The Running Man

“I tell you Dio, it is truly good work we have done here. Our family is sure to find favorable contracts across Achaea once word of our completion gets around” Fotis exclaims happily as he stirs the wood of the campfire. He gestures expansively at the huge boulders set into the wall his burly brother Dio leans against.

Dio pats the stone behind him fondly, proud of this feat of engineering. “Yes brother, but only when word gets out that we, the descendants of Arges himself, have built these walls. That will have to wait until we are safely away from Mycenae. Or have you forgotten that we are sworn to secrecy?”

“Dio, these walls are huge. Everyone saw us, with our 3 eyes, building them. What sort of secret can these Mycenaean’s possibly keep?” Fotis chuckles to himself, “Why, people remember Uncle Stathios from 50 yrs ago building the Treasury! They even remember that he had only one eye! It is time that our people got the proper credit for building these Cyclopean walls. I plan to tell anyone who will listen what we have accomplished here. I say we travel to Tiryns and see if they are ready to do the same sort of expansion.” Fotis pauses, stares into the fire pensively, “You know brother, we never did find out where Uncle Stathios went after the Treasury was built. We promised we would look into it while we were here.”

“He’s on some sun drenched beach, drinking wine with a beautiful woman. Enjoying his well earned retirement. Which is what we should do when we leave. We are being paid a fortune, why do we need to go home? We don’t need more work, let the rest of our family make their own fortunes just as we did.” Dio suggests, moving closer to the fire and taking a seat on a chunk of unused boulder left over from the wall. “ Do you think they will want us to fortify that shack housing the spring?”

“No, it’s inside our wall. They will likely leave it timber and rough stone. They wanted it to be forgotten, so it will probably just look like a sheep shed forever. I am guessing the only people who will remember that there is a spring inside the walls of Mycenae in another 10 yrs will be the scholars and mapmakers and maybe the palace.” Fotis says with a shake of his head. “That isn’t the sort of thing you would want your general populace to know.”

“Hey, do you remember that story Stathios used to tell of that fool who ran himself to death in these parts? He was wearing the Greaves of the Juggernaut, part of the Old Forge Armor wasn’t he?” Dio asks, refilling his cup, “I used to know all of the relics from that time, but nobody recites them anymore. I think I have forgotten most of them.”

“Well, they are all lost aren’t they? No need to concern ourselves with glories of the past when we have work to do in the present.” Fotis shrugs, “And yet, I think, of all of the pieces from the time before our people went to work with Hephaestus, those Greaves stand the best chance of cropping up again.”

“And lo the hardworking farmer lost his crop to the locusts.” Dio begins an often repeated tale from their youth, grinning.

“In his desperation, he descends into the cave at the edge of his property, rumored to be the home of great smiths of legend” Fotis smiles and joins in with a theatrical voice.

“Gripped by a lunacy, the farmer digs in the rocky waste at the back of the cave until he finds a pair of matched and gleaming greaves.” Dio continues.

“The Greaves are glowing with power the farmer has never seen” Fotis returns.

“The farmer straps the Greaves on, and feels power pulsing through his body” says Dio, standing in a heroic pose.

“With mighty bounds, the farmer leaps from the cave,” Fotis leaps to his feet, “And runs into the town, thinking to sell his treasure”

“Along the way, the farmer spies a fisherman struggling with his nets”, Dio runs around the fire “And without stopping he gives a mighty pull and brings in all the nets at once”

“Then he hears a cry from the dockside tavern, someone is running away with a sack of stolen goods” Fotis runs around the fire, “without stopping, the farmer catches the thief and hurls him into the water”

“The tavern keep wants to reward the farmer, so he stops to speak with him.” Dio and Fotis both stop running and sag to the ground.

“He is exhausted from his running.” they say together.

“The farmer accepts his reward and decides to keep the Greaves so he can do good deeds for his community” Dio begins again.

“The next day, he wakes to find a line of neighbors all asking for his help” Fotis answers.

“The farmer begins running, and without stopping, he moves boulders, puts out a fire single handedly, pulls in a derelict boat out of the harbor, and runs to the next town to report a fleet of marauders spotted heading their way.”

“When he stops to give the report about the marauders, he finds he is again exhausted. So exhausted, in fact, he sleeps for two days.”

“When he finally wakes, he again sees a line of people all wanting his help”

“Beginning to wonder if perhaps these Greaves might be cursed, he puts them on once more and performs all manner of physical labor for these people. And again he is exhausted and sleeps for 3 days”

“The last time anyone sees him, he has put the Greaves on and is running home to his farm.”

“When his wife is questioned, she says he put on his Greaves and ran to an oracle who told him to return the Greaves to the ones who made them, in the Old Forge.”

“That’s our ancestors!” Dio and Fotis wink at each other

“But where did he go? The townfolk ask.”

“I fear he has run himself to death, says his wife tearfully, trying to help all of you.”

“The only way to the Old Forge is through Oceanus.” the brothers say in unison.

Plopping down again by the fire, Dio asks, “ Do you think he ever found his way to Oceanus?”

“Probably not. If there was a way to get to the Old Forge it would be in one of our stories. I’ve heard though, that some of our people have settled in Helike, and they have a lot of underwater caves. Some say that is where you can get to Oceanus.” Fotis answers, “Maybe we’ll retire there and see for ourselves.”

“Maybe we will. But first, we have a feast in our honor to attend tomorrow.” Dio says happily, dreaming of roasted meat and delicately spiced confections. “I suppose we’ll have to bathe.”

“Yes, our employers are certainly gracious. That’s a fat bonus purse they’ve promised to give us just for keeping our mouths shut about that spring.” Fotis says, shading his eyes with his hand.

Dio turns to see what his brother is looking at, “Hmm, archers so soon? I didn’t figure they would start manning the walls until after the feast…”