Chriseis was in her armor, immaculately clean and polished, and her helmet rested on her belly, between her hands. Glax studied the dead's general placid, pale face. On her forehead, a laurel wreath. Over her mouth, a copper coin with the well-known ram's head minted in it. The obol?
But he was not seeing the orb float over Chriseis as he had seen it float over the other dead.
And at the same time, he realized that Chriseis's mechanical arm ... was alive.
As alive as Sillabot!
Glax felt a chill in his innards. What was happening?
He touched the metal surface with his fingertips. He felt the internal mechanisms move as if he were reacting to the touch. He recognized the same power and could name it - the antichor. And now, something more.
"Chriseis?"
There was no answer, and Glax noticed that other people had entered the temple. Taking a deep breath, he turned to see the archon, Captain Laertes and other people entering. Young people carried torches in front of them.
He saw the Pharysian captain's concerned look. And he concluded that if he wanted to stay close enough to solve the problem, he should stop looking like an ignorant rebel.
He stood next to the captain, who grunted,
"Behave like a Kroton if you want to be accepted among the nobles, boy. Do it for your mother."
'Afff, everyone wants to put mothers in the middle! It's a damn effective manipulation!' He nodded, realizing that a ritual would begin.
The priestess with the half-moon hairstyle topping her head began a chant, followed by her helpers. Glax was more involved than he wanted for the plaintive song.
The residents of Athios, led by Iasonas, the elders and the Damastios, brought small symbolic gifts to General Chriseis. The soldiers who fought against Sillabot also gave a special salute. The Rhoas sorcerers were still there, watching everything in respectful silence, outside the temple.
Laertes informed him, when it was all over, "Glax, you will be taken in triumph to the capital on Hissoria ships. Try to tolerate the idiot. Do not return dead or wretch to your home. You have come this far."
"I know it was tough, captain, and I appreciate the help."
Laertes snorted in reply, "Don't forget that my ship almost saw its end because of your 'letter', so do what I'm saying."
The ships would leave soon, and Glax took advantage of the brief interval to go to the part of the island where the triton Anteu had his home.
"Anteu," he said as soon as he found him, near his cave. "I am going to the capital. And ... I thought I would have time to hear more stories about Persos, and the tritons... But that is for another occasion. But above all, I want to thank you for saving my life twice." He took some gifts for Anteu out of his bag. Gold, and some stylish jewels he had won for being the champion of the Armoric Games.
Anteu shook his head when he saw what Glax was offering,
"You are being very generous, Lord Kroton. Donate this money to the temple, instead. It can help the poor villagers."
Glax considered. If he donated to the temple of the Moon goddess, perhaps the God of Roads would be angry with him. Better not take any chances.
"Then donate it yourself. I can not do it. Here, take this. These jewels… I still don't know how to wear these things, I'm a mountain man."
Anteu laughed, "Yeah, I know, I know. Okay, I'll take the gold, because it can help our island. But I don't want the bracelets and bands. However..."
"Do you want something else?"
"Well, if you are heading to the capital you might be able to do this for me. I ... I wonder how a certain story ends. One person used to bring the 'Assassins of Thebes' scrolls for me and my little brother, Nikephoros. Unfortunately, that person died recently."
"Assass... Wait, is this a serialized story?"
"Yes. It's a famous series! I even read the part that Phoenix is blinded after completing his mission and eliminating the spy concubine… If you get the other scrolls that are missing… Unfortunately, at least a year has passed since the merchant died and well, I can trust only a few..." Anteu was a little embarrassed to show excitement for the fiction series, but Glax patted the triton on the back.
"Easy peasy. If there are new volumes of this story, I will get all the episodes for you!" In fact, Glax was curious to learn that even in Stygia serial stories were common and appreciated. 'Is that how Homer made his fame?' he wondered.
He said goodbye to the triton, wondering when he would really have a chance to see Persos' chariot again.
It seems he had gotten a side quest for himself. But it would give him an excuse to get close to the divine vehicle again.
But his absence would be noticed, and he hurried back to the village.
Glax was not wrong. He could only say goodbye to everyone briefly, including the Medeia's crew, with little time for anything else.
Rasmus and he boarded the ship carrying Chriseis to the capital, while another broke back to Temnos with the warriors who perished.
The first stop was Tyrale, the capital of Hissoria province, which was at the southernmost end of the cable Hellus. They would continue to the capital in the morning, which should take at least another day of travel north.
The governor abandoned them at the port, without inviting them to stay at his home, which caused comments. But Glax was learning fast.
He went to the Rhoas Sorcerers, who were getting off the other ship, as they would also spend the night in the city. Of course, Rasmus frowned when he saw he intended to fraternize with Oraste and his minions, but he accompanied Glax nonetheless.
"Hey guys, what are you going to do? Ras and I don't know the city, and we don't really know where we can stay. Any tips?"
Oraste replied, "I was thinking of offering two of my acolytes to stay on the ship. They can put a vigil on the General's journey, until her last moment with the family... We don't want anything to disturb her body."
Glax was undecided about that. While he needed to be alone again with Chriseis, it was impossible on the ship. And he had morbid thoughts about touching a corpse, or examining it in detail ... or even taking her prosthetic arm off.
It wasn't really possible for them to suspect anything, was it?
The Valosian knew that the group of wizards was taking the 'stone' that was inside Sillabot with them. And they even took a sample of the antichor. They would study this at the Astrodome, which Glax supposed to be a kind of center for mystical studies.
In a way, knowing there was an official excuse to avoid deciding on it relieved him. "Yes, Lord Oraste, you have my permission."
As soon as the magus ordered a man and a woman to go to the other ship, he turned to the two Valosians,
"We are going to have dinner at an inn and then we plan to sleep in the Temple of Hyperion. I believe Likomedes really decided to ignore the Principles and shame himself and the Rhoas family. That's what happens when you think too highly of yourself."
Glax was pleased with the comment made so skillfully by the Rhoas sorcerer, who had far more political skill than the archon of Hissoria.
Like the others, no one really wanted to leave important objects on Hissoria's ships. He hired two lumpers to take his chest to the temple. He had put all his personal things together with those of Chriseis, to save space. Most of his belongings, such as the quadriga, horses and amphoras of oil, etc, had been shipped directly to Chriseis' state in the capital.
As they walked there, Glax stayed close to the lumpers with the objects. He could feel the strong pulse of the antichor sample in the box where it was stored. It was impossible to ignore, at least for him.
Oraste left his group and approached the Valosians at a leisurely pace.
"Lord Glax, I talked to some people in Athios. You impressed them with your artistic skills!"
Glax had a coughing fit, and Rasmus slapped him on the back that made him cough even more. With tears in his eyes he said,
"Ah, ahem, up the mountains... A long time in the winter."
"Ahh. We don't have many artists in our clan, I was curious. And, they also said that you were able to draw Sillabot perfectly! They commented a lot about your power of observation!"
"Glax is very observant. That's how he always manages to have excellent strategies!" Rasmus exalted his friend.
"I wonder if you already had any knowledge of machines. Your strategy seemed to take many mechanical concepts into account... And you even thought of 'disconnecting the power sources', if I may call it that. How did you name it? Unplugging?'
Glax looked the wizard in the eye, "Lord Oraste, I don't know much about machines. But some things seem obvious even to a mountain man. Just don't spend all the time thinking about crushing and piercing and slashing… You knew the drill."
"You are…"
"Strange?"
"In a good way, I think." Oraste shrugged. "It looks like my Kroton cousins will have a surprise and a great addition to their home."
Glax was pleased to have deflected Oraste's questions. The sorcerer showed curiosity about him, or at least he was more curious than anyone else had ever been.
Later, after they had eaten their meal and returned to sleep in the temple, the Valosians discovered it was literal.
Hyperion's Temple was stately and large, and they were not the only ones who slept on mats between the immense golden marble columns of the temple. A statue several meters high represented *Hyperion*, one of the Ascended Titans. The god was supporting a celestial vault, with three children playing on his shoulders.
Other travelers like them arrived and received a mat from the temple caretakers to sleep on. People gathered in groups to avoid thieves taking their belongings when they sleep. But who would mess with the Champion of Armorion and the Rhoas Sorcerers?
They just had to leave the temple at dawn after a libation to the Ascended God. It was the rule to sleep under the God's celestial roof.
Glax had already had his share of religion for the day and lay down close to the group, as did his fellow adventurer Rasmus. It was a little puzzling that the Rhoas Sorcerer's Grand Master was willing to spend the night sleeping uncomfortably among strangers, but Glax acted like it was a routine for him.
He soon realized that most of them were asleep, but his curious mind was not.
Then he took the small scroll that he had not been able to read the other day, and went over to a source of light.
Under the torch hanging from one of the columns, he read:
'LADY CHRISEIS
YOUR SECRET IS BACK!
YOU LEFT ME IN VICTUM, BUT I RETURNED FROM THE DEAD! OH YEAH! I CAME BACK.
SHOULD WE TALK? I THINK SO.
I WILL BE WAITING FOR YOUR RETURN IN THE CAPITAL.
DON'T IGNORE ME, OR I WILL CRUSH YOUR FAMILY WITH THE TRUTH. YOUR FATHER, YOUR BROTHER ... IT WILL BE THE END OF YOUR SILLY DREAMS!
AH, NOW I AM LIKE YOU!
D. '