Quoted By:
Helios, sun of Hyperion, is driving across the highest point of the sky. The air is still and hot. Your mouth is dry, coated with dust of the roads of Thessaly, but you care for none of these things. Your eye are tightly focused on the blade of Pheronactes – a gift from your mutual father, Hereres, on his fourteenth birthday, and on his eyes – brown, and much like your own in appearance. You will soon see the life drain from them, and you will scream out in triumph as it happens
.
You have been carefully advancing, spear at the ready, stepping carefully – Pheronactes, perhaps lighter on his feet, has skittered this way and that, attempting to draw you out of your position. A futile effort, as you both well know. The seconds pass like hours, each of you preparing to do the necessary, unthinkable act of fratricide. Almost by chance, you wheel suddenly to the left, catching your brother between the side of the lamed chariot – just over his shoulder, you see Pylenios scream out in triumph as he looses an arrow at the neck of burly Hippomedon. You scarcely believe your eyes as Hippomedon’s shield flashes upward and by the narrowest of margins, glances the arrow wildly off the side.
Hippomedon, silent as the grave, with the thunder of a charging ox, continues his sprint without pause, his strides leaving huge plumes of dust in his wake!
With Pheronactes’ back to the chariot, now is your time to strike! You leap forward, and to your glee, your spear licks out even faster than Pheronactes, quick as a snake, can dodge, and your bronze-tipped spear sinks deeply in his side, even as he desperately falls backward. Your thrust pushes him against the car of his chariot, but he rebounds, wrenching himself apart from your spear-tip and stumbling to the side. He cries out in rage and fear, screaming – “You deserve nothing, Podageus! You will gamble us into poverty!”. Already, you see the spoils of your labor blooming through his dusty cloak – the black blood of a deep wound spilling freely.
>Podageus wounds Pheronactes for 5 damage!
You hear another triumphant shout from Pylenios and dare a glimpse over your right shoulder – Hippomedon has stumbled off the path, and Pylenios has already thrown aside his bow in favor of drawing his xiphos – clearly, your compatriot’s rush was avoided by your most agile brother. Even as you watch, the giant Hippomedon begins to turn about, as Pylenios springs into the air, sailing aloft, and holding his xiphos over his head in a two-handed grip!
>Hippomedon boffs his charge on Pylenios, triggering auto counterattack by Pylenios!
Turning your attentions back to Pheronactes, your mouth splits in an ugly grin – “You cannot outrun me now. You should have dared to murder me personally in Phthia, instead of hiring an incompetent Aithiopian.”
Pheronactes spits back – “I will kill you here and now!” – but you sense that even he does not believe it, his face growing pale with weakness.
