The battle between the two fierce little pirate ships was, to say the least, very… anti-climactic. It was nothing like the naval battles Eos had heard off but still; as they drifted closer and closer to Melos, and frighteningly closer to the obsidian rocks that lay beneath the sea, the Captain was too occupied with the arrows and spears that were gutting men on either side and, throwing them overboard.
It was as Eos and Laelaps watched the arrows tear through the sails and, the Captain claim that they had the upper hand and the only way to finish them off was to ram themselves in to them, Laelaps – who already felt as if he was going to vomit – had nudged Eos and threw his head up at the mass before he'd closed his eyes, trying to imagine himself on land.
A chain from the attacking ship had been flung in to the air, clinging on to the centre of the mass and splintering the wood. The impact of the two ships colliding would cause it to fall, making it entangle itself with the sinking ship and, Eos and the lycaon did not want to experience the aftermath of that.
Whipping the blue pouch off the waist of the Captain – she had no doubt it had been stolen from some rich man anyway – Eos jumped as the ships collided and the ships mass' fell atop each other. Laelaps had hesitated but, being so close to the edge, the impact had thrown him over too, landing him in the water next to her.
Freeing her arm from its sling desperately, Eos began to swim. It ached at first but, the water caressed it, supported it and, even as she shuddered at the cold, the lycaon swimming beside her urged her on. The sand was in sight, the waves crashing against the beach caught her, pulling her in, pushing her out, dragging her under but, the lycaon grabbed on to her cloak and pulled her out from underneath, dragging her on to the shore.
Eos lay on the black sand, closing her eyes and taking some deep breaths, hearing the lycaon snort and rub himself on the ground next to her. She grabbed at her pocket, finding the blue pouch safely tucked away amongst her robes.
"Laelaps" she rolled over, using one arm to push herself up in to a kneel, "we should go" she told him, "whatever is in this pouch" she took it out of her pocket and threw it on the sand in front of her, "I feel as it a sinking ship would not sway them from pursuing it". The lycaon, who was now lying on his side whined, as if asking her why she had taken it in the first place, Eos smiled, "There's not much to hunt here than clouds of ash. Do not want to starve, do you".
The lycaon snorted from his place in the sand and Eos stood up, turning around to the two ships. They'd started to sink, caught on the rocks. The men screaming and shouting as they jumped.
"We definitely need to go" Eos said.
By the time the two of them had reached the inner city, except for the smell of wet dog, Eos had been dried by the Greek sun and, the place was bustling with the sounds of battle. From the looks of it, it still seemed to be a couple of weeks away but, the crowds had already started to gather.
"Fancy making this easy and just smelling him out like you did Melaina" Eos said, looking to the lycaon who'd disguised himself amongst some shrubbery, she heard a small snort and then carried on herself, leaving the lycaon to it and walking down in to the market square.
Opening the pouch, it was filled with a little drachmae and some bits of bluish ore. Orichalcum. It was rare as hell and, she didn't even know if it was useable any other place than that merchants shop in Phokis but, it was worth a try.
The first merchant she went to had looked at it stupid, asking her what in Hades it was – as had the second - but, the third had been a little intrigued. Swearing to only have one piece, she had exchanged it for some dark grey robes and then, used the drachmae to buy some dried meat for when the lycaon returned to her.
Chewing on it a little herself, she stumbled past the infamous Drakios, yelling the praises of the battle of a hundred hands and, the glory that would ensue - if one was to win. Avoiding the mans eyes, Eos found her way to the entrance of the battleground. As much as she had faith in the lycaon, if Laelaps was unsuccessful, perhaps she'd just have to put the word out for a brutishly strong mercenary and see if Akin's ego brought him to her.
It wouldn't be that difficult though. As the sun started to set, Eos spotted the lycaon in the shadows and, an even bigger one behind him.
---
"I feel as if I should be surprised" Deimos said, glancing behind him as he slowed his horse in to a trot, his hoplite and the other men who accompanied him turning their heads to their backs, wondering who it was he spoke to "Leave me" Deimos said to them, "Tell them their champion will grace them soon enough", his hoplite had nodded his head slowly, glancing at the other men who quickly did the same and then rode on. "Does she know of your broken promises" Deimos asked once they were out of earshot, looking to the shadows amongst the trees, "or, are you really like the rats who have nothing, but a greed for what others have",
"Can you blame me" Melaina asked,
"She would have given every moment to you willingly, I am sure" Deimos said, he looked back to the road as Melaina stepped out,
"Not every moment" Melaina said quietly. She took a deep breath. That was not why she was here. The past she and Eos shared, despite Eos' want to save her, a want that wasn't reasonable, it wasn't why she was here. Melaina took a deep breath, "Things such as that do not matter anymore",
"It does not" Deimos said, he turned his horse towards her, "What matters-" Melaina interrupted him and he gritted his teeth,
"What matters is that Eos will find herself in so much chaos that it will destroy her",
"Does that not make my life easier" Deimos asked, he smiled,
"We both know that is not the truth" Melaina said quietly,
"The truth" he smirked and threw his head back, looking to the sky, "Do you even know the meaning of the word",
"The meaning is not important. What is, is that Eos is on her way to Melos", Deimos looked at her, his brow raised,
"What are you playing at Melaina" Deimos asked, "Where do your loyalties lie",
"My head is much clearer now… I have seen the truth" Melaina turned away from him, her fingers fiddling with the air, "The Gods blessed me with a true sight before. A sight that I used against them" she spun around, "I know I must now make up for it".
"And" Deimos shrugged a shoulder, "If I kill you now, will your Gods save you", Melaina put her hands together,
"I suspect not but, you will not kill me" Melaina said. Deimos smiled and leaned forward on his horse,
"And how are you so sure of that" he felt the horse shudder beneath him and he sat up straight, "Did the Gods show you that too",
"No. But, if you wanted me dead; you would have done it already. If you wanted Eos dead, she would never have escaped",
"You know nothing" Deimos spat, he reared his horse and circled around her, Melaina stayed put.
"I know that she is on Akins trail. We both know that his pride will kill him. It might also kill her too",
"Then why tell her where he was" Deimos asked, a small ounce of care in his voice before he went stern again. Melaina turned to meet his gaze, confused. "You do not think I know" Deimos said, "You can find anyone. You've known where he was all along", Melaina glanced away, silent, "I bet you knew where Affy was too" Deimos said quietly, smirking as he leaned back a little, "I bet you knew what they did to her",
"No" Melaina shook her head, her hands starting to shake – he was trying to get a rise out of her, trying to play with her – "I-",
"So all that time I thought you were looking, you were not. You left her to the mercy of the people you run from now" Deimos said,
"Stop" she sputtered, swallowing back the lump in her throat,
"Or" Deimos made his horse step passed her, again facing the road his men had ridden down, "Did you have a hand in it" Deimos asked, "We all know how jealous you were of her to…",
"I would never…" Melaina trailed off, squeezing her eyes shut to stop the tears that would fall,
"And Eos" Deimos asked, his voice that little softer for a moment before he glanced back, "Did you know that she still walked on the plains of the living. Were all those words, all those… Was it just an act to you",
"No" Melaina choked, "No", she caught his eye – he believed her – if only then, he believed her.
"Why tell me where she is if you do not want her dead" Deimos asked, "Why tell me that Akins pride might be what kills her",
"Because" Melaina swallowed back another sob and took a deep breath, composing herself. She'd had to see if there was any hope in what Eos wanted for Deimos and, maybe, just maybe there was, she took another quick breath, "because you must decide what you will do with it. Pursue her. Leave her. Kill her. Just know that your decisions are meaningful" Deimos grinned, shaking his head but, Melaina was not finished, "Your choices will impact your fait". Deimos turned to her,
"My fait has been sealed, my destiny-",
"If that is what you believe, perhaps we are all the lost children of Kosmo" Deimos stopped, turning to the road again.
After a moment, he turned his horse to face her again,
"You… " Deimos' words trailed away.
Melaina was gone.
As if she was truly a rat that would scurry beneath your feet.
Deimos chose not to go after her. It would be pointless. She did not have what he needed.
Deimos rode in to Attika, towards the Agora, only to follow the path of the crowd that had gathered, his men trying in vain to quiet them. At the sight of him, the crowd separated, turning their faces to look at the floor, their hands shaking and their voices small
Inside the house his men pushed the crowd back against, held a scene he could almost say he was used too. A body lay on the floor, mutilated, broken. Deimos knelt next to them; her tongue had been pulled from her mouth, her eyes torn out and, her torture had been cut short, a sword through the eye socket and in to the back of the skull.
Whoever Melaina was loyal too, it was no longer the eye of Kosmo.
Deimos stood up, turning around to find the almighty Kleon,
"This is not your sisters work" Kleon told him, as if Deimos could not think for himself. He stepped over, looking down at the woman, "If I was a…. suspicious man… I may say it was yours" Kleon looked over at Deimos, at the slightly twisted face he was pulling, he smiled, "But, I am not" Kleon assured him, he patted him on the back and Deimos gritted his teeth, "And, I am sure your capable of finding the one who did" Kleon said, "You may take leave from us champion" Deimos stared in to the candle light – as if he needed permission "But, I expect you not to forget our little… arrangement… We'll need you when it begins" Kleon hated to admit it but, Deimos did have his uses and, he was worth about thirty Athenian brutes. "Well, I'll make sure I inform the others. You did wonderfully with Klitos by the way. I assume no one will find the body" Kleon said before he left, leaving Deimos staring off in to the dying flames.
"Melos" Deimos said to himself, "Melos is where I'll find them".