Megara: Ancient History

City Life

Me is apparently all too eager to jump into dangerous waters for this guy. I haven't been to Argos in years, not after a quick stint in chains, but if there's one place to get good poisons, it's here. I rub my wrists, trying not to think about the cuffs that used to sit there.

"Wait- where are you going?"

Ethos has, of course, stopped on the street when I turn down the alley. City boys, I think.

"The apothecaries are this way," he continues.

"No, your apothecaries are that way." I keep walking down the alley. He doesn't follow, and I swing around to face him. "Do you want my help or not, loverboy?"

For a second I think his masculine fragility isn't going to allow him to trust me, but apparently he works through that somewhere in his small head because he follows me down the alley.

I get it- this isn't the nice part of town. This isn't even the bad part of town. It's the shady part of town, and no one comes here without knowing exactly what they're looking for- or in my case, who. It doesn't take long for me to spot him in the crowd, and I lead Ethos over to him.

"Megara, Megara, Megara," the old man says, batting my arm with the long red tassel of his belt. "I thought you'd made that deal with the underworld permanent!"

"I never made a deal with the underworld," I say, rolling my eyes. People think just because a woman makes her own way in the world she's some sort of demoness. "Rastus, you mischevious little crow, you haven't been spreading rumors about me, have you?"

"No more than usual," he chuckles, opening his cape and fingering one of the many vials tucked in its pockets. "What trouble are you up to today?"

"Existing on this earth, Rastus."

He chuckles again and leans closer. "I've got a lovely new draught of love potion, Meg, maybe that'll help you keep him around longer," he says, jerking his head towards Ethos.

A part of me wants to punch Rastus where it hurts, but the first rule of the game is to keep your friends close and your enemies closer, so I just smile. "As if I'd need it."

He laughs outrightly and turns to Ethos. "A friend of Megara's is a friend of mine! You look like you need... a poison that turns a man into a rat," he suggests, whipping out a vial.

"I need something that will keep the gods from killing me."

Rastus flinches a little, but digs into his pockets. "Indestructible strength," he offers, holding out a narrow green glass. "You can defeat any man or beast alive with this liquid running through you."

"I don't need to defeat man. I need to evade the gods."

"Ah," Rastus says. He glances over at me. "You really know how to pick them, Megara."

I ignore that comment and sidle up next to him. "Remember how much gold I said it would take to get me back through those gates?" Rastus's eyes widen. He was the last one to see me before I bolted from the city, and he knows exactly how much I'd claimed I'd need. I nod towards Ethos. "Well, I'm back."

Rastus swallows hard and nervously reaches into a concealed pocket, pulling out a very thin vial of black liquid. He studies it in his hand. "Elusion Tonic," he said. "For a high price, you will be invisible to the gods. Beware who else may see you. If the gods can't see you... they can't protect you."

It's enough to make my skin crawl, but Ethos is already digging into his money bag. I watch the exchange, and only relax when the vial is hidden away in Ethos's bag and we're walking away from Rastus.

"That was easy," Ethos said.

I glance back at Rastus. Ethos has no idea what potions like this can do.