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The ship creaked and groaned as it cut through the waves, the smell of salt thick in the air. The sun shimmered on the horizon, painting the sea in gold and sapphire. Dolphins leapt playfully beside the vessel, their sleek bodies breaking through the surface, while the shadow of a great whale could be seen in the distance, spraying a column of mist into the morning light.
Alexios leaned over the railing, grinning ear to ear. Dolphins darted in the wake of the ship, leaping joyfully into the air. Further out, the shadow of a whale surfaced, releasing a thunderous spray of water into the air.
"By the gods!" Alexios exclaimed, eyes sparkling like a child. "Did you see that? A beast the size of a mountain!"
Lukas snorted from where he sat sharpening the edge of his axe. "That's a whale, not a monster. They don't eat people."
"How do you know that?" Alexios shot back, pointing. "Look at the mouth on it! That thing could swallow ten men whole. Maybe twenty."
Lukas smirked. "It would spit you out for being too annoying."
"Ha! If anything, it would keep me for entertainment," Alexios bragged, puffing his chest. "I'd tell it tales, sing songs—"
"—and it would drown itself just to shut you up," Lukas cut in with a grin.
Atlas, seated cross-legged nearby, didn't even look up from the large travel bag he was rummaging through. "If you two are done arguing with sea creatures, some of us are trying to think."
Barnabas finished barking a few final orders to the crew, his booming voice carrying easily across the deck. Then he plopped down beside them with the ease of a man who had spent half his life on wooden planks. His single good eye twinkled with mischief.
"Barnabas," Alexios asked, pointing bluntly, "how'd you lose the eye? Fight? Woman? Shark?"
Barnabas chuckled, stroking his beard. "None of those, though I'd prefer saying shark. No, I was foolish and young, tricked by pirates off Chios. Thought myself clever… until steel proved me wrong." He tapped the scar with a grin. "But I lived, and they didn't."
Lukas leaned closer. "Come now, sailor. That's too short a tale for a scar like that. You've got better ones, don't you?"
Barnabas smirked, lowering his voice like a bard telling secrets. "Ever heard of the one-eyed monster that lurks in the Aegean?"
Alexios straightened immediately, eyes gleaming. "Monster? Tell me!"
Barnabas's voice dropped low and dramatic. "We were sailing near strange waters when a shadow appeared beneath us. The crew whispered of a monster — a one-eyed giant from the deep. Huge as a mountain, with a single gaze that could curse a man's soul. For three days, we fought it. Spears broke. Arrows snapped. Men screamed as it reached for us with hands the size of ships."
Alexios's knuckles whitened on his spear. "Did you fight it?"
Barnabas slapped his knee, laughing. "Fight? No, boy. I ran as fast as my sails could carry me! Only a fool fights the sea itself. And when it reached for me…" He leaned close, growling. "…I stared it down like the sea dog I am. Lost my eye, but lived to tell the tale!"
Alexios groaned. "You had me believing it!"
Lukas slapped his knee, laughing. "Ha! And you call yourself a warrior."
Barnabas roared with laughter, slapping Alexios on the back. "Maybe it was a monster. Or maybe it was a drunk Thracian with fists like boulders. The sea doesn't care for the difference! And the sea loves a good tale!"
Atlas only glanced up briefly from his bag, lips twitching. "You two are easier to fool than children at the market."
Finally, Atlas pulled out something heavy wrapped in cloth. The outline of a sword. Beside it, another bulkier hammer shape.
Alexios's sharp eyes immediately caught on. "Atlas, what's that? Why's it wrapped like it's cursed?"
Without hesitation, Atlas tossed it to him. Alexios barely caught it, staggering under the sudden weight.
"Although you prefer a spear," Atlas said calmly, "keep that sword. it's sturdier. It'll never break."
Alexios frowned, unwrapping the cloth. As the blade gleamed in the light, his eyes widened. "This isn't just any sword…"
At the same time, Atlas tossed the hammer to Lukas, who nearly dropped it from the sudden weight.
Lukas raised an eyebrow as Atlas tossed him the second object — a massive hammer. He grunted under the weight. "By the gods… what is this thing? It feels like I'm holding an anvil."
Lukas swung it experimentally, the deck groaning under its weight. His eyes shone like a child with a new toy. " and it's perfect."
Atlas leaned back, sipping wine. "That, my brother, is the Hammer of Jason. The war hammer said to have belonged to the hero of the Argonauts. A weapon meant for strength unmatched." See the carvings? Jason and his Argonauts. A relic meant for those with strength."
Lukas ran his fingers over the etched symbols, awe softening his usually mocking tone. "It's… beautiful. Heavy, but balanced."
Meanwhile, Alexios unwrapped the sword, his breath catching. The blade gleamed unnaturally, its surface flawless, as though untouched by time. "By the gods… it feels alive."
Atlas's tone lowered, carrying weight. "The Sword of Damokles. Forged not by mortals, but by the Ones Who Came Before. Gods to us, perhaps, but beings of power beyond measure.
Barnabas had gone still, staring at the two weapons. "You boys realize what you hold? Those are relics — things whispered in tavern tales. And you just… hand them out like figs at a stall?"
Atlas shrugged. "Tools are meant to be used."
Alexios looked up sharply. "But where did you even find these?"
"Chrysis's treasure room for the sword. An old fort for the hammer," Atlas said simply, as though discussing onions at market. Then, his tone hardened. "Listen well — these are not ordinary weapons. They were forged by the Ones Who Came Before. They grant strength… but also carry weight. Power like this can change men. Don't let it change you."
Both Alexios and Lukas nodded firmly, but their eyes betrayed their excitement.
Atlas rolled his eyes. "Just don't cut your own foot off."
Lukas chuckled. "If he does, we'll tell everyone it was a heroic sacrifice."
Barnabas laughed so loud some crewmen turned their heads. "By Poseidon, you three are mad."
At last, Atlas pulled out the small wooden box he'd been searching for. He opened it to reveal a carefully carved chess set.
"Finally." He began setting the pieces. "Come play with me. The journey to Kephallonia will take until tomorrow. Better this than you two sharpening your tongues on each other."
Alexios waved him off, still admiring the gleam of the Sword of Damokles. "No thanks. I've no desire to lose again. Last time I played, you beat me in seven moves."
"Six," Atlas corrected flatly.
Lukas chuckled, hefting the hammer. "And I lost in five. Not happening again."
Atlas smirked faintly. "Cowards."
Atlas set the chessboard between them. "Now, since you two are distracted, Barnabas — care for a game?"
Barnabas leaned forward curiously. "What is this, is this gambling game?"
"No, but we can bet on who wins" Atlas explained. "A game called chess. Each piece is a soldier, cavalry, or king. Two players fight for the field until one wins. It teaches patience, foresight, and sacrifice."
Barnabas's good eye lit with interest. "A battle on wood? Hah! Teach me, lad."
Minutes passed, the ship creaking around them, seagulls crying overhead. Barnabas lost his first three games. Each time, Atlas explained his mistake with patience, pointing at the board,
Finally, after the fourth loss, Barnabas sat back with a bark of laughter. "By Poseidon, this cursed game is brilliant! Every move is like a war at sea and land. Flank, mislead, trap — it's the same as commanding men."
Atlas nodded, impressed. "Exactly. You understand faster than most."
Barnabas grinned even as Atlas trapped him again. "Checkmate, eh? Seems I've more to learn. But you've given me something, boy. A way to think about command. I like it, lad. I've a feeling the sea brought us together for a reason.""
Alexios groaned from across the deck. "Gods help us. Another one addicted to Atlas's boring game."
"Better than you trying to stab someone," Lukas muttered.
Alexios swung the Sword of Damokles playfully in his direction. "Jealous."
Lukas hefted the hammer with a grin. "Swing that again and I'll use this to knock some sense into you."
The two squared up, their new weapons glinting in the sunlight, but Atlas didn't even look up from the chessboard.
"Don't break the deck," he shouted at them.
Barnabas laughed, shaking his head as dolphins leapt beside the ship, the journey carrying them steadily toward Kephallonia.
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