The Damastios family was receiving the imperial emissary and Lord Kroton with the best they could offer.
On the dinner table, there were crabs, shrimps, and even lobsters, accompanied by some vegetables, pita bread, and wine diluted in water. As he saw no fish, Glax found the menu strange, and due to his memory of the crabs, he wasn't in the mood for any kind of crustacean. He imagined that the crisis caused by Sillabot was responsible for the omnipresence of the ingredient on the table.
This did not go unnoticed, and the servants tried to convince him to taste the dishes, explaining how they had been made. Captain Laertes, unlike him, was eating peacefully.
Two of the Damastios widow's daughters played the flute and lyre, and the other three danced in blue veils while the guests dined. The dining room had paintings on the ceiling and walls, which Glax guessed were not sinister-looking during the day.
Glax was sure that all of this was being done because Athios believed that doing business with Crona could save the village from misery.
"Can you tell us what your homeland is like, Lord Glax?" asked Charikleia, under her veil.
Glax swallowed. "Ah, the mountains… Crona is in the north, close to Hermos Pass. In Valosia. It is quite different from here."
"Yes? How different? "
"Quite. Quite different, madame."
"Madame?" She was confused, and Glax cursed her distraction internally.
"Ah, it's a way of referring to a woman who's not single."
"Ah. 'Madame.'I had never heard this title! I am not a Damastios by birth, but by marriage. I am not exactly a Lady like my daughters, does that mean I am a Madame?"
Glax discovered with this that a man not born among the noble families could become a nobleman by marriage, but the same did not happen with a woman ... And as he experienced it first hand, even the ascension for a man was difficult. This certainly inhibited caste miscegenation.
"Are there no more sons?" Laertes asked before Glax could answer. Glax found it a little rude, but he couldn't see the woman's reactions behind the veil.
"My son died while facing the Sillabot, Captain."
The only thing Glax could sense from the exchange of words and from the heavy and embarrassed expression was how it became a social problem for a noble family. It probably meant that social status would soon be lost. But he didn't have time to guess, Iasonas commented,
"We were talking about Crona. I won't hide that I didn't know that Crona existed. And I wondered how the chief of Crona knew of a fishing village here in the south. Our only use was to serve as a supply and harbor for ships coming from the east, and our production of dry tarrat."
"Sorry for the ignorance, what is tarrat?"
Iasonas was a little disconcerted.
Laertes looked at him curiously, but then commented condescendingly.
"Lord Kroton is more accustomed to northern fish, and other meats. Crona is next to a large lake. In the cold mountains of Valosia they have sheep and also deer, rabbits… I know this because I was born on the other side of the mountains, in Pharys."
"If you have so many things and you don't know our dried fish, what could you want with us? I am confused."
Glax didn't expect to be confronted about this anytime soon, but he looked around the table.
"Where's the dry tarrat? Can I try it?"
"Unfortunately, our production this year was very small, and we exchanged what we had for olive oil."
A heavy silence followed, and Glax turned his attention to the teenagers dancing and playing instruments. Then he remembered,
"Hey, I'm being so rude! You received me with such spontaneity that I forgot that I have gifts from Crona!" He got up.
His luggage included samples of the rare resins found in Valosia. One of them - Bitterwood - was used for very durable torches, as it had slow combustion and a luminescent glow when lit. Another resin produced amber drops used as incense, and a third produced much-appreciated golden and silk-like threads.
Rasmus had explained all of this, and said that these were the luxury products of Valosia and the mountain range that separated the Echelians from Pharys. Wool, meat, and wood were the main products of Valosia and Crona, which had a cold climate and imported grain and oil from other parts.
He quickly fetched a small ball of Criso Yarn, as they called the golden wool made from resin, which he presented to the owner of the house. He presented the village chief with a small pot of bitterwood resin. Both were profusely grateful and delighted with the gifts.
"We would like to correspond, but we realize that nothing we have here pleases Lord Kroton!"
Why did he get the impression that Iasonas was not only talking about food, but also about his granddaughters? No, they were all definitely under the age he was comfortable dealing with. Even though it was a custom.
Would it be rude to say that he was married?
"My mind is a bit disturbed, and I'm being a terrible guest. I am waiting for the arrival of my wife, who is coming on another ship. She intends to kill Sillabot. "
Glax concluded that there was no reason to keep this information any longer. He guessed Chriseis would like to be the person to make the bombastic revelation. But he was also aware it would seem strange if he keep this information from them.
"Lord Glax," Charikleia spoke in a voice that still let out her surprise but also her disbelief, "my son was a good warrior, and even my husband was a *Megarian* before he came to live here. Not only they, but other capable men, could not deal with that monster."
"Lady Chriseis guarantees she will free Cape Hellus from this plague," he said solemnly.
The expression of surprise and disappointment on the faces of the five Damastios almost made Glax take candy from his pockets to console the teenagers. Their mother clicked her tongue,
"I know the general's fame, but I still doubt she can do that."
The fatalistic way in which the widow said this made Glax wonder if she knew anything more about Sillabot. But Iasonas applauded the news,
"What excellent news, Lord Glax! I thought we had been forgotten. The governor never paid much attention to Athios."
"Sheesh, father, don't speak like that. Lord Glax may think the Damastios of Athios are against the provincial government," the widow of the only Damastios tried with all her might to maintain her connection with the noble families, and Glax felt a little sorry for her. And she continued:
"It's not the fault of the men who are far from here. It all started because of the wickedness of the men of this place."
This put Glax on alert, and he asked, "Hm, so there is a cause behind Sillabot ... Do you mind telling me, madam?"
"Ah, I'm a terrible storyteller, but it's not a secret. There was this man. A sailor. He used to say that he had been the cupbearer for a god. And he said that one day he drank the rest of the drink from the cup of the god he served. The drink that gave immortality to the gods!" She shrugged, unsure whether to show that she believed the story. "As soon as the god saw him, he pierced him with his trident and so Persos, that was his name, and Persos woke up in Hell… That is, here. But it was the same day the Ascension War started! He was sailing these waters in a small ship that could be commanded by one man and was pulled by golden dolphins! He said he was the one Persos who named the Perseic Sea as his domain. He never set foot on solid ground because he believed if he set foot in Hell soil he would never be able to return!"
"Back where?"
"Where he lived earlier, I believe. Persos believed he could find a way out of Hell. He said he was around since everything came up. He said he had seen the great Ascension War... And well, he said that although he had a large life span because he drank the gods' drink, it doesn't mean not getting old... Anyway, the old sailor said he was looking for a way to free his old master…"
"He said a lot of confusing things," Iasonas grunted, not liking the course of the story. But the woman with the veil just seemed to grow excited, and spoke in a conspiratorial tone.
"A lot of people thought he was a crazy old man. But I believe him! He had his magic ship, and he often came to Athios… That was when…"
"Enough, Charis! Don't bother the noble guests with fantastic stories." Iasonas stood up, red-faced. "That man was going to cause us problems with his magic ship and all his crazy tales about sea creatures and imprisoned gods. Why did he always have to come to Athios?!" He ran a hand over his beard in a distressed gesture. Turning to the guests, he explained,
"After his ship sank, Sillabot appeared. That's what my daughter means. The death of old Persos isn't the cause of Sillabot, and Sillabot isn't a punishment from the forgotten god against Athios. These stupid rumors are the reason the governor does not take our village seriously. We only have one temple in the city, dedicated to the Moon Goddess, and built by Lord Damastios. We worship the official gods here. This nonsense babbling comes from the most ignorant fishermen and the worst scum of this village."
Glax was static, wishing he didn't have to take sides in the opinions between father and daughter.
Charikleia stepped back, and Laertes took the opportunity to say, standing up,
"I hope I'm not being rude, I'm very grateful to be received by the only Athios' Damastios family. I thank the gods for the generous welcome and the hearty dinner. I need to rest after a day like that. In the morning, I need to see my crew and my ship."
Glax joined him in profuse thanks, and dinner was over.
It didn't take long, and Glax was lying in bed.
It wasn't too late. As a modern man, Glax was used to sleeping much later, and even tired, the thoughts and images danced in his mind just like the Damastios girls, without making much sense. The sounds of the house were silent, and all he heard were the night sounds of the sea and the woods near the temple.
And Captain Laertes's snoring in the next room.
Still, gradually the comfort of the bed and the fatigue of his body were winning over their concerns, and Glax was falling into a misty state that precedes sleep.
Then, why did he catch a glimpse of a presence next to him, beside the bed?