Bad flowers

"LAAAAAND"

Polites screams at the top of his lungs echoed all around us. It had been almost a week since Astrea's awakening, ever since she joined training with Eurylochus and the other warriors.

I tried to make heads or tails of their aura training, but with the aura of this body not really belonging to me, I couldn't honestly understand shit.

We are one my ass.

"At last, we can finally set foot on solid ground…"

Xander, was the most excited of them all, but I couldn't blame him.

"I guess you're not very fond of sailing."

"I'm just not used to it."

Fair point.

"True, and even if we have plenty of veggies thanks to the greenhouse, meat is meat."

Xander nodded vigorously and it seemed the others agreed as well. Those brats didn't know restraint, we had run out of meat only 2 or 3 days ago.

Either way, the sail was set and we were bound to dock. While the preparations were underway, I joined Odysseus, if we could know what island this was, it would be beneficial.

However my hopes were easily shattered, Odysseus and Hali were already debating some sense of strangeness regarding the waters.

Am I being left out?

"I'm telling you! The sea never lies! We are on the wrong route and that island isn't Aigilia!"

"Hali that really makes no sense, we- oh Dimitris! Just in time!"

Am I passing so much time training that I'm not even being considered in decision making? Wasn't I the second commander?

I turned on my heels, if they were discussing so intently they could keep at it.

"Wait Dimitris! We're not letting you out of discussions! That bitch Hali just stormed here!"

"You bastard snitch."

Ah, that's good.

With a sense of relief washing over me, I turned back and joined the fray.

"So, if it's not Aigilia, where are we? And how did we get here? I didn't feel any kind of mana disturbance during the entire travel and the wind has been steady."

"That's what I'm saying, Hali is sure that we are somewhere we should not be."

Hali was somewhat jittery and I understood immediately what was going on.

"That mutherfucking Fisherman sardine sucker."

"Ehi!!!"

"Hali shut the fuck up. I didn't say any name nor moniker."

That bastard is keeping on with the fuckery even with his daughter on board? The fuck did I expect.

"Are we at least on the right route to Itaca?"

"Yes! Just slightly off, however that island is not Aigilia and I'm not sure if it's safe…"

"Of course it isn't fucking safe. Do you think that sick bastard would send us to a garden filled with beautiful flowers, food and music?"

I tried to focus and remember all possible threats on islands I knew of Greek mythology, only to remember we fucking found a pride of nemean lions in an island. Not exactly logical or heard of.

"Well. We are basically fucked either ways, let's get ready for everything."

With that information cleared, and Odysseus realising there had been some kind of divine intervention, we set to list possible threats and countermeasures, cute thinking, but useless either way.

_______________________

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN WE CAN'T COME TO SCOUT WITH YOU!"

"It means exactly that. Even if you have awakened, Astrea, it doesn't mean you're high and mighty. And Xander, you could die with a punch from basically every monster out there."

"But…"

"Enough. Polites and I will do the scouting. Hali will study the sea with Odysseus to sail back home. You can either train with Eurylochus and the others or sleep."

I didn't give them anytime to argue, picked up Polites and left. There was no need for further delay.

Polites was the best at stealth beside me and the bastard was good with the bow, perfect to accompany me into understanding what the fuck we were against.

The woods were somewhat sparse, but enough to give us cover and proceed with our mission, once again we found a complete absence of wildlife.

"Tough luck Poli, we are against either a bad boy or bad flowers."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, there are 2 main reasons for the absence of animals: a big enough predator that can kill everything living or the entire environment isn't compatible with life."

"So a big monster or poison uh?"

At least the bastard listens well.

We continue our excursion and yet again no sign of animals could be found, what we found out however, was that this island was way bigger than it seemed. There was no reason for this. At our speed, we should have already circled the entire island twice, but we were still in the woods and there were no signs that we were going in circles.

I had left signals here and there after all.

"Polites, we should return. This island is way bigger than it looks like from shore."

"Yeah… if it wasn't for the trail we had been leaving I'd-"

Baa baaa

Our eyes widened, the sound we had just heard was unmistakable and we quickly decided to follow it.

In just a couple of jumps we found ourselves in front of a huge herd of sheep, beautiful cotton like mane and happily munching on flowers on the ground.

"Well, we can exclude poison from the greenery around, but what is a herd doing here? Where is the shepherd?"

I, for once, was shocked.

The flowers they were eating, were indeed bad flowers.

Lotus.

But it didn't make sense… those flowers should have been handled by the lotus eaters that lived in caves and this island…

I have a bad feeling about this.

"Polites, we need to go."

"What? Let's just steal a couple of those juicy little things before!"

His arrow was already prepared on his bow to knock down a sheep or two, but without being sure of the shepherd's identity I wasn't going to gamble my life for shit.

"Fuck. Don't kill shit for now, let's stay hidden and look out for the shepherd."

Lotus, sheep… this doesn't make sense, for Polyphemus to be here… maybe we really can get some meat…

We waited for hours but no signs of the cyclops until eventually someone I didn't expect showed up.

People. People with a greyish skin and unfocused eyes were tending to the herd with almost robotic movements while munching on the same lotuses the animals were eating.

This is bullshit.

"Can I steal some meat now or is the second commander scared of those sick looking people?"

"You bastard. Are you still thinking of stealing even in front of people who could die at a mere punch?"

I wasn't trying to entice the bastard, I just wanted to get out of the situation and think about what I knew, maybe ask for Merlin's opinion.

There clearly was magic at hand here and high levels at that.

For me to not even notice a spell at hand was unrealistic, unless the mage responsible for it was leagues above me.

Just when we were about to turn back to the ship, the shrieks of a banshee was heard.

One of the lotus eaters had let the flower fall and was screaming like his life depended on it. His skin started to get back a healthy colour, his eyes found focus once again and pain was basically written all over his body. As soon as blood seemed to rush back in the man's body the bleating from the sheep intensified and the rushed to surround the man.

Everything happened in the blink of an eye.

The moment the human got back his sanity, only bones were left.

The herd had eating him alive in less then a second.

"Wha… what the fuck just happened?"

Polites was whispering beside me, his previous bravado completely thrown away and fear etched in his eyes.

"I'm not sure… clearly they aren't exactly herbivores."

"No shit, but that man…"

"Let's kidnap one of them, and make a run to the ship."

"Have you finally lost it Second Commander? Have you not seen what those monsters do to living beings? Do you wish to sacrifice poor old me for your research like those old mages?"

"What the fuck is this bastard thinking?"

"Second commander, your thoughts slipped out."

"I didn't mean to hide them."

[flowery disperse]

With a cascade of petals, one of the lotus eaters appeared in front of me and before the lotus he was eating could fall off, with a smack on his neck he was made unconscious.

"Why the fuck did you think I'd sacrifice you when I can simply teleport? You ungrateful bastard. Have you forgotten?"

Polites grin widened and picking up the lotus eater from the ground to his shoulders he stared running back.

"Never doubted you brother! You are the best brother! Forget what I said about mages! I truly respect them!"

"Keep running Polites, I will definitely kill you."

_____________________

Deep into the island, a huge farm appeared.

On the porch a man was sitting and whistling without a care in the world until finally his loved herd came back from grazing accompanied by those insects. It really was the best thing in the world.

An insect to eat everyday.

His beloved herd could also eat one insect a day.

All they needed to do was sip delicious wine those outsiders brought everyday for him and for his sheep to eat ealthy pasture in the woods.

That really was the bestest way of living.

Pure bliss, no work, no jokes thrown at him from his brothers.

Here he was the king and as all kings needed, his court was excellently taking care of everything.

"Your majesty, the food for today is ready, but…"

"Speak your mind insect."

If there was something he was displeased about, was the fact that his own court, was made of these insects. Sure they were helpful and gave plenty of food and wine.

But he wanted more.

He wanted his kin to worship.

For fuck sake, he was the son of Poseidon.

The fact that all cyclops were never even crossed his mind.

He was HIM.

The real deal.

"Your majesty, it seems your herd has overeaten again, if you could please spare a word, we could give more food to you."

"Mhmmmm, I shall do so. After all, I'm the most important and food should be mine."

His beloved herd was trembling with fear, fear that he mistook as excitement.

This monster was the one that every day ate one or two of them.

And he was now telling them that if they didn't want to be eaten they shouldn't eat his food.

No one was in his right state of mind.

A red haze seemed to move behind the eyes of everyone, be it sheep, cyclops of lotus eater.

The ecstasy and brainwashing the lotuses were exercising on every being present was unbreakable at this point.

Well, for everyone but a man laughing his ass off on the roof of the farm.

"These fools really are too easy. What was the order even scared of?"

He rolled on his back, looking at the sky.

"Space is a delicate branch of magic blah blah blah!

The slightest mistake and the Records will know blah blah blah!

You're just at the fifth circle blah blah blah!"

He jumped up and enjoyed the scene at play once again.

The shepherd was eating his animals and the mind diggers were digging their own mind.

"Haaaaa!!"

Blush started to invade his face, blood rushing down to his groin.

"Just a little more defying of probability and we'll be able to bring Khaos to this world hahahahah!!"

His eyes maniacally scanning every detail down below, pure joy however soon morphed into a small frown.

"There really is one less… did an extra lotus fall when I wasn't looking?"

He scratched his small chin pondering if that was a detail worth investigating or not.

"Oh well, I'm sure I can deal with whatever happens, I can just sent Polypoly to my enemy hehehehe…"