by Eliza Raine
‘Cap,’ Abderos said urgently. She spun around as the gentle orange flames roared white in the dish. The blond man materialised as they died down, smiling his fake-looking smile.
‘Good evening, Olympus! Well, that last one was exciting, wasn’t it? Are you ready to find out what’s coming next?’ He beamed and spread his arms out. ‘Trial three, everybody!’ He faded from sight and was replaced by a slight, tanned figure with blond hair in long braids and a bow as tall as she was slung over one shoulder.
‘Artemis,’ breathed Epizon.
‘Good evening, heroes. As the goddess of the hunt, I want to pose a different kind of challenge than your last two.’ Her voice sounded young and innocent, compounding her childlike looks. ‘Make your way to Sagittarius. Your Trial will be revealed there at sunrise tomorrow.’ She faded from the dish and the flames flickered gently again, their orange colour seeping back.
‘Sagittarius!’ Len squeaked.
‘Captain, do you know how few people see Sagittarius?’ The excitement in Epizon’s voice was infectious and she couldn’t help smiling. He had long spoken of wanting to see how the centaurs lived. Now he may get a chance.
‘I didn’t think we would go somewhere forbidden so soon!’ Len said.
‘Do you think we’ll be hunting something?’ asked Phyleus.
‘I suppose you’re good at hunting?’ she said, sitting down in the captain’s chair. He shrugged. ‘Have you been to Sagittarius before?’ She knew the answer was almost certainly ‘no’. Phyleus shook his head.
‘No. I’ve only been to one forbidden realm.’ Everyone looked at him, interest piqued.
‘Which one?’ asked Abderos. Phyleus grinned at him.
‘That would be telling.’
‘Ahh, come on! You’re on the crew now! You have to share secrets!’ Abderos cajoled.
Lyssa wrinkled her nose. ‘It’s obviously Pisces,’ she said. ‘Invited to exclusive parties, I imagine.’
Phyleus turned to her, his playful grin nowhere to be seen.
‘I have never been to Pisces,’ he said and strode off into the hauler.
‘Cap, he’s not so bad, you know,’ said Abderos, once the hauler had dipped out of view. ‘I like him. Give him a chance.’
‘He didn’t earn his place here,’ she grumbled, trying not to feel guilty at the look on her navigator’s face.
‘Let him try and earn it now, then,’ Epizon said quietly behind her.
5
Hedone held her breath outside her captain’s chambers, sure that the goddess of love must know she was hiding and listening. Hedone had been walking down the wide corridor that led to her quarters when she had seen the blinding white flash that signalled the arrival of a god around the edges of Theseus’s door. On impulse, she stopped. The gods weren’t supposed to get involved in the Trials. Were they here to help or hinder? Creeping to the door, she had not been very surprised to hear Aphrodite’s voice through the wood.
‘It is hard for me to visit, or to help you, good Theseus,’ she was saying. ‘Zeus is particularly vigilant just now.’ There was the sound of liquid pouring. ‘Thank you,’ the goddess sang. Her voice made Hedone’s skin tingle.
‘But Zeus gave Hercules Keravnos, as you said he would,’ Theseus said.
‘He is the lord of the gods. He has a certain amount of… flexibility we don’t all share. But I have recently made a discovery that should keep him busy for a while.’ Hedone could hear the smile in the goddess’s voice. ‘There’s nothing like one of his brothers misbehaving to distract our good lord, and Hades has been a very naughty boy indeed.’
‘Do you know when we will visit Hades’ realm? I’ve always wanted to see Virgo,’ asked Theseus. The goddess laughed a tinkling laugh and Hedone found herself smiling involuntarily.
‘It was an almighty row, getting Hades to allow any Trial to occur in his beloved realm after he has spent so long trying to keep everyone out. No, we choose the Trials at random just before they are announced, so as to avoid any cheating.’
‘What has he done that will upset Zeus?’
‘Ah, Theseus, I can’t tell you that. Knowledge is power, and you must earn it.’ Hedone heard movement, then a long sigh from Aphrodite that sent pleasant shivers through her own body.
‘There’s more to Olympus than meets the mortal eye,’ she breathed. ‘No map will show you what a god can.’
Hedone waited still and silent by the door for another five minutes but she heard no more talking, just soft moans and long breaths. She carried on down the corridor to her own rooms, her mind whirring. She didn’t think Hercules needed Zeus’s help, but he should know that his father would soon be distracted. What had Hades been up to? The goddess’ words rang in her mind. Knowledge is power.
The men and women she met fell over themselves to tell her anything she wanted to know, but she had tempered her desire to control them long ago, knowing how much better true love would feel. Theseus’s dark, smiling eyes swam before her, blurring abruptly into Hercules’s sharp grey ones. She had found the man she was meant to love. She paused, with her hand on the door of her quarters. She didn’t have enough knowledge to be powerful yet. Not about the gods, or the Trials or Olympus. But that didn’t mean she had to be weak. If she wanted to help Hercules she needed control over her own crew. And she knew just where to start.
She knocked lightly on Psyche’s door.
‘Come in,’ she called.
Hedone pushed the door open. Psyche’s rooms looked nothing like her own. Typhoons were long ships and the living quarters stretched the full width of the ship, only leaving room for a long corridor all the way down the port side. Every Typhoon had a living room, with a bedroom and washroom on either side, but that was where the similarities ended. Where Hedone’s rooms were draped in soft, light silks and the furniture made of rich-coloured mahogany, Psyche’s were bold and bright. Throws hung on the wooden walls, patterns made of a hundred colours springing to life in the fabric. Her furniture was rough wood, the bookshelves and tables looking like she may have made them herself. Weapons from all over Olympus adorned the rustic surfaces, spears made of bone and bows made of wood.
Psyche herself was sat on a bright purple armchair, braiding her thick black hair. She looked surprised to see Hedone.
‘Can I help you?’ Her tone wasn’t cold, but there was no warmth either.
Hedone swallowed.
‘I’ve been thinking about what you said. On Libra.’
Psyche raised her eyebrows, fingers still working on the tight braids. ‘You’re right. I want to be more useful to the crew.’
‘OK,’ Psyche said slowly. Hedone took a slow breath in, lifting her chest, wetting her lips. She poured her power into her voice.
‘Teach me to fight,’ she said.
Psyche’s hands dropped from her hair and she stared at Hedone.
‘Really?’
‘Yes. I need to be able to defend myself, to stop getting in your way.’
Psyche stood up, appraising her.
‘It’s a bit late, to be asking now.’
‘Not at all,’ said Hedone. ‘We’re leagues and leagues from Sagittarius. Theseus said it would take all night to get there.’
‘And you want to train all night?’ said Psyche, picking up a spear as she walked slowly towards her.
‘No, but we could start. It’s just…’ She looked down, channelling innocence. ‘It’s just, you were so impressive with those arrows, against the Hydra. I wish I could help Theseus like that.’ She looked up again, hunting for signs the flattery was working.
‘I seem to remember you shouting Hercules’s name,’ said Psyche, coming to a stop in front of her and setting the spear butt on the floor.
‘I… I hate to see anyone hurt. I can’t help it.’
‘Then you are ill-suited to fight.’
‘I can learn. The more I see it, the more I’ll cope,’ she protested.
Psyche held her gaze, saying nothing. There was no sign
she found Hedone compelling. Maybe Hedone’s powers had waned; she hadn’t used them for so long. Psyche stepped towards her, tilting her own chin down so her hair fell forward, brushing her cheek.
‘How much has Theseus told you about me?’ Psyche said.
Hedone frowned. ‘Not a lot. That he trusts you with his life.’ ‘There’s a lot you don’t know about me, Hedone. About my family. My husband.’
Hedone raised her eyebrows, jealousy surging through her. ‘You’re married?’
Psyche nodded. ‘I am. Your powers won’t work on me.’
‘What? I’m not, why would I…’
Psyche cut off Hedone’s spluttering.
‘If you truly want to learn to fight, then I will teach you. You do not need to seduce me into agreeing.’
Hedone’s face heated and she said nothing.
‘Do you want to learn?’ Psyche continued.
She nodded. Psyche tipped the spear towards her. ‘Top deck, now,’ she said.
6
Evadne slid, as quietly as she could, out of the soft sheets. Hercules didn’t stir. The cold air made her shiver as she crossed the room on silent feet. Although the sky did dim at night, it was never properly dark in Olympus, so the room was lit well enough for her to see where she was stepping. She picked up Hercules’s shirt, which lay discarded on the floor, and pulled it on before creeping to the bedroom door, closing it quietly behind her and making her way to the bar. She lit a lantern and pulled Realms of Olympus by Apollodoros from the one of the huge bookcases. Easing herself into the soft armchair and placing the lantern on the stand, she crossed her legs beneath her and began to read.
It was agreed, by all of the gods unanimously, that they would divide Olympus into equal realms. They could govern these realms as they pleased, choosing which races made their home within their boundaries and which races were welcome as guests. Realms could exist within earth, sea or sky and anything between could be used freely by mortals. Zeus claimed a realm first in the centre of Olympus and, not willing to risk further warring between themselves (or indeed his mighty wrath), the other gods accepted this and claimed their own around his. Two created two sky realms; Zeus and Athena, two created ocean realms; Poseidon and Hephaestus, and the rest created islands floating in unclaimed water. All realms have climates controlled by the gods, Apollo’s Capricorn typically experiencing the most extreme seasons. Four gods chose to forbid all but a few races from entering; Artemis, Hades, Aphrodite and Hephaestus. Dionysus’s realm and Ares’ eponymous realm are forbidden to no creature but are generally considered too dangerous for most to visit.
Evadne scanned the words, stopping whenever she saw ‘Artemis’ or ‘Sagittarius’ in the text. The best way she could prove her worth outside of Hercules’s bedroom was to know as much as possible about what they were getting into; preferably more than anybody else did.
‘We’re half an hour away.’ Asterion’s voice in her head jolted her out of a riveting account of the last mortal attempt to breach the border mountain-range on Virgo. She heard Hercules stirring in the bedroom and stood up, stretching her arms above her head. It was still dark. Artemis had said the Trial would be explained at sunrise. Apollo, Artemis’s twin brother, controlled sunrise and sunset, though Olympus had gone through many suns in its long life. Another nugget of information gleaned from good old Apollodoros. She reached down, patted the book on the chair fondly and made her way back to her own quarters to dress.
When she arrived on the quarterdeck, Asterion and Hercules were already there, waiting expectantly for the flame dish to leap into life. She looked out over the railings, past the ballista turrets and tall triangular sails, at Sagittarius. They were hovering, maybe twenty feet from the ground, over bare pale plains. Dusty, yellowing grass covered the flat expanse and low green hills rose up on all sides. Clouds glittering with orange and green swirled through the sky above her and she could smell the rich odour of soil. The Alastor, the Virtus and the Orion were all moored over the same field, looming quietly in the morning dusk.
Hercules didn’t look at all like he had nearly died the previous day. He stood tall, his muscular frame filling the black shirt he wore, his grey eyes reflecting the dancing orange flames. She had felt every inch of his body last night, and barely a scar remained from Athena’s metal beasts. She knew Zeus must have helped him. A thrill ran through her at the thought. The lord of the gods himself. Quite an ally. The flames flashed white and Artemis appeared in the dish. She didn’t look older than fourteen, with no curves to her lithe body or lines on her honest face.
‘Good day, heroes. I want you to catch my prize stag, Cerynea, on his way across Sagittarius. He is very fast and you will need to use a longboat to keep up and navigate the route he takes across my realm. If you can’t catch him then the first to make it across my realm after him will win. You must take the route he does, or you will be incapacitated. And incapacitated means your longboat will disappear from under you, instantaneously, regardless of where you are when you break the rules. You have until sunrise tomorrow to prepare your vessels, though you may not leave the plains you are currently moored in. If this rule is broken, you will be executed, immediately.’
Evadne swallowed. It was unnerving seeing the young girl talk so simply about death.
‘Good luck, hunters,’ concluded Artemis. ‘And I beg you, do not break my rules.’ She vanished from the flames.
‘It’s a race. In longboats,’ said Evadne. Hercules nodded, a smile spreading across his face.
‘We have the best longboat silver can buy.’
7
‘Why didn’t I get the bloody longboat fixed?’ It was the third time she’d yelled that and it still wasn’t making Lyssa feel any better.
‘Captain, we have twenty-four hours to fix it. We’ll be fine,’ Epizon told her calmly.
‘Fix it with what?’ She kicked moodily at the base of the flame dish and it wobbled precariously.
‘Whatever we have in the cargo deck, Cap.’ Abderos had a stack of paper on his lap and was drawing frantically. ‘In fact, a broken longboat isn’t much of a hindrance, if we build what I’m designing. We’d pretty much have to destroy it to rebuild it anyway.’
‘Ab, we have a day. How much can we do in a day?’
He looked up from his drawing, eyes shining.
‘Plenty. This is going to be the best longboat you’ve ever flown.’ He held the drawing up. Len hustled forward to look and Phyleus pushed himself off the quarterdeck railings, eyebrows raised.
‘Are those red sails?’ he asked.
‘Yep.’ Abderos beamed.
‘Rage-fuelled sails?’ Lyssa said slowly, bending to look at the drawing more closely.
‘Yep.’
‘I couldn’t fuel a longboat with my Rage, unless I sailed it every day for a year to bond with it.’
‘You can if it’s made from a ship you’re already bonded with.’
‘What? I’m not damaging the Alastor!’ she exclaimed, alarmed.
‘Relax, we’d just take a small amount of wood out of the back mast.’
Lyssa shook her head vehemently, the thought unbearable.
‘No. No way. You can’t just pull bits off her.’
‘We wouldn’t be pulling bits off her. We would be giving her an additional lease of life. On a smaller, more manoeuvrable vessel, still controlled by you – her captain. She’ll love it!’ Abderos waved the paper at her. ‘This is our Trial, Captain. We’re fast. Your Rage makes the Alastor the fastest ship in Olympus. We can win this.’
Pride in her ship tempered Lyssa’s outrage slightly. ‘How can you cut out part of the mast without causing damage? Will the mast still be stable?’ She asked, warily.
‘We’d cut small sections in a spiral up and around it. It won’t affect the integrity at all. And it might even look quite good.’ He scribbled a sketch of the mast on the edge of the paper, marking where he wanted to cut.
‘I don’t know…’ Lyssa frowned down at the dr
awing.
Epizon coughed.
‘Captain, why don’t you think about it while we repair the sails? Having Alastor wood on board makes no difference if we have no sails,’ he said.
‘That’s true enough,’ Abderos agreed. ‘Phyleus, you bought everything on that supply list, right?’
‘Course. Including enough canvas to replace a full sail on the Alastor.’
‘Perfect,’ Abderos said, and wheeled himself off the quarterdeck, down the gentle slope towards the cargo deck hauler. Epizon and Len followed after him and Lyssa scowled.
‘What do we do if anything happens to the Alastor’s sails, and we’ve used all the material up on this?’
‘Hopefully we won’t find out.’ Phyleus shrugged.
8
Lyssa’s gut wrenched as the axe bit into the Alastor’s mast with a thunk. Epizon looked guiltily at her as he pulled the steel from the wood. She wanted to give him a reassuring look back but she couldn’t. He swung the axe again and she looked away, glaring at the deck. Abderos had said it wouldn’t harm the ship. And when they were finished they would have an unbelievably powerful longboat, faster than any of their rivals but still firmly a part of her ship. She clung to the words, praying he was right. A Rage-fuelled longboat wouldn’t just help them in this race. It could be the edge they needed in the whole Trials. But if it didn’t work and it damaged her bond with the Alastor then she would never forgive him. Or herself.
‘Cap, we need your help with the sail.’ Len’s voice came from behind her.
‘Sure,’ she said, relieved not to have to oversee Epizon hacking at her ship. She followed the satyr across the deck to the front of the ship, where they had set the broken longboat up on some of the wheeled bases from the cargo deck. It was raised so that it was higher than her shoulders, so she didn’t see Phyleus inside the boat until he straightened and stood up.