by K. T. Tomb
All the men laid themselves down, wrapped in their blankets and warmed by the fire. Within moments they sank away into dreams of heroes; vivid dreams of heroes and gods and monsters.
As he drifted to sleep, Aineias thought that he could make out the sounds of horses whinnying in the distance. He paid no mind to it and soon he was sound asleep.
“Where are you going, Aineias?” asked the dark skinned woman who was waving to him from the white, sandy beach of the cove.
“To seek the Kraken,” he replied, as he sailed quickly past.
“Why would you do such a foolish thing, boy? Do you know that you will die?”
“I will not die, my friend. It is my destiny; I have to save Corinth from the Roman Legions.”
“No!” she shouted, suddenly irritated at him. “You and all your men will die, your ships will be broken and sunk and the dead will wash up on the sands of Cadiz like leaves falling from a tree.”
Before he could reply, her image faded and was scattered by the sea breeze.
Chapter Six
In the morning they attached cables to the bow of the boat and began pulling her up the beach. The Thracians were put to work pulling her up the sand and half a dozen sailors used logs and their long poles to help her up the shore. When the boat was completely out of the water, the cables were attached to her sides and to the top of her mast. They hauled her over and laid her on her side. The knives and scrapers were brought out and bit by bit the hull was scraped clean.
Aineias left Pyrrhus in charge and went into the hills with Jason and Daizus. They took some line, knives and javelins. It wasn’t meant to be an exploring trip, Aineias was hoping for the chance to hunt some game. They walked beyond the tree line and began climbing the hill. After a while they reached a clearing from which they could see the ship on the beach; the men crouching by her side looked rather small. The crew were scraping away the barnacles and Pyrrhus stood by them, pointing out the places they missed. From time to time he would finger a plank, or test the wood by trying to push his knife into the board.
Sounds of life were everywhere in the woods around their little hunting party. It wasn’t just the rustling of leaves in the wind; there was the sound of monkeys, the screeching of birds and the shuffling of rodents in the brush. They had been so noisy walking through the bush that no animals worth the effort could still be in their immediate vicinity. Aineias sat down on a fallen tree trunk and looked at Daizus.
“How was it that you were captured?” he asked the Thracian chief.
Daizus sighed and picked up a thin, long stick. He ran his hands along the length of it.
“They cheated us.”
He looked annoyed and angrily threw the stick into the bushes. It was rotten.
Aineias frowned. “How did they cheat you?”
Daizus turned to face him and for a moment looked like he was about to lose his temper, but he did not. He went to a nearby tree and cut five slender branches. He sighed again and sat down to whittle the bark from his sticks.
“We’re from a small village in the hills, too poor to pay taxes to the Romans but they demanded their tribute to be paid. Since we could not pay them , they sent their legion to arrest us. We did not open our gates and they could not attack us up the steep slope to our village. When they had become tired of trying, their commander came to the gate and shouted out to us that we would not have to pay taxes because we were brave and we had been granted a reprieve, then they retreated. The next morning there was a raid on one of our outlying farms. We thought our envious neighbors were behind it so we marched out of the village gates to punish them. On the road, the Romans came from the trees and pounced on us. They did not try to kill us, instead they used nets and ropes and clubs to catch and disarm us. Again, their commander came forward and addressed us. This time he told us that we had just paid our taxes. They shackled and loaded us onto carts that took us to a harbor in Macedon. We were auctioned on the block to the trader who sold us to you.”
Aineias was lost for words for a moment. Then he looked at the man he had come to respect and shook his head slowly.
“The Romans don’t play fair.”
Daizus nodded.
“If ever you set us free, we will go back to our land and take our revenge.”
Aineias nodded and got up from his seat. He extended his hand.
“Once we are done, I will set you free, and if I can, I will help you in your struggle against the Romans.”
Daizus shook his hand.
“I will keep you to your word.”
As Diazus stood from the log with his makeshift arrows in his hand, Jason came stumbling through the bush and demanded they get busy looking for some game.
***
Daizus turned out to be a skilled hunter as well as a warrior. Within moments of leaving the clearing he had seen the tracks of deer, immediately he motioned for them to stop while he cocked his head, listening carefully. He took one of his newly hewn arrows and set it in the crude bow he carried. After a short moment, he loosed it into the bush then motioned for the others to follow him. When they went to look, they found a doe with the sharpened stick lodged in its neck.
Before returning to the boat, they had bagged four hares and several fish which Jason had speared in the stream at the top of the hill. They still did not know how they would manage to take all they had caught back down the steep hillside to the beach, but there was only one way they could figure it out.
Back on the beach the crew and the Thracians were just about to heave the boat onto her other side. A single strake on the bow was now lighter than the others, indicating a plank Pyrrhus had found substandard. So he had ordered one of the spare planks to be cut to size, bent into the right shape and fitted. The side of the ship was clean as the marble of one of the great temples and Aineias looked pleased.
He also discovered one of the men had taken it upon himself to wade out into the water and set out some lines in the hope of catching fish. Remarkably, even with all the activity, the traps had paid off and there was now so much food they could have a feast in the evening.
It took several more hours to scrape the other side of the ship clean and luckily all the strakes passed Pyrrhus’ high standards. Aineias, Jason and Daizus passed the hours cleaning and spitting the animals they had caught over the fire. The deer had been easy to clean and skin but Jason broke two good sticks trying to get it properly spitted and ready to roast. Daizus came to his aid and simply ran the carcass through with one of the iron harpoons from the ship then placing the animal over the fire. Shaking his head, Jason resigned himself to scaling and cleaning the many fish they had caught.
That evening the boat was hauled back to the waterline and then they all sat down around the fire to enjoy the fresh roasted meat and fish. Again the songs came out, as did the stories, and by popular request, Aineias once again told the story of the Kraken.
The next morning Aineias was awakened by the sound of whispering. He opened his eyes and quietly rolled over on his furs. Everyone around him was fast asleep and to his dismay, even Jason who had the last watch of the night had dozed off around the perishing embers of the fire. He looked towards the water and saw that the boat was floated again and her oars were set as if ready for departure. He sat up quickly. Who had done that? Were the slaves trying to steal their boat and make their way to freedom? He stood silently and picked his way between the sleeping men, every one of them was accounted for.
“Aineias!” a voice called to him softly. It came from the tree line along the beach and when he looked in its direction, he saw one of the men in the purple cloak beckoning to him.
“Come with me,” the voice said. “We gods wish to speak with you.”
It was surely a woman’s voice, one that was familiar to him and as Aineias followed the figure in the purple cloak, he suddenly remembered it. The woman from his dream, the one who asked him why he was seeking the Kraken! He walked through the woods towards the top of the hill where
Jason had caught fish the day before. As he passed the trees, he noticed the branches seemed to wave slower in the cool morning breeze. Leaves did not fall to the ground either; they seemed to drift haltingly as if they were not sure they should be going to the ground at all. The animals moved so slowly. He could have caught even the spryest rabbit with his bare hands. Aineias didn’t know what was happening to him.
When they reached to the top of the hill, he looked out over the sea. His mouth fell open and he was as stiff as a board. Time had come to a complete halt around Aineias; the waves were frozen in mid-crash against the rocks, the waters of the stream stood still and the sun was stuck just beyond the horizon unable to rise any further.
“What magic is this?” he demanded of the three cloaked figures in front of him.
One by one, they pulled the hoods from their heads to reveal themselves to him. When he saw them, Aineias fell to his knees and bowed his head.
“I am sorry, my ladies,” he cried, “I was not aware that I was in the presence of the gods.”
Before him stood Amphitrite, Ceto and Thetis, the goddesses of the water.
“Once again, we ask you Aineias of Corinth,” They said in unison, “Why do you seek the Kraken?”
“I want to capture it and set it loose among the Roman ships that are sailing east to destroy my homeland,” he replied.
Ceto laughed and Thetis cuffed her on the shoulder to stop.
It was Amphritite who spoke next.
“The Kraken cannot be captured Aineias; believe me, we gods of the waters have tried for centuries. Only Poseidon has any power over it and even he cannot fully control it.”
“It is folly, boy,” Ceto admonished, “and you will die for it.”
“Ceto! Be quiet,” Thetis said, “Aineias, the gods do not wish to see you die, that’s why they have sent us to you. If you go any further west, we cannot offer you our protection.”
“I understand goddess, but I have to try. To die trying to save Corinth will be far better than to return to look upon her ruins.”
“So be it,” Amphritite said, “Do as you will.”
With that they disappeared and the world sprang back to life. Still in a state of disbelief, Aineias went back down the hillside to the beach below. His men were already boarding the ship which had miraculously been floated as they slept. The rowers sat at their benches and dipped the oars; rowing her out of the inlet and out to sea where the sail was hoisted and the course was set west. Pyrrhus heaved on the rudder and felt the boat reacting faster than she did two days ago. As the wind caught the sails steadily, the vessel cut through the water swiftly, making Pyrrhus smile broadly.
“I think she is faster,” stated Aineias.
“She is,” said Pyrrhus delightedly. “And she answers to the rudder better too. I refitted it while she was on her side.”
Aineias nodded and looked over the side, looking at the new ropes that held the rudder in place. Pyrrhus had used new leather bindings and changed the way it was bound. It seemed to be more maneuverable now, and Pyrrhus was enthusiastic about the results.
“We’ll reach the southern Pillar by this evening, I think,” Pyrrhus remarked.
“We could make it midday if we row,” Aineias grinned. “We’ve all been eating too much anyway, the exercise will do us all good.”
Pyrrhus frowned and shook his head when he realized Aineias wanted to use the oars but he gave the command. Grumbling, the men followed his command and the oars were slotted into their places. Diazus shouted at them in disdain at their reluctance and immediately the Thracians took their places on the benches and pulled. They were expert rowers now and their oars chopped into the water instead of slamming into the waves. The speed picked up and the boat rushed on, moving faster and faster through the waters of the Mesogeios, the inner sea.
Pyrrhus knew they were now heading further west than he had ever been and the only thing he knew for certain was that the waves would soon change. Aineias had been past the Pillars once and had told him that much. He had told him the waters there shifted and the waves were more violent than in the smaller seas. The storms were bigger and ships often disappeared. As they passed the Pillars of Hercules, it was exactly what Pyrrhus began to feel.
A large rock with a small town loomed in the north and to their larboard side there was a brown and rocky mountain. As they passed the strait the height of the waves increased and the boat began to dance; until the sea had been relatively calm, but Pyrrhus could now feel the boat being pulled west by a strong current. Instinctively he began steering northwest to meet the waves head on and to try to gradually escape the current which he was certain would carry them southwest and away from what they were looking for.
Even though the wind still carried them, Aineias ordered the oars to be run out. He needed the rowers to get used to the different waters in the ocean. The play of the waves was different now and the Thracian slaves, who had become accustomed to the small chop of the Mesogeios were having trouble dealing with the bigger, stronger waves of the ocean that was beginning to wash against their boat. It was a constant wrestle for them, and even the regular crew had trouble with the change, the men who were usually so surefooted now staggered around the boat. By nightfall they entered the bay of Gádeira where there was a small fleet of ships anchored in the water. Pyrrhus nudged Aineias as they looked at the ships. There were Roman triremes here as well.
Aineias shook his head, slightly disparaged. They seemed to be everywhere. They were spread throughout Italy; they were in Sicily and Sardinia, they were in Dacia and Macedon, and they were in Iberia, even in these parts, beyond the Pillars of Hercules, on the edge of the known world. Pyrrhus signaled for the rowers to keep the beat and steered them out of the bay.
When they reached the estuary of the river Tagos and the town of Olissipo, they dropped anchor and rested. The Thracians were tired to the bone; the oars had jarred their arms as they wrestled the waves that rose higher than they anticipated. They threw themselves down in the sand as soon as the boat was secure. Aineias left the men putting their evening meal together and went into the small town. There was only a single tavern, and he doubted he could find anyone there who could tell him about the monster that had been seen off these shores, but he wanted to try. His expectations were not high, he doubted he would find anyone who spoke Greek.
He entered the tavern and made for the counter putting some coins on the wood and asking for wine. The publican did not seem to understand his words, but money is a universal language and a jug of wine and a cup soon appeared. In Greek, he asked if there had been any sightings of a giant octopus near there, but the man just shrugged. He repeated his question in broken Latin, but got a shrug again. The tavern keeper looked over Aineias’ shoulder for a moment then spun him around by the shoulders. He pointed to a table in the corner where three people were seated. Aineias laid another coin on the counter and walked towards the table. He asked the very same question in Latin again, but very softly and very slowly. As soon as the words had come out of his mouth he wondered why he had bothered to say them.
“Aineias, we don’t often visit mortals as much as we have you,” Thetis said. “Why won’t you listen to us?”
He didn’t answer them; he just looked down at the table and shrugged his shoulders.
“Sit down!” Amphritite ordered, trying not to sound as if she was losing her patience, even though she clearly was.
“If we cannot convince you to turn around, then we must warn you. Poseidon knows of your plan to capture his son and he is not pleased. He plans to sink you with storms if you do not stop this chase.”
“The Kraken was seen north of here by a trader from Belerion,” Ceto said. “He sailed in this morning looking to make extensive repairs; it seems they had a narrow escape. Their mast was snapped by the monster and they only escaped because the skipper threw a harpoon straight into one of the beasts’ great eyes, giving them just enough time to recover their oars and open a small gap.”
Then Amphitrite had her say, “Do you see that man over there?” she asked, pointing to a half drunken merchant slumping on a bench. “Ask him about the Kraken.”
With that they all stood up from the table and left the inn. Aineias stood up and walked over to the man.
“May I ask you about your ship, Sir?” he started.”
“What of it?” the man said, startled and jumping up suddenly, “It hasn’t been damaged again, has it?”
“No,” Aineias said, calmly. “I want to know what happened.”
The man relayed his story of how the giant had simply clutched the masts of the ship in its tentacles and squeezed it to splinters. When asked about his own voyage, Aineias answered the man evasively. He said he was heading to Belerion to try and find a cargo of tin. In reality he did not know where Belerion was, he only knew that there seemed to be traders coming from there regularly and their main cargo was tin. The man asked him why he was so interested in the monster and he answered that he had heard about the beast from traders as far down as Syracuse and just wanted to be careful. The man laughed then. He told Aineias that his nephew once had the idiotic idea to try and catch the beast and after losing two ships to it; had run to Syracuse. The disastrous undertaking was something that could not be stomached for discussion by the townspeople here.
When the jug became empty, Aineias took his leave of the man and bade him goodnight. He walked back to the boat, thinking about nothing else but the beast. He was determined he would capture it and use it to defeat the Romans, but hearing more about it from people who had actually seen it only brought home the madness of the plan. The words of the goddesses kept coming back to him. He had to tell Pyrrhus the story tonight, especially now they had told him that Poseidon himself was not pleased with him.
When he got back to his ship, the men were all asleep, including Jason who had been posted as sentry. Aineias clambered on board as quietly as he could; he lay down on his makeshift bed in his little cabin and gazed at the planks of the deck above him. He thought of tactics. He thought of how they would capture the beast once they found it, but he could not think of a way to do it. He pondered and pondered, running everything over in his mind, then playing it back and running it over again until sleep took a hold of him.