Kairos 39: Hindsight and Foresight (Patreon)

Kairos left Histria as a village of mud, and returned to a town made of stone.

Dispater’s builders had earned their pay and raised dozens of buildings through magic. Aurelia had boasted they could raise a house per day, but if anything, she had undersold their talents. Not only did they produce twice that amount in the three weeks Kairos had been away, but they also created cobbled roads. They had redirected the nearby river into the sea to allow ships to move inland, raised watermills, and built piers for ships. A fortified wall and two watchtowers now protected the town from the monsters outside, while a lighthouse oversaw the port from atop a cliff. Andromache intended to make it her new home, and Kairos would visit her after today’s matter was settled.

As for the population, it continued to increase. Besides the thousands of Travians that followed Kairos from Achlys, General Petra had agreed to work as a mercenary to finance Moros’ reconstruction; she had brought eight hundred amazons to Histria, all of them with a horse. Chloris was among their numbers, and would serve Kairos as an interpreter. More colonists would no doubt follow.

“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” Julia asked her husband while holding his arm, autumn leaves falling between stone and brick houses. Cassandra followed them while holding a black, wooden box, alongside the gladiators given to the ruling couple by Dispater’s daughter. Kairos had made them his family’s bodyguards, and they performed admirably so far.

Oaks and olive trees grew along the road, while automatons juggled before a square’s fountain. Minotaur workers played games of Board & Conquest near a half-built cistern, enjoying their midday break. Everywhere someone was raising a new building, planting a seed, or fishing alongside the new river. Even Stymphalian birds had started making nests on the tallest roofs.

“It is,” Kairos replied. Histria breathed activity, and most importantly, people smiled. Some moved out of their path, while others asked to touch his [Golden Fleece] and receive its blessing. The Travian warlord obliged them, though it delayed the trip. “How are the autumn harvests?”

“Better than expected,” Cass said, “your fleece is already at work. We have enough food to last the winter and then some.”

With luck, trees wouldn’t have been the only things planted this season. Upon hearing of the [Golden Fleece]’s properties, Julia had insisted on sharing Kairos’ bed in Achlys while using the artifact as a sheet. “Remember the marital contract,” she had said while Kairos removed his clothes. “The sooner we have a boy, the better… though I would prefer our firstborn to be a girl.”

“Why so?” Kairos had asked while slipping into the marital bed.

“You said women could inherit like men in Travia,” she had replied while kissing his neck. “A son will help my brother strengthen Lycaon’s seal, but I would rather have a daughter to succeed us. That would show my homeland.”

In any case, Kairos had made love to his wife half a dozen times, both in Achlys and on the return trip. He needed to release all the pent-up pressure from the Argo campaign, and his wife had happily obliged. He had also visited Andromache a few times too, though Julia insisted he finish his nights in her own bed in Histria. The arrangement hadn’t pleased the mistress any more than the wife, but it was the best balance Kairos could manage for now. He did convince Julia to make an important concession though, one that would delight Andromache.

They finally reached Rhadamanthe’s house near the city’s walls. Though Dispater’s builders raised houses based on a standardized plan, the late priest’s home had been given an additional floor and a garden. His wife Io had also decorated the door with nailed horns and Greek magical wards.

“It is kind of you to come,” Kairos told Julia. “You owed him nothing.”

“It is the least I could do,” his wife said. She had insisted that they visit the families of those who perished during the Foresight and Argo’s clash, starting with Rhadamanthe’s wife. “Do Travian widows receive anything but their husband’s bones though?”

“They get coins from the crew, and the loot shares that should have gone to their deceased partner,” Cassandra explained, having experienced that custom first hand after Panos’ demise. “Otherwise they are left to fend for themselves, or be taken in by friends and family.”

Julia’s mouth tightened. “That’s not enough, husband. Many died fighting for us, they should receive more than a single allotment.”

This surprised her husband, who didn’t think she would care. “I agree, but what do you suggest?” Kairos asked. “Finding Io a new husband, to take care of her in her old age?”

“We should set up a law to help widows and children of soldiers,” Julia explained. “We can house and feed them. Same with soldiers crippled in our service.”

Her husband remained skeptical. “Some might take advantage of the system to get free housing and food.”

“Would you trade me your legs for a bowl of gruel and a roof over your head, husband?”

“Point taken.”

“We should also set the [Horn of Abundance] to work,” Julia continued. “The poorest citizens of our city could get a daily allotment of food from it. As for Lissala and other friendly cities, if the [Golden Fleece] brings consistently good harvests, we could send grain shipments once a month.”

“That would be a good idea,” Cass added with a smile, “not to mention very generous.”

“We can do well by doing good,” Julia replied with a smile. “Ruling is a social contract. The more our subjects give, the more they should get back.”

She would make a good queen. “Did you visit the Fates for a Quest?” Kairos asked his wife, curious.

“I did,” Julia said with a snort. “I must find the lost, cursed [Necklace of Harmonia]. I heard it makes women forever beautiful and young, but ruins each wearer. It is not worth the hassle.”

“A curse can be lifted,” Kairos pointed out.

“We know that from experience,” Cassandra said before knocking on the door. “Io?”

Rhadamanthe’s wife, a female minotaur with white fur, opened the door. Her belly had swelled since the last time Kairos saw her, and a wave of sadness washed over him. Rhadamanthe had left two people behind, not one.

“M’lord,” the female minotaur said, glancing at the box with sorrow. The widow smelled of paint and scraps of clay covered her hands. Kairos knew she worked as a pottery maker, so they must have interrupted her mid-work. Most importantly, the Travian captain noticed that she was already wearing black clothes for grieving. “Ah… is this my bull’s tomb?”

“My condolences,” Cassandra said as she offered the minotaur the box. Io opened it and gazed at her husband’s skull with longing and quiet acceptance. “You don’t seem surprised.”

“My bull could see the future, and his own had gone dark.” Io shook her head sadly. “I begged him to stay, but he said more would perish if he didn't go. He saw it in the stars.”

Rhadamanthe knew the Argo expedition would be his last, but he still came anyway. “It is a terrible thing to know one’s future, and be unable to change it,” Kairos said with compassion. Prophecies had brought great sorrows to countless mortals, both good and wicked.

“Heroes make their own history, but we nameless ones have it written for us,” Io replied before closing the black box. “Wait here.”

The minotaur returned inside her house, and switched her husband’s box for a different one. It was smaller, made of cold steel rather than crafted wood. “My bull wanted me to give you this m’lord, should he not return from his trip.”

Kairos carefully opened the box, finding a scroll within.

“A map?” Cass asked, as they examined the document.

“Of the unexplored regions,” Kairos said, recognizing some of the locations at the map’s edge. “It shows a hidden island far west of Histria.”

“My husband’s god lives there,” Io explained. “It is by his divine will that my dear Rhadamanthe came to Travia.”

“For what purpose?” Julia asked with a frown, skeptical.

“To serve m’lord’s father Chron, to guide him,” Io replied while looking at Kairos. “For what purpose I do not know. My husband said you should go there, m’lord, to meet with his patron. Alone or with your birds, he said. You can’t find the place unless you’re welcome, he said.”

“Do you wish for us to send you there too?” Kairos asked. The island had a torch symbol written over it, a single flame amidst an ocean of blue water. “This is your husband’s homeland.”

Io shook her head, a hand on her belly. “My life is here, m’lord. My bull predicted our calf would grow strong on this island. He predicted it would be a kind and wise boy.”

“Your son will be taken care of,” Kairos promised, before putting the map in a pocket and giving the empty box to one of the guards.

“As will you,” Julia said. “Your child will be fed, housed, and educated. You shall never have any want of anything.”

“Thank you, m’lords,” the minotaur nodded respectfully. “You are most kind. I understand why my husband stuck by your side through thick and thin. Maybe I’ll name the boy after you, like m’lady Cass named her new ship after my beloved.”

“I owed him that much,” Cassandra said with a sad smile. “If your son ever wants to take to the sea, he’ll be welcome on my crew. What will you do with the skull?”

“Gild it,” Io said. It was an ancient tradition among minotaurs, to dip their elders’ bones in gold and preserve them. That way, they could watch over future generations, and provide them with luck. “He set gold aside for it.”

“We will give you an equivalent amount, to use for yourself,” Julia said graciously.

Io thanked them for the honor and promised to think it over. The group left her with a bittersweet feeling, and Kairos decided to look after Rhadamanthe’s family as if it were his own.

“Will you set sail again, husband?” Julia asked Kairos as they returned to the streets. “I admit I am curious about who is on this island. I haven’t seen a true [God] before, and it is days away.”

“Days away with a ship, but hours by flight,” Kairos replied. “Rhadamanthe said I had to come alone.”

“And that only welcomed individuals could reach it,” Cass added. “If a [God] truly makes their home on that island, they can keep away any unwelcome company.”

Julia’s mouth tightened. “But which deity could it be, dear Cassandra? Lycaon is buried beneath my homeland, Persephone even deeper. Alexandria and Orgonos are in the other direction.”

“Asterius, the Lord of the Minotaurs?” Cass asked.

“No,” Kairos replied. Rhadamanthe had denied worshiping him on his deathbed. “Whoever it is, it will be up to Rook and me to identify them.”

“Eager to test your new Specialization?” Cass said with a smirk.

Kairos chuckled in response. “I am. Besides, Rhadamanthe said I should go alone, and my crew deserves a break on land after that harrowing ordeal.”

“Have you settled on my replacement?”

“Not yet.” Truth be told, Kairos still hesitated between either Nessus, who had the skills but lacked the motivation, or Tiberius, who had the right personality but still much to learn. Andromache had a gift for instilling terror but would make the crew resent her, while Thales would rather follow orders than give them. Command of a crew wouldn’t suit either of them. “On my return.”

The group reached a crossroad, with one path leading to the lighthouse, the other to the waterfront. Julia gave the beacon tower a knowing glance, while Cassandra coughed in embarrassment. “Cassandra, your new ship is waiting for you,” the she-wolf declared. “Men, you may go. Valar, you stay.”

Valar the Mute, who couldn’t speak nor write. His sword was the only tongue he understood.

Cassandra got the memo and excused herself, alongside the other guards. “Will one bodyguard be enough?” Kairos asked his wife. “Many still consider you a foreigner.”

“I can defend myself,” Julia replied, and Kairos didn’t doubt it. She hid a sword beneath her mantle, and daggers in her sleeves. “If anyone tries to shed Lycean blood, they should prepare to die for it.”

The couple faced each other, before Kairos’ hands moved to her waist and pulled her closer. Her silver wolf pelt matched his [Golden Fleece] like two metals. “This trip worries me, husband.”

“Are you worried for my safety?”

“Must you force me to say it?” She smiled, but behind there was a hint of fear. “I feel concerned, yes. At least I knew the way to Achlys to bring reinforcements.”

“Rhadamanthe was a true friend. It won’t be a trap.”

“You never know. Gods can be cruel, fickle things.”

“And even our armies will be powerless against one,” Kairos replied. “I will be back tomorrow, before the full moon.”

“I would rather not,” Julia said, looking away. “I would rather that you don’t see me like… like that.”

Kairos stayed silent for a moment, and for a second he glimpsed at the person behind Julia’s cunning mask. Though she tried to look strong and in control, in truth her curse tormented her as much as Andromache. She felt like a leper, exiled and pushed aside due to a sickness she couldn’t get rid of.

“Have you ever wondered why I purchased the [Beast Tongue] Skill?” Kairos asked. “My father chained my mother in our basement during the full moon, to prevent her from rampaging around in werewolf form.”

“So will I,” his wife replied with sorrow. “Perhaps your mother will keep me company.”

“No, but I will.” Kairos took a deep breath, as his wife gave him a quizzical look. “She was alone in there, a wild and confused wolf. A part of her recognized my father in that state, but the beast within made her deaf to human speech. Nobody could talk to her as a werewolf… except me. I could reassure the beast she had become with my Skill, easing her torment. I will do the same with you.”

Julia looked up at him, and while she tried to keep a formal face, her eyes didn’t lie. Her husband could see the emotion behind her blue-gray eyes, a small tear threatening to flow down her right cheek.

“I consoled my mother while she suffered, and I will stay by your side too,” Kairos said. “I will be at your side from twilight to dawn. Some abandoned you for your curse, but I won’t.”

Julia didn’t say a word, though she had her hand swipe her right cheek, to remove the tear. She breathed deep and hard, as if evacuating stress.

Then she swiftly moved her lips to his own, and he welcomed them.

Their arms tightened around each other, and their tongues danced. There was hunger and desire in that kiss, and it felt as if his wife wanted to devour him. But there was also the seed of something deeper, something that made Kairos want her all the more.

This marriage had started as a business deal, but it might grow into something deeper in time.

Eventually, they broke the kiss, and Julia’s eyes wandered to the lighthouse. Her good mood soured a little, though she tried to hide it. “Do you love her?”

“I do,” Kairos admitted, uneasy. “Does that bother you?”

“More than I thought it would,” she replied. “Do not misunderstand, Kairos, a bargain is a bargain. I am not a hypocrite, and I shall not deny you what I allow myself with Caenis. I will share you with Andromache, yes, even let you make that relationship official. But it would be easier to shoulder it if I wasn’t growing fond of you.”

“Careful, now you will say you’re falling in love with me.”

“Maybe I will one day,” Julia mused. “Love takes time, especially for newlyweds. We have known each other for a mere month, less than the two seasons you spent with Andromache. But it is not always about crowns and thrones, my husband. The man matters too. You are smart, ambitious, and you have a kind heart. I like that.”

“My mother told me that making one woman happy is difficult,” Kairos remembered. “Two is harder, and three is impossible.”

“Wise words, but it means making two women happy is possible, if difficult. Perhaps you should work on that.” She gently pushed him back. “Andromache can have you all for herself after the full moon, at least for a time. But I will eagerly await the moment when you come back to me.”

“I will.”

“Return soon,” Julia said after breaking the embrace, and leaving with her lone remaining guard. “Return alive.”

He would. Kairos watched his wife vanish with fondness, before leaving for the lighthouse.

As he moved towards his mistress’ new home, Kairos took the time to check on his Skills. He had fifteen points to invest from the Argo’s Quest; one he would spend to enhance [Animal Companion], which left fourteen points to spend on new abilities.

He thought of purchasing [Turncoat], a Skill he received from [Cutthroat] and that could falsify his System information to outsiders. It would prove invaluable in hiding his true abilities, especially now that he would enter a world of intrigues and diplomacy. The [Warg] and [Skinchanger] Skills from [Beastmaster] appealed to him too.

As for [Griffin Rider] granted access to [Avianship], representing the ability to ride griffins and flying creatures; [Air Superiority], which gave bonuses when fighting in the air; and [Spear Fighting], which the Travian had already unlocked through other means. Kairos decided to purchase the first two.

No more would he risk falling from Rook each time the griffin flapped his wings.

You upgraded [Animal Companion 2] to [Animal Companion 3]. You can now see and hear through your animal companion’s eyes and ears, and communicate with them telepathically.

You spent 2 Skill Points to gain [Turncoat 2]. [Elite] Ranks and below will be unable to read your class information unless you allow them to.

You spent 3 Skill Points to gain [Warg 3]. You can possess a beast or monster with a lower [Charisma] stat than yours. The creature must be in close proximity to you and within your line of sight. When you possess a beast, your true body is comatose, and if it slain your soul is sent to the Underworld; if your host body is slain, you are instantly returned to your true one. You control the host’s body and senses, but you do not have access to their Skills unless you have them in common. The effect lasts until you relinquish control or are magically expelled from the host.

You spent 3 Skill Points to gain [Skinchanger 3]. You can magically shapeshift into any beast whose blood you tasted and biology you studied in-depth, although the beast’s weight cannot exceed five times your own. You cannot shapeshift into a beast with magical properties, such as griffins, hydras, or phoenixes.

You spent 3 Skill Points to gain [Avianship 3]. You have become a master of riding winged creatures. You can now fight on the back of birds, griffins, and pegasi as if you were born on a saddle.

You spent 3 Skill Points to gain [Air Superiority 3]. Your chances to avoid attacks or hit targets while you are in the air increase by thirty percent. The bonus also applies to flying mounts you are currently riding. Your flying mount and yourself can see through non-magical weather conditions such as fog and blizzards without penalty.

So many new paths to explore, and he would try them all, given time.

Raised on the cliff overseeing its crescent bay, Histria’s lighthouse was smaller than the one found in Scheria, and more dreadful. Its stone was black rather than white, and statues of manticores oversaw the gates. Clearly, Andromache had done everything to discourage visitors. The fires at the top burnt bright, but more dimly than the phoenix egg, and a few Stymphalian birds had made their nest on the windows.

A witch’s lair, Kairos thought as he pushed the doors. They seemed to screech like tortured cats, and doubly so when he closed them behind himself.

He found Andromache in human shape toiling in the main hall. She had set two worktables north of the entrance, and shelves of powders and potions along a stone stair leading to her solar above. Lanterns filled the room with light, and perfumed candles with a pleasant smell. The spellcaster had made herself comfortable in her home, wearing nothing but a brown gown and the tooth necklace Kairos gave her.

The Scylla looked over from the potions on her table to glance at her lover, but said nothing. She looked displeased, even as Kairos put his hands around her waist and kissed her on the neck. “You stink of your wife, and your lips taste of her,” Andromache chided him. “You spent three nights with her for one with me lately.”

“I did, but now I’m all yours. For a while at least.” He kept kissing her, but Andromache looked away to the table, and the horned crown on it. Kairos recognized it as the item she had been crafting before they left for Achlys. “I will have a secret tunnel built between my home and yours, so I can visit you quietly at night.”

“What if I do not want you, Kairos of Tr—” Andromache gasped in surprise as he turned her around, their eyes facing each other. 

She wanted him.

He lifted her up on the table, pushing potions aside and causing powder containers to fall on the floor, and started kissing her. He kissed her in the neck, in the mouth, everywhere that mattered; she gently bit his ear just enough to draw blood, her tongue licking the liquid away. Her nails sunk into the [Golden Fleece] on his back while he stroked her hair.

“You’re home,” she whispered as they made out. “I love you.”

“I love you,” he replied before silencing her with a kiss. Kairos could have spent a lifetime like this, hearing her heartbeat, holding her. Maybe he did. But like all good things, that moment ended far too soon. Their embrace was intense and passionate, but eventually, their lips separated and she pushed him back. 

“That was unwise,” Andromache said while adjusting her gown, glancing at the broken containers on the ground. “These reagents could have set my house on fire.”

“I thought we already did,” Kairos replied. The [Golden Fleece] glowed to the lanterns’ light. “Do you think the fleece could bypass the curse’s sterility clause?”

“Mayhaps,” Andromache replied.

“Do you want it to?” Kairos asked carefully. They hadn’t discussed that in-depth, but he would have hoped that she would bear him children one day.

“I do,” Andromache said, to his joy, “but not for the same reason as the wolfling.” Her soft fingers slid across his chest. “I want our love to take physical form in this world, my other half. I want us to become one in a single body. For our halves to become whole.”

“That day will come closer than you think.”

She frowned. “You have something in mind.”

“I asked Julia if I could officially take you as my concubine, and she gave me her leave. I have a short trip to make on another island and afterward, we will have a private ceremony with a priest. I may not be able to take you as my wife, but you will be my companion before gods and men. Our union will be legitimate, like our children.”

To his surprise, she seemed quite reluctant to go through with it. “I told you once that your people will never understand,” Andromache reminded him. “They will despise you for it. They will despise us.”

“My men voted to keep me as captain twenty to one, and for now my people are blinded by the [Golden Fleece],” Kairos reminded her. “That popularity will not last.”

“It will end more swiftly if you officialize our union.”

“There will be no better moment, Andromache. Let’s strike the iron while it’s hot. With time, they will see our relationship as normal.”

“People will whisper about me no matter what you do, my other half, as they did with Medea. They will say I influence you, that I inspire all your bad decisions. They will say that you listen to an abomination, that I am the new Echidna to your Typhon. That your seed is poisoned, and that I will give birth to monsters.“

“Let them speak, so long as I have you. Andromache, in the end, there is only one yes I need, and that’s yours.” Kairos took her in his arms, while she put her own around his neck. “Will you become my concubine?”

Her blue eyes looked into his own, like windows into the sea. Once they had been cold and harsh, but now they were peaceful. They closed when her lips met his own, but he could feel the warmth nonetheless.

“I will take that as a yes,” Kairos said when she pulled back.

“It is.” She kissed him again. “Before your coronation, my other half. Your crown is ready.”

Kairos frowned, glancing at the horned diadem on the table. A crown of hydra fangs. “I’ve dreamt of such a moment for years, and yet, now I feel tense. Once I make my claim as pirate king, I will have to defend it.”

“The wolfling was not wrong,” Andromache admitted. “That worm Mithridates tried to slay you at least thrice, my other half. It is killed or be killed with him, so why should it be different with his pawns? That Queen Teuta would have fought you, whatever you tried. Your people’s goodwill may not last forever, you said it yourself. So use it while you can.”

If both Julia and Andromache agreed on one thing, it meant it was the right decision.

A king couldn’t have two queens, but he could have two ears.

---------------------------------

The island was indeed far from Histria.

Though they left around midday, it took Rook and Kairos until evening to find it, more than six hours. The Foresight would have wasted days, but an ‘adult’ griffin flew as fast as a falcon, even with a rider. By nullifying air resistance with his spear, Kairos’ partner moved even faster. His new [Avianship] Skill had also helped, strengthening his posture, subtly helping his body adapt to Rook’s movements. The beast and the rider truly moved as one, like a winged centaur.

Even with speed on their side, Kairos doubted they could have found the island without a map. It was small and located in an unexplored region of the Sunsea, surrounded by nothing but endless water and a few rocks. Kairos had also noticed cetae and other sea monsters below the waves, attracted by the Travian’s [Monster Lure] Skill. The duo moved too high in the skies to be attacked, but ships rowing in this area would face constant danger.

Kairos wondered if he should try [Warg] on the creatures, before deciding he should train on less dangerous animals first. One day though, he would see through a sea creature’s eyes and witness the Sunsea’s depths. It had to be a beautiful sight.

Hey, do you hear me?! Rook’s voice echoed in Kairos’ mind, the sun setting far away on the horizon. Hey, do you hear me?

Yes, I do, Kairos replied mentally, before opening his mouth. “You can speak with your tongue, I can hear you.”

“But what if people listen? Think, Kairos, think! Words can be heard, but not thoughts!”

“Some Spellcasters can read minds, Rook.”

The thought mortified the griffin. “They could know about my secret stash?”

He had a secret stash? “For your shinies?”

“The special shinies,” Rook replied, before looking at the only patch of land for miles. “Is this the place?”

Kairos thought so, or at least he couldn’t see any other landmass that fit the mold. The island was small, not more than four kilometers and all in length, barely able to sustain a village; though the only building Kairos saw on it was an enormous palace near the shores.

It was a beautiful place though, shores of golden sand surrounded by sapphire waters. A forest of palm trees dominated the island, blue and red monkeys making their home among them. Other plants Kairos didn’t identify, but their beauty put even Achlys’ flora to shame.

The palace was a marvel too, a mix of a Lycean villa and a Thessalan pleasure home. The walls and floors were made of chiseled marble, with living quarters built atop a white rock around one hundred meters tall. Kairos noticed a closed, silvery dome in the east, and a large cistern south, overflowing with fresh water. An open hall with a pool offered an unbeatable view of the sea from the west, and the north housed living quarters divided into four floors, each supported by colored pillars. A golden archway decorated with statues of flames and torches served as the entrance, facing the beaches and the open sea.

Kairos immediately noticed something wrong, most notably the absence of natural defenses or fortifications. Small islands were vulnerable to attacks, and so locals usually built keeps or watchtowers to protect themselves. But not here. Any invader could have landed on the shores and made a beeline to the palace to ransack it.

The locals didn’t fear sea monsters, or pirates. They didn’t fear anything.

Neither did Kairos see any ship; he caught a glimpse of a rough raft near the palm tree forest, but it clearly hadn’t seen much use. “Look, Kairos, look!” Rook said, pointing down with his beak. “On the beach! It’s that guy again!”

The [Hero] glanced down, and indeed he saw movement on the sand.

A naked colossus short of two and a half meters rested on an opulent throne of feather cushions, fanned by a golden automaton. The giant’s skin looked like it was made of bronze, glistening in the fading sunlight, while a lion mane of black hair flowed from his head. He was muscled like a maiden’s fantasy, and his strong hands could snap a man in two.

There was another man too, whose head was buried between the giant’s legs, face down. The giant was fondling a woman kissing him on the chest with one hand, and grabbing an amphora full of wine with the other. The scene reminded Kairos of Nessus’ party, absurd in its obscenity.

The giant opened his shining, otherworldly eyes and noticed Kairos. When the [Hero] took a good view of the colossus’ face, he instantly recognized it before [Observer] activated.

He had faced it not so long ago.

Heracles, God of Strength

Legend: World’s Strongest (God)

Level: ???

Heracles.

The real Heracles, not the pale, undead copy Jason had summoned to fight for him. This was the greatest of all Greek heroes, the strongest scion of Zeus almighty; the world’s mightiest warrior, whose exploits allowed him to ascend to godhood. A slayer of monsters, builder of cities, lover of hundreds, and father to nations.

And he was grinning at Kairos.

“So beautiful,” Rook said while landing on the sand, his eyes set on the deity’s bronze skin. It was clear enough to show the griffin his reflection.

While Heracles simply smiled at the newcomer and the automaton kept fanning the deity, his companions reacted with surprise. The other man raised his head from the god’s thighs, his face the most pleasing Kairos had yet seen in a human male; he must have been no older than twenty, with unblemished skin, raven hair, and a shy smile that would melt any woman’s heart.

The woman was just as beautiful, a sublime being with long gold-silver hair falling to her buttcheeks, deep purple eyes, and skin so white Kairos could have mistaken it for ivory. Eyes could see through the violet dress she wore, leaving nothing underneath to imagination. Though it wounded the Travian to admit it, even Andromache looked plain compared to this pure maiden.

Kairos paid them no mind though, his eyes warily focused on Heracles. The giant’s smile widened in response, and he spoke with a voice full of booming thunder. “You know me,” he said in ancient Greek.

“I have fought your ghost recently,” Kairos replied in the same tongue, as he climbed down from his griffin. The [Hero] couldn’t explain it, but the [God]’s warm voice soothed his fears and worries. “It almost killed me, and succeeded with some of my companions.”

“I was shot!” Rook complained, flapping his wings and sending sand flying everywhere around them. The woman giggled in response, amused. “I still have scars below the feathers!”

“My Eidolon?” Heracles’ laughter sounded like a boulder rolling down a hill. “Ah yes, I accidentally created one when my funeral pyre burnt the man out of me and left only the godhood behind. Did you slay it?”

His eyes appraised Kairos in a way that was anything but prudish.

“No,” the Travian confessed, slightly intimidated. “One of my friends destroyed it, indirectly.”

The god whistled, impressed. “Which man was strong enough to best my ghost?”

“It was a woman called Cassandra.”

Heracles laughed so loudly, that his male lover fell from his lap and onto the sand. “I should have known. Women were always the death of me. Monsters and men I slaughtered until I couldn’t count, but it took only three wives to kill me.”

“Fourth time's the charm,” the silver woman said with a voice that sounded like honey. Kairos’ [Observer] quickly identified her as Hebe, Heracles’ fourth wife and a lost goddess of youth.

Heracles’ eyes wandered to Kairos’ [Golden Fleece]. “So Jason is truly dead and gone,” he said. “Good. What that woman did to him wasn’t right. As recklessly cruel as Hera, that one.”

“You were close?” Kairos asked.

“We were comrades, until he abandoned me halfway through the journey, as I took too much time to find my good friend Hylas. With time I learned to forgive. I never found Hylas anyway, and Jason’s father was still in his vile uncle’s clutches. He had to fulfill his Quest quickly or lose his sire, and in the end he wasn’t fast enough to prevent his murder. Jason traded a throne and a father for a madwoman, a bad bargain if you ask me.” Heracles scoffed. “Still, he was a fool to disregard a marriage vow made before Hera. My example should have taught him better.”

“How did you find this place?” the man on the sand asked Kairos as he stood back on his feet, a little fearful.

“Ganymede, where are your manners?” Heracles rose, seized the woman with one hand, and put her on his right shoulder like a child. “It has been a great many years since an outsider visited our island, mortal. What brings you here?”

“Curiosity, and dire news,” Kairos said. “A friend of mine called Rhadamanthe passed away, and said his god would meet me on this island. Was that one of you?”

“Rhadamanthe, Rhadamanthe…” Heracles trimmed his mane of a beard. “That little, horned hellion? Didn’t he leave months ago?”

“My priest left the nest more than a decade ago,” a new voice said, oozing with cunning and sarcasm. “During which you seldom rose from that throne of yours, my old friend.”

Kairos turned his head at the marble’s palace archway.

A middle-aged man of average height walked through, and that one had clothes. A simple traveler’s tunic, made of a white chiton, a red chlamys, and sandals. He was handsome, in a common way, with a short trimmed beard and coal-colored hair. At first glance might have looked like a normal man of Thessalan descent. Yet there was something different about him, an invisible roguish charisma, and his eyes shone with intellect and wisdom.

Kairos had strong suspicions about this man’s identity, and [Observer] confirmed them.

Prometheus, Titan of Foresight

Legend: Father of Mankind (God)

Level: ???

“Why the surprised look, Kairos?” The titan chuckled, his smile warm and welcoming. “Your ship was named after me. You should have foreseen this.”

“All of you are thought to be dead,” Kairos said, astonished. This was the creator of mankind, the titan who gave humans fire and intellect. “I thought our ancestors had slain all the old gods except Queen Persephone, Typhon, and the titans still imprisoned in Tartarus.”

“Not all gods fought for Olympus,” Hebe replied, though her lips mellowed out into a sad expression.

“Retirement is a quieter form of death, but we can discuss that inside,” Prometheus replied with an amused grin. “I expected your arrival, and prepared a feast.”

“For me too?” Rook asked.

“Indeed, brave bird,” the titan replied, clearly having [Beast Tongue].

“Someone fetch me a cup,” Heracles said before putting his enormous hand on Kairos’ shoulder. “Tonight, this man dines with the gods.”

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A/N: chapter made possible by you. Volume I will conclude on chapter 41. Also, I have published a poll for a choice of arc in the next installment, don't forget to vote for it ;)