Again there was more hooting and laughter, but finally Chiron said, “Now comes the team challenge; has anyone a suggestion?”
Achilles stepped forward and said, “My Lady Celeste, is that your bow I see upon one of the mares?”
“Oui.”
Achilles nodded and turned to Chiron and said,
“Since Philoctetes, the prime archer of the Argonauts, and I both took the pledge, then I suggest that we return to the gymnasium and he take up the bow and contest with the princess, while I take up the sword and contest against the knight.”
“But my lord,” protested Celeste, “this is really two challenges, and therefore the total is more than three tests in all.”
All eyes turned to Chiron, for he was the judge. He pondered a moment and then said, “Nay, Princess, it is really just one, for in team play, oft are many different matches waged.”
And so, Celeste retrieved her bow and arrows, and Roel took up Coeur d’Acier, and back into the Hall of Heroes all trooped, Celeste thinking furiously, for Philoctetes was a fabled archer, and Achilles a champion with a sword.
Finally, inside the hall, she said, “Let the archery contest be the first match, and then the sword duel commence.” Both Philoctetes and Achilles nodded, for no trickery within the suggestion did they see.
Several small targets-a chit of wood, a small flask, a coin on edge, a cup, a chalice-were set at one end of the hall, and the archers told to strike the target of their choice. At the other far end of the hall, one of the circles was chosen for the duel, and the men were to battle to first blood.
Chiron then said, “Heed me, for these are the additional rules: if Celeste and Roel are bested, then they lose, and the black portal is denied.”
“What if there is a tie between teams?” asked Odysseus.
“If the teams tie, there is no victory for the princess and the knight; hence going through the black doorway is denied them in this case as well.” Roel groaned and looked at Celeste, and she said,
“Agreed.”
“Well, then, archers, take your positions.” Celeste marched away to the end most distant from the wee targets. Philoctetes’ eyes widened in surprise, but he followed her.
Roel and Achilles also went to the far end of the hall, for that is where lay the circle they had chosen for their match.
Chiron gave the signal for the contests to begin, but Celeste turned to Roel and Achilles and said, “Let not your own match start until my arrow is loosed.” Achilles looked at Roel and shrugged, and they both agreed; the loosing of her arrow would be their signal to begin.
Celeste smiled and nocked an arrow but then said,
“Philoctetes, after you.”
Philoctetes looked at the faraway targets, and after a moment of deliberation he said, “I declare my target is the small coin standing on edge.”
The gathered men gasped, for never had any shot ever been made at so small a target from a distance such as this.
Philoctetes nocked his arrow and drew it to the full and took long aim at the target nigh three hundred paces away. Finally he loosed and up flew the arrow, sissing in its flight. And all held their breaths as the shaft hurtled in its long arc and sailed down to- ching! -
strike the coin. Pent breaths were released in wild cheers, for it was a shot worthy of the gods themselves.
Philoctetes turned to Celeste and smiled and said,
“Your turn now, my lady. Choose your target and loose.” Celeste drew her own shaft to the full and said, “I choose”-she quickly turned and shot Achilles in the foot with a blunt arrow-“Achilles’ left heel.” Crying out in pain, Achilles fell to the floor, and as Odysseus laughed, Chiron said, “The arrow is loosed; let the duel begin.”
Roel stepped to writhing Achilles and with Coeur d’Acier simply pinked his left heel, and said, “First blood.”
The hall erupted in argument, some men shouting, others laughing, and a few saying it was a gambit worthy of Odysseus himself. What do you mean? cried others. Clearly they should forfeit the match.
When quiet fell, Celeste said, “According to the rules, I was to select a target of my choice, and my choice was Achilles’ left heel, for only there is he vulnerable.”
Again argument erupted, and finally all eyes turned to Chiron. “Indeed it was clever, and certainly within the rules as stated. And since both archers struck their targets of choice, that match is declared a tie. Yet Roel drew first blood; hence he is clearly the winner, and so the contest of the teams goes to the princess and her knight.”
Odysseus clapped, as did many others, yet a few grumbled at the outcome. But Achilles finally got to his feet and shook Roel’s hand and bowed to the princess, and she kissed Achilles and Philoctetes each on the cheek.
Celeste turned to Chiron and said, “Then the black portal is ours to enter and go to the City of the Dead?” Chiron nodded but said, “Yes, Princess, you and your knight have earned that right, yet there is one final test.”
“A final test? But we have met your three challenges.
Surely you cannot force another upon us.” Chiron held out a hand to stop her words. “Princess, it is not I, nor we, who force this test, but Lord Hades himself instead.”
Celeste sighed. “Go on, Chiron. Tell us of this final deed.”
Chiron gestured to the far end of the hall and said,
“There are two dark exits: one leads to Tartarus, from which there is no return; the other leads to the Waste City of Senaudon. You must choose between them, for at no time whatsoever do we know which is which.” Celeste looked at Roel and said, “Love?”
“We must chance it, cherie; else my sister is lost forever. Yet I can go alone.” Celeste shook her head. “Never, Roel.” Then she grinned and said, “Let us retrieve the horses and choose.”
And so Celeste took up the blunt arrow she had used on Achilles. And then she and Roel fetched their mounts and led them into the hall, where they followed ONCE UPON A SPRING MORN / 309
Chiron to the far extent. There he bade the princess and the knight to stand in a modest circle inset in the floor.
“Now you must put all else out of your minds except the desire to open the portals, and then, together, say the word Phainesaton!”
“Wait,” said Roel, and he stepped to his mount and took up his shield from its saddle hook. Then he stepped back into the circle where Celeste yet stood, the princess with an arrow now nocked to her bow. He drew Coeur d’Acier and glanced at Celeste. At a nod from him, they spoke in unison- Phainesaton!
Before them appeared two black doorways, seeming much like the gate in Meketaten’s tomb, or the ebon at the heart of Faery’s twilight bounds.
Roel turned to Celeste and said, “Choose.” And Celeste said, “Left is right, and right a mistake.” And leading their horses, into the leftmost portal they went.
38
Senaudon
Out onto a decrepit stone pave emerged Celeste and Roel, out between two ancient pillars, the fluted columns raddled with cracks, and a cold swirling wind groaned about the stone. The animals followed after, snorting and blowing in the sulfur-tinged sobbing air, and Celeste, pulling them and squinting against the acrid whorl, turned and looked behind to see not one but two black portals just then fading from view.
Scribed in the riven stone at her feet was a faint outline of an ages-old circle, much like the one they had left.
“Is this Tartarus?” asked Roel, as left and right and fore and aft he scanned for foes, yet there were none.
“I know not, Roel, but if it is, then we will be trapped forever. Yet there is hope that it is not, for I did see two portals when we emerged, as well as what is perhaps an invoking circle scribed on the floor. I would think these things would not be in Tartarus.”
Roel grunted but said nought.
Celeste added, “If we need come back this way, once more we will have to choose.”