"You knew my son didn't have the Lexicon inside him because you'd already given it up." "Inside you lies the power to open the doors to Olympus, and anyone who enters Olympus becomes a god." "Would you have me lead the King's armies in a tunic?" "Don't be ridiculous." "I didn't put you in charge so you could lead." "Pull him up!" "It's Daedalus the inventor!" "He's a genius!" "Kiss your lord and master." "The Ring of the Magi?" "You know what this means?" "He appeared not to know about the Ring." "But you could tell he was lying?" "Yes." "Where are you going?" "To look for the Ring." "Where?" "In the Forest of Troezen." "There really is no need to involve the warrior priests." "I am more than capable of finding the Mercenary myself." "You're going to go home and fetch the Ring so that your father, King Aegeus, knows who you are when you knock on his door." "King of Athens!" "King of Athens!" "King of Athens!" "King of Athens!" "King of Athens..." "King of Athens!" "King of Athens!" "King of Athens!" "King of Athens!" "Oracle!" "Now take a step back." "Why?" "How did I get here?" "You ran." "Before we noticed where you were, you were running towards the edge." "What happened?" "It was a vision." "The same vision I've had before, only this was more powerful than any I've ever had." "Of what?" "Well?" "What did you see?" "Should we hide in a hole and wait for the end of the world as we know it?" "Yes." "Yes?" "I mean... yes, it was the end of the world, or will be." "It was the end of us, and the end of the Gods." "Does she do this often?" "I haven't known her very long." "Do you do this often?" "Perhaps... you will be the one to stop it." "Perhaps we all will." "Maybe that's why the Gods have brought us together." "If the Gods are counting on us to save the world... we are certainly doomed." "We should move away from here." "Blessed Athena, accept this offering as thanks for guiding my priests." "May they return with the eldest son of Aegeus to me quickly, so that I can unravel the mysteries of the Lexicon and deliver my loved ones." "The leaves on the olive tree are yellowing." "I hear that a fungus grows from within." "When the roots are infected, the entire tree withers." "What do you recommend?" "Cut down the sick tree, nurture the sapling." "The sapling is still young." "A young sapling is easier to bend and shape." "Indeed, but it is tended by very clever and devious hands." "A woman's hands may be devious, but they are not as strong as a man's." "Nevertheless, she will hold on until grim death." "So be it." "You are bold, indeed, Priest Xerxes." "I have seen many olive trees ripen and wither, and, frankly, we cannot risk another poor harvest." "I hear that no matter how much she waters it, the tree will not recover." "You gave him only half a cup?" "As you instructed." "You didn't add more bloodroot, did you?" "Bloodroot?" "No, ma'am." "I just gave him the cup you left in case he woke." "And he drank it all?" "He was very thirsty." "I'll have to find something more powerful to revive him." "When is their next major festival?" "Pylos... the Festival of Pylos falls on a crescent moon, which... is tomorrow." "What does that mean?" "It's just..." "I don't know... a wild idea." "You are extraordinary, Majesty, a god already." "This is your moment." "The Lybian army tricked the barbarians by lighting fires on small rafts and floating them across the river at night." "I'm afraid I don't understand, Prince Lykos." "How does that help our efforts here?" "The barbarians' god was a god of fire." "When they saw flames floating over the water, they thought it a sign and hurried towards them." "Where the Lybian army was waiting?" "They rose up out of shallow water, slaughtered and drowned men twice their size." "You certainly are a font of military history, but I still don't see how that's relevant to us." "The Lybians knew their enemy's customs and beliefs, and used them to devise the right strategy." "But the Minoans, they worship Poseidon, God of the Sea." "And his bullheaded offspring, the Minotaur." "Ah." "Shall we set fire to 20 bulls, have them charge their camp?" "Not set fire to them, poison them." "What nonsense is this?" "Our men are already starving, and you would poison their only livestock?" "General Proteus is right, Prince Lykos." "We've only a handful of oxen left." "We poison them so that they poison the enemy." "The Minoans offer a sacrifice to Poseidon on the Festival of Pylos, and feast." "Then, while sleeping, dead or dying, we steal their entire herd from under their noses." "The Festival of Pylos?" "Isn't that..." "Tomorrow." "You're a cunning strategist, indeed, Prince Lykos." "We're all ruled by the same gods, son of Aegeus, and, indeed, the same king, your father." "A reasonable man might say we're all fighting on the same side." "So why not deliver the Ring to your Queen and let her help you solve the riddle of the Lexicon?" "Queen?" "Medea, Aegeus's wife." "The point is, you're not going to solve the riddle without her, so you may as well tell us where you've hidden the Ring." "Oh, I see." "You're saying that the Ring is the key to unlocking the Lexicon." "Quiet." "I suppose that's why King Aegeus stole it in the first place." "Can't we shut him up?" "If you don't mind me saying, you're not very persuasive." "How can you possibly hope to earn a man's trust when you tie him up and mash his face into a rock?" "Did I ask for your advice?" "Come, come..." "The art of interrogation requires a more complete understanding of the interrogee." "Look into his heart, know his hopes and dreams, then choose a line of questioning which will elicit the response you require." "There's no need to lose your temper." "I'm simply trying to help." "I, too, would like nothing more than to know where he's hidden the Ring of the Magi." "You're not helping, Daedalus." "Daedalus?" "Oh." "It seems my reputation precedes me." "King Minos's genius inventor?" "Just "genius" will suffice." "Why are you here?" "You tied me up and dragged me here, remember?" "How did you come across Daedalus?" "He dropped out of the sky." "What?" "He was..." "he was flying." "Oracle, when I cut this rope, your arms and your legs will be ripped from your body." "I've only done this once, to a tax collector in Borysthenes, but I can tell you that he lived for quite some time afterwards, dying a slow and pitiful death." "I'm telling you the truth!" "He made wings!" "And he just happened to land near you?" "Yes!" "Bring him nearer." "I want him to see her die." "No!" "What makes you think I care?" "Oh, I've seen the way you look at her." "A country boy brought up in isolation?" "You're infatuated, aren't you?" "Hmm?" "Perhaps even in love." "Let's test that theory." "Cut the rope." "You're bluffing." "And after you've killed your favorite Oracle, what then, Daedalus?" "Perhaps." "And after him?" "You can't kill me, or you'll lose the Lexicon altogether." "He could torture you." "Just following your logic." "I could torture you, but first, you simply have to see this." "I said stop!" "Stop!" "I said stop!" "He said stop!" "I'll tell you where it is!" "Ah!" "Cyrus!" "What is it, my dear?" "He's ready to talk." "Mother..." "This is not a good time, Lykos." "You don't have to stop what you're doing." "I just want to ask you something." "I've heard of a poison that you can give to an animal that won't kill that animal, but will kill anyone who eats it." "Poison?" "I think it's called bloodroot?" "Apparently, it will put a man to sleep, or make him go mad and even kill him." "Who have you been talking to?" "Priest Xerxes said the only person he knew who would have some was you." "Did he?" "Apparently, it's quite rare, and that's what worries me." "Oh?" "I need a lot." "What for?" "It's complicated." "What's going on, Lykos?" "Do you have some or not?" "No." "It's very dangerous." "Tell Priest Xerxes" "I would never use such a toxic herb." "I see." "Thank you, Mother." "How much further?" "Not far." "Cool waves lap at your feet." "The morning sun's healing rays warm your heart." "Listen to the sea, my love." "Feel the soft sand, the fresh breeze." "You've been swept back to shore, home again." "Wake, and kiss your Queen." "Wake!" "Keep him cool." "And drip water into his mouth from time to time." "But only water." "As you wish." "No one but me." "Understood?" "In there?" "How far down?" "You keep going till you come to a stone ledge, and there you'll find a small fissure in the rock, and in that, a wooden box." "I'm not going down there." "You are." "Well, untie me then." "I can't breathe." "Good." "I'm running out of rope." "Get me some more." "What you need is a pulley system." "Reminds me of the time I hauled two oxen through a four-story window." "Shut... up." "Ah!" "Steady on." "How much further?" "More." "No." "One of you has to go down there to fetch him back up." "Oh!" "I'm all right!" "I see something, further down." "A light!" "There's another passage down here..." "I'd be on your guard, if I were you." "He knows these woods better than I know the roof of my mouth." "Hurry." "...and it leads... all the way back here." "Kouros?" "Will your prodigy be ready?" "He grows in stature by the hour." "But will he be ready?" "Frankly, I'm more concerned with his mother." "Don't be." "Such confidence." "I'm impressed." "I hope it's well placed." "She will not escape us again." "It must be done in plain sight so that the court, and her son, of course, can see it was the hand of god, not man." "A tribute to Apollo." "Hmm, very good." "And what of tonight's outlandish raid?" "Have you secured the toxin?" "Enough to kill an army." "What was that?" "You've made sure of your support?" "My priests will float their Queen down the River Styx in a vessel of gold and laurel leaves." "We shall all mourn her." "And save our beloved Athens." "How many?" "400 head." "How many men did we lose?" "None." "The Minoans guarding the herd didn't even know we were there." "Probably won't wake up for days." "Just as the Prince predicted." "The boy's got a head on his shoulders, no doubt about it." "A feast." "We should celebrate by giving thanks to Apollo." "Apollo?" "And as our Queen, and mother to your golden son, we ask that you lead the tribute to the Prince Regent." "Lykos is not Prince Regent." "He doesn't rule instead of his father." "He's merely his consort." "Your people, they see the architects of their salvation and want to express their love." "My son doesn't need their love." "Tell your priests to forget their tributes and concentrate on caring for the sick and wounded." "Apollo's fire, it's already lit." "The tribute, it's set for tonight..." "Call it off, Xerxes." "If we do not allow our people to express themselves, they will find other ways to thank the Gods." "But if you prefer that I carry the holy flame..." "Yes." "Yes, you carry the flame, while I watch from the throne." "You would sit in the throne?" "I am regent." "If anyone rules while the King recovers, it is his Queen." "Of course, Majesty." "Where is the Ring?" "I told you, I don't know." "Then why have you come home for it?" "That's my business." "Well, you must have some idea where to look, or you wouldn't have rushed back here." "Look, I'm no genius, but I know that you can't solve the riddle of the Lexicon on your own." "You need our help." "Believe me, it's no coincidence that the Gods have paired you with an oracle and a scientist." "Yes." "Yes?" "Oh, yes." "After all, you were born to sit on that throne." "It feels a little strange." "The instruments of power are as mysterious as they are burdensome." "It doesn't feel right." "You'll get used to it." "Perhaps, but only when it's time." "That time might come at any moment, and when it does, you, Majesty, must be ready." ""Majesty?"" "Don't be silly, uncle Pallas." "King." "The Gods have chosen you to carry their light." "From now on, I will call you Majesty." "Stop it." "I'm not your king yet." "Lykos, your father lies dying." "Athens stands on the brink of destruction, our people facing genocide." "This is no time for modesty or doubt." "Hold your head high and accept your destiny." "We need you." "Mother!" "He knows nothing of this!" "Tell us where you've hidden our ring, or we will kill him." "For the love of Eirini, why won't you believe me?" "Bandits came in the night many years ago, stole everything we had." "Kill him." "No!" "Ah!" "Son!" "No!" "I'll get something to stop the bleeding." "Mother..." "No..." "I'm sorry." "But what happened to the cloaked woman?" "I never saw her again." "She must have believed your mother's story, otherwise she wouldn't have left." "She was wounded." "A little blood is nothing to their kind." "You know who they were?" "She called it "their" ring, didn't she?" "If the Ring of the Magi is indeed "their" ring, then it stands to reason that they are the Magi." "The Magi?" "Grisly Babylonian mystics whose sole goal in life is to banish the Gods from our earth so they can welcome their one true god." "What do you mean, one true god?" "They believe in a single god who does everything." "Ridiculous notion, I know, but there it is." "One would assume that their ring is designed to harm the Gods in some way, not help open the door to Olympus, which is why I was surprised to hear that Medea, Queen of Athens, thought it was the key to solving the Lexicon." "Hmm." "But you knew your mother was lying." "That story about the bandits." "That's why you thought the Ring might still be here." "Am I right?" "Daedalus, please." "What?" "I'm sorry, Mercenary." "No, he's right." "We were never attacked by bandits." "Ha!" "Well, then if she knew where the Ring was, why didn't she save herself and give it up?" "Then they'd certainly kill her, and her son." "That's the sort of cold-blooded barbarians those pagans really are." "So... if you don't know where it is, why have you come back here?" "My mother never kept secrets from me." "She never lied." "She was trying to tell me something." "I'm certain of that now." "Like a coded message?" "Let's see, uh... bandits taking everything." "Is there a river nearby named Bandit?" "Or a, uh, a well, perhaps?" "Oh, wait, wait, there was something else, wasn't there?" "Something about Eirini." ""For the love of Eirini," yeah." "Did she say that often?" "Never once that I can remember." "A very unusual deity." "I don't know anyone who pays her a blind bit of notice." "She's the Goddess of Peace." "Huh, that explains it." "Eirini is one of the Horae." "She wears ears of corn to symbolize wealth." "Does that mean anything to you?" "She also carried a cornucopia." "Did your mother keep any cornucopias lying around?" "And of course, her symbol of peace was the olive branch." "What is it?" "She took your bait?" "Spectacularly." "Remember, this must look like an act of god." "She insisted on watching from the throne." "To be clear, she wants to sit on the throne?" "As regent." "Our effort doesn't come a moment too soon." "Can we talk?" "Alone." "You've created quite a stir, Lykos." "I'm impressed." "I always knew you were an exceptional child." "After all, you are my son, but I admit you've exceeded my expectations." "I'm not a child anymore." "No." "You're a leader of men." "But, clever as you are, you may have missed something." "The tribute tonight, to Apollo, to celebrate your recent and extraordinary victory may not be all it seems." "In what way?" "Has anyone suggested you lead the tribute?" "No, they just want me there, that's all." "You should be mindful of your adoring court, Lykos." "What do you mean?" "Those who would want you as regent, to rule in place of your father, they cannot be trusted." "They will use you to further their own ambitions, and undermine your father, and me." "I will always protect you, Mother." "You need to leave the military council so we can continue our work on the Lexicon." "Now is not a good time..." "Nothing is more important than solving the riddle of the Gods." "Of course, and I'll return to it soon, but right now everyone is counting on me to help with the war effort." "They look up to me." "Be careful, Lykos." "If you climb too far too fast, you may not survive the fall." "That is a risk I'll have to take." "This is no time for modesty or doubt." "You sound like your uncle Pallas." "Excuse me, Mother." "I need to get ready for the tribute." "My mother used to say, if it ever bore fruit, its olives would be the tastiest in the forest." "Why?" "It looks horrible." "She was being ironic." "No, I think she meant it." "Often, the ugliest things are the sweetest." "Well done." "You certainly know your way around a piece of rope, son of Aegeus." "You'll have your pick if you ever need a job as a thief, acrobat, or executioner." "Do you ever shut up?" "When I'm asleep, although even then" "I've been known to sing Orphic psalms." "Heavens know why." "I've never learnt any." "What is it?" "Mercenary!" "What happened?" "Are you... are you hurt?" "No." "Well, what happened?" "Did you fall?" "Yes." "But how?" "You just disappeared." "Time stood still." "I just seemed to float down." "Did you find the Ring?" "It would have landed here somewhere." "Where's Daedalus?" "Holy Mother, moon, star, and sea, show me your smile, your sweet breath." "Let the wind carry a message to my door." "Guide me at this hour of need." "I hope that's the last black bird you have hidden in the folds of your robe, Kouros, but it's not, is it?" "You've got an entire menagerie in there, don't you?" "I don't see why you have to keep announcing our failures." "Ow!" "How's the knee?" "Hurts like a bloody..." "Why are you in such a hurry then?" "I know what you're thinking." "Why would I suddenly pick up and run off like that without saying goodbye." "It's a perfectly reasonable question to which, frankly," "I have no answer." "Where's the Ring?" "What makes you think I have it?" "What were you going to do with it?" "Do?" "What do you mean, do?" "You don't strike me as the sort of man to steal for money, so it stands to reason that you took it because you know how to harness its power." "Perhaps I took it to protect you." "Hmm?" "So you do have it." "Not necessarily." "I'm just following your logic." "There are many reasons why a man might steal a ring, and not all of them are bad." " Oh..." " How could you!" "Why did you steal it?" "We haven't established for certain that I have it yet." "There's much that Daedalus, the great inventor, hasn't told us." "Hand it over." "No." "For instance, he was just about to explain exactly what he was going to do with it." "No, I wasn't." "Then I'm afraid" "I'm going to have to hang you from that tree, strip you, search you until I've found the Ring, then leave you there to die of thirst." "But I..." "I'm an old man." "That will only make my job easier." "Good god of mercy." "I don't want to touch it." "Really?" "Why not?" "She can carry it." "Well, in that case, let me be the one..." "Just give it to her." "Now then, before I do to you what I did to the Paladin, tell me what you were going to do with the Ring." "There's no need for that tone." "It was forged from a metal not known to man 30,000 years ago, when the Gods built the kingdom that now lies crumbling around us." "Like the Temple of Gaia?" "Whatever that was, it certainly wasn't a temple to them." "How can you be sure?" "The Gods don't worship gods." "That's a folly reserved for man." "Daedalus, the Ring." "The Magi believe the Ring has the power to kill a god." "I don't know about that, but I'm certain it hides a power greater than anything we can imagine." "How would you use that power?" "Give me a month in my workshop, testing its strengths, pushing its limits, then I will tell you." "I need to return the Ring to my father so he'll know who I am." "That's a terrible waste, son of Aegeus." "I wonder which god wore it." "Whoever it was didn't wear it on their finger." "Why not?" "The Gods wouldn't have built such large temples unless they were 10 times the size of man." "What is it?" "Someone's out there." "Hurry." "Majesty." "Your priests ask that you lead the tribute to Apollo and carry his eternal flame." "Me?" "Why?" "As God of Truth," "Apollo will only accept a tribute from the true leader of Athens." "My father is the true leader of Athens." "You brought hope to your desperate followers." "Please accept our blessings and embrace your place in their hearts." "Very well." "I will carry Apollo's flame as Prince of Athens, not as regent." "That title belongs to my mother." "As you wish, Majesty." "Rejoice!" "The Queen!" "Your regent." "The robe!" "Behold!" "Light of Apollo!" "This robe is covered in oil." "Stop!" "Stop!" "Someone help your Queen!" "The robe is covered in oil!" "Lykos, stop!" "Stop, Lykos!" "Stop!" "No, Lykos!" "You mourn me already?" "You take my throne?" "No, Majesty." "I am merely regent." "Regent?" "I don't need a regent!" "I am your King!" "Sit at my feet, whore." "Son!" "Come here." "Kneel before your King." "Kiss my feet, child." "Rejoice and honour the Father of Athens!" "Are you sure it wasn't an animal or something?" "Shh!" "Oh." "I did everything as you said, added more bloodroot to make the King sleep, but the Queen gave him a different tonic, something I've never seen before." "Did you not think to warn me?" "He woke suddenly, caught me by surprise, Your Grace." "I understand." "I have loved you... more than any woman I have ever known." "And I love you still."