FIREWORKS

"Well, that's how things went. Lord Eustakeos presented me with this small powder keg and the other ingredients for a fireworks professional to prepare a beautiful show..."

Glax was beaming, with a smile from ear to ear, and a small keg in his arms, walking alongside Captain Laertes and Chriseis by the pier. The beautiful morning with clear skies and strong breezes seemed very conducive to sailing. And he was almost starting to like the idea. The high-pitched calls of seabirds and the sounds of the harbor seemed strangely familiar to him now.

"I didn't know you were that extravagant, Glax ..." The captain laughed, while Chriseis was frowning.

It was the middle of the morning and they had not rested after talking to the provincial governor and the Stapolis manager. They just came to a tavern in the port, to eat something and join the rest of the mission again.

"I didn't expect to receive a gift for all this confusion. But they had a problem that they couldn't solve. And I think I solved it for them."

"Make sure you tell that part in the letter to your father, too. I imagine he will laugh a lot when he finds out that his son was thrown into a dungeon to be eaten by crabs," Laertes scratched his beard, and stopped in front of the Medeia ramp. "It's a pity that I won't be there to see the show in the sky. When you're ready to leave, go up. Give it to me here, I'll keep it in a dry place."

Glax handed the container to Laertes, and looked at the indigo blue sky, a little nervous. Chriseis grew more and more grumpy as the hours passed, and Glax was sure it was because of the events at The Rust.

"Ah, please try to get some rest, on the other ship. I'm going ahead just so you're prepared."

Not only was Glax serious, but he also wanted to show that he cared. He still didn't know what life would be like for them as a couple, but Chriseis had found a too expensive doctor to cure him. And it made him feel indebted to her. Even when he thought that all of this was only happening because she was an easily handled and irascible conceited general.

"What did you really want at 'The Rust'?" she murmured, aware that they were in a public place. Glax was beginning to think that he would never really be alone with her again, as he had been on the steps of the pythoness temple. Chriseis had her private staff of muscular men with helmets topped by red and showy manes.

"Sheesh. You are offending me. I already said. I wanted gunpowder."

"I never heard of any wife being gifted fireworks," she declared.

"Me neither," he held back a laugh.

"Glax of Valosia!" She snarled, and her mechanical fingers creaked as she moved them furiously.

"You are not the type who likes flowers, or jewelry, or dresses… But, if you didn't like something you didn't even see, that's okay. I'll give you something more conventional," he crossed his arms, waiting for her reaction.

"Then, conveniently, that gunpowder will be spent on your forbidden toys. And," she also crossed her arms, "you are stating things you don't know."

Glax blinked, "Do you ... like flowers, Chris?!"

Chriseis' golden skin turned a peachy tone, and she held her breath before speaking, "Shutup, Glax! What do you know?!"

"Ah! I thought you deserved stars!" Inside he could barely hold his own thick face.

In a quick movement, the general placed a mechanical finger in the middle of his chest, and pushed it painfully with each word.

"Glax, you are annoying! Make sure you don't embarrass me. Make sure you don't dishonor our home. Make sure to stay alive to fulfill your role!"

"Making children?!" he asked, outraged.

"And also to be the man who fulfills everything the prophetess said." She crossed her arms again, this time with a defiant smile.

"Ah, by the gods! I'm not sure of anything anymore!" he exclaimed, venting. "Ah, it doesn't matter. I will focus on fulfilling what the clan expects of me, as the champion of a small tournament. Just don't forget that… that… the gods punish hubris!"

The general's lips thinned, but she said nothing.

"Who was that iatromancer, and why was he so interested in knowing who I was and where I came from? And so full of hmmms and huhs?" he asked.

"He's a master of elixirs and also of healing, as you can see. And as far as I knew he was one of the iatromancing masters of the imperial palace, until a few years ago, when he was released from his job..." Chriseis sighed. "I have heard that he ran for his life when the emperor suffered the attack. His methods didn't work ... But he doesn't confirm that. In any case, he sought shelter with the Rhoas. He has relatives among the Echelians."

She fell silent when she noticed the puzzled expression on her husband's face. Of course, she couldn't imagine that he was digesting the new information. There was a family among the echelians called Rhoas. The emperor suffered an attack and a great healer escaped...

"He seemed quite capable back there..." Glax commented casually. "And, if he was not able to heal the emperor, who was?"

"I don't know who healed him, but someone did. And that may have to do with the law that the emperor repealed, and as new iatromancers from Pharys now populate the palace, don't you think?" the tone of her voice became harsh, and she realized this, "This is not something we should be concerned about now, is it, Glax?"

"Yes. I mean, no. It's not important. I was just curious about that man." He just remembered Rasmus talking about the 'Pharys necromancers'.

"We are just going to stick to the plan. Go there quickly and see what you want to see. Don't try to do anything alone."

"Why, how dare I, Chriseis?" he shrugged, "You shouldn't be so worried about someone trying to take your post as the best Echelian general. You are going with just a single trireme and tired warriors to face a monster that supposedly destroyed several ships. If it works, you will surely carve your name in the history of Ascended Hell. I'm just trying to make sure that your name remains flawless."

"Then you will be a good husband," she laughed and her eyes turned into two slots full of amusement. It just pissed Glax off. 'Okay, you blowhard. I hope everything works out for us. I just won this life, I don't want to lose it because of you.'

"That's right. I am going. We met in Athios, or nearby," he went to the ramp, and waved. Chriseis was very confident, that was admirable and such, but Glax didn't know what to expect.

He didn't remember many things about Greek myths. Would they find a hydra with many heads? A cyclop? Any marine sphinx or whatever?

He joined Malko when the boat was sailing at full speed towards Cape Hellus, the region where the so-called Sillabot acted.

This cable, according to the map, had to be bypassed to reach the capital of the Echelians _ Echelion, by sea. But the part where the monster was supposed to plague, on the east side, had few habitants. The small island of Athios was a frequent stopping point for replenishing water and food, but it wasn't much better than a simple fishing village.

He received all this information from the captain, before hiding with Malko where they could finally make the projectiles for the onager. And also, for his grenade launcher that the god had given him.

At times, Glax didn't know whether his eyes were burning from the manipulation of gunpowder, or from the tiredness that was taking over his body. Malko had, as promised, made the second projectiles shells out of molded lead. But in the back of his mind, he wondered why it all seemed so easy and obvious. He could only guess it had to do with transmigration, or transmigrations that a soul did, transmitting important knowledge.

But many things still didn't make sense. Being in Ascended Hell, as they called Stygia, was one of them.

Glax realized he was asleep while his mind frantically wandered through metaphysical fields when Malko touched his shoulder lightly.

"Lie down for a while. We're done."

He lay down in a hammock and simply blacked out, having troubled and meaningless dreams about medusas and glowing balls again.

And woke up to the roar of thunder.

When he climbed to the upper deck, with no sense of time elapsed, he was faced with a dark sky and heavy clouds, forming a low and gloomy nimbus ahead. Turning to the stern of the boat, he could see, far in the distance, a point he thought was another boat. Was it the Chriseis trireme? To the northwest of the bow, or whatever the naval term was, he could see a spot on the horizon that he thought was solid land. Were they arriving at Cape Hellus already?

Laertes was busy giving orders and Malko was crouched, fastening the improved onager to the bow of the ship again with huge screws. As much as Malko made it look very easy, Glax's mouth fell open. It took a lot of strength!

Malko looked over his shoulder, and when he saw him, he got up and approached.

Waving his hand in the cloud's direction, the vselys slave asked,

"Do you think that thing is Sillabot?"