Simple, my ass. Odysseus simply left Troy for home and look where it got him.
“Can you even tell me what the treasure is?”
“And spoil the surprise? Wouldn’t think of it!”
“Fine! What condition did he impose?”
“Took me a bit of negotiation. Hephaestus wanted to test you with a major opponent before getting the treasure. I wasn’t sure what’s on his mind, but I finally convinced him to have the test after you get the reward. That way, you get to try it out!”
“Let me clarify first. The major opponent comes after getting it. So that means there are obstacles I have to attend to before reaching the treasure.”
“Exactly, it wouldn’t be right not to put anything in your path. Too easy. Too ungodlike. Don’t worry. You can take care of them.”
“Them? Can I take my men with me?”
“Nope. Your quest, your problem. Wouldn’t do for them to die on a solo quest.”
“What if I die?”
“You know, I also asked him that same question. He said if you die, then you're not worth his gift. So, armor up!”
“What if I don’t accept the quest? There’s the danger of bodily harm and imminent demise, you know.”
“Then you don’t get the item which may enable you to handle Ares! True, he hates the war god but tradition is important.”
“Nothing comes easy in dealing with you gods. As usual, you left me with no choice.”
“Hey, don’t lump me with them. Already went out of my way to help you out. Anyway, he said the final test wouldn’t be that difficult.”
“So how do I do this? I can’t read those scratches.”
“Leave it to me, mageling. Will even take you there. But don’t expect me to take an active part later on. I am but a watcher.”
"Watcher, my foot."
Dionysus simply smiled in a beatific manner which creeped out Tyler.
“Before we leave, young mage. A bit of warning. You may have the opportunity later on to meet the god of crafts. Be polite, that goes without saying. But never, ever call him a tinkerer.”
“Why is that?”
“He considers himself an artist. Being called a tinkerer is very insulting. At least to him. Upsets him. Nobody, and I mean, nobody, does upset better than him.”
“I thought that would be Zeus. With his thunderbolts.”
“Hephaestus is worse. Thunderbolts can only hit a person or an area one at a time. Mr. Artist works in volcanoes. Had been doing it for millennia. By now, he knows every major bit of rock with the potential to explode. And if he really gets upset…”
“Message understood, Dio. No upsetting the volcano man.”
The two left the inn in a carriage, with Tyler in full armor and equipment, together with a waterskin and a sack of provisions. Dionysus assured him they couldn’t be magically tracked while he was present. Dionysus himself drove the carriage from inside the transport. After a couple of hours away from the city, they stopped and dismounted. Tyler was told they now get to walk. To his mind, that was unfair. Dionysus had an entirely different definition of walking. It meant floating a few inches above the ground. Nor did the deity appear to be affected by the heat or the humidity. Tyler believed he had marched his wonderful breakfast away already.
The only consolation was that their time together enabled Tyler to show the dead night-mage’s runic plates to the deity. But even Dionysus was stumped. He hasn't seen those kinds of sigils before. He was sure they weren’t Norse nor Greek. He surmised they were either Sumerian or Akkadian symbols.
Finally, they reached a deep gorge.
“Let me guess. I am supposed to get down there.”
“I knew you were a bright boy! But there should be a narrow trail somewhere.”
Tyler groaned. Trust Dio not to be specific. Specific, as in, there! Right between those funny colored rocks! Or, there! I placed an entrance sign to make it easier for you!
It took him around thirty minutes of checking behind every bush that lined the ridge to find the beginnings of the dirt trail. A narrow, sometimes barely discernible and in places, dangerously sheer, path. Fortunately, he made it down to the bottom of the gorge in one piece. Though at times the sight of small rocks falling into the chasm as he passed was a disconcerting sight. And he found Dionysus waiting for him in the middle of the gorge, right in front of the mouth of a cave. Tyler really thought it was inconceivably unfair.
“You know Dio, this is really wrong. You get to magically travel while I sweat and worry myself on the way down here,” he panted.
“Not my quest,” mischievously smiled the deity.
“I know. It’s the nerves and tiredness talking.”
Dionysus guffawed.
“Rest for a bit before we enter that cave.”
“Hey, thanks! Never thought of doing that!” Tyler sarcastically replied.
The deity laughed again. At least, he’s got a sense of humor. Not at my expense, I hope.
While he rested, he took a bite to eat and surveyed the gorge. The area in front of the cave appeared to be the widest in the chasm. A good fifty feet across in his estimation. The canyon itself looked to be a long and thin fissure. He couldn’t see both ends of it. While he was resting, he saw Dionysus walking about and looking around the area.
“Anything interesting, Dio?”
“Nope, wondering how the gorge came to be. First time I’ve seen it. Strange, I have been in Akrotiri for a long time, and this natural feature escapes my attention. Anyway, ready, young mage?”
“As I’ll ever be. But we didn’t bring any torches. It must be dark inside.”
“No need. Been told some light is available inside.”
“I hope so,” he answered as he made his way into the cave. Activating his staff-generated shield, he took a last look around the canyon. It was already around early afternoon. He hoped he could be out of the cave before the last of the daylight disappears.
Entering the cave, it was dark at first with illumination being provided by the light of the day at his back. Dionysus was nowhere to be seen. After the cave veered right, he saw that the path was lit by some greenish light tinged with a yellow glow. Tyler couldn’t tell if it came from the rocks or the moss which covered parts of the tunnel’s walls. The passageway meandered, and at times, he could see puddles of water along the route.
Eventually, he came to a large hollow. It was almost as large as Hrun’s hideaway. Except for the cave's ceiling, it was not as high nor grand. At the far end was a stone altar with a small chest on top of it. Four man-sized hoplite statues, two on each side, flanked the podium.
This is so cliché! I know this trope! You step into the cavern, and the statues attack you. This feels like a 1960's fantasy movie script.
He didn’t immediately move forward and stayed within the passageway. The statues and the altar were visible from where he was. The brighter illumination of that part of the cave did help. But he didn’t want to leave anything to the chance that the figures were animated guardians.
With his ability, he prepared four triangle-shaped spear blades and made them twice as large as the usual spearheads. Infusing a small amount of fire, he launched the projectiles against the statutes. His aim had improved. All blades hit their targets, one for each statue.
As the projectiles hit, the small explosions and the resulting dust made it difficult for him at first to gauge the results. He waited for a while until the dust settled. He was sure the figures were destroyed. It did appear that they were stone figures based on the flying and rolling chunks resulting from the explosion.
After the dust cleared, the mage saw that the statues were indeed destroyed. Two had the lower part of their legs still standing. Slowly, he peeked at the sides of the cavern flanking the passageway’s entrance. Nothing was there except the rock walls of the cavern. A careful look around also revealed no enemies, more statues or anything remotely promising danger. He placed a shield barrier around him, in addition to the o
ne generated by the staff. He looked again. The way appeared to be clear.
Tentatively, he placed a foot on the cavern floor. Nothing happened. He then entered the cavern and stopped. Still, nothing happened. Only the swirling eddies of the remaining dust in the air disturbed the scene. Taking a deep breath, he carefully walked in the direction of the chest. He was surprised when nothing tried to kill or eat him when he finally reached the altar.
The small casket was the size of a shoebox and lacked ornamentation of any sort. Nor did a lock or a clasp mar its simplicity. From the color, he assumed it to be made of gold. Unless the god of fires and artisans was a cheapskate mean enough to provide a gold-painted wooden container for a supposedly divine artifact. He looked around the stone podium and at the chest. Nothing appeared out of the ordinary.
He thought about opening the chest and decided on safety. Finding a space between the altar and the wall of the cavern, Tyler chose to position himself there. He dropped his waterskin and food sack. The mage was now facing the tunnel, and let his left hand hold the staff. With his right hand, he touched the casket. When nothing happened, he turned it around so its front faced him. It was a bit heavy for such a small strongbox. He opened it. Inside was a metal bracer, of a dull black color. He could see that the surface of the metal was full of abstract carvings and small depictions of what he assumed were Greek gods. Except for the inside part, not a single inch remained free of the decorative reliefs. After looking at it closely, he placed the staff in the crook of his left arm and wore the bracer on his right. It fit perfectly.
Now holding his staff with his right hand, he started to walk towards the exit. Then he had to stop. He could see the walls in front of him starting to cave in. Rocks were falling off the wall where the passageway was located as well as from the left and right walls of the cavern. Thankfully, he could see that nothing of the sort was happening with the wall at his back. He strengthened the barrier around him while waiting for whatever is going to emerge from the changing rock faces. He still couldn’t see anything as the dusty aftermath made it impossible to know.
Oddly, he could hear the clanking of metal gears. The ground vibrated. He took a step back. As he watched, six metal figures emerged from the dust cloud. They looked like animatronic versions of Greek heavy hoplites. Though they gleamed in a dull silver color. Each armed with lowered spear and metallic aspis, they closed shields and started to march towards him. His escape was effectively blocked.
Immediately, he flung at them the same magical blades he earlier used against the stone warriors. But in his hurry, he forgot to infuse them with their fiery content. The six blades merely cracked loudly into pieces when it hit something in front of the mechanical men. They’ve got magical shields! He quickly stepped back into the space between the wall and the altar. Tyler believed that its stone base would provide some element of cover while he launched more magical attacks. He was thankful that the automata were very slow compared to human warriors. Whether it was just a question of long unused gears starting to move or a permanent characteristic was a matter he didn’t wait to be answered.
On his offensive choices, he quickly decided against fireballs. Hephaestus was also the Greek god of fire, according to Dionysus. He would have made his creations fireproof, at least to some extent. He cast three strong lightning bolts in quick succession. The first two apparently hit some barrier when they struck with spectacular sparkling explosions. But the third hit one of the middle automata and the creations being made of some metal, it spread from one to another in a dazzling electrical display. But he could see minimal damage had been done. Though the now smoking metallic warriors were obviously staggered by the attack.
Shield breached! He exulted and cast another lightning bolt. The bolt struck one metal hoplite and then proceeded to electrocute all of them. The warriors stopped. Tyler then followed up with six triangular blades infused with fire. The targeted projectiles flew unerringly towards their prey, flawlessly hitting each on the torso area. The blades effortlessly penetrated and then exploded inside the metal warriors. Though the blasts were smaller, the results were no less spectacular. Colorful blossoms of yellow and red loudly erupted from the holes made by the blades.
When he saw what was going to happen, Tyler quickly ducked behind the stone altar. The air filled with flying shrapnel from the exploding automata, mingled with small gears and sprockets. An airborne metal head, a limb or two, all added to the raucously clanking mess. The dust in the air thickened and worsened. He had to cover his nose to prevent it from being clogged. He kept his head down. After a while, the dust again settled, and he took a peek at the cavern.
Dionysus was standing in the middle of the metallic rubble.
“Good job! I knew you had it in you, my boy!”
Tyler stood up and walked towards him.
“Is this it? They became alive, if that’s the word, after I got this.” He lifted his right arm, showing off the bracer.
“Excellent! You wore it already!”
“What does it do?”
Dionysus took a long look at him and then howled with laughter, mixing with hooting.
“You mean you didn’t notice?” That set off another bout of hilarity.
“What was I supposed to notice? I had six of these mechanical hoplites after me!”
“You know Tyler, you really are funny!”
Hey. He said my real name again.
“My dear boy, these are not mere mechanical hoplites. Those were very fast mechanical hoplites!”
“Nope. They were slow. Thankfully, very slow. Must have been stored for a long time.”
“They’re new! He created them just for this quest!” said the deity, in another session of mirth.
“You’re joking?”
“You’re lucky I am not. That bracer greatly slows down the actions of anyone, and I mean anyone, who takes a hostile action against you! Course some energy into it, and it becomes better at what it is supposed to do. Oh, it can also project a hoplon shield, larger and much lighter than the usual, when you will it to do so. Clever, right?”
“Well, if you look at it that way, a dual-purpose item is indeed a cleverly designed artifact. My utmost thanks and appreciation to the maker!” He threw in the last sentence in case Hephaestus was listening. Craftsmen can be so vain about their skills in making their creations. He doubted if the god was an exception.
“So! This means the quest is over, right?”
“No comment!” said Dionysus as he disappeared.
“AW, FREAK THIS! HEY! COME BACK HERE, DIO! YOU SAID ONE MAJOR OPPONENT AFTER GETTING THE ITEM. ONE! NOT TWO OR MORE! I ALREADY DEALT WITH SIX! I DIDN’T SIGN ON FOR AN OBSTACLE COURSE! COME BACK HERE!”
Chapter Lore:
Hephaestus - Ancient Greek. The Greek god of fire, metalworking, forges, craftsmanship, and other similar work. A son of Hera, he was thrown away as a baby because of a deformity in his foot. He eventually got back at Hera and became a Greek god. Married to Aphrodite. Also famous for his automata creations.
Hypnos – Ancient Greek. The god of sleep.
Chapter IV
Along Came a Spider
Tyler stared at the spot where Dionysus disappeared. He knew the quest was not going to be easy, but the whole thing didn’t sit well with him. Or he may be more tired than he thought. His fuse was quite short.
Well, this quite the situation. I did hope those hoplite robots was the primary obstacle. Nah. Come to think of it, they were not difficult to deal with once I had the bracer, he thought to himself.
He went to a wall and sat down, using it to support his back. It was starting to ache.
I left the water and food outside. Shit. Wonder what's waiting for me. Well, let them wait for their entertainment.
He looked around the dim chamber. Aside from the metallic debris and the opened casket, nothing seemed out of place. He relaxed.
"Hal?"
"I am here, Elder."
"You saw what happened?"
"Yes, Elder. The deity who gifted you with the armlet appeared to have some primitive knowledge about robotics."
"Primitive?"
"His creations appear to lack imagination and finesse. But I suppose that’s what he gets for being the product of his time."
"Is that smugness I observe?"
"I wouldn’t know, Elder. This form is quite basic, as I have told you."
"Do you have any idea what the final obstacle will be?"
"Unfortunately, no. But I am surprised you didn’t use your affinity with this world's energy to detect it. His creations, automata they may be, are powered by such energies. It makes them vulnerable and limited in that aspect. Not to mention the forms adopted by their maker."
"Really, Hal? That's what I call a denigrating comment. Also, you didn’t tell me about being able to detect such energy."
"It appeared obvious, Elder. With your affinity and the concentration of energy needed to power such assemblies, you should be able to feel other masses of energy. Their power signatures are quite different and distinct from the environment."
"And you didn’t think to tell me?"
"As I informed you, Elder, you need to ask the right question to get the information you need. My processes are not sufficiently advanced to take an active role. But the information may already be available to you. It’s but a question of your ability to access and comprehend them."
"Forget it. Without the other tablets, we are both in the dark. But you really need to level up. So how do I access this ability?”
"It’s not an ability. More an extension of your affinity. The range may be limited. Depending on your affinity level. Your awareness need only be attuned to your search along the energy wave."
“Thanks, Hal. Will give it a try.”
With that, the construct became quiet and presumably withdrew to its place within Tyler's consciousness.
Tyler loosened up, took several deep breaths, and tried to feel the energy around him. Nothing. The power was around him. It was part of the world. He realized he just committed the same elementary mistake he made back in Maljen.
Gifts of the Greeks Page 6
