009: Fobos

The ship was completely destroyed, the wood splintered, the mast fallen and the huge sail full of holes. Although the storm was behind and the boat still floated as it moved slowly from side to side through the waves, it now wandered aimlessly and its crew lay on their backs without making the slightest noise as they watched how little by little the fog filled the emptiness of the ocean. Silence reigned, like a timid reminder of the failure they felt inhabited their bodies; Niko was the first to get up.

-So, master strategist Asterion, what is the plan?

Niko said sarcastically as he leaned on the starboard railing while watching the calm sea.

-Come on, lead us.

Asterion was still lying down.

-There is no plan Niko… There is no plan.

The young thracian, still wounded from the battle, seemed to regain energy from anger, only to unleash it on Asterion, grabbing him by the neck.

-There is no plan, then what, we are just going to sit here and die?

Asterion just closed his eyes.

-Maybe.

The polemarch face received a punch.

-What the hell did you enlist for if you're so weak? Look how you ended up, piece of trash, how can you be so useless.

When the thracian was preparing the second blow, Laconia stopped him with her left arm, the right one was still broken and didn't seem to improve, Hephaestus' favor was too faint in the fog.

-And you, why do you continue and defend this sick man, do you like him because of how pathetic he is? Damn you all, all of you damn miserable people. You, a cripple without blessing, worth less than a dog, and you, a glorified slave, bastard daughter of a hydra, pieces of failures now I understand, both are a duo of abandoned ones.

Niko handed his sword to Asterion

-Come on, kill me, so maybe you can go to the underworld having killed at least one blessed one, come on great polemarch.

Asterion did not take the weapon, he just looked at the boy's face.

-Come on, come on, please.

He was crying.

-Why, why did the archon send me to die, why?

Asterion sat with his back against the ship, looking at the sky as if searching for some glimmer of light through all the fog.

-I'm sorry Niko... I'm sorry.

Silence reigned again; the sound of the waves was like a lullaby announcing the death of the half phalanx.

-I'm sorry Laconia, Asterion. I'm scared, I don't want to die.

Asterion was still sitting, looking at the broken sails of the mast. Laconia approached Niko.

-We didn't have time to get to know each other before, boy. Why did you enlist?

Niko wiped his tears with his forearm.

-When I received my first favor at my fourteens, all my teachers were amazed, they treated me like a genius and taught me privately, there I trained and trained until my bones could not take it anymore, then at fifteen I went alongside Helena's hoplites to my first real combat, there I was blessed with my second favor and the archon requested an audience.

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Laconia listened with a slight smile on her face, which faded when she heard the last sentence.

-Continue.

-The archon of light recognized my talent and said that someone like me could not remain a simple hoplite, he asked me to explore the labyrinth in search of new exits and I trained to be a thracian, a year later I am here, all for nothing.

A sad calm flooded both of them until Laconia decided to continue.

-Well, at least you had more options than me, when the red wine archon found me abandoned in the woods at ten years old he couldn't believe it "A hydra offspring?" It was surely a stroke of luck for him you know, they captured me and trained me to be a warrior since then.

-But how did he find you at that age? I thought they found you as a newborn.

-I lived next to a great wolf mother who fed me with her offspring, I don't know where or when she found me, all I can remember is that she took care of me.

-That's…

-Weird?

-That’s pretty cool, Miss Laconia.

They both laughed a little, dispersing their sorrow, even if only for a moment.

-Still, Miss Laconia, why do you work with Asterion? If you had no choice and were trained by the archons, shouldn't you work directly for them?

-That's a story for another day, Niko.

-Huh?

-Look at Asterion.

The polemarch had stood up and was trying to lift the mast without positive results due to his lack of strength.

-Didn't he say there was no plan?

Laconia smiled.

-Since I've known him, he's never been without a plan in his head. If he says there's no plan, just rest and he'll come up with something. My arm still hasn't recovered, do me a favor and help him.

Niko went immediately, grabbing the rope next to the polemarch and slowly lifting the mast.

-I'm sorry Niko, the plan failed and now we're in this mess, but don't think we've given up, unlike you and Laconia I'm not a genius you know, I have to think things through.

The mast was back in its place.

-Help me take down the sail and don't look down for any reason.

-I'm not afraid of heights.

-It's not because of that, listen.

Strange sounds came from below the ship, as if hundreds of fingers were scratching and destroying the wood at the cost of their nails.

-What is that?

-I don't know, but they're dragging us further and further into the fog, so now I know how to get back.

They both took down the sail and carried it to the deck, it was pierced in several places. Asterion tore up the outermost fabric of the sail and placed the remains in the holes.

-Are you planning to repair the sail? But there's no wind.

Asterion was unraveling parts of his woolen tunic to make thread, and with a small, misshapen knife that looked like it had been made by a complete novice, he was making tiny holes in the sail and the patches to thread the wool through in a crude and clumsy way.

-Help me sew the sail.

Niko and Asterion sewed the sail as fast as they could, pressured by the sounds of nails breaking against wood that grew louder and louder.

-Asterion…

-Yes?

-Why did you enlist?

-Because I'm a weak piece of trash.

-… I'm sorry about that, I did it because recommendation of my family and Laconia had no choice but you, why? You're a soldier incapable of defending yourself and now I don't say that as an insult.

-… I swore it to my best friend.

-Did you swear to him that you would be a polemarch?

-No.

The ship was moving faster and faster towards the depths of the sea and it was getting darker and darker. The sail was ready.

-Niko, hold the right end, I'll take the left.

-Asterion, there isn't even a breeze.

-We'll generate one, Laconia, generate as much heat as you can in your palm.

The intense heat almost burned the faces of the men who could barely open their eyes.

-I see, the air rises with the heat and if we point the sail at forty-five degrees.

The ship stopped its retreat and slowly began to advance, the sail was only half of what it was before but it still achieved its objective, Asterion tied the ends to the ground and Laconia just lay on the floor with her palm up.

-Even so we are going very slowly, who knows how long it will take us to return to land.

-That's what I have my latest trick for, let's cut the mast so it falls backwards and get rid of it.

-Less weight and the fall will give us some momentum, let’s go.

Asterion tried to lift Laconia sword but could barely lift it over his knees until it collapsed, Niko with his own sword was cutting down the mast until it fell against the stern of the ship and then "both" pushed it into the sea; Niko did most of the work, gaining a few more knots, neither of them observed what was under the curtain of water.

…

The fog was slowly dissipating as the day went by, Laconia slept while her palm still warming the air and Asterion had her arm raised against the sail careful not to burn himself, Niko just watched the night sky that could finally be seen through the fog.

-Do you think the minotaurs are still there?

-I doubt it, this attack was only to destroy the city, probably in revenge for the slaves.

-… What did you swear to him?

-What?

- What did you swear to your friend that led you to risk your life like that and become a polemarch.

-It's nothing so incredible, I just swore to him that no matter what happened, we would always be friends.

-That's all, what does that have to do with anything?

-It all has to do with it, my friend wasn't very loved by his "family" so I decided that I would change things, so that our friendship could continue, no matter what they thought.

-And for that you had to become a polemarch?

-For that I have to climb a little higher than a polemarch.

-You don't mean?

-Archon

Niko opened his eyes so wide that it seemed like they were going to pop out of their sockets.

-You're crazy, you know?

-Maybe

-None of the other archons would accept it.

-I know.

-Neither the army, nor the phalanxes.

-Yes.

-Not even the citizens, it's impossible Asterion and now I'm not saying it out of anger, a heleny without any blessing can't take that position.

-Why?

-Because it represents the pinnacle of strength and wisdom of our nation, and you only want to get there on a whim with that friend, you're only going to get yourself killed, if not the myrmekes or the minotaurs will be the same archons just for suggesting such heresy.

-Niko, I was born a defect, by definition I shouldn't exist, I shouldn't even dream of greatness, but I still want it, you're right I do it on a whim, simply for the desire to laugh and make fun of all those who looked us badly, both me and my friend, I want to show all these arrogant young men and silly old men, that my life was worth it.

Niko lowered his head, he had never met someone with such an ambitious dream before, no one dreams of being an archon because their exploits are always the stuff of legends, of history books and that a man as small as Asterion had advanced so much, Niko always thought that the polemarch had reached that title crawling from the fame of Laconia, but for the first time, the young man felt a drop of respect and admiration fall into his mind.

-He must be a very good friend, for you to be willing to go so far for him.

-Yes… He is the strongest person I have ever met in my life.

The beach could be seen in the distance.

-Now that I remember, we never formally introduced ourselves, my name is Niko from Hitas, it's a pleasure.

-I'm Asterion from Helena, a pleasure Niko.

-What is your friend's name?

-When we return to Helena, I will introduce him to you, let's save his name for that meeting.

-You really like surprises.

-Maybe.

…

The ship stopped against the sand on the beach, on its deck its three crew members slept peacefully, the sail covered them from the cold and without a moon in the sky, the darkness sheltered them and brought to the world the tranquility of rest and the soft embrace of Morpheus.