Gifts of the Greeks

by Edmund A. M. Batara

“You sure about this? A few minutes ago, you were fighting it to the death. And now?” said Dionysus in an unbelieving tone.

  “Just do it. It’s not his fault he went after me.”

  “If you say so. I hope you know what you're doing!”

  Dionysus focused on the dying snake and made a peculiar gesture with his hands.

  "My thanks, human. You are a strange yet powerful example of your kind."

  "I can’t let a sentient creature die just like that. At your condition, you already were no threat to me."

  "I am deeply grateful and in your debt. Me and my kin. It will take Ares a long time to get another ring. Until that time comes, none of my kind will act against you. What is your name, mortal?"

  "I am called Havard."

  "Call me Palirroia. But we both know those are not our real names."

  Again, Tyler was shocked. How many of these deities and creatures know that Havard is not my real name?

  "Why do you say that?"

  "We are ancient creatures. We have our secrets that even gods don't know and will never know."

  "I apologize for my initial impression of you. The stories don’t encourage a neutral attitude towards your kind."

  "Ah! The stories spread by Kadmos, the thief."

  "Thief? The story goes that one of your kind attacked his men while they were in the spring of Ares."

  "Why would Kadmos go with a column of soldiers to a spring known to be dedicated to Ares? He knew the guardian was there. He was not to be found when his men attacked my ancestor. Of course, my ancestor was already sated and sleeping when he rolled that boulder down from the cliff. He sacrificed his men. Feed them to the guardian."

  "Why am I not surprised?"

  "You’re starting to open your eyes, young mage. Those who lived, tell the stories and legends. Which in turn, gets more twisted in the telling."

  "Where will you go now?"

  "Back to my kind. You defeated Minis. It wouldn't surprise Ares that you defeated me."

  "Go in peace, Palirroia. May you find your kin in good health."

  "Polite and decent for a human. A transcendental mage at that. Farewell to you too. May you find what you are looking for."

  The great snake turned and with some difficulty, crawled back the way it came.

  Transcendental? What did it mean by that?

  “I usually wouldn’t deign to question your decision, young man, but could you explain why you let it go?” Dionysus asked. In a slightly exasperated tone.

  “It asked for mercy.”

  “It did? But how were you able to…”

  Tyler raised his right hand, the plain thin gold ring on it.

  “Oh. The ring of Ares. I should have known.”

  “It’s a sentient creature. Forced to do the binding of Ares. I have already defeated it. It begged for mercy. Who am I not to grant it?”

  Dionysus looked at him.

  “You are a strange mortal, young mage. Full of extremes and surprises. Sometimes quick to anger, ruthless against your enemies, yet not adverse to mercy. You can snatch victory from impossible situations, and yet the glory does not give rise to arrogance. The power you now wield is far beyond any mortal mage, yet it does not corrupt you. You know you are being used, but you continue, with eyes open. I wonder what else young Havard has in store for this world?”

  Tyler just gave the deity a quick smile.

  “And the ending of this drama has disappointed some of your audience,” the deity continued.

  A soft glow appeared beside Dionysus. As it expanded and then dispersed in little motes of light, a figure remained. It was a tall man with the head of a bird.

  In his right hand was a thin wooden staff, on top of which was the small carving of the head of an animal. With a tanned skin, all he wore was a piece of richly decorated white cloth wrapped around his loins. A wide necklace of colored stones was around his neck. He gave Tyler a quick nod.

  “The god Thaut of Egypt. Sometimes referred to as Thoth,” introduced Dionysus. Tyler gave the being a quick bow.

  Another glow appeared. But this time, it was a dark one and flashed before disappearing. A humanoid figure of mist appeared. All Tyler could see were two glowing eyes and the multiple horns which crowned its head. The being oozed fear and a feeling of imminent destruction. The mage quickly decided against bowing. The hell I am going to bow! He could feel the evil aura of the god.

  “And the god Supay of the Incas,” said Dionysus.

  Dionysus then looked up.

  “Is anybody still coming? No?”

  The deity turned to Supay as the figure spoke. The voice was like a grating whisper, tinged with cold clammy tendrils.

  “They prefer to watch. As of now.”

  “They came all the way out here, and they prefer to stay in the shadows. That’s mighty gracious of them,” said Dionysus.

  “Be careful, wine god. Momentous matters are at stake here,” said Supay.

  “What momentous matters? It’s just a mortal on a quest. He attracted the hostility of Ares, true, but doesn’t that happen on these journeys?”

  “Maybe. But for a mortal to enjoy the blessings of two pantheons, that is not an insignificant matter. More so when the mortal appears to be quite powerful for his race.”

  “Skaney and Hellas are neighbors. His presence here is of Ares' doing. Nothing here is worth the attention of all these gods.”

  “Again, maybe. But we will have to keep watch,” Supay emphasized.

  Dionysus looked at Thaut who was silent throughout the exchange.

  Tyler for his part stole a glance at Jorund and Habrok. The two were standing their ground, still in battle stances.

  But he could see Habrok's pale face and trembling legs. Jorund, on the other hand, had his battleaxe at the ready though his face was also pale. His mouth was closed, but Tyler could see that the warrior was clenching his teeth.

  Tyler for his part was surprised at his reaction. Though he could feel the auras of the deities and feelings they gave rise to, he was not shocked nor frightened by their sudden appearance. Startled, maybe, but unafraid.

  Must be desensitized by all those television and movies. Or the adrenaline is still in my system, he thought.

  Then Tyler noticed that Supay was looking at him intently. Then he heard the being speak to him. And given the lack of reaction from the deities and his two companions, he knew it was solely meant for him.

  “Well, well, well. The pup had grown. A bit. It’s going to be more difficult getting you all to ourselves.”

  Then Supay laughed. A weird and fearful sound which bore into his flesh and tightened its cold hands on his bones. He never heard nor felt the likes of it. It left him weak and trembling.

  As he looked up, Supay was gone. The two remaining deities were walking towards him. The Egyptian god raised his hand and spoke.

  “Young mage, you made quite an impression on a lot of gods tonight. They will all come to their own, and probably different, conclusions about you. But for me, I see steel and gold. You do deserve watching, young mage. But fear nothing from me. I saw what I wanted to see.”

  With that, the Egyptian deity disappeared.

  “Now, what was that all about?” Dionysus blurted out.

  Chapter Lore:

  Palirroia - Greek. Meaning "riptide."

  Thaut - Ancient Egyptian. One of the principal gods of Ancient Egypt. Called the god of knowledge, among others. The name Thoth is a Greek derivative of the name.

  Supay - Incan. God of death and the Incan underworld. Also known to be the ruler of a race of demons.

  Chapter VI

  An Impending Fracas

  "A new concern, Dio. Cleared up some questions which have been unanswered since the time I arrived.”

  Incans. Figures. They're the ones who ambushed Tyr of the Norse pantheon.

  “I don’t suppose you'll tell me your new and wonderful insights?”

  “No, Dio. Sometimes the less you know, the bett
er. It concerns some unfinished matters back in Skaney.”

  Dionysus gave him a quizzical look.

  “Come on, Dio. That look really isn’t you. Would it be possible to return to town now?”

  The deity gazed at the morning sky. Then he took a long look around the small hill.

  “I guess so. Our audience seems to have gone away.”

  “I suppose you wouldn’t tell me who were our guests?”

  “Hah! If you know how to keep secrets, then I do too. But be careful, Havard, I know the divine pantheons. Yet I momentarily sensed the presence of powerful dark entities. Powerful enough to evade my ability to sense who and what they are.”

  “So, the secret is out? Deities can follow me anywhere?”

  “No. The inn as my temple grants them a focal point for their search for you. Outside of it, your other ring sufficiently cloaks your presence."

  “Too many eyes. Anyway, that’s a matter for another day. Let’s go back to the inn,” Tyler suggested. But the fact that Dionysus knew about Odin's ring was another revelation.

  It was an uneventful ride back to Akrotiri for the group. The sun was at its zenith when they arrived at the inn. As usual, Jorund first went inside while Habrok stayed with Tyler. Tyler was about to stop the huskarl but thought better of it.

  The knowledge that the inn was an important temple of Dionysus and a favorite haven of the deity was better kept a secret. He doubted if the two could sleep as well as they did if they knew the truth. After a while, Jorund came out and reported to Tyler.

  “It's clear, Sire. But you have visitors. That other drunkard and a friend of his.”

  “Be careful around Pappo, Jorund. I was told he's the King of this city. He does have a penchant for going around incognito,” Tyler whispered.

  Jorund's face was a curious study of a man desperately trying to rein in laughter and disbelief. He succeeded. Tyler admired the discipline of the huskarl. He would have laughed his guts out if it was him.

  “Really, Sire? Does Habrok have to know?”

  “I guess you have to ask Master Dio about that.”

  “Yes, Sire. We will be in the hall when you talk to them.”

  “No. You sit down with me. Habrok can take the guard position. Preferably near the door. I don’t want unexpected and unwelcome visitors.”

  “Yes, Sire,” answered Jorund, who surreptitiously gave a furtive hand signal to the ranger.

  The four went inside the inn, the carriage being taken cared of by the inn's manservants.

  “Hail, young man!” exclaimed Pappo upon seeing Tyler. “The city thanks you for dealing with our pest problem. Excellently handled, I should say!”

  Tyler raised his hand in greeting and acknowledgment. He turned to Dionysus.

  “Do you have a private room where we can discuss matters with your tutor and his friend?”

  “There's a room behind the bar. Follow while I lead our drunken guests to it.”

  Entering the room, Tyler noticed the richly appointed details of the room. Paneled hardwood interiors, full bookshelves lining one wall, gold trim all over the place, a beautiful long table with cushioned chairs. It wouldn’t look out of place as the boardroom of a top 1000 corporation, provided the interior designer had a penchant for wood accents.

  The five proceeded to their places, Dionysus positioning himself at the head of the table. Tyler and Jorund on one side while Pappo and his companion stood by the chairs opposite them. Dionysus unceremoniously plopped down on his chair and left the others standing.

  “Again, my thanks and congratulations, young mage. Free accommodations appeared to have served us well,” Pappo grinned. He shook hands with Tyler.

  “Permit me to introduce my general, Ippeas,” he turned to the man who stood up and gave a low bow.

  Tyler looked at the man. He looked human, though he knew he would be another satyr who was wearing an illusion. Clad in hoplite armor without the helmet, he was armed with a sword. The general was muscled with a firm expression on his face. He did look a bit dim to be a general, more of a grunt.

  “What happened to Makyrs? Did I get the name right? I thought he was the general of this city,” asked the puzzled Tyler.

  “Right name. He stayed behind in Nea Miletus. I don’t think a herd of wild horses will be able to drag him out of there. He met the Vestal Virgins of the city during the welcome dinner.”

  “Must have been fun for him,” commented Tyler.

  “Fun? He didn’t even see us off! He was sound asleep in Akrotiri's villa in the city. We'll see him back in a while. But he'll be demoted. What a loss. He became quite good in the strike and scamper style we have been doing. As a result, we have this guy as our general,” said Pappo as he slapped his companion’s back.

  They all took their seats. Tyler could see Pappo's face a bit flushed. Must have been drinking his usual again, he mused.

  “So, Your Highness, to what do we owe this pleasure? Incidentally, back where I came from, we call it hit and run."

  “It's really "strike and scamper." Running is asking for an arrow in your back. I expect Dio had already briefed you about the situation. You run the show. My man here and I will be the public face.”

  “Is he like your previous general?”

  “A satyr? Of course! My most loyal and competent followers!”

  I think we’re screwed already, thought Tyler.

  “How did your call for help go?”

  “THOSE COWARDS! From Nea Athinai to Manarga, everybody found excuses! All we have are commitments! My spies told me the most we can expect are mercenary groups paid to help us. And we know the reliability of those groups. Everybody's afraid of the Dorians.”

  “How many can we expect?”

  “Around 2,000 at most. Staggered arrivals, if they arrive.”

  “And our forces?”

  The general spoke up.

  “About 1,500 trained hoplites. 1,000 ekrodomoi. 2,000 peltasts and bowmen. 1,000 as light cavalry. Retired soldiers around another 500. Untrained levies to be raised could be expected at another 2,000. All in all, 8,000 men. With desertion, sickness, and other reasons, we'd be lucky to have 6,500 to 7,000 men. Rangers, temple and palace guards are not included in the tally.”

  “Numbers of the expected enemy army?”

  “Around 20,000 to 25,000. At least.”

  Tyler turned to Jorund.

  “What did you hear Jorund?”

  “Probably more, Sire. A lot of Dorian cities are interested in joining the invasion. Ares and his minions have been active. And the location of this city as a prime trading center was also a significant consideration. A lot of promises have been made. Lowered tariffs, trade priorities, riches, or even religious blessings.”

  OMG. We are definitely up shit creek without a paddle.

  Tyler looked at Jorund. Deep inside, he was suppressing his urge to run out of the inn.

  “How would you assess the situation? You’re the one with the experience, with all due respect to the general here.”

  “From what we have learned, it’s going to be a campaign. Akrotiri first. Then Nea Athinai. That would close off most of the trade with Skaney and other lands for the other Greek cities. Then the rest of the Ionians. Without the Ionians, other Greek cities will cave in.”

  “Fits with what we have also learned. Though some of our spies report that the Dorians are not going to stop with Hellas,” Pappo commented.

  “Despite that, nobody is siding openly with Akrotiri? No regular troops? Only mercenaries?” asked Tyler.

  “Sadly, yes. The Dorians enjoy a battle reputation second to none. With Ares backing them, everybody's running scared,” replied the general.

  “Let me get this straight. The Dorians are going on a campaign to conquer Hellas, and nobody knows what else. Skaney’s on his list, most probably. And those on the receiving end are all denying that it will happen? Have you told your allies?” Tyler turned to Pappo.

  “Of course, we did. Their spies
must also have told them. For a gathering of arms of this magnitude, it would be impossible to hide everything,” answered Pappo.

  “You do realize that if it’s a major campaign, it’s not going to be a mere 20,000 to 30,000 fully trained Dorian hoplites and other troops?” he told Pappo.

  “Of course, it won’t be that measly number! I happen to have it on good authority that the combined Dorian army will number 60,000 to 80,000 men! With approximately 20,000 auxiliaries.”

  “And what do you intend to do about it?” asked Tyler, staring at the king. Unbelievable!

  “Oh, it’s not going to be me. It’s going to be you. We'll just follow what you say. Athena’s orders.”

  Freak me screwed.

  “Why me? Of all the lame-brained choices! I am a stranger to these lands. I don’t even know where your cities are! Which reminds me, you did bring a map, didn't you?”

  Pappo looked at his general.

  “Where's the map?”

  “But Your Highness, nobody told me to bring one. I assumed the mage would already have a map with him.”

  Oh God. Please, please help me out here. I'm stuck with a bunch of comedians!

  “No matter, Your Highness. We'll manage. Though this may be one of the most pathetic situations I have ever seen,” said Tyler who was rewarded by the grateful expression on the general's face.

  And that’s including what I have seen on tv, he thought.

  Jorund merely grunted. Though Tyler suspected the huskarl would be laughing if circumstances allowed it.

  “How long do we have?” he asked Pappo.

  “About two months or so. They'll mobilize at Dori. The start of the campaign would depend on the auguries in the temple of Ares. But my… ahem… exclusive sources of information say that mobilization will be in two stages. The first would be to take Akrotiri. They plan to raise at least 20,000 men for that. They hope that by the time Akrotiri is taken, the gathering of the entire army would have been finished. Then the real campaign will start.”

  “Two months? We’re sure about that?” Tyler asked.

  “Maybe a bit more. It’s not easy to call men to arms and provide the essentials for a long campaign.”

  “Anybody know what the gods are going to do about it? A Dorian Hellas would mean that Ares will dominate their faithful. Other deities will lose followers,” asked Tyler.