“Pheobe,” Othya sighed and turned her head just enough to see the younger woman walk up beside her.

“How do you always do that?” Phoebe asked.

"When you wear such loud jewelry, how can I not?” Othya says and gives her a sideways glance. “They do look nice.”

Pheobe straightens the praise and smiles at her, “thank you.”

“Now,” Othya hummed, “I know you well enough that you sought me out in order to get something. So what is it?”

“I was wondering if there is anything I can do to help,” Pheobe says fiddling with one of her bracelets. “I’ve always just been off on the side whenever these things happen. I just want to do something productive instead of just standing in my mother's shadow.”

“It is a large shadow,” Othya murmured. After a moment she hummed, “keep close to your mother and have a keen eye on the senators that do not seem agreeable. I will be moving my eyes and ears and fingers for what needs to be done next in order to ensure that nothing can truly challenge us.”

“It sounds like you will be very busy,” Pheobe observed.

“I will be moving mountains,” Othya nodded and then added in a low voice. “By the time that I am done the world will look different.”

“Just be careful,” Pheobe whispered. “I worried for you during the last riot.”

Othya reached over and linked their pinkies, “and I was worried for you. Even when I knew you were safe here in the palace, I still worried, and what we are about to do is far more dangerous than any riot we have seen before. So stay close to your mother, you might hate her shadow but it's one of the safest places for you to be in the coming weeks.”

“Be safe,” Pheobe said.

Othya nodded as she slipped around a corner and disappeared.

At this point as Daughter of Nyx Othya is more of a spy mistress than an actual spy. She remembers her time a small girl hiding in crates, carts, rafters, and any manner of crevasse large enough for her to fit in order to hear secrets with a gratefulness that it was over. When she started to grow too large to fit in her hiding places she got smaller children to do it for her, that set her down the path that has led her to be an aranea, a spider that spins her web. Now it's time for her to spin and weave a new one of such a scale she never thought that she would. Every finger she has will be called on, favors nearly forgotten brought to bear, oaths and loyalties tested. It was hard not to be excited at the idea.

Now the same evening of her sending word to the Daughters of Artemis and Athena she gathered her most trusted fingers, her saboteurs and rumor spreaders. Hippotion who tends the horses of the Demes, Axia who is a popular cortesian, Breothyia who has a talent with fire, and Bulis who is supposed to be a Christian monk. There was another, not truly one of her fingers but more of a business partner, a smuggler by the name of Tassos.

“Greetings Axia,” Hippotion said, he is short and stocky and the smile he put on stretched his narrow face, “you are looking lovelier every time I set my eyes upon you.”

“Hippotion,” Axia says sweetly, she is tall and shapely with foreign red hair and green eyes that drew her many fans and patrons, “and you are looking just as poor as the last time I saw you.”

“Don’t even start, you two,” Breothyia sighed, the fourteen year old girl idle fiddled with flint and steel that sparked. She looked up at the darkening sky, “my mother doesn’t like me being out too late so I want this meeting to go quickly.”

Bulis stood off to the side the hood of his robe pulled down to show a wizened man with greying hair. Next to him was Tassos who was completely unremarkable and ordinary in comparison to his present company.

“Breothyia is right,” Othya said as she walked up to her collection of threads. “I have called you all here for a reason. Firstly Tassos, your role is the most urgent and time consuming. You are to begin acquiring large quantities of weapons. Bulis are there any sparingly used storehouses of the Christen temples?”

“There are quite a few,” Bulis nodded, “even some that haven’t been touched in nearly a century that I believe they have forgotten about.”

“I got it,” Tassos interrupted, “I’ve worked with you enough to know the less I actually know the safer I’ll be, just have my pay when I come to collect.”

Othya nodded, “hand the supplies to Bulis and he will handle the rest.”

Tassos nodded and then left eager to not be here to listen to what tasks the others were about to receive. Once she was sure he was gone Othya turned back to Bulis.

“You have the most to do,” Othya told him, “while helping Tassos you must also spread word that the bishops are criticizing the government, imply that they are arrogant and believe that they can do a better job.”

“Ah yes,” Bulis smiled and nodded, “I have heard some things that can be turned into whispers of a revolt.” His smile turned malicious as a chuckle slipped out, “of course the context will need to be twisted but that's half the fun. The church always welcomes the poor who have nowhere to sleep, so I shall depart now in order to hand these whispers over to the pious who help feed the poor.”

Bulis gave a bow and left much like Tassos.

“Axia, Hippotion,” Othya turned to them, “I assume the Demes are spurred to the breaking point?”

“The taxes have made many of my favorite patrons cut back on their visits to me,” Axia sighed, “I went from a rich man in my bed nightly to every other night.” She smiled and shrugged, “but when they are in my bed they often whine and bemoan the policies that hobble the Demes, specifically the Greens.”

“Blues aren’t too happy either,” Hippotion siad, “they’re feeling betrayed since their authority is being limited by Justinius and Theadora.”

“Good,” Othya nodded with a smile, “spur them more. Spread rumors of more policies to hinder their authority and sanctions on guilds. Point their anger at not each other but the Agustus and Agusta.”

“A-As you command mistress,” Hippotion said with a bow he turned and left.

“Whatever you say,” Axia said and began to walk by you but whispered as she passed Othya, “an empty bed is always an invitation.”

Othya hummed as she watched Axia go, she thought for a moment that she might be better suited for the Daughters of Aphrodite with how much she enjoyed carnal pleasures. She pushed away the thought, she was necessary for her web now regardless of whether or not she fit better with a different sisterhood.

“Now,” Othya turned to her last finger, “Breothyia, you will enjoy what I have for you to do.”

“And what is that mistress?” She asked, still fiddling with the flint.

“I need you to ready buildings around the Hippodrome to burn,” Othya said and watched as the girls face lit up, “start with the civic buildings, the Senate House primarily. From there private business and houses. Then utilities like the Zephos Baths. Finally Christen temples.”

Breothyia’s eyes went wide and she looked down at the flint in her hands then looked up at Othya with the same expression. Finally she whispered, “that's a lot of buildings, a lot of pitch…”

Othya watched as a smile spread across her face like a child given a new toy or seeing something wondrous for the first time.