RHOAS SORCERERS
The sorcerers wore jet-black make-up on their faces made with coal dust, a vertical smeared line that cut their faces in two. There were five men and three women, who maintained impassive expressions and controlled movements.
Glax guessed that there were different degrees of experience among them, as they wore different symbols on necklaces that hung over their chests.
They did not get off the boats.
'Okay… Sorcerers, wizards or whatever… Rhoas are the family of Jolla and Rasmus, right? It can't be that bad.'
Rasmus cleared his throat and face and went to talk to them.
"Ah, hi. Jolla asked you to come, didn't she?"
"That light," said one of them, without introducing himself. "That light that went up in the sky and attracted all the spirits with you. Who did that magic?"
He was an angular, tall bald man with a beard that was pointed and black as the charcoal line. His harsh and arrogant features meant Glax did not immediately sympathize with him.
"Nobody did any magic. Glax 'unplugged the monster'. He finished Sillabot who was dying. So it happened."
Glax watched the Rhoas wizards' reaction from side to side as they listened to Rasmus's succinct account.
The speaking man stared at Glax. In the background, Glax noticed that three of them were deeply focused and their lips were moving non-stop. Were they doing magic?
Then Glax stepped forward,
"My wife General Chriseis planned an attack on this monster. Unfortunately, we were hit by a storm in the middle of the battle. Although we managed to defeat the monster, it was necessary to return here today. Inside,' Glax pointed to the crater in the monster's belly, 'you will find something curiously weird. That that light came out from it and took all the others with it."
"Thank you, echelian brothers. Now you warriors can rest deservedly." The man joined them, leaving the boat. Glax felt a fresh breeze blowing and blowing away the fog quickly.
The man gave a smirk, "We have already met? I am Oraste of Fameia. Lady Jolla indeed sent me a message..."
"Are you related to her?" Rasmus interrupted at random.
Without paying attention to the intent of the question, Oraste replied with no expression on his face,
"We are Rhoas, if that's what you mean."
"No. I want to know if you're her cousin or something. Why did she call you, after all?"
"Why… I, I don't know how to answer that, brother Rhoas. I just..."
"I'm not your bro. I want to know where you know Jolla from. This question is not that difficult. Who are you?" The big man approached Oraste flexing his muscles, but the bony wizard just rolled his eyes.
Glax refrained from shaking his head in disbelief.
"Rasmus, what's the matter? Lady Jolla is your wife for a few days. "
"It's not like she was born to be yours, either." Oraste looked sideways at Rasmus, who widened his eyes in outrage.
"WHAT ARE YOU SAYING?!!!"
Another wizard interrupted, aghast.
"Don't embarrass your mother by being as stupid as a goat. Don't even embarrass Lady Jolla before her peers. Lord Oraste is the Successor to Lord Dinarkhos, father of Lady Jolla, on the Astrodome."
Rasmus snorted, not satisfied with the answer, but Glax interrupted him,
"Lord Oraste, we are mountain men and we have not met many Rhoas so far. If Lady Jolla asked for your help, it's because there's something you can do. Right?"
"We arrived a little late, from what I see." Oraste was still offended by Rasmus's reaction, and walked to the open hole in what remained of Sillabot. His acolytes followed him like curious birds.
"Jolla didn't tell me about him..." Rasmus grunted.
"Come on, Ras ... She didn't even have time to it."
"Only we don't need their help." His friend kept mumbling under his breath.
"I don't think they like you either, Rasmus. The white guy has already made it clear."
They briefly commented to each other while the priests also whispered their opinions at the edge of the furnace.
Glax asked even more quietly,
"What do these guys do that is so special? What is the Astrodome?"
"I don't know what the Astrodome is. But in the Rhoas family, the best magi of our clan are usually born. It must be in the blood. It's said some can even cause storms and earthquakes."
"Seriously?"
"At least that's what my mother used to say."
Glax wondered what kinds of magic existed in Stygia. But he realized that the group of wizards wasn't interested in talking to the warriors. And that his curiosity would have to wait.
:::::::::::::::::
Upon returning, Glax noticed that the weather had changed for the better and the fog was dissipating. He suspected that this had to do with the Rhoas Sorcerers' arrival.
They saw the red and white sails of a small but imposing fleet of echelian ships. He deduced it was the governor of the province, or as they called it, archon.
And he wasn't wrong. Likomedes, that was the name of the archon, was a Rhoas who, now Glax knew, did not fit very well in his family's mystical archetype.
Stout and stony-eyed, he spoke loudly like most Echelians Glax had met until then. And was more effusive than he should have been when referring to Chriseis's death.
"Lady Chriseis will remain forever in our memories. She's not only a heroine of Hissoria, but of the entire clan! Her victories, her victories...! We will play games in honor of her! Yea! Lady Chriseis is an example for every echelian warrior."
"You're not happy because she died to be a hero, are you?" he heard himself saying, much to his own surprise.
Likomedes blinked,
"Helios bless us, of course I do! She will be praised in songs and poetry! Many girls and boys will beat each other up for the honor of being Lady Chriseis in war games! Armors and weapons like hers will be sold by the entire clan and perhaps even by the empire! Statues will be erected in her honor… Yes! Statues?! Hissoria will finally have a statue of a hero...!"
The archon didn't finish speaking because Glax hit him with a punch, followed by a flying kick on the archon's chest. Out of his enraged heart, before he could even think he didn't really know how to do it, it is.
The retired warrior took a few steps back, caught off guard by the blows, eventually stumbling and falling on his butt. But he got up as fast as he could and put his hand on his waist to pick up his sword. However, both sides were separated.
Glax spat on the floor, furious, without taking his eyes off the infamous governor of the Province.
Likomedes wiped the corner of his lips with a closed fist, angered and also staring at Glax. Finally, he chuckled.
"Well then. You are the widower of Lady Chriseis. Your heart speaks louder now. You cannot see that Lady Chriseis' greatest purpose is to serve the clan, as inspiration. As you should serve, Champion of the Armorion Games! An echelian lives and dies for the clan, and we all wish it to be a bloody and glorious death!"
"It looks like you're taking too long to do your part, Archon!"
The older man was livid and without action this time, but Glax was taken from him and only heard the insults as he walked away. Rasmus took him away, and laughed,
"I didn't know you liked her..."
"Damn, man, she was a person, not a brand that the clan can take advantage of as political propaganda..."
"Again, I'm not sure if I understand correctly, but if what you're saying is that they should respect her as a person… But, you said she only cared about fame and glory. Her spirit must be content with the outcome, then and her memory...
Glax left his friend talking to himself and sprinted to the top of the hill, where the temple of the Moon Goddess was located.
They were making sacrifices and *libations*. Then the top of the hill smelled like barbecue and herbs and wine. The temple was small, made of red marble, and was the first brand new public building he saw since he isekai-ed to Stygia.
There were tents on the patio outside, where the wounded were being treated. A middle-aged and quite chubby lady came to greet the valosian champion in the atrium. She wore a red tunic with symbols of the moon in various stages, and a very elaborate hairdo like a giant croissant on her head.
"Where's ... General Chriseis?"
"Lord Kroton, Lady Chriseis is inside the temple, with the goddess..."
A little stunned, Glax thought the priestess was referring to a real goddess, but then he understood she wasn't. He just followed her directions, and respectfully entered the temple.
The building dedicated to the goddess Moon Selene looked bigger inside than outside. The tall columns ended in a ceiling decorated with stars and a woman with long hair floating in cloths that also floated. It was not a particularly beautiful art, but it conveyed the idea. He saw the statue of the goddess, in the center of the great hall, and at his feet, the bier where Chriseis's body had been placed.
He approached.
His big goal was to clear his mind once and for all.
Where was the spirit of Chriseis?