17 THE EMISSARY

"Sillabot? A sea monster capable of destroying ships?" Laertes laughed bitterly. "This kind of telltale would be better as a story to scare children. Unfortunately, everyone only talks about it in the port. Wouldn't it be a little ... compromising if the monster didn't really exist?"

"Why would they be lying about something like that, Captain?" Rasmus asked, now that they had reunited again on deck.

"I don't know. The reports are confusing. People on the beach talk about a noisy monster that roars and hisses... Some fishermen say that the monster lives on an island near Athyos. Rumors say it's not even the first time. Sillabot would be a giant monster, which was seen in that area about six months ago."

"Do you think it could be a fraud?" Glax asked. "Pirates?"

"The region is not one that I navigate to often, you know. But it would be my first suspicion. Loads of oil are worth a lot of money in the west…"

" You mean… olive oil?" Glax was stunned when the captain nodded and shrugged, finding the question strange. Only now did Glax remember they were possibly not talking about OIL. Petrol, it is.

For a modern mind, it was difficult to understand that technology does not advance en bloc. They had been able to come up with some technologies that they now disowned, and still moved their ships to rowing. Even the steam had been banned!

That was shocking, but a subject for another time. A strategy crossed his mind.

"Look. What if a fast ship went to the region and saw what was there before Chriseis' ships arrived to face the 'monster'? I mean, we could see what this is about. And a ship like Medeia would be fast enough to act as a scout and leave the site before any attack. Medeia would return to meet Chriseis' squadron and let her know what it is about. It would be… scandalous if the expedition were exaggerated for the challenge… If instead of the head of a monster, Chriseis only returned with a few pirates," he did his best to convince them of his strategy.

Laertes laughed, "You are right about that, Glax! It is a pity, however, that I cannot disobey imperial orders."

Chriseis looked from one to the other, and even though she hadn't expressed her approval for Glax's idea, she asked,

"It'd be a quick foray just to spy on what's going on. Can't you really do that, Captain? For the sake of the empire?"

"No, General. I'm sorry, but I'm under an oath. This ship will only go where official messages from one city to another should arrive. Medeia serves another area, and does not take letters from Temnos to this... village, Athios. Another imperial messenger ship serves this area."

"But you brought Glax and Rasmus here," she insisted, not satisfied that her request was denied with such a justification.

"I brought letters and an emissary from Crona to Temnos." Laertes corrected, narrowing his eyes, "I am happy that Crona has marked his presence in the history of Stygia once again! First with Lady Kalanthe, and now with her son! Glax," he turned to the current champion, with a smile. Glax realized it was the beginning of a farewell. "If you have letters to your father about it, I am going back north today and the message will reach him quickly. The mayor has already sent his response to him, as well as gifts celebrating his victory."

Glax nodded slowly, while his mind connected the dots. But it was Chriseis who asked the question,

"Why is the mayor sending Glax's father an answer by imperial mail?"

"Because Glax's father, Adrastos, is the mayor of Crona. And he sent Glax as an emissary with a business proposal to Temnos. But it seems that the emissary won't be able to return on the same ship..."

"Crona has a letter for Athios," Glax spoke, suddenly.

"No, it doesn't," Laertes warned him, with a stern look.

"It does, captain. I'll get my things. Crona is really expanding business contacts, you know? I couldn't start my new life without finishing this mission my father gave me, could I? Ah, I was being a bad, bad emissary..."

Laertes facepalmed, not believing Glax's shameless tactic to subvert the system in his favor.

"Chriseis, forgive me, I'm going to make that brief trip, but when you get there, I'll be waiting for you."

The corners of Chriseis's mouth were tight as she tried not to laugh. Glax called Rasmus to fetch their belongings, and left the captain and the general chatting.

"Why are you doing this, Glax?" Rasmus asked as soon as they were alone. Their travel bags were in the captain's small storage room, and Laertes had handed them the key with no concern that they might take what was not due. Besides their backpacks, there were bales, small chests and amphoras.

"Because Chriseis's strategy of marrying me, for whatever reason, only made Proctius the son-in-law of the head of the clan. And now the 'Megatius' couple really wants to get back at us…"

"Megatius…? Oh! General Meg and Proctius! Ha, that was funny!" Rasmus exclaimed. Glax winked at his companion.

Yeah, yeah. But, back to our problem. If there's a monster there, it's good to assess ​​what we're going to face. And the Medeia is the most agile vessel for that. If it's pirates, the situation is the same. If they decide to attack an imperial messenger ship, they will be in deep trouble with the empire and, at the same time, it will be a much smaller matter for Chriseis to meddle with. If they don't attack, ditto."

"Oh, Glax, you ..." Rasmus expressed his admiration.

"And if you had told me before who my parents are, I wouldn't be so out of action!" Glax complained. "I still know too little! Is my father the mayor of Crona? Did we come here officially, as emissaries?"

"Basically, yes!" Rasmus scratched his head, feeling guilty. "Your father sent a letter to Temnos proposing business: olive oil in exchange for incense and lumber. So we could come with Laertes. We went down to the Hyegion river and came here with the Medeia. You delivered the letter and gifts, and you also presented us as candidates for the Games..."

"Was my mother some kind of heroine of the empire?"

"Yeah. She was the Echelian chosen by the Empire to be part of the expedition to Valya. Your father was also chosen, but from Pharys... They were people who managed to cross the Sea of ​​Mists and return! They are heroes!"

"But now my mother is dead and my father is the mayor of Crona," Glax pondered.

"Ah, well ... Your mother died shortly after you returned, man. I'm sorry. Your father stayed living in Crona. So he married a second time... with the widow of the former mayor. Your stepmother died a couple of years ago. You have a 14-year-old half sister, Lais."

"Okay… Thanks, man. It helps a little."

"Is there a remedy for your lack of memory?"

"There may be," Glax replied cautiously, grabbing the roll of parchment as soon as he saw it in the middle of other things. It was what he needed for the 'letter' to the mayor of Athios. "But I can't go around just asking about that. I can't let them know about this problem, man. You know Proctius wants my head, and Megara wants to end Chriseis. "

"Dude ... Do you really have a letter for Athios?"

Glax blinked in astonishment. He was going to answer with the truth, but then he remembered Rasmus did not 'run away'. He 'retreated'. Apparently, he also couldn't simply forge a letter in front of Rasmus.

"I think so. ... My father had a list of cities in his plans. I just have to make sure Athios was really one of them... But didn't you tell me what your wife Jolla is like? She looks cool!"

"And she is," he said, dreamily, and lost focus when he remembered the blue-haired priestess."Last night we were choosing the name of our children ..."

"Rasmus, you stud! You seduced her!"

"Eh, hehe." The big guy was a little embarrassed and, at the same time, full of himself. "Do you mind if I leave you a moment? I have to explain to her what we're going to do."

Glax waved him away, and Rasmus left him.

Now Glax needed to create an official correspondence from Crona, and he would have another free trip with the Medeia.