The Minoan Rhapsody

The Kapeleia

It didn't take long for Hephaestus and Ari to sell the olive oil, although it was their donkey what brought the most attention. Most beasts of burden died in the storm and ships with young animals were yet to arrive. Ari did all the talking while Hephaestus imposing presence deterred anyone from making cheap offers for the goods or bully their way towards taking the donkey away.

Scorilo remained in the background, out of Hephaestus and Ari's sight. Yet, everyone else recognized him. Dejected by men, he tried to play depth ears to the ignorant accusations hurled at him.

"Get out of my sight." One would grunt.

"You're no man!" Another spitted on him.

"Coward!" A third one yelled.

Drop dead on my shit, Scorilo thought. None of you know what I've seen.

The women taunted him while gossiping among themselves.

"You want to be my slave?"

"Come and lick my feet!"

"You can come by my house when Myrina's done with you."

Away from Myrina, Scorilo was surrounded by loathe. You are all ignorant fools. I faced The Dark One and everything he brings. He smirked at the thought of what they all would do if, like him, they lived to talk about it. What shit hole have I got myself into.

Hephaestus and Ari went on through the market. They filled the now empty pithoi with metal shavings and earthy powders. They bought as many copper sheets as they could tie on the donkey's back. They spent every coin they had and carried and dragged all of what they bought.

Scorilo followed them, past the outskirts of Poliochne, eastward. At least it's quiet over here. Away from the crowd, he got closer so he could hear them.

"Why do we need so much material?" Ari asked.

"Your brother has a big project in his mind. It's kind of a self-imposed challenge to show me what's he's learned."

He speaks! Her brother?

"What is it?"

"Oh, he hasn't told me. He will not. He says it will be a surprise."

Scorilo followed silently. After a while he was surrounded by a luscious olive grove. The old trees had dense foliage which made it easier to hide. Embedded within the grove, he saw the couple stop at a recently built shed, where they released the donkey. The beast didn't wander away.

I don't remember this place!

The Sintian came out of the house, hunching over and leaning his head down so as not to hit his head against the door frame.

Scorilo's eyes opened wide. Take me to the crows! A giant!

#

"Why did Poseidon have to dock so far from the city?" The elder Kobalos asked while moving close to the ground as a fog besides Dionysus.

"It was daytime, and he didn't want to draw attention to the Olodon. Why are you complaining anyway? It's not like you are walking."

"You think being a fog is easy? It requires a lot of concentration you know."

"We will be coming up to people pretty soon. I can hear their rumbling. You best materialize."

The elder Kobalos grunted as the fog swirled, revealing his self.

"Don't you have something more than that loincloth to cover yourself?" Dionysus asked.

"What? Don't you like my hairy body?" He caressed the moss that covered most of his body.

"Its your ears. They don't look natural." The God stopped by a tree covered in ivy. He picked a leaf and placed it on top of the Kobalos' head. It sprouted into a cloak of leaves that covered him from head to toe. "There. Better."

"Why do you care what these people think if they were to see us as we are?"

Dionysus morphed to an old man. "We need to blend in. We need answers, not questions."

"So, what are you going to ask? Excuse me," the Elder Kobalos pointed his finger upward. "Have you seen Hephaestus, The Smithing God? His appearance is god-like. He might be carrying a hammer and dragging an anvil."

"If he is carrying anything, it might be his axe."

They entered a village, where they commingled with the locals.

Dionysus looked around with purpose.

"What are you looking for?"

"A kapeleia. Every village has one." His eyes stopped at a canopy, full of men chattering out loud. "Ah, there it is. Come."

"No children allowed!" A man serving his customers yelled.

"Who are you calling a child?" The Elder Kobalos yelled back with his raunchy voice.

"A midget!" a few yelled while others laughed.

"Easy," Dionysus whispered. He grabbed an empty jar by a table. "Who wants wine? It's on me!" He started serving wine. The jar kept pouring wine for as many cups as he would serve.

"Hey! The owner of the kapeleia yelled. "Where did you get that wine?"

"Get rid of him," Dionysus told the Elder Kobalos. "Don't kill him, though. He honors me with every cup he sells."

The Elder Kobalos turned to smoke, got to the man and entered him through the ears.

The man's stare went blank, and he quietly walked away.

The crowd drank, laughed and sang. They talked, pushed and shoved themselves, having their fill with libations, until every one of them fell drunk onto the ground.

Dionysus stood amongst them all and dropped his jar of wine.

The Elder Kobalos walked back to him alone.

"Where did you leave him?"

"He's sleeping. What did you learn?"

"Nothing. This is going to take a while."