The Ballad Of Amphitrite

“Stop her!” cried the hiereus, running down the marble steps of the temple, “Stop her! She took an offering! Thief!”

Amphitrite peered over her shoulder. The color drained from her face as several pairs of eyes fell upon her. They all narrowed, and the faces they belonged to twisted into visages of anger. She ran faster, nearly stumbling over her own feet in her haste.

“Stop that kid!” yelled another voice. She could hear several new pairs of footfalls join the chase, and that only spared her own.

A glass bottle flew past her and shattered on the ground. She yelped and just barely dodged the shards of glass. There was a roar of annoyance as another one was thrown, a few of the shards caressing her heels.

She weaved through the marketplace, ducking under stalls and squeezing through the crowd.

“Someone grab her!”

Amphitrite gasped, immediately turning and darting down an alleyway, hoping to put distance between her and anyone who might hear the hiereus’s demands. She looked behind her, her stomach sinking at the sight of a small crowd entering the alley, the hiereus leading the pack.

“Hey!” was all the warning she got before she collided head-on with something. She stumbled back, looking up as the dizziness faded. A man stood before her, broad and imposing. Messy beard and hair surrounded a face that was sunburned and scarred. He regarded her with a pair of eyes black as coal.

Amphitrite began to back away, only for the stranger to snatch her by the back of her robes and yank her back towards him. As the mob closed in, he stepped in front of her, the large metal bits on his boots clanking.

Everyone stopped behind the hiereus, who walked forward, leering down at the girl, “Well done. Now, hand her over.”

The stranger spoke with a deep, gravelly voice, like a rock was lodged in his throat, “What could you lot possibly want with her?”

The hiereus straightened, his patience already wearing thin, “She’s a thief. A dirty little rat who thought it okay to steal from the gods.”

Amphitrite shrank away when the stranger looked down at her. He looked her up and down, raising a brow, “Is that so?” He held out his other hand, wrapped in a black glove, “Show me what you’ve taken, little one.”

She gulped, slipping a hand into her pocket and withdrawing a bright red apple, which she held up to him. He gingerly took it from her and held it up, turning it this way and that in his hand.

“All this... for an apple?” he mused, smiling at how the hiereus’s face kept getting redder.

“It is an offering to the gods. It belongs to the gods.”

The stranger fell silent, holding the apple closer to his face. The crowd murmured as he opened his mouth and took a bite out of it, loudly chewing with his mouth open for all to see. Even Amphitrite’s eyes widened, watching the bite of fruit disappear down his throat.

“That so?” he said.

The hiereus’s eyes looked as if they were about ready to tumble out of his head. He looked the man up and down, mouth agape, “You... You dare eat what belongs to the-”

“Alright, this is getting old.” The man pulled back his cloak, revealing a scabbard strapped to his belt. The crowd murmured and began to back away. Amphitrite gasped as the man withdrew a silver sword and pointed it straight at the hiereus, “Run along now.”

The crowd turned on their heels and ran, leaving the hiereus all on his own. He whipped his head around and then back at the stranger. He stumbled back before fleeing from the alleyway.

Amphitrite nervously looked up at the stranger, putting away his sword. He turned and looked down. Her eyes flicked back down to the hilt, involuntarily taking a small step back. The stranger’s face remained emotionless, never breaking eye contact as he took another bite of the apple.

He wiped the juice from his mouth and tossed the fruit over his shoulder. Amphitrite started forward only for a gloved hand to stop her. She looked up at the man, pleadingly, too scared to speak.

The man scoffed and reached into a hidden pocket on his person, ” ’ere.” He held out a loukoumade. Her eyes widened. She looked up at the man in disbelief. When he said nothing, she took the pastry and bit into it. The sweet cinnamon made her eyes water; it was so delightful.

Above her, the man let out a grunt that might have been his version of a laugh. He lowered himself down to her level, placing a hand on her shoulder, “Funny. Isn’t it?”

Amphitrite said nothing, taking another nibble of the loukoumade, savoring it for as long as she could.

The man jerked his head back, “How we give up our food to them, when we need it much more than they ever could. It’s strange, isn’t it?”

She slowly nodded, not fully grasping what the man was getting at.

“Where are your parents?”

Amphitrite froze mid-chew, slowly swallowing before her throat began to tighten and her eyes began to sting. She remained silent, her hands trembling. A quiet sniffle escaped her. Wet hot tears trickled from her eyes and down her face.

“Stop crying.”

He didn’t say it to be comforting. It was an order.

“Tears do nothing. There’s no good in them. Stop it now.”

Amphitrite hiccuped and quickly wiped at her eyes.

The man smiled, his eyes softening, “Good.” He held out his hand to her, “Elias.” She tentatively took the man’s hand. He raised a brow when she remained quiet, “And what do you call yourself?”

Am... Amphitrite.”

“Big name for such a little girl.” He joked, ruffling her hair. Elias stood up, his hand still on her shoulder, “Won’t you join me?”

Before she could answer, he began leading her forward.

“I will take you somewhere where you needn’t serve gods. Where you can serve yourself and your kind instead.”