The Minoan Rhapsody

A Second Promise

It was dawn and Scorilo was shoveling the ash from the firepit outside Surá's home onto a wooden bucket. He heard someone arrive and looked up to see who it was. He dropped the shovel. As it clanked, bouncing on the floor a cloud of ash rose. Why won't they just leave me alone! He ran inside the house. "Myrina!" he yelled while breathing hard. His eyes were ready to pop out. "Ari's husband. He's outside!"

Myrina was feeding Hypsipyle. "What?" She asked while standing up and passing her child to Surá.

"He is dismounting from his donkey, and he's got his hands full," Scorilo added.

"Stay here." She opened the door and walked towards Hephaestus.

Wearing his goat skin robe, cloak, and boots, he had his donkey by his side and was carrying something wrapped in linen with both hands.

"What are you doing here? How did you find me?"

"It is not difficult to find you. Everybody in Poliochne knows where you are staying. I need your help."

Myrina raised her eyebrows and put her hands on her hips. "You need what?"

"This is my son." He moved the covering away from the newborn's face and showed it to her. "Ari's child. She is dying. He needs to feed."

Myrina scoffed. "Are you mad? Why would I let a boy feed off from me? Why don't you look for other women?"

"It has to be you. You already know about us, about the house by the olive grove, about me. No one else should know."

"Well, Kourai, if that is your real name, I guess you have a choice to make. You either reveal your secrets to strangers or you let your son die. This is not my problem." She turned around and shut the house's door behind her. She walked towards Surá until Hephaestus materialized in front of her. He was still carrying the child.

"I am Hephaestus, Olympian, one of the twelve and you will not turn your back on me."

Scorilo placed his hands on 's shoulders and guided her to the far wall of the room.

Myrina's skin crawled upon hearing the Smithing God's words. She crossed her arms and took a step back. "So, you are a God after all. That doesn't change a thing. I have no reason to help you."

"You made a deal with Dionysus, yet you don't know what it entails."

"What do you mean?"

"You asked him to deal with all men, from old to unborn."

"Yes, I did."

"This means that all women of childbearing age will be in mortal danger."

Surá shook Scorilo's hands off her shoulder and stepped forward. "Why?"

"Dionysius or his minions have only one way of knowing if a woman is with child. They must possess them, just like the men. Inevitably, many women will lose their minds as the Kobaloi often leave scarred minds behind."

"Who is the Kobaloi?" Surá asked.

"Dionysius minions," Hephaestus answered.

"I said that I didn't think any women were with children as I told them to get rid of them!" Myrina raised her voice, exasperated, looking back at Surá.

Surá gave Hypsipyle to Scorilo to carry. She went to Myrina. "What have you done?"

"Dionysus promise was to get rid of them all, from eldest to unborn. He will make sure no unborn son is left alive." Hephaestus paced around the two women. His bronze leg thumping as it hit the ground. "Your deal is made, and you can't change it."