Zara panted heavily as the walls of Atlantis rose up ahead of her. The
gravity dampeners she wore helped her body cope with the stronger
gravity of Avalon, but they did very little to reduce the weight of
the pack on her back, and it felt like it weighed twice as much as
before she left the compound. She was starting to grow nervous. The
gates were still shut, and while she could probably bash them down if
she wanted, she had no intention of using violence.

“Open the gates.” She called out as she approached.

There were a tension-filled couple of seconds before the gates rumbled
to life and opened, just in time for Zara to step through, much to her
relief. She shuffled down the wide cobbled streets between wooden
houses no taller than her knees toward the main square outside the
ruined temple. She caught movement out of the corner of her eyes as
people poked out from alleyways and windows, watching as she walked
past. In the roads around the square she could see people gathering,
with Guardsmen blocking the way into the square. A few labourers were
busy clearing away debris to make space for her and the small hill of
food she was carrying.

A small figure on horseback moved swiftly towards her. Zara quickly
recognised that it was Lysis.

“The word’s got about. Near enough the whole city has turned out!”
Lysis called up, sounding rather pleased and excited much to Zara’s
pleasure.

Zara looked to the thronging crowds around the square. There were a
lot of people but not nearly a city full. “Are you sure? I thought
Atlantis had more people than this.”

“Look behind you.” Lysis grinned.

Zara looked over her should to a mass of people stretching down the
wide road about a full pace behind her. Some were skipping, some were
jogging to keep step with the Titaness but most just did their best to
stay orderly as more Guardsmen joined them to keep the crowd of
starving people from becoming a stampede. As Zara entered the main
square a line of Guardsmen blocked the road behind her.

“They’re hungry. You best make an announcement. Keep them calm.” Lysis
said eying the masses of people all around the square.

“Me?” Zara replied nervously. “You’re head of the Watch. I don’t know
anything about crowd control…”

Lysis chuckled. Pryvani had no problem controlling a city full of
expectant and often exuberant people. She had assumed it was down to
her stature, but apparently Titans could be just as nervous as Humans.

“Just reassure them they’ll all be fed. Tell them it’s important they
stay calm, don’t rush and follow the instructions of the guards. If
you can unload your sack we’ll take it from here.” Lysis explained in
a reassuring tone.

“Okay…okay…” Zara nodded to Lysis who was dismounting her horse and
then looked up to the crowd. “People of Atlantis, I bring enough food
for all of you to eat well.”

The crowd cheered, overjoyed at the idea of a meal for the first time
in days. Zara blushed, shy from the adoration of the thousands upon
thousands of people watching her. She could see why Pryvani had put up
with being a “goddess” for so long despite hating the lying.

“It’s important you all stay calm and don’t push or shove. The guards
will hand out the food so follow their instructions.” She continued.
“I’ll be back tomorrow with more food, and the day after that. I know
you’re a proud people, with every right to be so, but you have
suffered a great tragedy. Several great tragedies. I will be here to
help you as you rebuild your city, train more guards and get strong
again, okay? So just hold tight.”

Zara nodded and looked around at the mass of people. The thousands of
citizens of Atlantis smiled and talked merrily amongst themselves and
the Guardsmen were now carrying out their orders as Lysis called out
instructions.

“Zara, can you start cutting up the food into more manageable chunks?
Nothing too small, just small enough that we can handle.” Lysis asked
once her men were in position.

Zara glanced down to a loaf of bread that was bigger than some of the
buildings around and chuckled. “Sorry, I probably should have done
that before I got down here.”

“I don’t think anyone here will mind.” Lysis said carving off a side
of cheese with her sword before it was carried off by two Guardsmen.

Zara set about her work, slicing bread, cheese and meat into strips
roughly the size of her big finger and setting them into piles. They
didn’t stay in those piles for long. Before they got too high, a
guardsman would come along and chop them down further and the piles
were then quickly disassembled and passed out to the Guards handing
out the food to the crowds.

It took no more than an hour until Zara had finished. She sat back, a
warm glow filling her as she watched happy faces that had full
stomachs for the first time in a long time. This could work. It would
work. She would continue to provide food for the city while new men
were trained for the Watch. Once it was strong enough they could go
out into the countryside and start to wrest control of the fields and
villages from the bandits. Start the meat and the grain flowing into
Atlantis once more. It was quite simple really.

Zara spied out of the corner of her eye a group of men approaching
her. They were moving slowly and nervously. Some looked like they’d
really rather not be there at all.

The Titaness felt a warm sense of self-satisfaction fill her, and she
did her best to suppress a smug grin, which worked for the most part.

“Gentlemen, what can I do for you?” She said trying to keep her tone
as polite and professional as possible.

Nervous glances were exchanged. No one really seemed to want to reply
but the group quickly selected a spokesman and thrust him forward. It
was Mardell, chief baker, who the Guilds had chosen to speak for them.
Zara found him much less intimidating than she had done earlier in the
day when she had attended the Guild meeting.

“We…we…” He started before Zara cut across.

“Awwww. Don’t be nervous. You weren’t nervous earlier when you yelled
at me. There’s no need to be nervous now.” She did her best to sound
reassuring…though there was clearly some condescension in her tone.

“We…object to your presence here in the city.” Mardell started. “And
we object to your violating our decision not to accept your help.”

Zara smiled. “You are free to object if you wish but I am here at the
invitation of the people of Atlantis. You are also free to reject my
help…”

“We must protest! We choose…” Mardell interrupted angrily.

“YOU choose not to accept my help!” Zara raised her voice, not that
she really needed to, silencing the small, increasingly red man, quite
quickly. “YOU speak for the guilds. Not for the citizens of Atlantis.
You would have these people starve to death to protect your bottom
line!”

“You Titans have brought nothing but death on us! Your actions here
will bring nothing but further ruin and likely doom this once great
city.” Mardell raised his voice, finding confidence in his anger. The
crowd of assembled men started to call out in agreement with him.

Zara shook her head and their short-sightedness and self-interest.
This is why the city needed her. Lest it fall victim to greed of the
Guilds. “I will feed the people and buy the Watch some time to rebuild
and rearm. I will help them remove the bandits. When Atlantis is safe,
I’ll leave you be.”

“We demand…”

“You demand I leave people to die! I will not have those deaths on my
conscience.” Zara raised her voice again drawing concerned looks for
the people around the square.

“If you do this, you’ll ruin us!” One of the Guild leaders shouted. “I
have a family to feed!”

“Your family is welcome to the food I bring. If I don’t do this your
people will starve, the Watch will fail and bandits will overrun your
city. Don’t you see that?” Zara pleaded.

Mardell furrowed his brow. She was so arrogant. She thought they were
simple fools. She thought she knew everything and that only she could
save Atlantis. He’d had enough.

“Get out! Leave our city and leave us alone you giant, feckless
She-beast!” Mardell yelled angrily.

Zara folded her arms across her chest and set her jaw. “Make me.”

There were grumblings from the Guild leaders who looked rather unsure
of how to proceed. They muttered amongst themselves before turning and
walking away.

“Mark my words girl, this isn’t the last of this.” Mardell warned and
stormed off after the rest of the Guild leaders.

Zara watched the huddle of men leave. She carefully turned herself
over on her front and lay down in a large space where she assumed
civic buildings and homes had once stood. Presumably destroyed in one
of Trell’s attacks. She sighed, realising she was lying to herself
about the reason the Guild leaders were so afraid of her. She couldn’t
imagine what it had been like for the people of Atlantis. To watch
beings so big you barely came up to their ankles, fighting each other,
destroying your home and killing people without mercy. She had to show
them she was different, that Titans weren’t like that.

She sat and watched people at one street corner approach the guards,
one after another, take a handful each of cheese, meat and bread
before rushing away happily. This was why she was here. To make sure
these people lived, to make sure this city had a future. She could see
Lysis milling around on top of a mound of rubble, surveying the
situation.

“Lysis.” Zara called, waving her over.

Lysis barked orders to some of the Guards as she approached Zara. The
Titaness was lying on her front with her head lowered, Lysis didn’t
have to look up too far for once.

“Everything is going well at our end.” Lysis said with a knowing tone.

“That’s good.”

“And yours?” Lysis enquired. “Those Guild leaders looked less than pleased.”

“They shouldn’t be a problem. Not like they can hurt me.” Zara said.

Lysis nodded but didn’t seem convinced. “Hurt you, no. Hurt the city,
hurt the people. That they can do. Whether they will though…I couldn’t
say. I wouldn’t want to risk it either. Do you have a plan?”

“Keep feeding Atlantis until you can train new Guards.” Zara replied.

Lysis nodded once more. Again not totally convinced. “Well there’s a
problem there.”

“What’s that?”

“Guards need to be paid. And we have no money. Not only do Guards
need to be paid, but they need to be recruited. And we have no
recruits…” Lysis sighed and sat on lump of stone.

Zara hadn’t considered that. “You mean there are no volunteers?”

“A few. But after watching most get crushed by Trell, or in some cases
eaten alive, or killed under falling buildings evacuating people and
most recently ambushed by their own people…”

“Yeah…I suppose it doesn’t sound like a very appealing job.” Zara grumbled.

They sat quietly for a minute.

“How much do they get paid?” Zara asked.

“Two silver coins a day.” Lysis replied.

“Is that good?”

“It’s decent. It will get you a nice house and feed your family.” Lysis said.

Zara thought for a second more. “What about four silver coins a day?”

Lysis chuckled audibly and for quite some time. Zara got the
impression she didn’t find it at all amusing but was just laughing to
make a point.

“We have no money, how am I supposed to double pay? Just magic silver
from thin air?” Lysis sounded slightly bemused.

Zara simply smiled.

“You can just make money!?” Lysis threw her arms in the air.

“Just get me a coin and I’ll do the rest…” Zara grinned.

Lysis reached into a leather pouch hidden beneath her armour. She
pulled out one silver coin and held it up in the air. She stood firm
as a hand big enough to build a small house on settled down in front
of her.

She flicked the coin on to the awaiting fingers and watched it retreat
into the sky.

“Be careful with that.” She grumbled. “It’s my last one.”

****

Lysis slammed her stein down on to the thick, wooden table top. There
was the hubbub of conversation running around the barracks as Guards,
who had full bellies for the first time in weeks and the promise of
being paid, celebrated. Lysis had managed to secure a barrel of wine
and festivities were in full swing. She looked around and felt the
tension, that had made its home in her muscles, start to ease.

Smiling, happy, relaxed faces. She hadn’t seen a smile in the barracks
since “the demon” first breached the walls of Atlantis so very long
ago. Two of her colleagues approached and sat down opposite her on the
wooden benches.

“This is the life, eh chief?” Toreg smiled. Lysis suspected he was
just a little bit drunk.

“Don’t get too used to it, this is a one off. But every person in this
room has earned a break. Enjoy it.” She smiled and raised her stein.
There was clink as the men slammed their glasses in hers, splashing
wine all over. “You on patrol tomorrow?”

“Not a chance!” Toreg chuckled “I will lay with my wife until the day
is half done.”

His younger companion smiled. “Sure you will. And your kids will just
let you will they?”

“They will if they know what’s good fer ‘em.” Toreg said glugging more wine.

Lysis supped at her wine. The two men noted she seemed a lot less
merry than the rest of the revellers.

“Something wrong chief?” Porrig asked.

“Just…thinking of those not here to join us.” Lysis spoke solemnly and
grimaced across the table.

It was Toreg’s turn to raise his glass this time. “To the lost!”

They clinked their glasses once more and once more wine was spilled.
The trio sat in silence for several moments. It was the type of
silence that was made ever deeper by the contrast of the din in which
it was set, as each of the three thought about the friends they had
lost and those horrific sights that had been etched permanently into
their mind’s eyes.

“So…” Porrig spoke up eventually. “Your girl Zara’s done good!” He
smiled warmly and the sombre mood quickly lifted.

“She has indeed.” Lysis nodded in agreement. “Though she’s not my girl…”

“Ack, talk nonsense. She was your girl from the second she turned up
and you started painting those stripes on your face!” Toreg mocked.

Lysis tried to hide a blush but it was no use. Since the second Zara
stepped her gargantuan feet into Atlantis Lysis had felt an affinity
with her. She was beyond kind and caring. It seemed as if an aura of
compassion followed her where she went and it had inspired Lysis to do
all she could to live up to her chosen goddess’ example. She knew now
that Zara was no goddess, she was mortal like her. But she was a
mortal determined to do all she could to help those in need. And that
was good enough for Lysis.

“She’s a good person. We’re lucky to have her.” Lysis offered a token
response, not wanting to go too much further into the matter.

“So is she in charge now or what?” Asked Porrig.

“No, I don’t think so.” Lysis responded.

“Well she seems like she’s in charge.” Porrig took a swig. “She turns
up with food to feed the whole blinkin’ city and starts giving orders
an…”

“She gave no orders.” Lysis said in a polite but firm tone. “I gave
all the orders. Including ones to her.”

“So, who is in charge then?” Toreg grinned from ear to ear.

“Chief!” A voice called from across the room. “Someone at the door
lookin’ for ya!”

Lysis looked each of the men in the eyes for a second and got up. She
was grateful for the convenient out the visitor had given her. That
was until she got to the door. She stepped outside and shut the door
behind her.

“So I see the City Watch is taking its duties seriously.” Mardell
lectured. This conversation was going well already.

Lysis raised her stein to her face and sunk the rest of her wine in
three quick gulps, making a point to the smug looking interloper. “The
men deserve some rest. The city is still being guarded, though if
we’re attacked by another Titan I doubt the state of their sobriety
will have any influence on the outcome of the battle.”

Mardell pulled the heavy white lapels of his coat, adjusting it
slightly. The rattling of gold chains was clearly audible. “That is
actually the reason I am here.” He reached into his coat and pulled
out a scroll that was rolled and tied. Lysis unfurled it and read it.

“It is the will of the Guilds that any Titan attempting to enter this
city should be barred from doing so.” Mardell spoke with an air of
authority.

Lysis laughed heartily, doing her best to annoy the very serious
looking Guild chief. “And it is the will of my rear end that it shit
on nothing but the finest, feather coated privies, but that isn’t
going to happen is it?”

“The Guilds are all that remain of this once great city’s
institutions. We will not stand idly by as this city goes to ruin or
becomes a play thing for the amusement of a giant girl, whose
cretinous ideas are the only thing that match her stature.” Mardell
spoke from deep within his large chest.

“I wouldn’t let her hear you say that if I were you.” Lysis mocked.

The large man shook his head, clearly getting frustrated. “You are
supposed to take your orders from the rulers of Avalon.”

“And who made you the rulers, eh?” Lysis said scorn now evident.

Mardell approached closer and loomed over her. “We provide for this
city! We feed its people! We build its homes! We collect the taxes! We
make your weapons!”

“Yes, you do.” Lysis took a step back out of fear she might actually
strike him. “But we have all the weapons. And the courage to wield
them.”

“Is that a threat!?”

Lysis turned to go back inside. “We will do our duty to protect the
people of Atlantis.”

“You will guard the gates as ordered!” Mardell shouted now red faced.

“Guard them yourself.” Lysis said as she opened the door and went back
inside to be greeted by cheering men.