Medusa: Fate's Game

Chapter 10

~~Darian~~

Darian took a small step back, and kept his sword up and ready.

"Patrius."

"Patrius... the guard from Tiryns?" Otrera came up beside Darian, sword as ready as his own, and scanned over the group of villagers.

They were just people, armor as old and untended as a farmer's sword, and untrained hands fumbling with their equipment with just as much clumsiness. Their fingers floundered over the weapons, and their eyes glazed over their work, half open, with heavy shoulders and faltering steps. How exhausted were these people?

"... what's going on?" Darian said.

"I should be asking that." Patrius started to unwrap the bandages from his hands, and motioned toward the two of them once he was done. "Last I knew, Bellerophon had just killed my king, his consort, and ran off with Otrera hot on his heels. Or at least, that was the story." The man looked between the two of them with squinted eyes, and stopped on Otrera for far longer.

"At first I didn't believe you, Bellerophon. But after examining their bodies, the situation, and asking around about Stheneboea, too many pieces fit your story versus what Otrera told us. And I... well, I knew you. Much as I hated you for trying to rape Stheneboea, I realized... she was probably lying."

Finally. Fucking. Finally. Bellerophon walked over to the old soldier, picked him up, and hugged him. Hugged him hard.

His friend resisted him for a moment, but relented and patted him on the shoulder. Patrius was of average height, but strong and built well, with a hard face and several scars across his cheek and nose. A touch of white to his ear-length hair, and a beard kept short.

"Is your wife here? Your children?"

"No." Patrius shook his head, and gestured to the onlookers of their hideaway. "I couldn't bring them to this."

"Hold on. Back up." Otrera stepped in, and while Darian put his sword away, she did not. She pointed it at Patrius, and got close enough to touch its tip to his chest. "Darian's old friend, just happens to be at the city we travel to? I want explanations."

Darian grit his teeth, but nodded. Use your head, don't let nostalgia blind you.

"Explanations from me? How about you explain why you killed Stheneboea and Proetus, Amazon? Why is my king and his lover dead, my city in chaos, and Bellerophon's name now spreading across the land as an assassin?"

It took effort to keep a grin from appearing on his lips. Someone else was defending him?

Otrera growled, but put the sword away at least. "I killed your king's consort because she was a vile, deceiving creature who didn't deserve to live." She threw up a silencing palm when Patrius tried to speak. "I killed Proetus because it served me to frame Bellerophon — Darian — with his murder. In a few more months, all of Greece will know him for his transgressions." Wincing, she looked to Darian and offered a small grimace. "Sorry."

"It's ok," Darian said. "... well, maybe not ok, but I understand. We'll deal with that if it comes up."

Patrius was not so understanding. "You killed Proetus just to make this man's life harder? And now you're working with him?" The man stepped closer to the Amazon, frown and all, and looked down at the small woman. "Do you ruin lives and kill people at a whim then?"

Mistake. Darian could only wince when Otrera pushed him, and sent the man backward five feet to land on his ass hard enough to bruise bone.

"Bite your tongue before I cut it off. You have no idea what has happened to me, him, or all the things in between. And I have no desire to explain them. Darian and I are here to deal with Andromeda, and then we'll be gone."