Jason asks how Hercules and Pthygarous met and is not expecting the answer is not what he's expecting.
"How did you and Hercules first meet", Jason asked glancing curiously at his blonde friend. Because in all the time he has known Hercules and Pthygarous neither had mentioned how they had met to Jason. And Pthygarous would be sure to tell a more accurate version of events than Hercules. Hercules who couldn't even walk down the street without embellishing some mishap or adventure that had gone wrong.
Blue eyes glanced at Jason in alarm and Pthygarous almost sent the bread and flagon of wine that he was carrying into some passer-by's way. It was only Jason's quick reflexes that prevented the breakage of the wine and helped him grab the bread. Pthygarous squeaked nervously and said "maybe it's best if we have this conversation later". Then Jason watched as his friend practically run back to the house. Jason watched as his friend went practically scurrying his ways past the throngs of people that were haggling and buying in the agora behind. Leaving a perplex Jason behind.
"Jason maybe it's best if you sit down for this conversation", Pthygarous said still eying Jason nervously and with a bit of fear. Pthygarous watched in satisfaction as his friend sat down. A long distance from his sword and Pthygarous hoped Hercules wouldn't be back for a long time. Because knowing Jason and his odd ideas he wasn't going to act kindly to this truth.
"Hercules and I first met at the tavern", Pthygarous began simply enough. The tavern Jason thought why he would be nervous about the tavern. Jason smiled to himself obviously Pthygarous was embarrassed by a drunken mishap about himself. Of course it wouldn't be Hercules as every night with Hercules would develop into some drunken spectacle.
Pthygarous decided to get it out the way and braced himself to deal with impact later. "Hercules won me in a game of the dice. He won me by the throw of Aphrodite, you know when you get two sixes on dice", Pthygarous rambled nervously. "Hang on what do you mean he won you", Jason asked eyes flashing dangerously.
Pthygarous frowned at his curly haired friend surly it was obvious (Jason was dense but surely not that dense) what he had meant by the idea Hercules had won him. "Isn't it obvious Jason Hercules won me in a game of dice from my old master", Pthygarous said expressively that he had to spell out the obvious.
"I'm a slave and Hercules is my owner" Pthygarous quickly clarified due to the look of complete confusion on his friends face. "But slavery is wrong", Jason quickly blurted out. Pthygarous quickly reached out and place a placating hand on his friends arm. "Honestly Jason slavery is not wrong. Over 40,000 people in Atlantis population are slaves. That is why I didn't want to tell you outside. As offending 2/3 of the Atlantiean population well that wouldn't really end well for you". Frowning even more to himself as his friend seemed to get even more enraged about the number of slaves in Atlantis.
"Two thirds of the population that's beyond barbaric", Jason spat the words out in disgust. Surely everybody had the right to be free. Didn't Pthygarous see what was wrong with this society and how Pthygarous can sit across from me thinking that this is alright?
Watching as his Pthygarous eyebrows seem to narrow and mouth thin in disapproval. And then said icily "Barbaric Jason nothing about slavery is barbaric it is a way of life a way of life that you need to accept. How did you think I got educated in the first place because obviously I am not wealthy man, it is because I was allowed to learn alongside my master. Why do you think Hercules has no problem taking the money that I earn, or dangling me head first out the balcony when he's in a fine temper. Not that he would ever drop me because Hercules is not that type of man. But leaves your money mostly alone until he is well and truly desperate. When you first arrived in Atlantis why do you think he so closely guarded his friendship with me because if you were noble's son and I had said anything to offend you it would have reflected badly on him." Pthygarous finished ranting and waving his hands around.
"But Hercules has no money and I thought it was only the wealthiest of nobles that could own slaves. Surely you want your own money and how is slavery a good thing", Jason said still eying his friend in a confused manner.
"Jason is there no limit to your ignorance even the poorest free man in Atlantis can own a slave. If a slave is respected enough even a slave can own slaves. The entire palace is made up completely of slaves. Do you think Ariadne's a barbarian because she owns ten thousands male slaves for her army and over five hundred to run the royal household. I mean look at Dion a slave who owns slaves do you think he's barbaric. Or maybe Medusa or Korinna for being slaves. How do you not know any of this, surely they had slaves back in your own land", Pythagoras finished breathless from his tirade.
An awkward pause fills the room. Pythagoras eyed Jason in a dawning realization of course Jason had meant no offence when he had called slavery barbaric. That it wasn't in Jason nature to be cruel or hurtful. It was because Jason didn't understand.
"But surely it would be better if you got paid or was free", Jason said surely Pthygarous wanted to be free and paid. Jason mind still reeling from the fact that Medusa, Korinna Dion and Pthygarous were all slaves and still wanted to be slaves and did not be free. And as for Hercules and the princess Ariadne well Jason would never be able to look at them in the same light ever again.
"Paid", Pthygarous said the word with some confusion. "Why would anybody be mad enough or rich enough to pay slaves," Pthygarous eyed Jason with no amount of confusion surely Jason didn't realize that not even the palace was rich enough for that. Jason must be from a very odd but wealthy country indeed. But where did Jason come from as place with no slaves was a land that Pthygarous had never heard of.
"Surely Jason you realize that the entire economy would collapse if you began to pay slaves. Slaves are protected by their masters and owners. People are born in too slave like I was. They ask for it like Medusa did when she went to work at the palace". "Medusa why would she ask to become a slave" Jason asked baffled. "So she can have security and reliable in her life Jason honestly it's not that hard to work out. This is the main reason why Medusa has never starved to death or has never restored to eating scarifies meat like you on occasion has." Pthygarous watched as his friend appeared deep in thought.
"However the rarest type of slave is the type of slave capture in battle, however it is mostly woman that suffer this fate. Because the men are killed off usually in battle or afterwards to prevent an uprising. And it is a most cruel fate of all. The best and most well-known example in all of Atlantis is King Minos and Queen Pasiphae. Queen Pasiphae was a free woman when she was married to King Aeson. However when King Aeson lost the war between Atlantis and Crete King Minos took Queen Pasiphae as a symbol of his victory and as a prize of war. And then killed Pasiphae baby son that wasn't even a year old at the time of the coup in order to get rid of rival and to break the Queens will. The boy's body was fed to the dogs when if he had been killed the day before, he would have been given all the rites and prayers that a prince of Atlantis should have" Pthygarous trailed off hoping his rant had sunken in.
Jason looked at his friend and knew that nothing would the same again. It's strange how one question can change the way a person feels about an entire group friends and change a person's perspective forever.