021: Execution
Five hundred and twelve years after Helena
-Let's do one more test, just to be sure, trust me.
Bran nodded his head, his horns had finally started to really grow at seven years old, he constantly scratched the base of them.
-Let's review to make sure all the conditions are met.
They had both studied for a whole year the functioning of the katádesmos, first understanding the already known rules "these words only have an effect on certain elements and with a very specific form: Αἰγίς, a word capable of resisting elements until it is consumed due to its exposure, can only be applied to bronze shields, no matter the size of the letter or the position within the shield, although once the word is consumed, it cannot be applied again to the same shield until a day has passed." This was all the information that the heleny had of that katádesmo, but they lacked information, although everything that is written is correct, two of those rules do not apply in all cases, Bran is a minotaur born with five fingers and he can no longer control his blessing because of the fact that his little fingers were cut off, but he still is blessed by Athena, his body is still blessed by bronze and just by having the word written on his body or by some element that is stuck to his skin, the minotaur is able to receive the effects of this katádesmo, apparently for the gods he is also a shield.
-I'm sorry if something goes wrong, let's go.
Asterion threw a blessed stone; stolen from some of his classes, straight at his friend's face, the stone hit his forehead squarely and although the skin of the minotaurs is more resistant than that of the heleny, it should still hurt quite a bit to receive a stone like that on your forehead, at least Bran still remembers the pain of being stoned, however this time he felt absolutely nothing, as if the stone had never hit him.
-Are you okay?
Bran raised his arms, clearly, he didn't feel anything, on his chest he had a paper with the katádesmo written on it, only one letter was very slightly faded, the effect worked perfectly.
-Perfect, although you also have to wait a day to apply the effect again.
They had already tried to fill his body with papers with the word, but only one of them works and then they have to wait a day for it to work again, anyway this was a totally revolutionary discovery, if the mycenaeans discovered that they would become living shields, as if they were not already strong enough.
-How lucky that it was Athena and not another of your gods who blessed you, remember to keep it a secret.
Bran began to write dozens of papers with the word, only he could make the katádesmo work, because the other rule unknown to the heleny was that only a blessed person can make them work, a living being without any blessing like Asterion, no matter how much he follows any of the other rules will not be able to make the word work simply by writing it himself.
-Let's execute the plan.
Asterion lifted a vase of water that the librarian had given him. This was water created by her thanks to her goddess Amphitrite. It had been created recently, so the effects of the blessing still remained. They confirmed this by dipping a piece of paper into the jar. The papyrus did not get wet until the word written on it vanished.
-Good.
Asterion took a deep breath and looked Bran in the eyes.
-Do you trust me?
Bran nodded, the blessed ones that the slave minotaurs fear the most are not those who control lightning, stone or fire, but those who handle the wind thanks to Aura and water thanks to Amphitrite, this because they are elements with which they can easily die accidentally, it is enough for a single drop of blessed water or a blessed breeze caused by pure chance to hit the seal of the two-headed horse and the slave would fall dead, the blessed water that was in Asterion hands was a deadly weapon, but in theory if the katádesmos can directly affect a minotaur blessed by the bronze of Athena, could it absorb the seal?
-I'm sure it will work, my friend, just close your eyes.
The minotaur was full of papers with the katádesmo written all over them, both already knew that the effect only works once a day, but still, just in case, they prepared dozens.
-I love you, my friend.
Asterion threw him the full jug of water and the seal lit up instantly to fulfill its objective, the seal fired an electric spear into the body of the marked one, for this reason they were placed on the head or chest of the slaves, to pierce some vital organ, the electric spear was fired, Asterion had his hand on his friend shoulder, if the electricity passed through his body the boy would feel it and would know immediately that his friend had died, but that impulse never came, Bran slowly opened his eyes and his friend brought another wider bowl , this time of natural water so that the minotaur could see his reflection, the seal of the two-headed horse had disappeared.
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-You are, you are free Bran.
Both friends hugged each other in tears, the seal of assured death, the macabre invention of the slaver archon, had been defeated.
-Take this to your friends and…
The seal slowly reappeared, the curse placed by the archon emerged once more, Asterion was devastated, Bran on the other hand had no idea what was happening and tried to cheer up his friend.
I… I'm sorry Bran, let's try one more time.
Present
-Wake up.
Asterion house was completely neglected as usual, there were papers everywhere with maps of the labyrinth, missions for the polemarches and orders from the military, Laconia was already awake, she was simply sitting against the wall waiting, the polemarch as always slept among the tower of papers, slowly opening his eyes.
-What's happening?
-Lita is not there.
-She probably went to gather the people under the city.
-The ones you said were in the drains?
-Yes, it will be a massive escape, Helena will finally be left without slaves. Aren't you happy?
-There is still you and me.
-Yes… What would you like to do once we finish this?
-Do you really think we'll have an after?
-… Whether we succeed or not, we'll be finished, maybe even the entire city will fall.
-Didn't you tell me that’s what they deserved when we met?
-Yes… We'll have to apologize to Niko. Sorry for dragging you into this stupid revenge, Laconia.
-Don't apologize, it's been a pleasure to be at your service, polemarch.
In one of the corners of Asterion room there was a small trapdoor that when opened was filled to the brim with papers, the polemarch dug until he found a tiny bronze shield at the bottom, it was barely the size of a plate, it almost looked like a child's toy.
-A small gift, I forged it and this katádesmo was made by an old friend.
The shield seemed to be made by a complete amateur, it was deformed like a badly made cookie, the word was carved quickly. Laconia accepted the gift anyway.
-Hehe.
The half-hydra thought it was nice, a last gesture before the end, which his companion managed to reflect moments before the end.
-Let's go.
...
Night came faster than usual, hoplites watched the walls, several scouts had been seen roaming Helena, everyone thought they would attack soon, Asterion and Jason knew it one hundred percent because they were the ones who instigated this attack, it was only enough to free a single minotaur slave in Helena and give him information about a weak point in the city that he would later share with his companions, obviously it was a lie, but the slaves have few options if they are threatened by the mark of the two-headed horse. Asterion and Laconia walked towards the Parthenon along with all the phalanxes and the polemarches that were right now in Helena.
-So many years waiting for this day.
Asterion had a terrible smile from ear to ear, he wore his ram mask and a black wool tunic with white decorations, over this he wore a simple bronze breastplate, as well as a short sword, Laconia wore a Corinthian helmet along with a full hoplite uniform, modified to be able to open her wings. Upon reaching the top they found dozens of polemarches, escorted by their most trusted bestiaries or caestus, the Parthenon was full of the highest caliber warriors in all of Helena and two of the legendary archons made their appearance, both stood in the middle of the temple while everyone surrounded the heroes.
-Welcome, phalanxes, I thank each and every one of you gathered here, your efforts to map the labyrinth, retake our cities and fight the minotaurs have not been in vain, you are our hope.
Jason little speech seemed to excite everyone except Asterion, Laconia and Silaus, the latter who was waiting sitting on the ground, impatient for his turn to speak.
-We have gathered here to discuss the future of the war against the mycenaeans, just a week ago their greatest hero, the minoan Theseus besieged the city of Skiathos and destroyed all their forces, a few days later he began to attack our caravans one after another in an attempt to isolate us, the archon Silaus repelled his forces for the moment, but we need a decisive blow.
Silaus stood up.
-Since these cows conquered Ithaca, we have only lost territory after territory, this war of attrition is finally affecting us, we can no longer keep ourselves locked up, the other archons are at their limit and it is time for all of us to go on the offensive, starting tomorrow only the archon of light will stay to defend our beloved Helena, I the dioskuroi will join the other archons to the west to eliminate our enemies. Will you go with me, my phalanxes?
At the same time that the hundreds of warriors shouted in encouragement and desire to go to fight, two hoplites came running and shouting at the top of their voices.
-THEY ARE ATTACKING US!
-THEY ARE ESCAPING!
The phalanxes, their polemarches and the archon quickly looked at the soldiers, Jason as always calm gave them all orders immediately.
-Phalanxes move to the walls immediately, inform of the situation, soldier, who is escaping?
The vast majority of the phalanxes quickly moved to the walls, no minotaurs were seen from the Parthenon so it was a night attack without a siege, they were probably looking to weaken the doors for a larger attack, anyway Jason and Silaus attention was focused on the other information.
-The cynocephali are entering the labyrinth, two warriors covered from head to toe eliminated the few guards at the entrance with a strange bow and a thracian sword, right now thousands of slaves are escaping, they took advantage of the attack.
-Two warriors?
Asterion was worried while Jason ordered his companion.
-I will stay to defend Helena, Silaus go-
-You don't have to tell me, Ipsilon.
A group of four warriors that formed an incomplete phalanx approached Silaus.
-Yes, archon!
-Come with me to the labyrinth, let's go.
Silaus and his higher-level warriors immediately ran to the labyrinth, as soon as they disappeared Asterion looked at Jason.
-That other warrior, I told you to keep him out of this.
-He already knows our plan Asterion, I gave him a goal, we are going to fulfill ours.
-... Let's go.
The walls were filled with lights, hundreds of blessings colliding with each other that illuminated in the middle of the night, a thousand minotaurs fought on the edge of the walls against the heleny, all were marked, they were former freed slaves, all gathered by Jason, only to die for his plan, Asterion watched the lights in silence as they slowly descended from the Parthenon.
-I'm sorry.
-Laconia put her hand on the polemarch shoulder.
-Don't hesitate, if you falter you will fail them all.
-I know.
Asterion touched the discreet scar on his left middle finger again and again, an old wound that went from his first phalanx and past the knuckle, the polemarch only made that gesture when he was truly nervous, luckily he still had plenty of time to recover.
At the beginning of the stairs to the acropolis was the entrance to the labyrinth, there were several knocked out heleny, Asterion smiled when he saw that Lita had not killed them, the ambush was just a few minutes away from being executed, Jason was the first to run.
-He was already tired of waiting.
Asterion had his gaze fixed on the archon back.
-Yes, nine years waiting, all for this moment.
Caestus: The hands of the phalanxes, in charge of both attacking and defending, they fight with battle gloves or large bronze shields, their mission in the labyrinths is to keep their companions alive and distract or eliminate the most powerful enemies, they are usually blessed by Zeus or Hercules.