The Flea of Cyrene was a virtual representation of Bayek's genetic memories, relived by Layla Hassan through the Portable Animus HR-8.
Description[]
Bayek impresses the young Esiocles and his rapscallion street gang with more and more daring leaps from Cyrene's landmarks. And a legend is born.
Dialogue[]
While in Cyrene, Bayek visited the Temple of Zeus. He climbed up the columns to the statue at the very top. He heard a voice from below.
- Esiocles: Whoah! What's that man doing up there?
Bayek leapt from the statue into a pool of water below.
- Esiocles: Mister, mister! Over here!
Bayek approached the child.
- Esiocles: That was the greatest thing I ever witnessed and I once saw a snake swallow a cat whole!
- Bayek: A cat really? And who are you?
- Esiocles: Esiocles, but all my friends call me Esio.
- Bayek: Well Esio, I am Bayek.
- Esiocles: How did you do that? Are you magic? Will you leap some more for me and my friends? I can tell you about my home, the most amazing city of Cyrene as we go?
- Bayek: How can I refuse such a gracious offer? Lead the way, Esio.
Bayek followed Esiocles as the child went off to wander around the city.
- Esiocles: Me and my gang will give you the grand tour, Bayek.
- Bayek: You have a gang?
- Esiocles: Yes, I'm the most important child in Cyrene.
- Bayek: I can see that, Esio.
- Esiocles: Let's go to the baths. It's where people walk around naked being scraped and scratched and rubbed with oils. I hate getting my hair wet, don't you Bayek?
- Bayek: It is why I shaved it off, Esio. And washing behind the ears I bet?
- Esiocles: Ha! yes! Some fancy Roman from the Citadel built it...
Vi... Vitru... well anyway he spent ten thousand drachma on a floor made of little squares. All that for somewhere you wash! When I grow up, I am going to have a wife who'll never make me wash. - Bayek: Wives like that are hard to find, Esio.
They arrived at the bathhouse. Several children joined Esiocles and Bayek.
- Esiocles: Could you jump from up there?
- Child: The top of the Baths?! That's a death sentence!
- Bayek: Sure, Esio, I could do that with my eyes closed.
- Esiocles: Come on everyone, come see Bayek fly!
- Child 1: No-one can climb that high... can they?
Bayek climbed up the bathhouse.
- Esiocles: See! Didn't I tell you he was brave?
- Child 2: Oh my days, what if he falls?
- Esiocles: He's stickier than a lizard on a rock.
- Child 3: Yay, yeah! Whoohoo! Look at him go.
- Child 2: Jump! Jump, Bayek. We're watching! Go!
- Child 1: Go on! Anytime now! Jump!
Bayek jumped down into a haystack. He got out. The children were amazed.
- Esiocles: Some of those scaredy cats thought you would miss the cart, but I never doubted you.
- Bayek: I was not sure myself, Esio. So where's next?
Bayek followed Esiocles and the children.
- Esiocles: You're Egyptian right? My father says you don't worship the same gods as we Greeks.
- Bayek: We have some in common. Like Serapis.
- Esiocles: Oh yes, Serapis. I've heard of him. Apollo is all Greek and my favorite. He likes poetry, music, wine and all that kind of stuff.
But I like him because he has a bow and arrow and likes to hunt. Do you like to hunt, Bayek? - Bayek: I do, I used to hunt with my boy, Esio.
- Esiocles: If you jump from his Temple there, then maybe he will be watching from Mount Olympus and reward me with my own bow and arrow so I can hunt rabbits in the woods!
- Bayek: I would like to see that.
They reached the entrance of the Apollonion of Cyrene.
- Esiocles: This is it! Isn't Apollo marvelous?
They reached the courtyard. More children joined the group.
- Child 1: It's impossible, right?
- Child 2: He swoops through the air, like an eagle.
- Esiocles: We are all watching.
- Child 1: I can't watch! Tell me when it's over.
- Child 2: He's so brave! Have you ever seen someone so brave?
- Esiocles: And I am the one who found him.
- Child 3: I know, Esio. This is the best of days.
- Esiocles: Make Apollo proud, Bayek!
Bayek climbed up the columns and reached the rooftops of the temple. He jumped down from the statue into a pool of water and then got out.
- Esiocles: Apollo is sure to reward me now!
- Child 1: You did it, you did it!
- Child 2: Our friend Bayek does the impossible!
- Esiocles: Let's go to the next jump!
I have one last leap in mind for you, Bayek. Are you ready for your greatest challenge? - Bayek: Well that depends! Do you think I can do it?
- Esiocles: I believe you can do anything, Bayek.
Bayek followed Esiocles and the children.
- Child 1: I'm glad we joined Esio's gang, this is unbelievable.
- Esiocles: Wait until I tell my sister about today!
She used to play with me all the time, but now all she does is moon over that magistrate Diocles. And his stupid, floppy hair.
They reached a tower of the Roman Akropolis overlooking the pond.
- Bayek: Well, you did promise a challenge, Esio!
- Esiocles: Nobody is allowed up there except the Romans. But you look like you can handle a few measly bucket heads. Are you ready, Bayek? I present the Acropolis. Don't let the Romans see you!
- Child 1: Hera mother of gods! It's too high!
- Child 2: Go on jump Bayek, jump from the tower!
- Esiocles: I know you can do it! Don't think about the watery depths!
- Child 3: No! No! I heard the Romans keep a kraken in there!
- Esiocles: Bayek can take on a kraken, can't you, Bayek?
Bayek climbed up the Akropolis tower and reached the rooftop. He leaped off the tower, diving into the pond below.
- Child 1: Can't you jump some more, Bayek? Please? It's my birthday!
- Child 2: Liar! That was last month!
- Esiocles: Stop crowding him. Stop crowding. He's not your slave. He is an important man with important things to do.
- Child 1: Farewell Bayek. Come back when I'm older and we'll get married.
- Child 2: Do you think with practice we could leap like that?
Bayek got out the pond and spoke to Esio.
- Esiocles: I won't forget this day Bayek. We should honor it. I officially name you the flea of Cyrene.
- Bayek: I will treasure it. Goodbye Esio, stay out of trouble.
- Esiocles: I can't promise, but I will try, for you, Great Flea. I hope you get to hunt with your son again soon!
- Bayek: So do I, Esio.
If Bayek spoke again with Esio, he would say the following.
- Esiocles: Flea! I told my sister about you and she forgot all about Diocles! Look everyone! It's the Flea of Cyrene.
Outcome[]
Bayek impressed Esiocles and the other children by leaping off the Temple of Zeus, the Roman Baths, Apollonion of Cyrene, and Akropolis tower.