35 SWEET AND BITTER

They heard a sound that Glax could only compare to dolphins or girls squeeing with very high-pitched voices.

Anteu relaxed his posture and said,

"It's a friend."

Charikleia was entering the cave and was surprised to see Glax there. She was carrying a heavy basket. Glax's upbringing didn't allow him to just stay still, and he went to help her.

"Madame ..." He took the basket to relieve her from the heavy bundle.

"What are you doing here, Lord Glax?!"

"I fell down the ravine last night and woke up here."

The basket was obviously full of food, because of the delicious aroma it gave off. Glax handed it to Anteu, who moved away from them to store the food.

Meanwhile Charikleia whispered,

"If you had been reasonable, none of this would have happened. But now that you know everything that's at stake here, you must make a decision. Will you be against me or will you be my friend? If the governor sends another nobleman to take charge of the island, one who doesn't accept our customs and our secrets..."

"You don't have to draw it to me. I already understood this is why you think you need a son… a pretty human-looking son. But there is no guarantee that we will hit the divine lottery the first time… hey, wait!" Glax shut up when he realized he was giving in to a flawed act.

"It's good to know that you are preparing yourself mentally for more than one go, Lord Kroton! Call me 'madame' and I promise it will be ... unforgettably warm, pulsating and delicious," she murmured mischievously, and then straightened her shoulders when Anteu was returning.

"Whatever has happened, Lord Kroton, it is better to return now the day is dawning. Before they look for you." She pretended that was what she was talking about all the time. Glax did not deny it. Turning to Anteu he asked,

"If possible, can I come back here later? To chat a little more? The stories you told me about the sorcerer and Persos puzzled me." In addition, Glax wondered if he would be able to take a look at the old vessel pulled by golden dolphins.

Anteu agreed with a smile, the first since Glax was there. The valosian figured he wouldn't want to have the lonely life this guy had, even if people in the village protected him.

"Of course, Lord Kroton." And turning to Madame Damastios, the triton suggested, "It would be nice if you could apply healing oils to the wound on his thigh and neck."

"I'll do it. Lord Glax will be treated well. What he will do for us is invaluable."

::::::::::::

It wasn't long before Glax was following her down a narrow, deserted path between the rocks. He had no doubt that this was the longest and most discreet path from the Damastios' house to the Triton's lair. It was going to start raining soon, and shrieking loudly, the birds sought shelter.

Glax stumbled when Charikleia suddenly stopped in front of him, bending down to fix the sandal on her heel. This meant that not only did her appetizing and firm ass get in a very sensual position, the veil over her head and face also slipped partially.

"If you like what you see, why are you so vehemently refusing what I offer you?" she purred.

"Last night, I didn't know you or your reasons." The Valosian spoke, seeing no real reason to flee Charikleia this time. The black fabric of her dress was thin enough to hint at the peach shape of her sweet rear; and the slits of the echelian dresses left the golden firm legs well exposed, usually. She was the most wonderful MILF he had ever seen, and Glax Jr agreed with him. And he had had time to see part of her face, before Charikleia turned her face away, on purpose.

Lightly stroking her upturned ass and sliding his hand to the curve of her hips, he moved his body closer to hers.

"Do you really want it that way? With a perfect stranger?"

"You are the Champion of Armorion. You have the blood of heroes. It's enough for me."

"Uh, you could also have said that I'm too hot to resist." Glax slid his hand over her belly, and up, feeling her body stiffen with his grip and rough teasing. She breathed deeply, suppressing a moan, but remained in the same position, with her body bent at 90 degrees, giving him access to everything.

Like the night before, his body urged for it, in fact even more. He had already put aside all the questions and precautions, while his free hand slid under her skirt and found the soft and warm spot between her legs. He let his chest touch the widow's sensuous back. Leaning over her, Glax whispered,

"Madame ... you are this ready?"

He felt Charikleia's core react approvingly in reaction, and contained his laughter.

'Madame' was the keyword.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Glax could barely keep his eyes open when he waited for Chriseis at the port, in the middle of the afternoon. A torrential rain had fallen on Athios since morning and he took shelter under an awning.

His leg had not improved at all, with or without healing oils and massage. There was, of course, no iatromancer in the village, and he didn't want to go into detail about his small and unsuccessful nightly escape.

When Chriseis got off the ship, she wasn't in a better mood than when they said goodbye. She gave several orders to her subordinates, ignoring Glax for a while. But the fact he was waiting there surprised her, and the general lady smiled.

"Come" he spread his cloak over her head, even though it was useless. She was damp from head to toe.

"Why do you act like that?" she asked when he held the horse by the reins so she could climb it.

"Like this?" he raised an eyebrow and felt water entering his uncovered eye from looking up. He wondered if he should have a mask that covered his entire face for rainy weather.

She made a vague gesture encompassing everything, the rain, the horse and the cloak.

"Are you asking why I'm here?" He had quite important reasons, but it wasn't interesting to tell her.

She nodded, waiting he would climb his horse. The village provided the animals for the Krotons as a courtesy.

"Ah, it's in the Principles. I want my mom to be proud of me, wherever she is."

"You are very…"

"Strange, Glax of Valosia. I know, I know. Just don't care about me, then. I once read something, Chriseis, that changed my way of thinking." He waited for her horse to start walking to follow her.

"Oh yes. And what is it? "

"'Nothing is as strong as kindness, nothing is as gentle as true strength,'" he quoted the phrase from San Francis of Sales, knowing that it would be unheard of for her.

She wasn't looking at him up to this moment, but she turned, surprised.

"I don't think I need to file my teeth, paint my face, or pretend to ignore you to show that I'm a tough man."

She looked ahead. They were on their way to the Damastios' house.

"Did you see Sillabot?" he asked. "I was worried that the rain would divert your ship straight to him.

"No. We didn't see it. What's it like?"

"It's not made of flesh and blood, Chriseis. I don't know how effective spears will be against it. It's made of metal. Screws and steam are its joints and blood."

She shook her head in internal denial. It wasn't what she wanted to hear, and her expression got even harder under the rain.

"Do you mean that it's a machine? Do you think it's the first?"

Glax was speechless. Yes, he did.

"Is it not? Did you know? And why didn't you tell me?"

"I did not know about Sillabot. But it's not the first of its kind. A year ago… A group of Echelians was sent to a village called Methinoita, next to the source of Hubria river. They managed to stop the metal creatures, but only one messenger returned. Two monsters in armor had appeared there. In the beginning, the peasants heard the sound of the old machines at work ... But they didn't have the courage to go there. Until the monsters came close to people." She wiped the water off her face with Glax's cloak. "What spirits inhabit these things? A sage should try to find out. As for us warriors, all that matters is to stop them."

It was a pragmatic thought, and Glax nodded. Anyway, they were arriving at the house and the conversation would have to be halted.

:::::::::::::

As Glax already knew, the elders of Athios told the general everything they knew about Sillabot. About how they realized something strange was going on and how the young Nikephoros went there, only to perish quickly. And as two other incursions also failed before Lord Damastios also joined a crew of warriors, with no greater success than the others.

The only part Glax doubted was that they asked the governor for help, but now he understood the reasons.

Glax had obtained parchment and painting instruments from Charikleia's artistic daughters, and after recollecting his manual drawing techniques he devoted himself to drawing Sillabot as accurately as he could remember.

While listening to Chriseis and the men talking in the room next to him, he drew the parts he remembered and even deduced the parts he didn't see, which were submerged. Sillabot had to be content with the resources he found on an old steamboat ship.

Glax thought what kind of people these were. They had arrived in Stygia with gunpowder and steam, while the Vselys brought... necromancy? Dark magic? It was curious to see how Stygia first adopted the news and then rejected them.

The inhabitants of the Ascended Hell were very excited to meet other people, but… Glax had the impression that everything had gone very wrong. He would like to know more about the war, as soon as he could.

Knowing the monster had used the available technology and adapted it, he imagined Sillabot moved with paddle wheels. The mecha kept afloat carrying tons of marine litter as ballast and food for his boiler. The creature used the small island as a forge to produce its pieces, but that was an endless task.

He took his time drawing the details, absorbed, as if he had always been a project designer, not a digital character illustrator.

Everything suggested that steam was the great driving force. He needed his boiler to never cool down. But how was that possible?

It had to have a source of heat inside him. Glax's project told him that. If that heat source ceased to exist, everything else would lose its strength and the machine would stop.

The boiler was inside that hole where Sillabot was bringing everything.

He heard the heavy footsteps behind him and turned in his chair to show Chriseis his drawing. "Look, Chriseis, this is Sillabot."

She took the drawing and carried it close to a torch. He explained,

"Here, in that part, is his energy source. It's a boiler. Hot as hell. That part needs to be destroyed and we have something that can be used! It is only necessary..."

"No. I won't use banned weapons, Glax!" She didn't let him continue, correctly guessing where the conversation would lead to.

Glax could not control his frustration,

"Chris! Don't be stubborn! Look at that! You are going to risk enough. Many lives! But the onager I built, it can...!"

"No is no! You're not even going to take part in this, Glax! You will stay on the ground, if all you want to do is stain my name with your banned items!" She spoke coldly, although her gaze sparked.

"Ah, okay. You're the general here, but you can't even see the obvious. You only think of your glory and your honor. I have an easier way!"

"I don't care about your easy way! We won't do it your way. We will do it MY WAY. I am the general, and you have just joined the Echelian forces just because you are a Kroton. Don't forget that, Glax. Don't forget your place in the hierarchy! You either obey, or you will stay onshore. What is going to be?"