Typhon, Last Of The Titans
Typhon was born in Asia Minor, far away from the sight of Zeus. He hid there for very long, but when he was full grown, there was no hiding for him anywhere in the world. Of all the creatures ever known, he was the biggest and most frightful. As soon as he was full grown, he moved across the Aegean Sea towards Greece, straight towards Olympus.
There was terror and panic in Heaven, and most of the Immortals ran away in fear. But Zeus did not flee, instead he hurled thunderbolts at Typhon. Typhon laughed at the thunderbolts, catching each of them and hurling them back. Zeus dodged, and snatched the sickle that once belonged to Cronos. With the weapon, he attacked Typhon. Long and fiercely the battle raged, and in the end, as Zeus was stronger, Typhon was bleeding from many wounds. But as they struggled, Typhon snatched the sickle from Zeus, and cut off the sinews of the Immortal's arms and legs. Then he retreated to Thrace, hiding the sinews in a cave and waiting for his wounds to heal.
Meanwhile, Hermes and Pan came searching for Zeus, and found him lying on the mountain-side, powerless to move. They thought of many schemes to save him, and at last Hermes came up with a plan.
"We need a human to save us. Typhon is an Immortal, and he would recognise us," he said.
Then Zeus remembered that Prince Cadmus was wandering in Thrace, looking for his sister Europa. Thus, Hermes and Pan went to Thrace to meet up with Prince Cadmus, and when they found him, said, "We bring a message from Zeus. He needs your help."
Then they disguised Cadmus as a shepherd, and Hermes built a house for him not far from where Typhon was. Pan lent Cadmus some sheep, and also gave him some pipes for him to play music. And as Hermes instructed, Cadmus wandered down the valley with his sheep, while playing the pipes. Presently he came to where Typhon was, and Typhon said, "Continue playing the music, so that I may forget my pains and heal more speedily. I will reward you royally."
So Cadmus continued playing the pipes, and as he paused for breath, said, "So you like the tune of my pipes. But if you hear my lyre, then you would not even remember the pipes!"
"Then play on the lyre," grunted Typhon.
"Alas, I cannot do so. Once, I played a music sweeter than Apollo himself, and for that, he snatched my lyre and broke all the strings. Unless I can find fresh sinews for it, I can never play music with it again," said Cadmus.
Suspecting nothing, Typhon gave him the sinews of Zeus. Cadmus took the sinews, and said, "I will fix the lyre tonight, but for now let me play you a lullaby of the pipes."
Cadmus played on the pipes a lullaby so soothing that Typhon later fell asleep. Then Cadmus crept away back to where Hermes and Pan were. And while Hermes took the sinews back to Zeus, Pan took Cadmus to safety.
Zeus fitted the sinews back to his arms and legs, and strength returned to him. Then he leapt to his chariot, and with his thunderbolts, rode out to Typhon. Typhon, still bleeding from the earlier encounter, tried to flee, but was struck down by the thunderbolts.
After Typhon's fall, Cadmus underwent many quests, and in the end was wedded to Harmonia, daughter of Ares and Aphrodite. They lived happily until they die, in which Zeus carried them to the Elysian Fields where it was always spring.