The Sardinian Delivery
This covers some events in the sixth month of the eighteenth year of the reign of Pharaoh Ptolomy son of Ptolomy, sometimes named as Ptolomy II.
From Sammus’s Boast:
77: B1 – Arrival in Sardinia
Four Sardinian passengers were summoned aboard late in the afternoon, and the ship cast off. Twenty oars dipped rhythmically in the water, and the vessel drew away from the quayside, into the deeper water of the harbour. As the suns touched the Eastern horizon, she slipped into the sea proper, helped by the evening tide. A light wind blew from the south-east, and as twilight swept across the sea the oarsmen shipped their oars as the sail was set. The lights of Carthage twinkled far behind, as we sailed on northwards bound for Caralis or Karaly, the largest port in the southern part of the island of Sardinia.
Kallicrates was delighted to have a lookout at night as it would double the distance we could travel in a day. Apart from the many rowers on board, in addition to Kallicrates, there was the helm Phillas from Syracuse, a stocky man of medium height with short dark hair and skin burnt brown, Sigmatus the lookout from Corinth, another man of medium height with short dark hair and burnt brown skin, but of slim build and Odysus the pilot from Athens the same as the captain. We sailed downwind in good conditions and continued through the night with Amphius looking out from the bows and Toxoanassa also on watch.
The next morning arrived and we all shared a cold breakfast as the sun rose, apart from Si'aspiqo who slumbered on. Amphius gave him a shake but he just rolled over and slept on. Agripinus did a blessing and thought he was dreaming in his sleep, but not under threat. We decided to watch over him in turn to ensure he didn’t do anything rash in his trance.
The day was cloudy and quite warm by the afternoon. The wind increased slightly in strength but still held fair and we made good progress. The rowers were pleased and yelled praise to the priest, delighted that they were not required to row. We were out of sight of land and there was nothing to see apart from a few sails on the horizon, until later in the day we overtake a slower, wider galley. As I looked around the ship, I noticed the four Sardinians and the most important piece of their luggage, which was a large wooden box covered in tar. It looked like it would contain something of value as it was made of Lebanese cedar with bronze nails. It was seven feet long by three feet wide and two feet deep. Amphius told me that the Sardinians were going to a funeral.
By tea time Si'aspiqo had been asleep for 18 hours. Agripinus didn’t sense anything evil, so we decided to continue leaving him undisturbed but to stay up through the night to watch over him. At about 3am Si'aspiqo suddenly woke up and sat up. He stretched and looked around and was surprised to be told that he had slept for over 24 hours. He asked Agripinus, Toxoanassa and I to follow him to the prow where we spoke quietly to Amphius who was on lookout.
The magician explained that we had received a job offer connected to the Sardinians and he had accepted provisionally on our behalf. It would pay 30 pounds of silver and maybe something valuable to him. He admitted he was not sure what would happen next, but basically it would be an escort job, maybe taking over from the Sardinians. This had been communicated to him while he slept in some arcane fashion.
It was now not long before dawn, so after breakfast we took it in turns to rest. There was some cloud and a few rain showers and some sunny spells, but the wind continued to drive us on to Sardinia. Kallicrates was very pleased with the passage so far – if the wind held, we might make it to Caralis before dusk and a two-day voyage would have been impossible without Amphius looking out at night. He planned to sail in, get the news and take stock, before deciding whether it was a good place to sell his cargo. Early in the afternoon the island appeared above the horizon and grew larger as the afternoon wore on, but now we needed to tack. As we drew closer the rowers had to take a turn, the sail was dropped and we steered directly into the harbour. Not long before dusk we entered a large harbour, where we were greeted by a small boat and directed to moor.
Kallicrates wanted to take the rowers and his other crew ashore to celebrate while the town slept and he couldn’t do business, so we agreed to guard the boat, cargo along with the passengers if who also remained aboard. Agripinus headed off to the temple, guided by Kallicrates, to report in and would return later in the evening or maybe the next morning.
The four of us gathered some distance from the Sardinians and Si'aspiqo quietly explained that the box contained the body of a powerful sorcerer, who had been dead for some time. He added that the sorcerer had enemies both here and in other worlds. He did not explain how he was able to speak with the sorcerer, but I assumed it was similar to the way in which he had communicated with Circe. He told us that the Sardinian servants would be sent in one direction, while the dead sorcerer wanted us to take his body to his family plot. Si'aspiqo also told us the deceased was Egyptian, but he was not sure why he was in Sardinia.
Night fell and Amphius watched out over the harbour and with his cat's eyes observed many minor nefarious acts, as the perpetrators took advantage of the darkness; but it seems there is no hiding in the shadow from him. Si'aspiqo dozed and then woke with a start. He told us that we were likely to be off the boat for at least a week and were going to a place called Saar, in the interior of Sardinia and we would need a cart or wagon. The Sardinians would move some things and we would take everything else including the body.
Si'aspiqo then walked down the boat and spoke to one of the Sardinians, who awoke their leader, a man called Peleset. Si'aspiqo explained to him that he had instructions from the man’s master. He looked surprised and asked Si'aspiqo what the master looked like. Si'aspiqo explained that he did not know as he had spoken to him in a dream and did not show his face. And lo, this did not seem strange to Peleset, who believed him and was immediately ready to follow Si'aspiqo’s instructions.
The scribe told Peleset that he was to hire a wagon and transport everything out of town with us. The Sardinians were then to take the sacred jars by back roads and leave one man to act as a guide for us and we would take the body to the agreed site – Saar. There were no other commands at the moment but his master would to Si'aspiqo later the magician told him. One of the Sardinians was called Kuma. He could drive a wagon and would accompany us. Peleset and the other two men would use donkeys and travel by secret ways. Peleset would arrange the wagon and oxen to pull it and the donkeys.
My companions and I gathered again to discuss further. We agreed that Amphius would inform Kallicrates that we had a job and would be away for at least a week. When we returned, we would stay at a named inn and if he were still here and needed a guard, he would find us there. We discussed our plans and then stood watches for the night.
Agripinus returned and told us what he had learned. There were three main tribal groupings on the island. The Corsi were a small group in the northeast corner and then further south were the Baleri who were currently revolting against the Carthaginians. The Carthaginians had a naval base at Sulci an island just off Sardinia to the southwest. Some of the garrison in Caralis had been withdrawn to Sulci and then landed in the northwest of Sardinia to deal with the rebels. In the southern half of the island were Sardo-Punic settlements including Caralis and much farming. In the hills were the lands of the Iolei people. These were not currently at war with the Carthaginians. Local news was that more recently, after some of the garrison were withdrawn, local Iolei bandits had attacked a mining convoy on the way from local mines to Caralis and a number of soldiers had been killed and wounded defending the wagon train. They were short on healers in Caralis, as many had left to go with the army on campaign against the Baleri. Agripinus’ assistance was required with the wounded and he had at least a week’s work and would not be able to accompany us on our trip.
Amphius spoke to Kallicrates, who expected to be in port for at least a week to sell his cargo. He recommended the inn Nestor’s Rest and Amphius agreed that we would stay there on our return. Kallicrates was delighted with the trip to Sardinia and would be very happy if we could travel on with him. He told Amphius of rumours of mercenaries being in demand in Sicily and the good rates there. He knew that there were many Carthaginian soldiers in the north of Sardinia but he didn’t know why.
We all agreed that our gold would be safer with Agripinus in the Temple in Caralis while we were off somewhere in the hinterland on this escort job. I gave 1000 gp to Agripinus for safekeeping in the Temple and prepared to set off with the Sardinians, who now had 3 donkeys for riding and one as a pack animal, along with the wagon and two oxen we would require.
From Si'aspiqo’s Wheeze:
78: B1 – The Job Offer
Night fell and Carthage faded into gloom behind us. I dare say that if I had turned around I might have seen the pinpricks of light marking the great city, but in this unexpected second wind of my life I would rather look forward to whatever new things may come.
Or so I thought at first as we were rowed out of Carthage port. Despite the expectation of new things the rocking of the triacontor Morning Breeze over the swells in a steady evening breeze, fair for Sardinia, lulled me to unexpected sleep even as I thought to make conversation with my comrades, our lookouts, Amphius of the night eye and Toxoanasa – or rather the “Oiopata”, her tribal name, as she chooses to be here amongst strangers.
Sleep or no, I walked forward to speak with them, but found them ever a few steps beyond me. So, yes, it was one of those dreams that have marked the turning points of my life. This time it was not the goddess I now carry in my pack, Astarte-Bound, who had brought me here to the far north western wilderness from Kush, calling me in that language I do not know, but understand perfectly from her lips. Now though, first was the the cold, dark breath at my back that froze my body, then the grave-dark voice speaking in the northern tongue, the lower Nile language, that of the true Pharaohs before the Ptolomies.
“Do not fear, child of the Nile! The Gaul perished when he turned to face me. I, Arkon-zar, have taken control of your movement for your safety.”
The voice naming itself Arkon-zar went on acknowledged its debt to the god Ausar, whom the Greeks speak as Osiris, god of the afterlife, the dead, and resurrection. The mortal remains of Arkon-zar were even now with us, being transported to the tomb of their ancestors, but the voice expressed concern that their enemies, both in life and in death, seek to destroy their bones and thus deny their passage to the afterlife and, I presume, resurrection in the Sekhet-Aaru, the Field of Reeds, at Ausar’s blessing.
Arkon-zar’s spirit, on feeling the presence of one capable of walking in the borders of the dreamlands they could reach and noting the accompanying scent of a goddess associated with the underworld (though referring to the Greeks’ Isis) had devised a plan of cunning to misdirect their opponents by sending their longtime servants by one route to lead at least some of their enemies stray, while offering the opportunity, with inducements, to me to arrange the escort of the sarcophagus and its mortal remains to the destination somewhere ahead of us.
There were negotiations. Once Arkon-zar was disabused of the notion that my companions were mere hirelings and understood that we came as a group with the agreement of all or not at all, I bargained over the price of the service. The offer to me personally seemed generously fair, a magical boon, but when I challenged the offering to my companions Arkon-zar seemed to regard this as mere mercenary greed, so challenged me to face them; they would increase their offer if I proved my courage in the cause of my companions. Of course a luckless Gaul had ended up dead, but I am Si'aspiqo who carries a goddess and has tasted the Earth’s Blood, so I turned — but was immobilised again even as I took the decision to move. Professing themself to be impressed by my bravery on behalf of my companions — for I had asked nothing extra for myself — Arkon-zar acknowledged that so strongly-bound a group were indeed worthy of a better reward, and increased their offer of material reward by half again, to 30 pounds of silver, which I agreed to put before all.
Then I woke up, feeling quite the most refreshed I have been in 30 years, but of course, I do not recall having tried sleeping for over a whole day in the last 30 years…
From Sammus’s Boast:
79: B2 – Bandit Night Attack
Si'aspiqo and Toxoanassa left me on guard and went into the market. They returned shortly before midday with a couple of hatchets and a throwing dagger respectively. The Sardinians returned at midday with four donkeys, one with wicker paniers, and a small waggon drawn by a pair of oxen with a rope harness.
The large box containing the body was swayed up onto the waggon using a contraption at the quayside and then we loaded our baggage and some bales of straw. Two large pieces of canvas or tarpaulin were then lashed over the top. One of the tarps could be rigged as an awning for the night. There was room for Si'aspiqo to sit alongside the driver. There were plenty of provisions; hay and root vegetables for the oxen, plenty of water, salted fish, smoked sausages, beans and hard tack for us. Toxoanassa considered buying a pony, but Peleset was in a hurry to leave.
We were let out of the gates by the sentries and headed northwest along the river. It was a dry, warm day and the oxen managed a decent walking pace. Myself and Toxoanassa marched alongside the waggon and I hung my shield from the cart, while Amphius rested under the tarp on the hay to shelter from the sun.
We passed a few carts heading into city, but saw nothing else headed in our direction until about an hour before dusk, when we drew alongside a broken-down wagon. There was a cry for help in Punic from a man called Sullo, who complained that he had been left behind by the convoy with which he had left town, when the wheel had come off his waggon. He had two servants, but between them, they had not been able to lift the waggon and put the wheel back on, and asked for our help. I was able to lift the waggon on my own, to the amazement of Sullo. The wheel was shoved back on and he hammered something in to hold the wheel in place.
Sullo told us he was pleased to see honest armed mercenaries. He had been stuck for hours and would be grateful to keep company with us. He told us there was a horse nearby with a saddle and no rider – he would write an affidavit to swear that we had rescued a lost horse on the road. He couldn’t approach it, but he thought we might have more luck.
Amphius found tracks and Toxoanassa spotted a grey pony down nearer the water. After quarter of an hour, she managed to persuade it to come towards her with some oats and eventually it accepted her and she was able to bring it back to the party, although it was still very skittish. It was a very good quality mount, with two saddle bags and a saddle with blood all over it, probably from yesterday or the day before. In the saddle bags were kindling, flint and tinder, along with cakes of compressed grain and grass for the pony. The rider had evidently taken a serious wound, but the horse was unharmed but scared.
In the twilight Amphius went off for half an hour to check for signs of the rider or a struggle, while we set up camp, but he spotted nothing. Sullo had two dusky servants or bondsmen, with which he spoke an unknown to me, probably local language. He explained that he was the factor for an estate, to which he was returning after visiting the town. He was of Sardo-Punic race, a Carthaginian citizen, and was concerned by reports of bandits.
Sullo was surprised when he realised Toxoanassa was a woman and also when he learned Si'aspiqo was Kushite, although he had met an Egyptian in town once or twice, he claimed. He spoke to Peleset in the same Sardinian language as he used with the bondsmen.
Si'aspiqo set up a protection from evil around the camp for night. Amphius would stay on watch all night and myself, Toxoanassa and Si'aspiqo agreed to accompany him for a watch each and a Sardinian would also join each watch. During my watch, with his night vision, Amphius spotted three men creeping towards the campsite, when I could see nothing. He started firing his bow and there was a grunt from one direction and then a scream from another, which awoke everyone. Amphius went after the bandits, who were unable to see him in the dark.
After a few minutes there was another piercing shriek and Peleset asked if we should go to the aid of the Greek, but I was confident Amphius would be able to deal with the attackers in the dark. Si'aspiqo added that the shriek wasn’t high enough pitched to be the Greek. We stayed in the camp and awaited his return.
After half an hour Amphius reappeared and reported that he had killed two of the three bandits and the other had fled. He went out into the night again and this time returned with a couple of spears and daggers from the corpses. The spears looked like standard Carthaginian issue, although the daggers were local and of poor quality. I suspected the spears were spoils from the bandit attack on the mine convoy. The rest of the night was quiet.
In the morning Si'aspiqo quietly reported to us that the spirit of the magician had spoken to him in a dream during the night, and we were going to separate from Peleset and head on as quickly, quietly and unnoticed as possible. He asked Peleset how many days it would be to Saar and told him that his master had told Si'aspiqo that Peleset was to travel in secret separating from us today. The Sardinian understood immediately. We were to go the long way and he would find us. He told the Kushite that it was two long days flat along river and another day up into hills to get to Saar. He would meet us in the hills.
The second day was also warm, but there were a few clouds, so it looked like we might get some rain late in the day. By full daylight I could see the rescued horse might be a light cavalry mount, or it could be for a messenger or courier. Sullo wrote an affidavit affirming that Oiorpata had rescued the lost horse running near the road, He gave the date and swore that there was no owner and the horse had been rescued honestly. Anyone concerned could speak to him, a Carthaginian citizen, at his home address. Toxoanassa put it in one of the saddle bags.
It took a lot more time to get everything packed up on the waggon and get the oxen to start, than when we had been camping with the Numidians, but eventually the carts set off at a reasonable speed. After breakfast we had probably consumed a quarter of the rations and our donkeys and oxen around a fifth of the fodder. Toxoanassa scouted ahead on the pony and I was the only one of our party now walking. As I looked around during the day, I saw evidence of intensive farming all around. There were irrigation ditches and prosperous farms and farmhouses. There were no signs of any burning and although farm workers stopped to look at us as we went by, they soon resumed their work.
Just before lunch the Sardinians pulled off to the northeast into an orchard with the four donkeys. Peleset nodded to us as they quietly detached themselves. Sullo stood up and looked around and asked where they were going and Si'aspiqo just replied that they were only with us for as long as they were with us.
We continued on for most of the rest of the day, until about an hour before dusk, when Sullo said that we were near his settlement. He said that he was grateful for our help and offered to put us up at the settlement for the night, a little away from road and river. We explained that we had a contract and needed to press on.
As we left Sullo behind and continued along the road, I could see that there might be a road on the far side of river. There were more fairly large, prosperous farms, but the road seemed eerily quiet for such a well cultivated valley.
From Sammus’s Boast:
80: B3 — A New Companion
We set up camp for the night. During the night I thought I heard noises, maybe shouting far away. I took off my helmet but I couldn’t hear much more. Amphius went out of the camp for a prowl in the darkness and returned at the end of first watch — he had also heard what might have been shouting far off, but couldn’t make it out. The rest of the night was uneventful.
Si'aspiqo sniffed the air and informed us that it should stay dry for the day. Kumar busied himself with domestic tasks around the camp at which he was very skilled. He spoke some low Greek, close to Arma and like most of the people from here was swarthy and sunburnt. He had dark hair, was middle height and build and armed with a spear. He seemed around 30. We finished breakfast and Si'aspiqo whispered that the spirit of the magician had spoken to him in a dream during the night and told him that there were no obvious problems in the way and we should continue on.
About an hour after setting out Toxoanassa noticed a man with a donkey and a pile of gear at the side of the road ahead. She returned and reported and we approached together. He waved and spoke in Punic. He was of medium height, dark and sunburnt with a trim beard. He had a strange accent and switched to low Greek fairly close to Arma. I thought he might be Spanish. He told us his name was Mago and he was a modest trader. He had been out at the mines from Caralis and his donkey had gone lame. He had been with others, but there had been a shout of “bandits” and everyone else had fled in different directions and abandoned him.
Mago told us that he had heard there was trouble and certainly there was no-one on the road. He asked if he could stay with us. After listening to him for a while, I realised he was speaking Arma in the same way as I had been taught it in the Carthaginian Army, so I asked him what unit he had been with. He said his full name was Mago Gymnesias and he had been a Balearic slinger and then had served in the Navy — fifteen years of service. He seemed more relaxed when I told him of my army service.
He asked how far we were going and told us that he was headed back to Caralis. We explained that we wouldn’t be returning that way for a while, but could take him on to the next settlement. He told us that he had been looking into the copper trade as he was also a smith; he had some bronze from the mine. He was planning to join a ship in Caralis with someone he had sailed with before, but decided he would rather come with us than be left at roadside. We could maybe stop at a farm where he might trade his donkey for something more useful.
Si'aspiqo cast a spell to help the lame donkey and it swayed in place and then lay down. Toxoanassa whispered to it, to try to comfort the beast, but it just looked spooked and resentful, although it no longer seemed to be in pain after the magician’s spell.
Mago gave a start and looked Toxoanassa wide-eyed when he realised she was an Amazon, but quickly pulled himself together. He changed into native clothing, with a girdle or kilt of pale cream wool. He was armed with two slings, one longer than the other and had a pouch of ammunition at his waist. I helped him load his stuff on the waggon, while Amphius raised the tarp and peered out from the brow of his sunhat to introduce himself. The heaviest items were two large ingots of bronze weighing about 20kg each. With some horse cake Mago managed to persuade the donkey to follow him and he tethered it to the waggon and we set off again along the road.
After an hour or so, two lads appeared from the hedge waving rabbits and shouted something in Sardinian. Kumar explained they wanted to sell the freshly-caught rabbits. The lads asked him if we were from afar and if we had seen the bandits. They added that their father had told them that the border was closed, which surprised Kumar. We paid a silver piece each for the rabbits and continued on. An hour later Toxoanassa saw some sheep ahead, but they were quickly driven away by the shepherd, who obviously feared we might be bandits.
Late in the morning the Scythian saw carrion birds circling off the road half a mile away and rode off to investigate. She found the head, limbs, guts and hide of a butchered cow. There was scuffing on the ground that indicated at least half a dozen people had been there. The cow had probably been butchered yesterday or last night by bandits. She reported back and we carried on.
Just before noon the road headed steadily uphill and soon after we saw smoke ahead from a small settlement. There was a barricade across the road, with two guards in leather armour armed with shields and spears and two large guard dogs and a young lad. They called out what sounded like a challenge in Sardinian. Kumar responded and approached them and there was a long conversation with our driver looking quite animated at times and pointing at us all on occasion. After 5 or 10 minutes he returned looking bewildered or upset. He told us that he had explained that he was from Beskar, which was beyond Saar, but he was told that no-one could trade with the Iolei without a permit, and that the King had ordered the border closed. Kumar had told the sentries that he had mercenaries who he was taking to his home as guards. The sentries told him that he could proceed as long as he didn’t cause trouble and paid 20 gp to pass. Alternatively, we could stay in the village, which was called Firte.
We discussed the options and agreed that the 20gp would be party expenses as Kumar barely had the money for it. Si'aspiqo suggested that Mago might want to stop here rather than continue. Kumar spoke to the sentries again and they told him that he should know that Beskar was now part of the Sporaga lands (they had previously belonged to the Evro) and that Saar was now empty apart from broken men. Kumar told us that it was now almost three years since he and eight comrades had left to accompany the now deceased sorceror to the Great River. There were now only the four of them left. They had had no news in that time and Kumar seemed bewildered by the changes. Si'aspiqo asked where they had journeyed and Kumar told him they had gone to Karnak, where his master had had business.
We made our way slowly towards the village and the natives came out and waved, offering provisions for sale and an invite to stay at their inn. The headman introduced himself as Edann Evra and welcomed us to Firte. He reiterated the offer of provisions and Si'aspiqo negotiated for some lamb, wine and oil as, I believe, he wished to make a sacrifice to Astarte, although he would not name her. Mago had thought about his plans and preferred to carry on with us rather than stay in Firte. There were quite a lot of questions from the villagers, which Kumar deflected as best he could and the locals were disappointed as we headed away from them without stopping.
The road continued more steeply uphill as we left the village and the oxen had to work harder, pulling the waggon. There were no longer farms and estates around us, agriculture was different now, much smaller scale and the road was narrower; we had left the river behind. We would need to take more care on stops to ensure there was water, but Kumar thought we could push on to Saar late that evening.
The donkey was reluctant to continue. Toxoanassa approached it again, but it seemed to consider her to be its enemy. As we continued on, the Scythian had the feeling we were being watched but could see no-one. Not long before dusk we stopped for water where there a couple of burnt-out huts and a stream. Kumar told us there used to be a farm building here and he wondered what had happened to the family.
We discussed our next move. We could continue on to Saar, but we did not know what awaited us there. It would be dark well before we reached Saar and although Amphius would be able to see, the rest of us would be at a grave disadvantage if those watching decided to attack. Si'aspiqo was expecting Peleset to find us, but he wasn’t sure if he had made it safely to Saar and if not where he would be. We decided to camp here for the night and Amphius volunteered to venture out towards Saar during the night to investigate.
He set off in the early part of the night when there was only starlight during my watch and planned to start off along the road and then move off and continue in parallel to it. The rest of us took it in turn to stand a watch and await his return.
He returned after a couple of ours and reported as follows:
From Amphius’s Arguments:
81: B3a – A Little Night Scouting
As retold by Sammus
After a short while I found a ‘castle’ consisting of a circular outside wall enclosing three towers arranged in a line east to west: the towers are also circular though seem unusually thin compared to typical castle construction. There is a gate with guard at a brazier accompanied by a dog.
“Circling the building there are the remains of a village behind – the huts appear to have been destroyed 1 or 2 campaigning seasons ago – as other huts I encountered. Round the castle wall there is a dry moat which is rough underfoot with brush.”
“There are noises from the castle and I climbed the curtain wall to observe more closely. Inside the castle there is a circular lean-to from the wall towards the central tower covering about half the distance between wall and tower. There is a small walkway / fighting platform inside the wall. Steps seem to lead up and down from beside the outside towers.”
“It is not possible to observe inside the buildings, but there was quite a bit of noise including singing. I estimate that there may be – some – 2 dozen people inside the castle. Mostly men, but some women. There were a further 2–3 dogs, including one which set to barking when it seemed to hear me. This led to a patrol of 2 men + dog round the outside of the building. While I don’t speak Sardinian, it seemed to me that the people were speaking the local language – through from which bit of Sardinia I don’t know”.
From Si'aspiqo’s Wheeze:
82: B3b – A Little Night Dreaming
As Amphius completed his report just short of the mid of the night, attaining a proper sleep in order to meet our Principal in my dreams would have been difficult. It is fortunate, therefore, that a meditation upon prayers set out in the Book of the Dead proved an adequate pathway to a sleep-adjacent trance. A familiar cold, oppressive presence filled my unwaking state.
“Am I in the presence?” I asked that which stood unseen behind me.
“It is I. Who else walks in your dreams?”
A question I did not answer directly, of course, but played on the Principal’s expectation of my… caution by mildly and apologetically replying
“It always does to check.”
I gave my report of the present situation, carefully omitting the arrival of the limpet-like Mago in the hope that he can be prised off, dissuaded, or disposed of, before the lich can notice his presence amongst the damned, and take wroth.
“Kumar, your servant and our guide, tells us there have been changes in this land since he left with you. To his eyes all has changed. War has been fought here. Different tribes claim this land since your departure. We have found that Saar, the walled fortress of three towers, appears to be occupied by what we have been told are ‘broken men’. Our scout has confirmed the fort site is occupied, and the surrounding building have suffered fighting and are ruinous. We believe we are under observation, but nothing untoward has occurred, yet.
“The road here, which Kumar expected to be open, was blocked at a nearby village by what described itself as a border post in the name of some local king.”
As the Principal had enjoined us not to attract attention I felt I must add that, “Paying what by their lights was substantial inducement in gold to let us pass may have have attracted attention, but they have not followed us and attacked, yet.
“We have had no contact with your chief servant, but we are not in Saar, rather an ox-cart’s hour short, at a small stream ford, with signs of war close at hand. We can progress, but likely would attract attention from the, presumably, border bandits in Saar.
“What, oh Principal, is your direction?”
Our Principal acknowledged “a strange silence is explained” as “the House of Musa” had fallen, and then railed for some time against men’s ambition as promoting division, weakness and collapse. It was difficult to understand their words for the dream-stuff could not sustain such extreme emotion. Only fragmentary words scathed my spirit as the darkness roiled about me.
Once they calmed they gave instructions that we are to retake the castle, to drive off, slay or enslave the present occupants – our methods and their fates are not our Principal’s concern. Then break into the catacombs and place the package of remains in the prepared tomb; also down there is our reward, silver and much else, but it is hidden. We shall have to dig, but our Principal will advise us of the secret ways involved in due course.
They can offer no advice whether there may be their loyalists amongst the present occupants. They expect a mere rabble lead by a strongman, and advises slaying that person would quickly bring the rest to heel or cause them to flee. Our Principal is of the opinion there are five ways to take out such a leader: stealth, force, cunning, poison or betrayal. They suggest considering engineering a direct challenge by our best warrior; or formenting distraction and panic by sorcery to cover a stealth decapitation attack; perhaps infiltrate the camp and administer poison to the common pot; or any other any strategem we may devise to move the odds in our favour.
However our Principal was optimistic. Though the situation here is not what they had expected, they had taken precautions against the vagaries of fate and have hidden reserves in case of reversals of fortune. Perhaps the present situation made their plans in some ways easier to fulfill, they thought.
So it is up to us to decide on an approach, to report back of our success and then to seek further direction.
From Sammus’s Boast:
83: B4 — Night Assault on Saar
As previously reported by Si'aspiqo elsewhere in these pages, our magician was able to converse again with our Principal in a sleep-adjacent trance. Once he had relayed the information to us, we discussed our plans. It seemed we needed to deal with the bandits and gain access to Saar, but it was up to us to decide on an approach. We discussed the advantages of pre-dusk and pre-dawn attacks and the best use of our skirmishers. I stated my willingness to take on any leader in single combat, but we couldn’t determine how we would induce the leader to accept my challenge.
Kumar said that the castle was very old, made by the ancients, and the ancestors of the Musa were buried beneath the mound in the centre. He explained that it was possible to ascend to the top of the watch tower via bars on the outside. The base of the tower was a space where a hot fire could be burnt to make metal and the smoke could rise up the tower and escape out of the top. He added that he was happy to defend his master’s remains, but that assaulting Saar defended by 20 bandits seemed very bold. He would rather wait and get Peleset’s instructions. He explained that the gateway was a tunnel with a gate and it used to be possible to drop things onto it from above, but from Amphius’s explorations it seemed this was no longer possible. There were now only lean-tos and ramparts on the other side now. We explained our mission to Mago.
We decide to advance with Amphius’s aid in the darkness to the point where there would be little risk of alerting the sentry. Then Amphius would sneak up to have a shot at the guard. Mago agreed to go with Amphius. Kumar stayed and guarded the cart. Toxoanassa rode to within a mile of Saar and then led her pony. After an hour or hour and a half, I could see a large black blot ahead down the valley and once we were about half a mile away Saar was quite clear in the moonlight. Toxoanassa, Si'aspiqo and I stopped at this point and Amphius and Mago made their way quietly into range of the sentry. My two companions and I planned to follow them in ten minutes unless we heard something before then.
After waiting ten minutes we started moving forward and shortly heard cries and the noise of battle. I started to jog and after a minute I reached the gate. In the moonlight I could see the bodies of the dog and the sentry, transfixed with arrows. I headed through an L-shaped tunnel into a courtyard and encountered two wounded Sardinians. They tried to surrender; I ordered them to beat it and they limped off. I could see Amphius ahead in the moonlight, Toxoanassa and Si'aspiqo were just behind me. The first hints of pre-dawn light were now visible.
Amphius reported that there were around 20 men barricaded in the shelters on the opposite side, waiting for dawn. We discussed trying to panic them with the use of fire. Amphius guided Toxoanassa on to the ramparts on the far side ready to shoot anything emerging from the lean-tos and Mago was already in place. I picked up some firewood and went with Si'aspiqo to the chimney above the shelters again guided by Amphius. There was some calling, presumably in Sardinian as we didn’t understand, some of it was higher pitched and there sounded to be some confusion and turmoil, but there was a more authoritative voice or two and it sounded like barricades were being dragged into place.
The chimney was a squarish pile of rocks almost up to my chest and a foot or two across. As indicated by the magician, I piled up firewood on top. Meanwhile an authoritative voice called out in Sardinian as though trying to communicate. Amphius shouted back in Greek, as I continued setting the firewood. The voice called back in low Greek, asking who we were? Amphius responded that we acted for the owner.
“He is long dead,” responded the voice.
Amphius replied, “That is the bad news. Leave now or die.”
Si'aspiqo took out a fire flute and used it to ignite the burning material. He then cast a spell to try to augment the fire; it took a few attempts, but then it really burst into flames.
The voice came again inside in heavily accented Greek,
“So you want this ruin, our home, what for?”
Amphius repeated “Leave now or die.”
“Who are you anyway?” asked the voice.
By now the fire was producing quite a lot of smoke and Si'aspiqo used a cantrip to direct it down the chimney and soon those within were coughing and spluttering. The magician then added sulphur to the fire and kept the smoke going down the chimney. I added more wood to the bonfire and then knocked the pieces down the hole at which point Si'aspiqo dropped a fistful of coal down. There was a pop and a muffled bang. The door flew open and people streamed out into the courtyard in confusion. Toxoanassa shot someone in the mob, and Amphius picked someone armed with spear and shield and clipped him with an arrow, but he continued to move and Amphius fired again, sticking an arrow into the man’s buckler. Mago fired his sling into the mob.
Amphius shot the man again and he went down with an arrow in his arm or shoulder. The mob was heading for the exit. Toxoanassa shot again and there was a high-pitched shriek. Mago hit someone else who went down groaning and Amphius shouted “Don’t shoot, let them go.”
Amphius spotted someone with a spear in one hand, but trying to help one of the wounded with the other and Amphius shot him and he let go of his comrade and ran off. There were no more combat effectives in sight.
Another door opened and a voice said “You can have the place, we’ll go.”
“Ok, get out now,” Amphius ordered him.
Several people came out; two or three had shields or bucklers and there were a couple with studded leather and helmets and they all fled in a coordinated group. They made for the entrance passage and left.
I went to cover the entrance — the bandits had gone. Amphius led Toxoanassa to her horse and I went to check the wounded. They were no threat, as the woman was dead and the two men unable to get to their feet, so I returned to guard the entrance. Mago stayed on the roof and kept watch. Si'aspiqo let the smoke disperse. After 15 or 20 minutes Amphius returned. He had told the survivors to head north. Toxoanassa had galloped off to fetch Kumar and the waggon from the camp to the south.
The shelters were divided into general quarters for most of the bandits and peasants and a slightly better-looking area. There was a lot of camp impedimenta, some beds and a cooking fire but nothing of value. The better area had a couple of rooms, which had once been storerooms. Mago climbed up the tower via the iron bars on the outside and kept watch. I found a large barricade for the entrance and pushed it into place. Amphius went to rest in one of the dark rooms, where there were no windows.
Si'aspiqo tried to heal the one of the wounded men. He was moaning and seemed in danger of dying if nothing was done. Si'aspiqo cast a spell and the man stopped moaning and lost consciousness, at first it seemed he might be dead, but he was just in a deep sleep or coma. The magician moved him into the shade and looked for some water.
He found an aperture in the central mound away from entrance, pointing at the doors of the smoky huts. As Mago was on watch and there was no threat nearby I accompanied Si'aspiqo down the aperture guided by a small magical light he conjured.
The aperture led into a wider space, where there was some daylight from cracks in the rock walls. We found a well with a bucket and some rope. Si'aspiqo lowered the bucket maybe 60 feet down into water and I hauled it up. There were strange anthropomorphic carvings in nooks and crannies in the stonework and space for a fire and a shaft up.
We returned to the wounded. The first was still breathing peacefully in the shade when we returned. The other man spoke a few words of Punic and said his name was Arta. Si'aspiqo gave him some water. I looked around but only found a couple of broken arrows, which I gave to Amphius for the arrow heads.
After a couple of hours Toxoanassa, Kumar and the waggon appeared and I moved the barricade back out of the way. Kumar unhitched the oxen and we brought them in. Then we unloaded the waggon and dragged the large box inside the gateway. We watered the oxen using a large cooking cauldron — they certainly drink a lot, so it was lucky we had found the well. Kumar looked around bemused at the ruins of the gateway and the shelters on that side — this had once been his home. He spoke to Arta in Sardinian and told us that Arta was a runaway from the mines not a local. He was either Ligurian or Italian. Kumar didn’t recognise the other wounded man or the woman.
Kumar asked about the other bandits and learnt that Bult was their leader and they were called Rovers in low Greek. They had no lord and no taxes and subsisted by whatever they could get their hands on. They were mainly escaped slaves or refugees from war, although several of the women were originally from the village. I could see Arta looking around and counting and wondering why there didn’t seem to be more of us.
Kumar asked Arta if they had attacked anyone recently, as we wondered what had happened to Peleset. The bandit told us that they hadn’t; neither had they seen three men on donkeys. Kumar asked if maybe the Amazon could scout around and try to find Peleset. He thought Peleset had been intending coming in to Saar from hills to the East, although he wasn’t sure. Toxoanassa agreed to go and scout out in a circuit to see if she could find any sign of the three men. We hobbled the two prisoners and put them in the smoky quarters and the Scythian rode off on her pony.
From Sammus’s Boast:
84: B5 – Instructions from the Archon
In the early afternoon Mago spotted Toxoanassa with three figures on foot and it quickly became clear that the figures were Peleset and his two companions. Soon the three Sardinians were reunited with Kumar, who updated them on what had happened. The newcomers they looked around at Saar in shock and amazement.
Peleset explained that they were late as he had found a relative, who had explained what had befallen Saar, and it had taken Peleset a while to understand what had happened during his absence. There had been a war between two neighbouring clans, which had destroyed almost everything around Saar. The order of the King had brought peace but no-one was now allowed to live in this valley.
Peleset had hidden the jars he had been transporting, but told us he could retrieve them. He added that he could return to his family for shelter and protection. Si'aspiqo said that the sorcerer had suggested digging here. Peleset told him that family members of the House of Mousa knew the secret way into the catacombs but he didn’t. He had seen the door open, and a funeral procession enter, but he had never set foot inside.
Peleset referred to his former master as the Archon. He suggested that if Si'aspiqo could communicate with the Archon, then he could tell Si'aspiqo what to do and the Egyptian replied that that was his intention, but that he would have to wait until the night to receive further instructions. Peleset said that Si'aspiqo should tell the Archon of the war, but he would be grateful if the scribe did not mention Peleset and his companions as he could not defy the King and serve the dead. Si'aspiqo replied that he would try but might not be able to prevaricate their status in communicating with the Archon.
The Sardinian said that if Toxoanassa took him, he could ride and get the jars and return before nightfall, staying overnight before leaving in the morning. Si'aspiqo suggested that if they wanted no involvement then they ought not to be here when he spoke to the Archon. The Sardinians could take the oxen out of the valley if Toxoanassa escorted them and she could then return by dusk with the jars.
The Sardinians hitched up the oxen, we all exchanged good wishes and they trundled off. Toxoanassa walked her pony behind them.
We thought we might need some tools for digging to get to the catacombs. We found a hoe and a wooden shovel, but we would need a pick to get through any rock. Mago found something that could serve as a forge and a lot of wood and I found a hammer and a set of tongs, and enough iron for Mago to be confident that in a couple of days he could make an iron pick.
The injured prisoner still slept, but we gave the other water. Nothing disturbed those of us guarding the ruins, although Mago thought he had seen someone watching from some ruins. He had sent a sling bullet or two in and there were sounds of someone scurrying off. Around dusk the Scythian returned with two extra saddlebags containing four jars.
Dusk fell and Amphius got up. He looked around from the walls and checked the ruins of the village, but saw nothing. Si'aspiqo prepared and then carried out a small ceremony to the goddess Astarte-Enslaved, to assure her of his worship and to send an offering into the lonely underworld desert where she was imprisoned.
At midnight Si'aspiqo went into a meditative trance and received some directions from the dead sorcerer. He related these instructions to the rest of us. We were to enter the central tower and find three statues. Someone understanding mechanisms should find one beneath each of the three statues – the serpent, the man and the beast. In order to open the way, these mechanisms would need to be activated in order: serpent, man, beast and then man again. This last was very important, otherwise some sort of deadly trap within the catacombs would be activated. There would be a ramp down to the first level and then from there a shaft directly to the fifth level. However, there had been a rope and windlass, but there was no guarantee that these were still there and in operational condition.
The Archon wished to be winched down into position on the fifth level bypassing all his ancestors, who, although they had been calm a few years ago, might have been disturbed by the war. We were given free rein to deal with any who disturbed us. Hopefully once we had the body of the Archon in place, he would tell us how we could find our reward and then we could leave.
Si'aspiqo was a little concerned at the Archon’s use of the word “we” in the phrase “we will set things to right”. The Archon suggested that if we had serious trouble with his ancestors, then as a last resort, we should place the sarcophagus down and open it and he might deal with the problem, but this might have side effects. He added that if we couldn’t use the shaft then we would have to go down all the ramps to get to the fifth level.
Si'aspiqo had tokens for each of us apart from Mago, which he could use to enable him to cast protection spells and asked Mago for something similar, as he felt such spells might be required within the catacombs. Mago cut a lock of hair from his head, and twisted it into a knot. The Kushite pricked his thumb and sprinkled a drop or two of blood on this, muttering some caballa all the while. When he was satisfied, he gave back the little token of hair back to Mago, who pinned it to his tunic.
We made our way to the central area and with a little light Amphius could see the statues clearly and recognise which was which. He could see chips and hack marks in the walls and fragments from blades where the bandits had obviously been trying to loot the place.
Amphius looked for the mechanisms beneath the three statues. He started with the Serpent without, initially, any success, although after a subsequent attempt he thought he had found something. He moved on to the Man and immediately found it. He couldn’t find the one beneath the Beast in two attempts and took a break. He had a look out from parapet and thought he saw a shadow move in the ruins, but nothing else.
After discussions we thought the bandits unlikely to attack at night and decided we to guard the place during the day and then go down into the catacombs during the night. Amphius would spend part of the day investigating the mechanisms and then sleep for what remained of the day, while the rest of us would take it tuns to guard and then sleep during the day.
Both prisoners were awake in the morning. The more seriously injured who had been put into a coma by a spell from Si'aspiqo, seemed to have broken ribs and was in pain, but was no longer likely to die. He could speak some broken Greek. Amphius gave him some water and the man asked who we were. Amphius told him that we were employed by the owner to get the castle back and the prisoner told him we were welcome to it. He said he was from Neapalis and asked to be set free. Mago thought Neapalis was further up the island. It had been a Greek trading settlement on the West Coast but had been taken over by Phoenicians. It was about halfway up the west coast, between 50 and 100 miles away. Amphius told him he would be released when we had finished.
Amphius investigated the mechanism beneath the statue of the Beast and thought he had found it. He inadvertently set off the mechanism and got a small bronze tool stuck when he tried to reset it. After some careful manipulation he managed to get it out intact without jamming the secret mechanism within the stone.
Toxoanassa went out on her pony and three skirmishers broke from cover and ran off past the village, when she came near. She returned to the castle and the rest of the day was hot, but uneventful.
From Sammus’s Boast:
85: B6 – Draugr Wrestling
Shortly before dusk, Toxoanassa rode around the area outside the fort and then carefully through the ruined village. She saw no-one. She returned and we all sat down for our evening meal at dusk.
After the meal we looked at the box. It was large and heavy and maybe over 7 feet long – I could drag it on my own, but to carry it would need at least two others. We decided to open the gate before trying to take the crate down, so we could see how big any passageway was. Amphius operated the mechanism beneath the serpent statue, then the one under the statue of a man then the beast. As he operated the mechanism underneath the statue of the man there was a rumbling sound from the wall on the far side of the entrance, between two of the statues. Beyond the opening an antechamber 15 to 20 feet wide and 10 or 12 feet deep was revealed. There was an exit in the wall on the far side of the antechamber.
As he entered Amphius saw a lever on the left-hand side of the wall within the antechamber. He thought that the crate would only fit through the opening if it was pushed through on its side. It would fill a substantial amount of the antechamber. The Greek looked at the door ahead which was a little wider and he thought the crate would fit through the right way up.
There was a left turn immediately ahead, with a 30-degree ramp down, made of steps filled in with some sort of grout. The filling looked to be relatively recently carried out. It looked ideal for sliding the crate down. There was a landing 15 feet down with another turn to the left.
Realising that the crate would be difficult to negotiate through the corners, Mago started to look at opening it. He took out some small tools and, using Si'aspiqo’s axes as wedges, removed a plank to reveal lots of packing. He realised it was going to burn quite a lot of lantern oil, working down here, so I helped him move the crate back to the courtyard into the moonlight.
He took off most of the top planks and within there were layers of cloth with the outermost layer coated in pitch. Mago worked his way through several layers and found bundles of reed beneath, which he carefully removed one by one until we could see some kind of painted effigy – a painted wooden sarcophagus.
As Mago removed more bundles of reeds, the sarcophagus became clear in the moonlight. It had a painted figure on top with a malevolent looking expression and a bandaged mouth. The black eyes seemed to follow you around. Using a couple of loops of rope, we pulled it out of the crate and then Amphius fashioned a rope sling with handles at each corner. The sarcophagus weighed substantially less than the crate and there were actually carved handholds on the lower part. The bottom was smooth and it was relatively easy to drag it along a flat surface.
Si'aspiqo pointed out pictograms and many small sigils drawn over the outside. He told us that one was a major warning against disturbing the dead – something like Anubis will devour anyone interfering with this box. A different hand, more scribbled and in a different pigment, had written along the side – warning that something cursed lay within, and a terrible fate would overtake anyone foolish enough to release the night walker. The other parts looked formulaic and were in the same careful script as the first warning.
Four of us took a handle of the sarcophagus each and, led by Amphius carrying the saddlebags containing the jars, we headed back down below.
The opening into the antechamber had now closed. Amphius tried to open the mechanisms again. He started with the one beneath the serpent statue, but didn’t think it had opened, then he jammed a bronze tool within. He managed to wriggle it out again and eventually succeeded and had no problems with the other mechanisms. Once again, the opening was revealed as part of the wall between two of the statues seemed to move back and them slide to one side with a rumble.
Mago put in some wooden wedges to jam it open. There was only room for single file so Amphius led the way, followed by Si'aspiqo with a shuttered lantern then myself and Toxoanassa carrying the sarcophagus and Mago brought up the rear. We went down the first ramp and turned to the left and then down another similar ramp into an octangular shaped chamber with a dais on either side and burial urns in the corners. There was an archway opposite the entrance and ahead there was a dim red glow.
Amphius led the way through the archway and ahead were a couple of curved steps up to an urn or altar of twisted metal with the glow of fire within. A little smoke rose and disappeared somewhere above. The way led either left or right of the altar and Amphius turned to the left.
He entered a room small rectangular room with four ledges on the walls on either side and ahead with maybe 20 bodies on them in all. There was no exit.
He retraced his steps and we followed him past the altar and after 15 to 20 feet the passage turned to the left. Amphius entered another larger room of ledges. The central part had two floor-to-ceiling pillars. The Greek spotted an opening in the right-hand wall with the shaft we had expected, while Si'aspiqo heard creaking and rustling ahead. The magician cast protection against evil on Amphius through the Greek’s token.
I saw Amphius peering off to the right and heard rustling from ahead and to the left. Toxoanassa and I lowered the sarcophagus to the ground. Amphius realised there were two or three undead lumbering stealthily towards him. He dodged round them and came back to my side, while Si'aspiqo cast a protection spell on me.
There were three armed zombies. Amphius shouted we’re with the boss in Greek, but they paid no attention to him and lumbered on. Si'aspiqo told Toxoanassa to turn the sarcophagus to face the zombies, while I drew my sword and moved to fight them. One had a long bronze sword, a war shield, armour vaguely reminiscent of the Kushite’s but with reinforced shoulders and a helmet with horns. The second had a leather helmet with horsehair tufts and a bizarre bronze sword on a pole in bronze. The third was on the other side of a pillar and had leather armour, a war shield and a bronze spear.
Amphius shot at the sword-armed draugr closest to him and his arrow glanced off the helmet. I hit it on the helmet with my magic shortsword and knocked it off. The two undead facing me both missed. Toxoanassa with the help of Mago managed to raise the sarcophagus, next to Si'aspiqo, and facing the undead. Mago looked scared but did not run away. Amphius fired again and hit the same undead in the head and his arrow lodged in its skull through the eye and it reeled back. I hit the draugr holding a spear and hacked into its thigh, but it fought on. It missed wildly and struck sparks from wall. Si'aspiqo backed behind the sarcophagus to give us more room, but this restricted the amount of light for me, as he had the lantern.
Amphius fired into the same undead and his arrow lodged in its arm, while I cleaved into its arm behind the shield and sheered the arm off. It still continued to attack. Amphius hit it again, but didn’t seem to cause the same damage with his arrows as I did with my shortsword. I cleaved through its right shoulder and sheered off its other arm, while I shielded off a spear blow from the other draugr.
Amphius drew his shortsword and placed his bow behind the sarcophagus, while I lopped off the right arm of the spearman. Amphius missed the armless swordsman, which lurched into him with teeth snapping at his armour. He could see every detail on its long dead visage as it closed in. Amphius stabbed again and missed wildly hitting me in the back, but my chainmail deflected the blow. Amphius hit it and it collapsed to the floor, while the spearman shielded off my blow. The final undead guardian stepped forward and narrowly missed me with its polearm.
Amphius jumped over the collapsed undead and faced the polearm, trying to get too close for it to be wielded effectively. I sheered the leg off the spearman with another vicious blow, and it fell to the floor. However instead of lying still it wriggled towards Si'aspiqo who backed away, exchanging places with Toxoanassa, which made the light even more tricky for me. The remaining upright undead stepped back to a more effective range and Amphius shuffled back beside me. The polearm rang off my shield and I missed with my riposte.
An arrow from Toxoanassa flashed past me and hit the undead, but just glanced off the helmet. Mago cracked and, overcome by fear, ran away down the passage behind us. Amphius once again bravely leapt in close to the undead, while it thrust at me, glancing off my shield, while I missed again. Si'aspiqo cast a protection from evil on Toxoanassa.
Amphius dropped his shortsword and tried to grapple the polearm; he managed to get a hold of it, but it was like wrestling with a tree trunk. I tried to hit the draugr on the head, but checked my blow as it would have hit Amphius. It struggled to discard Amphius, trying to bang him into the wall on the right-hand side, but the Greek managed to hang on and evade the wall. Si'aspiqo tried to light a torch with a cantrip, while I ran around the pillar into the darkness, to try to get in the back of the undead and avoid striking Amphius. Amphius still clung onto the polearm and the draugr trundled across to the pillar, but again missed smashing Amphius into it. Amphius let go and jumped back and the polearm hit the retreating Greek, but I was now able to strike freely and I hit it on the helmet.
Meanwhile Toxoanassa was kicked at by the undead wriggling on the floor. Si'aspiqo lit the torch, and although he was somewhat sheltered behind the sarcophagus, I had a little better light. Amphius picked up his shortsword and as the polearm glanced off my armour, I struck off the draugr’s head. The rest of it crumpled to dust.
I despatched the last two and after a couple of minutes Si'aspiqo and Toxoanassa returned with a somewhat dishevelled Mago. Amphius and I gathered the sword, polearm, bronze spear and two war shields and Amphius noticed a gold ornament. I noticed a gold wire bracelet on one of the severed arms. Amphius had a ten or fifteen minute break and we searched the bodies.
Si'aspiqo cast a fortune telling spell to determine whether the shaft to the right of the entrance was the way to get our charge to his destination – this is an important way came the response. By the light of the dark lantern, he saw three heavy bronze rings in a triangle above the shaft. One on the edge of the entranceway and two in the ceiling. He could see no bottom to the shaft but it was dark down there.
Amphius looked down. He thought there might be a bottom at least 50 maybe 100 feet down. He wrapped a pebble in some light material and dropped it down and thought the bottom was 50 or 60 feet down. There was no rope around, but Amphius thought the brass rings were handling rings similar to those used for hauling cargos on and off ships. Amphius looked for any secret compartments that might store rope, but spotted nothing other than the exit from the chamber, in the far corner.
One of the corpses had a blackened torc of silver or tin. There were two armrings of blackened metal on the spearmen, and across his chest low down, horizontally, was a small scabbard with a knife with a carved bone handle. There was a leather helm with black reeds fitted as a crest and another with deer, goat or sheep horns. The three all had leather armour, much hacked up. The archers recovered all their arrows, they were all broken but the heads were intact.
Si'aspiqo checked the objects for power and recognised the gold object. It was a blue and gold scarab and he thought it old and Egyptian and with some power. The small dagger also tingled. When drawn it was darkish and rather blue, maybe iron or even sky iron. The armrings and torc were tin, Mago said. He had heard of sky iron found in the east. It looked to him as though the dagger had been heated too far, but yet it remained both hard and sharp. Si'aspiqo thought sky iron might bite on the shedim.
Amphius looked down the corridor ahead. It was too narrow for the sarcophagus. As he looked, he spotted a trap. Almost out of sight on the right-hand side was a large iron grate set with spikes and pressure pad. He leapt past the pad and the corridor opened out and then swung round to the right and there were stairs down.
We walked back to the surface leaving the sarcophagus behind us. We emerged not long before midnight.
From Sammus’s Boast:
86: B7 – In the Shadows
We returned to the surface and settled down for a rest, while Si'aspiqo prepared to communicate with the Archon. The magician found it difficult, partly because there were now other voices, but also because the scarab, which was some kind of protection against spirits, seemed to have an impact. He realised that as the door to the catacombs was open, the spirits of the Archon’s ancestors were emerging and these were the other voices he could hear. This also led to my companions and I suffering a very disturbed sleep. Si'aspiqo cast a protection over the entrance to the catacombs and we were all less disturbed in our slumber. While we slept, Amphius weaved our light ropes into heavy rope and ended with 50 feet and 30 feet lengths of heavy rope.
At dawn Toxoanassa and I took it in turns to watch while Amphius slept for a few hours and Mago tried to release the wedges preventing the door into the catacombs from closing. He was unable to remove the wedges without either opening the door with the mechanism or having me force the door back slightly as they were wedged so tightly. He gave up and tied together the two pieces of rope Amphius had weaved.
Whilst I was on watch I thought I might have seen someone watching from the ruins of the village. When Toxoanassa took her turn she thought she could make out a couple of people, and at the end of the watch she rode out to investigate. She rode around the area and the ruins but saw no-one.
We assembled again and Amphius led us down to the chamber with the shaft, taking our rope with us. He looped the rope through one of the brass rings and tied the rope around his waist while I wrapped the other end around my waist and braced myself. Si'aspiqo cast protection from evil on the Greek and I allowed enough slack for him to abseil down the shaft. We thought there would be just enough rope to allow Amphius to descend to the bottom of the shaft.
He clambered slowly down and at one point I felt the strain slackened as though he had stood on a support, but the strain picked up again. Soon after the rope went slack again, but this time it was because Amphius had reached the bottom of the shaft.
After a short time, the rope went taut again and I could tell the Greek was climbing back again. I felt a couple of odd twitches of the rope and suddenly it went slack. There was a thud and a groan as Amphius fell to the bottom of the shaft. The rope must have snapped. He whispered up that he was OK.
I pulled up the rope, Mago tied the grapnel to it and I checked it and lowered it down over the edge, rather than through the rings. After a minute Amphius walked back up the shaft as I kept the rope taut to help him. He had the 30 feet of rope that had detached wrapped around his body.
Si'aspiqo felt it was cold in the chamber and that it seemed dark in the corners. He muttered and cast protection from evil on himself and a ten-foot radius around and then we made our way back to the surface to discuss what Amphius had seen at the bottom of the shaft. On our way out I pushed the mechanised door up and gave Mago just enough play to hammer out his props. The door came down with surprising speed, as I leapt out of the way, but there was not much noise or much of an impact as it reached the ground. It now looked like just part of the wall.
It was still early evening and Amphius reported that the joined rope had reached the bottom. Here there had been a rectangular room with a dais and two tables. Upon each table was a metal bowl. All around three of the four walls were pictures and the other wall had closed double doors. He had heard a trickle of water along one of the walls. The shaft was close to the centre of the room. If he rejoined the heavy ropes and then attached a sling made from some lighter rope, to hold the sarcophagus, Amphius was confident that we could lower it down the shaft to the room.
The rest of the night passed uneventfully. In the morning we fed the prisoners, but left them still tied up. During the night Si'aspiqo had gone into a trance and once again communicated with the Archon. Si'aspiqo confirmed to us that the agreement had been to deliver the coffin to this place, but not to unpackage him and perform any ceremony. He added that he was happy to take the coffin down and put it in place.
Amphius had a nap and then, around mid morning, Toxoanassa rode off to the ruined village. We heard a couple of cries and she returned to report that she had hit two bandits in the leg and incapacitated them.
Amphius awoke and rejoined the heavy ropes, then cut up the lighter rope to make a cargo sling, which he attached to the heavy rope. He then triggered the three mechanisms under the serpent, man and beast statues in succession and then the one under the man statue again. As the door opened, he led myself, Si'aspiqo and Mago into the tunnel with Toxoanassa as rearguard. We followed the ramps down to the octagonal chamber with two tables and then turned right past the altar and round to the room with two pillars and the shaft, where we had left the sarcophagus.
Amphius rigged the harness around the sarcophagus and the rope through the rings and then, as I held the rope, he pushed the sarcophagus out above the shaft. As I lowered it down, there were some grinding noises, but it came free and continued down. There was a bump at the bottom and the rope started to slacken. I lowered it a few inches more and then stopped.
Amphius then prepared to climb down the rope. I told him to give one tug to pull up on the rope and two tugs to lower more rope. Amphius climbed down to the top of the sarcophagus. He gave two tugs and I lowered a little more rope. He lowered the sarcophagus, which landed flat on the ground with a little bit of a crash. The Greek clambered off and reported up the shaft that the sarcophagus was now flat on the floor and the correct way up. He cut the rope below the grapnel and then, holding the rope, he walked up the wall as I helped pull him up.
Si'aspiqo, Mago and Toxoanassa noticed it was colder in the room and darker in the corners. Si'aspiqo walked towards a corner trying to open the lantern, but closed it by mistake. When he opened it again it looked like some of the darkness moved in a shadowy way, particularly off to the left, where a tunnel led off. He thought he saw a glint of steel and bronze and called Amphius to take a look with his dark vision. The Greek too a look and saw a hint of darkness and a shadowy form.
Si'aspiqo cast a protection against evil on me as I armed my shield and took out my sword. I advanced to the entrance, while behind me, Si'aspiqo shone his lantern to try to illuminate the tunnel ahead. Amphius pulled up the rope from the shaft and then drew alongside me to look down the passage and I let him past.
Si'aspiqo called out to the shadowy figure in Egyptian, but it ignored him and I was struck by some sort of magical attack. Amphius thought the shadowy figure was a magician and he and Toxoanassa fired at it. The Scythian missed but Amphius glanced a spark off the helmet of the shadowy figure. Amphius fired again and hit it low down where there was a swirling of shadow, while Toxoanassa again struck sparks off a helmet.
Amphius crouched down to look at the trap and spotted a tile that he thought was a pressure point; he used the pommel of his sword to trigger it. I felt a jolt of pain in my hand and arm and I dropped my sword from another magical attack, just as the iron gate slammed shut against the opening to the passage with a crash. There were spikes sticking out of an iron grill which would have impaled anyone in the first few feet of the tunnel. Amphius picked up my sword and the rope and we headed out.
As we left, swirling darkness came through the grill and occupied the corners of the room. I brought up the rear as I could still wield my shield and the protection Si'aspiqo had cast on me kept the darkness away. Mago led the way and felt the coldness around him. As we reached the altar and turned to the left there seemed to be more shadows but they kept away from the fire in the altar.
Once we reached the hexagonal room the light projected more strongly and we headed to the exit. The lever by the secret door seemed to be in the central position. Amphius moved it to the left and although there was a click, nothing seemed to happen. He then moved it to the right and the door opened smoothly. Amphius stayed behind as the rest of us left, by now my hand and arm had recovered and I took back my sword as I passed him.
Amphius tried moving the lever to the left, but he did not have time to exit before the door swiftly closed. He put it to the right and it reopened, he then put it to the middle and exited. After a few minutes the door closed once again. Shortly afterwards the protection spell dwindled and stopped.
Amphius described what he had been able to see in more detail – a humanoid figure in leather armour with a metal helmet and a weapon in one hand, surrounded by small black flying objects that seemed to form the shadows.
After a short rest, Si'aspiqo went into a trance and tried to communicate with the Archon, but couldn’t get through – he thought this was because the secret door was closed. We rested until dawn so that the magician was fully recovered. We thought we still had a couple of days before we had to reduce our rations.
Amphius opened the door again and we made our way down to the room with the shaft. The grill across the entrance to the tunnel had retracted. As he prepared to set up a ward against evil, Si'aspiqo accidentally triggered the trap and the gate smashed back into place, but fortunately we were all well clear of the spikes. He cast a protection from evil across the entrance to the tunnel and then went into a trance and tried to contact the Archon again.
When he awoke, he told us that the Archon suspected the shadowy figure was Zaigas, one of his ancestors. He added that the Archon promised that the treasure was down there. He had reiterated that he could not afford to lose any servants, so why would he so why would he destroy us? But these words did not fill me with any confidence; if he had no other servants, he would want to control us, not destroy us.
From Sammus’s Boast:
87: B8 – Opening the Box
After awaking from his trance, Si'aspiqo told us that he did not think we should place too much weight on the warnings daubed on the sarcophagus – this might just have been revenge for a disagreement with the Archon’s servants, maybe caused by the less than flattering painting of the Archon on the lid. The Archon had offered a job as his mouthpiece to Si'aspiqo as he was the only “Speaker with the Dead”, which led Si'aspiqo to believe that the Archon would not be able to take over the minds of living people to provide himself with obedient servants, but just have power over the dead in this place.
He further explained that it was an installation rather than a ritual. We were to place the sarcophagus on the table and remove the lid, which should be placed in a nearby slot. Then place the canopic jars in their settings around the table and finally light with normal fire the bale-fires in the metal bowls by the table. We all agreed to go ahead with the ritual.
We returned to the surface to have some refreshments and a brief rest for the magician and then while it was still fairly early morning, we headed back down to the room with the shaft. Here, Amphius triggered the spiked yett, whose spikes hammered into the wall alarmingly close to the Greek. Si'aspiqo cast his protection from evil as a ward along the wall past the tunnel entrance; he thought this would last until sundown. Amphius then climbed on my shoulders and tied the rope onto the ring above the shaft, where it would be in reach for me. He then climbed down the rope, followed by Mago who carried a torch. Toxoanassa tied a stirrup at the end of the rope and I lowered Si'aspiqo, carrying the jars, down the shaft.
Over the next half hour, I heard occasional whispers from below that all was well. Then there was a tug on the rope, I started pulling the rope up and after a brief slip I hauled Si'aspiqo out of the shaft. He reported that they had run out of light as it was taking so long. The sarcophagus was on the bier but so far, they had failed to open it, although Mago and Amphius now thought they had spotted the secret.
We left the catacombs once again and collected a few torches before returning to the room with the shaft, where Si'aspiqo’s ward still seemed to be working and the yett was still in place. Amphius retied the rope and climbed back down followed by Mago and again I lowered Si'aspiqo. Mago and Amphius manage to remove the identified pins and then some wedges.
After some fumbling, the two men removed the lid and a pungent smell of resin filled the room. They propped the lid in the recess identified by Si'aspiqo, with the bandaged face looking balefully out into the room, and then placed the canopic jars in the four recesses. Si'aspiqo went to the metal bowls on the bier. They seemed to contain some shavings or kindling. He lit them using a cantrip and they flared up and then died into a low smouldering fire like that in the altar on the level above. The smoke didn’t go up the shaft but seemed to collect below the ceiling at the north end of the room.
Mago and Amphius climbed the rope and I hoisted Si'aspiqo up. We returned to the door out of the catacombs and Amphius moved the lever over to the right and the door opened. We went through and left it open and Si'aspiqo went into a trance close to the entrance. When he awoke, he had instructions for retrieving our loot. We would need to return to the chamber where the Archon had been placed and were warned to follow the instructions carefully as there were deadly traps. We should find our silver and Si'aspiqo’s promised spell scroll. The Archon wanted to speak to Si'aspiqo again at midnight.
In the chamber there would be an empty shelf to the right-hand side as the Archon would see it, we should break open the panels for the silver, there might be more than agreed, but Si'aspiqo was instructed to pay out the agreed amount. There would be a set of tiles on the wall also on the same side and breaking the third tile from the left and the fourth down would reveal the scroll. Breaking the wrong tile might lead to deadly consequences. Si'aspiqo meditated for a short time.
In the early afternoon we returned to the catacombs, allowing the door to close behind us. We returned to the chamber with the shaft and Si'aspiqo verified that his ward still seemed to be working. Amphius once more tied the rope to the bronze ring and he and Mago climbed back down. As I lowered the rope for Si'aspiqo, it slipped in my hands and Si'aspiqo failed to hang on and fell. Fortunately, he was near the bottom of the shaft and although he landed heavily, he suffered no more than a sprained ankle.
Amphius went to the shelves to the left of the Archon as he looked at him. There was a thinner panel rather than stone at one point and he noticed it seemed hollow. He could not detect any traps, so he took out his sword and managed to lever out some of the panel and found a small recess with little dark blocks. He pulled one out and Mago identified it as an ingot of tarnished silver. It had a Spanish mark on it and weighed about five pounds. Amphius put it back and Si'aspiqo handed out six of them – as agreed with the Archon. Amphius replaced the panel as best he could.
On the same western wall there was a square array of five-by-five tiles. Si'aspiqo counted three from the left and four down from the top. Amphius checked there were no traps and then broke it for him with the pommel of his sword. The tile split and he picked fragments away. Behind was a dark circle. Si'aspiqo created a small light with a cantrip light and carefully pulled out a scroll tube with Egyptian ciphers on the outside. The three men took two ingots each and Si'aspiqo also pocketed the scroll tube. Mago and Amphius climbed up the rope and then Si'aspiqo grasped hold of the rope and placed his foot in the rope stirrup. He stubbed out his torch, gave the signal and I hauled him up and helped him out of the shaft.
We made our way back to the surface for mid afternoon and closed the door behind us.
From Sammus’s Boast:
88: B9 – Return to Caralis
Si'aspiqo carried out a small augury to determine the omens for leaving immediately. He had some difficulty interpreting the way his tokens had fallen but there was no death rune, so we decided we could go. Si'aspiqo meditated and Amphius had a nap while we packed. While on watch Mago had the feeling we were being watched but could not spot anyone.
We released the prisoners with orders not to leave until the morning. One was now fully recovered but both seemed stiff and cowed. We had enough supplies for the animals but less for ourselves. The donkey seemed to have recovered and was no longer lame. We set off in the twilight, soon after the sun went behind the hills. Si'aspiqo mounted up on the pony, which was led by Toxoanassa and Amphius guided us on our way along the road to the left.
It was a clear night and just after midnight the moon came up and we soon came to the end of the valley and turned right to the south. Around dawn we saw the smoke of a settlement off to the south. Si'aspiqo dismounted and limped the last mile to the village, while Amphius sat on the pony with a bag over his head to protect his eyes from the rising sun.
A few villagers appeared and we were recognised and waved in. Si'aspiqo paid 8 silver pieces for some provisions and accommodation. The pony and donkey were given water and some dry hay and the headman appeared and beckoned us into the middle of the settlement and into a large hut with a family inside. He didn’t ask for money but as a token of appreciation Si'aspiqo gave him 2 gold pieces.
After lunch Peleset arrived and it was obvious that the head man had sent for him as soon as we had arrived. He had warned the villagers that we might be back and they should let him know if we arrived.
Si'aspiqo explained that we had fulfilled our mission and put the Archon’s body in position and that the place was quiet when we had left. As far as we knew everything was as it should have been. Although the Archon might have wanted more, we had completed what had been agreed and had other work waiting.
Peleset told us that there was trouble in various parts of island and that it was fortunate that we were foreigners and not Carthaginians as there was trouble to the north between the tribes and the Carthaginians. He added that if we wanted, he could negotiate for us to buy mounts. Si'aspiqo asked him to acquire a pack animal and some provisions.
The magician spoke quietly to Peleset and asked what he had known of Saar. The Sardinian replied that he knew the catacombs were below the centre of the fort and that the family would conduct ceremonies there. He knew in general terms where his master was.
Si'aspiqo asked how the Archon had passed and how they had brought him back. Peleset explained that they had traveled across the sea as a group to Alexandria and up the river to the Temple City. There they had stayed in a house while the Archon had talked to the priest. He added that the Archon had announced that he was going to die and no-one had been surprised as, although he had been in good health, he had been the oldest man in the valley. He told his servants to wait for the body to take home and he had died within a week or two of his announcement.
They had waited for a whole season while the priest had carried out the funeral ceremonies which had been the reason for the trip. Most of the preparations had been completed by another member of the party who was a magician, but this person had died, along with others, during the return journey when plague had struck in Alexandria. Since then, they had been travelling in hope until Si'aspiqo told Peleset that he could speak to the Archon.
Peleset negotiated with the head man on our behalf. The head man agreed to organise food and a donkey back to Caralis in exchange for 20 gold pieces. The donkey seemed in good health, much better than that of Mago’s beast and there were a couple of paniers full of fodder and some provisions for ourselves. It was evident that Peleset had prepared the way for our appearance and Si'aspiqo gave him 4 gold pieces as a token of our appreciation and we all wished him well. He advised us to return to Caralis as soon as possible and suggested we travel at night to avoid any bandits and tribes on the warpath.
We set off again around dusk with Si'aspiqo mounted on the pony led by Toxoanassa as his ankle still had not recovered. Amphius led us off the road as we approached the border guard post and we successfully avoided the sentries and any settlements before rejoining the road and continuing along it until the sun started to rise.
Toxoanassa chose a camp site in an olive grove near the road but after we had slept for a couple of hours, during my watch I spotted peasants coming to work in the grove. We set off again as they rapidly left the area. Amphius held on to my belt to follow me along the road as Si'aspiqo was still mounted on the pony. We saw a few farm workers but they always immediately found somewhere else to be.
A couple of hours before dusk, Mago’s pony started to limp again and we had to transfer some of its burden to the donkey from the village, which was evidently of a much higher quality.
Soon after, Toxoanassa spotted the dust of a horse patrol ahead and we discussed hiding. However, we decided that this must be a Carthaginian patrol and hiding might be suspicious, so we just waited at the side of the road. After about 20 minutes 16 fairly well armed and equipped militia arrived led by a Carthaginian officer.
The officer asked if anyone spoke Carthaginian and Si'aspiqo told him we were returning from a job and mentioned that we were friends of Agripinus, who was known to the Carthaginian officer. He switched to Arma as we introduced ourselves and said that Agripinus had warned him to look out for his four companions and we explained we had met Mago on our way. He asked if Amphius was OK as he had a sack over his head and the Greek explained that he was sun blind. He told us his name was Pythas and that his troop were going out for one more day and might be able to escort us on their return trip. “You should push on and we will probably see you tomorrow”, he finished and then they cantered off.
It was the end of the day and we had been marching for almost 24 hours so we looked for the village of Sullo, whose cart we had repaired on our way to Saar. We didn’t spot it, but instead found a site near the road down by the river. Si'aspiqo made a midnight offering to the goddess and the rest of the night passed uneventfully.
We watered the pony and donkeys in the morning and Mago’s donkey seemed to have recovered after the rest. Amphius was now able to mount on a donkey as enough provisions had been consumed, so we set out along the road again and made good progress. It was sweltering towards the middle of the day, particularly wearing chainmail as I was and we stopped for a long siesta before returning to the road after hottest part of day.
Late in the afternoon, the cavalry returned. Pythas said he was pressing on but told us he would leave word at the north gate. As a password we should tell the watch that “Pythas’s mother is Aphrodite” he said. They rode off and we marched on along the road.
At dusk we could see the outline of Caralis ahead. In the gathering gloom the pony was startled by something. It stumbled and then galloped off with Si'aspiqo hanging on for grim death. Fortunately, Toxoanassa calmed the pony before the magician was thrown off.
We arrived at the gate just after midnight and hailed the watch. Amphius gave the password, the gate was opened and we were inspected and allowed to enter. We returned to the same inn before and it open to let us in. We were served some refreshments and given a room.
And so it was that we all returned safely from those catacombs in the Sardinian hinterland, to enjoy a well-earned rest in the city of Caralis.
From Sammus’s Boast:
89: C1 — A Problem in Emporion
The next morning, we found that Kallicrates was still in port. He had a quick contract to get some provisions and gear from up the coast to Tharras or Neapolis for the Carthaginians but we agreed to meet on his return.
Agripinus and arranged to convert four bars of silver into gold which came to 120gp. Toxoanassa and Amphius each kept a silver ingot. I put in 20gp for the gold wire bracelet as valued by Mago and we sold the tin torc and armrings for 30gp. Agripinus took the donkey and pony to the army and as he was able to vouch for us and we also had Sullo’s affidavit, we were given half value (40gp) for the pony, even though it was recognised as a military mount. We were also given 8gp for the donkey. Si'aspiqo took the scroll as his reward while the rest of us had one and a half ingots of silver (5lbs each) and expenses of 52gp.
Mago returned his donkey, sold his ingots and then helped me to find a goldsmith who made two coiled gold armrings. Each was made from a bar of 200gp of melted gold, bent into concentric coils. Along with my other jewelry I felt that this allowed me to cut an impressive figure. The two archers then bought arrows and the makings of some fire arrows and Amphius also bought a box to keep them in along with some headbands and a leather helmet he designed to help protect him from sunlight.
Si'aspiqo studied the scroll of healing sleep and tested the spell on a couple of the wounded Carthaginian soldiers and it seemed to work well. The scarab was very valuable, he thought, for it was a lovely piece of art aside from its magical properties. It had been stolen from a tomb so some people (Egyptians in particular he said) would immediately take offence against anyone wearing it. In any case he thought that it was not a good market here. It was a protection of soul or mind — but this was probably a side effect of its main purpose which was for a named person probably a dead pharaoh. It would probably be best to sell it in a big city where people had few principles.
He thought the dagger would bite on things that a normal dagger wouldn’t. He thought it was sky iron, and Mago agreed. He thought there might be something more about it that he hadn’t yet found. Myself, Agripinus and Toxoanassa thought it could be made into a Carthaginian stabbing spear, but not a hoplite heavy spear as it was too slender, and that it was probably best left as a dagger. We decided to let Si'aspiqo and Amphius hang on to the scarab and dagger respectively for now.
There were a lot of refugees in Caralis, who had fled their homes in the interior, bringing with them just what they could carry. The garrison was depleted here and there were less patrols in the city than normal and Amphius heard rumours of the increased opportunities for crime. There was a lot of speculation on how long it would take to put down the rebellion. Agripinus bought some jewelry from one of the refugees who was keen to convert it into cash.
Kallicrates returned after 2 weeks and started unloaded provisions. He had taken paying passengers to Tharras, the port on the north of Sardinia, who hoped to then find a ship onwards from there. He was happy to discuss with us what we wanted to do next. Odysseus of Athens, his pilot, a short scrawny man, recommended crossing the Blessed Sea to the northwest to Emporion, the largest Greek settlement near the mountains and the centre point of trade up to Gaul or along the coast. He had been to Gadir, beyond the pillars of Hercules he said. From Emporion we would be able to work our way along the coast to the Carthaginian settlements. We all agreed this sounded a good plan.
Kallicrates was delighted to welcome us all on board particularly with the addition of Mago with his experience in naval dockyards. He suggested that we each put in 50gp and he would match the total to buy a cargo for Emporion. He returned after a couple of days and told us he had found a cargo abandoned by another Greek and waiting shipment to Emporion. He had secured three blocks of fine marble ideal for carving for 600gp. He thought it should be worth double that or more in Emporion.
I had volunteered to watch the ship but I swapped duty with one of the sailors to help Si'aspiqo, who wished to make a sacrifice to Astarte. Agripinus was busy, but made sure the town watch went past the ship. Mago, Amphius, Toxoanassa and I accompanied the magician in a small fishing boat. We were dropped off on a long curving sandy beach near Caralis in the late afternoon. The fishermen agreed to come and collect us in the morning.
Si'aspiqo lit a small fire and prepared for a midnight ceremony and we enjoyed a picnic of wine and cheese. I noticed some driftwood and footprints but all seemed quiet now. Amphius noticed that there was sparkling in the ocean as it got darker — he pointed out faint phosphorescent lights glowing on the water. The stars came out on a warm evening.
Shortly before midnight, Si'aspiqo set up his statue, made a fire in front of it, and set a protected circle around it. He then sacrificed food and wine, and added charcoal and powders to the fire. He called to Astarte that she was remembered, told her where he was and what he had been doing and asked for her blessing on the next voyage. The offerings flared up brightly and he could smell hot sand, cedar and aromatic wood reminiscent of North Africa and could make out the faint outline of a face in the fire. He thought the ceremony had gone well. He tidied up and slept peacefully until dawn. The fishing boat eventually arrived, delayed by the calm weather, and ferried us back to the harbour late in the morning.
It took two days to prepare the ship. During this time, three large blocks of pale stone wrapped in cargo nets arrived on a cart, were hoisted on board and then stowed low down in the boat. Kallicrates also stored food and water. Amphius had a box full of arrows and Mago a sackful of pebbles for his sling. I made a contribution to Agripinus, who included it with his own ceremony asking Tanit for a successful journey. Before we set sail a number of Carthaginian officers and dignitaries came to say goodbye to Agripinus, who was obviously a man of some reputation in these parts.
We set sail at dawn with a light easterly wind and after rowing out of the harbour the sail was set and we headed west with the wind mainly behind us. Three days and nights passed without incident while the wind, though somewhat fitful, persisted from the east. We made good progress through the days and with Amphius keeping watch were able to sail on during the night.
In the late afternoon of the fourth day there was a cry of land ho and eventually land became clear through the clouds. Odysseus thought we should head North along the coast but had not confirmed where we were by the time darkness fell, so we drifted for the night. It was a starry night and Amphius spotted a dark shape in the water, which he thought was circling the ship. He woke and warned Kallicrates and then ourselves, but no-one else could see anything. Eventually the pre-dawn light arrived.
As it brightened Agripinus too saw a shape in the water — a large dark fish with a fin breaking the water. Odysseus thought it might be a shark and remarked that it was thought unlucky to be followed by one. Kallicrates ordered the sail raised as the wind veered more to the south and slightly west and strengthened. By mid-morning we could make out a bay with stone walls and buildings, and an island with a small fortress. The oars were put out, the crew rowed into harbour and Kallicrates announced we had arrived in Emporion.
Most of the town was south of the port, while to the north was an island with a fortress which was the old harbour and settlement. The walls and fortifications were probably bigger than Caralis and this was the first place since Carthage that was Greek. Looking around at the local populace they seemed worried and unhappy and seemed to be wondering who we were, which was not what I would have expected in a trading port.
Kallicrates spoke to the harbour master and reported that things had changed since last year. The City Council had voted to elect Platon as ruler for a limited period of time and things were not as free as previously and he wasn’t sure why. He thought it was probably best to stay on the boat while he worked out what was going unless we were Greek. We knew that Greeks and Carthage had clashed in Sicily but as far as we knew they were not at war and, although we had heard there might be trouble brewing, there was no news that this had developed into anything.
After dusk Amphius went out and returned just before midnight. Kallicrates and the Greek members of the crew were still in a bar somewhere. Amphius had heard from a source that there had been a series of killings in the city around the full moon. The background to this appeared to be related to a prominent visitor called Jeremiah and his wife. She had been suspected of witchcraft and they had both been executed in turn around 18 months ago. Jeremiah had cursed the city — since then there had been multiple earthquakes. These had resulted in damage to the new temple, where building work had ceased and to the Agora. Finally in the necropolis a tomb had sunk into the ground leaving behind a large hole from which a gorgon issued forth each full moon, or so the rumours told. Platon, the Tyrant, had issued an invite to mighty heroes to take care of the problem, but none had arrived thus far. Already some priests had tried without success and had been slaughtered by the monster. It seemed the gorgon’s victims were torn apart. The next full moon was about four nights away.
Kallicrates returned a couple of hours later, looking surprisingly sober and rather concerned. with things on his mind. He confirmed that the new temple had been damaged by earthquake and construction had ceased, which would make it difficult to sell our cargo. Platon appeared to have instigated regular military exercises some of which were starting shortly. Kallicrates thought that we had two choices; either to leave immediately on the next tide and wonder what to do with cargo or stay here which would mean getting involved in the military exercises. He wondered what we felt of the second option, he added that he knew Platon was keen on experienced mercenaries and priests of power might have some defensive duties.
Si'aspiqo said that there was more to this than Kallicrates was letting on and we huddled closer around the Greek. He told us that there were certainly problems for the state that they were cautious not to spread as rumours would affect trade. The men on exercises were trying to keep it secret and if we got involved, we might be here for the duration he warned. Si'aspiqo pressed him to be clearer as this was beginning to smell of something and eventually after swearing us to secrecy he explained further.
There was a haunting of sorts with something from the Necropolis — some kind of spawn of titans or a foreign demon he thought, raised by the curse of sorcerers from the east. Everyone was conscripted into the military and given part of the city to defend. Platon had sent word for heroes to the Temples of Nemesis — the nearest was in Sicily but most were in Greece and there had been no response so far. If we were keen to get involved, he could try to introduce us as a mercenary company specialising in dealing with monsters he added.
After discussions we agreed that Kallicrates should introduce ourselves, but emphasize that we were not wall guards but an independent company of mercenaries. He thought we could walk into the Agora and town but we would attract attention so we waited while he had a nap and then left to get an introduction to Platon for us. He returned after a couple of hours having arranged an interview for the noble Agripinus and whoever he wanted to take with him.
We assembled and followed Kallicrates up the harbour steps and through the gate. We worked our way through a compact city with many stone buildings, and the damaged Agora and then beyond into a town hall. Here we were admitted into an antechamber by a guard. We waited half an hour or so before an underling showed us into a Greek hall with a dozen Greeks on guard.
Kallicrates told Platon that we were mercenaries on his ship, men and an Amazon who could keep a secret and might be able to help in his military situation. He would leave it for us to discuss as experts and specialists and he would return to his ship.
Agripinus introduced himself and the rest of our group and explained that we had heard of Emporion’s plight and sought to aid him. We had sworn an oath of secrecy and would like more information he added.
Platon looked like a grizzled army commander in his late forties. He was well muscled and in good shape with the scars of an experienced warrior. After we repeated our oath of secrecy the Tyrant explained that the city was being molested by a demon invoked by foreigners and which needed to be dealt with before confidence in trade failed. The creature issued forth at night near the full moon from the necropolis he added. His men had tried digging it out and blocking it in to no avail. Various priests had tried warding and banishing the demon but to no effect apart from leaving multiple vacancies at various temples. He hoped Tanit might prove more effective. He would provide free accommodation and free rein to investigate the necropolis. If we succeeded, he would be grateful and would provide citizenship and a reward. If we failed, we would be buried with full military honours.
Agripinus thanked him and told him that we needed to gather information, talk to the temple and any with experience related to the problem. We would then talk of requirements and rewards. Platon seemed happy with that and pulled out a carved wooden baton, a skeptron, and told Agripinus to show it to any priests or guards and they would co-operate. He mentioned the temples to Artemis, Zeus Serapis and in particular Asclepius, which was famed throughout the region, we would be provided healing if needed by the latter. The Tyrant reminded us that this was a secret mission within the walls of town. He did not want word spreading over the Blessed Sea. We agreed to return at sunset.