The Battle of Olympus/Laconia

Buying an Ocarina
Upon arriving in Laconia, you will begin on the left side of section A. Although it seems peaceful, there is plenty to be concerned with here. The ground is typically occupied by Scorpions. You have already encountered them, so they shouldn't present much of a threat. However, flying overhead are a pair of Eagles who carry rocks in their claws. When they fly directly overhead, they drop the rocks. These rocks are capable of doing four bars of damage to you, and should be avoided at all costs.

Section A contains very few features. If you run straight to the right, it will lead to section C, and there are stairs which lead down to section B. In addition, if you kneel down and strike the pillar marked by the red X, you will create a gap in the floor that will force you to fall down to section B. Visit section B before you move on to section C. The only reason to visit section B, besides obtaining information from behind the four doors, is to stand on the bottom and fight Satyrs. You can safely defeat them from a distance using the Staff of Fennel's fire attack. Do this for as long as you must to recover as much health as possible, and increase your olive amount. You will need at least 60 olives before continuing.

When you are ready, make your way to section C. You can do this either by returning to A and walking to the right, or heading right from B to D, and climbing the first staircase. In addition to the Scorpions and Eagles found in A, section C also contains Monkeys which leap toward you when you get close enough. They aren't much of a threat by themselves, but when thrown into the mix of a lot of enemies, can create a good deal of confusion which will lead to a lot of damage.



In section C, your first goal is to kneel down and strike the pillar marked with the red Z. If you do, a Trojan Pitcher will fall from the ceiling. Collect it, and you now have an item capable of storing health recovering nectar for later use. Your next goal will be to return to the left and strike the pillar marked with a red Y. This will cause a gap to open up in the floor, and provide you with access to a door in section D that is otherwise unreachable.

When you fall down to D, step through door F. You will arrive in a dark area. You only need to shoot a burst of flame from the Staff of Fennel to brighten the environment. Once you do, you will see that you are in a small closed off chamber near the top of section E. Door L awaits you on the opposite side. Head through it, and you will find yourself in the Temple of Poseidon. Kneel before Poseidon and speak to him. He will offer to sell you his Ocarina for 60 olives. Accept his offer and collect the item once it lands on the floor. Then exit and make your way back out. When you return to the outside, you will exit through a door C in section B.

Now that you have the Ocarina, you can use it at shorelines to summon dolphins that will help you travel to other locations. However, there's one more stop to make that will improve your strength and give you an opportunity to fill that new pitcher of yours. Return to section D and walk all the way to the right. Take the lower door (J), and you will enter the lower portion of section E. Use the Staff of Fennel to light it back up, and proceed to the right.

You will encounter a second Cyclops. This one can take more damage than the one you met in the forest, but it behaves exactly the same way. Defeat it with your sword by striking it in the eye six times while avoiding the boulders as best as possible. Doing so will earn you another Ambrosia, as well as access to the lower door (N) in the back. Behind this door is a Spring of Recovery. You won't need it if you just collected the Ambrosia, but it is still useful for filling up your pitcher so that you can recover your health anytime you deem necessary.

The Island of Ruins
Once you fill up your pitcher, it is time to exit out of section E and return to section D. Then climb to the top and visit section C. Run to the far right side where you will encounter water. Activate the Ocarina and play it by the water, and the tune will summon a dolphin. Hop on its back, and you can now control whether it swims to the right or left. Head to the right to section F, which is a long stretch of ocean. Throughout section F, the Eagle will continue to fly above you and drop rocks on you. In addition, Flying Fish will hop out of the water in an effort to collide with you. Do your best to avoid taking damage, and swim all the way across to the right. Eventually, you will reach a platform on the far side. Jump over to it and continue on your way to section G.

Section G is a small island with some ruins. It is also occupied by one of the games bosses, the Siren. The Siren looks a bit like a harpy, and it has the ability to sing a tune that draws you in and prevents you from taking control of your own movements. However, one item that you should possess will counteract the effects of the Siren's song: the Harp of Apollo. If you play the harp when the Siren attempts to sing, not only will it prevent you from getting charmed, it will confuse the Siren. This will make it easier for you to jump up and strike her. If you manage to hit her 3 times with the Sword, she will be defeated, and door P will open up in the ruins.

Head through door P and you will fall through a hole into a darkened area. Use the Staff of Fennel to light the way once you land. You will find yourself in section H. Another boss battle will take place here. The right side of the cave is where the mysterious blind witches known as the Graeae make their home. You must defeat them in battle.

They each appear at some location, fire a wave of magic at you, and then disappear. You must strike each one three times with a Sword until all three are defeated. Remember that they cannot follow you far to the left, so you can get away if you need a breather. Once all three have been defeated, you will obtain their prized possession, the Eye of Graeae which gives you the ability to perceive hidden entrances. Once you have collected the eye, you may exit from this chamber. If you like, you can head to the right first and visit door O in the upper right corner of section E to learn what to do with the Salamander skins. Otherwise, head through the door Q back in section H, and it will exit you out through the same door that you arrived in Laconia.

Now that you have the Eye of Graeae, it's time to find some of those hidden entrances. The first one can be found by returning to a previously visited cave in ../Argolis/. A safe and fairly quick way to get there is to play the harp at the sun monument in section C. This will summon a Pegasus who will take you back to ../Arcadia/. From there, you can retrace the steps you took to reach ../Argolis/ the first time.