Chapter 15 The River Styx

Chapter 15 The River Styx

Newly freed Queen Chloe stepped into the golden chariot and held on to the edge. Ishtar cracked her whip and the fire horses sprinted into the sky. The cold air encircling her, Chloe gazed down below to see islands with thatch-roofed houses and seawater with monsters swimming around. Ishtar continued to yell at the fire horses for eternity and then stopped upon a cloud. Ishtar explained the horses need rest from such a long journey. Chloe looked down again to a vast sea with no land in sight. She told Ishtar that she will miss her daughters and her own daughter in the years to come. She must marry her brother Iago and be a sister wife with her sister Zoe because the law demands it. Ishtar laughed stating it was family’s ambition that makes her need to marry her brother, she is the reigning queen by the death of her mother. She can marry whomever she wishes. They continued on over sea islands and vast sea water full of creatures. Chloe grew up looking at the sea from her windows and gazing upon murals of sea animals, but it was different looking at them from the actual sea. She understood why men feared and admired the vastness of the water full of danger.

They reached her home Tanis as night fell and Ishtar landed the fire horses inside the palace courtyard. Zoe and Iago welcomed her back with a feast as Ishtar dodged arrows flying back up to the sky. Queen Chloe was swiftly taken to the temple to marry Iago by her aunts and uncles to proclaim him king. Her homecoming soon became a nightmare as the new life of the North Sea had sunk in. She had the sudden unregal desire to give money to temple orphans for educations into wealthy professions and visit her sick maidservants. She gave her slaves more food and new tools to complete their work. She suggested new laws to give women in her kingdom rights of inheritance and ownership of property. Even worse, her sister Queen Zoe pointed out, she demanded to drive her own chariot across town visiting shopkeepers she never sees at the palace. King Iago put his foot down and forbade her to leave the palace until she regains her senses and placed a guard around her she could not order away.

As the Winter Solstice approached, a strange red bird flew into her bed chamber window. In its long beak it held a linen parchment bearing a message from Homer asking for a visit to bestow gifts from his children. She wrote a delightful reply and the bird snatched it away to engulf in flames. Smoke filled the room and the bird had disappeared. Then as the smoke cleared, Homer came to deliver gifts from his children who request a visit with the queen. He gave a large yellow flat bowl with blue flowers painted inside from Ishtar, a yellow ewer covered with blue flowers from Jack, a brass and blue ceramic bead necklace resembling gold and sapphires from Ilio, a purple with white flowers cosmetic jar from Marah, a string of mother of pearl beads found and carved by Daphne, a linen doll dress and tiny seaweed necklace from Godiva, and finally a tightly woven linen bracelet with white stars on a yellow and blue background from Lilibeth. She asked what kind of bird came to her with his message. He explained the red bird was a phoenix Ishtar had befriended on the Isle of Larsa. She announced a banquet the next night to celebrate the birth of Zoe’s son would be a good time for a visit. Looking at her large stomach and forlorn eyes, he asked why she did not appear elated. She hugged his chest and wept on his shoulder. Her husband had not shown any gentleness she had grown accustomed to in Homer’s care since they married. He ravaged her every other night until he was certain she was pregnant and stopped coming to her bed chamber all together. Homer commented he is visiting the slaves and maidservants instead. Now he ordered a guard around her to stop her from leaving the palace. They are not present at the moment because she is too large to go anywhere and they only guard her in the daytime. Homer comforted her and assured of their visit the next night in the courtyard. He wished to give her a amulet to pray for his help, but he knew better than give his enemy Iago assess to a weapon to use against him. Ishtar had a bad dream where his lifestone was used inside the Tanis Palace and soon after he died. Relieved, she agrees to meet his family in the courtyard during the festival.

The children were delighted to see Chloe again. She gave them gifts of gold and gemstone jewelry. Homer remained distant and simply observed the garden for intruding guards. Ishtar consoled Chloe during a walk around the courtyard. The children played with the animals excited about the upcoming wedding of Grand Prince Demetrius. Ishtar gave Chloe an amulet to pray to if she ever needed guidance again, Homer is so strong he fails to comprehend a woman’s weaknesses. They returned home to receive an invitation to Grand Prince Demetrius’s wedding to a Kadacian general’s daughter. The ships depart on the spring equinox and Homer’s family is welcome to join the escort to the Winter Palace of Kadacia at the center of a mountain oasis. Queen Andromeda is most eager to see it again. Homer’s family set sail towards Noor and watched a beautifully colored sunset. Homer suddenly sat down feeling something awful had happened and began to disappear. He reappeared inside a tin goblet to see Prince Lucius white as snow. He trembled as he whispered how pirates attacked their ships and burnt them with pots of quicklime hitting the water. Then he flew into the sea water when the pirate ship rammed them and caused the ship to sink. Demetrius also swimming in the water pushed Lucius up onto a floating piece wood so he could be rescued by their father’s ship coming towards them. He left to look for other survivors. He watched his father battle the pirates and chase them away. Lucius was rescued by the pirates piling up their ship’s cargo as they fled his father’s incoming ships. He saw the pouch holding Homer’s lifestone sitting on a barrel and quietly shoved it up his sleeve. He now felt safe to use the lifestone to call for help. He believed the pirates said they will sell him to His Majesty as a slave.

Homer promised Lucius help when he reaches his destination. Reaching Noor, King Dracon was devasted his son had been kidnapped and Demetrius felt even worse leaving him on that raft. Andromeda kept to her room and prayed every day for her son’s return. The family continued on to the wedding as if nothing had happened so the word would not get around that someone was missing. They did not want the pirates to think they held someone of value to ransom, and perhaps keep him alive as a slave to make rescue possible. Lucius was disturbed by Homer’s lack of response when explained he needs to stay a captive long enough to find out who was behind the attack. He believed King Iago supported the pirates secretly. Lucius waited patiently to be rescued as he inched closer to the pirates’ home base on an island near Nubia. After the wedding, Homer took Dracon and Demetrius with him back to Vassily.

Days passed into weeks and the pirates stopped to visit the King of Nubia with their tribute. Money was exchanged and Lucius was forced to be the king’s food taster while he was visiting his Aferdia viceroy. He was given a new name too, Hamish, after Iago’s first dog he had as a child. No one asked his birth name or who his family was and he didn’t wish to tell them he was a prince after what happened to Chloe. When the king went hunting, he walked through the fields like the dogs beside him to frighten the animals out of hiding so the king could shoot them. In the royal palace, he polished armor and weapons. Chloe breached the subject of his roots one day as he delivered a chest of baby clothes to her bed chamber. She heard him speaking in elfish and wondered where he came from since Homer’s crew spoke those same words. His face lit up at the sound of Homer’s name. He explained he had an elf tutor and visited Homer’s palace several times. She asked if he knew where this island was. He could not because he knows little of navigation, he just knew that only Homer’s crew called the fortress Vassily meaning human ramparts while everyone else in Adea calls it Tristan’s Mountain after the prince who once lived on the island until his father ceded it to the mermaid Queen Lexie. Then the newborn baby boy Tati cried and ended their conversation. Unknown to Lucius, a guard took note of this chat and reported it to the king. Lucius soon was moved to valet and kept close to the king. When he was alone in the king’s closet, he used the lifestone of Homer to tell him where he was. Homer promised to rescue him soon.

Homer meanwhile was planning with Ishtar and Dracon on what is to be done. Demetrius insisted on coming along so he was appointed as look out. The best known archer Layla was also appointed to come to rescue the prince while Homer and Dracon distracted the guards. Ishtar and Addison were to drive them to Nubia in their fire horse chariots. The day Lucius would be rescued came and the fire horses were hitched. Homer visited Lucius polishing the king’s boots in the wardrobe room to find out where he will be later in the day. His Majesty was going off for a hunt and will return for the evening meal where he rests in the courtyard with his guests. He then returned to Vassily to place on his armor. He desired to travel light as to be able to move swiftly if caught. Ishtar tied on his padded leather jerkin and iron bracers. He slipped on his heavy but flexible elbow-length mail shirt from King Oskar reaching mid-thigh and then his knee high deerskin boots. He picked his iron knife from Lexie to conceal inside his boot. Ishtar knotted his sash and latched his sword belt. He desired no helmet to block his hearing or peripheral vision. He also left behind his leather and wooden shields. He only grabbed his best bow and a saddle bag of arrows to fling onto his shoulder. Homer and Ishtar embraced their childen assuring them they will be back soon. Layla in her iron scaled breast plate and back plate connected with leather straps over a flapping sharkskin corslet reaching her knee high seal skin boots strapped on her gilded iron sword after cuddling her daughters relating how she will bring them gifts from Nubian soldiers. Her husband tied on her jellyfish bracers and slipped an iron battleaxe under her sword belt. Dracon and Demetrius wore bronze bracers brushing against their iron swords over sashes knotted on top of scaled bronze breast plates and back plates tied over padded leather jerkins with knives tucked inside their deerskin boots. Homer gave them all the best bows and bags of arrows he had in his armory. Ishtar and Addison had no need of such armor and only wore deerskin gloves for holding the fire horse reins. They all slipped on their decorated leather gloves and hooded cloaks before stepping on the golden chariots. Off they went racing into the sky, resting on clouds and gazing upon the curved horizon. They landed outside of Tanis near the cave opening where they came out after kidnapping Queen Chloe. They followed the black marks on the cave roof straight to Chloe’s bed chamber. Nobody was there. Layla and Demetrius disguised themselves as servants to wander about the corridors looking for Lucius. Homer and Dracon looked for a distraction for the guards.

Sleeking down the hallway, they heard laughter. Chloe and her sister Zoe were playing a peg game in a sitting room with a servant standing against the wall. Homer slipped through the door to reveal himself. Dracon shortly followed asking where his son is located. Chloe jumped up in elation and Zoe screamed. The servant hid behind Zoe’s chair. Dracon blocked the door as Zoe attempted to escape. Chloe verified that the boy was treated well and assigned to be the king’s valet. Zoe begged not to be captured or harmed. Homer promised they were just a distraction while others are rescuing the boy. Gently but firmly, Homer escorted the women to the balcony door at the end of the hallway. Dracon climbed the vine covered column to the roof. Homer assisted the women up to Dracon. They heard barking inside an enclosure to find a garden with a fish pond and nature scenes painted on the walls. Birds sang in the trees and Lucius tossed sticks for dogs to fetch. King Iago laughed at his nephew riding a pony around the courtyard as he sat on a chair drinking his tea. A small voice from a girl asked to ride the pony too. The boy shouted back she shall not touch his pony, girls have no need to ride horses. Iago laughed again along with the general sitting next to him. At the top of the eave, Dracon and Homer silently slide their knives under the chins of the women.

“Your Majesty!” shouted Homer delighted in the confusion his voice caused the guards down below.

“Father!” shouted Lucius.

“Guards!” ordered Iago as he threw his golden cup down on the ground jumping out of his chair. Lucius was whisked away by the general drawing his sword and soldiers rushed to the courtyard in a rumble of thunder.

“Return my son or we kill your wives making you lose your throne!” hollered out Dracon.

“Dracon, let me handle this.” whispered Homer.

“Hah, so he is your son, Majesty. He has been defiled into my sevice and has revealed the whereabouts of this Vassily nobody can find. His has no honor to defend, leave him here. My ships are on their way to Somers Isle to destroy Adea and Tristan’s Mountain so you better get on your way home if you want to save it.” declared Iago.

“Return my son! I am not as gracious nor courteous as the Firefox here!” claimed Dracon and Zoe screamed as he began cutting her throat.

“Release him or I will commit the crime I promised to do last time I was here!” shouted Homer.

“Go ahead and kill her, I’ll marry the next queen! Besides, you are outnumbered! Archers!” was all the king said.

“Fire!” ordered the general reappearing on a balcony.

Arrows flew from all directions. An arrow hit the helmet of the general and Homer spotted Demetrius firing his bow while Layla was pushing Lucius up onto the roof. Arrows bounced off his sword and chain mail, but struck Chloe in the leg. She cried for them to stop, however the arrows kept coming. Lucius jumping down to the other side of the courtyard where craftsmen worked under shorter mud brick roofs, Homer watched an arrow thump into his friend’s armpit piercing his lungs. Dracon gathered enough strength to slash Zoe’s throat before she fell forwards into a tree. Dracon fell backwards and rolled down towards the workshops.

“No!” screamed Homer leaping to catch his friend before he fell.

He gripped Dracon’s leather glove with all his might as Dracon loosened his grip slowly slipping down the eave. Lucius and Demetrius hollered out to their father from the workshop roof as he dropped toward a geese coop below. Layla shouted at them to move or they will be caught.

“Tell Lucius I’m sorry,” whispered Dracon as light faded from his eyes and skin waned into winter snow.

His eyes rolled back into his head and he released Homer’s tight grasp. Holding on to Dracon’s glove, he heard a soft thud as Dracon’s body hit the ground and cries of surprise from the workers under his feet. Tears ran down his cheeks staring at the beaded suede glove in his hand and a sharp pain in his side woke him up. An arrow penetrated his back and Chloe stood nearby in silence as the soldier drew his sword to cut the intruder down. Homer pointed his knife at the soldier to stab his neck, but it was too late. The arrow pierced him too deeply and he fell with the soldier. Chloe ran to him as another soldier stabbed Homer’s motionless body in the heart. Then Layla appeared above him with her sword to kill the soldier.

“Layla,” sighed Homer reaching out his hand holding Dracon’s glove.

Layla swiped the glove and pushed a weeping Chloe aside to escape the oncoming soldiers. She leaped down to the stables to steal a horse. She grinned knowing the astonishment the Nubians must have watching Homer disappear into dust to become a spirit of light. She raced down the workshops to the front gate leading to the city. She struck both guards with her battleaxe and boots as she sprinted through the metal gate. She continued towards the docks and the large wooden city gates guarding against intruders.

“Behind you,” spoke Homer in a faint voice and Layla turned around.

Soldiers were chasing after her and she shifted the horse to enter the blacksmith shop. She jumped off the horse to casually walk down the street into the crowded marketplace.

“To the river,” Homer spoke again and Layla walked down to the city gate.

The guards had closed the gate and not letting anyone pass by since the warning horns had been blown. A bright light popped out of a nearby fire bowl startling a man sitting on a tavern’s porch to slap his ale mug onto another patron sitting next to him. A fight broke out between the drunk men and the gate soldiers laughed at their pathetic punches. Layla seized the opportunity to slip behind the guards and let herself out. She strided down to the river and paid a boatman for passage across. She followed a trail from carts going down to a hill in the forest until something slapped her shoulder. She turned her head to see Demetrius and Lucius. Ishtar and Addison were up in the glade ahead. She affirmed the deaths of Dracon and Homer presenting Dracon’s glove to Demetrius and Lucius. Demetrius softly gripped the glove and slid it under his sword belt. Ishtar screeched like a banshee and Addison tried to tell her they must leave now. With unsung passion, Ishtar whipped the fire horses high into the sky until the reached her aunt Amalia’s rainbow palace in the clouds. Goddess of the rainbow Amalia gazed upon Layla in a peculiar manner, then said there was an aura surrounding her. Layla confessed she heard Homer’s voice but believed it was his spirit guiding her and making magic happen when she needed to escape the city. His last word spoken was her name as he handed her Dracon’s glove. Ishtar grasped Layla’s hands in wonder and gasped at feeling Homer’s holy light.

“I am here,” said Homer in that faint voice Layla heard before.

“You were the one he chose to become an aura when he died. He would never tell me, just said not to worry because he will always come back to me somehow. I never thought that was what he meant.” squeaked Ishtar through her tears.

Demetrius and Lucius were taken home in Noor by Addison while Ishtar took Layla home to Adea. That night Layla had a unusual dream. She followed a dark tunnel full of demons and deformed humans limping around. She reached a black river and a odd looking man with pale skin, dark eyes, and black hair in a boat came stroking his paddle. On the far side of the river a three-headed dog growled at anything passing it. Then the strange man spoke to a human next to her that she never noticed.

“Welcome Dracon, son of Jason and Jopria, your family is waiting for you by Helga. Welcome Homer, son of Bryce and Nadia, your family is expecting you.”

They crossed the black waters of the River Styx in silence and then the families of the passengers came to greet them. Their pets also stood by to welcome them. Soon after, every being they ever killed welcomed them as brothers into the afterlife. Next they all vanished and they entered a great stone hall where a giant phoenix stood next to a scale plucking feathers out to weigh against the ghostly hearts. A loud Queen Isis of Roanoke asked if any holy beings wished to speak on behalf of the judged before choosing his home. Often nobody came, but occasionally a god or goddess appeared to speak for someone with a heavy heart full of evil deeds. Dracon did not have long to wait for his turn on the scale. When Isis asked for any holy beings to speak on his behalf, Homer answered.

“Your Holiness. This human man is the best friend I ever had and I love him like a brother. You must place him in the happy fields surrounded by his loved ones, for he deserves the best home. He defended his country, defended his neighbors, and died rescuing his kidnapped son. His heart is full of sadness, pain, regret, and longing of family connection he has been deprived of most of his life. I beg for peace in your realm from his lifetime of turmoil.”

Queen Isis nodded her crowned head making the rubies embedded in the golden diadem to glow bright like a flame and a goddess handed Dracon a candle. Homer and Dracon were lead by a demon to a wide grassland full of souls wandering around picking flowers and berries. They passed by the River Styx and Dracon reached down to take a drink holding the sip of water in his cupped palm.

“I’ll see you in my dreams,” said Homer as he embraced Dracon one last time. “I have to guide Layla out of the city since Demetrius has Lucius.”

“Good luck, my brother. Until your next dream befalls you, farewell.” replied Dracon.

Then Layla saw herself riding down the street being chased by horse soldiers and Homer’s voice told her to look behind her. She woke up to see her husband sound asleep in their bed and her girls still in their bed along the wall. She shook her head thinking she was crazy when Homer spoke to her.

“Sorry Layla, I was dreaming of Dracon. It is the only time I ever get to speak to him now. Go back to sleep.”

Layla nestled against her husband to hear Homer’s groan.

Faraway in Rikia, a sealed chest was given to Queen Andromeda by an envoy from Nubia. It contained the head of King Dracon along with a note asking for peace between the two countries from Queen Chloe. Queen Andromeda ordered the head to be buried in the Temple of Athena with a grand funeral the next day. As the new King Demetrius on the way to his coronation rode passed the statue of his father charging in his chariot, he laid a white rose on the pedestal. His new queen simply stopped and gazed upon the incomplete sculpture. Demetrius wiped away his tear and continued his parade to the Temple of Athena.

THE END