Zeus 25 - Praxis

30 - Melos

Zeus turned abruptly from Origen's dwindling back and urged his horse into a canter. Izador and Spyro had to kick their mounts to catch up with him.

The three and their Punishers stayed in a small inn that night, and another day of hard riding brought them to Melos. Approaching Melos from the road was very different from arriving at sea. The Archeron River formed the border between Argos and Melos for many stadia. There were soldiers and Airmen at the great stone bridge's triple arches which spanned the river. All who wished to cross were examined. Mages and soldiers of Argos were marked on their hands or turned away.

Higher in the Southern Mountains the Archeron was a natural barrier with its raging cataracts and swift water, but here it had become a broad slow navigable waterway used by both Argosian and Melosian farmers, ranchers, and merchants of all sorts. It would be a simple matter for soldiers or mages to convince a boatman to carry them across, but if they were identified in Melos without the mark used by the Melosian bridge guards, it was a death sentence. Zeus's Punishers did not reveal themselves on the bridge. A Punisher escort was too clear a signal that Zeus was abroad.

Izador, Zeus, and Spyro, being Argosian by birth, had to suffer their hands being marked, but were admitted without trouble when Izador revealed his rank as grand mage of the House of Fire and Light. An Airman, taking news of Izador's arrival, flew off immediately toward the city of Melos to alert Lord Solon.

In this way, every luxury awaited them when they arrived at Solon's Palace hours later. Unlike Xerxes's home which was almost consumed by the city around it, Solon's Palace crowned a large hill with the lesser structures of the city encircling it. Even the impressive guild halls in their plaza were overshadowed by Solon's Palace. The high location had a practical purpose as well in giving the Lord a clear view of the shipping traffic in Lethe Bay, their comings and goings being the heart-blood of the Melosian economy. On a clear day, you could also see across the water to Keros and note your competitor's shipping traffic too.

When Zeus revealed himself to Solon, he was given a separate suite of rooms with quarters for all his party and for the Punishers that had appeared with him. Dinner was transformed into a huge affair which was suddenly attended by every guildsman and mage who could get to the palace.

"Why the surprise arrival?" Solon managed to ask when the meal had finally begun.

"A visit was long overdue," Zeus said. "You can imagine how starting a new dynasty is filled with local problems on Mount Olympus. I should have broken away earlier to see you, and all the other Lords of Atlantis, but I was unable to do so. Now I have three sons and the dynasty is secure. It's time to make alliances for the future."

"Alliances?" Solon said carefully, "We are already allies."

"Yes, militarily," Zeus agreed, "but I want our bond to be stronger."

Solon's advisors and guild masters who had been chatting with Izador and Spyro went silent, probably wondering if Zeus was talking annexation, appropriating them as Lord Jason 6 wanted to appropriate Gaios.

"I want to introduce a new guild into Melos. Spyro, here, is forming the Guild of Science."

"Science?"

"It is the study of energy, machines, and the recording of knowledge," Zeus began.

"I thought Hephaestus's Guild covered steam and steam machines, and your Oracle uses Apollo's guildsmen to record knowledge. Already you have all that on Mount Olympus," Solon said, confused.

"Today, that's true, but Atlantis is advancing into a new era. Spyro will show any who are interested how to become part of the Guild of Science. Believe me when I say that by the end of my dynasty, the Guild of Science will surpass all others in Atlantis."