Dusk had made way to a cloudless night which left the city illuminated by pale moonlight. It was not nearly enough to light up the dark harbor on its own, which is why there were torches and cage fires placed at central spots to keep the paths just bright enough to navigate. Copious amounts of wood and reeds were swallowed by the flames of nightly business. Despite these expenses there was still much of the enormous city that was covered in the deepest darkness. The labyrinthine winding alleys everywhere could lead one in circles that would be hard to escape. Albeit there was no Minotaur waiting around the corners, cutthroats and children of the night would become equally deadly replacements.
The shadows of one such alley birthed a handful of cloaked men. Their appearance was a bad omen to anyone who found themselves on the wrong side of a coin pouch. Discretion was not necessary, for when men like them made their rounds the harbor became a whole lot quieter and the noise of nightly work ceased as quickly as only a proverbial club to the back of the head could guarantee.
Between the crackling of small fires, the yowling of hungry cats and the footsteps of the men, one may have been able to hear the low noises of ships being tended to in the distance. The mysterious figures had closed in on the piers and were traversing the edge, inspecting ships and boats that had been tied down or pulled to land for the night. They clearly had purpose and were avoiding the larger pentekonter on the opposite end.
Eventually they reached a spot that was unassuming aside from a statue of Poseidon, which stood a small distance away. There was barely enough space here for a vessel hardly larger than a fisher boat. The men pulled out their own torches and ignited them to survey the area. What they found was… untouched ground and an empty spot. No boat was to be found here. This seemed to infuriate them as they began arguing amongst each other.
One of them looked at the anchored ship next to this spot and spied a lazy sailor who was hanging over the board side with an amphora in his right hand.
“You - drunkard! Have you seen the boat that was tied down here?” He called out to him in a raspy voice.
“Issat how ya ask some’ne a favor?” The sailor spat out some wine.
The group drew very sharp looking swords from their coats.
“Did you see it?” This would be the last time he repeated himself.
“Shure ah’ve sheen ‘em. Sum roughed up kid an’ his broser tuk it aaaall th’ way out there! Must be in Ioniaaa bah now.” He made a sweeping motion with his jittering hand and stopped at the edge of the harbor. The open sea beyond reflected the weak moon. He burped and accidentally dropped the almost empty wine into the cold water below.
“They fled the city.”
“The contractor won’t be happy.”
“It doesn’t add up.” One of them shook his head. He was crouching on the edge of the pier and rubbed his hand against some dirt. “That thief stole the ledgers, but they are worthless outside this city.”
“Unless some eccentric Phoenician thinks he can make some coin with that information.” Another interjected and put his sword back under his coat.
“The men at the mansion described him as some kind of zealot with a mission. My guess is he was looking for a specific ship.” The perceptive man got up and stroked his sharp chin beard. “My gut tells me this ‘Perseus’ is still in Athens.”
“Then they relocated their boat outside Piraeus?”
“Could be. My gut’s not an oracle.” He shrugged and made a clueless grunt. The others sighed at his lackadaisical attitude. “Send some boys to the Archon’s office. Our client is wetting himself at the thought of getting exposed, so make sure nobody reaches him.”
“Yes sir!” The other men hurried back to whence they came inside the darkness. All but one.
“Two strangers causing some ruckus at the same time. Can’t be a coincidence.” The bearded man rubbed his itching nose.
“You believe they are comrades? But the boy who asked about Typhos seemed like an incompetent fool. Not at all like the intruder at the harbor master’s mansion.” The cloaked subordinate pointed out.
“You can trust my gut or you can put your fingers up your arse and search there. I’m not gonna stop you.” He smirked.
“Much as I loathe your intuition, it’s rarely wrong, boss.” He gave his boss a scowl and then glared towards the ship. A sudden motion from the drunk sailor had caught his attention.
“This is shaping up to be a damned interestin’ night already. Who would’ve thought we would hear about Typhos so soon? The gods have a strange sense of humor.” He popped his shoulder bones while stretching and then threw aside a rag that smelled of medicinal salve. It landed back on the spot where he had found it next to the wooden stake with rope marks.
“When it comes to that scholar, the gods have little say in it.” The cloaked man replied and handed his boss some weird plants from a pouch.
“Aye, you always know how to flip my words on me, Tulis.” He snorted. With his right hand he grabbed the roots and with his left he threw a small hidden knife. It flitted through the air and hit the drunken sailor’s throat. It was a nearly impossible throw in this darkness. The sailor made a painful noise as he fell over the side of the ship and splashed into the dark water.
“The sooner we get this over with, the better. I miss Thebes.” Tulis muttered. They were already leaving the harbor as they talked.
“Homesick? I haven’t raised a whiny nymph, have I?” The boss lamented while he stuffed the roots into his mouth and began chewing the tangy mass. Bliss washed over his face on each chewing motion.
“You haven’t raised me at all.”
“I paid good money for you. That’s as good as any upbringin’ can get.”
They kept bantering on their way back into the city. The corpse of the sailor was floating on a red circle inside the harbor water they left behind.
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Perseus boarded the ship quickly and searched for the sailor. He found some traces of blood and when he looked over the ship’s swaying side he spotted the corpse. The dark shower that went through his heart was suppressed quickly, because he had to make sure they were safe. There were no signs of those cloaked men anywhere now. The harbor was regaining some of its life already.
After pulling the dead sailor out of the water and leaning him against the mast he had to think about what he had just listened in on. Those men had seen through his ruse and were still searching the city for them. If he had heard right, they were acquainted with Typhos as well. But which side were they on? They were not afraid to kill innocents just to erase all loose ends, that was all he could be certain on.
“I will carry the weight of your soul with me.” Perseus went on one knee before the dead sailor and lowered his head in shame. Perhaps this outcome was unavoidable, but he still felt responsible for his death.
About an hour ago he had met up with the captain of this ship and returned the coins to him that had been extorted by the harbor master’s lackeys. The old captain was impressed, if nothing else, someone would dare oppose the shady business in this city. A trader from Lesbos rarely ventured this far, so they had no idea about Athenian dealings.
After Perseus had moved the boat with Ajax on it to the other end of the harbor he was surprised to be called over by the captain. He had apparently noticed their move and was questioning Perseus reasons. Quickly he had explained that he expected some hired muscle to come and get revenge for his actions from this afternoon and that he had to hide the boat from them.
“I will tell my men to keep quiet about it.” The captain had reassured him. Apparently he felt that he owed Perseus for his actions and he wanted to get a lick in on the people who wronged him as well. He had gone as far as to tell his sailors to lie about the duo leaving Piraeus altogether should anybody inquire.
At first Perseus had been rather thankful, but now he felt regret for the lost life. He had hidden inside the cargo to wait for the hired attackers and sure as Ares’ rising bloodlust before a war, they had come. He had not expected them to be this quick on the uptake, let alone unconcerned with the lives of uninvolved people.
“What happened here?!” Another crew member had returned to the ship with more wine and was devastated to find his dead brother. He cursed at Perseus, but after hearing his defense he turned his rage towards the city instead. “If these rats scurry ‘ere again we’ll clobber them to pieces!” He declared.
“Don’t try to confront them. You can’t handle them.” He stopped the angry sailor and took the wine from him so he would stop drinking himself into a suicidal rage. “Tell your captain what happened and get out of this place.” That was the best advice he had.
Afterwards he jumped off the ship and returned to their boat, hidden behind a couple of larger ships. He put the cheap wine down and poured just a bit of it into Ajax mouth. He had been restless in his pained sleep, so this would at least make it somewhat more bearable. For now he would have to cover him and then make sure he could not be found.
After fixing the boat to a well-hidden spot he made his way into the city.
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He could not track people inside the city. They did not act like boars or other wild animals and they did not leave the same kind of trails. Dusty roads and dirt that had been pushed in by countless wheels, which created shapes he could not even tell apart, especially in the sparse light of torches. Athens night life was far from dead, but there weren’t any big crowds gathered on the open street either. How could they have slipped away so completely?
Perseus considered asking some of the locals if they saw some suspicious hooded people walk by, but he could imagine they would hardly be forthcoming with such dangerous information. Not to mention that he had his reservations after what happened to the sailor back at the ship.
After going around the streets and observing the blackest shade for a while he concluded that he would not be able to find the men by searching. Despite that, he somehow knew they would run into each other again. There was an ominous air about this night and his gut was rarely wrong about such things.
“Greetings stranger.” An older man with hairy arms and a sullen face addressed him. He was standing in the entrance area of the inn and judging by his light get-up was most likely the owner.
Perseus only nodded back.
“We are out of rooms.”
“I’m not looking for a room. All I need is a table and some light.” He replied calmly as not to arouse any more animosity.
“I’ve had enough of drunkards trying to hide their wine breath from the guards inside my walls.” His thick brows creased dubiously.
“Then you will have no issue with my presence. I won’t drink or hide.” Perseus boldly took a step forward. In passing he handed the owner a coin.
“If you’re just going to sit, then I don’t want your coin.” The old man said with surprising indignation. “Do you feel hungry, lad?”
“If you have some dry meat…” Perseus responded with a wry smile.
“Aye.”
After settling down at a table with some exceptionally burnt out candles, Perseus spread out the rolled up parchments he had brought along. They curled up uncooperatively at the edges, so he put the candles on them as weights, ignoring the value of the documents. All of the ledgers provided graciously by the harbor master were now ready for perusal.
His eyes darted across the endless lines and numbers. To go through all the happenings of recent lunar cycles would take quite a while, but he could make a strong guess where to find what he was looking for. He noted that there had been a lot of traffic related to warships and the like in recent times. Athens must have been involved in a lot of conflicts. From the stories the Athenian merchants at the parties had told them, he could surmise that the current state of the mainland was very unstable.
Such details were irrelevant to his quest however, so he quickly put them out of mind. Instead he was looking for any mention of three triremes visiting and leaving Piraeus. It was nearly unheard of that so many expensive warships were gathered outside of war times. He had certainly never seen them before that fateful day that Typhos expedition had arrived at Seriphos.
The beautified ledgers had surely made no mention of such a suspicious anomaly, because there was much to be gained from greasing the wheels behind the scenes. These true numbers would lead him to his next clue, he was sure of it.
“There!” His finger stopped on a familiar name. Typhos name appeared several times across these parchments and not just recently. He had realized quickly that the scholar had been involved with far more than just studying in peace and funding an expedition. The amounts of wares that were moved under his name were something to be admired. But that was not as shocking as the information he had just gotten a hand on.
Three triremes (private ownership) were loaded with cargo that would have guaranteed a journey of four days until they would have to stop at the next harbor. Neither soldiers nor local sailors had been part of its crew. The ledger told no details about who had manned them, but Perseus already expected as much. The men he had fought at the beaches back then seemed to be mercenaries, but certainly not Attican. And the sailors were a shady bunch like he had not laid eyes on in this harbor.
Typhos had made sure that nobody could properly trace his crew and travel route. The only thing one could garner here was that he had indeed paid off the officials to overlook their presence for one night. But there was one more thing…
“A scholar, are you?” The sudden voice near his table made Perseus stiffen up and ball his hands to fists. Had he not suppressed his reflex, he may have punched the man instantly.
“…what?” He forced himself to keep cool and watched the owner from the corner of his eyes.
“Studying late into the night? Haven’t seen something more scholarly in years.” He said curtly and slammed a wooden bowl on the table (not minding that it covered some of the parchments). It was filled with some salty meat. He also placed an earthen mug next to it, but with a bit more care. The liquid was clear, so he kept his stance on wine.
“Do scholars rent your lodgings often?” Perseus muttered as he carefully put the mug away from the exceptionally dry papers.
“Gods no! Can’t let those blasphemers anywhere near my business.” He said harshly. “But my son used to get some education from them.”
The young man suppressed a snarky response to such obvious hypocrisy and just tore into some of the dry and tough meat. It tasted about as good as it looked. Freshly hunted game was much preferable, but he had bigger fish to catch.
“I will be going to sleep soon, so don’t get too comfortable. You can’t stay even if you don’t need a room.” He said dismissively and turned away.
“I appreciate it.” Perseus responded evenly and gulped down the water in one quick turn of his mug.
“Hmph.”
“Wait a moment please. I have just one question for you and then I will leave your to your well-deserved rest.” He held up his hand to stop the owner.
“Hm?”
“Your inn seems to be popular enough, but do you give lodging to travelers from outside Athens?”
“What an unfathomable question. Of course I do. We’re near the western gates.” His response was that of a local who assumed everyone just knew the layout of the city as well as him.
“I see. A lot of outsiders will pass by and rest here for the night.” Perseus nodded intently.
“If you’re looking for some unfortunate lad who owes you coin, then take that grievance outside. I don’t want the guards in my inn again.” He seemed to expect the worst.
“My business is not with the travelers.” He corrected him quickly. “Rather I’m looking for the stables where they keep the wagons and horses.”
“Thinking of leaving the city in a rush?” This old man truly had nothing but suspicions behind those bushy brows. The times must have been hard for him to be so distrustful.
“I will do my best to keep my stay brief.” He admitted. “Where do your guests usually find the stables?”
“The closest would be the rundown shed up east. Nobody with dignity or coin would ever do business there if it weren’t for the times.” He was clearly displeased, but inquiring about it would just cause a long monologue filled with complaints.
“I’m sure your guests have higher standards.” He said after clearing his throat.
“Damn right they do.” The owner replied sharply. “Anybody with some sense will go to old Hegord. He’s been in business for longer than I’ve owned this place.”
“Hegord?” He feigned ignorance and looked the man straight into the eyes now.
“Aye, he doesn’t usually do business near the harbor, but he’s worth it. Most new arrivals will definitely tie with him. Those stables are close enough to the gate that he’ll never run out of paying customers.” He snorted. It was a golden location that was perhaps worth more than the actual business.
“Sounds like this Hegord must be famous in these parts then.”
“Old man keeps to himself since his wife died. It’s a damned shame what men like him become. Horses who crave the whip of work. He should have quit at his age, but he’s more stubborn than a mule.”
“I think he sounds admirable.”
“Should have expected that from a lad who studies at this time of night.” He snorted again.
“Is this highly praised place open to business at this hour?”
“Is Hermes faster than the cutting autumn wind?” After seeing Perseus questioning expression he sighed. “Someone’s going to be looking after the stables even now. Won’t be the old geezer himself, though. I believe that even he will need to sleep sometimes.”
“Thank you for your time and words.” Perseus stuffed the remaining meat into his mouth and gathered his belongings.
“Don’t forget to chew.” The owner mocked, but he seemed less antagonistic. The prospect of Perseus leaving was improving his mood already.
As he had been no more than a short visitor, Perseus did not take long to leave the inn, but he had first gotten directions for the stables from the owner who was definitely attempting to push him out with his intense stare alone.
It was time to find Hegord’s stables. The name that had been written as a supplier for the expedition’s triremes only in the true ledgers.
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When he arrived at the stables he was surprised to see some strong looking workers still fully devoted to unloading some wagons. The hour was late, but perhaps there was something to the inn keeper’s words. In Athens people were coming and leaving constantly. The horses were agitated by something, perhaps the smoke of the campfire that shone its light across the courtyard. Some man with a gentle expression gave them hay to feed on.
From the wear and tear of the wagons and the exhausted eyes of the horses, Perseus determined that the journey had been long. That must have been the reason they switched the cargo from the current wagons to new ones. The merchants were watching the procedure with hawk like eyes. Even a single mistake could cause expensive consequences.
Perseus walked along the thin fence and then reached the entrance. Nobody was greeting him, busy as they were, so he invited himself in. The moment he approached the crowd someone with a sour expression and fallen in eyes already tried to push him back out. It was not altogether surprising as Perseus appearance could be equated to a desperate beggar right now.
“This is a place of business, not a shelter.”
“You are mistaken, I do not seek a roof or alms.” He quickly raised his hands to make the man back off.
“Don’t let me catch you lying in front of this herma of Hermes.” He pointed his finger at the oversized flat stone with the face of a certain famous god of trade and travel on its top.
These rather unappealing things were plastered all across Athens and the streets outside it too, if stories were to be believed. Perseus could not understand their significance, but travelers prayed by them frequently. Not all of them were this basic and some were supposed to have carved out male genitals on them as well. They really were quite odd.
“I am not lying, herma or not.” He replied without any shift in expression.
“Then you have business with us?” It was clear that he didn’t believe it for a second.
“In a manner of speaking. I need to talk to the owner.”
“You need something from old Hegord? That’s rich.” This man was even less cooperative than the owner of the inn. Were all Athenians like this?
“It’s a matter of great importance.”
“I’m sure, I’m sure, but if you haven’t noticed the sun’s not passing by right now. So make like the Spartans and sprint back into your rabbit hole.” He brushed Perseus off.
“I must insist.” He grabbed the hand that was trying to push him away and easily bend it to the side. “I’m running out of time and Hegord is the only man who has the information I require.”
“You little shit…” The temporary overseer was twisting his face in pain thanks to the angle of his wrist, but he was mostly just getting pissed off. “The boss has no time for every runt who has questions for him!” He pulled his arm back and then whistled for his co-workers to rush over. Many musclebound men had quickly surrounded them.
“I am willing to pay for the information. It will also be in Hegord’s best interest to hear me out.”
“Oh you got some lip on you. Some rundown stranger with an attitude is hardly going to have anything worthwhile to give to us.” They were closing the circle around him. The merchants in the background seemed uneasy about this display, but did not intervene.
“I understand that you respect Hegord a lot.” Otherwise they would certainly not act so overprotective. Fierce loyalty, but also hostility to foreigners were stoking the fires here. “But I am not an enemy. We have dealt with the same man, so our paths were destined to cross.” He was not backing down despite the clear threat of violence.
“We don’t listen to the prophecies of two-bit oracles around here.” The overseer cracked his fist with his hand and gave him a bloodthirsty scowl. There was no way out of this situation, barring a fistfight. Perseus stiffened his back muscles in response to the hostile approach…
That was when one of the horses began to whinny loudly and stomped the ground like it had been scared out of its mind. The other horses got agitated and tried to rush off. As they were only halfway unshackled, they managed to pull the wagons behind erratically. The merchants and workers cursed in several blasphemous ways and did their best to reign the scared animals in. The violent ring of men around him quickly spread out to do their job.
“Who let the poor thing get scared?! I’ll beat some sense into ya!” The overseer had to divert his rage to a new victim and left Perseus behind.
The young man watched this unfold with a stoic expression and glanced around. Something was definitely off. He could not pinpoint the cause yet. It was like an ill wind had struck the stables and then quickly left it again. As opportune as it had been, he could not feel too thankful. His questions had not been answered yet.
“Hey, stranger. Over here.” He was called over by a young man who had not rushed to aid the others. If Perseus had not imagined it, he had come out from behind one of the haystacks. A lazy bum who just slept during work?
Not that he had much reason to ignore him. This situation could go back south quite quickly. He followed the man to his half-hidden spot and noted that he was indeed covered in some hay strands.
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“Who are you?”
“Someone who’d rather not deal with an angry overseer. And he gets extra ill-tempered when he gets hit. Body or pride, doesn’t really matter.” The young worker sighed and rubbed some hay out of his short hair. “You want to talk to the boss?”
“Yes.”
“He’s at home right now, sleeping for once I reckon. Sometimes the old man sleeps here while we work, but the boys managed to send him to his house for today.” He groaned when he noticed that the workers had calmed the horses and were now looking around for Perseus. He subtly pushed himself deeper into the shadows behind the haystack.
“Can you tell me where Hegord’s house can be found?”
“Do you really have to hurry so much? Can’t wait until sunrise at least?”
Perseus shook his head.
“Figured as much. You look like the type who will carry the full load even if there was no overseer to watch you do it.” A concept he clearly didn’t find admirable. “You’re not going to hurt the boss, right?”
“I swear by my master’s honor that I will not hurt him. I truly just wish to talk.”
“You know that I have no idea who that master of yours is?” He smiled wryly, but when he saw Perseus expression he quickly rolled his eyes. “I can tell it means a lot to you. Just remember, the boss has been good to us, so if you so much as pull a hair from his round head, we won’t rest till you are taking the quickest route to the underworld.” There was a short glint in his otherwise dull eyes.
“There is no need for such threats.” He assured again.
“Of course not, but you will get them anyway. Call it my good worker’s spirit. Now listen closely.” He explained the quickest route to Hegord’s domicile to him and skipped over any unimportant details. “Got that?”
“I will find it.” He nodded.
“Great, then leave already. Don’t let the overseer notice you.” He waved Perseus to leave and then sank against the haystacks with a long heartfelt yawn.
“Thank you.” Swiftly he moved behind some cover and made it to the fence without being found by the sharp gazes of the workers. They would be looking for him a while longer. No matter how sloppy the young man had been, his support was a great boon to Perseus. Whether he really just wanted to sleep undisturbed or if he actually had a good reason to help him.
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The directions he had been given were sparse, but there certainly were recognizable locations in this city that one could easily make out even with the pale moonlight. A temple of Apollo, an empty market and then the commoner quarters to the right. He ran past a lot of people, so it was easy to assume that these were important spots for the citizens.
Maybe the old man actually slept at the stables because his house was too far away, Perseus started musing when he realized how long he had been walking already. The biggest landmark was the distant Akropolis, which towered over the rest of the city, but from his path it always looked exactly the same. The large bonfire in its center was giving it a nearly divine glow. A lighthouse for the city.
As opposed to that guiding light, he found himself in a far darker corner of the city now. This place was unfamiliar, more so than anywhere else he had been. The buildings around were tall, with large gates. Warehouses perhaps? The ground was ashen, almost white. Large slabs of ore were stacked up in regular intervals. No torches had been lit in this place so the moonlight was the only thing reflecting off the pale substances and metallic shapes.
He finally realized that he was at the center of a statuary workshop. There were two long rows of works in progress. Some had been completely carved and chiseled out, only lacking in paint, while others were nothing more than blocky shapes. In the weak light conditions it was hard to tell who they were depicting, but from the fancy clothes and regal poses he could guess that they must have been important.
Perseus walked past these expensive works with a sense of trepidation. It was like these human shaped marble structures were halfway alive if he looked at them from the corners of his eyes. What struck him as odd was that they were displayed in the open like this even in their unfinished state. They were not locked up in the warehouses or workshops. Perhaps it was for the sake of efficiency, as moving them in and out would cause a lot of additional work. And who would be so bold as to steal a statue taller than a man?
“Athenian sculpting.” He commented under his breath as he took a closer look at the curves of a woman’s statue. Perhaps he felt crude for showing an interest, as he quickly moved on to the end of the row.
These statues were nearly finished as far as he could tell. They had great detail that even he could notice in the moonlight and some of them were painted in vibrant colors. With this veneer of life the sculptures truly could be mistaken for more than they were. The final statue facing inward to the yard was even wearing a bronze cuirass! To go that far was unnecessary, no?
“Am I an art critic?” He snorted as he wiped the shining bronze with his right hand and vaguely made out his own reflection. His own piercing eyes caught him off-guard. He had to squint to get a clear impression, so he looked rather standoffish. A sharp glare indeed...
The glare of reflected moonlight on a blade.
He ducked at the last second as the dagger bounced off the cuirass. Had he stood still, that would have been his defenseless back taking the blow instead. With a sharp gasp he jumped back to escape the next attack. The ringing sound of metal from the clash penetrated the open air workshop. The wielder of that curved dagger was cloaked completely and flipped it over in their hand like it was a toy.
“Who are you?” Perseus demanded, although he did not expect a response.
“Do you have divine protection?” The hooded man muttered with irritation. “You could not have sensed me.” He rapidly kept flipping the dagger in his hand, as if stressed out.
“I was lucky.” He replied while shifting his weight to the right. The row of statues ended here, so he was sure the street could not be far off. If he made a mad dash he would be out of trouble quickly.
But that was not what he was aiming for. He clutched his fist and swerved to the right. The would-be assassin moved in the opposite direction and spun behind the armored statue. It was dark, but he could not slip away that easily. Perseus stepped forward-
“HUAH!” The bestial shout shook his entire body, before he was forcefully tackled against another sculpture. The force of the impact took his breath away and made him see stars for a moment. Whatever had hit him was as strong as a bull and toppled Perseus alongside the statue. He rolled over and coughed as his hurting back told him to stay down. Another heavy tackle would have been devastating.
When he looked up he saw a veritable giant before him. This man exceeded his own height by at least two heads and he was wearing a similar himation to the other attacker. Only his hood was down and revealed a veiny bricklike face. Both his hands were reflecting the moonlight… because they were covered in iron. They resembled some manner of gauntlets, but they were too crude to be real armor. Two large slabs of metal attached to the body directly.
This foe was intimidating to look at, but Perseus didn’t have time for spectating. The colossus was already rushing forward to crush him. He punched the ground where Perseus had squatted and cleanly blew off the arm of the sculpture next to him. The devastating force of that hit was undeniable.
“We need him alive.” The voice of the other attacker came from somewhere between the statues. “Only break him a little.”
“Hrrrgh!!” The big guy didn’t seem capable of speech, more likely to growl like a rabid dog. If he had understood the order it was not showing on his face or in his actions. Another heavy swing barely missed Perseus as he jumped away and braced with his arms. White marble dust was creating clouds in the air.
His eyes were not well-adjusted to the darkness, but with the dust it would have been hard to see even during the day. All he could do was kick off the ground and run down the row of statues. It was like their eyes were following his every move. Rapidly turning in place, he managed to grab a statue and spin around it to avoid the nasty dagger swing to his side. The cloaked man was able to merge with the environment so well that the only giveaway was the sound of the blade cutting the air.
Had he not just said that they wanted Perseus alive? That swing was definitely aimed for his vitals. That declaration might have been a ruse to make him let his guard down. With that in mind Perseus kicked over the statue to block the rampaging bull’s path. He crashed into it loudly, but somehow the statue was worse off for it than the attacker. How could he shake off the collision like he didn’t even feel it?
With a quick jab Perseus pushed away the dagger arm and tried to grab the retreating man’s hood. He could hardly merge with the shadows if he was held in place. But the assassin was more slippery than expected and rolled out of his grip. As soon as he wound out of Perseus arm the big guy already rumbled in and hit him in the side.
“Gah!” He couldn’t help but shout in pain at the metallic slab hitting him at full force. He leaned with the punch to reduce the damage, but it was still painful. Gritting his teeth, he jumped up and grabbed the giant’s neck. He straddled him from behind like a clingy monkey and used his great strength to choke him. Even a lion could be overwhelmed if his air circulation was cut off.
The giant struggled immensely and tried to punch the man on his back. Perseus managed to move his head out of the way and the metal collided with the oversized man’s own head. The impact drew red blood that mixed with the white dust in the air… but the bull did not stop struggling at all. He had not even flinched from the brutal hit. Choking him out proved to be hard with his unnatural struggle.
‘Too close’, Perseus thought as he let go of the giant to avoid getting his abdomen impaled by a dagger strike. In a straightforward duel he may have been able to wrestle the big guy down, but with the constant danger of getting backstabbed he was at a true disadvantage. The dark of night seemed to limit his perception more than theirs somehow.
“Grrrhhaa!!” The colossus roared as he was kicked against the back of his knee joint and tumbled forward. That barely even staggered him enough to give Perseus a second to recover, though.
He kicked the dust with his sandal and it hit the big attacker in the eyes. A dirty tactic, but he couldn’t afford to fight honorably in this situation. To his shock the bull didn’t seem affected by the sheen of dust that attacked his frantic eyeballs. He rushed forward and pushed through several statues, causing their limbs to fly through the air. Perseus kicked one out of the air and hit the big man’s shoulder with it, which made him stumble forward through sheer force.
At the same time he closed his arm around the incoming dagger and held it safely in a clutch. The assassin did not have the strength to pull it up and cut open Perseus armpit. What he missed in speed, he made up with overwhelming muscle strength, as the assassin now found out.
“Heh.” But the lanky man had already pulled out a second dagger from his himation and stabbed it into Perseus back while letting go of the other. Or he would have if Perseus hadn’t rammed his elbow into his unsuspecting ribs and then flipped the dagger around to hit him with the blunt end of the dagger handle. The impact was certainly satisfying as was the moan of pain that followed.
“Surrender.” Perseus demanded as he held the dagger by the blade and raised it up ready to hit the groaning man again.
“You… you buffoon…” The assassin spat out and held his bleeding forehead in pain. “Grab him already!” But the one he had been referring to was not Perseus.
“Curses-!” He had managed to turn around and ram the dagger into the giant’s shoulder, but he just pushed right through that attack and grabbed Perseus with his thick arms. The hold around the young man’s spine was worse than getting torn apart by horses. “Let… go!” He pushed the dagger deeply into the attacker’s flesh, but the giant didn’t react to blood gushing from the wound at all. The madness of Ares bloodlust was all that those eyes could perceive.
“Break his bones! We only need his mouth.” The assassin wiped blood from his face and forced himself on his feet.
“Rrrgghhgh!” Foam was flowing from the giant’s lips and sprayed on Perseus face. The grip was getting tighter and he could feel his bones creak in protest.
It was rare that any man could overpower him. He had wrestled three mercenaries at once before and came out victorious. Albeit the man was certainly big and strong, what truly set him apart was his dull reaction to pain. No man with a dagger that deep in his flesh should be able to exert such strength from his arm. If pain could not shake him, then he could only deal with him one way.
Perseus pulled back his head and then pushed it forward with all his might. The headbutt rung painfully through his own body. The foaming enemy showed minimal recoil, though. So he butted heads again. And again. With each impact his mind was shaken and the giant’s forehead bruised harder. If only he would lose consciousness already…
In a last ditch effort he used his teeth to pull out the dagger and sliced it across the man’s face. The nose received a nasty gash from which blood began to flow and for the first time the wild man actually screamed in irritation. His grip got tighter in response, but he also flailed around.
The assassin had picked up his dagger and stabbed it into Perseus leg as he was pushed away. It sliced through the furthest edge of his right calf and then lodged itself firmly into the big man’s side.
“You buffoon, stop moving!” He chided his partner who had taken considerably damage already and was now rushing forward.
Perseus groaned in pain and tried to break free. To his painful surprise his back hit a statue with some force. And they kept rushing through the next one behind it right away! The lumbering giant was mindlessly pushing forward now, probably close to keeling over from blood loss. Now the question was only of what would give in first: The man’s consciousness or Perseus back.
With a weak glance behind he noticed that they were headed for impact with the greatest statue in the workshop. This one was large enough to be put before a grand temple, easily towering above even a smaller hut. If he was rammed into that he would surely not get back up either.
“I said.” He grit his teeth and pushed his right arm through the iron cast grip. “LET GO!” With all his might he punched the man straight across the face. The punch was hard enough to crack his skull. This seemed to loosen his grip and not a moment too soon, as Perseus only barely managed to slip out before they made contact with the statue. The crash was loud and painful.
With shaky legs Perseus managed to keep standing behind the tumbling giant and heard as the statue cracked. The iron gauntlets had hit the thing first and left a large dent inside it. Perhaps it was more brittle than it looked, because its arm burst off and barely missed Perseus head. He cursed as his leg was caught under the log sized white arm.
“GRAAAAH!!”
A cold shower went down his spine. The beaten and battered giant was still standing. His lumbering mass was turning around. Through the blood dripping nose he sniffed around. His eyes were bloodshot and blinded, but it seemed like he had been able to track Perseus with his sense of smell alone. Now he was stomping towards him like a hateful spirit.
“Monster.” The word came over his lips uninvited. It was pure instinct.
The colossus dragged himself closer and raised his metal covered fists. Striking down with the fury of a beast.
A monster? Perseus fingers twitched. How could he struggle like this against a mere human? This wasn’t a monster at all, it was just a flesh and blood man who ignored his fickle mortality. Compared to his target, compared to a true monster, this was not even a challenge!
He shouted with all his might and kicked the giant white arm away. And at the same time he had grabbed what had been firmly gasped in the marble hand of said arm.
A weapon that could only be wielded by the king of the gods himself.
Lightning.
The white chiseled bolt of destruction was only manmade, but in this one moment when Perseus struck the crazed bull with it, one may have been fooled into seeing Zeus strike down one of the actual Giants. The stone weapon exploded into pieces and dust on top of the man’s head and left only a stump in Perseus hand. But this time the giant fell.
“Do me a favor… and stay down.” He muttered between heavy breaths.
“He lost?” The surprised gasps from further away caught his attention. The hooded assassin seemed distressed by the sight of the fallen flesh mountain at the young man’s feet. With haste he slipped away and ran off.
“Not so fast!” Perseus grabbed the knocked out giant by the arm and then threw him over his head like a stone disc at the Olympics. The feat of throwing someone thrice his own weight so far may have seemed impossible, but with the numbness of adrenaline in his veins he focused his strength to incredible feats.
The unconscious bull hit the retreating assassin and buried him completely. Now Perseus could calmly make his way to the two and pull the hood off the squirming man. He looked unremarkable aside from a burn mark on his forehead. It looked quite painful, even if long healed. His eyes were filled with unease due to the situation. Both arms buried under his companion, he made quite a pathetic sight.
“You wanted me alive so I could talk, is that right?” He asked while squatting down. There was a light sting in his bleeding calf.
No response. It didn’t seem like fear of death was going to make him talk.
“I know who you are. You must be with those men who searched for me at the harbor.” He glared him down. “You managed to follow me all this time?” A bad thought spread through his mind. “Did you harm the owner of that inn?” His grip around the man’s throat tightened.
“We have followed you quietly, you fool. Did you think a boy like you could notice us?” He spat into Perseus face.
“That’s a relief.” He said genuinely and let go of the assassin. He then wiped his face on his sleeve. “I can feel that you won’t tell me what I want to know. In that case you are useless to me.” He grabbed the dagger from the giant’s impaled side and pulled it out forcefully. It left a blood splatter on the white dusty ground.
“If you kill us our comrades will hunt you down without mercy. Right now you are worth more to us if you live, but we do not forgive the blood of our comrades on a stranger’s hands.” Surprisingly the branded man seemed to cling to life after all. His threat may have been genuine, though.
“What do you want from me? Were you not hired by the harbor master to get rid of me? Did he really want me alive?” He could hardly believe that. If anything he expected that they were trying to get their hands on the stolen ledgers and dump his corpse in some ditch for good measure.
“Typhos.” The man finally said a name that made Perseus ear perk up.
“What did you say?” He turned back and glared him down with the dagger firmly grasped in his hand.
“My brothers will get you and then you will tell us everything-“
“What is going on here?! Is someone fighting in the workshop? Stand down, in the name of the Archon!” From the dark streets at the other end of the courtyard the lights of torches illuminated the entrance and several armed men came rushing in. From their outfits and angry expressions it was clear that they belonged to the city guard. No surprise there; their fight had been rather loud and violent. The neighbors had probably called for them.
For a moment Perseus considered approaching the men and cooperate, but he quickly thought better of it. They would drag him to their quarters and interrogate him. That could have cost him the entire night and potentially more. So instead he kicked the branded man in the face before he could shout something and then sprinted off.
“STOP!” The shouting became quiet soon enough as he skipped over a wall and then disappeared into the web of alleys beyond.
----------------------------------------
The house was pushed snug between two more on both sides and seemed to be on the verge of being compressed. The district was obviously populated by commoners. The roads were bad and the houses more wood than stone. This was not a place that someone with much influence would call home.
This was the home of the old man that owned the stables at the gates, Hegord.
Perseus wiped his dirty clothes to little effect. No manner of wiping or straightening would make him look more presentable at this point. The bloodstains could certainly not be helpful to his case either. If a bruised and tattered man came to his home in the dead of night, he may have shut the door before him too. All he could do was put on a friendly face.
Knock knock knock.
His fist lightly hit the wooden door as not to scare the tenants. If Hegord and his family were asleep like his workers thought, then it would be best to approach this subtly.
After a while he could hear shuffling and grinding from inside. Someone was definitely awake in there and if he heard right they were aware of his knocks. He stiffened up when he heard the tapping of a stick against the floor and then the creaking of a bar being removed from the door. The basic intruder prevention of the poor. With a creaking sound the door was pulled back and revealed the weary old face of a bearded man.
“Well met.” Perseus blurted out. “I’m sorry to disturb you at this late hour. I also ask that you forgive my appearance, er…” He was not a great conversationalist, that much was for sure.
“You.”
“Huh?” He was taken aback by the intense gaze he was assailed with. It wasn’t just the suspicious glare of a careful man, but instead something very genuine.
Deep seated stupor.
“Diokles?” The old man’s shocked eyes soon turned moist with emotion. “My son… you have returned. You are alive!” His overwhelming emotions caused him to drop his cane and he fell to his knees. Perseus managed to catch him just in time and held him up by the shoulders.
“I am deeply sorry.” He glanced into the interior of the house and noted that it was nearly empty. There were no signs of other tenants in there. It was… lifeless. “I am not your son.” He said firmly, but with sympathy.
“No… no you are not.” Hegord confirmed after a few heartrending seconds of genuine disbelief. “My son’s nose was much more…” he turned silent and lowered his head.
“Here.” He picked up the cane and gently pushed it into the old man’s hands.
“’pologies. I mistook you.” Hegord was struggling to regain his composure and leaned heavily on his shaking stick. “Then who’re you?”
“My name is Perseus.”
“Of?” A suspicious glare escaped the old eyes.
“Of a faraway place. There is something I need to discuss with you, Hegord. It cannot wait until morning.” He pressed carefully, but with determined words.
“Then come inside. The chilly air is hurting my bones.” He stepped back into his abode and dragged his cane across the floor.
“Thank you.” He nodded and then closed the door behind them. It took him only a moment to place the bar back in its holds to keep the door shut. In that time Hegord had already made his way to another room where he sat down on a pile of animal skins. He had not much in the way of furniture it seemed.
“Sit down, lad.” He urged Perseus to take a seat on the cold floor. From a superficial inspection it became clear that this was not a place where a person lived. It was only somewhere to rest. Even with just the manpower at the stables and the few merchants who had been there he could tell that Hegord’s income must have been at a higher standard than this. Why would he choose to live so humbly?
Nonetheless, Perseus did as he was told. He leaned against a wall and crossed his legs. The low light of hastily lit candles was giving the room an eerie atmosphere.
“You really are the spittin’ image.” Hegord said with some regret as he could finally properly see Perseus in the light.
“Your son?” He followed. “Are you expecting his return?”
“Nay… Not anymore.” The old man shook his head. The weight of those words dragged down his shoulders as well.
“I see.” It was hard for him to say anything in response. Old people often outlived those they loved. Growing old was not a common gift, which could turn it into more of a curse to some.
“After my old lady passed away from illness I was waitin’ for my foolish ram-headed boy to come home. For both of us.” He stroked his long grey beard.
“Did he serve?”
“Nay. He was a no-good adventurer. Always chasin' some foolish new scheme. Never took advice from his ol’ man.” He seemed to relax a little after recalling old memories. “He set out on a ship to find some revered treasure and never returned.”
“I’m sorry.”
“What’s the use for ya to be sorry in his place?” He snorted. “My boy’s always gotten nothin’ but bright ideas in his dim head. I’m sure his body is layin’ on some forsaken island and ended up as food for the beasts.” His words were spiteful, but Perseus had already seen the true feelings of this old man.
“Some journeys take a long time. A lifetime even.”
“My brat won’t be the next Odysseus.” He chortled and then coughed. To fight the cold he put on more pelts. “Your journey must’ve brought you real far as well. All the way to some old man’s door. Who told you where I live?” He switched to interrogating his guest already.
“I don’t know his name.” He replied truthfully. No further elaboration of course.
“Aye, thought you would say somethin’ like that.” He shrugged. “Tell me your words that cannot wait for the blessed light of day then.”
“Hegord, you were involved in something important some time ago.” Perseus pulled the somewhat torn parchments from his inner pockets. They had survived that fight mostly intact. “And you may be in danger because of it.”
“Is this about Typhos?” He didn’t even look at the ledgers and kept returning Perseus gaze.
“How did you-?”
“I’m not involved in many shady dealings, lad. There is not much that would be worth the trouble of getting me involved.” He coughed and then rubbed his tired eyes. “But that night when I shook hands with a hero is somethin’ I’ll take pride in.”
“A hero?” He cupped his mouth with his hand and looked at the rolled out parchments. Indeed, if he had been asked before the beginning of this journey he would have agreed to that moniker. Typhos had led three warships and over a hundred man to a battle with a monster. He easily earned the favor of kings. And now that he saw these numbers, Perseus knew that his financial sway was beyond that of any merchant he had ever known.
But there was something sinister about all of this. A hero who made so many enemies was more than just a chosen one.
“Did ya work for him?”
“Not at all. We only met very briefly when he was passing our island.” He replied honestly.
“Did you know that he’s perished?”
Perseus grasped the parchment tightly in response. “We assumed as much.” But against all probability, he had deep down hoped to find a different truth.
“Even a blind girl could see your grief. You must’ve cared for him.” Hegord sighed.
“Anyway, there are people out there who seem to be searching for Typhos. They hurt my friend and attacked me on the way to you.” He brushed past it and focused on the here and now. “If they find out what is written on these parchments they may visit you next. Whether at the stables or at your home.”
“Not for simple questioning, hm?” His eyes were firmly settled on Perseus damaged clothes and recovering calf injury. “Are ya sure you didn’t lead them right to me?”
“I shook off my pursuers.” He was certain of it this time. The two who attacked him were most likely taken in by the guards, but he had made sure to search for any other followers before coming to this house.
“I’m but an old man with not much time left in this world. I’ll take fate as it comes my way.” It was not empty bravado. “You didn’t just come t’warn me of that, did ya?”
“I came to you because you are the only man I know that worked with Typhos. You supplied his ships.” He saw Hegord’s nod and continued carefully. “Do you know his destination?”
Hegord stroked his beard again, this time more tensely. It seemed like he was weighing his options. That reaction already gave him away.
“I have no intention of searching for him. Whether he is truly gone or if he is still alive and in hiding from whoever has it out for him, I will let him be. His expedition no doubt ended in failure of some kind. That’s why I will take up this quest in his place.” He said determinedly. “Hegord. Where is Sarpedon? Where is the isle of the Gorgon?”
“I really hoped I’d keep my word to her.” The old man seemed so very tired now.
Perseus leaned forward and slammed his hand on the cold ground. “I need to know where the monster hides. Slaying it is my duty.”
“Ya don’t seem t’be a glory hound. No lad is this emotional over hunting for sport either.” He nodded weakly. “This is worth riskin’ your life?”
“Yes.”
“But what if slayin’ her will cause more tragedy?”
“What?” Perseus was confused by that sudden turn.
“I vowed not to speak a word of this story, so I can’t tell ya what happened on that cursed island.” Hegord explained. “All I can say is that this quest will not be a good deed. Enough blood’s been shed for many lifetimes already. Some myths are better left alone.”
His honest words made Perseus lower his gaze and clutch his hand to a fist. There was pity in the old stable master’s eyes. Pity not just for Perseus, but for many others. Some of them perhaps long gone and forgotten. His instincts were good enough to tell that he was filled with sympathy.
Those old eyes that looked at the foolish mistakes of youth.
But they could not compare. They could not even remotely reach the depth of the eyes of that woman. The profound sadness and love of those eyes that had looked at him even when the world seemed to end.
“Even so, I cannot stop.” He said firmly.
“You’d trade someone’s happiness for your own?”
“My happiness is not important.” He shook his head. “I can only do this for the woman that matters most to me.”
Hegord responded with a defeated expression and wet his dry lips. He picked up the parchment from the ground and took some sharpened coal from the pile of utensils behind the candles. He quickly pressed some letters into the empty backside. With a jittering hand he handed it to the young man.
“A name?” He raised a brow as he read it.
“’Tis one of the sailors that came back.” He said heavily. “Real survivor. Didn’t take it well, though. Probably wasting away in a shack. I wrote the address below.”
“This is around the harbor?”
“My boys got him work as a helping hand. Nobody else would take ‘im. There might be more of them all over the city, but this one’s my only contact.”
“Do you not know where the island is?” He asked with slight disappointment.
“’fraid not. I could tell ya the general direction, but ya wouldn’t even make it near those terrible waters with that.”
Perseus nodded and rolled up the parchment to slip it back into his clothes. The rest of the parchments were still spread out before them.
“Take them.” Hegord said.
“These could lead the dangerous people on your trail.”
“Burn them then if ya feel better about it. I won’t be holdin’ on to them.” He tapped his cane against Perseus chest.
“Very well…” He tilted his head to the side in wonder and hastily gathered the parchments in his hands.
KNOCK KNOCK.
He almost let them fall right out of his hands again when he heard the drumming against the door. They exchanged one intense look and then Hegord forced himself up with his cane.
“Let me-“
“Nay, this is my home. You’re just a stranger who should leave.” He said sharply. There was no room for backtalk as he already moved out of the room. “There is a ladder to the roof. Better make yourself scarce before I throw ya out myself.”
Perseus tensed up. He should have gone with the old man. That would have been the best way to repay him. If those shady men had really found them already, then it was his fault. So he dashed out of the sleeping quarters and made it to the ladder. He skipped most of the rungs and pushed himself onto the flat roof. The night wind was not as fresh as he expected and the area was not as dark as it should have been. The light of torches was illuminating the front side of the house.
He snuck to the edge of the roof and spied over the edge. Several men with swords at the ready were waiting in front of the door. They didn’t seem in a talking kind of mood.
“’nough already! No more of yer senseless knockin’, I’m on my way. Old legs ain’t what they were.” Hegord shouted from inside the house. He was unlocking the door already.
The men all stared at the entrance. They hadn’t noticed Perseus yet.
“Hegord, owner of the western stables?” The leading man shouted a question.
“I am he.” The answer came under some heavy grunts. The door was opened.
“You will come with us-!” He was about to grab the old man, but quickly was acquainted with the ground instead.
“Who?!” The other men aimed their short swords at the guy who had just jumped onto their leader.
“You will not hurt a single hair on his body!” Perseus declared and pulled up the leader who had been pushed into a nearby herma’s groin area. A certain dagger he had picked up before was now pressed against the squirming man’s throat. “I will fight you all if I must, but first step away from Hegord.”
“You cur! Let go of the captain or we will skewer you!” They seemed enraged by his actions.
“I already took care of the other two, so stay back. I’m not afraid of you criminals.” Perseus spouted some words while accessing the situation to find the best path of escape for Hegord.
“Criminals!? How dare you! We’ll lock you up and let the crows feed on your eyes for that.” More offended than intimidated, the men replied. The light of the torches reflected off their helmets.
“Let go of me and we can settle this without an execution.” The man he held at knife point said with gritted teeth and slightly shaking legs.
“Do as he says, lad.” Hegord interrupted with a dry tone.
“…fine.” He had figured it out by now as well. The freed man rubbed his throat and then cleared it several times.
“You are under arrest for obstruction of justice! We will take you to the barracks.” The captain of the guard declared with slightly wounded pride as he adjusted his helmet and picked up his sword from the ground. “Hegord will come along as well, in the name of the Archon.”
Things had just gotten a whole lot more complicated.
Many factions moved about in the city that never slept. Their intentions were not aligned, but sooner or later they all converged to cross with the path of the hero.