The Gift From Poseidon: When Gods Walked Among Us (Volume 2)
Page 22
And where better to show it off than at the center square of the most popular marketplace in Atagartis?
The Yeturi became an instant sensation. At first, as if pleading for help from the ogres that banished it, the Yeturi blew its horn from dusk until dawn without pause. A week after its capture, the fluffed troll had stopped doing this and appeared to have accepted its fate.
As expected, feeding time brought the largest crowds. Small knives for claws, it happily made a bloody mess of whatever poor, still living animal its handlers gave it. Aside from when it ate, the savage beast on the road to taming was mostly quiet no matter the crowd. Even on days the market was full, it just sat in its cage and watched the waves of engaged Mermaids going about their lives all around it.
Not just Mermaids clamored to see the Yeturi. Gryphons, Centaurs, Arachna – even Sapiens – flocked west to gawk at the monster as well. So proud of the displayed beast, Queen Diedrika allowed one and all to enter Atagartis to view it. All could do little more than marvel at how its handlers ruled over the caged troll. In triumphant glory, Mermaids succeeded where the other nations would have most likely failed.
Quite epically, of course.
Chapter Nineteen
JUST A BIT OF FUN
We’s did it! Ha, ha! We’s did it, and we’s did it well. Is only fair it does so. Is only fair the monster gets to drink from the same waters as we’s once did. IS ONLY FAIR! The Pool of Torment and Discovery is a gift for all. Is just a bit of fun! Let us see, let us see! Just what will happen when we’s introduce a little chaos into this happy, shiny world?
– Betrugen and Verrator, Mermaids
– Mid-Summer, Year 4,253 KT[23]
A blue moon, darkened sky,
watchful night up on high,
Casts a twinkle,
a glimmer, in each darting eye,
Oh brother,
a bit younger, so so much dumber,
Perhaps youth has just made
your mind that much number,
Grab hold, Verrator!
Take from what my hand offers,
A reward so grand,
it shan’t fit into coffers.
Why read? Your eyes
foretell of mayhem this summer,
At last! Has been so
boring, a humdrum glummer,
Older, yes! But wiser?
Oh, please, Betrugen, please,
A battle of wits –
better come armed, Mermaid sleaze,
You move like a sloth,
your skin’s hue more grey than blue,
Fat and quite ugly,
no words written were more true.
Your warped mind is like sap,
most thoughts thick as the trees,
You would have hung
long ago were it not for me’s,
Prepared, that’s my trick!
Shifty as sands in the hand,
Such cunning is what
sneaking, secret plans demand,
Hiding away in the
daytime, prowling at night,
You are sure I am there,
yet long gone, out of sight.
Now I read, now I read,
your scheme is rather grand,
Indeed, just in time,
so many before, so bland,
My confidence shrunk
as your stupidity grew,
Had near lost hope,
but no more – redeemed plans anew!
No talking, just writing,
as to why, not a clue,
But insult me again,
I’ll tell Mother on you.
Listen! Mermaid oaf
with a mind soggy as dew,
As for Mother, too late,
she already hates you,
We cannot squawk about
like two haggish killdeers,
Because giggles and
scribbles and snickers and sneers,
Will not tell of our plan,
as would words we’s might speak,
So bite your tongue!
My bamboo strip, come take a peek.
Our silence, oh yes,
as to why, now crystal clear,
For if someone hears,
they just might cut off our ears,
Take this for what it’s
worth, Mother hated you first,
‘Tis you, not I,
she aims for with each shouted curse,
So joyous, so cheery,
such wonderful chaos,
But if we’s are caught,
on the wheel they will break us.
Then don’t get caught,
wretched fool! Last least to have nursed,
My plan cunning and
foolproof; the creature coerced,
Father still likes us;
he does his best to ignore,
But enough about
Mother; write of her no more,
She loves Diedrika most,
from the start it sure seems,
‘Tis but us, brother!
Just you and I and our schemes.
Tell me more, tell me more!
Let us settle the score!
Clever and quick, unlike
your past schemes of before,
An ally in waiting,
full of reek, whitewashed sneak,
The mayhem, shrill shrieks,
think of the havoc to wreak,
No more tricking
greedy, insufferable fools,
Nor wooing wrinkled
Mermaids, heisting their jewels.
Right, brother younger!
Here, take hold of what you seek,
Now don’t be meek,
don’t be weak, come on take a peek,
Its history well-known,
scribed upon copper plates,
The Pool of Torment
and Discovery awaits!
Smell the warm air,
the ripe season is upon us,
The time now come,
a spot of treason demands thus.
To reach the waters,
three days past our eastern gates,
Far past Elkabydos
and its ruined estates,
Of the how, the when,
and the what shall we’s covet?
Let us savor
the moment, relish it, love it!
Out of its cage,
the monster will hunt its first meal,
As I imagine such glee,
I just want to squeal!
Be quiet! SHUT UP!
Before I sew your mouth shut,
Our journey lies due east,
where the old scythes once cut,
Grab barrels and snag rope –
next twilight we’s depart,
We’s do so without notice –
by horse and by cart,
Prepare heart and mind
for brilliance once flaunted,
But be warned, brother …
the old city is haunted.
Fear not, Betrugen!
This sly plan suits my fancy,
A good scheme worth
doing is always quite chancy,
The time is now upon us;
follow the sparrows!
The way is near hidden,
the path rather narrow,
Two nights less than a
fortnight our next turn at guard,
Waters exchanged,
Atagartis forever scarred.
Elkabydos abandoned,
city of shadows,
Fields salted long ago
still crippled and fallow,
The blood is long dry,
yet nightmares are still bleeding,
An army crushed twice,
the Sapiens still reeling,
He the greatest
of Gryphons, his burden borne here,
The whipping stone
brought home, Semitius revered.
The sun hides and
winds
bite my every being,
POSEIDON’S TAIL!
What horrid sights am I seeing?
Betrugen, I’m frightened!
This place gives me the creeps,
The legends are true!
‘Tis where the Grim Reaper reaps,
Look! Stained blood splattered
upon saddened granite walls,
It hurts! Screams pierce my
poor ears with shrill, shrieking calls.
SHHH! Write if you must!
Awake the dead from their sleep,
This trip is over –
you’ll pay a price beyond steep,
Bow your head! Look down!
Gaze not where skeletons swing,
Bound to the walls, with a
swift breeze, bronze chains still sing,
Heed their calls,
stare too long, they’ll drag you asunder,
A very nasty end,
your soul ripe for plunder.
‘Tis sad, this once great
city brought down by a king,
Love for the throne,
faith in magic his undoing,
Bad enough with light,
could not imagine at night,
For when the moon shines,
then unleashes ghostly fright,
Eastern walls far behind us,
now part of the past,
The Pool, oh there it is,
we’s have made it at last.
The old cursed city left
alone and out of sight,
Brother younger,
brother elder; we’s set things right,
The waters now before
us that started it all,
Sapiens rising,
next Gryphons; then came the Fall,
Twelve barrels should do it,
go on, fill them with glee,
The fluffed troll awaits us,
its bound mind to set free.
Oh yes, the monster
needs us! Let out a great yawl,
Find someone to maul,
then perhaps start a good brawl!
Come on horses;
the twelve barrels filled, don’t be shy,
Load ’em up,
move ’em back, for anarchy is nigh!
With every laugh,
chortle, snicker, and giggle,
These waters, they gleam,
they glitter – even wiggle!
Our time on guard now here
and under blackened sky,
Its fresh water dumped
into the fountains – bye bye!
Our deed almost finished,
so brash, so auspicious,
The cycle once started,
it then turns quite vicious,
Tainted waters replace them –
oh the chills, what thrills!
Not with sword, nor dagger,
‘tis the mind that best kills.
This our scheme, how queer,
how delicious suspicious!
Even better, now done,
how scrumptious rambunctious!
Just teasing and
tormenting, how’s that any fun?
A game all others have lost –
not us, we’s have won!
The cool water in the
barrel goes drip, drip, drip!
The foul monster when
he’s thirsty goes sip, sip, sip!
Let us see, let us see,
‘tis just a bit of fun!
The wicked troll unleashed;
watch ‘em run, watch ‘em run!
Wicked thoughts in a
tortured mind ready to flow,
Let all weep amidst
reaped chaos we gladly sow,
A gift for all,
is only fair – IS ONLY FAIR!
The waters partaken,
Atagartis beware!
But will it learn?
Oh yes, I very much think so!
And then, once it does,
oh the places it will go!
Poor creature!
No friends and all alone in its cage,
So much pent up anger –
time to let loose this rage!
That thing, how rancid,
it even stinks when asleep,
Sweet dreams, ogre …
careful the company you keep.
Elders scream and the
younglings shriek – cower in fear!
They say yes, we say no,
they say no, we say yes,
All terror-stricken eyes
gawk as the monster says….
Chapter Twenty
A GRIM WISH GRANTED
I had never before attended the festivals that accompany the annual summer conference. Likewise, I had yet to see a Harpastum match, but have heard a great deal from others how dangerous it all is. As it had already happened many times throughout the ages, I knew it was possible that a player in this brutal game could be killed. I just never thought I would see such a horrid tragedy for myself.
– Evagoria, Mermaid Princess
– Mid-Summer, Year 4,253 KT[24]
“Just imagine, Princess,” Penelope gushed, “festivals throughout, the stadium – you have yet to see such a sight! And Harpastum too!” Her excited eyes rubbed off on Evagoria’s. She too beamed with delight – for a few moments more at least. “Maybe we will even be lucky enough to see a player killed!”
With a smile still across her face, Penelope spun away to face Diedrika and Theodoric. Evagoria’s smile spun away into a frown just as quickly.
She did not want to see such a thing!
This sad thought occupied her mind as they continued to soar high through the air. It was quite cool for summer and more clouds than not hung about the sky. It would probably rain before the day was out, but looked to Evagoria as if it would take its time to do so.
The four Gryphons leading their sky chariot landed at Antediluvium with barely more than a bump. The great skill needed to do this thrilled Evagoria and swept away her sad thoughts. That Mermaids shared an eternal alliance with such grand creatures swelled her already excited heart with pride. Once unhitched from the sky chariot, the noble quartet of wings, fangs, and talons released another four Gryphons from the sky chariot that had tailed them. In this one sat Andromeda, Perseos, and Cassiopeia.
“As usual, Betrugen and Verrator are nowhere to be found,” Andromeda mused as she exited her sky chariot. She then mounted Simonacles and glared at Perseos. He quickly answered a question Andromeda asked with only her stern eyes and a deep frown.
“I have not seen them for weeks,” he said weakly.
Her grandmother and the others might have glared at Perseos, but Evagoria did not. As always, she looked kindly upon her still youthful grandfather. His greatest ‘weakness’ was his love for sons who could not care less for him or their family. That he could still love such despicable rubes simply meant he loved her that much more. This greatly comforted Evagoria. To show it, she glided to his side and wrapped her arms around one of his.
“Come,” Diedrika commanded sternly. Obviously bored with all the goofy glares in regards to her even goofier younger brothers, with a single wave of her hand, Judiascar approached and she hopped aboard him.
“Hello, dear friend,” Evagoria said to Zacharias as he leaned into her. She then took a few moments to rub his mane in appreciation for the safe ride. The more Evagoria rubbed, the more he leaned into her. She truly liked Zacharias and looked forward to the day when he would become her protector. The others ready to depart, he lay down so she could pull herself into his saddle. With Evagoria aboard and her Queen Mother in the lead, the Gryphon prince practically pranced the whole way to the stadium.
“Wow …” Evagoria drawled in Zacharias’ ear as they entered single file through the stadium gates. “It’s even more magnificent than Penelope said it would be!”
Thousands had already arrived for a Harpastum game at least another full turn of
the clepsydra from starting. Still, Judiascar, Zacharias, and Xavier needed to hurry as it took a good bit of time to prepare. After flying the Mermaids to their choice seating in the middle of the stadium, they flew off to do so. With wide eyes and a beaming grin, Evagoria’s head swiveled in every direction as she took in the grand scene.
The seating area at the center of the pitch was, of course, the best place to watch the action below. Sapiens sat in the very front of this area and a handful of Mermaids sat to each side of them. These Mermaids were in charge of scoring and two of them served as umpires. Two other umpires sat directly in the raised seats on the opposite side of the field where timekeepers controlled the signal flags. After the dam disaster, those who rebuilt the shared city converted this side of the stadium into a memorial of fountains and sculptures. As Evagoria took in the somber details of the memorial, she was suddenly thankful she was not alive back then to see such a horrid day.
Moving upward, next were Centaurs and Arachna. As neither kind really ‘sat’, this part of the seating area was mostly for standing. And above them all – just as it should be – sat Mermaids and Gryphons.
Evagoria took her seat and dipped every finger in the flowing channel of water where she and the other Mermaids now bathed their tails.
Finally, she could take off her cursed tail sack!
The tail sack was splendidly made like everything else her kind crafted, but to have to rewet it four or five times every day was such a chore. Fortunately, in another year or so, she would no longer need it. Evagoria removed and folded her tail sack, set it next to her, and upon raising her head, caught sight of a dear friend.
“Father?” Evagoria called as she leaned to her left.
“Yes, Evagoria,” Theodoric answered back as he put his left arm around her shoulder and pulled her close.