The Korinniad by A. K. Caggiano

Author:A. K. Caggiano [Caggiano, A. K.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2020-01-31T06:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER XXII

Nikeros led the way through the camp, his head down, telling Korinna that he promised Calix she’d be at the party and to go on ahead. She was surprised Calix had spoken to him at all but said nothing about it. When they got to the jungle, they had to pick their way through the darkness until they began to notice it. The sounds came first, voices from far off. There were lights too, so foreign in the darkness of the night, but they were colored, peeking out from between palm fronds as they went. Then there was a smell, smoked meat and spilled wine, until finally they broke through the branches and found themselves standing on the edge of a massive bowl dug out of the earth, larger than any coliseum or arena Korinna had even heard of.

The sounds of hundreds of voices rushed up at them, bookended by drums and lutes and laughter. Fires were burning, sparking up from pits with colors Korinna didn’t even have pigments for, bright blues and greens and purples, and tables were strewn about, covered in whole roasted pigs, cheeses, and fruits.

It was chaos, but it was contained below them, the shouting jovial as people ran after one another, danced and laughed, sang and ate. From their spot at the basin’s edge, they could pick out Oceanids among the mortals, but there were others too who looked at least slightly out of place. And even here and there a flash of godly glowing skin.

They’d been standing there for some time, she realized, when Nikeros nudged her with his elbow. “Calix will be wanting to see you.”

“Calix, right.” Korinna tried to smile, but it hurt her face. Instead, she focused on her feet as they made their way down the rocky ledge to the heart of the party. It was much louder down there, and the excitement was heavy in the air. They carefully meandered through bodies, many wearing animal masks and short tunics, and were only cut off twice by a group of nymphs in green chitons and with leaves braided into their hair being chased by a man who was at least half, if not more, goat.

They passed a few beings who undoubtedly were gods, though Korinna didn’t recognize them. She thought perhaps she saw Ares once, but quickly ducked away, afraid she might be asked how the exchange had gone. They had their glow, of course, but were also performing miracles as if they were tricks. One god turned a man into a pig while yet another snatched a snake from a bush and gave it the ability to speak. “Nikeros,” Korinna asked with a slight grunt, “Do the gods always interact with mortals like this?”

“Sure, when they don’t expect to be remembered. Most of the mortals will forget this whole thing by tomorrow, Dionysus’s wine will see to that. The rest will retell the experience so differently from one another that no one will ever believe it.”

It seemed a

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