Then Telamon thrust his sword into the sky and roared. He was swiftly followed by Atalanta, Hylas, Peleus, Ancaeus and the twins, until the entire ship was clamoring.
A stony weight settled in Danae’s stomach as she looked at Jason. The captain was still. He made no effort to regain control of his crew. Perhaps he knew it would be futile now their blood was up.
Tears streaked the stranger’s hollow cheeks, but he raised a finger to his lips and frantically gestured for the Argonauts to be quiet.
“Thank you, thank you! But we must hurry, they will have heard you.”
“Good,” said Heracles.
“There’s too many of them. Please come with me, I couldn’t live with myself if I sent you to face them unprepared. We must go, quickly.”
Heracles appraised him for a moment, then placed a large hand on his shoulder. “Come then, take us to your people.”
They traveled by ship, skirting along the beach. The stranger told them not to leave theArgobeached on the shore, otherwise it would be destroyed.
“My name is Cyzicus,” he said, once they were aboard. “You wouldn’t believe it to look at me, but I am the King of the Doliones.” He raked a hand through this filthy hair. “You can moor your ship to the rocks at the end of the isthmus, it will be safe there. The creatures never venture beyond the beach. I will explain everything once we’re inside.”
Jason ordered the crew to do as he said. Sweat trickled between Danae’s shoulders as she clambered down from theArgoonto the wave-slicked rocks. She couldn’t shake the gnawing feeling this was her doing. The prophecy stone had tried to warn her, but she didn’t recognize it as a warning, and now the Argonauts were about to fight a deadly foe they knew next to nothing about.
“Follow me,” Cyzicus called from further along the rocky outcrop. Then he ducked out of sight.
The Argonauts climbed after him, one by one disappearing behind the rocks. When Danae reached the spot she saw an opening, invisible until you were upon it. Easing through the gap, she found herself in a tunnel. Green veins of algae snaked over the walls. It was steep and treacherously slippery, the rock echoing her breath back to her. She flattened her hands against the damp stone for stability and descended. A familiar tightness bound her chest as the daylight faded behind them. Perhaps it was her imagination, but the rock passage felt like it was growing narrower. She closed her eyes and forced herself to breathe.
Gods, she hated being underground.
Finally, a glimmer of light silhouetted the outlines of the crew ahead, and they stepped out into a cave. Danae looked up. The ceiling stretched high above her, jagged with the underside of the rocks they’d just climbed over. She tried not to think about the weight of the ocean pressing in around them. The steady drip, drip, drip of seawater punctuated the air and glistening stalactites lengthened down to kiss their stalagmite sisters stretching up from the floor.
Clustered around the stone structures were people. About forty or so men, women and children, all bedraggled like Cyzicus. They reminded Danae of the forgotten citizens of Delphi, forced to hide in the cracks to stay alive. Their faces flickered in the weak light of several bronze dishes holding stuttering candles, filling the cave with a stifling smokiness. Despite the few pieces of ragged material stretched between the stalactites for shelter, everything was wet and smeared with algae. Even the Dolionian’s faces looked green. Many shied away from the strangers who’d invaded their sanctuary. A few of the men drew their weapons.
“Doliones!” shouted Cyzicus. “Do not be afraid, these warriors are going to help us fight the Earthborn.” He stepped aside. “And look, the mighty Heracles is among them! The gods have not forsaken us. Zeus has sent his son to our aid!”
The Doliones lowered their weapons, eyes glistening with wonder. Danae wouldn’t have thought it possible, but she felt even more wretched than before.
“Why the long face?” Hylas whispered. “The omens are good.”
She avoided his gaze.
A stout woman with deep brown skin and hair flecked with gray came pacing toward Cyzicus, as fast as the slippery floor would allow.
“Cleite, my love!”
Cleite slapped him across the face.
“You foolish man.” Her voice shook with fury. “How could you go out there on your own without a weapon?”
Two small children appeared behind her skirts. She glanced down at them and placed her hands protectively around their shoulders. Dark circles puckered her eyes.
“Did you once think about your girls? About me? About your people?”
Cyzicus rubbed his cheek, then bent down and took his daughters in his arms. “I know, it was foolish to go unarmed. But when I saw these warriors on the beach, I couldn’t miss the opportunity to recruit their help.”
Cleite pressed her lips into a hard line. She looked at the array of strangers standing in her cave then said to Cyzicus, “I suppose they’ll need feeding.” She turned to the Argonauts. “We’ve not much, but a hot meal is the least we can do if you really are going to help us.” She turned away muttering, “Gods save us all.”
Danae noticed a wooden structure snaking up the rock wall to the ceiling. A rickety ladder, constructed from what looked like driftwood, rose up to a small platform.
“Is that how you saw us?” she asked Cyzicus.
He followed her gaze and nodded. “There’s a crack between the rocks above sea level. You can see most of the beach from up there. We wouldn’t have survived without it.”
