Secrets in the dark

Most honored matriarch, 

   I’m resting here leaning against a cool damp cave wall while I catch my breath. It has been an eventful couple of days here in Sparta. When last I wrote the giants has been laid low and my companion Ouroboros was raised from helot to free man. As you might imagine most of the following evening was spent deep in our cups in celebration of both heroic feats. Notably absent was our newest companion Silenos. He seemed very anxious about the appearance of these giants. I’d imagine it hinges on his own god given task. Perhaps he’s taken himself to a temple or glade shrine to entreat for guidance.

An interesting thing did happen on our way to our cups after the events described. Do you remember the Spartan, Desmeth, I told you of who beat and abused Ouroboros when he returned as a helot? As is common of the type, he had friends who got in their mind Ouroboros may have had something to do with the legal trouble their leader finds himself in. Oddly, Ouroboros knew nothing of it at the time. I’ve since filled my companion in on the unfortunate series of events that befell that good man.  In any event, these 4 Spartan thugs approached our somewhat worse for wear group and threatened Ouroboros. Just as we started to shake fatigue out of our limbs, a small handful of more senior Spartan citizens intervened. They stood between our groups and gave the thugs a solid dressing down. Far enough down that one of the thugs lost several teeth to the leading edge of a Spartan shield. It was very entertaining.  We repaired to the Leche Garden to celebrate events over some wine. The proprietor, Sessis, had heard of Ouroboros’s success and he drank for free. After a few moments of regaling the good barman with the stories of the giants, he stepped out into the streets to much shock. After weighing our own deeds considering the twenty odd feet of dead giant visible from his front door, we too drank free. Stories were told and shared, we had an interesting chat with Ouroboros’s competition one Beyan of Argos.

Suffice to say it was a late morning as we were all somewhat fragile. Lady Alexandra had a few leads and was able to cross off a few others based on the documents I found at the king’s abode. However, it felt like mostly dead ends and not a path forward. She hatched a notion of perhaps speaking with the fallen king. She apparently can call the spirit back for a brief time and coax it into answering some questions for her. Plan in hand we headed for the tomb mount in central Sparta. We somberly entered and passed into the main central chamber. Lady Alex and Thalia went forward to leave offerings to Hades and speak with the care takers. I’m sure Alexandra did most of the looking and Thalia did most of the distracting, that seems to be the way of things. Ouroboros and I waited in the small annex to the main chamber. After several minutes Lady Alex appeared, she and Ouroboros disappearing a moment later. Following in the wisdom of many a deck hand, grab a nap while you can. I say and doze against the wall until there was sudden movement near by and the companions headed up out of the tomb.

The rest of us are regaled with a story of talking with the dead king of Sparta. His spirit suggested searching near the port village. A cave warded and guarded by some ancient evil was his suggestion. We all stopped and picked up our kits and headed back down toward the port.  It was about then that Silenos returned from his commune with Artemis. The goddess of the hunt indicated that the giants of his task would be unique and likely leading others of the type we’d faced.  Excellent food for thought, no? As we traveled, we had several discussions about how best to proceed. Several went into the village to ask questions and gather stories and rumors. Silenos, his feathered companion and I would search along the river for a cave entrance. Silenos felt certain we’d find them close to the river itself. Several hours of searching did indeed lead to a cavern entrance clogged with fallen debris.  We cleared a small entrance, enough for his companion to fly in and observe. A goodly long while passed before the creature reappeared. He seemed to indicate cause for concern. Silenos mimed having a more involved conversation with his companion for my benefit. It was cute, but he has much to learn about talking with predators; I do appreciate the effort though.

We started to clear more of the rocks from the entrance after we entreated with his companion to alert the others in town, and to have them bring a rowboat of some sort.  I truly hate moving rocks, reminds me too much of shifting ballast and loads in the hold. I must admit to letting Silenos do the bulk of the work. As the afternoon worked it’s way to the midpoint the rest of the companions found us. The cleared entrance revealed a tumbled mix of rocks and foaming water leading into the darkness. Several of the others manned oars or served as lookouts. I piloted the boat into the deeps. It was a harrowing time avoiding rocks, capsizing the boat, and trying for a reasonable amount of quiet. We managed two out of three, silence just wasn’t in the cards given the time and tasks at hand. Eventually the rushing water calmed as it emptied into an underground pond of some sort.

We could see where there was a small cave and shoreline opened; nearby to that was a dark passage as well. Some of the companions stayed near the boat venturing forward very slowly. Ourorboros was as bold as you might imagine. I suffer from the fabled curiosity of our kith. Did you know that in some places people place their dead in wooden boxes called coffins? It seems like a strange custom. A stone sarcophagus, wrapped in sail cloth, even a bare tomb carved out of rock, but never would have imagined a plank box.  We did see a man who looked rail thin, gaunt, and paler than any being on this side of death’s door I’ve ever seen. His name was Philion. He was a helot gone missing explained Ouroboros.  Philion was greatly worried that his captors would return, he indicated they were afraid of the water and had recently left. Just as we got Philion on his feet and prepared to shuffle him out toward our boat, a massive deluge of water fell in the adjoining chamber where the coffin was located.

Moments later, something else fell from the ceiling. This time however, it was young men and women. They were all a type: lithe, pale, fast, strong, and having some sort of ethereal beauty about them. From the cries echoing off the walls there was more than the couple near Philion, Ouroboros and myself. They all reached out with long fingers, tipped with nails more like talons. They grasped onto Ouroboros and myself. I hoped based on Philion’s comment about the water, it might be of help. I pulled some of the recent cascade of water up and into a writhing coil around Oroborus, lashing past the creature grasping him. It reacted not like one afraid, but like one burnt by acid the way it carried on. Good to know. The creature grasping me said to its companion something about informing the princess. Also good to know. I looked at the one holding me and winked. It isn’t easy to hold one of us, let alone a scion of Hermes. I vanished with some misty vapor, appeared some distance away and then was shunted to the left as I appeared. Nearly stumbling I retain my balance, thanks to your good grace. It seemed that the little watery trick and taunting didn’t sit well with these as they moved to follow up once more. This time in addition to grasping hand, their jaws distended and revealed curved fangs as they bit down. I cannot describe well how it felt. There was a moment of pain, but that quickly faded to the same warm lethargy you feel in a patch of sunlight or the gentle warmth you feel after a couple of drinks. The predator’s brain screaming all the while.  From my new vantage point, I could see the others engaged with some of these same creatures. I cut at one wounding it badly before moving from within its grasp again.

Just as I was looking about to plan my next move, there was a rain of fine dust from overhead, in moments the very light of Apollo blasted down through cracks in the earth, blinding in this gloom-soaked space. What ever these things were, they loved light even less than they loved flowing water. The light was searing, paining even my accustomed senses. I can’t imagine the cost to these creatures. Well truth told I didn’t have to imagine. I could see their flesh blister almost instantly. It seemed to burn and flake to dust, several falling to heaps of ash and cinder as I watched. Then as my eyes were adjusting to the brilliance, I heard a calamitous stroke and looked to see Ouroboros connect with the chest of one of these creatures. It flew like a boulder from a catapult. I can’t imagine the resiliency of the creature so hit; to be hit such that they flew forty or fifty feet though the air and collide with a stone wall with enough force to leave an impression in the living rock; and still it moved. I dashed out of the light striking out at a creature as I went, wounding it deeply. The creature Ouroboros had flung screamed and dashed for the darkness of an adjacent space, disappearing from my sight. A moment later the searing light seemed to drift as if to follow it; it must have the searing howl of pain was by now all too familiar.  In the same heart beat the nearest creature was beset with by the forge spirits I’ve seen surround Nicolos before tear into it, shredding it to a cascade of dust and cinder.

I saw two of the creature’s streak into that adjoining passage, followed closely by Silenos’s companion. Where to head next decided in that moment. Silenos apparently was shooting and falling back in good measure while his companion harassed them as it could. Both lady Thalia and Alex were ahead of me in the passage with bright steaks of light leaping from their hands streaking out of view.  When I round the corner, I can see the remaining pair have trapped Silenos, just as a roaring Ouroboros charges in from nearby knocking one to its knees, as a bolt of golden light from Thalia lays it low. The last didn’t fare well now that it was surrounded by Nicolos and his spirit cadre, Oroborus and Silenos.  As it slid into ash the space became deathly quiet. Myself, I put my back to the wall and sank tiredly onto my haunches. It is in this moment of respite I write, so that you know all that has transpired. Please know that I’m well enough despite the tussle and only a bit worse for wear. Nothing a few days in the sunshine and sea air won’t cure. I love you and miss you.

With all due care,

  Gyasi