After the Wrath of Boreas the clean up and restoration of the ports in Midas have been completed and the city seems to have found it’s rhythm again. Life is returning to what it once was before there was so much chaos and destruction. But an explosion in a mine not only causes a cave in, but also sparks a fire eats through dry summer timber and races down from the mountains; engulfing the city in flames. With attention drawn to the upper levels, the poorer sections of town are left fleeing from flames that engulf building after building in their wake. Some flee to the water while others fight the inferno. People are brought to the temples seeking shelter in the stone structures; impenetrable to flames. Day turns into night and hours stretch on as the hillsides burn. What will be left of the city in the morning and how much will be contained? It’s up to everyone to pitch in and save the city; noble and commoners alike must work side by side to douse the flames and help those who were injured along the way.
Event Timing
- After From Far and Wide
- Before Vangelis and Co. leave for Taengea
Event Participants
- All who can (within liquid time parametres) be within Colchis
With her husband busy, and Dion taken up by his private tutors in his classes for the day, Evras had, for the first time since their big argument, taken the day to visit her family quarters again. Spending the morning teasing her brother and sharing the nooning meal with them, Evras had eventually left the Thanasi household mid-afternoon, deciding to take a detour to the temples to pray to Hera once again, as she had done just a few days ago to thank the goddess for the peace which had returned to her family once again.
Entering the sanctum of the goddess brought a sense of peace over Evras as she knelt before the likeness of the Queen of Gods, her blue peplos hitched up so her knees met the marble floor, her white himation falling in pleats behind her. With her hands clasped together, Evras prayed for the safety of her son, the happiness of her marriage and the longevity of their peace. Just as she was about to put out her offering of apples and pomegranates, a loud crash from below reverberated through the caves of the temples carved into the mountainside of Midas, throwing the princess off balance, and sprawling her on the ground.
Her offerings rolled out of her grasp, but at this moment, they were her last concern. Picking herself up off the cold, granite floors, Evras looked up in a daze, to realize that priests and priestesses ran to the mouth of the temples, before a flurry of words ran through like an undercurrent in the ocean.
Quickly, the royal picked herself off, and ran to the entrance of the temples. Her eyes widened when she saw the orange glow of the flames grow... and grow. Her first thought flew to Dion, but it took only a split second to remind herself that his training took place within the grounds of Kotas residences, and he would be safest there. Her brows furrowed when she saw the injured and the burnt quickly being brought in. A knot in Evras's chest released as she noticed how the orange flames were kept away from the Upper Levels, calmed to know her family and dearest would be safe from the flames.
But as she watched, her brows deepened in worry, as the thought struck her whilst the commonfolk streamed into the temples to seek refuge from the flames whilst the able-bodied ones did their best to fight the flames, Evras jumped to help as best as she could, waving away the priest and priestesses protests that a princess should not be doing such menial tasks. "Status does not matter in such a situation." she repeated, taking a wet cloth and using it to clean the grime off one, or bandage the wounds of another, or even apply salve on burn wounds.
But even as she said that, worry swarmed her heart whilst she tended to the injured. She had left her husband in bed that morning, murmuring to him that she would be visiting her family that day. But her visit to the temple of Hera had been a last minute addition. As the distance between Thanasi and Kotas households had not been great, Evras had not bothered to bring her guard retinue, and as such had no one by her in the temples. Now... well, how was she going to assure her husband she was trapped, but otherwise fine?
She was still getting used to the idea of not being a whore.
It was a funny transition, to go from a whore who paid her debts on her back to a slave who was dedicated to one household, allowed a bit of freedom without the cost of her body. She was certain that she would find herself bought and sold to another brothel, but the injury to her arm had given many of the normal buyers pause. The healing time made her useless to men, and the man who found her had made sure that she ended up with a good family.
Those days spent on the boat were quiet, spent revealing much of her past. He sympathized with her. But a sale was the best he could offer her. If she was not purchased, Olena would have nothing. And would have wound up in a whore house anyway. At least this way, she was her own person, for the first time in her life. She didn't mind not having a say all the time. At least her body was her own. And the family who owned her wasn't so bad. In fact, they'd given her a small purse of her own as a loan, which allowed her to purchase a few small things she would need before they were to head to her new residence.
Lazaros seemed nice enough, and it didn’t seem like there was any sexual pull so far. She was glad for it, was glad to have a chance to be something other than woman who used opium to numb the pain. Here, in Colchis, perhaps she wouldn’t need to numb anything. Her sister was dead, yes, but now she had a future. She could save, and the Vlahakis family didn’t seem to want anything more from her than what she had cost them. That and any debts she might accumulate in the process.
Perhaps she could get back into needlepoint, make money with her fine handiwork. Her dresses, carefully embroidered with the most delicate of needlework, used to bring quite a bit of money. Maybe she would be able to show off her work, doing it on the side to stash some extra money. Build up customers to save enough to set out on her own. And maybe, just maybe, she could be free and make a life for herself. The idea warmed her to the core.
A place that was hers. Now, that was something she wanted to feel.
As she wandered through the market, dressed in a brand new green chiton, Olena was willing to embrace the idea that one day she would be free. Perhaps this time, no longer owned by a brothel, it seemed far more real that it would happen. Because even if her owner died, he had sons would could potentially make sure she was able to be free. Wandering through the stalls, she was content. Her leg, still weak from the injury, would make is difficult to run. Her arm was still wrapped from the break, a sling of muslin helping to secure it to her body to ease the pain. So caught up in her own thoughts, she barely felt the initial rumble to prepare for the sudden shaking of the earth below.
She lost her footing, tossed into the table as the chaos broke out around them. Someone assisted her to her feet, but they were gone before she could make contact and thank them. People were pointing towards the raging fire. She blinked, trying to piece together what had happened. But she was too new to Colchis to really know anything about the damages of the storm or the mine collapse. So it seemed like the Gods has brought this raging fire out of nowhere. Olena wasn’t even sure which way to go, or of how to help the situation. She started looking for one of the Vlahakis men, a bit panicked about what to do now.
The memories of her burning village came violently back to the forefront of her mind. The screams, the panic-- it all felt too much like what she had gone through over a decade ago. Olena tried to take deep breaths to calm herself, tried to stop and be calm. But it was as if she was 14 again, pulled from her home to watch the house burn with her family still inside.
At some point, she sunk back to the ground, her hands coming up to her ears soften the sounds of the screaming. She was praying, softly, in the language of her homeland, trying to gather her thoughts, to separate the past from the future. And she was failing miserably.
When the low but powerful rumble from deep within the earth reverberated up through the city and into the very floor of Vangelis' bed chambers he knew exactly what it was. All young princes and men of Colchis would know that particular feeling; the tremors that wracked the earth and the shakes that set the walls of all the building trembling.
Like earthquakes, collapses within the mining tunnels were rare but they were easily recognisable for what they were - especially if you lived in the capital or one of the other Colchian cities situated above a large number of mines. Dolomesa and Magnemea suffered them on occasion, as did Midas and Chaossis. The dark roar of the earth was neither mystery or shock to the Colchian people. It was, however, terrifying to many.
A collapse in a tunnel within the mines was not only a death sentence to many within the tunnels at the time, but also caused plumes of hot air to launch into the sky where the tunnel fell down. Then, just like rubbing flints together to get a spark, the collapsing rock would set fire to that hot air and suddenly the forests above the tunnels could be in flames.
Since the storm several weeks passed, the tunnels had been delicate and Vangelis had simply been waiting for the other shoe to drop, sending in teams to stabilise as many of the underground pathways as he could. Clearly, they had missed one. On top of that, the wrathful storm that had finally died away appeared to have used up all the rain in the sky as they had not had any since. So, the lands, the forests and the city were dry and ready to help spread any flames that the cave in might cause.
Vangelis was at his desk working on paperwork for his Chaossis barony when the tremor came, shaking the implements before him and trembling through the bottoms of his boots.
Within a split second, the crown prince had pushed himself to standing and ran to his balcony to look out over the city.
The mine collapse had to have been close as fire was already drenching a significant portion of the forestland over the mountainside and was already attacking at the lower levels of Midas. Spinning on his heel, Vangelis grabbed the belt that housed his main weapons, where he had cast it onto his bed and then sprinted from his quarters.
Over the rumbling of the earth, Vangelis' own voice coursed through the manor in its own angry baritone, his call to arms unmistakable.
"Zanon!" He called as he ran down the main corridor of his floor.
"Yiannis!" Came his second bellow as he sprinted down the stairs, jumping the final few despite the ache it caused in his leg.
"Silas!" The last of his brothers' names was yelled as Vangelis came skidding into the main foyer of the Kotas manor, barking orders at one of their household stewards.
"Have our horses fetched!" He ordered the man, who quickly instructed a nearby slave. "Then get all hands to the wells." Kinos - the steward - had been a part of the Kotas staff for many years. He would not take offence to the eldest son of the family barking orders at him. Especially when it came to matters of emergency. There was a well on the Kotas manor's personal property but also several within the Upper Levels that could be utilised. Vangelis had no idea which of the lower level wells might still be accessible so it was important to be prepared. "All water is to be packed onto carts and taken to the Upper Level Gates. Besides my brothers and I, no-one is to leave this household." This last he put in place to save his mother or sister doing anything foolish in order to leave and help. "But anyone who comes here seeking shelter is to be given it. Close off all private quarters and open up the servants’ wings."
Strapping his dual swords into place, it was at this point that the slave boy Kinos had sent off and several stable hands came hurrying into the main courtyard with horses in toe. They had been tacked up quickly but that was what the Kotas family were renowned for - their speed and accuracy in the face of danger.
Calling out to his brothers again, Vangelis ran straight for Windrunner and with a hard shove that had his shoulder protesting, he pushed himself up and into his saddle, taking hold of the reins as his brothers finally joined him...
She had been in her small yard in the equally small hut she called home whenever she was back in Midas and off duty from serving as the crown-prince's head bodyguard. While Nike took duty seriously, there was no way in Tartarus she would have been allowed to work all the time, and today was one of the rare days she was at home, where she had just finished depositing the latest few drachmae's she had received as her salary, after she had finalized what she needed to bring for the trip to Taengea in just a few days. In a pair of riding pants, plain white tunic and her vest over her binded chest, the woman had just been about to unbind her chest for the evening, when the deep-seated tremor made her stumble, losing her balance.
The woman frowned, immediately running towards the small window she had in her one-bedroom hut - only to be greeted by the sounds of people screaming. Some people ran towards the mines, other's ran away from it. For a moment, the commander wondered why were they running, panicked look in their eyes. The military woman sure as Hades knew there was no attacks or enemies to be watched out for lately. Her eyes drifted further up.
And then Nike saw why people were running away.
The flames started like flowers, growing and flickering, causing an ember like glow that threw shadows in the darkening sky, almost ethereal in its ambience. And then it grew, like a monster being fed its favorite meal - dry timber from summer and oxygen as fuel. Like a disease, it spread faster then Nike's eyes could catch, and panic set in the city of Midas. The commander's jaw dropped watching the sparks cause the flames to run faster,further up the mountainside and, to her horror, down to where her own home was situated.
Wasting no time, the woman jumped to action, grabbing her claymore and her longsword, she strapped both to her back, her quick stride quickly bringing her through her doorway to the mania-stricken streets of the lower sections of the Colchian capital city. There, her military-trained mind was quick to take in the situation - panic, which obviously meant many ran like headless chickens uncertain of what to do in such a situation. Some brought buckets of water, eager to help, yet with the speed of which the flames grew, the buckets could only do so much, as the flames ate up buildings faster then one could condone it.
The forests could burn - so long as no one was in them, they were a necessary casualty if they wanted to ensure their capital city was not razed to the ground. Making decisions quickly, Nike ran to the nearest group of men who were busy passing buckets of water from a nearby well to douse the fire, and grabbed the latest bucket before the liquid was splashed out. "Do not try dousing the flames - it is too big to be simply taken out before more help come. There." she pointed a few buildings away from where the flames crackled. "Take your rakes, spears, anything sharp and strong, and pull the buildings down best as you can."
The commonfolk stared at Nike like she was mad, and the commander made an irritated noise. "It's either we stop the fire's spread, or we'll have no city to wake up to, tomorrow morning. If we create a break, the fire can't go further. Now go!"
As if spurred by her authoritative and demanding voice, they quickly nodded and ran, but as she turned to assess the situation further, her heart sank. She could stop the fire from spreading oe part, but how far can she go. Her one voice cannot carry very far. Her hands gripped by her sides, knuckles turning white as she watched young and old alike being helped to the waters by the able-bodied ones. Lurching forward to grab at a kid as the young girl stumbled and fell, Nike propped what appeared to be a seven or eight year old brunette girl who had tear-streaks down her soot-stained face. "Go for the temples, and tell anyone you see to do the same. They will be safe there." she looked up, yelling at the men who were assisting other's way "Children, the injured and women first. Bring them to safety!"
Whether because it was safe due to divine protection or because of the material in which the temples were made from, Nike did not specify, merely allowing the young one to scurry away, as she dived head first to further attempt to cull the fire, running right into the thick of things as she did so. While she may be alone, and perhaps she can't do much... but by God she will try. Because while she may have been Taengean by birth, Nike had grew in Colchis, and perhaps it was because of her association to the royal family, the Red Knigts, or because the commander had come to truly appreciate and respect the way of Colchian life, their values and their moral, the way they lived and their day to day life.
Whatever it was, Nike of Acaris would do her best at keeping the city safe, or die trying.
Mihail would not lie and pretend he wasn't unquestionably infatuated with the mysterious Euphemia. So much so that he even found himself leaving home to visit all those places where she might be. It was something his sisters, Evras most specifically, had naturally begun to tease him about - he'd never shown as much interest in a girl before - but he had opted not to let that phase him, something so rare given Mihail's usual attitude towards life.
They had first met at the temples and, thus, once Evras had left from her visit to the Thanasi home, he too had left the building in the hope of running into his beloved. He had dressed up for her (he was always doing that now, just in case he caught a glimpse of the girl in the city) in a lovely bright blue he had hardly ever worn before, so much more beautiful and more vivid than the darker shades with which he more commonly adorned himself.
He heard the shouts before he felt the tremors in the ground and before he smelled the smoke in the air.
It was no secret that Mihail did not handle danger well. He barely waited to see what was going on, racing the final hundred or so feet to the closest temple, panic evident in his eyes. He could only hope the stone structure would keep him secure if nothing else could. He didn't stop running until he was safely hidden away inside the temple and away from the immediate danger of the fire, pausing to catch his breath as he watched the goings-on around him. It was just the sort of chaos Mihail would have dearly loved to help create but not find himself involved in. A thought flashed through his mind, a hope that if Euphemia was not here than that she was, at the very least, safe.
The girl was not here, as far as he could tell. The temple was swarming with people, and as he ran his eyes over them, they fell upon only one person he recognised. Evras.
Evras would keep him safe. She did seem currently preoccupied at the moment, tending to the throngs of wounded that were rushing in and seeking refuge, though Mihail did not think she would object to seeing her favourite brother. He was honestly surprised by her current actions, having supposed that someone of her status would have been hidden away early on. Nonetheless, she had always been kind, and he assumed she would be his best bet at not dying in a fire - whether it was she or the hopefully present Kotas guards who would aid him in such regard - so he immediately approached his older sister, a nervous yet characteristically petulant expression on his face.
"Evras!" he called out to her, stepping past the injured and outstretching a hand to pat her on the shoulder lest she could not hear him over the shouts of alarm. "What are you doing? We need to hide! I don't want to die in a fire..." He didn't want to die at all but fire, now that was especially undesirable. What a truly pathetic way to die. Why was she wasting time like this and putting herself in such a potentially dangerous situation when she could be getting herself to safety? Someone would have to protect the woman and, if it had to be Mihail who took that honour, then so be it. "Evras!"
The early afternoon hours had been spent with his son after Dion had been released by his tutors. He was repairing a relationship that had been damaged by his own actions over the past few years. Nothing would ever truly be enough to make amends for the lost time, the lost memories that had escaped him in his own selfishness. To his credit, the boy was taking things incredibly well and by the end of their lesson Zanon was satisfied with his son's progress, ruffling his curls as the two of them headed to the bath house to clean up before dinner with the family.
As he undressed to bathe, the earth shook and he was thrown off balance, landing on his side against a column and holding onto it to try to stay on his feet. Dion's cry of surprise drew his attention and as he stabilized himself once more he moved quickly to find his son, helping him off the floor and moving to the open window. He was looking for something, a sign that this had just been a tremor caused by the rage of Poseidon instead of what he knew it was. The smoke rose into view first, and Zanon closed his eyes and took a breath. The mines.
"Dion, stay here. Go find your grandmother and Asia, keep them here no matter what. There will be time for them to help later."
Vangelis' call echoed through the halls and as Dion rushed off to dress and find his grandmother and aunt. He reached for his tunic when it hit him and he paled. One of the servants had stopped him on their way to the baths to inform him that the princess had taken a detour to the temple. Evras was in the city, where the flames would catch fastest and cause the most damage. There was no time, tunic still in hand, Zanon sprinted out of the palace and toward the city, ignoring all looks and calls after him. He was behaving recklessly, foolish perhaps but he had just gotten her back and he could not lose her now.
The horses in the courtyard were convenient, he blessed his eldest brother for his quick thinking and their staff for the preparation. Launching himself onto the nearest mount he spurred the horse forward and down into the city. Chaos reigned in the streets as people hurried to and fro, some trying to put out flames as they sprung up on roofs and others going to seek shelter and assistance from injuries in the temples. Dismounting outside the temple of Hera, he rushed in still clutching his tunic and ignoring the looks and comments surrounding his otherwise naked self, searching the crowd for a familiar raven head and finding two instead of one.
"Evras, thank the gods, come back to the house and wait with Dion. Mihail, take my horse and your sister to the Kotas residence, stay there if you wish, it's furthest from the flames."
Bliss. That blessed, evanescent chimera. It was all too good to be embraced; all too slippery to be thoroughly enjoyed. Though for a brief moment, all in Midas were bound together in the drunken throes of celebration, the gods had decided their subjects were unworthy of their good fortune. The ground beneath her feet trembled and rumbled, while the whispers of wise men lowered, and eyes glued themselves to the marble floors below. Was it wonder that froze them in place? Or fear? What did Galatea look for when she raised her blue eyes and Galatea looked around her fellow Athena worshipers? Her breath grew heavy; the tension in her chest heightened as the yells of men, and the desperate cries of women and children pierced her ears, drowning the initial growling of the beast below. And Galatea was caught in the chaos' midst. A head-numbing shudder made the baby hairs at the base of her neck rise. A shallow, shaky slipped past her dry lips as a man, an acquaintance, laid his hand on her bare shoulder. Her attention immediately concentrated on the unwelcome intruder. If daggers could shoot out of her furious, accusing eyes, he would have died on the spot.
"Do not touch me," she demanded as she pulled her shoulder away, taking a few steps forward and away, and into the vicinity of her nervous slaves, who young men who circled her. "What is happening?" she demanded, wide-eyed and worried, but a quick scan of her slaves' expressions rendered what should have been the obvious; they did not have the information that would satiate her desire to know...
"We must get out," she murmured as she began to push through the throng of Athena-worshiping wisemen, her voice uncharacteristically shaky as she reached and clawed her way out towards the front of the temple, a task made complicated by the influx of people rushing inside. "Zeus' cock! she cursed in frustration, unused to the brush of skin against skin, or the ends of her silken dressed being stomped upon by the feet of lesser creatures, so used to threading through the city shit and mud. She need not cross into the courtyard, or join the horde, to see the blazing hillside ahead. "Oh, oh..." she cooed with the shake of her head, the image of her home, caught in the wild blaze; her people, alone and left to their devices. If tunnels had collapsed, it was likely that roads towards Arcanaes would have been obstructed, or made impassable. A carriage would not make it through, not at its usual pace, but the horses that drew it here would pierce through the flames.
The well! Where is it?! Shield the women! The children! Bring them to safety! Gather in the temple! All capable men, rise to serve your country! The voices, the chaos echoed in Galatea's ears; her eyes remained fixed on Armageddon and tongue stilled as she sought to relieve herself of that all-too-familiar feeling of uselessness that threatened to overcome her. Before it did, she chose to attempt to make herself useful. Galatea moved to a corner, followed by her slaves, and bent downwards to gather the cloth at her feet, tucking it on the leather belt at her waist. "My lady, what are you doing?" a slave beckoned before Galatea shushed her. "Something. I don't know what, but I will do something," she stated between clenched teeth as she plucked a jeweled pin off her shoulder to secure the fabric.
“What about one of these?” The young man said turning his companion’s attention to a stack of fabrics. The woman looked them over, biting her lip in contemplation, causing a slight blush to crawl up Timaeus’s cheeks causing him to turn away from the lovely Zelenia of Eubocris to hide them. (Though the nearly-healed bruises on the left side of his face also did a good job of doing this as well.) It was a lovely day, perfect for the pair of acquaintances quickly turning friends to spend the day out and about, each ignoring the responsibilities they unknowingly hid from the other.
He had been foolish enough to not learn where she lived the last time he had seen her. That certainly would have made it easier for him to find a way to see her again, but it didn’t matter now. Leni was not exactly like other girls and judging by the note back in his study, hidden under reports he should have been addressing instead, she had no qualms about being the first to reach out. It was different, it was delightful. Timaeus enjoyed the excitement of not knowing that morning that he would be spending the afternoon with her. It truly made his day less monotonous and frustrating to say the very least.
Once she had sent word to meet her in the city, it had been Timaeus’s idea to wander the crowded noontime market. That wasn’t so much of a surprise figuring since he did technically owe her a new dress after he had accidentally ruined her other one with their little… ahem...boating incident. That day she had left the Valaoritis manor with one of Roxana’s lesser used ones to save face, but Timaeus still believed that it was only fair that Timaeus find something that was more similar to what had been destroyed.
So, that’s what they were in search for and Timaeus was more than happy to let Leni lead the way. He was no stylist and, after all, this was about her. He was perfectly fine with the two of them wandering about aimlessly until Leni found something that she liked. She probably knew from his omission that he was a baron, not a successful merchant, that money would be no question. It was the least he could do, after all. Whenever they stopped at a stall, he noticed how her eyes kept drifting to the bolts of lighter fabrics, more pastel in nature. Particularly he noticed how whenever there was one of a lavender color, her gaze would linger longer and he thought she would say more as well. He wasn’t too entirely sure though. She still could talk at length’s end and he found it just as delightful as he did on that day on the beach.
The day seemed perfect. Almost too perfect if you asked Timaeus.
Perhaps that’s why it came to a sudden, screeching halt as the mines below the city gave way, throwing the world above into chaos.
The rumbling earth wasn’t as strong as it had been further up the hillside, but it was still enough to bring the large crowd to a grinding halt. Although, a hushed silence fell over the people, save for a few cries of fear, the noise surrounding Tim was deafening. The ground’s movement and the rattling wares echoed deeply in his ears, muffling his own thoughts as his arms reached out for Leni to grasp onto lest the shaking brought down the girl. She took them in an instant and clung to the young baron. Her nails dug into his skin as her grip tightened and despite everything that was happening, Timaeus’ face contorted into a wince, half-convinced that when she would finally let go, his forearm would be covered in little pinpricks of blood.
Being mountain-born and raised, Timaeus’ stance held firm during the few agonizingly long moments where the rumbles continued. He let his mind go fuzzy as he let his body instinctively adjust his center of gravity move with everything else. Let the earth shake, Timaeus still stood tall and just as firm as the rocky walls he had called home for so long.
Then just as suddenly as it started, it stopped. Yet, Timaeus didn’t realize this at first as his legs continued to feel the ghosts of the earth’s movement and his ears rang. It finally caused him to stumble forward just a bit, but he recaptured his footing before he fell forward onto the girl still clutching onto him. Or at least to the girl who was clutching onto him. That sudden movement from him broke her grip on him, sending his nerves into overload as the cool air came into contact where his skin had burned under her soft, warm touch. His heart and breath quickened, bringing a slight redness to his face, but he barely noticed. His mind was far too concerned with other things as he glanced the equally startled woman up and down, checking for any sign that she was injured. Tim’s gaze lingered just for a moment too long, especially considering he too had just been through… whatever that had been. But he already knew that he was fine so all of his attention was on his companion.
“Leni,” He said slowly as his hearing slowly returned to its normal state, letting the nickname hang in the air for just a moment, “Are you hurt?”
Perhaps if he hadn’t been so focused on the girl in front of him, perhaps he might have noticed the new danger that now threatened them, roaring over the mountainside.
A slight twinge of smoke hit his nostrils as a dozen screams erupted around them. Noticing that all the other market-goers seemed to be transfixed on whatever was behind him, Timaeus turned around to come face to face with a nightmare. The forests surrounding Midas were shrouded in a stomach-churning covering of dark smoke. It obscured the trees underneath, but in the split seconds where the smoke would be twisted by the wind, Tim could see that the hillside was a bright glowing orange. His mouth dropped in shock as he took in the sight. He was too stunned to do anything, but stare, dumbfounded, as a clear sense of panic gripped his chest. The City was on fire.
His home was burning right before his eyes.
At that moment, the serene stillness of the marketplace broke as people began to blindly run from the wildfire that was soon to turn into an inferno. They scattered every which way, but most of them ran in the general direction of the harbor, to the safety that the ocean provided. For a split second, he wanted to run with them, but the rational part of his mind kept his feet firmly in place. His years of military training told him what exactly would happen if there was a mob of people in a panic, blindly seeking personal security with no order. If the fire didn’t kill them all, there would certainly be a fair amount of loss at the beaches. Crushed. Trampled. Drowned. Timaeus knew that this day would see all these horrors before the flames had run their course.
He didn’t want to risk that happening to them.
Naturally taking charge, he reached out for Leni and pulled himself close to her in order to shield her from the increasingly large and chaotic crowd. “We’ve got to get out of here!” He shouted, his own voice barely audible over the din as he maneuvered them towards the edge of the crowd. As he did this, his eyes searched frantically for any other option for safety. His mind flickered to the cove where they had first met those few short weeks ago, but that was too close to the temples for his liking. That would be the other main option for people taking shelter, but Timaeus doubted that the three main gods there would take pity on the people of Midas. Love, War, and Death. None of them exactly screamed protector of innocents if you asked Timaeus.
His gaze wandered up the hillside to a cluster of smaller temples, barely visible from their position in the market. He found himself drawn to the one he could confidently say that he barely visited, if ever. Hera’s Temple. She was the goddess of marriage, women, and childbirth. Tim may only have experience with one of those categories, (and before you ask, no it isn’t the last one) but if any of the gods would be offering divine protection that day from the disaster unfolding before them, it would be her. Leni would be safe there and right now, to Tim, that was all that mattered.
Reaching out for her hand, he yelled once again so she could hear him, “Hera’s Temple! We need to go.” Once he received affirmation from the pretty redhead, Timaeus’s turned on his heels and took off, practically dragging the woman who was now clinging to his arm for dear life. It wasn’t his fault that he was going so fast, this was a high-stress situation and he was a pretty fit guy. No doubt Leni could feel how his arm was tense under her touch as Timaeus weaved between the crowd, trying to get them from the market to the temple as quickly as possible. But he was moving too fast. He could feel Leni stumble every so often, wasting precious seconds that the baron didn’t know if they had. That fire was moving quickly.
Tim could have done the logical thing, that being slow down so his companion could keep his pace, but this was a high stakes situation. Logical was not on his mind right now.
But something else was.
Once they reached a thinner part of the crowd, Timaeus came to a sudden halt. He momentarily shook Leni off of his arm as he turned to face her. They needed to move faster and there was only one way Timaeus could think of doing that in his current, panicked-but-refusing-to-let-it-show, state of mind. His mind kept drifting back to that day in the cove, clutching to the strangely calming memory of having her tucked up in his arms as he carried her to shore. He had been her “savior” that day even though there had never been any real danger to begin with. That wasn’t the case this time, but what he had done once, he could easily do it again.
“Trust me on this.” He said plainly before reaching out and scooping her up into his arms again. One arm found it’s familiar place around her back, the other looped under her knees. She wouldn’t even have time to protest before he already had her clutched close to his chest, not too unlike that day at the cove. The only exception? His grip was tighter if that was even possible. The shoulders she rested against were rigid with tension. He hadn’t been that way on the beach.
“Just like before eh?” He said with a forced grin, trying to bring some sort of reassurance to her before continuing, “Hold tight okay?” Then with just as little warning as before, he was off again, running towards the stony building that would offer them shelter if the flames came to close.
Although he wasn’t moving at the breakneck speed he was beforehand, Leni’s extra weight slowed him down just a bit, Timaeus still moved faster that Leni would’ve. Also, with the girl that his protective nature was now focusing on safe in his arms and there was absolutely no chance that he would be separated from her in the jostling crowd, Timaeus was able to focus more on getting them safely to the temple.
The flames were still far away from the city when they finally reached the temple, which was beginning to fill with other people like them taking shelter from the disaster outside. Once inside, Timaeus carefully put Leni down as he gasped for air, struggling to catch his breath from the strain of carrying someone and running. Luckily, everyone seemed to be too busy in their own worries to notice him. Well except for Leni, Tim was kind of one of her major concerns right now.
“I’m… fine… just give me… a minute…”He said in between the hungry lungfuls, waving Leni’s probable worries away. It was true, his breathing soon began to level out and for the first time, he glanced around the room, seeing who else was there and who he saw made his heart drop to his stomach.
Not too far away, Tim could see the familiar figures of Prince Zanon, Princess Evras, and Mihail of Thanasi, her little brother. A new sense of panic gripped his chest as he turned around to face Leni again, keeping his back to them, as he failed to hide the shock from his eyes. He did not expect them to be there. This was not good for him, not good at all. The last time he had seen Zanon had been that terrible night where he nearly lost his brother and the baron was not ready to face him again. Plus, to make matters worse, Leni didn’t know he was a vassal to the royal family and he wanted it to stay that way. After all, who knew what kind of connotations the name Valaoritis would stir up in her mind thanks to her Eubocris identity. If any of them spotted him and even worse, approached him, the charade would be over and she would know the truth.
He was not ready to face the truth.
So, he kept his back turned to them; praying to whatever god would listen that the family would be too swept up in the chaos to notice him. Instead, he put all of his focus onto Leni, now taking his turn to fret over her, “We’ll be safe here. You’re not hurt, right?
“So much for our day at the market, eh?” He finished with a light chuckle, only somewhat forced. It was a shame that their day was ruined, but just like that first day they met, this wouldn’t be something they’d soon forget.
The people of Midas kept streaming in, and while Evras tried her best to help were she could, for a princess and a royal born lady who rarely had to assist in medical fields, she was of little use other then to hand materials over, or to guide newcomers to safer areas. It appeared that the stone structures of the hillside temples had appealed to the commonfolk attempting to escape the fires - not that they were wrong. Reaching out, the woman was just about to assist an older lady when the call of her name made her turn in reaction, her eyes showing surprise when she saw the form of her younger brother.
Picking up the chiton and swinging her himation over her shoulder, the woman reached out to hold the younger one by the shoulders, a tight grip she hoped would calm his babble of anxious words. Mihail, being the youngest, had always been the most protected of the Thanasi siblings, and Evras had always instinctively wanted to protect him, as she did now. Rubbing his upper arms in a soothing manner when he snapped her name, the princess threw her gaze around, as if considering the situation before returning to Mihail.
"I came her alone, Mihail. So I'm unlikely able to get us out of here... but we're as safe as any here. Calm down. The temples are built of stone - they don't catch fire." Her voice was one she used whenever Mihail had came running to her in tears when he was younger, be it frustration or pain, Evras had always been the more motherly of the three sisters, and being the gap between the two younger brothers and the elder sisters, it had only exaerbecated that attribute of hers.
Turning, wanting to offer more help, Evras waved Mihail over as she moved to bend, wanting to offer help to a young child on the crux of teenagehood, sooted face looking seemingly lost as he looked around the temple that was filling with people, when a sudden gasp made her turn...
... And had to resist from letting her jaw drop.
For her eyes fell on the sight of her husband entering the temple of Hera, Queen of the Gods and goddess of marriage and women, quite decidedly naked.
Blinking, as if caught by surprise, Evras snapped out of it when murmurs began and Zanon approached them, his voice filled with relief. Picking her jaw off the floor, a quick cursory look had the princess whisper a murmured thanks to the gods that he had his important bits covered at least, with the loincloth. Quickly reaching for her himation, the princess unclasped the white himation she had worn over her blue peplos, and moved over to her husband reaching over to drape the material over his shoulder. Securing it over his left shoulder, she picked up his wrist that held the tunic and, with an amused smile on her lips, held it up in front of him, an affectionate light shining in her eyes. It may be a dire situation, but one could not deny that watching the second prince of one's kingdom run three quarters naked across the city in search of is wife... it was highly entertaining.
Biting her lip as she reminded herself of the situation, the woman glanced around the room, and then to her brother. Did she want to return home? Of course, she was worried for Dion, but the Queen would have her grandson well in hand. Yet, Mihail was definitely not going to be well up here in the midst of the commonfolk, too close to the fire for comfort. As it was, she could hear the crumbling of the structure, the smell of smoke and burning thatches getting thicker.
"Zanon," she murmured, laying a hand on her husband's arm to get his attention. She would only worry him if she stayed, that logic Evras knew, but it did not mean she felt any better for leaving when everyone else was wrapped up in the danger of the fire and collapsing mines. "Do not run into danger without thinking." It was a warning Evras meant with every syllable, but her look held her unspoken plead, for she had just started to reconcile with her husband. Evras did not want to say goodbye just yet. That said, she stood on her tip toes to press a kiss to his cheek. "I'll be home with Dion and Mihail. Do send for me if any help with the injured is needed."
With that, she turned to Mihail, motioning at him before heading for the entrance to the temple of Hera. Stepping out, the smell of smoke made the woman flinch as it assaulted her senses, her eyes stinging even at the distance they were at. As she threw her gaze down to the city, Evras's heart clenched at the sight of the fire jumping from roof to roof, the chaos of people rushing to the docks, seeking the safety of the water. From a distance, one would be able to see the arrival of assistance as many started the human chain with buckets of water, yet the fire seem to rage, growing more and more out of control, as the number of men simply could not fight with the rage of the flames.
Reaching the panicking horse, Evras reached out, but had to take a step back when the beast, obviously thrown and panicking by the atmosphere and the smoke, threw his head wildly around, almost hitting her outstretched arm had she not avoided it quick enough. "Mihail?" the elder Thanasi called out in question, wondering if the younger could do something. Just as she turned to where she thought her brother would be standing, Evras caught sight of a well-dressed lady too far away for her to identify, gathering rope in her belt at her waist. Curiosity furrowed her brow, and Evras reached out for her brother, touching him before she asked, "Could you get us there, Mihail? Perhaps the lady could use our help."
The sounds of the bustling marketplace made Maximus feel at ease. His commander always told him that the smiles on citizens faces made being a soldier worth it since they are tasked with protecting the innocent. A sense of pride came over Maximus, the young man finally understood why. The smiling faces of men, women, and children doing various tasks along the market square. Food and items from the lands afar were sold from market stands. Maximus sighed, he was glad that he was able to bask in its beauty as unorganized and unusual he found it to be. Living a life of order and discipline made the civilian life a little alien to Maximus.
The soldier headed towards a stand which sold trinkets from foreign lands. He was on leave after his tour against the Barbarians. That tour was something he would like to forget. It was there that Maximus experienced his first battle. He remembered marching through the forest with his unit. They were all fresh-faced and eager to prove themselves. That is until a Barbarian tribe sprung an ambush nearly wiping out all Maximus’ unit. Maximus remembered fighting off the tribesman who seemed to be coming in waves and the next he was on the ground, covered in blood staring at the face at the glassy-eyed infantrymen whom he trained with at training camp.
That was over a year ago and Maximus still had trouble getting over it. Ares must be cruel to him to plague Maximus with such nightmares. “Stay true to yourself,” his father would tell Maximus. “Ares wants to see if you would break before him. Many men have but I did not raise a weak son to succumb to despair after experiencing his first battle.”
Maximus shook those thoughts away, quickly paid the merchant and instantly ran off with the trinket. It was a bronze coin of non-distinct design. Maximus wondered if this belonged to his ancestors. He didn’t tell his parents as they would severely punish them if they found out but Maximus spent some of his pay on items from the lands afar. He was curious to know about his heritage and who he was before arriving at Colchis. Maximus is proud to be a citizen but in the end, he always felt out of place here. His parents being vague about their homelands didn’t help matters.
Maximus thoughts were cut off by a small rumble that hit the marketplace, followed by a massive shaking nearly throwing him off balance. The soldier could see people pointing at the flames that erupted suddenly at the buildings. What was going on? What was happening? Maximus was then nearly trampled by the panicking people trying to stay away from the fire. A part of him felt the urge to run. Maximus resisted: A soldier from Colchis does not run.
Maximus reminded himself of his duty.
The young man began helping people who were stuck between debris and helped the other citizens and putting out the fires. He was about to get more water until he saw a red-headed woman on the streets praying. She looked in bad shape, her arm was in a sling and she was almost run over by the crowd. Giving the bucket to a boy and ordering him to get some water. Maximus rushed by the woman’s side and picked her up in a bridal carry.
“Are you alright ma’am?” Maximus said carrying the despondent woman to a safe location. “Do not give in to fear, you’re safe with me.” Maximus squeezed through the men and women as more flames erupted between them.
She had taken to speaking in her native tongue when nervous or scared. Perhaps it was simply because she didn’t want people to know that she was afraid. Or maybe it had more to do with the home has been a safe haven for her. If she was going to die, she wanted her native language on her tongue, regardless of which maker she met.
But in this instance, the prayer she was repeating had been a similar one that she had said the day her village was set aflame. She didn’t know that the process she was going through was known to anyone, but the lines between reality and past blurred within the sound of popping lumbar and screams. In this, there was no separating the screams from the ones her family had made the day they were murdered. She felt like the smoke was surrounding her, suffocating her in its presence.
She was safe, in theory. But not from the past that haunted her mind.
The moment she was picked up, she began to violently fight against the man who was holding her. She didn’t want to go where they wanted to take her. She wanted to be back in the house with her family, allowed to enter the afterlife together. She wanted to see Dmytros again, who she was sure was long dead. Perhaps it was the kindness in his voice or the gentle way in which he held her. It took her a few breaths to realize that she wasn’t in danger from this man. She wasn’t the 14 years old about to be raped aboard a ship. No, she was in the middle of the city, being carried away by a man who told her not to fear.
“The last time a man told me that, he beat me within an inch of my life. Forgive me if words don’t reassure me.” There was a bite in her tone, her accent still thick from the prayers she’d been repeating. “Put me down, for Hades’ sake. I’m recovered.” Pushing against him, she tried to get herself loose. “I am sure you have better things to be doing than carrying me.”
Maximus’ mind was racing as he ran through the burning city with the woman he was helping. The young man managed to pick up a few things from the panicked people as to why there was a fire that was destroying Midas. One of the mines which Colchis relies on for trade has exploded with the fire spreading to the city. The common areas had it the worst and already there was chaos and panic. All Maximus needed to do was remain calm and help those in need.
Which is not helped by the woman who he was carrying attacking him.
“What?!” Maximus said in shock as he struggled against her. The red haired woman sounded like she had a rough past and definitely did not one anyone touching her. “I’m sorry!” Maximus said flustered putting the woman down.
The next thing the woman told Maximus didn’t make sense to him. Maybe he was wrong to carry her though the young man thought she was hurt but it seemed that she wanted Maximus to abandon her? “Better things?” Maximus repeated the fires of still spreading throughout the city with some structures collapsing.
“I have a duty,” Maximus said. “Its to protect the innocent,” more flames were starting to form around him as panic came over Maximus but he maintained his discipline. “What the man did to you was dishonest and dishonorable,” he said calmly. “I may not reassure you with words but perhaps my actions can put you at ease.”
The young man held out his hand as more buildings were consumed by the flames. “The people are being escorted to the temples.” He said. “Let me help you. It is my personal duty to make sure that you’re safe please.......”
Maeva was a unique sort of beauty, clearly exotic to Colchis, but with a vague familiarity about her looks that spoke to the region. She didn’t walk the way a commoner or foreigner did -- too much confidence.
Her posture was immaculate, and her dress clung to all the right places. She was in town looking for something specific. A drop. One of her agents had secured a handsome sum of money from a recent client. The agent was to take their cut and leave the rest for Maeva to pick up from a hidden location outside the temple of Athena.
The screaming and chaos provided a suitable cover for her to retrieve her money without incident. Unfortunately, sheep though people were, they rarely screamed and ran for no reason. Maeva could smell the ash in the air and feel the rumbling of the earth under her feet. She narrowed her eyes at the billowing towers of smoke rising over the city.
Fire.
“Must ‘ave been an accident at one of ze mines,” she thought aloud to herself, quietly, mindful to keep to the side of the temple so as to not be swept into it by the sea of scrambling people hoping the Goddess for whom the temple was tribute would keep them safe.
Maeva trusted no God nor Goddess with her life. The Gods were the ones who played with mortals as pawns, no? And no doubt this fire was the work of the Gods as well, inciting fear, panic, and discord. Only fools would trust their lives to the likes of them -- and Colchis, it seemed, was quite full of fools if the number of people clambering into the temple was anything to go by.
Should the whole population huddle inside the buildings for shelter, the city would burn, their corpses would be but kindling, and the fire would ravage Colchis leaving nothing but cinders behind. That’d be bad for business, Maeva decided.
She couldn’t help but catch the words of a blonde woman near her, and the redhead perked a brow. She recognized her -- Lady Galatea. Maeva was of the upper class and had attended several large galas for the Colchian elite thanks to her connections in high places. Still, it was unlikely Lady Galatea would recognize her.
But the time for such trivial matters was behind them, no? What mattered now was that they were two women on a mission -- the same mission. And Maeve had an idea.
“Good.” she tossed her words to the woman quickly, time was of the essence, “You want to ‘elp? Zen leave your slaves ‘ere, and come wis me.”
Evras must have been genuinely insane if she thought they were safe where they were. Yes, the temple may have been made of stone and, yes, the crowds might have been gathering here to ensure their safety but, altogether, that meant nothing. If someone who had already been caught by the fire ran into the temple, then what? It may not spread through the marble-clad walls of the building, but there was nothing to stop the flames flowing through the cloth of the chitons worn by the masses. Just staying out here in the temple, amongst the injured, would not help them.
"Why would you come alone?" he exclaimed in genuine concern, not entirely understanding how someone who now bore the title of Princess would ever leave the house on her own. Evras was far more at risk now than she had ever been before she'd married into the Kotas family, that much was for certain. She was gripping him by the shoulders in the manner she always did when she thought he needed to calm down and, while it may have usually worked, he was too far panicked now to relax. After all, it wasn't every day you found yourself stuck in a fire like this! "The temple may be built of stone, but that does not mean the fire won't find a way."
Mihail was all too ready to grab ahold of his sister's arm and drag her into the safety of the inner temple himself when out of nowhere the one person he didn't exactly want to see while facing possible death showed up. Of course, a Kotas had to show up to be Saviour of All. It was his only consolation that Zanon was dressed in nought but a loincloth and looked an absolute fool. The youngest Thanasi could practically already guarantee that, by the end of the week, the story would have wormed its way into every ear in Colchis. After all, you couldn't expect him to keep this a secret for all eternity, no matter how dearly Evras asked him. He hardly knew what she saw in the man.
The man suppressed a snort as the prince spoke, naturally dolling out instructions as though he expected Mihail to follow them without question. It was that sort of arrogance that led men to ruin, as far as he was concerned. That said, he did care profoundly for his sister, and ensuring her safety seemed a priority at present, not solely thanks to a sense of duty as her brother but because he so dearly craved the acclaim he would earn from having been the one to save her from the fire. Mihail, Saviour of All just had a far better ring to it, did it not? It was for these two reasons that he made no move to insult the man before him that he so disliked, instead silently nodding, a soft frown on his face, as he left Zanon be and followed after his sister. He would invent some little vengeance on the man later on.
The horse was terrified. Almost as afraid as Mihail was, although the lord was doing a far better job of concealing the emotion than the beast was, as it violently tossed its head every which way. He would have stayed a few feet away until his sister had calmed it had she not appeared to request he do the deed himself. Animals weren't exactly his strong suit, though he approached it anyhow, opting instead to ignore its protests and approach from the side, a hand reaching out to pat the horse reassuringly on the neck. "Come, Evras, we need to return home before-" Mihail was cut off as his sister requested they run to the aid of some other lady, a blonde who seemed oddly preoccupied.
"I don't want to die because we had to help someone!" he complained, though heaving himself onto the back of the mount as he spoke, reaching out a hand for Evras to take to help her onto the horse as well. It was still panicking in the heat, though with a rider now on its back it seemed more content with the belief they would be escaping the cause of its alarm. 'twas a shame then, that Mihail instead turned the horse towards the Temple of Athena instead, rushing the pair of them there in a manner that was far too heroic for him. This whole situation so strange for him: so uncharacteristically chivalrous, though Mihail supposed the hope of recognition made people do strange things. Honestly, if he wasn't receiving some reward at the end of this chaos, then he was almost concerned it wasn't worth it: one should never do anything unless it was self-beneficial.
Oh, the things he did for Evras.
"My ladies," he called out to the woman as she seemed to fumble with the belt and pins on her fine chiton, seeing that another, redheaded woman had now approached her as well. "You need to get out of any immediate danger. Might I assist you in that regard?"
Silas and Yiannis were the fastest of his brothers to join Vangelis out in the courtyard of the manor. Each were in a state of preparedness, thought it was clear that such a state was a new addition for each of them. Yiannis's pant leg was rucked above his left boot, clearly indicating that he had pulled them on only recently and in haste, while Silas was still shrugging into his outer jacket as they sped out of the family home. Both had hard features and set determination written all over their faces as they charged forwards to heave themselves onto their mounts. Just like Vangelis, neither had hesitated at all - Yiannis in particular, as the adrenaline seeker that he was, was incredibly quick off the mark.
It was a few heartbeats (nothing more) later than Zanon came charging out of the house in a lack of attire that had Vangelis' brows rising. Zanon was clothed only in his under loincloth, a tunic in hand and his feet bare as he charged for the only horse still without a passenger and clearly made the kick the beast into motion despite his lack of protection.
"Zanon, are you insane?" Vangelis called after his brother before the man had spurred his gelding into a break neck pace out of their home and down the descending path towards the city currently in flames, his skin bare and his horse at full gallop.
"He's lost his mind!" Yiannis called from behind him and Vangelis simply shook his head. One problem at a time...
Settling the frisk Windrunner had taken at Vangelis' cry, he did not stop to secure clothes for his brother, nor stop to know what was happening. Instead, Vangelis focused on his duties as a prince rather than those of being a big brother and turned his mount in the right direction and kicking him to high speeds.
Charging after Zanon, only a few dozen yards behind him, Vangelis prompted the creature to a speed that was only just shy of dangerous on the narrow road that wound down into the Upper Levels of the city and spurred it still faster when the land petered out and became roads with stronger structures and steps. The sound of hooves behind him told Vangelis that Silas and Yiannis were hard on his heels.
When Zanon took a right turn to head towards the temples deeper in the mountains, Vangelis let his heart tear in two directions, then hardened it as he steered Windrunner to the left, heading down into the city. He didn't have to gesture or order to be assured that his two youngest brothers would follow suit. He was the eldest. He was their leader. Whatever Zanon was doing and whatever dangers he was putting himself in right now, they would have to trust that he knew what he was doing and could look after himself. This was not the time to have divided loyalties and distracted attentions.
Reaching down, as he rode, Vangelis untied and released a horn of bone that he kept attached to his tacking and holding the cylindrical instrument in his dominant hand, Windrunner practically directing himself in and around the buildings now, Vangelis set it to his lips and blew hard.
The call was a low baritone. It was smooth and deep and almost calming in its timbre. And able-bodied man in Colchis would know the sound - the women too. The long slow notes and the continuous calling was a call to arms. A call to arms to stand with the king. Which, while the man was away at war, their crown prince effectively was. Vangelis paused for breath and then blew again. He continued to sound the call as they reached the edge of the Upper Levels and descended into the lower.
It was an instant temperature change the second they stepped from the circles of the nobility into that of the peasantry. The rock walls that offered a curved barrier between the two were doing a good job of keeping out both flame and heat which meant that the second the three princes passed beneath one of the many archways providing entry and from, it felt as if they were suddenly in smithy of Hephaestus. Smoke was already forming walls of black in smaller alleys and lacing the air with hot ash. The people of the city gave cries and screams to the sound of crackling flames. The entire place was becoming chaotic.
"To the gates!" Vangelis called, pointing back to the archways. "Water is on its way! Douse all the buildings and the streets! Create a barrier!" Glancing back at his brothers, Vangelis ordered Silas to stay by the gates and organise the affair - "Make sure the water is used in logic not in fear!" He called to the younger prince who nodded and sprang himself agilely from the back of his horse and immediately started ordering the men nearest him to start clearly away burnable goods in the streets.
Blowing the horn again, Vangelis kicked Wind Runner into action and sped through the streets, his brothers right on his heels. People paused only momentarily to notice the heir to the throne charging past their home towards the flames that were starting to consume the city. Vangelis blew the horn again.
As they came through the middle section of the lower levels, Vangelis drew Windrunner to a stop and called to all the men who were still in the streets.
"Take down your roofs!" He called to them. "The fire cannot spread if it has nothing to burn! Pull them down!"
Ordering Yiannis to stay with them and continue such work, Vangelis and Windrunner were back to high speeds in the matter of a moment.
By the time they reached the lowest eastern corner of the city, Vangelis could see flames on almost all sides. It was here that there was the most screaming, the most fear and the most chaos. Pulling Windrunner to a sudden halt that had people stop and stare, Vangelis kicked the animal into rearing up, the black stallion kicking up its front legs as Vangelis remained seated and sounded his call to arms once more.
A few people stopped, many looked hopeful. It was then that Vangelis spotted Nike running through the streets instructing men to pull down some of the buildings on the left-hand side of the street. Vangelis immediate gave orders for the same to be done on the right in order to complete the break he recognised her trying to build.
More men were in the streets now, called out of their homes where some had been hiding by the noise of the king and Vangelis threw an arm out back the way he had come, taking a deep breath to yell through the ash and smog.
"Take down the buildings!" He called. The residences at this level of Midas were mostly wood and would burn entirely to the ground if the flames were not stopped. "Women and children to the temples!"
For a long moment he didn’t realize why everyone around him was looking at him as if he had three heads. The city was on fire, stranger things were happening with more pressing consequences than whatever it was they found amusing about him. It wasn’t until Evras tugged at the tunic he had slung over his arm and spoke that he realized what the issue was. His face turned red, but it was out of reflex as opposed to any sort of shame as he yanked the tunic over his head to cover his most delicate bits. The look on Mihail’s face at least was priceless and he would save that image for days when he couldn’t stand the Thanasi.
“I will. Of course my love. Now please, go to Dion and stay safe.”
Vangelis had been right to call him insane, once again thoughts and fears for Evras had driven him into a reckless course of action, and as he kissed her cheek and sent her off with her brother he had to take a second to stop and think about his next moves. Vangelis and the others were headed off to do...something. He had to join them, and help as many others along his way as he could. Mihail and Evras would have taken his horse by now, but he could still move quickly on foot and as he turned to exit the temple, ignoring the looks he was still getting, Zanon tried to plot out the direction his brothers would have gone and the best way to get to them through what was no doubt chaos.
His eyes narrowed as he saw Mihail mounted up, calling after Evras as she turned a different direction and he glanced between the woman on the ground and his wife as she approached her. This was not a time he could condone hesitations. He didn’t know how long they would have before the fire took hold, if it would block them all in the city before Evras had a chance to escape. Calling out to them once more, he nodded to a few warriors he saw standing nearby.
“Mihail. Evras. Go, now! You, with me. We find the other princes on foot and try to stop as much damage as we can.”
Taking stock of the city for another beat, Zanon picked a direction and started jogging towards where the flames looked as if they were closest to the city. If he was right, Vang and the others would have gone to try to create a barrier and find a way to make a wall that the fire could not leap. He knew he was on the right track as he caught sight of a few people tearing down their roofs. It would be a hassle to make again, but in the end it would be better than losing lives or entire homes in the blaze that could catch. He sighted his brothers as he moved into the dense wooden housing of the lowest ring of the city, charging forward and coughing from the ash and his run.
“I’m sorry. Evras. I had to see she went home.” It was all he offered his commander at the moment, standing ready with the contingent of men he’d gathered along his way. “We’ll help with the houses. Send Silas to escort some of the women?” It was question and suggestion all at once, still protective of the youngest of the brothers who had yet to prove himself as thoroughly as the rest but prepared to follow Vangelis’ orders to the letter.
Athanasia was being her usual self this late night when she thought her family was safe in their beds, sound asleep. Running through the forests with nothing but her dagger, all she can replay in her head was how her brother scolded her for checking on Evras while he fought with Zanon. It wasn't like she could check on her mule-stubborn brother while their eldest brother was cold clocking him, could she? It was the one thing that Asia absolutely hated the most in all the world, she hated feeling helpless. As she sat on a low hanging branch, safe from all the world below, it took her by surprise when suddenly the world grew quiet moments before everything seemed to shake. Or was it the tree that wanted to free itself of her? Because as everything shook, Asia fell off the branch and onto her butt as the forest seemed to tremble and roll. What in the gods' name was THAT?!
Standing up, Asia was struck with a complete sense of horror that washed right through her as she thought about her family. If it shook here, did it shake there? Where they ok? Quick as she could, she ran through the forest with only the moonlight to guide her as she made way for her home, feeling relief when she saw it still standing there even as she watched all her brothers leave in a hurry to the massive city below. Asia's eyes took it all in, unable to comprehend what she was seeing as the lights below seemed to grow brighter all across the cityscape. The sounds of screams echoing up to the upper levels of the city screams that she imagined were the screams of her brothers. Without another thought, Asia ran to the stalls and grabbed her horse, Moonlight, that the lady Selene had gifted her not to long ago; a horse that she had bonded with and learned to run at a pace that could match her own brothers' as she raced down to where the fires were.
Who would have thought that she would see her brothers in a way that she never had seen them before. Zanon running in to save Evras without even a care for himself, Vang taking care of everyone else as he leads the teams that her other brothers Silas and Yannis helped with. This was how she wanted to be seen one day, a leader able to take care of her people. So without a thought, she jumped off of Moon and grabbed two rags and wet them before tieing it over hers and her horse's nose and mouth to stop some of the smoke, also doubling as a disguise. Grabbing more cloth rags, she wet them and started to cover children and women's heads and faces. "Go! Listen to your princes and leave for safety! Go!" Staying far enough away to not be in complete danger, she was close enough to feel the searing heat as she made sure each child and woman left towards the temples on the higher grounds.
Tonight looked to be a long night. Watching as Nike and Vang worked as a team to have people pull down buildings, Asia pushed Moonlight back as well as a stray child or two, feeling grateful when other women started to help, "Go Moonlight! Guide them home. Please?!" And as if the animal understood just what her mistress wanted, she moved towards the temples as the children held onto the straps of the seat cloth as well as holding onto the other women's hands. A split second had given Asia a moment of thought, debating on throwing a wet rag at her brothers and Nike to keep them safe, but not doing so for fear of distracting them with their anger at her.
Little did she know, at least one brother would find her.
Perhaps it was the fact that she was a mother, that she has seen a human being at its most fragile and therefore held far more compassion now after going through the clear knowledge of how hard it was to make a human being, that she had a lot more compassion then she used to. That was not to say Evras had no compassion before - she did, but merely softened and unseen. What was seen before was loyalty to family and household reputation. Now... now Evras wasn't sure which of which she would put first, when push came to shove.
But she was not entirely clueless of why her brother acted the way he did - Mihail had been the youngest of the family, and was naturally babied. Evras herself was guilty of that, and had played the part of doting sister for a long time. Yet to watch her youngest panic the way he did from the way he complained, Evras couldn't help but frown - it was obvious Mihail was not a big fan of helping, yet the princess was not likely to just walk away from another who was in danger.
Taking Mihail's hands, she sat astride behind her brother, hands gripping the younger Thanasi's waist as he brought them over to the temple of Athena, where his question was directed at both the finer one, and the redheaded. Help was not something Evras thought they could assist at this point - at least not upon horseback. Zanon's steed while powerful, was in no way in shape to carry four riders.
Before they could respond, Evras had to turn when her husband's powerful voice carried across the courtyard of the temple's cavern - it was obvious the second prince would skin her alive if she didn't find a way back soon, and even more obvious that if they did not return the way he had came now, that way would be blocked off.
So she turned to the other two ladies, voice displaying urgency as she spoke. "Follow the temples path - stay within the stone structures if you have to, the stones do not catch fire the way the thatches of roofs do in the city. The temples are as safe as you'll get for now." she murmured, before touching upon Mihail's shoulder. "Once there is a clear path - find a way to the Upper Levels. The princes will keep the fire contained as best as they can, trust them." Because Gods know, Evras trusted her husband at least, and she knew of Vangelis's chivalry in such situations - she's seen her brother in law work more then once to have understood it after marrying into the Kotas family after so many years.
"Mihail," she finally addressed her brother, nudging him. "Let's go, before the fire spreads." Her murmur was soft, her fingers finding purchase on her brother's chiton as they rode to the Upper Levels. For a moment as she recognized a familiar mare, Evras almost stopped Mihail to go after Asia, knowing full well none of her brother's would've allowed her to exit the Kotas mansion - and yet not at all surprised her young sister in law had managed to find a way out.
But to do so would mean to risk danger - and she knew Dion would likely be afraid at home, and she was eager to reach her son for now. So she said nothing, and allowed Mihail to take her back to the Upper Levels.
For a moment, her attention was enraptured by the beckoning of a fiery-haired woman, one of many faces that had long ago faded into the bleaker corners of the blonde's memory. The truth was that between jugs of wine and the casual puff of opium from lands afar, faces became wildly enmeshed as sweat-slick bodies clashed, as noises of both delight and pain inundated the wayward halls of her pleasure palace. But in being amongst chaotic beings and the frantic cries of women and children, Galatea found herself unable to place the red-haired stranger in time; not that there was any time to spare in doing so, not when the underworld spewed the streets with sulfuric nose-wrinkling fumes. But the woman gave reason for Galatea to wrinkle her perky nose further, her brows tying together in bewildered puzzlement. The slaves too looked at each other. Though no less fearful than the raving crowd, inched towards their mistress who declared her discomfort on their behalf: "They shall remain by my side." Her eyes burned into those of the stranger. Such a request was unthinkable for both Galatea and her slaves; to part with her servants, with her companions was a matter no woman of her prestige would consider, and much less under these unfortunate circumstances...
But Galatea's resolve to make herself useful to whatever effort she could apply her hands to had not been lost despite the ridiculous suggestion that befell her ears.
Galatea's fingers further secured the fabric into her belt; despite the seemingly minor offense, the blonde was still invested in finding a way to make herself useful. So she insisted the stranger spill truths so that they may grace welcoming ears. "If I may know your name, we shall begin. Lead me."
;)
