The abandoned temple of Hermes stood in silent decay. Crumbling limestone columns, once proud and gleaming, now wore a patchwork of moss and lichen. Light filtered through gaps in the partially collapsed roof.

Vines snaked up the walls, their tendrils probing cracks in the ancient stonework. Weeds sprouted between broken flagstones. The temple's facade, once adorned with beautiful carvings of Hermes' exploits, had weathered into vague, ghostly outlines.

At the far end of the temple, a toppled statue of Hermes lay face-down, half-buried in debris. The god's stone caduceus lay broken beside it. Piles of rubble dotted the interior, remnants of columns and ceiling blocks that had succumbed to time's march.

An owl hooted somewhere in the darkness, its call veered off the temple's walls. Small creatures skittered in the shadows, fleeing from the unexpected visitors.

Near the entrance, a weathered stone altar stood defiantly against the encroaching wilderness. Its surface, once polished smooth for offerings, now bore deep cracks and chips. Faded stains hinted at long-ago sacrifices, ghosts of rituals long forgotten.

Lucian shifted his weight, peering into the growing darkness. Beside him, Stephanos remained still, fixed on the path leading to their secluded meeting spot.

"Where is this guy?" Lucian muttered, breaking the tense silence. "We've been waiting here for ages."

Stephanos turned. "Patience. Demetrios knows the risks he's taking. He'll come when he feels it's safe."

Lucian scoffed, kicking at a loose pebble. "Safe? We're in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by ruins. If he doesn't feel safe here, where the hell would he?"

"You'd be surprised. Aristos has eyes and ears everywhere. One wrong move, one misplaced word, and Demetrios could find himself at the bottom of the harbor."

"Then why agree to meet at all?" Lucian countered. "If he's so scared, why not just keep his head down and stay out of it?"

"Desperation makes men do strange things, my friend. Demetrios has been loyal to Aristos for years, but loyalty only goes so far when your pockets are empty and your family's going hungry."

"So he's willing to betray his master for a few coins? Seems risky."

"It is," Stephanos nodded. "But for some, the promise of a better life is worth any risk."

They lapsed into silence again, the chirping of crickets filling the air. Lucian paced back and forth, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword. "What if it's a trap?" he asked. "What if Demetrios sold us out to Aristos?"

"Unlikely. My sources are reliable, and Demetrios has too much to lose. Besides, if it were a trap, we'd have seen signs of it by now."

"Maybe. But I don't like this waiting game. It feels wrong."

"Welcome to the world of espionage," Stephanos said with a wry smile. "Half the job is waiting. The other half is wondering if you're about to get a knife in your back."

"Sounds delightful," Lucian snorted. "Remind me why we're doing this again?"

"Because it's necessary," Stephanos replied. "Aristos' ledger could be the key to knowing the names involved in the Persian invasion."

"So those names could be high profile right?"

"Correct. Once we know who they are, we can interrogate them for some information."

"And you think Demetrios can get us that ledger?"

"Seriously? Are you being serious right now? I already told you this before. Demetrios is willing to provide us with the key to open the chest that contains the ledger. How can you forget this? I just told you this yesterday."

"Sheesh," Lucian rolled his eyes. "Fine, I remember now. It’s just-"

He was cut off by the sound of footsteps approaching. Both men tensed. A figure emerged from the shadows, moving cautiously towards them.

"Demetrios?" Stephanos called out.

The figure stopped, then slowly raised his hands. "I'm here," a voice replied. "Alone, as we agreed."

Stephanos and Lucian exchanged a glance, then stepped forward to meet their informant. As they drew closer, they could see a man in his middle years, his clothes plain but well-kept. His eyes darted nervously between them, and a thin sheen of sweat glistened on his brow despite the cool air.

"You're late," Lucian said.

Demetrios flinched. "I... I had to be sure I wasn't followed. Aristos has been on edge lately, watching everyone closely."

"Understandable," Stephanos interjected. "We appreciate the risks you're taking. Now, shall we get down to business?"

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The servant nodded, licking his lips. "You... you have the money, right?"

"You don't believe us?"

"I can't afford to. Not with what's at stake. I mean, I’m risking my life here and betraying my long time employer."

"Yeah, that’s the part I don’t understand. I know your boss is not paying you enough but what changed your mind besides that?"

"Many things, but that’s my problem. I…I just need out in this business."

"Why?" Lucian asked. "You seem at edge about something. If you found out about it, you’d better tell us now."

"Listen, jobs here at Selymbria sucks, ok? The only other profitable jobs that pays good here is working for Aristos and selling poppies. I have a family, young ones, and I can't let them grow up in this mess. So yeah, it’s more than just money."

"What else is your boss involved besides his usual criminal activities and betraying his country?" Stephanos chimed in.

"Some dangerous plots that could bring down not just him but all of us who work for him. I don’t want to end up in jail or worse because of his dirty deeds."

"Plots? You have to further elaborate on that part."

"I really don’t. So if you can please give me my drachmas."

Stephanos exchanged a glance with his companion, then gave a subtle nod. Lucian reached into his cloak and pulled out a leather pouch. He placed it on the ground between them.

Demetrios hesitated for a moment, then quickly snatched up the pouch and opened it, peering inside. "Good," he muttered, tying the pouch closed and tucking it away.

"Now," Stephanos said, "where's this key you mentioned?"

Demetrios reached into his tunic, pulled out a small, ornate key, and handed it to him. "Here. It's a duplicate I had made. The original never leaves Aristos' side."

Stephanos turned the key over in his hands, examining it closely. "And this will open the chest with the ledger?"

"It will. But you'll need to move fast. Once you have the ledger, I'll be long gone."

"Gone? Where?" Lucian asked.

"Far from here," Demetrios replied, his eyes darting again. "I can't stay in Selymbria after this. Aristos will know someone betrayed him. I need to disappear before he figures out it was me."

"Understandable. But are you sure this key will work? If we go through all this trouble and can't open the chest..."

"It'll work. I tested it myself. Just don't get caught using it, or we're all dead men."

"Noted," Lucian said. "Any other cheerful advice?"

"Just get in, get the ledger, and get out. Don't linger, don't get greedy. Aristos has more than just guards protecting his secrets."

"What do you mean?" Stephanos asked, leaning forward.

"I've said too much already. Just... be careful. And if you get caught, you never met me. Understand?"

The two exchanged a look before Stephanos finally said, "Understood. Is there anything else we should know?"

"No. That's everything. I should go. The longer I'm away, the more suspicious it'll look."

"Of course. Thank you. Your information could change everything."

The servant nodded once, then turned and melted back into the shadows, leaving Lucian and Stephanos alone in the abandoned shrine.

Lucian waited until he was sure everything’s clear. "Well, that was... interesting."

"Yup," Stephanos nodded, still examining the key. "We have what we came for, but I can't shake the feeling there's more to this than meets the eye."

"You think Demetrios is holding something back?"

"Perhaps. Or perhaps he genuinely doesn't know. Either way, we'll need to be extra cautious when we make our move."

"Great," Lucian sighed. "As if sneaking into a heavily guarded warehouse wasn't dangerous enough already."

"No one ever said stealing from a corrupt merchant would be easy. Come on. We need to finalize our plans. The sooner we get that ledger, the better."

Stephanos and Lucian made their way back to Thais' house.

Upon reaching the residence, they entered quietly, nodding to the guards posted at the entrance and climbed the stairs to the second floor.

Stephanos closed the door to his room, the wood creaking softly as it settled into place. The space was sparse, functional - a soldier's quarters rather than a merchant's lavish chambers. A narrow bed occupied one corner, while a sturdy desk dominated the opposite wall, its surface covered in maps and scrawled notes.

Lucian leaned against the wall, arms crossed, while Stephanos paced the length of the room. The older man's brow furrowed in concentration as he gathered his thoughts.

"Here's how we'll do this," he began. "We move tonight, just after midnight. The warehouse guards change shift then, and there's a brief window where their attention wavers, and they play some games."

"And our way in?"

Stephanos moved to the desk, unfurling a rough sketch of the warehouse. "There's a side entrance here at the west side," he pointed to a mark on the parchment. "It's used for smaller deliveries. Security's lighter, and I've got a way to deal with the lock."

"What about inside? Guards? Traps?"

"Two guards patrol the main floor on a rotating schedule. We'll need to time our movements carefully to avoid them." Stephanos traced a path with his finger. "Once we're in, we head straight for the second floor. Northeast corner, remember?"

Lucian pushed off the wall, moving closer to examine the map. "And the room with the ledger?"

"Small, probably no bigger than this one. One guard posted outside. We'll need to neutralize him quietly."

"Neutralize?"

"Knock him out, not kill him. Less mess, less attention."

"Fair enough. What about the chest itself?"

Stephanos pulled out the key Demetrios had given them. "This should do the trick. But we'll need to be fast. In and out in less than ten minutes, ideally."

"Seems risky. What if something goes wrong?"

"That's why we have contingencies." Stephanos pointed to several marks on the map. "Emergency exits here, here, and here. If we get separated, we meet back at the old fisherman's shack by the docks. You remember where that is?"

"Yeah," Lucian nodded, rubbing his chin. "What if we try a different approach? Instead of sneaking in, why don't we use disguises?"

Stephanos paused his pacing. "Disguises? What did you have in mind?"

"Well," Lucian moved closer to the desk, "we could pose as new guards or laborers. It might give us more freedom to move around without raising suspicion."

"It's an interesting idea. We'd need to know the guard rotations, have the right uniforms, maybe even forged documents. And if we're questioned..."

"We could say we're new hires. Surely Aristos brings in new people from time to time."

"He does," Stephanos nodded, "but he's also paranoid. New faces are scrutinized heavily. Plus, we don't know all the protocols and passwords."

"Yeah. You might be right. It’ll take too much effort and time in our part."

"Exactly. We follow my approach, swift and quiet."

"Ok. Got it."

Stephanos rolled up the map. "This could be our chance to bring the war to an end. But it's also the most dangerous thing we've attempted yet."

"I understand the risks," Lucian said. "I'm ready."

"Good. Get some rest. We move in six hours."

As Lucian turned to leave, Stephanos called out, "And Lucian? No matter what happens in there, we stick to the plan. No heroics, no deviations. Clear?"

Lucian met his gaze and replied, "Clear. See you at midnight."