CLASH of the TITANS
CHAPTER
—VI—
THE BONDS OF LOVE AND LIFE
…
SERIPHOSPerseus lay his hand upon one of Nestor's large shoulders. A sweating, nervous wreckage of a man as he stood at the threshold of his humble home. Dressed in a simple white sleeveless tunic hemmed in the openings with a blue aquatic design. Holding onto Nestor's other shoulder was his mother, proudly keeping his son's nerves at bay.
The whole town centre was filled with guests and well-wishers, come to be witness to the union. Even the merchant Spiros had come, bearing jewellery and bright fabrics from the mainland as gifts and wares to sell.
Soon the priests began to chant, followed by the priestesses and acolytes of the mountain-top shrines—supplications given to Hermes and Hera. Iphigenia then appeared from her house across the square. Like her intended, she was dressed in fine white clothing, a beautiful dress matching his, with blue patterns pooling around her feet. Her head was crowned by gold and jewelled adornments, the dowry given by Nestor's family, which also included an exquisite golden necklace brought from Spiros. Being married to a miner did have some advantages after all.
Her doting father escorted her by the arm, walking down a series of purple carpets that led directly to what would soon be her new home. Nervous herself, she tried to hide her blushing cheeks under the loose strands of hair. Yet, when she looked up and saw her husband-to-be and he saw her, they could see nothing else but each other. A wide smile emanated from Nestor's bearded face, and Iphigenia let her rosy cheeks bloom in the sunlight.
Perseus leaned in close to Nestor's mother who was trying very hard to contain her joyful tears. "Is that how it's supposed to feel?"
"Oh, you have no idea, child," she laughed quietly to the side of his face as she groomed the back of his head.
Thus, Nestor and Iphigenia were married before a priest that bound their hands in a wet piece of cloth and when the holy man proclaimed their union, all in attendance burst out in laughter and triumphant cheers, singing praise to Great Zeus and Hera above.
The destinies of his two best friends were now entwined forever.
Festivities and merry-making began and continued until the sun started to set, fast sinking below the horizon. There was still light shining in Seriphos. The town square was now adorned with candles and lanterns hanging all over the inconsistent streets, circulating a large firepit in the centre where the left-over sacrifice from that morning, was now roasting in a large cauldron over it. surrounding it, lined up against the houses and neighbourhoods were rows of tables and benches—women on the left, at the bride's former house and men on the right, beside the groom's new home.
On the women's side was placed a wooden platform decorated with soft rugs and cushions and koshas where Nestor and Iphigenia were seated before them as though they reigned as king and queen.
The tables were stocked with food and drink, and merry mouths to feast upon them. It was a merry sight, and to add to the joyous night of merriments and revels: Ixas and Perseus strumming their panduras, and a few of the other youngsters were playing their musical instruments— strumming a jolly jig as Tycho sang to the growing moon. Like Clea, beating her tambourine with her slender hands and hips, or Theron manipulating air wind through his aulos. Then there was the chief himself carolling with playful lyrics to the festive crowd.
.
Drouba droum-ba drun drouba droum-ba drun
Ta vrakhiolya tis vrondhun
Ta vrakhiolya tis vrondhun
Drouba droum-ba drun drouba droum-ba drun
.
Ki'epese mess to pigadi
Ki'evghale foni megali
.
Drouba droum-ba drun drouba droum-ba drun
Ta vrakhiolya tis vrondhun
Ta vrakhiolya ts vrondhun
Drouba droum-ba drun drouba droum-ba drun
.
K'etrekse o kosmos olos
K'etreksa ki'ego o kaimenos
.
It was the night for the youth, as one of their own had passed over the threshold of their childhoods and into adulthood, they would lament and celebrate. They danced by the fire, spinning around the pit with each other and without a care in the world. Dancing to the songs performed, and with the parents watching and clapping them on, young men and women found each other and entwined their hands in honour of the bride and groom, in honour and pleasure of Aphrodite Herself.
In defiance of Perseus' wishes, Clymene twirled gleefully about the stone floor, with the other younger, eligible men clapping in tune to her prancing feet. Even Dictys was about to put his foot down and intervene when Danae drew his attention away, instead inviting him to dance with her.
.
Drouba droum-ba drun drouba droum-ba drun
Ta vrakhiolya tis vrondhun
Ta vrakhiolya ts vrondhun
Drouba droum-ba drun drouba droum-ba drun
.
Drouba droum-ba drun drouba droum-ba drun
Ta vrakhiolya tis vrondhun
Ta vrakhiolya ts vrondhun
Drouba droum-ba drun drouba droum-ba drun
.
When the night was nearing its zenith, things started to calm down a little. Though the instrumental music had ended, Tycho kept on singing in Polydectes' stead, and the young ones kept on dancing with him. Most of the band had dispersed, being offered some time to themselves and to go and feast with the rest for a few hours.
Perseus received a small bowl of bread and broth and mutton. As he ate, he watched the newly wedded couple upon their marital thrones. He was happy for them. He really was, but for some reason there was something heavy in the pit of his stomach.
"Picturing yourself up there, Perseus?" said Marmara, Nestor's sweet mother. She was clearly conspiring with his mother. "Hey, I'm only thinking about the wellbeing of that blessed mother of yours. I believe she's even talking with Io's mother. She is a lovely girl."
"What, Io's mother?"
The older woman laughed, hitting him lightly on the arm. "Like I said, we're looking out for you both."
After that moment of mirth, sincerity followed. "I won't lie that it's crossed my mind of late. Maybe not Io or Clea, maybe no one from this island. Before all that, I dream of travelling the world, or at least to the mainland."
"Blargh!" the merchant Spiros scoffed as he gulped down a mighty jug of wine. "Mainland Greece is not the grand dream you envision, dear boy. There is unease between the city-states."
"There's always unease between the cities, according to you that is," said Mother-Myrrine who had come to join them. "At every season that you dock your ship at our harbour you come bearing news of unrest, Spiros. You describe the natural countenance of Mankind, doesn't mean we should all just become shut-ins."
"Quite right, my weathered lady," Spiros' jab was pointed but not vicious. Least not enough to insult the elder. Plus, Mother-Myrrine wasn't wrong. When they were children, Perseus, Nestor and Ixas loved to hear the stories that Spiros would tell when he came to visit. "But this time I fear that my charlatan tongue has manifested troubles beyond anything we've seen before. Beyond anything we've ever imagined. The city of Argos has been taken by the rebel king Calibos. He killed King Acrisius in cold blood, his entire family massacred within Hera's Temple."
Perseus perked his head at the mention of his accursed grandfather. The man who had cast his mother out to the mercy of the fates, had not occupied his mind for some time and now he could not decide whether he should be joyous of the news of his demise.
"Now he wages war on the other cities, particularly Tiryns. Destroying temples, degrading shrines and dishonouring priestesses."
"Charming fellow, that Calibos," Nestor's mother remarked sarcastically. "Danae would absolutely love him."
Perseus searched the crowd for his mother, finding her with Dictys among the other parents, no doubt discussing their children's futures. He would be lying if he said he'd not thought of that idea; that he was some lost prince of Argos and that he'd return to claim his throne, but every morsel of his being tensed with some anger whenever he thought of it, especially his mother's father.
"Seriphos is a small, backwater island, Spiros." Marmara had reeled him back to the present. "Argos is far, far away. I think we're pretty safe here."
Soon even Elpenor appeared beside them. "I don't know, Marmara. Furies, out in the open? talk of war on the mainland? An old marshland king resurfacing? It's just as Loremaster Phidias said. Something's happening."
He wasn't wrong, and Perseus knew it. He recalled that vision in the woods, if it was a vision, or some trick of the morning. The stranger said that there would be signs of 'things to come'. He suddenly spots the merchant's eyes as they grow twice their size.
"I'd say," Spiros gasps, his gaze drawn past all of them, to the mountains past Chora. Perseus followed that gaze, and what he saw forced him to his feet.
There was movement at the Mountain of Idols. More than that was the movement around the giant statue of Zeus. Was it moving?
Someone from among them had also seen it, perhaps with better vision as they had apparently screamed. High atop that mountain, men were hacking away at the ankles of Mighty Zeus. Soldiers by the way that their shouted orders echoed off the summit and with a resounding CRACK, the statue of the mighty King of the Olympian Gods was toppled. All 140 metres of perfectly hewn stone came crashing against the mountain side, and it would have been fine at that, but the statue then started to slide down. An avalanche heading right for the peaceful and once joyous town of Chora.
"What have they done?!" he heard his mother cry.
Dictys was more pragmatic. "Everybody, run!"
Perseus flew into action, scooping up Clymene and ushering their mother who was still frozen in place, onwards. Dictys and his brother stayed behind to move and help people escape as the ground began to rumble. The sound of crashing as the terrain was irreparably altered.
With an earthshattering explosion, the image of Zeus smote the town, leaving buildings demolished, whole streets upturned and buried, and some of its innocent people dead or injured beneath rubble.
Perseus thought that he had made it but when the ground was shifted into the air, he was thrown off of his feet, loosing his grip on his sister and sight of his mother. Still not knocked out, Perseus spotted his sister laying on the ground against the walls of someone's house, though still seeing the dirt ground remoulded to encompass them, he ran to cover her unconscious form with his as the whole street enveloped the two. Everything went black and the only thing that remained were the screams of loved ones.
—=O=—