Earthrumbler

Chapter Twenty-Two: Strategist

I splayed onto the floor of the tribunal room. I coughed up water and wrung out my hair. I bunched up my skirts and squeezed out the water. When I ran my hand over my knapsack, it was completely dry. “Weird.” Poking my head out of the door, I scanned the hall for Poseidon. I crept into the empty hall and tried to remember my way through his castle. My heart pounded in my ears. What would he do to me if he found me? I imagined my head beneath water, my arms in heavy shackles, and my bones broken. A whimper wormed its way up my throat.

Water dripped off my dress, the noise sending a jolt up my spine with every step.

I tiptoed down the hall until something wrapped around my entire middle. A scream built in my throat, but something covered my mouth and my nose. Rough like stone walls but warm like skin, my eyes crossed as I tried to study it. The clamp around my stomach was familiar; similar to Maches’ grip. Terrified, my breath came out in shudders. I kicked out my legs, and tried to call out from behind the cover.

“You need not scream, young one. Why are you here?” The voice rumbled like thunder, and yet, there was a touch of delicacy in it, something feminine about it. She uncovered my mouth.

I took a deep breath and said with a quivering voice, “I’ll tell you if you tell me your name.” I tried to swallow down my fear, but found my heart pounding harder.

“They call me Lareskita.”

The familiarity struck me. I tried to turn my head to study her. “You’re Lareskita? You’re married to Alph.”

Her voice held tinges of confusion. “Married? If you are using vulgar human terms, I’ll crush your bones without another thought.” Her grip on me tightened.

Terror nibbled at me. “No, it’s not disrespectful. It means…that you’re joined together, just the two of you. You’re in love.”

“That’s a silly mortal phrase. Cyclopes do not themselves immerse in love. They carry on as usual, but now they have someone to trust, sleep near, and make children with. We are bonded to them for an eternity, endless like a circle.” She pressed her ring finger harder into my ribs, jamming the hard ring on her finger into them.

“I see your point,” I wheezed against her hold; she lessened it ever so slightly. “Where do the Cyclopes reside in Poseidon’s palace? I need to…” I lowered my voice. “I need to speak to someone about joining the Cyclopes’ rebellion.”

She laughed at me. “You speak frankly for a mortal. What tricks are you playing? What do you care of our affairs? How do you know Alph?”

“My mother suggested to me that the Cyclopes would be my only hope of freeing her from Poseidon. I met Alph when Poseidon had me in the western hall before my mo—” I dropped to the floor, landing on my stomach. I righted myself and dusted off my dress. “Could you have perhaps given me a bi—” I stopped out of surprise.

Lareskita bowed her head to me. Her coarse black hair fell forward. “You’ve my apologies, Lady. I should have known you sooner.”

“Lady?”

She nodded, her blue eye meeting mine. “You are the daughter of Lady Pallas Athene. We Cyclopes have much respect for her, even more so once we knew of you. The only Olympian goddess we speak higher of is Lady Hera Teleia.”

The mention of my mother brought illness crawling up my throat. “Have you seen my mother? Do you know if she’s okay?”

She grimaced. “We’ll talk on the way there, yes?” When I nodded, she said, “Follow me then.” As I trailed behind her, she started speaking, “I do little work in the prison wing and the forges. Many other females and I prepare food for Lord Poseidon and Lady Amphitrite.” She scowled. “Feeding him before we feed our partners, our children! It’s cruel and against everything we believe as mothers. But, you have my apologies; I’ve not seen your mother. Alph has had much contact with her, but he says little of it. Work in the Western Hall disturbs him. He says it often makes him into a monster.”