018: Game

Lita constantly looked at the steps as she climbed behind Asterion and Jason, it's not that she had vertigo or fear of heights, it's just that she constantly heard footsteps and chains at her sides despite there being no one, all cynocephali know "once you receive the mark of the archon, you will never be truly free", up there was the creator of the seal of the two-headed horse, not only a cruel symbol used as a reminder of the slave position, but it was a mystical symbol, whoever had the symbol marked on their flesh would die instantly if the archon so desired or if they were impacted by any heleny favor, a fleeting and painless death and capable of being activated from anywhere in the world with a simple snap of the archon fingers, of course, such an ultimatum is rarely necessary, even if slaves run away they are rarely exterminated in this way, after all they are necessary labor for the cities and it is better to "teach" them that escaping is not an option, but still the fear of having a seal of assured death that can be detonated simply by any whim of a pigskin, makes anyone unable to sleep, this infamous seal was created up there, in the most sacred place of the heleny, the Parthenon.

The gigantic temple seemed to have replaced heaven, its columns were even thicker than the walls that defended the city, it was built with two objectives besides being a house of worship for the archons, it was thought so that when the heleny gods came down to earth, they could have a place to rest and if Helena ever returned to the city that was born from her name, she could be proud of what the polis became.

-Here we are.

Lita stopped at the door, she was afraid to ask, but at this point she felt a little more confident.

-What are we doing here?

-Ah, I just wanted to play a game of petteia with Asterion while we discussed the plan.

Asterion held his shoulder tightly, he was tired and annoyed, he didn't feel like playing, but he didn't have any other options either.

-Does it have to be in the Parthenon?

-Yes.

At the back of the temple there was a small staircase that went into the interior of the plateau, there was a war council, a large room specifically made for secret conversations, only reserved for the archons for exclusively warlike reasons, but despite being the oldest citizen of Helena, Jason cared little about that rule. Once they went down the stairs the entrance was completely closed with marble and illuminated by dozens of torches on the walls, the archon and the polemarch sat down to play.

-You're very quiet Asterion. Are you nervous?

-… The truth is that yes, we waited quite a while for this and it seems that all the pieces are ready… The plan is going perfectly and that means that soon something is going to fail.

-Always so cautious, kid, my job is to cover any possible error.

The board was set.

-Has the polemarch told you the plan yet?

-Gather as many of my companions as possible and have me lead an escape through the labyrinth, so that the number of escapees is so large that the archon has no choice but to chase them and then deal the final blow.

-Well Asterion, I thought you didn't like to tell your plans. Maybe since it's something of ours you don't care so much?

-Shut up! You know very well how much this plan matters to me.

They began to play, Asterion moved his first piece.

-We couldn't execute this plan without you Lita, no matter how big the number, slaves are not warriors, they wouldn't survive in the labyrinth, we needed someone of yours strong enough, although we didn't expect it to be a blessed.

Asterion, as always, began to build his defense on the board, now it was Jason turn.

-I will mobilize all the slaves who are in other cities towards Helena with the excuse that the minotaurs are destroying them through rebellions, there are already more slaves than heleny in the polis, imagine how many there will be once I call them all. Once the bait is gathered you will only have to escort them through the labyrinth, you will have your freedom and we will get rid of that guy.

Lita looked at the board while the archon and the polemarch moved pieces over and over again.

-I understand that 'Terion wants the position of archon, but why do you help him, what do you expect to gain from all this?

Jason stopped playing for a moment, he seemed to need to think carefully about his answer.

-So you didn't tell him everything Asterion.

-... I didn't see it necessary.

Doubts formed in the doe mind, she thought that the polemarch had deceived her with malicious motives, but if that were the case the archon would not have made that comment.

-The first reason is honestly because, the cynocephali slaves give us more problems than solutions, keeping them healthy and in habitable places is very costly in terms of time, mainly because they are of little use to us in war, your species is so weak that they are not even useful as fodder for the minotaurs, they only help us as labor, but think about what I said before "there are already more slaves than heleny in the polis", we do not need so many of you.

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Lita was obviously angry at the comments against her species, she would have exploded against the archon if it weren't for the fact that the fear of man's strength had her chained to the chair.

-My first solution was to kill two thirds of its population, but that's where the second reason comes in, if I did that our polemarch here told me that he would betray our country and that he would swear to kill me, I want Asterion to continue working for Helena, if I killed all those slaves I would lose my dear playmate.

The doe was quite surprised to hear that statement, that a heleny would mention those words was already a reason for high treason.

-Why?

Asterion only focused on the game, he was losing and he didn't want to talk about the past either.

-My friend Asterion was very close to the slaves of the academy, several cynocephali and a minotaur who had a finger cut off, I suppose that if I were also born without any blessing I would become friends with similar beings.

-Don't you have any blessing?

It was the first time Lita heard that the polemarch did not have a blessing and as flashes in her brain, she understood that when he faced her in the forest it was not that he had not used his favors out of pride, he literally could not use any. Asterion still did not pay attention to anything other than the board.

-You... Why do you force him to go to war?

-I did not force him to do anything, when he was sixteen he showed all of Helena what he was capable of, although very few attributed it to his skill, everyone believes that Theseus left the city by our pure brute force, but I know that was not the case, this child in front of me, managed to defend the city against a minotaur with the same strength as an archon. How could I not want him on my side?

Asterion lost, once again the archon offense was superior.

-Ahhhh, good game.

The archon and the polemarch shook hands.

-Just in time, too. Stay here, I have to go up and talk to my colleagues.

Lita immediately got up from her chair.

-What are you saying?!

-They're upstairs, make sure you hide your hands well.

Jason stood up and slowly climbed the stairs, the marble wall that enclosed them opened and as soon as the archon came out it closed again.

-He likes to surprise people, he's much more sadistic than he seems.

The doe leaned against the wall.

-I hate to say it but, he seems trustworthy.

-... Don't do it.

-Huh?

-I recommend that you don't trust any of the archons too much, they're nothing like Theseus.

-The hero of the minotaurs, are the archons stronger?

-No, no, Theseus is just as strong as any of them, what makes them different is... Their honesty.

The table top lit up brightly, the ram seal was on the back of the object, the light was constantly changing colors until it formed a kind of screen where the archon point of view seemed to be seen by an illusion of light.

-What's going on?

-We see thanks to the light that reflect in our eyes; the archon is modifying it so that the light on the board is a copy of what he sees.

-How much control do you have to have to do something like that without using a favor?

-… Well, he had two hundred years to practice his tricks, never stop being afraid of the man who captained the Argonauts.

Jason walked to the center of the Parthenon, his steps echoed against the marble and he stopped in the center of the temple, being observed by the five statues of the heleny gods, although the god who blessed him was not here inside.

After a while several soldiers began to enter, all were unarmed, only the archons are allowed to enter the temple armed, but this group did not need weapons, the polemarches of the five archons met in the name of their masters to decide where they would put their efforts, Jason welcomed them with open arms.

- Welcome, Polemarches! It seems that once again I am the only one to start the council.

- Nah, I am here today too.

The image of light projected in the hidden room could not transmit sound, but the figure that Lita and Asterion were seeing was one known to all the slaves of the heleny, the archon dioskuroi, with short amber hair and brown eyes, his fine-featured face seemed to contrast slightly with his toned body, he wore a tunic held only by one of his shoulders, thus showing his body full of the perfect amount of muscles to be strong without being a mastodon, the nails of his hands emitted a small flash, throwing small sparks from time to time and in his right hand he carried the head of a mycenaean, he was unarmed because the archon chosen by Zeus carries the blood of Pollux, one of the legendary warriors who was part of the Argonauts and who was famous for hand-to-hand combat, however Silaus was better known for his ability to dominate the cynocephali; and even more incredible, the minotaurs.

-I heard that they attacked us while I wasn't here. Do you think they underestimated you because of your age, old man? I took care of these stragglers, they were gathering near the city, these beasts are never tire of dying.

Under the temple Lita could only wait, in the meantime she had formed her bow using her blessing once again, she seemed to feel safer with her weapon in her hands, of course for any heleny it was a sacrilege to bring a weapon into the Parthenon without being an archon, but Asterion cared little about traditions, however he seemed to have a somewhat sad look, he did not take his eyes off the bull head that could be seen on the screen of light.

-‘Terion, if you tell me that I should not trust the archons, I will, but then tell me the real reason why Jason wants to kill his partner, the reasons he told me before sound… Logical, but something is missing, if it were only for those reasons, a negotiation could be reached without the need for this whole plot, there is one last piece missing.

-… I can't tell you, I'm sorry.

Lita seemed disappointed of the heleny, for a moment she thought she could really trust him, Asterion noticed that reaction and couldn't help but help his companion a little.

-A few days ago a heleny city was massacred because slaves escaped and revealed the location of the island, no slave would escape considering that by the mark of the two-headed horse, they would die upon receiving any favor, no matter their power, so how and why did they escape?

-Huh?

-That's all I can tell you.

In the temple room the debate had begun, the polemarches of the five archons were talking in order to reach a consensus to respond to the attack of the mycenaeans.

-We have to recover Skiathos immediately, send the phalanxes to recover that route!

-The “youngest archon” polemarches seem to be just as inexperienced, the attacks are not going to stop, a counterattack must be organized.

-First we have to-

The head of the mycenaean that was in Silaus hand was thrown into the center of the debate.

-First we have to ask ourselves, why did Skiathos fall? I heard that you sent the starless one to the place, old man of light.

Jason picked up the minotaur head.

-Yes, and he recently informed me of everything that happened, a breakout of minotaur slaves occurred and they sent a message to their companions, resulting in the revelation of the island location and the subsequent attack.

-And your phalanx was not able to repel the attack so they fled the scene?

-The attacker was Theseus…

A silence filled the temple.

-Skiathos had more slaves than heleny inhabiting the city, however when my polemarch arrived at the polis there was not a single one in the place. Why?

-You know why, old man, as soon as they escaped my phalanxes took care of the rest, but with the attack on Helena they had to leave the island.

-Then the archon in charge of defending our cities let hundreds of slaves escape, massacred the rest and then abandoned the city leaving it free to any attack.

The air was filled with sparks.

-And the post that was on the way to the island was destroyed by damned ants! But I don't hear you blaming the boy, he's been in the post for two years now, don't keep forgiving his mistakes, I don't hear you accepting the blame either, although my phalanxes left it was your phalanx that stayed alone to let Skiathos burn.

-Get rid of your slaves Silao, maybe you can control the cynocephali, but the minotaurs are just time bombs.

-We need the slaves, you've seen how effective it is to pit the minotaurs against their brothers and the cynocephali are the perfect pets, in the last attack we avoided the death of dozens of heleny thanks to the sacrifice of the animals, perhaps they are not useful to the light-footed to attack, but as a defense they are good decoys, we just need to shorten the leash more.

-We will not get anywhere like this, polemarches, return with your archons to do your usual work and remember to take care of your backs.