The king was the first to speak, “My good fellow, you’re probably wondering why we brought you here?”
I sat, riveted. “Brought me here?”
“We have a job for you.” The king gestured to a young couple beside him. “Orfeo and Euridice want to wed but first they must prove their love for one another. Euridice must travel down to Hades, and it is up to you and Orfeo to bring her back. It is an extremely dangerous task and you may not make it.”
I shuddered in my seat. How in heaven’s name had I got myself into this? As I sat and looked at the young couple all I could see was Rosalyne and myself. The reality of the situation burnt my innermost being.
“You will leave in the morning; a ship awaits both of you.”
With that, Euridice seemed to flicker and then disappeared. I looked at the goddess Eros for solace but her piercing eyes told me there was no other way. After a scrumptious meal and entertainment, I settled into a restless night’s sleep wondering if I would ever see my Rosalyne again.
Chapter Three.
The next morning came quickly. After an enjoyable breakfast and engaging conversation, the last thing I wanted was conversation as I feared for my life – the whole town had turned out to wish us a safe return. The trip from the palace to the harbour was by a carriage drawn by four white stallions. We were accompanied by their majesties, the snake – who was a real chatterbox – and, of course, the celebrities of the hour: Orfeo and myself. Before we embarked, a priest and priestess stepped forward, bade us kneel on the ground and imparted a farewell blessing upon us. I could feel a surge of energy course through my body, and it gave me hope. As our ship and crew pulled out from the harbour, all the congregation at the quayside joined hands to sing happy shanties, but this belied the seriousness of the situation. There was a flotilla of small ships that accompanied us to the horizon. As they left, they sounded a farewell blast of horns and pipes. As they turned for home, my heart sank into my shoes.
We sailed for several uneventful days, Orfeo proved a very enjoyable companion, and as for the crew, you couldn’t ask for better. I was actually enjoying myself. During the day we played card games and frolicked on the deck. At night, we sat around a fire, sang songs and told yarns of the most bizarre. After our fifth day at sea enjoying the most gorgeous of weather, out of nowhere the sky darkened and the ocean turned from a sea of tranquility to a nightmarish turbulence. Twenty-foot waves lashed our boat. One moment we were completely out of the water and the next we were heading into the abyss. This calamity took two of the crew into the ocean: it was only by the grace of God that we were able to return them to the ship. Next, Kraken the sea monster leaped out of the sea to throw himself across the bow of the ship; surely the end of the world was near. But just as quickly as it started, it ended, and the entire crew fell to their knees to give thanks for deliverance.
