by Eliza Raine
Eryx snarled and stamped towards the railings. The gold half-giant wound him up so much more than the loud, simple brothers on the ship. He was sly, and Eryx didn’t trust him. But his beloved captain did, so he would just have to do as he was told. As usual. He leaned on the reinforced metal railings and watched as Libra slowly got bigger. They would likely be the last to arrive, something he was sure would continue to be an issue if they survived to take part in more Trials. The sky around him became greyer, streaks of blue and purple rolling like corkscrews around the giant ship as it chugged towards its destination. A heavy hand fell on his shoulder.
‘You’ll get your chance this time, Brother. Just don’t let that girl anywhere near you.’ Antaeus spoke quietly and Eryx felt his back straighten. This would be his chance. He’d show Busiris, and Evadne. This was their Trial. Who better to defeat a giant three-headed monster than a crew of giants?
10
Thrills of excitement rippled through Lyssa as the Alastor sailed gracefully to a stop next to the long metal pier. Confidence surged through her charged body. She knew this place, and Athena was backing her. Libra would be where she would win.
The platform shuddered as Epizon leaped down from the deck of the ship first. He was wearing his big coat and had his giant knife strapped to his leg. She hadn’t argued about his attire this time. Lyssa rubbed the back of her neck as she watched Len scramble over the railing, his hooves clicking on the metal as he landed. He had insisted on coming since their worrying incident with the tank creature but she really hoped they wouldn’t need a medic.
‘Captain,’ said Phyleus, and offered his hand to help her over the railing. She rolled her eyes, put one hand on the wooden bar and vaulted easily over it. She barely made a sound as her boots landed on the pier. ‘Right,’ he said, and threw his own leg over the railing. ‘I won’t try to be civil again, then.’
‘I’m a woman, not an invalid,’ she muttered.
‘And I’m just trying to be well-mannered, unlike you.’ Phyleus dropped down beside her.
‘You’re ruining my homecoming,’ she snapped, and turned away from him.
The pier platform jutted out a long way from the mass of islands that made up Libra, and Lyssa loved how surreal standing at the end felt. Ahead of her was a churning mass of activity: glass haulers zipping up and down between the islands, figures hurrying across the intricate glass bridges that linked them, the thin, flat islands themselves filled with curved buildings and tall trees. But behind her and the ship, there was only sky. Just blue and violet streaks breaking up the gentle grey clouds. There was a serenity in it that calmed the constant hum of energy simmering inside her.
‘Here we go again, then,’ Phyleus said.
‘Do you know where we have to go?’ Len asked as they reached him, standing at the other end of the pier. A breathtakingly delicate glass bridge with railings carved in intricate patterns connected the end of the pier platform to an island that housed three single-storey buildings. They were made from white stone and were decorated in swirling metal fingers that wrapped around the buildings completely, making odd geometric shapes. One of the buildings looked like a tavern, with people sat at small angular tables in front of the windows. Lyssa knew not all the buildings on Libra were so beautiful. The islands around the outside of the realm had the most extravagant architecture, to go with the incredible views of the skies. But the further into the cluster of islands you got, the thicker the mist grew and the less wealthy the residents became.
‘Athena said the monster was deep in the centre of Libra. I’ve been in pretty far, but never to the core. How about you, Epizon?’
Her first mate had lived in the homeless shanty towns on the inner islands of Athena’s realm far longer than she had, building luxurious homes on the outer islands in return for food. Athena was the only goddess in Olympus who would feed anybody who worked.
‘Nope, I just went in as far in as the missionaries took food.’
‘I guess we go as far in as we can and work it out from there. We must be the first ones here.’
‘I don’t think so, Cap. Theseus and the Virtus will have been closer if they stayed at the Void,’ said Len, almost jogging to keep up.
‘Huh. Let’s hope they didn’t.’
11
There was no way you could spend time on Libra if you had a fear of heights. It was impossible to move between islands without looking down to see the rest of Olympus a distant smudge below. They crossed the first bridge and made their way between the buildings to where a glass hauler stood open, attached to a long thin metal rod that ran up to the island above them. Nobody paid them any attention, to Lyssa’s relief. They needed to move quickly and Len would not be good with any distractions. Especially not ones that would inflate his ego. Phyleus hesitated before stepping into the hauler but Lyssa gave him a small shove and he got in without a word. They moved quickly up to the island and he was the first out.
‘I thought we were going in, not up?’ he said, pointing into the centre of the mass of islands disappearing into the mist.
‘We are,’ she replied. ‘Do you see any more bridges? We need to go up to find an island with a bridge heading inwards.’ Phyleus groaned. ‘Go back to the Alastor if you can’t handle it,’ she said without looking at him. He snorted and fell in behind her. They walked past a long white stone building three or four times the size of the shops on the previous island. It had a huge image of a serpent twisted around a staff painted by every doorway and Lyssa could smell the sharp tang of alcohol as they passed.
‘I worked in a medical practice once,’ said Len. ‘But it wasn’t as big as that one.’
‘Oh yeah? How’d you like it?’ asked Phyleus.
‘Too busy. Too many people. Too much work,’ the satyr answered, shaking his head slightly. ‘Nobody was very grateful.’
‘Was it here on Libra?’ said Lyssa.
‘No. No, Libra would be even busier.’
‘Well, personally, I’m glad you don’t get much work on the Alastor,’ said Epizon, glancing back.
‘That makes two of us,’ Phyleus said.
They took three more haulers up before they found a bridge heading towards the inner islands. The homes on each island had become progressively bigger as they had moved up. On one island Lyssa gaped at a three-storey building with long balconies that wrapped around all the floors. It had a satisfying mix of angles and curves everywhere she looked. The iron fingers curled around the stone and the windows, making the building look as though it was trying to protect itself. Immaculate gardens with tall tidy trees surrounded the house, running all the way to the island’s edge on the rear side of the house where a longboat with a sail that looked almost too white was docked.
‘Fancy living there, do you?’ said Phyleus, coming to a stop beside her as she breathed in the smell of the tiny yellow flowers lining the garden fence.
‘Not a chance,’ she snorted. When she first came to Libra, Lyssa had been jealous of the people who lived in these lavish homes, with a view of the unending skies and a way out whenever they liked. Now, though, she knew she was the lucky one. Nothing compared to living on the Alastor.
‘Yeah, right,’ he said.
‘Shut up. The bridge is over there.’ She pointed at the glass bridge that led the next island.
‘Thank the gods,’ muttered Phyleus.
‘So you prefer glass bridges showing everything beneath you, to less than a minute in a hauler? You make no sense,’ she said to him, shaking her head.
‘The glass bridges have been here ages, and I can’t fall through glass,’ he replied, giving her a sidelong glance.
The clear bridges had seemed insane to Lyssa when she first got to Libra. She wasn’t really scared of heights but who wanted to see that they were walking over thin air?
‘The haulers have been here ages too,’ she said.
‘Yeah, and I bet people get stuck in them all the time.’
‘No, they don’t. I th
ought you said you’ve been to Libra before?’
‘I’ve always had a longboat,’ he replied. Lyssa pulled a face. She’d forgotten for a moment he was wealthy. Of course he wouldn’t have gotten around with haulers and bridges.
‘Where did you say you were from?’ she said, unable to keep the edge off her voice. He looked at her.
‘I’m not going to tell you if you’re just going to get mad at me for being rich,’ he said.
‘Gods, you’re arrogant,’ she snapped.
‘And you’re judgmental,’ he slung back at her. She growled and increased her pace, catching up with Epizon.
The islands began to change as they moved further into Libra. There were fewer white stone buildings and more temporary-looking metal ones. The green grass and luscious plants were sparser and the mist thickened. It was as if the colour was slowly draining from their surroundings. The only constants were the beautiful bridges and the glass haulers. There were more people, too, of many different races. Most moved busily and purposefully between islands and in and out of buildings, but a few looked bored and mean. A minotaur leaning on the side of a long low building that might once have been white called gruffly to them and Phyleus jumped. A woman with long blond hair wearing a very short toga stepped out from behind him.
‘Dice? We’ve got a great prize today,’ she said, her voice low and sultry. Len slowed. ‘Today only. Strawberries.’ The satyr stopped completely.
‘Captain, she said strawberries,’ he said.
‘Len, no way. We don’t have time for dice,’ Lyssa replied, looking back at him without stopping.
‘Well, you probably don’t need me. I could stay here and win some strawberries.’
Lyssa sighed and stopped walking.
‘Len, you know we don’t have time to stop. And we wouldn’t be stopping to gamble even if we weren’t in a hurry. Come on!’
‘Satyrs were created by the god Pan, and he is famous for his luck! If Pan can gamble, I can too.’ He nodded and turned towards the woman. ‘I’m in,’ he said.
‘Len! Seriously? I can’t leave you here!’ Anger coursed through her. What did the idiot think he was doing, playing dice now?
‘Epizon, get him,’ she said, turning to her first mate.
‘Well, we could just play one quick game,’ he shrugged. She gaped at him.
‘Yeah, one game can’t hurt,’ said Phyleus and they both followed Len towards the wide-open door of the building.
‘Sorry, sweetheart. Some boys just can’t resist a good deal,’ said the blonde with a wink. ‘Are you sure you don’t fancy one game?’ she said temptingly.
Lyssa felt a pull in her gut and took a step towards the building. They probably did have time for one game. How long did it take to throw a couple of dice? And she did love strawberries, all juicy and red and sweet. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d eaten one. For a moment she thought she could smell them and her lips parted a little in anticipation. The blond woman’s smile widened and the minotaur grunted a laugh. The laugh filtered slowly through the haze of strawberries.
‘Shit,’ she said, her anger redoubling and replacing the desire to play. ‘You’re a bloody siren!’ Of course her crew had done exactly what the woman had told them to do.
The woman smiled back. ‘They didn’t stand a chance, love. Few and far between are those who can resist the call of a siren.’
Lyssa growled and ran after her hapless crew.
12
Lyssa almost choked as she ran into the building. The smell of smoke nearly overwhelmed the smell of unwashed bodies, but not quite. She skidded to a halt and looked around her. The building was one long room, packed with tables and people. At both ends of the room she could see wooden counters covered with bottles, and scantily clad girls moving around carrying trays laden with wine and ouzo. There was a hum of sound, people talking, laughing and shouting everywhere she looked. A roar went up somewhere to her left. A lucky winner, she assumed.
She scanned the room, looking for Epizon as he would stand out the most. But there were lots of different races on Libra, and many were represented in this small area. Figures much taller than Epizon were everywhere. Eventually she spotted him, standing by a small table surrounded by people. Breathing a sigh of relief, she jogged over to him. Len was standing on a high stool next to him, holding a black leather shaker over a dice bowl. He kissed the shaker and emptied it over the bowl. The dice clattered and came to a stop. Two Typhoons. Len roared in triumph.
Lyssa had dice like these on her ship. They had six sides, showing four different ship classes and two lightning bolts. The best ship class won and the lightning bolts were bad news. The satyr’s opponent, a shabbily dressed griffin descendant from the looks of his hooked beak and straggly black wings, snatched the shaker from Len and gathered up the dice. He shook them hard and tossed them into the bowl. Two Whirlwinds. Everybody knew Whirlwinds beat everything. Lyssa rolled her eyes as Len and Epizon groaned.
‘Come on, Len. Nice try,’ she said, and reached past Epizon to grab the satyr’s shoulder.
‘Not so fast,’ growled the griffin. ‘I believe you owe me my winnings.’ He held out his hand, showing fingernails that ended in sharp talons.
Len looked at Lyssa. Her stomach tightened.
‘What did you bet him?’
‘Erm,’ said Len.
‘He bet him three drachma,’ said Phyleus. Lyssa hadn’t noticed him standing the other side of Epizon. She closed her eyes.
‘Satyrs are always lucky! It should have been easy silver,’ protested Len.
‘Just pay him,’ said Phyleus.
‘With what?’ Lyssa exploded. ‘I only let you on my damn ship because of our lack of drachma! Where do you think he’s hiding that much silver?’
‘Are you saying you’re not good for the bet?’ said the griffin. Nobody missed the menace in his voice.
‘Of course he is,’ said Phyleus coolly. ‘Double or nothing. I’ll roll this time,’ and he held out his hand for the shaker.
‘Phyleus, you’d better be able to cover this,’ she hissed. He ignored her, shook the dice and rolled. A lightning bolt and a Crosswind. The only thing worse would have been two lightning bolts. The griffin laughed and Len slowly got down from his stool.
‘Time to go, Cap,’ he muttered.
‘No kidding.’ The griffin shook the dice and they clattered into the bowl. Two Zephyrs. He had won.
‘Six drachma.’ He glared at Phyleus.
‘Fine. Me and my buddies, we’ve got some business to take care of, but when that’s done you can meet us at our ship and I’ll give you the silver.’ Phyleus stood up. Lyssa’s stomach sank. Even if Phyleus really did have the silver, if he didn’t have it with him there was no way they would be allowed to leave.
‘That’s not how this works.’ The griffin’s beak clacked as he spat the words. ‘You pay now, or you won’t have a ship to come back to.’
‘I swear to Zeus, if anything happens to my ship you will die,’ Lyssa flared. Her muscles were tensing, her vision narrowing as her body channelled her Rage, preparing for a fight. The griffin looked at her.
‘Would you rather work the debt off here?’ he gestured at one of the serving girls with his clawed hand. A mangy-looking human was groping her rear. Lyssa’s face screwed up involuntarily.
‘He told you, you’ll get paid. Just not right now.’
‘Not good enough.’ The griffin stepped around the table towards them. In a flash he had moved past Epizon and lifted Len by his furry ankle. The satyr yelped as he dangled in the air. Lyssa darted towards the griffin but he was faster than her. She could see now that his legs were those of a big cat and he sprang towards the wide door, his tatty wings helping him cover a huge amount of ground. She sprinted after him, aware that Epizon was right behind her. She burst though the doors and faltered. The griffin was at the edge of the island, holding Len out over leagues of empty air below. The satyr was stock still, his eyes squeezed tightly shut
. Rage flooded Lyssa. Fear and anger pulsed through her so strongly her body hurt.
‘Captain, wait, don’t do anything. If he drops him…’ Epizon didn’t finish his sentence. He didn’t need to.
‘We’ll get you the silver. Now. I’ll go and get it now,’ Phyleus panted as he caught up with them.
‘Good. I’ll be here. Waiting with your friend.’
‘Bring him back in,’ said Lyssa quietly, her few words laced with menace. The griffin looked at her.
‘So much hatred for such a tiny girl.’ She took a step forward.
‘I’ll get the drachma!’ shouted Phyleus. ‘I’m going, now. Just don’t do anything stupid in the meantime.’
Lyssa didn’t know if he was talking to her or the griffin, and she didn’t care. Her fear for Len was completely absorbed by her anger. Boiling Rage was flowing through her now, and her aching body pushed her towards the griffin.
13
‘Theseus, please let’s do something,’ Hedone half-pleaded, the sight of the tiny satyr being dangled over the edge of the island ahead of them making her stomach churn.
Psyche rolled her eyes.
‘We don’t have time to stop. We should be far ahead of them by now. And why would we help our rivals?’ she muttered.
Hedone scowled at her. ‘It’s just a game, we don’t need to watch people die.’
It was true that they should have been further ahead, but Theseus had been recognised on one of the outlying islands, and they had been mobbed by supporters. More and more people had arrived to wave and shout and cheer and their progress had been slowed significantly. Hedone pointed at the fierce red-haired girl advancing on the griffin twice her height. ‘That is not sporting. The brute should be stopped.’
‘I agree,’ said Theseus quietly. Triumph washed over Hedone. She had been desperately trying to think of ways to slow her crew down since the mob had lessened, and this was perfect. In any case, she really didn’t want to see anything bad happen to the little satyr.