Timothy Boggs - Hercules Legendary Joureneys 02

For a while, near sunset, it seemed as if the gulls had taken over the world.

They swarmed over the sea, sometimes diving, sometimes coming up with flashes of silver wriggling in their beaks; they clouded over the fishing boats heading back to shore, complaining loudly, swooping, trying to snatch fishes from a net on a fishing boat; they sat like white-haired old men on the high massive boulders at the north end of the harbor, watching the other birds, one leg tucked up, never making a sound, the steady sea breeze puffing their feathers.

For Holix, the sight never failed to please, even though he had seen it a thousand times. Coasting on the thermals, gliding on the breeze, confident that sooner or later they would get what they wanted, the birds fascinated him.

Whenever he was able to escape from the training stables, he came here to watch them. He loved sitting high above the beach, at the edge of the plain on a favorite flat-topped boulder the sea never reached except in the fiercest of storms. Directly below, the other rocks sloped down to the water. Jagged and tall inland, they grew shorter as they approached the surf, seeming to do battle with the waves.

Like the teeth of a dragon, he thought; ready to snap shut and crush the first human who passed by.

He scowled, and scolded himself for thinking such a gruesome thought.

Yet he couldn't help it.

Something
was out there.

Everyone knew it, but no one wanted to talk about it. And when you asked, they either yelled, or aimed a kick to drive you away, or simply pretended they hadn't understood.

But
something
was out there.

He was determined to find out what it was.

He shifted to ease the stiffness in his rump, grinning when one of the rock-sitting gulls glared up at him, fluffed its feathers, and looked away disdainfully.

"I could have you for dinner," he said lightly.

The gull ignored him.

"Hey," a voice said behind him. "He's talking to the birds again."

The sound of giggling made him turn, a mock scowl on his face.

There were three of them on the grass, passing around a wineskin and a basket
of
fresh bread. From the way they tried and failed to sit straight, and the sight of the flattened wineskin tossed on the ground, it was clear that they had already begun the party.

Not that he really minded. Jax, who worked with an armorer, had been the first to befriend him when he had arrived; and the twins, Sana and Cire, had decided he would be the brother they'd always wished they had.

Like he really wanted to be their
brother.

Cire, lush red hair and a figure that had more curves than the coastline, beckoned him away from the rock. "We're supposed to be having fun, Holix," she said with a pout.

"Not being glum and brooding," finished Sana.

At least he thought it was Sana. He was pretty sure it was Sana. Even after all these months, he could barely tell them apart.

Jax, tall and lanky, his black hair in tight curls around his head, tossed him the wineskin. "He's not being glum, he's contemplating great thoughts. Figuring out the workings of the world."

"Oh, not that again," Sana complained. "Pass the wine."

Cire pointed to the horizon. "There's nothing out there but water, Holix. Deep water. Lots of deep water."

"And fish," Sana added.

"Okay, and fish."

"But nothing else."

"Of course not. Except for the boats."

"Well, sure, the boats. And the birds."

"Absolutely."

Holix blinked and looked to Jax, who only shrugged and tore off some bread, shoved it in his mouth, and grinned around the crumbs as he chewed.

"It's the festival," Sana decided with a knowing nod.

"Right," her twin agreed.

"It can get very confusing."

"Of course it can."

Holix filled his mouth with wine, swallowed, coughed, and handed the skin back to Jax.

"So much to do," Sana said—unless it was Cire.

"So little time."

"Exciting, though."

"And scary."

"Oh, not really. Not if you know what's going on."

"Well, that's true."

"Of course, even if you know what's going on, it can be kind of scary. In an exciting sort of way."

Cire giggled—unless it was Sana.

I'm getting dizzy, Holix thought, and looked over their heads to the trees some fifty feet away. They were tall and slender, slightly bent from the constant breeze, with silvery-green foliage that fluttered and whispered. They formed a single line a hundred yards long east to west along the heights above the beach, and some of the leaves winked hints of gold as the sun continued its glide toward the horizon.

"Do we have to talk about this?" Jax complained. "After tonight, we're barely going to have time to breathe."

Holix agreed. He had been in the city less than a year, and while it had been a wonderful experience up to now, it was threatening to turn into something else entirely. For the next several weeks he and the other stable hands would have to practice braiding the horses' tails and manes, entwining them with silk ribbons and gold tassels. Perfect, his boss had said; everything had to be perfect, or the gods would be displeased.

He would also have to ride the animals, alone, because of his experience. Training them to march, to high-step, to pull chariots, to keep their calm amid throngs of cheering people would consume his every waking moment, and probably some sleeping ones as well. Tonight, then, would undoubtedly be the last opportunity for the four of them to have any peace for months. Or any substantial time together.

Sighing silently, he looked back at the sea. The setting sun to his left had nearly touched the water; a half mile along the beach to his right the last of the fishing boats were coasting toward their piers.

The gulls were in full flight.

Far beyond the breakers a single boat worked one last catch before nightfall.

Holix wondered what it was like out there.

"There he goes again," Jax said, a hint of friendly laughter in his voice.

Throwing the nets, hauling in the fish, riding the swells that never stopped.

"I think it's cute."

Cire, he realized; that was Cire. Her voice was husky; Sana's was smooth.

She thinks it's cute.

He rolled his eyes. Cute is not what I want to be. Cute is a puppy or a kitten. Or a brother. I want to be—

"It's not cute, it's morbid," Sana said.

"No, it's not," he answered without turning around. "I just want to know things, that's all. And one of the things I want to know is, what happens to the queen of the festival after everything's over?"

No one answered.

The sun cast a streak of fire across the surface of the sea, catching the lone fishing boat and turning it into a flimsy silhouette against the darkening sky.

"They move on," Jax suggested finally, although he didn't sound very certain. "Something as important as that, they don't want to stay around here. They want to see the world."

"Why? It's beautiful here. It's . . . perfect."

"Spoken like a true farmer," Sana said flatly.

Holix didn't look; he didn't respond. Besides, he hadn't really been a farmer. He had grown up on his family's farm, true, but it had been discovered early on that he had a special talent for training animals, especially horses. So that's what he did now, and that's why he had been picked by the stable master to help train the festival horses.

And that's when he realized with a start why the twins' master and mistress had been spending so much time around the council chambers lately—they wanted one of the girls to be summer queen. The honor that would bring to the household would be incalculable.

You know, he thought, sometimes you can be thick as a post, Holix, you jerk.

"Look," Jax said to Sana, "if you're going to be like that, we're not going to have any fun at all."

"He's right." Cire was taking someone else's side for a change.

Holix heard Sana mumble something that had the tone of an apology, but he didn't turn around. With one hand shielding his face from the final glare of the sun, he stared at the fishing boat.

Despite the distance, he could tell something was wrong.

"Hey," he said quietly.

The sea was calm, but the little craft had begun to rock alarmingly.

"Quit hogging the wine," Cire complained lightly.

"I'm not hogging, I'm . .. tasting," Jax insisted.

"You're drunk," said Sana in disgust. And hiccuped.

Cire giggled. And hiccuped.

"Hey," Holix said, louder.

"Ladies, ladies," Jax called out grandly. "There's plenty for everyone." He belched and groaned.

"Disgusting," Cire said.

"Very," Sana agreed.

There was very little light now, but Holix, squinting and leaning forward, could have sworn he saw something more in the dark out there, something that wasn't part of the boat.