The day was warm and sunny, not a cloud in the sky as it were.  All around, the port city was enjoying such beautiful weather.  In the docks waves lapped gently against the side of a wooden vessel.  On the deck of the splendid sailing craft two men were coiling line... and having an argument.

"Just come to shore this night with us friend!  We can have some wine and enjoy ourselves!"

"Is there not wine enough here Akakios?  And we have spent several fine and pleasant evenings aboard this vessel."  The man speaking was of moderate height for his peoples and darkly tanned.  His dark hair was plastered to his head in glistening curls.  He wore a loose garment of bleached wool wrapped around him.  He looked at his friend with piercing brown eyes and chiseled features.  

His friend, Akakios, so named for luck and fortune, just smiled.  "And women.  We could find some women, don't you remember them my friend?  I hear there are some lovely *blonds..."

The dark haired man cut him off and heaved the ropes onto his shoulder.  "No Akakios.  I care not for the women of shore.  You leave with the other sailors and enjoy your evening."

"Kyros!  Why?"  His friend rose to his feet to scramble after him.  He was beginning to sound like a wining child.  "Why will you not join us?  Do you realize that you've not left this ship in almost a year?  There must be some reason and you would tell your friend yes?"

Kyros sighed deeply as he moved below deck.  There was a reason, yes.  And no, he had not wanted to tell his best friend.  But at every port the story was the same.  Akakios would beg and plead for Kyros to join them ashore.  At first he hadn't noticed.  Kyros had never been one for shore, much more comfortable with rolling waves beneath his feet.  But he was known once to join his friend a few times a year to enjoy wine and women...  But that was all before.

"Come on Kyros?  Why not?  What's so terrible you tell not even your best friend?  Your silence has hurt and bothered my soul for some time, please unload your worries on me... Then join me for wine and women!"  Akakios laughed as he patted the below decks bench beside him.

Reluctantly Kyros joined him in sitting.  He sighed deeply as he worked out what words he might use to explain his dark situation to his friend.  "The last time I went ashore I received a warning.  I can not step shore again."

At this proclamation Akakios sobered up.  "An omen?  This is bad news friend.  What was it?"

Kyros's dark eyed gaze fell to his lap and he shivered.  "I had my future read by a prophetess at the temple I was visiting.  She told me she'd had a dark vision, stronger than any she'd received before and it concerned me.  She told me that should I ever step ashore after that day that I should undergo a terrible transformation and go on a long and difficult journey."

There was silence in the under deck hold for a long time.  Finally Akakios turned to take his friend's hands in his own.  He held them there firmly and looked into his friends eyes in what he hoped was a reassuring way.  "Friend, we have been together long.  I do not know if you have thought of this but we are both crew on a merchant vessel.  Every day we're out there is part of a long and difficult journey."  He sighed deeply.  "Although I think you may just have to risk it with the terrible transformation.  Mayhap she meant that you should become a captain.  That would be terrible for me would it not?"

There was another brief silence before they both broke out into hearty warm laughter.  They rose together, Akakios still holding his friends hands until they embraced.  A warm smile graced Kyros's previously grave face.  "You are right friend!  I have been worried over some prophesy made a year past.  If there was any ill omen it is past now be sure!"

They turned together and made their way to the deck.  It was just after mid day when they made it onto the streets and off the docks.

Akakios only returned two days later, just as the ship was readying to take off.  He'd spent the entire time searching for his best friend.  He never found him.

"Do you know even what language he is speaking Quart?"

The pale green scientist sighed and consulted his computer screen again.  "I'm afraid that human languages have not been a great study of mine in the past Josiah.  Aren't you fairly ancient?  I thought perhaps you may be able to assist..."

The glowing figure examined the shadow demon closely.  Unlike the other two he did not thrash in his binding.  Instead he sat perfectly still, muttering something under his breath quietly.  He opened his eyes from time to time and darted a quick glance around the room, every time looking as if he expected the scene before him to be different this time.  Each time he simply went back to his quiet murmuring, ignoring Quart, Josiah, the nurses and anything else.  Finally they'd moved him away from the other two and into a smaller room with a  computer.  His behavior hadn't changed.  Josia listened carefully.

"It is not Celtic.  It is not Scottish.  It is not Gaelic.  I can not help you further I am afraid."

There was quiet again in the room besides Quart's computer research and the demon's muttering.

"Quart, who's Poseidon?"

Quart smiled.  He loved religion.  Any and all religion.  His office was filled with artifacts and trinkets from every major (and many minor) human beliefs.  And he believed them all.  "The ancient Greek god of the sea.  Why do you ask?"

"Oh I just though it may help us is all.  Now we know he's probably a fisherman, or a sailor perhaps..."

"Why should you think that Josiah?"  Quart was back to typing away, trying to locate some sort of universal translator to try.

"Oh because I think he's praying... and who else would be praying to Poseidon?  It's a 'solid' theory isn't it?"  Josiah smiled.   Solid was a word he'd learned from Deela and he'd been dying to try it out.

Quart spun in his chair to face him.  "He speaks of Poseidon?  But I would have recognized it.  He would need to be speaking ancient Greek..."

Josiah shrugged... or at least the bright light of his spiritual body contracted upwards shortly.  "I believe that is what he is doing."

Quart blinked his large eyes.  "But that could make him around 3,000 years old..."

The shadow demon continued to pray, eyes shut and tense.

Josia's light flickered.  "Yes?  Is that unusual?"