Zeus 25 - Praxis

2 - First-test

Instead of rowing, Praxis hiked along the chalk cliffs and up the grassy path by the Green River following the route he taken so many times with his father when buying provisions for the Sea Lizard in Ionia. All through the morning, he passed pastures with herds of aurochs and farm fields in the throws of harvesting.

Amazingly, the sky had no vestige of yesterday's storm and spread before him a clear uniform blue. As he approached the great bridge below the Green River's first waterfalls, he found easier footing on the packed but rutted dirt road winding into Ionia from distant Elesium. He could even see scores of hooknose leaping up the successive thundering ledges of the tumbling river's outpouring.

When an empty cart passed him, pulled by a doero, he again remembered the trips with his father. Captain always put his father in charge of provisioning because of his judgement and skill in bargaining in the markets. Two doeros were assigned to him to haul the salted meat and produce back to the village wharf, but his father never took advantage of his temporary authority over the Claymen. He'd refuse to ride in the empty cart, or let Praxis do so, even when invited by the doeros. And he never took part in their high jinks either. The doeros would take turns driving and hauling the empty cart. When in the traces, each Clayman would purposely steer for every rut in the road jouncing their partner in the cart, and the doero riding would shout abuse at the hauler as if he were a Lord. After a few miles, they'd trade places never seeming to tire of their game.

On the return trip, both doeros were needed to pull the heavily laden wagon, but then all the ruts would be avoided when the salted-aurochs haunches, potatoes, and greens filled the cart bed.

Every few miles after the bridge, more travelers appeared on the road, and the day grew warm. It seemed a lot of families with boys his age were headed to Ionia. Praxis tried to imagine that they were not all on the same errand he was on.

By mid afternoon he'd entered the gates of the city and made his way to its harbor. Apparently some of the gossip had been true, for there was an Argosian warship tied up at the great wharf. Lord Jason 5's ship was a real beauty, three times as long as the Sea Lizard, and, judging by her size, she could hold ten times the cargo. Because she rode high in the water, he reasoned all who'd traveled on her were already in the city.

Praxis hiked up to the Plaza of Guilds and found where all the crowds had gone. The common area was like a street fair with food vendors set up by the central horse trough. Delicious smells of steaks cooking over Hot Blocks wafted past him, and he realized he was starving but had brought no money. Jugglers and musicians were beckoning family groups to watch them, but what really caught his attention was the activity on the steps of Apollo's Guild.

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Apollo's Guild was the largest building in the plaza—the largest in all Ionia. A long line of boys his age snaked up its steps to the front double doors now wide open. As he watched, a few boys, by the entrance, came back down the steps as if dismissed.

Praxis joined the end of the line behind a large pale boy who was certainly no seaman. The mountainous boy was probably a farmer's son. It was difficult to imagine himself beating such a giant if it came to wrestling. What am I doing here? he thought. "Why are those boys leaving?" he asked the mountain.

"The mages are making them choose a first-test in wrestling or archery, or be sent home," the giant laughed. "Imagine anyone thinking they'd get something without having to risk something."

Praxis remembered that first-test was an all-or-nothing affair. If you failed, you didn't get to take it again, and you'd remain forever unenhanced. That would be enough to cool the enthusiasm of many boys who could rise high in the cities or guilds with just a few enhancements gained over time. Why risk a solid future on the sudden but amazingly remote chance of becoming Zeus 25. Of course, if you weren't afraid of losing first-test, like this mountain in front of him, it was a free opportunity which, at other times, folks paid heavily for. It certainly appeared that 'free' was drawing a lot of Ionian boys to take their chance.