The Children // ASSASSINS CREED ODYSSEY // DEIMOS

C17: The Faithful

The battle between the two fierce little pirate ships was, to say the least, very… anti-climactic. It was nothing like the naval battles Eos had heard off but still; as they drifted closer and closer to Melos, and frighteningly closer to the obsidian rocks that lay beneath the sea, the Captain was too occupied with the arrows and spears that were gutting men on either side and, throwing them overboard.

It was as Eos and Laelaps watched the arrows tear through the sails and, the Captain claim that they had the upper hand and the only way to finish them off was to ram themselves in to them, Laelaps – who already felt as if he was going to vomit – had nudged Eos and threw his head up at the mass before he'd closed his eyes, trying to imagine himself on land.

A chain from the attacking ship had been flung in to the air, clinging on to the centre of the mass and splintering the wood. The impact of the two ships colliding would cause it to fall, making it entangle itself with the sinking ship and, Eos and the lycaon did not want to experience the aftermath of that.

Whipping the blue pouch off the waist of the Captain – she had no doubt it had been stolen from some rich man anyway – Eos jumped as the ships collided and the ships mass' fell atop each other. Laelaps had hesitated but, being so close to the edge, the impact had thrown him over too, landing him in the water next to her.

Freeing her arm from its sling desperately, Eos began to swim. It ached at first but, the water caressed it, supported it and, even as she shuddered at the cold, the lycaon swimming beside her urged her on. The sand was in sight, the waves crashing against the beach caught her, pulling her in, pushing her out, dragging her under but, the lycaon grabbed on to her cloak and pulled her out from underneath, dragging her on to the shore.

Eos lay on the black sand, closing her eyes and taking some deep breaths, hearing the lycaon snort and rub himself on the ground next to her. She grabbed at her pocket, finding the blue pouch safely tucked away amongst her robes.

"Laelaps" she rolled over, using one arm to push herself up in to a kneel, "we should go" she told him, "whatever is in this pouch" she took it out of her pocket and threw it on the sand in front of her, "I feel as it a sinking ship would not sway them from pursuing it". The lycaon, who was now lying on his side whined, as if asking her why she had taken it in the first place, Eos smiled, "There's not much to hunt here than clouds of ash. Do not want to starve, do you".

The lycaon snorted from his place in the sand and Eos stood up, turning around to the two ships. They'd started to sink, caught on the rocks. The men screaming and shouting as they jumped.

"We definitely need to go" Eos said.

By the time the two of them had reached the inner city, except for the smell of wet dog, Eos had been dried by the Greek sun and, the place was bustling with the sounds of battle. From the looks of it, it still seemed to be a couple of weeks away but, the crowds had already started to gather.

"Fancy making this easy and just smelling him out like you did Melaina" Eos said, looking to the lycaon who'd disguised himself amongst some shrubbery, she heard a small snort and then carried on herself, leaving the lycaon to it and walking down in to the market square.

Opening the pouch, it was filled with a little drachmae and some bits of bluish ore. Orichalcum. It was rare as hell and, she didn't even know if it was useable any other place than that merchants shop in Phokis but, it was worth a try.