Miles along the streams of time, there was a man. This man drove the forges of a prosperous city. And yet on one fateful day, Pathius found himself being paraded into the grand city plaza.

It was so unfair thought pathius. He hadn’t committed the crime he was being exiled for. That morning pathius had prayed to the gods to have mercy on him but to no avail.

Now pathius was being marched out the grand city gates and into the dark wilderness. Visions of beasts floated in front of his eyes.

Hours later, in a small clearing, the men broke the chains off pathiuses tired arms. Pathius didn’t look back as he slunk into the gloomy undergrowth.

Days later pathius was following a lush river valley, full of emerald green trees and sheltered by steep mountains. When pathius turned a sharp bend in the river, an awesome sight greeted him: the sea, stretching towards the horizon as flat as a newly built road. Giant sweeping cliffs And best of all: a beautiful island just off the coast and bristling with glorious fruit trees boasting glassy, juicy fruits. But then to pathiuses great dismay there was no way to reach this secluded heaven, the answer to all his needs just out of pathiuses reach. Unless, he could cave a boat out of a tree trunk. After all there were sharp stones littering the golden ribbon of beach. And trees lining the boundaries.

That secluded heaven was calling.

In the evening light, pathius dragged his boat onto the cold sand; he was on the road to a better life.

When pathius reached the little island he was tired. So he hastily constructed a minute hut to sleep in.

Then he glimpsed light. Marcoyos, leader of the refugees pointed. His group of refugees charged forwards towards the dancing light. They got close but there was a problem. A glistening ribbon of jet black water was in there path.

In the morning, pathiuses eyes flickered open. He hopped of his primitive bed, out the door and onto the beach. Gazing across the channel, pathius spotted a problem. What looked like an army of monsters were patrolling the beach. Then it hit pathius: they were people caked in sand and clothed in torn rags. Pathius felt sorry for them. So he paddled out to them brining them gifts of fruit. When he arrived he asked to see their leader. Whilst he talked, the refugees descended on his food like ravenous wild dogs. Devouring it all in a matter of seconds. Meanwhile pathius had got off to a good start with the leader. He had also found out that the refugees wanted to join pathius on his island. Pathius agreed because he was once one of them. So it wasn’t long before pathius was ferrying them across to his island.

Years had passed. The future had come and gone and pathiuses island grown. The island still had lush forests yet it had grown a sprawling metropolis where pathiuses house was. Complete with a bustling port and beautiful gardens.

Standing in front of pathiuses grand palace, he was pleased. The palace had glistening towers, astonishing windows and lush grounds. Yet pathius was not gazing at his magnificent palace. Nor his huge ports or marble streets lined with expensive houses. No. He was standing in front of a huge crowd of citizens all waiting to hear what pathius had to say. Then pathius broke the silence. “we are gathered here to discuss some urgent business” he paused, then added:” this concern is the gods” “they have abandoned us” a murmur ran through the crowd” I know they are not real; they let me be unfairly exiled. And they have left your home to be ravaged by war” “so just conceder those words.” Then pathius turned and marched back inside his grand palace. When inside pathius marched briskly up to his bedroom/study and sat down at his grand oak desk. He started to read a heavy leather covered book.

Meanwhile on high Olympus the gods heard pathiuses words. Zeus was enraged, so he nominated Artemiss to go and warn pathius about his behaviour. So she thundered down to Pathiuses’ island under the cover of darkness, and then flew through Pathiuses’ bedroom window. When Pathiuses saw her, he gasped and ran to the door, which was conveniently locked. Parthiuses turned around to look Artemis. The stared at each other, neither saying a word. It was Artemis who broke the silence “you have dishonoured the gods.”

“There are no gods to dishonour” Parthiuses snorted.

Artemis then whispered “change your ways, change your future or feel the consequences.”

As those settled in his hears, a dark mist seeped through the open window and under the door, filling the room. The mist was so thick it clogged Parthuises’ eyes and mouth.

In an instant, it dispersed.  The mist had gone. It left no mark not even Artemis who had been standing there seconds before.

Pathiuses was left rattled and tired from the ordeal. The tiredness finally enveloped him and he fell gently into his soft bed.

Parthuises woke up bright and early along with the gentle songs of birds. He hopped out of his warm bed and strolled over to his wardrobe, thinking about the clothes he would where. He got dressed and cursed into his banquet hall for a glorious brecfast. Pathius was halfway through his delicious brecfast when a guard marched in and said” lord, there are refugees waiting on the beach for pemition to be let in” pathius quickly commanded” messy people wandering the streets of my magnificent masterpiece ? I think not” “tell them to leve immediately” he paused then added “and ask some skilled miners, I need them for some urgent business; tell them to be here in half an hour.”

Yet he was thinking about the strange dream he had. He decided it wasn’t artemiss who warned him. Pathiuses concluded it was just his mind playing tricks on him. After all he was tired. Pathius couldn’t forget the words she had said. “Change your ways, change your future” thought Pathiuses. “Ok then, I will.” Pathius said to himself.

Pathius met with skilled workmen half an hour later in the city square. They marched in silence towards the shrine to artemiss, lifting their heavy pickaxes along the muddy track. When they reached the shrine, Pathius ordered the men to destroy it. As soon as the first blow fell, dark clouds formed over the forest and the air became crisp and cold.

“ok” Pathius said “ it is time to return to the city.” Pathius said with a hint of worry. The men left their pickaxes and ran. Pathius ran to his palace he ran into his room and locked the door. He fell asleep quickly on his magnificent bed.

The morning came and Pathius’ eyes gently flipped open. He felt strange, cold and wet. Like he was sleeping in a swimming pool. Then it stuck pathius, his bedroom was a swimming pool. There was a foot of ice cold water in his room. He opened the elegant window to see a boat floating gently past the grand palace window. The city was in turmoil, everything pathius had created was destroyed, drowned people floated limply on the icy black water. To save himself, pathius dived out of his window and into the evil water that covered his beautiful city. When he hit the water pathiuses energy was quickly sapped as he floundered in the water. It was a miracle when pathius was dragged onto a fishing boat cold, shivering and tired yet still alive. Even better, Marcoyos was on the boat. When pathius had rested and regained some off his energy he stood on deck barking orders. They sailed for the river witch inevitably led to a city.

It took long and arduous days but finally pathius reached a city. When he left the boat pathius was glad too feel the soft springy grass under his feet. He ordered his men to set up camp near the city walls. So his men obeyed and a small cluster of tents sprang up on the river bank. Pathius ordered a meeting with Marcoyos. when Marcoyos clambered trough the tent door pathius said” this meeting is to discuss our attack strategy on this city” Marcoyos quickly replied:”we cannot attack megamemnon, he has the gods on his side.” “I do not care” retorted pathius. “Well, my men shall not fight. “TRATOR” shouted pathius. Marcoyos slunk out of the tent opening.

“Lord, Marcoyos is taking his men and the ship” gasped a tired messenger. “destroy the ship” pathius hotly retorted.

Meanwhile on the ship, Marcoyos said to his men: “we shall find ourselves a new home and leave this hubristic man named pathius.” Then flaming streaks of light filled the sky.

On high Olympus the gods were watching, they had decided that Marcoyos was a honourable man yet pathius was not. So they hatched a plan.

Marcoyos was a honourable man so artemiss raced down to the boat. Fog formed around the boat then it disappeared, pathius was enraged. Then the fog formed around him and he disappeared.

Marcoyos appeared in a lush green opening. On the other hand pathius appeared in a rowing boat on the ocean with the sea lapping gently at the boat side. Pathius tried to leave the boat but he found himself unable to jump out

As the years passed pathius grew older he found himself never hungry nor thirsty. But he was longing to get out of the microscopic boat. He had passed many beautiful coast lines but he could never explore them. Never to walk along them freely. And pathius was trapped in the boat until the day he died.

Meanwhile Marcoyos had created his own city. Magnificent, yes, but always letting in refugees. And it was safe due to huge intimidating walls. He had even his own family with a son called agatheus, life has happy.