her face to the gods, there was no chance she would be recognized.
Watching those hidden manipulators reveal themselves, Alaric allowed himself a scornful smile.
They would never know that the grand plan they had so carefully orchestrated had long since been exposed and understood by him.
Nor could they imagine that Alaric, the Headmaster of Mystra Academy, a key figure in the pantheon of magic, was personally infiltrating their heroes' ranks.
The gods' conspiracy was destined to fail.
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