Glax swallowed. Just as he could identify the energy source of the first robot he encountered - the arachnid scout - he was also able to understand Sillabot's mechanism. The great machine was a cluster of other things, assembled by the Monster itself, to create its body.
And now that Glax was only a few hundred meters from the metallic creature, he could feel the pulse of the same strange energy that fed Chriseis's mechanical arm. It was not ichor, but a living, intelligent... frightening energy. Sillabot's chaotic structure was perhaps its biggest problem. Glax knew that the only thing Sillabot cared about was 'feeding' and surviving.
The giant scrap robot had found fuel for its chest-height internal furnace. Wood from the trees of the small uninhabited island, and what was left of the ships it attacked. The intelligence that animated Sillabot healed itself with diligence. Glax still didn't understand how the mecha created its own pieces. Did he _ or she_ have a plan? Who created it also 'programmed' it to be able to forge and improvise spare parts? Or had it developed over time?
A thousand confused thoughts went through your mind. Glax couldn't stop looking at the giant creature.
However, his marine condition was not the best possible. Its metallic body was often corroded and the wooden parts rotted. Sillabot was infinitely hungry.
Sillabot had already seen them. Its massive body moved toward the Medeia. Its arms began to rise upwards simultaneously. Sillabot wasn't particularly agile, but Glax understood its strategy.
At the same time, Captain Laertes also predicted what would happen and shouted the evasion orders.
"DROP SECOND SAIL! REVERSE!"
Glax didn't know what that meant, but the bireme jerked and Malko disappeared from his side, returning to the lower deck. The rowers halted.
After what seemed like an eternity, while Sillabot's giant articulated rods descended against the water, the rowers resumed their work. The boat spun so quickly that it tilted dangerously to one side. However, its hull returned to fully touch the water, now with the bow pointing about 100 degrees in the opposite direction.
That is, away from Sillabot.
Certainly Laertes was an excellent sailor and knew Medeia like the back of his hand. All of this happened exactly when tons of metal crashed into the sea surface, creating concentric waves that grew rapidly as they moved away from the epicenter. Glax looked in terror as he noticed the approaching wave of immeasurable width and about three meters high.
"RAISE OARS! 3, 2, 1!"
Medeia was lifted, first smoothly, to the point Glax smiled as his silly fears vanished. However, Medeia tilted the bow and leaned dangerously to the right, riding the wave that swelled under the vessel.
Glax felt his stomach churn and his fingers tightened in tension, while a strange euphoria spread through his body. He just had to be thankful for the adrenaline rush.
Medeia was surfing away from the sea mecha, and the captain was shouting orders to correct the course.
... SILLABOTTTT!
The robot again made the waters churn, but it seemed perplexed to see its prey flee intact instead of capsizing like ordinary ships. The vessel was much more maneuverable and stable, and the captain went to the opposite side of the mainland. The Medeia avoided being thrown at high speed by the waves of now 4 meters against the rocks near the beach.
Sillabot certainly had a very effective trap in that location, taking advantage of natural resources to prey on ships that thought they were arriving at Athios.
While everyone screamed in relief and joy at making Sillabot a fool, Glax was a little disappointed.
Disappointed for not using his weapons against the monster, to test them.
But the valosian kept his thoughts for himself, for he had told the captain he would respect his decisions on his ship.
Everyone was very agitated, talking about their conclusions at the same time. Everyone had the same question: where had Sillabot come from?
:::::::::::::
They arrived at the port of Athios along with the sunset.
The island was a timid version of Temnos, with temples in the highest places, a quiet bay and small fishing boats returning home at the end of the day.
The locals helped Medeia to dock, quite curious to see such a different ship, with the imperial flag docking at the port of the small village. They were still on the pier when the village chief and the elders came to greet them, concerned about the imperial presence in Athios.
Glax had completely forgotten, but Laertes said, with a mocking smile,
"I am Laertes, captain of the imperial messenger ship Medeia, and responsible for delivering official messages from the cities of the empire. Let me see ... This is the letter sent by the mayor of the city of Crona, in Valosia, to the village of Athios in Hissoria. In fact, here is the city's emissary, Glax of Valosia, who can clarify the content of the letter if necessary." Without much delay the captain handed over the tube with the letter. The captain's assistant collected a stamp from the village chief's seal.
'Oh, shit!' Glax didn't know what protocol to follow. The bearded and tired-looking men looked at him expectantly.
"Ah, greetings from Crona, dear Athians! Can we meet tomorrow to discuss the matters of the letter? Crona wants to make commercial deals with Athios! Read and discuss calmly, please. So when we get together, I can answer your questions." He hoped to buy time. By then, he hoped Chriseis had already arrived and the real focus of their presence would make the business offer a much smaller matter.
But the eyes of those men shone with their words!
"Of course, noble Lord Kroton, we will do that! Please, stay with the Damastios family until tomorrow, you, the captain and the officers! There are some inns that can accommodate the sailors," said the village chief, who had introduced himself as Iasonas.
The elders looked at Iasonas with a nod, and also with concerned looks. Laertes thanked him, saying that spending on the imperial crew would be discounted from taxes. This seemed to be very well received. They did not seem to know how to handle the imperial messenger ship. Iasonas spoke carefully, as he personally guided them to the place where they would be staying.
"It was a great surprise to receive an imperial ship, even more from the east. You didn't happen to see…"
"We saw the monster, if that's what you want to know, Iasonas," Laertes said. "The imperial boat is very fast, and we avoided that Sillabot."
"Ahh," sighed the man with deep dark circles under his eyes. "I wondered how that was possible. Since that monster appeared, all that surrounds us is disgrace, death and misery. When we saw the imperial flag, we feared things would get even worse. The village was unable to pay the tax to the clan, much less the tax on the empire. But so far, no one has come to collect. And we don't know if they just didn't make it through Sillabot..."
Glax was torn between commiserating with the islanders and some comical considerations. He wondered if the village was really sad to think that Sillabot was preventing tax collectors from reaching Athios.
"I thought the Damastios would take care of Athios," Laertes commented casually. Glax realized he would need to learn more about the customs, as he didn't notice any difference between the man and the other elders. Iasonas didn't wear a family brooch - was it mandatory if you were a nobleman?
But the chief explained, humbly.
"I am only the father-in-law of Lord Leonides, the Damastios who was the lord of Athios until two weeks ago. After my elder grandson and other young people also perished on their expedition, Lord Leonides and other warriors from our village also went to face Sillabot and never came back ... We ran out of ships to defend the village, and without capable young people too. And as travelers who used to stop by for supplies now avoid this region, we have difficulties..."
Glax sighed, hearing about the situation of the island and its residents.
He soon spotted the large house next to the temples. It was the best house in the village, and Iasanos introduced them to his daughter Charikleia and granddaughters.
The widow wore a black veil that covered her entire face, so Glax couldn't imagine what she looked like, except for her body and the thick dark braids. He figured it was some strange mourning-related custom. But he also remembered Hikesias tales about a so pretty maiden that was forced to use a veil. What was the case here?
It was a little scary to talk to someone whose face was barely visible, and he wondered if people had the same feeling when they talked to him.
However, the woman's daughters, mostly teenagers, were suddenly excited by the visitors' arrival. Especially his, he realized.
There were five girls, of which he did not memorize the names. He paid little attention, he just registered the fact that they were being very solicitous and kept themselves in view.
He went to take a bath before dinner, in which he hoped to speak to Iasonas about Sillabot. Charikleia and two of her daughters took him to a room on the west side of the mansion. Glax stayed in a spacious room, which had a private patio. While the widow's servants and daughters prepared the room for the visitor, whom they considered illustrious and important, he went out onto the terrace.
In his mind, Glax called the big house a mansion because he could compare the size and relative comfort by looking at the other houses in the village. Most of the houses were small and had few sources of light. The most illuminated area was the port.
He still couldn't see the trireme that Chriseis was sailing in, and he worried. It was already dark, and the cloudy and oppressive weather made him even more worried.
'Are they still sailing or have they stopped somewhere? Hope so.' He had not paid attention to how the captain calculated the route, but he was afraid that they would go straight to Sillabot, in the dark.
Glax wondered if he could rest with these concerns in mind. He couldn't guess at that moment that his night would still offer him many emotions.