To Find a Girl was a virtual representation of one of Kassandra's genetic memories, relived by Layla Hassan through the Portable Animus HR-8.5.
Description[]
Following Alkibiades's lead, Kassandra travelled to Korinthia to look for Anthousa, the leader of the hetaerae.
Dialogue[]
Kassandra made her way to the Porneion in Korinthia.
- Kassandra: Korinth, the city of pots, prostitutes, and not much else.
Alkibiades said the hetaerae here could help me find my mother.
I should look around for Anthousa's whereabouts.
She addressed a civilian in the area.
- Kassandra: I'm looking for Anthousa. Is she here?
- Civilian: Wouldn't I like to know. Sunrise, sunset, I save my drachmae for a taste of the divine. The hetaerae are hard to come by!
- Kassandra: So you haven't seen them.
- Civilian: Not with the Monger's army on the loose. The hetaerae won't tolerate that.
Before Kassandra left him, he spoke once more.
- Civilian: You let me know if you find those girls! They have to be somewhere in this city.
Kassandra accosted another civilian.
- Civilian: Haven't done something wrong, have I? Swear I haven't!
- Kassandra: If you have, you might see me later. I'm looking for Anthousa.
- Civilian: Phew.
- Kassandra: You know her?
- Civilian: No one really knows Anthousa. And the hetaerae got pushed out of here ages ago!
- Kassandra: "Pushed out?" So someone didn't want them here.
- Civilian: We don't like to say his name—in case his men overhear. Just know the hetaerae were forced to move out of Korinth's markets.
Just minding my own business, misthios! I'm sure someone here can help you.
In the corner, Kassandra spotted a woman and approached her.
- Kassandra: Are you Anthousa?
- Civilian: Me? Anthousa? I could be anyone for you, lamb. I charge less than the hetaerae, but do I ever know my way around a hay-bed!
The woman stepped closer to Kassandra, flirting with her.
- Kassandra: So her name means something to you.
The woman stepped back.
- Civilian: Anthousa? She's been around forever, but I never met her. I know the hetaerae all work as one—on equal footing—but Anthousa's special. She talks—they listen.
- Kassandra: I haven't met any hetaerae yet.
- Civilian: Don't believe all you hear. They sell what a lot of us sell in Korinth—but for them, it's not just about the flesh. They're merchants of a sort. Streetwise—can talk as nice as they look.
- Kassandra: Sounds like a good trade to work in. You don't want to be a hetaerae?
- Civilian: Not in my prime anymore, am I, misthios? By the time I study what they did, I'll be serving clients on my deathbed!
With information in hand, Kassandra traveled to the Akrokorinth. When she reached the temple, she overheard thugs threatening some worshippers.
- Civilian: Please, leave us!
- Monger Thug: The hetaerae! Where are they?!
- Civilian: The hetaerae aren't here!
- Monger Thug: Then you're gonna pay for the trouble we went through to find 'em.
- Kassandra: Who do they think they are? I need to stop them.
Kassandra killed the thugs, with the civilians helping by crying out warnings when more approached. Once victorious, she set about questioning the worshippers.
- Kassandra: Who were they? And why were they looking for the hetaerae?
- Civilian: Ai-ya! They think this temple is dedicated to them, the brutes.
- Kassandra: The thieves are here and the hetaerae aren't.
- Civilian: The hetaerae? They're much wiser than we are. They realized their visitors were all getting robbed on the way in.
- Civilian: There's no avoiding the Monger's men in Korinth.
- Kassandra: I'll keep my guard up.
- Civilian: He craves money, misthios.
- Civilian: Not only that, but power. Once he smells it on you, you're a goner!
- Kassandra: So he's hunting for the hetaerae. For money?
- Civilian: Exactly. Since the hetaerae bring in so much drachmae, he wants everything they control!
- Civilian: The thieves are better off robbin' them than us.
Kassandra made her way to the Spring in hopes of finding Anthousa. As she approached, she overheard voices of women discussing urgently.
- Anthousa: It shouldn't be long now. No, it won't be, I'm sure of it.
- Hetaera: Then they'll help?
- Anthousa: Everyone has something they want. My job is to figure out how much they'll give for that something.
- Hetaera: Then Korinth will be ours again.
- Anthousa: Very soon, it will return to its rightful hands.
As Kassandra approached the women, they noticed her and Anthousa opened her arms to welcome her.
- Anthousa: Ah, so Kassandra has finally found us.
- Kassandra: You know me?
- Hetaera: And you know her. This is Anthousa.
- Anthousa: We saw you help the worshippers at the temple of Aphrodite. You've proven yourself a friend.
Kassandra glanced at Ikaros, perched on a statue.
- Kassandra: Hear that, Ikaros? Her sight's as good as yours.
- Anthousa: Someone also spoke very highly of you.
- Phoibe: Surprise!
- Kassandra: Phoibe?
- Phoibe: Aspasia sent me! I work for her now, remember?
- Kassandra: But why here? Korinth isn't safe.
- Phoibe: I had to tell Anthousa you were coming! Aspasia taught me a new word: "emissary." That's me!
- Anthousa: And now Kassandra and I have met.
- Phoibe: See? This is easy! And now I can help you!
- Kassandra: There's a killer on the loose in a city with no morals to begin with. You can't just follow me around like in Kephallonia.
Phoibe pouted, and crossed her arms.
- Phoibe: The Monger, the Cyclops... I made it all the way here, didn't I?
- Kassandra: Yes, you always find a way.
They walked into the chamber of the Spring.
- Anthousa: To what do I owe your visit?
- Kassandra: Alkibiades told me about you.
Anthousa laughed.
- Anthousa: Did he? Go on.
- Kassandra: I'm looking for a woman from Sparta—a runaway, long ago. She may have gone by the name of Myrrine.
- Phoibe: Who's that?
- Kassandra: She's my mother.
- Phoibe: Your mother? You don't have a mother! Markos told me he raised you!
- Kassandra: What did I tell you about talking?
- Anthousa: I see. There will be time to respond to your question, but that time isn't now.
- Kassandra: That's not the answer I'm looking for.
- Anthousa: It's the only one you'll get until I've bargained a proper exchange. I've become quite the businesswoman, after all.
- Phoibe: You better be telling the truth! Kassandra can get really mad.
- Phoibe: If you say so.
Phoibe left the two to talk.
- Anthousa: I propose a trade. Help me—help us—get stronger. Strong enough to rid Korinth of the Monger permanently. A simple transaction, I assure you.
- Kassandra: You have a deal.
- Anthousa: A wise decision, dear misthios.
- Kassandra: I haven't made it this far being a fool. I know when to take a chance.
- Kassandra: From what the worshippers say, he's someone I should watch out for.
- Anthousa: They're right. I'm sure his victims wish they'd been more vigilant. My eyes are wide open.
Anthousa stepped past Kassandra, gesturing at the world outside.
- Anthousa: I'm not the only one who needs help. My girls, Damalis and Erinna, are suffering too.
- Kassandra: More Monger trouble?
- Anthousa: I wouldn't doubt it. Work against their aggressors, and then it will be his turn to suffer. You'll find Damalis here at the spring, but Erinna has gone to Bellerophron's Garden.
- Kassandra: I'll see what I can do for them.
- Kassandra: Why rob people who can't put two drachmae together if he has a business? It's illegitimate, but gets him rich.
- Anthousa: Even the smuggling is a front. He steals slaves—innocents, who shouldn't be harmed. But his thugs can burn.
- Kassandra: Seems to me that burning his biggest source of income is asking for trouble.
- Anthousa: I want to put new muscle I've acquired on show. Plus, violence is the only language he understands.
- Kassandra: I know many people who speak that language.
Outcome[]
On Alkibiades' advise, Kassandra met the hetaerae Anthousa, agreeing to help her deal with the Monger in exchange for information on her mother's whereabouts.
Behind the scenes[]
Two of the three thugs threatening the heterae have unique avatars when viewed by Ikaros. They can be recruited as lieutenants for the Adrestia. The other thug when viewed appears as a regular male civilian, but also carries the Thug's Bracers, a somewhat unique item. The three at the back of the temple have regular avatars.
Gallery[]