The Blessed and the Pure┃🖋

Chapter Ι

The scene where Nikas killed Hero fascinated Hallie.

It was a brilliant casting decision on Charax's part to have Nikas fill in for Agamemnon - a victim of Clytemnestra, aka Hero - who sought divine revenge through his son, Orestes.

Nikas played the character Hero killed and the one who killed her. Theatrical irony at its finest if she said so herself. Which she wouldn't, so thoughts would have to suffice.

Hallie had no comment on her character's involvement in the vindictive murder.

"Where at last will it end? When will the madness of fate shift its bed and be still?"

Hallie stumbled over the final lines of the play as every other member of the chorus said their lines without so much as a crack in their voices. She would mouth watermelon to pretend to be saying her lines, but she didn't want to cause Charax any more grief.

He kept his head down from the moment he arrived. She assumed. He got there before her or anyone else. Not the point.

His voice lacked its usual range and volume. The first few attempts at shouting stage direction were half-hearted and didn't last long. His passion was gone.

Cois was also gone. No one asked why.

The absence of the Taktikoí weighed heavily on the remaining actors as they scrambled to review lines from characters Charax assigned them to play and their original role.

The chorus - who Charax originally filled with eight mortals - he chopped to five. And even that was pushing it as it had Hallie and many others weaving through their parts to portray different characters, changing the pitch of their voices to practice not confusing future audiences.

For ten people putting on a play meant for thirty people, this was expected. Cois was the only one of them who thought this through.

Wait, but if he stayed, he could have helped Niobe, Doriskos, and the other Taktikoí with his income. Sure, it wouldn't be a lot, but it would be something. But then that would revoke his stance against Hero's methods, and- No, she couldn't do this now.

"Good." Meek approval from Charax. They should all be ecstatic. "That's it. You can go home. The Eumenides tomorrow."

Hallie bit her lip. Great. More lines for her to stutter out and turn into questions, even if they weren't written as questions. It didn't help that her new Melopénio mask and the amphitheater projected her voice for all to hear. So much for mumbling lines.

She ran her hand into the groove of the mask, tracing the notorious frown. The frown that amplified her lines for all to hear.

Hallie would never forget the face Hero gave her when she all but threw Hallie's Janus masks at her.

Her eyes were red-rimmed and bloodshot, bringing out the flush of her cheeks. It was possible to draw two lines connecting her thin, chapped mouth and narrowed eyebrows to create a rectangle.

The stone-cold hatred radiating off Hero was enough to make Hallie step back. Had it lasted a second longer, she would have gotten out of there. And she was glad she didn't. That would have caused Charax more grief.

As the day went on, Hero's mood didn't change. Some walked up to her with intentions of telling Hero off with well-rehearsed speeches and The Frogs references - they owed Niobe that much - only for their words to die in their throats with one look at the bitter Hero.

Hallie was just glad Hero didn't turn the play on its head and decide Clythemestra should kill Electra.

"You ready to go?"