SHIPRAIDING IS FUN

Thank God we had enough food to satisfy a family of elephants. The island we were on was a grassland filled with rolling hills and, well, grass. There were a few trees and bushes, but nothing edible grew on them unless you considered leaves to be food. No crops or vegetation was planted on the ground, and I sensed no breeze here either. The place was a scorching desert, and a little wind would be nice. Well, the scenery was stagnant and monotonous, but something did catch my eye: shiny golden cows.

Yep, you heard me right. There may have been no fruits or vegetables, but there was a limitless amount of beef. But I doubted they were a quick snatch. In one of the myths, there was an island of golden cows, which are pastured there. Both the cows and the island belong to Helios, the Titan who has control of the sun. His two daughters, Phaethusa and Lampetie, reared the cattle and reported any unallowed slaughter to their father. The cows weren't free, that's for sure. If they're for sale, the price for them must be really high. I'm guessing Helios really cares about his livestock. Considering the type of cow, I might have to do a couple of "dangerous"(very deadly) quests to get even a single cow. I could also give him a super valuable item, but that's a no-no. Helios is an immortal Titan, so his life was never in danger, unlike mine. I would be needing the item a lot more. Thus, I ingrained into my mind a single rule: I must not touch a cow.

As minor deities and as Helios's daughters, I should approach either Phaethusa or Lampetie. Right now, they would be most fitted for saving Mei. But I should ask Vittoria before doing so. Helios may have been a Titan, but he sided with the gods in the first Titanomachy(according to Kronos, he was not a neutral player). Apparently, Zeus had bribed him with gifts, such as his sun chariot and a goblet which granted the Titan total control of the sun. Making Helios's daughters aware of my existence could put my group in jeopardy. But I should still search for them. Knowing their location, residence, and appearance will be helpful. Plus, once I sense their souls, I'll always have a mental note of where they are.

I walked past cow after cow, scanning the area. In a field such as this, it was hard to hide. There weren't many natural structures to use, and I was in the open. It shouldn't be hard to spot me. Perhaps the daughters still haven't noticed me yet? Then let the unruffled walk continue.

Since there was nothing to occupy me, it was an ideal time to think. I wanted Helios's daughters to see me, but not Nathan nor his buddies. I would be the one spying on them. Shadow ravel was a viable option, but it might not always be sunny. Plus, Helios is the Titan who dwells in the sun, so he would notice my powers and recognize who I am. I would prefer no snitching behind my back. I could stop time and run away before their minds register me. But then I wouldn't be able to pry into their conversations. I had to know where Julien's loyalties lay. If only I could hide my face...

Oh, right! Vittoria had offered me a mask at DGH, and I accepted it. It should be in my bag. I ran back to my ship to retrieve it while listening to a tune of confused cows that mooed in groups as I passed by. Once back to the Black Pearl, I reached under my bed and unzipped my bookbag.

The mask Vittoria had given me would completely hide my face(it had slants engraved into it, would allow me to see), which was good. It meant I could use some of my powers - especially the ones I got from Kronos. I couldn't use any abilities I inherited from Hades, except at DGH. Otherwise, people may become distrustful of me. Also, the mask was enchanted by both Circe and Vittoria. It enhanced my physical strength as well as the potency of any magic I use. Best of all, it disguises my aura. By aura, I mean a distinct magical characteristic that alerts someone to the presence of another - to monsters, it is my scent. According to Circe, even the gods would have some difficulty detecting me. I hesitated to use it because it was really precious. It was also a gift from Vittoria that she put effort into making. I didn't want it to break(as a demigod, I often got entangled in combat situations). I did not want someone to smack me in the face and cause my cool new mask to shatter.

The mask was a fine glittery silver, and black markings(enhancements) swirled around in a tornado-like shape. It gave a vibe that was a blend of mystery and danger. Now, if Nathan and his group end up seeing me, they won't know who I am. To test how much my magic power increased, I used an ice spell to create a shard of ice. Instead, I made a giant block that I dumped into the sea with a telekinesis spell. Yep, my magic is substantially more potent now. Vittoria said that someone becomes better at magic just by training and studying spells. Using magic is like exercise: your body gets more used to it. As a result, it can handle more anima you draw from the environment. Apparently, absorbing too much anima and letting it flow through your body would kill you. But, by the time you're at your limit, you'd collapse from fatigue. Thankfully, I have the mask now, meaning I can draw more anima, except minus the extra training. That saved me time, and I have come to rely on magic. Since I can't really use my powers, it's all I can do to defend myself. Besides, it seems I have a natural aptitude for magic, and I've learned quite a lot of new spells. Vittoria attributed it to my heritage: Hades was a very skilled necromancer. Then, there was Kronos, whose body could handle an infinite amount of quanta, and not running out of power was why he successfully cut down Uranus. I have a talent for magic, which is why I can grasp spells rather quickly. The time spell took Vittoria two months to master, and I outperformed her on my first try(Kronos IS my father, so maybe that has something to do with it). My body is very resistant to anima, meaning I can handle large amounts of anima and thus use plenty of techniques. The boost the mask provided would only reinforce that. Sadly, Vittoria said I was nowhere near ready to learn powerful spells and could only use relatively weak ones. I planned on cramming later - some of them sounded incredible.

Anyway, with my mask on my face, I knocked on Vittoria's door. If I was correct about the island, I could face Helios's daughters. Vittoria would be mad if I tried something without her knowing, and I didn't want to cause more trouble for her. Ideally, it would be best to leave the island, but steering the ship takes a mental and physical toll on Vittoria. Given her current disposition, I had doubts whether she would be able to do it. Of course, it would be better if I just stayed on the ship, but I couldn't. The chances of finding something that could save Mei on the island were pretty low, but not zero. The chances of running into Nathan were higher, as life usually never goes the way we want. Therefore, I should scour the island for his group and gain intel concerning what DGH and the gods were up to. And I had to do a checkup on Julien.

Vittoria opened the door, and this time looked a lot better, although she was still gloomy. But it seemed she rested rather well, which was a win. She wasn't her cheerful self, but I could wait for that when we saved Mei. More importantly, back to the current situation. I informed Vittoria of my thoughts, observations, and plans. "If you could take us out of this island, it'd be the best solution, but you don't have to. If you're still feeling down, you can steer the ship tomorrow."

Vittoria sighed. "I'm sorry, Yiannis. It's just..."

"I told you it's ok to be upset and frustrated. I'm not going to get mad that you're not doing anything because your friend's life is in peril. You can relax, Vittoria."

"I know," she nodded. "But I hate how I feel so useless. I can't do anything to help Mei, and she's inching closer to death by the second." I saw the hopeless rage in her eyes. She clenched her fists as if she wanted to punch something, and she had her head down. As such, I decided to offer moral support. I gave Vittoria a sympathetic hug.

"I know it seems hopeless, but we still have time. Mei has a week left to live."

Vittoria perked up when she heard that fact. "She does? How'd you figure that out?" It turned out I was wrong and that Vittoria did not know when Mei was going to die. She likely assumed it was really soon, and I didn't blame her. Well, hopefully, this brightens her spirits.

"I'm the son of Hades, as you know. After you taught me that time spell, I've awakened more of my powers. To be honest, I wasn't aware I even had them. One of them allows me to sense the life force left in a person's soul. It's due to that that I'm able to know when people will die. It can also be used to trace a person's soul, so I know where they are at any point."

Vittoria grabbed my hands. "Mei has a week to live? Are you certain about this?" I saw the light reappear in her eyes. The rage had subsided to prudence, yet she displayed an air of optimism. If what I said was true, then we had a good chance of saving Mei. That would put Vittoria at ease, and luckily for both of us, what I said was probably true.

"Yes, although this is a power I just found out about. I just get a feeling based on the lifeforce I sense, and that tells me how long someone lives for. Of course, I could be using it wrong, but if I'm right and my gut tells me I'm right, then there's still time left. If we dart our way to the fleece, you can reunite with Mei again." That answer prompted a tight embrace from Vittoria. "I trust you. If you're right, we do have time to save Mei. I guess the situation was less grim than I thought. I can blast us through the seas right now, but I'll be bedridden in pain if I do that as I am now. I'm guessing you don't want me to do that, do you?"

"Of course I don't. If we do have a week, then even if we stay here for a day, we'll reach the fleece with Mei having two days left, at the very least. I'm not going to rush you when I don't want to and need to."

"Well, then let's focus on this island we're on. Wait for me to get ready."

"Wait, you're coming with me? Don't you need rest for tomorrow? We have agreed to mentally torture you so you can drive us to the fleece."

"I've already got enough rest, and we can delay some more if we need to. More importantly, you're going to be dealing with Phaethusa or Lampetie and maybe simultaneously with Nathan's buddies. You'll have a high chance of screwing up, and that I cannot allow, good sir. There's also the fact that I can't have you die."

"You know, I'm more than just the dude in the prophecy who's gonna destroy Olympus-"

"I'm acutely aware, Yiannis, believe me. I know you can fend for yourself. But I don't want you to die for my own reasons. One, you're a friend, and you mean something to me. Two, it's only three of us, and Mei is in a vegetative state. I'll need all the help I can get if I want to save her and obtain the fleece, got it?"

"Yeah, got it," I nodded. "Glad I matter to you."

Vittoria gave the slightest hints of a smile. "Well, you do. We've been through a lot together already. Also, if you died, I would really lose my mind. I mean, I would be in even more grief, but you know Mei. She's way too uptight sometimes. It would be depressing in here, and you usually lighten up the mood since you're as quirky as me."

I smirked. "I can't disagree with you. Thank God you're smiling again."

"Thank God to me too."

"So, how long will you take to get dressed?"

"A few minutes at most. I see you're wearing the mask I gave you. Do you like it?"

"Love it. You have to be a Newtonian-level sorceress to make something as cool as this. Incredible as always. Mind giving me arts and crafts lessons with magic in the future?"

Vittoria's smile grew. "When you become skilled enough, I can. I'm glad you've become attached to it. I wanted to give a good gift, so I spent hours with Circe crafting it."

"Is that so? Well, when it's my birthday, do be so generous as to lend me a magic sword and a cool set of armor, would you?"

"I'll pass, thanks. Anyway, we're wasting time. I'll change my clothes quickly. See you in a bit, Yiannis."

The two of us planned to set out into the night. Vittoria recently revealed to me that she was the daughter of Hecate. I've been suspecting that for a while, given her knowledge of magic. It explained why she knew Circe, as the infamous sorceress was also a daughter of Hecate, and shed some light on her connection to Lamia. The Queen of the dracaena was also a daughter of Hecate, meaning that Vittoria was born through the union of Hecate, Lamia, and some male dude, which was a tee bit disturbing. But the gods were weird - they married their own family members and spent most of their time mating with each other - even their children.

Vittoria wore the same mask I was. "Naturally, I made one for myself. I can't have Nathan see my face either. How do I look?"

"As one wearing a cool mask should. We're twinning now."

"Yes, we are. What do you think are the chances of us running into Nathan?"

"Not that high. There are hundreds of islands here that mortals can't see. Nathan could be on any one of them, looking for the fleece as well. But, the more we continue to travel, the more likely our fates will cross since we have the same destination in mind. So our chances of seeing them are higher now than they've ever been."

"Indeed. Then let us go on our way." The two of us scoured through the fields, trying to keep our distance from the cows. We walked until our legs started hurting, sitting down on the grass for a short break. Yet, we found nobody. Helios's daughters didn't come to intercept us, and we didn't stumble upon Nathan. We took another extensive walk and planned to go back to the Black Pearl, and that's when we heard them.

First spoke Nathan. "Damm, I can't see a thing. It's so dark outside. Why did it have to be a full moon today?"

Next was Adan. "That's why I brought flashlights. They don't provide much light, but it's better than nothing. Anyways, Kronos's goons could be here. We need to be careful."

Finally, I heard my friend's voice. "Adan's right. Brian is the reason we're even going after the fleece, and it seems we're playing into his father's hands. From what we've heard from Zeus, turmoil is teeming at home. Athena's children have caught five spies red-handed, most notably George, with help from Anatasia and her siblings. We've learned Kronos's spies have infiltrated the cult, and now nobody can trust each other. It's like a communist witch hunt, and Nick is leading it. But the gods themselves have cleared Nick of any suspicion, as he was the one who notified them of the spies in the first place and has tangible evidence. Of course, he's still not completely cleared, as he is the son of Hermes, the trickster god. After interrogating George, we've learned little, but we found a list of spies in his pocket. After that, he drooped his head, and we found him to be dead. According to Mary, a child of Hecate, a spell was used to kill him. Specifically, it was a flame spell that was set to burn his lungs. After grilling the other spies, they died the same way. We did learn a few things from them, however. They have a network with a central figure in the chain of command, who happens to be a female. Nick has presumed it to be Vittoria, as she was close to all the spies. He ordered an investigation into her room, but nothing noteworthy has been found."

Nick laughed. "Remember the old times, Julien? When you, me, and Vittoria were friends? It's funny we'll be killing her soon. Although, I doubt you care about her. I can imagine you tossing her off a cliff, the same way you did with Anna. It'll be fun to watch that." Julien gave no response, and Nathan continued. "Oh, my bad. I suppose I shouldn't say such things. You can stop glaring at me, Julien."

"You have no qualms about killing Vittoria if she is a spy?" Julien asked. "If I remember correctly, she was your best friend in those days."

"That was then. I haven't spoken to Vittoria for years, and I can tell she hates me. We had a little bout where that woman just kept cursing at me. When I get my hands on her, her mouth is the first thing I'll cut off."

Vittoria and I were still. Our hearts were racing, and I could hear mine thumping with each passing second. Something seriously wrong had gone at DGH. Had Nick turned his back to Kronos? Or had the gods bribed him? Either way, our spies were in danger. And most worryingly, Vittoria was one of Nick's suspects. I could hear her heavy breathing as she registered the same collection of facts. Nick may use the relationship I have with Vittoria to accuse me, and maybe even Helen. We had to get back to DGH before Nick rounds up every spy we have. I won't let him get to my sister.

I turned to Vittoria, who was visibly shaken. She squeezed her arm, fidgeting. I wasn't as close to Nick as she was, so it must have stung a bit to hear what she's up to. Or maybe Kronos informed her beforehand of what was going on and worried about the fate of her network. Nick was threatening to upend the entire system she put in place, and I had a feeling Vittoria didn't want the other spies to be "silenced." She cared about those who worked under her.

"What do we do?" I asked. "Do we leave Nathan and his buddies be? Or should we try to slow them down?"

"If I hadn't heard all that, I would've picked the first option," Vittoria answered. "But since I did, we'll be changing course and slowing them down. We - no, you need to get back to DGH as soon as possible. If I return, I'll only endanger you and Helen, as well as the other spies. I don't know what's going on, but it looks to me that Nick was a double agent."

"I agree. We have to protect the other spies and keep the network intact. Otherwise, we'll lose a valuable source of intel. As such, we need to hurry back to camp, and we can't have Nathan impede us."

"Yes, but the question then becomes how we'll slow them down. I don't want to fight in a direct confrontation. Then we'll wear ourselves down as well, which is contradictory. Plus, we may end up injuring the cows, which will draw the attention of Helios's daughters. If Helios attacks us, we'll certainly be killed."

After staring at the cows for a while, an idea burst my brain. It was risky. If we screwed up, Helios would murder us. But we can also make him direct his anger at Nathan, which will slow him down if it doesn't kill him. "Vittoria, I have a plan. It's risky, but it might work."

"Let's hear it, Yiannis."

We silently followed Nathan, Julien, and Adan and arrived at their ship. It was a mid-sized frigate built for speed. If we didn't attack them, they would likely reach the fleece first. Thank God we decided to slow them down. Now then, I was supposed to raid their ship and set a fire. Vittoria would come back soon with our "props." I had to set the scene accordingly.

Since it's nighttime, Helios wouldn't be peeping on me. Selene, the moon goddess, was an ally of Kronos, so no problem there. The gods are probably still watching, but I've learned spells that allow for umbrakinesis. I can blend those in with the ability I got from Hades, and nobody will notice a difference.

As such, I created a story of black stairs to get on board Nathan's ship. I'm grateful the frigate is antiquated. The design is reminiscent of the models from the 1700s, which was a good thing. My side would have been screwed if Nathan rode on a modern-day frigate equipped with machine guns; he would vaporize us then. His ship still had cannons, whereas mine did not have a single weapon. Well, I suppose Vittoria and I could use flame spells to shoot fireballs or anything else, ridding the need for weapons. Plus, weapons were heavy, and more weight equates to a slower ship. Anyways, I wandered the top deck. There was nothing there, so I looked for a door and opened it when I found one, descending a flight of stairs. I explored as much as I could, making a mental layout of the ship.

On each floor was a series of windows. The first floor was where you fired the cannons from and the dining room. The second floor was where the bedrooms were, and the third floor was the storage, where the food and supplies were. The third floor was where the fire would start burning.

I cast a flame spell on every essential item Nathan would need. Unlike the first two floors, the third floor was constructed of wood, meaning it would be good fodder for the fire. The second and first floors were made of steel. It wouldn't be easy to burn them, so I'll cause a very different event to happen on these floors. Namely, I'll use an ice spell to freeze the second floor, lowering the temperature to near zero. Then, I'll flood the first floor with a water spell, so everyone here except may drown. If they didn't, then that was unfortunate. Helios would extinguish them for me.

After I was done, I used my powers to create a really long chain, which I used to wrap the boat around a big nail(which I also made) that I dug into the ground. Nathan and the rest would wake up soon(shivering in the cold), and then after Vittoria got here, chaos would ensue.

Vittoria arrived with two golden cows, both of them dead. Before I blasted spells on the frigate, I noticed there was wood aboard it and ran off. They would serve to reinforce the narrative of the "play" we planned to set up. I built a campfire and had Vittoria lay down one of the cow carcasses. Then I sliced and diced, ripping all the juicy, tender parts of beef we would eat later(I took a bag from Nathan's ship as well and put all the meat there). For the other dead cow body, we did the same thing. This time, however, we put the golden beef into another bag. Then I ran back to the top deck of Nathan's ship and placed the bag there, along with the cow's carcass. To an outside viewer, they would accuse Nathan of having sacked Helios's cows, which is what I wanted Helios's daughters to believe.

For those wondering how Vittoria and I carried cows about like they had no mass, thank umbrakinesis. See, I can put anything I want into my shadow, and it moves along with it. Therefore, I can carry things around without having to actually lug them around. It's like a hidden inventory, and there seems to be no upper bound as to how much I can carry. Cows, on average, weigh two tons, and I had no difficulty running with one in my shadow. It's one of the powers I discovered when I was on the Isle of Lemnos and a useful one. Vittoria, on the other hand, used a teleportation spell. How she moved around with two dead cows did not need an explanation.

I already heard Julien shouting. The play had started, and neither Vittoria nor I were on the script. Our roles in this were over, and it was time to part. We sensed a sinister bearing, and Vittoria teleported us elsewhere. We didn't go back to the Black Pearl, for we wanted to see whether our idea would work.

Footsteps were heard, and they got louder and louder as if there was a downpour. A brief moment of silence followed, which then transitioned to speech. "Phethusa, one of our cows lay dead here."

Phethusa then spoke. "Sister Lampetie, you are correct. I have found another on the ship ye wonder, and both seem to be bared of their meat. Atop the bizarre ship is a bag where the hide is contained. The ones aboard this vessel must be the fools who slaughtered them."

"Indeed, sister Phethusa. Helios will show them his divine wrath, and we shall merrily watch the plight of these mortals as they try to survive." The two sisters cackled, their harsh voices echoing through the landscape. Their presence disappeared, which I took to mean that they had gone to inform Helios. Based on their terse conversation, I'd say everything was going the way we designed it to. We'll know soon enough whether those foolish mortals were Vittoria and me or Nathan and his buddies.

With that, our purpose was achieved. Vittoria took my hand and teleported us back to the Black Pearl, and we set sail immediately.