"Are you actually going to help me this time" Eos asked quietly, looking down at the lycaon sat next to her.
The Captain of Eos' ride out of here - the young Sokos - had just emerged from the inside of the city - followed by a masked guard. "If Deimos is going to make an untimely appearance, I need to know" the lycaon snorted at her and moved towards the ship – a sign that, Eos hoped, meant the Demi-God was preoccupied.
Laelaps slipped in and out of the shadows of the morning sun, using the crews tired eyes to miss him completely and, essentialy jump aboard the ship before Sokos step foot on it.
And, from what Eos had gathered so far, the crew were just that.
Crew.
They scurried around looking for direction, too scared to act-out, to fight. Most likely they were slaves Sokos had bought or uprooted from homes for no real reason. A bunch of terrified men who might even thank her for taking out the monster that captained and shoved them about.
Sokos, seething over the events of the past few days, had shouted his orders. He wanted the deck and his cabin scrubbed clean. And, from what she could hear of his extensive ramblings, Drakios had indeed not arrived back from his get together with the two finalists.
Eos crouched down.
If Laelaps could take out the masked guard and, put Sokos at an unease, she'd be able to grab at him, bring a point to his throat and then, make him and his crew sail out of the bay.
Then, she'd cut his throat, throw him overboard and, sail back to the mainland.
Where on the main land, she wasn't too sure of.
Of the people Eos sought, she only really knew the location of what was a very complicated Demi-god - which had perhaps been made even more complicated in the recent hours - and, would be even more pissed with himself having let her go when he realised what she intended to do - not to mention, he could turn up at any moment and, ruin everything.
And the others... From what she could gather, Pyros was indeed licking the boot of some Spartan. Where this Spartan was though, she had no clue - Akin hadn't really been all that specific. Melaina - whether she was on her side of Deimos' now - had already promised that they would see each other again so, Eos decided that there was no point in wasting time on that reunion and, finally Glaukos... Now, Glaukos was being that little more ominous.
Although, he did have a thing for history. Ruins. Temples. Tombs. Perhaps she'd have to scour a few of those. Perhaps she should have looked more carefully at Midas' notes to see if his name had ever been mentioned in any of them.
Trailing away from her thoughts, Eos had looked back to the ship. Wherever Laelaps was hiding on it, none of the men seemed to have noticed and, all Eos had to do now was cause a little bit of a distraction.
And, she knew exactly the way to do it.
Sokos. Now, Eos had only ever heard of him but, a certain reputation of his - other than his want to drink - was said to proceed him.
Eos headed towards the ship, the crew glancing at her hastily before going back to their work.
"Captain" Eos said, not giving the man much time to think as he turned around to her. His demeanour changed completely, a wide smile taking over his face as he'd gestured for the masked guard to put away the sword he was drawing from his sheath,
"My lady" he bowed his head, "And what may I do for you", Eos took a tentative step on to the boat,
"You're ship" she put her hands out and turned to look up at the sails, her eyes widening in amazement "It's incredible" Eos told him,
"Well" Sokos shrugged "If this pleases you... I'm sure we could find something much more appropriate... for a woman of your... obvious intellect" Eos smiled,
"Or" Eos turned on her heels to face them, "You could drown yourself and, save me the trouble".
Sokos' face fell and he'd taken a step back, confused as to what she had said and, as the masked guard had raised his sword, Eos had stepped out of the way as something fast and black barrelled in to him, grabbing the man by the throat and vanishing with him over the side of the ship.
Flailing, Sokos had fallen to the floor, given Eos time to grab at the guards fallen sword and, hold the sharp point to Sokos' throat.
"Sail your ship out of the bay" Eos told him,
"What are you" Sokos whispered, his voice catching as he swallowed back a lump in his throat,
Eos shrugged a shoulder,
"I'm back from the dead Sokos. Now..." Eos glanced to the crew, "are you sure you can all afford enough drachmae for the ferryman".
Sokos, still laying on the floor had looked to them, gesturing them to go ahead.
The crew proceeded to rush around, to grab at ropes and shout down in to the depths of the rowers, telling them to make haste, their shakey voices almost inaudible as they scurried around her and Sokos - who she still had at sword-point.
"You won't get away with this" Sokos said. Eos had tilted her head, glancing at something behind him. Just the grin on her face made his eyes widen, his skin prickle.
"Oh, I will" Eos promised him,
"You have no idea who I am. They'll come after you" his voice shook,
"And I'll kill them too", Eos buried the tip of the sword in to his neck, making him choke; the blood rising up through his throat and pooling out of his mouth.
Eos turned around to the now frozen crew, the ship left to hang in the water, each of them staring at the large black wolf that was sat just behind her, it's beady yellow eyes locking with each and every one of them.
"Your captain is dead" Eos told them, gesturing to a still writhing Sokos - nearly dead - "Now, from what I hear, he's not been an all that great one" none of them had a want to admit it just yet. "I can't offer you much" Eos told them, "but, I can offer you your lives and your freedom" - which was much more than what they'd had before. "Once I'm back on the main land, you can take the ship, change it's banner, leave Greece" she shrugged, "Stay, and get sunk by one of his troublesome friends" it was honestly up to them "Or" Eos suggested "you can stand there and he can eat you" Eos had looked to the lycaon along with the rest of the men.
Laelaps licked his lips.
The men, secretly relieved but, still terrified, decided that dying by lycaon wasn't for them.
And, as they'd sailed out of the bay, Laelaps had looked back, tilting his head as he'd spotted some familiar looking figures on the docks. If he'd had hands, he would have taken great pleasure in waving at the Demi-god - who had his hand on the scruff of some poor merchant - and the rest of Sokos' men who couldn't understand why it was their Captain had left them.
***
Eos, although not much of a Captain, had watched from the Captains deck most of the time, looking up at the sails as they blew in the wind.
A ship like this - sturdy, stocky - it'd come in handy getting around the likes of Greece but, Eos was no Kassandra.
She didn't have friends in high places, or the drachmae to spare on the hungry crew. Even if she didn't kill them, unless they took some sort of their own initiative, they may very well die of starvation.
Although, there did seem to be one who was just that little more confident than the rest, who seemed to look over and stare that little too much, as if he had a will to say something but couldn't.
Eventually, she'd had enough of it.
"Come here" Eos said the next time she locked eyes with him. The man had mumbled something, not wanting to go much closer to her but, the lycaon brushed past his leg and he jumped, stumbling backwards before he fell on to his hands and knees and scrambled over to her, small sobs coming from his mouth as he clapped his hands together, ready to beg for his life if needed,
"Please. Please. I... I'll... I'll stop staring... I... I",
"Just shut up" Eos leaned over the small barrier, "What's your name",
"Leiandros".
Eos had never met a man so unlike his given name.
Except for Kallinos.
"Leiandros. Do you know who I am",
The man stuttered something, about not being worldly, about being sorry once more, about not knowing much outside the ship.
Eos glanced at Laelaps. He'd had his doubts at first too but, it seemed they'd been laid to rest.
"Now Leiandros. Have you ever heard of the cult of Kosmo" she asked him. Leiandros looked up at her, started to shake his head but, the feeling of the lycaon taking a step closer to him made him stop. He glanced over at Sokos who was still lying on the deck and nodded quickly, "And the rest of you" Eos asked, looking over to them. None of them replied but, all of their faces told her what she needed to know.
Eos looked to Laelaps.
They weren't cultists, weren't anywhere near the inside, that was obvious. They were indeed just men that Sokos had bought - Spartan, Athenian, a Persian or two. Men who had only heard the whispers of the guards who'd kept them in line, had been told that Kosmo would strike them down if they did not do as they were told.
Just more victims in a world of corruption.
"What is it you wanted to say Leiandros" Eos asked after she'd looked over the crew again,
"Well, there's a... there's a port in Arkadia... the smugglers port" he stammered, he and the other men had heard her talking to the black wolf, about where it was they should port, the wolf looking as if it was generally intrigued with what it was she was saying. "It'd be a great place to dock that... it's quiet... the people are quiet..." he looked back at one of the older crew mates, "Petros wife... she... she lives there... she... she could find us safe passage in", Leinadros put his head down again, his hands still clasped together, "Please... we just thought... that... maybe..." he trailed off.
After a moment, and sharing a glance with Laelaps, Eos nodded.
Arkadia it was.
By the time they were nearing dry land, a few of the men had found the courage to thank Eos for what she'd done; telling her that they'd been sold as slaves in the years passed, that they'd been up-rooted from their homes to fight in the war and, some had even been mercenaries, promised a good life and instead, been whipped in to shape by the creeps who pranced around in masks.
Some of them also wanted to leave their days of sailing behind them.
Now. Like anything Eos did. Letting them all live would be a risk. Once she was gone, they'd be free to talk and do whatever it was they wanted but, although the lycaon hated the thought just as much as she did, killing them would only bubble up that sinking feeling of regret...
And, she doubted it'd take much longer for the cult to get wind of her anyway.
If they didn't know already.
Which is why, she decided that it was up to them to choose what it was they wanted to do with their lives. Especially as that's all she wanted for her own.
The ship docked at the smugglers port just after night fall.
Some of the men had made their goodbyes quick, glad to be away from the water; Petros had reunited with a very old woman and, those that were left, had begun to pull apart the sails. Leiandros, despite how flinchy he was, seemed to have taken charge and, had pulled out a set of tattered blue sails from beneath the deck, claiming them to be enough to get passed the likes of the Octopus, if they were to come across her in open water.
And she didn't feel like sinking a ship that day.
Which Eos had learned from Sokos – whose body had been thrown in to the sea a little while before docking – was bridging the gap between Thera and Anaphi.
Having left them too it, Eos had turned to Laelaps as they'd made their way in to the surrounding forest.
"I feel like we should head towards the Olympics" he'd tilted his head at her as they walked, "Kassandra had that Olympic champion on her boat" Eos reminded him, "And, if we're going to find Pyros. Perhaps we need to see if she has a lead on any cultists that are skulking around Sparta".
Laelaps tilted his head the other way, thinking about it.
"But first" Laelaps glanced over at her, "I will make us a fire and" she pointed at him, "you can go find us a nice piece of venison", Laelaps snorted. No he didn't, she could find it herself. "You owe me" Eos stopped and Laelaps turned on his furry heals to face her, ready to argue but, "That shit you pulled in Melos. With Deimos. You owe me the meatiest stag you can sink your teeth in to".
Now, Laelaps had knew that Eos had needed some sort of boost. Some sort of reminder of what it was she was fighting for - for those moments that gave you some sort of happiness in a world as chaotic and painful as this one. But, using Deimos, however effective it was, had been the biggest risk Laelaps had - and would ever - take on Eos' life.
Which meant that it didn't take much more convincing for the lycaon to do her bidding.
***
Deimos looked up at the great olive tree of Herakles. His hands were filthy but - whether Akin had really loved Asphodel or not - the tree was a love they'd both shared and, now, they could reminisce under it.
It hadn't taken long for Deimos to find another ship back to the main land. The oricalchum had helped in that regard.
The thieving merchant - well, he was dead.
And now, Athens awaited him.
Kleon, it seemed, had already heard of the miss-happenings and, had wanted an update.
The Athenian leader, laying amongst his fine wines and dinners, had been all smiles as the Demi-god had sat down in front of him.
"I assume our little problem has been sorted" Kleon had said as he'd picked a grape out from one of his bowls, Deimos nodded. "Good. Then I have your full attention", he wiggled his finger in the air and a servant girl came over, pouring some wine in to the goblet he held up to her. She filled another herself and placed it down next to Deimos. "What happened at Melos" Kleon asked, "I heard Sokos had some mishaps with his crew",
"Mutiny" Deimos told him, "Crew killed him and took the ship for themselves",
"A bunch of sewer rats" Kleon asked, raising a brow,
"Sokos drunk more than any man" Deimos leaned back, shrugged his shoulders, "Only had to knock him over the edge",
"And I assume you... dealt with them" Kleon asked, not particularly bothered,
"No. They sail under a different banner now. We did find an old straggler" Deimos told him, "Admitted to the whole thing" – who Deimos had took a pleasure in drowning.
"So. What you are telling me; is that a bunch of worthless men are sailing one of our ships like prancing little ponies",
"And you - are telling me" Deimos pointed to himself, "that Asterion and the Octopus cannot deal with them themselves",
"Asterion has been... compromised... by your sister", Kleon liked to remind him regularly of the problems his 'sister' was causing them. Something Deimos felt mighty happy to deal with - had they let him.
"You should just let me kill her" Deimos shrugged a shoulder. Kleon sighed,
"Well, it's good to see that your sentimentality has worn off" Deimos leaned back some more, furrying his brow, "But then, how did the reunion with our dear Akin go".
"Well, if you knew where he was, you know where he is now" Deimos said, he picked up the wine and looked at it, seeming as unbothered as Kleon did about Sokos.
"Yes. Under the tree of Herakles" Kleon leaned forward as Deimos' mouth turned to a line, he placed the goblet back on the floor.
How much else did they know.
"I understand you were close; once but, do you not think it a little too soft. Akin would have had plenty of room in the unmarked pits back in Melos - and, it's what he deserved" Kleon looked up and clicked his fingers, the servant girl coming over again and refilling his cup. "Bad investment is what it was really" Kleon held his cup in the air, "Eos" he toasted to first. Deimos held his tongue. "Asphodel. Kallinos. Akin. Melaina..." he sighed, "Now, you wouldn't know where she was, would you".
Kleon took the moody silence as a no.
The servant girl had taken few tentative steps towards Deimos, to re-fill his cup, only to realise it was still full. "Oh, do not mind him my girl. Blood and violence are the only thing he can get drunk off" Kleon stood up, looking down at the Demi-god who hadn't bothered to look at him, "Which reminds me. Our forces are slowly penetrating Messenia. They could use your... expertise" Kleon suggested. "Oh, and you may also come across our little firecracker" Kleon turned away from him, "Now, that one is almost as good an investment as you are".
Kleon downed what was left in his goblet and left Deimos to his thoughts.
So that's where Pyros had slipped of too - not a Spartan boot, but an Athenian one.