Alcon stood amidst the temporary circle formed by the arena spectators, puffing out his strong chest beneath the linen shirt soaked with sweat and smeared with dirt. He smirked, accepting the roaring cheers and the crude, loud praise from the crowd. His solo takedown of the pirate gang, capped off by the unexpected intervention of the faulty musket, had become a remarkable performance, a potent spice for the evening's entertainment craved by the bloodthirsty and violent patrons of this underground arena. The alcohol coursing through him amplified Alcon's pride, he waved back at the cheering mob, feeling like a true hero.
But Alcon's moment of glory was short-lived. From the opposite side, another group approached. Leading them was the middle-aged man with the resolute face and relatively neat sailor's attire, the one who had shouted at the pirates earlier. Following him were about a dozen others, also in the uniform of the Maika sailors, they looked weary, but their eyes still held a wary and less-than-friendly glint.
Alcon, still buzzing from the high of victory, immediately dropped his smile and adopted a defensive stance as the group neared. He clenched his fists, veins standing out on his arms, ready for another brawl. He assumed that with the pirates defeated, it was now the sailors' turn to settle the score for his earlier provocative insults.
"What now?"
Alcon yelled, his voice dripping with challenge.
"Want something? Itching for a fight? Bring it on! I'll take you all!"
But, contrary to Alcon's expectation, the man leading the Maika crew, likely the captain or first mate, raised a hand in a gesture of peace. He approached cautiously, maintaining a safe distance, and then spoke in a calm, respectful tone:
"Easy there, friend. We didn't come here looking for trouble. Our quarrel was only with those damned pirates, we have no intention of confronting you."
Alcon remained unconvinced, smirking skeptically.
"No intention of confronting me? I said some nasty things about your lot too, didn't I? What? Scared now that you saw me take down those pirates?"
The captain's brow furrowed slightly at Alcon's arrogant words, but he maintained his composure.
"We..."
Just then, Rober stepped up from behind, gently placing a hand on Alcon's shoulder, signaling him to be quiet. Then, he turned to the captain, speaking politely and amicably:
"Forgive us, gentlemen. My friend here, he's had a bit too much to drink, and his words were improper. On his behalf, I sincerely apologize if anything said earlier caused offense."
Alcon started to open his mouth to argue, insisting he wasn't wrong and didn't need to apologize. But Phylas, standing beside him, was quicker, clapping a hand over Alcon's mouth and shaking his head slightly, silencing him.
The captain, seeing Rober's sincere demeanor and Phylas's intervention, softened his tone. He waved a hand dismissively.
"It's alright, no harm done. We were partly at fault as well for raising our voices in here."
He sighed, continuing:
"Truthfully, we've had issues with these pirates for a long time. They're a wretched bunch, always robbing and causing trouble at sea. Recently, some further unpleasantness occurred between us and them, which led to the heated argument just now. We sincerely apologize for disrupting the entertainment and spoiling the mood for everyone watching the fights."
Rober nodded sympathetically. He glanced at the pirates lying unconscious and scattered across the seating area, then turned back to the captain.
"So, these men" he asked tactfully "what do you intend to do with them?"
He subtly hinted that the Maika crew might handle the "consequences" Alcon had created.
The Maika captain, being intelligent and perceptive, understood Rober's implication immediately. He smiled and replied "You needn't worry. Leave this matter to us. We have our own ways of 'talking' to these pirates."
He then turned to Rober, Alcon, and Phylas, his tone friendlier:
"If you three gentlemen don't mind, please come down closer to the arena floor to enjoy some special displays of swordsmanship performed by members of our Maika crew. Consider it an apology, and our thanks, for helping us teach these pirates a lesson."
He signaled to his other sailors. A few moved forward and began dragging the unconscious pirates out of the spectator area, likely taking them somewhere more "discreet."
Rober, Alcon, and Phylas followed the captain down to the seating area nearer the arena floor. The air here was somewhat fresher, and the view was much better.
They sat down and began watching the swordsmanship demonstrations by the Maika crew. Unlike the chaotic and brutal brawls earlier, these performances were highly artistic and technical. The sailors, wielding the curved swords characteristic of seafarers, moved with swiftness and grace, coordinating their movements rhythmically and seamlessly. They performed intricate sword forms, mimicking the motions of rowing, casting nets, or fighting on the cramped deck of a ship.
Rober, though not well-versed in swordsmanship, could recognize these as genuine combat skills, honed through real battles on the high seas. He also took this opportunity to get acquainted with the captain and talk further, hoping to gather more information about this dream world.
"Captain" Rober began "might I inquire about the reason for such a significant feud between yourselves and those pirates?"
The captain sighed, took a sip of wine from his pottery cup, and began his tale:
"It's a long story. It all started on that fateful day, the day the hero Perseus battled the sea monster Cetus..."
He recounted how their ship, the Maika, and the ship belonging to those pirates had coincidentally encountered each other at sea precisely when the earth-shattering battle between Perseus and Cetus was raging. Both ships were caught in the maelstrom of the fight, struggling against colossal waves, fierce whirlpools, and even debris raining down from the clash of the two mighty entities.
"The sea then" the captain recalled, his voice still holding a trace of fear "was like hell on earth. Waves like mountains, wind shrieking like demons and wailing gods. All we could do was pray and fight with all our might to keep the ship from capsizing."
"But eventually" he continued "the battle ended. The hero Perseus was victorious, and the enormous sea monster Cetus was defeated, its corpse left floating on the surface."
"Yes, well, that was also the moment" the captain said, his tone laced with bitterness "when human greed reared its head."
"You see" he explained "the sea monster Cetus was originally a creature under the purview of the sea god Poseidon. It possessed not only terrifying strength, but its body undoubtedly held many treasures it had swallowed over its millennia of existence."
"Therefore" he went on "as soon as the battle concluded, every ship in the vicinity, large merchant vessels, warships from other nations, small fishing boats, and yes, pirate ships too, descended like starving hawks, fighting amongst themselves to tear apart the massive carcass of the sea monster."
"Our Maika" he admitted "was no exception at that time. We also hoped to gain some profit to offset our losses from the voyage. But, unfortunately" he sighed "we ran afoul of that damned pirate crew."
"For various reasons, perhaps simple animosity, pre-existing grudges, disputes broke out between us and them, leading to skirmishes right there on the water. Blood was spilled, and men fell on both sides."
"That" the captain concluded "is the reason for the hostility and the venomous words you witnessed earlier."
Rober nodded slowly, listening intently to the captain's story. He realized this dream world, much like the real world, was rife with conflict, disputes, and struggles over resources. He continued talking with the captain, asking for more details about life at sea, strange creatures they had encountered, distant lands they had visited... even though the information might not be directly relevant to his purpose, he still wanted to learn more, to better understand this world.
And so, they spent a long evening together amidst the vibrant atmosphere of the underground arena. They watched dazzling sword displays, thrilling duels, and engaged in conversation, getting acquainted.
Alcon and Phylas, having sobered up slightly, also joined in the lively atmosphere. They cheered, hollered, and commented animatedly on the matches until the very last moment.
When all the fights had concluded and the crowd had gradually dispersed, the night was late. The moon hung high, casting weak silver rays down onto the now quiet seaport.
Rober bid farewell to the captain and the members of the Maika crew. He, along with Alcon and Phylas, left the underground arena and walked back towards the castle area.
On the way back, both Alcon and Phylas were incredibly excited and satisfied.
"Tonight was amazing!" Alcon exclaimed loudly, his voice still thick with drink.
"It's been ages since I saw fights that good!" He recalled his own battle against the pirates, shuddering slightly, then puffed out his chest proudly.
"And I gotta admit, I fought pretty fiercely back there! Took on a whole bunch myself! A real hero!"
Phylas laughed, clapping Alcon on the shoulder. Then, Phylas began to speak excitedly about his own plans to build an arena.
"After today" he said, his eyes gleaming "I've made up my mind! I will find a way to build a truly massive, spectacular arena, right here in Ethiopia! A mega-arena with the best warriors, the most fearsome monsters, and battles a hundred times more amazing and thrilling than that cheap Demas Arena!"
He passionately described his bold intentions and ideas.
Rober just smiled and listened, saying nothing. He knew Phylas was just caught up in the excitement of the moment.
A while later, when they reached a familiar fork in the road, Alcon and Phylas suddenly stopped. Phylas turned to Rober and said:
"Linus, let me remind you again. The union ceremony for Princess Andromeda and the hero Perseus is at sunset tomorrow. So, early in the morning, I will take you to the temple as promised. Wait for me at the base of this tree just as the sun rises, alright?"
Alcon chimed in "Yeah, Linus! Don't be late!"
With that, both Alcon and Phylas bid Rober farewell:
"See you tomorrow, Linus!"
Then, they turned and headed off in a different direction, leaving Rober standing alone at the quiet junction.
Their farewell made Rober realize a pressing problem. They weren't going the same way. That meant Linus's home, the lodging of the body he currently inhabited, was somewhere else entirely. And he had absolutely no idea where Linus lived or how to get back there.
He let out a long sigh, full of weariness and frustration. He looked up at the dense, lush canopy of the large tree where Phylas had arranged to meet him tomorrow morning. Silvery moonlight filtered through the leaves, creating shimmering patterns on the ground.
"Leaves this thick" he mused to himself "probably keep off the night dew, right?"
Rober thought absently:
"I wonder, can you even catch a cold in a dream?"