Yes, but first a jailbreak from Noor and Entinos.

Chapter 28: Polyphemus.

“A cyclops?!” I exclaimed, my voice tinged with disbelief as Dario revealed his mission.

“Indeed,” Dario replied with a proud smile, his rugged features lit by the flickering torchlight in the tent. The confidence in his expression betrayed no fear, only the resolute determination of a seasoned warrior.

“Uncle, a cyclops isn’t just any foe,” Iris said, her voice laced with concern. “Even the dimwitted ones possess the strength to tear through entire armies. This isn’t something to treat like a game.” Her worried gaze bore into him, as if trying to make him understand the gravity of the threat.

“I know full well the danger a cyclops poses,” Dario responded calmly, his tone firm. “Especially this one.”

“You say that as though this cyclops is… special,” Ikaro interjected, leaning forward with intrigue.

Dario smirked, his eyes gleaming. “That’s because he is. This is no ordinary brute.” He paused, savoring the suspense, then added, “It’s Polyphemus.”

The name struck me like lightning, an echo from the divine knowledge the gods had imparted to me. My breath caught. “Polyphemus? THE Polyphemus?” I asked, needing confirmation.

“The one and only,” Dario confirmed, his smirk widening. “Seems Ulysses didn’t finish the job.”
Iris and Ikaro exchanged shocked glances, their faces paling. Dario’s nonchalant tone stood in stark contrast to their mounting unease.

“Why is he here?” Ikaro asked, his voice tinged with disbelief. “Shouldn’t he still be on his island?”

“You’d think so,” Dario replied with a shrug. “But no one knows for certain. That’s what we’re here to find out. The queen is worried about his sudden activity, and rightfully so.”

“So, you’re on a secret mission for the queen?” Iris asked, pride flickering in her tone despite her worry.

“There’s no one better for the job… until now.” Dario’s sharp gaze turned to me.

“You think I’m capable of taking down a cyclops single-handedly? I’m flattered,” I quipped, raising an eyebrow.

Dario chuckled, a deep hearty sound. “I’ve heard good things about you from these two,” he said, nodding toward Iris and Ikaro. “And your other companions seem formidable enough. With your help, I’m confident we can handle the so-called ‘Son of Poseidon.’”

“There’s something I don’t understand,” Ikaro said, his brows furrowed as he tapped his chin in thought. “Why is he such a threat now? According to Ulysses’ accounts, Polyphemus wasn’t much of a danger until provoked. He relied more on brute **** than cunning. What has changed?”

Dario’s jaw tightened. “That’s part of the mystery. We don’t even know how he got from the heart of the Aegean Sea to the lands of Sparta. But he’s been causing havoc. Reports of missing people… mutilated bodies in the farmlands. And it’s not just cattle he’s after.”

Iris’s eyes widened in horror. “You mean he’s hunting people?”

Dario nodded grimly. “It gets worse. He’s already destroyed a settlement.”

“What?!” I burst out, stunned that such devastation had gone unnoticed.

“We’ve kept it quiet,” Dario explained, his voice heavy with the weight of leadership. “The last thing we need is widespread panic. The civilians already have enough to deal with, with the war raging on. But there’s hope, there weren’t many bodies found. He might have captured the settlers… or eaten them.”

“Rescue and hunt, then?” Iris asked, her voice hardening with resolve. “I’m in.”

Ikaro nodded in agreement. “Me too.”

“What about you, chosen one?” Dario asked, studying me intently.

Before I could answer, a sudden commotion erupted outside the tent, shouts and clashing metal reverberating through the camp.

“What the—” Dario muttered as he stormed outside, his hand instinctively reaching for his sword. The three of us followed close behind.

The commotion was a surprise as the soldiers were trying to contain Noor and Entinos who started a jailbreak, Noor clearly freed herself from her shackles with ease knowing full well her magic would help her, sneak her way to Entinos and free the Satyr.

Start of a small flashback scene:

Noor lingered near the tent, her hands shackled behind her back as unease clawed at her mind. It had been over ten minutes since the guards had dragged Kayn inside, and every passing second made her growing worry harder to ignore. Her usually confident demeanor wavered, her sharp features shadowed by flickering torchlight.

“Damn it, Kayn,” she muttered under her breath, her gaze darting to the guards lounging around a nearby fire. They were laughing and bantering without a care in the world, blissfully unaware of her plotting. “Of course, they don’t care about me,” Noor whispered, the hint of a smirk flickering across her lips as her fingers flexed, summoning faint trails of shimmering mana.

“She’s going to kill me for this… then again,” Noor mused to herself before shrugging. “Screw it.” With a decisive movement, she snapped her shackles with a quiet burst of magic, the faint metallic clink lost amidst the guards’ laughter. Slipping into the shadows, she made her way through the camp, her steps light and deliberate.

It didn’t take long to find Entinos. The stoic satyr was chained to a sturdy tree at the edge of the encampment, his hulking frame illuminated by the soft glow of a nearby torchlight. One young Spartan guard stood before him, his helmet pushed back as he stared up at the satyr with wide-eyed curiosity.
“So, are those horns real?” the guard asked, his voice brimming with awe. “Incredible. I mean, you’re real, right? You’re not some… I don’t know, spirit or illusion?”

Entinos’s expression remained impassive, but he inclined his head slightly. “They are real,” he replied, his deep voice calm and measured. Though mildly annoyed by the incessant questioning, he recognized the boy’s genuine fascination and chose to humor him. “I assure you, I am as solid as the ground you stand on.”

“Wow,” the guard murmured, taking a step closer to examine Entinos more closely. “I’ve never seen anything like you. You’re incredible.”

From the shadows, Noor watched the exchange, a glint of amusement in her eyes as she carefully approached the guard from behind. Catching Entinos’s gaze, she raised a hand, signaling her intent. The satyr’s lips twitched into a faint smirk.
“You’ve been good company,” Entinos said suddenly, his voice carrying an edge of apology. “Forgive me for what comes next.”

“What do you mea—” The guard’s question was cut short as Noor struck him swiftly at the base of his skull. The young Spartan crumpled to the ground, ****.

“Hey there,” Noor said with a sly grin, stepping into the light.

Entinos regarded her with his usual calm, though a hint of amusement flickered in his eyes. “I was wondering when you’d decide to break your chains.”

“Better late than never,” Noor quipped as she knelt beside him, her hands glowing faintly as she worked to undo the heavy iron restraints.

“Where are the others?”

“In the captain’s tent,” she replied curtly, the chains falling away with a metallic clatter. “Alive or dead? No clue.”

Entinos stood, stretching his muscular frame and rolling his shoulders as if shaking off the stiffness of captivity. With a practiced motion, he wrapped the fallen chains around his massive fists, testing their weight as makeshift weapons.

Noor moved to the **** guard, pulling a dagger from her belt and pressing it lightly against his throat. “We can’t leave witnesses.” A firm hand stopped her.

“Leave him,” Entinos said, his voice steady but commanding. “He doesn’t deserve to die. Not today.”

Noor sighed, a mix of irritation and **** respect flashing across her face. “Fine.” She sheathed her dagger and propped the boy against the tree. “Happy?”

Entinos didn’t respond immediately, his gaze fixed on the camp ahead. “Let’s go,” he said finally.

Noor grinned, drawing her twin daggers, the blades shimmering faintly as her magic coursed through them. “Ready to raise some hell?”

The satyr cracked his knuckles, his expression unchanging as he muttered, “Hell… it’s about damn time.”

End of flashback

The camp was in chaos. Entinos moved like a **** of nature, his powerful fists crashing into guards with precision and ****. Three Spartans surrounded him, their swords flashing in the torchlight, but he remained unfazed. With a growl, he caught one guard’s blade mid-swing, wrenched it from his grasp, and sent the man sprawling with a well-placed punch.

Nearby, Noor darted between shadows, her movements fluid and calculated. She phase-shifted in and out of view, striking when an opening presented itself. Her daggers shimmered with magical energy, each strike aimed to disable rather than kill.

“IN THE NAME OF LEONIDAS, EVERYONE STAND DOWN!” a commanding voice roared, cutting through the chaos.

The voice belonged to General Dario. His presence was imposing, his tone allowing no argument. The guards hesitated, lowering their weapons. Before anyone could fully process his command, Noor leapt into the air with a high phase-jump, landing silently behind him. In one swift motion, she pressed her dagger to his neck, her eyes blazing with defiance.

“Careful there, girl,” Dario said, his voice low and steady, but his gaze sharp and intimidating. With a fluid motion, he placed his own knife against her abdomen. “You don’t know who you’re messing with.”

Noor’s lips curved into a daring smirk. “You think you’re fast enough?” she challenged, her grip on the dagger unwavering.

“Noor, stop it!” I called out sharply.

Noor froze, caught off guard. She turned her head to see me, along with Ikaro and Iris, standing unharmed. Relief flickered across her face, quickly replaced by frustration. “What the hell?” Noor muttered, lowering her dagger and stepping back from the general. “You’d better have a damn good reason for all this.”

Ikaro stepped forward with his usual grin. “You want the short version or the long one?”

“The one that ends with me punching you,” Noor shot back, crossing her arms.

I sighed, stepping forward to explain everything to Noor and Entinos. Recounting the encounter with Dario, the revelation of his connection to Ikaro and Iris, and the reasoning behind the temporary imprisonment.

Noor’s expression shifted from disbelief to fury. She turned her fiery glare on Dario, pointing an accusing finger at him. “YOU COULD HAVE STARTED WITH THAT INSTEAD OF CHAINING US LIKE DOGS, YOU ASSHOLE!”

Dario didn’t flinch. His eyes narrowed as he replied, his voice steady and sharp. “Like Kayn said, I didn’t know who you were until I saw my nephew. Forgive me. And don’t talk to me like that, girl. I’m not your father.”

Noor opened her mouth to fire back, but I stepped between them, giving her a look that silently urged restraint. Despite her headstrong nature, Noor respected and care for me enough to listen, though not without a dramatic sigh.

“Fine,” she muttered. “Sorry.”

Entinos stepped forward, his calm demeanor unshaken by the tension. He turned his attention to Dario. “This Polyphemus,” he said, his deep voice resonant. “Is he strong?”

Dario gave a firm nod. “Very.”

“Good,” Entinos said simply, his tone carrying the weight of quiet resolve.

Dario chuckled, clearly impressed. “I like this satyr companion of yours,” he said, addressing Ikaro and Iris. “He sings my melody.”

Ikaro grinned and turned to Noor. “What do you say? Up for some one-eyed hunting?”

“Hell yeah,” Noor replied with a smirk. “Sounds like he needs a lesson.”

At that moment, the young guard Noor had knocked **** earlier stumbled back into the camp, his face flushed with embarrassment. He approached Dario, saluting awkwardly. “Forgive me, sir. I failed.”

Dario placed a firm hand on the boy’s shoulder, his voice commanding yet compassionate. “Don’t. These people are beyond your league, rookie. Learn from this.”

The guard nodded, his posture straightening under Dario’s reassurance.

Dario turned his gaze to me, his expression serious. “So, Kayn, I ask you again. Are you in?”

The group fell silent, all eyes on me as I held the hilt of Dawn tightly. A small smile played on my lips as I answered with a quiet chuckle and a confident smirk.

“When do we begin?”