Armies of Nine, Book Three of The Adventures of Sarah Coppernick

by SJB Gilmour

  ‘It’s so good to see you again,’ she told the guardian of Hades’ realm. Cerberus continued to lick her and nuzzle her until finally she begged off and backed away. ‘My friend here and I need to talk to Medusa,’ Angela told the dog, gesturing to Sarah. ‘Will you let us in?’

  Cerberus bent down and sniffed Sarah several times with each head. When he was satisfied that Sarah was not evil, he wagged his tail and dutifully stepped aside.

  ‘Thanks Cerbie!’ Angela told him. ‘Good boy!’ Then she muttered ‘Purgarito,’ at herself and she was once more drool-free. ‘Come on, Sarah,’ she called brightly. ‘Let’s go find Medusa!’ She clicked her fingers and was suddenly wearing a flowing white toga.

  ‘A toga?’ Sarah asked her, looking her up and down. The toga was little more than a sarong, almost wrapped around her and left very little to the imagination. It was certainly the most revealing outfit Sarah had seen Angela wear. She thought the fact that she noticed such a thing to be quite odd, considering the amount of times she had seen her teacher stark naked.

  Angela smiled understandingly. ‘I know. Mother wears this kind of thing all the time, but it’s not the most practical kind of clothing. Still, we’re going to Hades’ house and I should dress appropriately. Hades is a temperamental sort. Right now I’m on His good side, but it’s best not to risk annoying Him.’ She grimaced. ‘He’s also quite loud. No volume control at all, and that’s when He’s in a good mood. When He’s angry… Well let’s just hope we don’t experience that, or we’ll be deaf for weeks.’

  ‘What about me? What should I wear?’

  Angela smiled. ‘You can wear whatever you like, Sarah. He’ll most likely view you as having at least titan status, and that means you can wear whatever you choose.’ She grimaced. ‘I’m glad I changed after meeting Cerberus. He’s an enthusiastic old dog. The last time I came here, it felt like I’d just been dunked into a barrel of glue. This toga would have stuck to me like papier-mâché.’

  ‘You’ve been here before?’ Sarah observed.

  ‘Oh, many times,’ Angela told her, leading her along a wide, dark street into the dark realm of Hades. They had not walked long when they came to the banks of the fast-flowing river Styx. At the riverside, a shimmering glow was appearing.

  ‘Here He comes now,’ Angela told Sarah, pointing at the glowing area on the sand.

  Sarah had encountered gods before. Demeter and Apollo both had very commanding presences, but they were also quite friendly in their own way. Hades’ presence was no less friendly, but He was also much more dominant than either Apollo or Demeter had been. This world was His territory.

  ‘Greetings, Troy and Kopernik!’ the god bellowed, hugging Angela. He kissed her soundly on each cheek and hugged her again, thumping her back solidly. Finally, He released her and much more seriously, nodded at Sarah.

  Sarah wagged her tail and nodded back. ‘Holy Hades,’ she addressed Him formally.

  Hades smiled. ‘No need to be so formal, Golden Mane! My house is your house!’

  Sarah smiled and wagged her tail again. ‘Thank-You, Lord Hades.’

  ‘We’re looking for Medusa, Lord Hades,’ Angela told Him.

  Hades shook His head doubtfully. ‘I’m not sure if she’s here,’ He admitted. ‘Her sister Stheno is, though.’ He clapped His hands and suddenly a very startled gorgon appeared beside Him.

  This snake-headed gorgon was taller than Medusa. She was also more heavily muscled, though still strikingly beautiful, were it not for the writhing snakes on her head. The green serpents she had instead of hair were all very short, making her appear as though she wore a bright green, wriggling crew cut. Her fangs were longer and shaper too. This gorgon appeared far more dangerous and brutal than her sister.

  ‘What do you want, Troy?’ the gorgon demanded. Her voice was deeper than Medusa’s. She looked Angela up and down, much the same way some men would if suddenly confronted by an attractive woman. She began to smile lewdly.

  ‘Ahh, Stheno,’ Angela said, politely ignoring the suggestive stare the gorgon was giving her. ‘I’m actually looking for your sister Medusa.’

  The gorgon sneered disdainfully. ‘She’s not home. She’s gone hunting.’

  ‘Yes, I know,’ Angela replied. ‘I understand her hunt wasn’t quite as successful as she hoped. She turned a young minotaur to stone and took off with him. I want him back.’

  Stheno shrugged. ‘She’s probably gone to that mountain hideout of hers,’ she suggested with a dismissive wave. Then she returned her attention to Angela’s toga-clad body. ‘Is there anything I can do for you?’ She was quite obviously not talking about any minotaur.

  Angela sighed. ‘That’s very flattering, Stheno, but I’m afraid I’m already spoken for.’ She pointed to the glowing tattoo on her breast.

  For the second time that day, Sarah was very glad she was a wolf.

  Before Stheno could respond, Angela smiled at the gorgon. ‘I’m sorry to have troubled you.’

  The gorgon leered at Angela. ‘No trouble at all, Marked One. Call me anytime!’ Then Stheno disappeared, leaving behind a few vapours of green mist.

  Hades sighed regretfully. ‘I’m sorry I cannot help you, Troy,’ He told her. ‘But, you must stay and dine with me!’

  Angela bowed her head. ‘We’d be honoured, Lord Hades,’ she said with a smile. Hades grinned and the three of them were suddenly transported to a beautifully appointed dining hall on the island of Erythea. Several slave-girls were standing nearby, ready to serve them with trays of food and jugs of wine. The little clothing they wore left Cassandra’s attire to shame. In one corner of the hall at the fire, two heavily-muscled male slaves were dutifully tending a spit, roasting an entire calf. Sarah sniffed several times. The food smelled absolutely divine!

  ‘Sit!’ Hades gestured eagerly at several lounges that hadn’t been there moments before.

  And so, while Hades and Angela chatted, Sarah enjoyed one of the nicest meals she had ever had. She tasted several different wines, ate far too much beef and lamb than was probably healthy and several varieties of sweet fruits. Finally, when she thought she could eat no more, the slave-girls brought out three jugs of nectar and three bowls of ambrosia. Sarah had read of these sacred foodstuffs of the gods, but had never dreamed she would actually get to eat some. A little guiltily, she thought to herself as she ate and drank the divine foods, this was one thing she’d had the chance to do that Melanie probably had not. The flavours were unlike anything she had ever tasted before. They were sweet, savoury, spicy and delicate all at once.

  Hades laughed at her. ‘Don’t feel guilty, Golden Mane!’ He bellowed with delight. ‘You’re in my house! There is no such thing as sin here!’

  Still, Sarah did feel guilty, and she realised that despite His kindness and generosity, Hades was still the ruthless and very powerful ruler of The Underworld. This very pleasant part of it was probably not seen by most of the inhabitants. The vast majority, she knew, existed out on the Plains of Asphodel or deeper down in the horrid darkness of Tartarus.

  For the first time since she arrived, Sarah saw Hades’ smile fade. He nodded at her gravely. Hades looked up and His smile returned. He moved aside on the couch where He had been sitting close to Angela. Persephone appeared standing in front of them.

  Sarah noticed her eyes tighten just the briefest of moments when She saw Hades sitting so close to Angela. Angela stood and bowed to the bride of Hades. Sarah followed suit and nodded at The Queen of The Underworld formally.

  ‘Thank-you for visiting us, Golden Mane,’ Persephone said to Sarah. She turned to Angela and embraced her fondly. ‘And you, dear sister-in-law to be!’ She said warmly, kissing Angela on the cheeks. When She broke free, She smiled at them both with just a touch of sadness. ‘If only you could stay longer,’ She lamented.

  Angela took the cue gracefully. She bowed at Persephone and then again to Hades. Sarah did the same.

  ‘Thank-You and bless You both,’ Angela told the god an
d goddess with genuine gratitude. ‘As always, your generosity is so wonderful. We do not deserve such lovely treatment.’

  Persephone smiled. ‘Be not so humble, dearest one.’ She turned to Sarah. ‘And you, brave Golden Mane. Your quest is more important than you can imagine. You must promise to return to us.’

  ‘Yes!’ Hades boomed, waving a goblet of wine. ‘Please return any time, Golden Mane! It will always be a delight for us to receive you!’

  Sarah wagged her tail at them. ‘Thank-You, My Lord and Lady!’ she said. Then an idea occurred to her. ‘Lord Hades?’ she asked.

  ‘Yes, Golden Mane?’

  ‘You know Mel and I have the pieces of The Star of Planes?’

  Hades nodded.

  ‘You wouldn’t know how we get it to work, would You?’

  Hades smiled a little sadly and shook His head. ‘Not even The Nordic Trickster Loki knows that secret,’ Hades replied. ‘The Star of Planes was forged on Jilde before my goblin cousins were destroyed. That much I know. As to the secrets of unlocking its power or the identity of its maker, I confess I cannot help you.’

  Sarah wagged her tail. ‘Thank-You Lord Hades. You mentioned cousins? Were they the gods of Jilde?’

  Hades nodded. ‘Six there were,’ He told her. ‘Lixux and Noxux, the goddess of night and the god of the day. They were the caretaker of the dead and the bringer of life. Also, there was Haxum, whose domain was all the seas of Jilde, along with Alexix, the god of the land. The last two were Lux, the goddess of love and Oxae, the goblin god of war. They perished when they tried to stop The Star of Planes from being used. In that moment, Neroland was formed and Jilde’s moon destroyed.’ He smiled at her sadly. ‘Now all that remain of my cousins are those wretched ghosts in the emptiness beyond Neroland. The pieces of that cursed tool are as much a mystery to you as to us all. I can only hope that when you and young Troy learn more about it, you use it wisely.’

  Sarah wagged her tail at Hades. ‘I’ll do my best, Lord Hades. I promise!’

  Hades grinned and patted her warmly. ‘Thank-you, Golden Mane and good luck!’ He said with a smile.

  Then, in an instant, Sarah and Angela were transported back to the rocky beach on the island.

  ‘Oh, wow!’ Sarah exclaimed. ‘That was sooo cool!’

  Angela smiled. ‘Yes! Informative too. I’d always wondered what happened to Jilde’s gods and what those voices were in Neroland. I’d never have guessed that the two were connected.’

  Sarah wasn’t so concerned about dead gods or their ghosts. She was still very excited from the experience of having dined on such fantastic food, in Hades’ Underworld, with Hades and Persephone! She’d drunk nectar and eaten ambrosia!

  ‘This couldn’t have happened at a better time,’ Angela said giving Sarah a mysterious smile. ‘We’re going to the Caucasus Mountains. I think we’ll pay a visit to the Amazons. You’ve given us all ample proof that you’ve plenty of power of late. Now it’s time for some discipline.’ She looked meaningfully at Sarah’s newly healed shoulder. ‘As well as a bit of training.’

  ‘The Amazons? Where are they?’

  ‘Their main barracks is Lentekhi. Right now, it’s in the old country of Georgia, just to the north of Turkey. The Amazons move their base around every so often. It’s not wise for a mercenary operation to have a permanent address. Wherever the hierarchy is, Lentekhi is. It’s not really very far from the fixed portal to Wolfenvald, actually. I’m not sure what the mortals are calling it now. The borders keep shifting around.’

  She uttered a quick cantrip and she was dressed in short, snug-fitting leather shorts, knee-high boots and a leather Amazon vest that protected the right side of her chest with heavy leather reinforcing. Her midriff and shoulders were bare. Her hair was tied back in a severe braid and on her forearms she wore long leather braces. Her bow appeared slung over one shoulder and a quiver of arrows hung behind her back. Gleaming knives were sheathed on the outside of the calves of her boots. A captain’s insignia was embossed on her right shoulder.

  She looked down at her new attire and smiled. ‘It’s good to be back in uniform.’ She smiled at Sarah. ‘Remember my armour at Troll Mountain? I was an Amazon, long before I was a publisher.’

  ‘How long ago was that, Angela?’

  Angela shrugged. ‘It was a very long time ago,’ she said indifferently, though for a scant moment her face was troubled as if pained by an old memory. ‘And I think I’ve had enough of that name.’ She smiled ruefully. ‘It was good when I needed to escape my past, but it seems I can’t outrun it any more.’ Then quite formally, she said to Sarah, ‘My full name is Angelina Troy. Forget about Angela or Miss Harding. She’s old news. The people we’re dealing with all know me as Troy or Angelina so I might as well just stick to that.’

  ‘Angelina…’ Sarah said, trying the name out. ‘It’s nice.’

  ‘Glad you like it. Now let’s go to Lentekhi.’ She pointed at an empty space on the rocky ground, opened a portal, and marched through it. Sarah followed through the shimmering gateway and out onto a high, rocky slope. Even though it was night, the air was hot and dry. The wind howled past them, ruffling Sarah’s fur. Sarah looked about.

  ‘Where are we?’

  Angela looked around to get her bearings. ‘Not far from the base. It’s probably in town, but it’s not wise to arrive unannounced, even for me. Trust me, they’ll know we’re here soon enough and then we can let whomever we meet take us in.’

  Sarah and Angelina waited patiently for nearly fifteen minutes. In the strong breeze, Sarah caught a whiff of three females approaching. She stood up with her ears pricked, facing the direction of the scents. Then she heard the faint sounds of three people coming towards them who were taking great pains to do so quietly. Angelina noticed her behaviour and smiled.

  Sarah and her teacher stood and waited while the soldiers approached. The three Amazons appeared with crossbows at the ready. Their expressions were severe and gave no indication of disappointment that their approach had been detected. Their uniforms were similar to Angelina’s, however they were much more modern. Where Angelina wore padded leather armour, they wore Kevlar. Their knives and bows were newer models too. And, they were now levelled at Sarah and Angelina. They stared at them with flat, unfriendly glares.

  One of the warrior women lowered her bow and stepped forward. ‘Who are you?’ she demanded. She looked Angelina up and down suspiciously.

  Angelina smiled. ‘About time you showed up,’ she said dryly. She squinted curiously at the Amazon facing her. ‘Don’t you recognise me, Monika?’ she asked calmly. I see you’re a lieutenant now. Congratulations.’

  The Amazon warrior stepped closer and stared at Angelina’s face. ‘You look familiar,’ she said quietly.

  Angelina smiled and gestured to Sarah who was standing by her side. ‘I’m sure you’re familiar with the exploits of young Mistress Coppernick here,’ she continued conversationally. ‘Perhaps you’d like to escort us to see Her Majesty, Queen Penethelia? I need to talk to her about a gorgon.’

  Monika’s face softened as she recognised Angelina. ‘Angel?’ she half whispered. Her comrades lowered their weapons with awed expressions.

  ‘Auntie Angel!’ Monika exclaimed. She slung her bow over her shoulder and embraced Angelina in a fierce hug. After a brief moment, she drew back a pace. ‘What are you doing here?’ she exclaimed. All hints of her ferocity had gone now and she was just like any other very excited young woman.

  Angelina smiled. ‘It’s a long story, dear. Perhaps it would be best if we wait until I tell Penethelia. Then I won’t have to repeat myself.’

  Monika looked troubled, as did her comrades. ‘Penny’s sick,’ she said sadly. ‘Our healer Sally hasn’t been able to help her.’

  ‘Well you’d better get us to her quickly then,’ Sarah told the warrior bluntly. She wagged her tail anxiously.

  One of the Amazons stepped forward and saluted. ‘I’m Stjarna,’ she said, introducing herself. ‘S
ergeant of Division Theta.’

  Her partner also approached also and saluted. ‘And I’m Hannah. Corporal.’ She nodded respectfully at Sarah. ‘Are you a healer?’

  Sarah grinned a toothy smile and wagged her tail even harder. ‘I try,’ she yipped. Then she stopped wagging her tail. ‘Well, are we going or not?’

  Monika then led them down the rocky hillside and into a dense forest of tall pines. The Amazon warriors were very fit and set a cracking pace. Sarah loped along with them easily and was quite surprised to see that Angelina also kept up without too much difficulty.

  As they ran through the forest, the trees bade Sarah welcome. ‘Greetings, Golden Mane,’ they whispered to her politely and then were silent.

  After twenty minutes of solid running, the trio of Amazons led Sarah and Angelina to the edge of the forest where there was a car park and toilet facilities for tourists. The air around them shimmered and they were suddenly dressed like mortals in jeans and shirts. Angelina followed suit as Monika took them to a large black van parked under the branches of a large pine. Monika held the van door open and gestured for them all to climb in. Almost reluctantly, Sarah changed form and was once more dressed in cargo pants, t-shirt, and checked shirt. She climbed in, feeling very self-conscious in the company of these three strapping women. While Hannah drove, Stjarna and Monika sat behind Sarah and Angelina.

  ‘Unusual for three soldiers of rank to be sent on a simple scout,’ Angelina observed. ‘No privates?’

  ‘Sally sent us into the forest to find some herbs that might help,’ Monika told them. ‘We were in the field but we got diverted.’

  ‘She wanted some elk-horn,’ Stjarna muttered. ‘She’s not going to be happy with us for coming back empty-handed.’

  ‘Never mind,’ Angelina assured them. ‘Sarah here is quite gifted. Now, what’s wrong with Penethelia?’

  ‘Old age, I guess, Captain,’ Stjarna said with an unhappy shrug. She gazed out the window for a long moment. ‘She’s been getting tired a lot and she can’t quite catch her breath any more.’