MEDEA

06

06| flaming breath

Colchis was alive with anticipation. 

The king rarely opened the palace gates to the commoners and when he did, it was bound to be a spectacle. The markets were closed, villas locked and a rare quiet in the streets. The entire city held its breath.

Crowds were gathered around the arena. It was a square expanse of brown mud, ready to be seeded. Bordering the ground was a marble wall, atop which people sat. Connected to it was a large pen.

Inside the pen, the monstrous bulls reared theirs backs and spewed flames the scorched the floor. They were taller than any man and bulkier than a fleet ship. Muscles rippled down their thick legs. Their glowing yellow eyes observed their surroundings with an unsettling intelligence.

The specimen was a gift from Hephaestus, the blacksmith god. He was impressed with Colchis' achievements and had rewarded Aeetus with his best bulls.

My father sat in a podium overlooking the arena. He relaxed in a silk robe, waiting for his entertainment to begin. Absyrtus stood next to him, glaring knives at me. I did not look at him. I had chosen to stay among the crowd in case I needed to leave quickly.

I was also scared that Jason might give too much away if he saw me.

From where I stood, the golden fleece was a tiny, luminous dot in the grove. It would not be there soon, if my plan worked.

The argonauts arrived as a subdued group, a dire expression on their faces. They stopped at the border and only Jason stepped forward, his only weapon a silver dagger.

"Jason, son of Aeson, this is your challenge," my father's voice boomed across the yard. "You will be provided with dragon teeth and blood. Tame my prized bulls and plough the fields. Water the seeds with blood and you will then face the final part. Complete all this with success and you will receive your promised reward, the fleece." His mouth curled. "Fail and I will not be so kind as I was before."

Jason grimaced, his body tightening. A servant handed him a small woolen bag and a pail of thick red liquid.

"Are you prepared?" asked Aeetus. Jason gave him a single nod.

The drums began to echo and the heavy pen gates were wrenched  open.

With a hiss of steam, the two bulls charged straight at Jason. Not waiting to get pulverized, he sprinted to meet them, his limbs working like the well oiled wheels of a chariot.

I saw with pride that my concoction had worked; Jason was inhumanely fast.

Mud and dirt sprayed where they met. Jason grabbed the two beasts by their horn and pushed, trying to lower them to the ground. The bulls thrust back but even their combined strength was no match for Jason's enhanced power.

Their fiery breaths washed over him like a wave, harmless and ineffective.

Grime and soot coated his face and arms but, surely and steadily, Jason overpowered them. His limbs bulged as he wrapped his arms around their necks. He dragged them over to the yoke and wrestled their heads under the wooden beam. Panting, he wrapped a rope around their necks, securing them to the plough.

Aeetus was on his feet, his mouth open in fury. He had not expected Jason to last more than a few seconds.

With a rattling battle cry, he forced the bulls to run. He raced alongside them, tossing the dragon teeth into the long furrows that the plough made. A haze clouded around them from the steam filled breaths of the bulls.

The earlier sullen crew were now screaming for their commander, shouting encouragement. They threw their arms around each other in elation. Their victory was in sight.

Instinctively, I searched for Atalanta among them. She blended  in well, with her flashing arms and sharp jaw, but if you knew that she was a woman, she stood out, all graceful and nimble among the brutality of the men who surrounded her.

Her multicolored eyes locked with mine for a second, a knowing smile on her face and I tore my gaze away.

Jason traced the entire arena, planting the teeth in every bit of land. Once he ran out of seeds, he lead the bulls to pen and slammed the gates shut. He leaned against the gates and slid down, exhausted.

But he could not rest; the challenge was not complete.

He grabbed the pail of blood and watered the seeds, slowly taking his time. He was catching his breath and trying to regain composure.

As soon as he had watered the last seed, the ground shook. An ear splitting screech rose up.

Jason dropped the container and looked around in agitation. His trembling hands were visible even from far away.

Do not worry, my beloved. My words are true just like my love for you, I thought. Still, I asked the gods to protect him. The Fates were not known to be kind.

Rotten arms emerged from the ground, followed by entire bodies that had flesh peeling of them. Yellowing bones jutted out at odd angles. The bloodless warriors wore the armor of the dead and their unseeing eyes focused on Jason.

The crowd surged to their feet, gasping in horror at the undead creatures. Jason would not survive this, they whispered, shaking their heads, no, he will not be able to ward off so many at once. 

I grinned as Jason bent down and picked up a large stone. People around me looked at each other in confusion. 

With a deep breath, he hurled it at the oncoming group of vrykolakai. The rock slammed into the chest of one of the creatures, tearing through it's still heart. 

It toppled backwards onto it's companions. One by one, they crashed into each other, limbs flailing and head tearing off as they grabbed each other to regain balance. The vrykolakai were strong but easily dismantled. That was what gave me the idea. Jason slashed his knife back and forth, cutting down the creatures with ease. 

Soon, he stood on an empty field. The bodies and strewn parts of the warriors had sunk beneath the ground.

The crew of the Argo rushed onto the field and clamored around him, eager to touch the man with godlike powers. The crowd around me stood in disbelief at the foreigners that had humbled their king. My brother seethed with rage, his hand drifting over his sword.

However, Aeetus looked calm. No emotions flitted across his rigid face as he spoke. "Jason, you have completed the challenge, whether through your own strength or divine guidance, I am unsure. Either way, I am a man of my words and I will present you the fleece- tomorrow. I hope this will not restrict you from celebrating."

"I accept, King Aeetus," Jason shouted over the noise his crew was making. "I will arrive at the palace tomorrow morning to collect the fleece."

"Very well, hero. Be gone." Under the cold exterior, I knew my father was plotting Jason's death. He would delay and distract, his tactic for getting his way with people he hated.

I watched as Jason was lifted onto the shoulders of the men and carried towards the beach. He did not even glance back, search for me and thank me with his eyes. Praises were showered on him and he was drowning in glory.

I tried not to feel bitter. I would see him soon enough.

I drew a cloth of my head and hid among the dispersing crowd.

[a/n]: i'm a little proud of this chapter + IM FEATURED ON AN OFFICIAL WATTPAD READING LIST AHHH find it on StoriesUndiscovered Feast on Fiction :>