Chapter Text
Thunder roared into the thick humid air, while lightning lashed and cracked whip-like from the black sky through the pouring rain. Waves towered the coast, rocking menacingly the creaking boats and ships at the dock.
What could the people of Mykonos have ever done to enrage the gods this much, Kyra thought. Sitting on her bed, the woman sipped wine and honey to both warm her up and to soothe her spirit, staring into the void of her own impatience. Fortunately, the people of Mykonos had seen the storm coming just in time and had managed to bring the crops and the cattle to safety before it was too late. As the responsible ruler she was, Kyra had taken the lead to make sure everything and everyone was where it was supposed to be, safe and prepared for the upcoming tempest. It had been a couple of stressful hours, running in the rain and yelling orders, but everything turned out to be fine.
Everything was fine.
All Mykonos had to do now was to wait for the rage of Poseidon to wear itself out like a unruly stallion set free until it was safe to come out again. Wait and hope for the best.
Maybe the storm was not a punishment, Kyra thought, ger gaze lost in the ripples of the dark beverage as she gently swung the bronze cup around in a circle-like motion. If the gods had wanted to punish the Delians, they would have not given them a head start, she reckoned; they would've surprise and obliterate them without mercy – but the priestesses had recognized the incoming storm hours before by looking at the black birds scattering through the clouds, low and restless. If the gods had really been angry, they would not have had that precious extra time.
However, Kyra could not shake off that uneasy feeling that something was off, as if she had overlooked an important detail that would cost her everything. An unlocked door, an untied knot, an object out of place - something was amiss.
Heavy raindrops crashed onto the closed windows, making the wooden shutters shake and creak. As she watched the flame of the candle flicker nervously Kyra knew the storm was not the punishment she had been expecting. It was a warning. The howling wind would eventually bring her sooner or later what she deserved, and it would be more than just rain clouds and thunder.
She just had to wait and hope for the best.
-----
Kassandra opened her eyes and saw the ragged sails of the Adrestia fluttering hysterically over her head in the chilling breeze of the morning. The sky was clear and cool again, the sea gently lapping at the ship's flanks. Kassandra’s eagle Ikaros soared above her, drifting playfully through the still dusky rays of sunshine.
Kassandra was not a quiet person, nor was she patient: she was an action-loving mercenary, always seeking for new adventures and challenges. Nevertheless, after being violently hurled around by the waves and the wind all night long, the woman found herself enjoying the calmness of that morning with every fiber of her aching body. The rarity and beauty of moments like this made her appreciate the calmness even more; and though she never pictured herself living a slow and simple life, she sometimes missed that long-lost feeling of not having a single care in the world. Whenever that happened, all Kassandra needed was a second to herself, a moment of peacefulness like that.
Too bad those moments never lasted too long.
"Commander!" Barnabas's raspy voice sounded somewhat concerned.
"Barnabas, good to see you," Kassandra looked her captain and good friend in the eye, knowing that the afore mentioned moment of peacefulness was definitely over. "After that storm, I’m glad to see you on the right side of the Aegeus."
"Don’t worry about me, Kassandra,” the man laughed, “Not even Poseidon himself could get me off the Adrestia. I’m stuck to this ship like a barnacle.”
“It’s nice to see that at least something is still attached to the ship,” Kassandra furrowed her brows, nodding towards the massacred deck and shredded sails. The storm had taken quite its toll on the penteconter and, despite the fact that it was still intact and floating, it was in urgent need of repairs.
“We need to find land, or we won’t make it far,” Barnabas said, then pointed at the seagulls above their heads. “Thank the gods, we seem to be close.”
Squinting her eyes, Kassandra could see the faint outline of a mountain coated in light mist, not so many miles away from their position. Whether it was divine intervention or simply a fluke, the mercenary did not care; it was what they needed and that was all that mattered.
“Let’s set the course, then,” the woman ordered, to which the captain simply replied, “Aye, aye, Commander!” before starting the commotion.
Soon the cries of the crew and the splashing of the oars killed the quietness Kassandra was relishing seconds ago. The rowers heaved and hoed rhythmically to the sailors’ songs, steering the Adrestia in the direction of the island.
Kassandra closed her again, easing into the darkness under her eyelids for a split second. For all she knew that could’ve been the last chance she had to enjoy a moment of peacefulness before whatever would come next.
Little did she know, for a new storm from the past was coming upon her.