History Literature / GodsAndWarriors

* MosesInTheBulrushes: A variation; Hylas and Issi were discovered on Mount Lykas when they were five and two years old, respectively, with their mother having wrapped them in a bearskin. The headman of the nearest village discovered them and made them herd his goats. [[spoiler:Their mother tried to warn their father, the Mountain Clan's chieftain, that the Crows would discover them in the Mycenaean mountains, but when he refused to listen to her, she tried to take their children to her birthplace in Messenia. They were too little to make the whole journey, so their mother wrapped them in the bearskin -- bears were sacred to the Mountain Clan -- and went to seek help, only to succumb to illness.]]

* UnpleasantParentReveal: Hylas is displeased to learn in the third book that [[spoiler:his father was a member of the same Mountain Clan that refused to fight the Crows with the High Chieftain of Mycenae. Thinking his father was a coward, Hylas becomes determined to wipe out the stain of that cowardice, which he also believes to be the reason his mother ended up dying while trying to find a safe place for her children after Hylas' father refused to heed her warnings about the Crows finding them. Before the final battle of the last book, Akastos tries to improve Hylas' opinion on his father by telling him that as the Mountain Clan's leader, his father was just doing what he thought was best for his clan by refusing to fight and fought bravely to the end when the Crows eventually hunted him down. This isn't much of an improvement to Hylas because his father didn't help Akastos -- whom he has come to admire as a father figure -- in the latter's time of need]].

* DownerBeginning: The book -- and the series, by extension -- begins with Hylas fleeing the Crow warriors after having been wounded by an arrow and still reeling from Scram's death and worrying for Issi.

* ImplacableMan: The Angry Ones can be temporarily warded off or evaded, but they won't stop looking for you in order to drive you to madness. They can also destroy you if you get too close to them, even if you've done nothing to warrant their wrath.

[[folder: ''The Outsiders'']]

* LostAtSea: This happens to Hylas after he escapes the Crows by stealing a boat. He eventually manages to catch a sea turtle and eat it before a shark appears to threaten him and a storm crushes the boat. Fortunately for him, Spirit's pod drives the shark away and helps him reach the Island of the Fin People.

* BluntYes: When Pirra confronts Hylas about his intention of leaving her stranded on the island while he sails off in the raft they just built together, he confirms it with a simple yes, much to her outrage.

* ClaimedByTheSupernatural: In the ''The Burning Shadow'', [[spoiler:the Lady of Fire touches Hylas in the temple with her burning finger and leaves there [[AcheyScars a scar that aches whenever he's about to have a vision]] in the following books]].

* DyingAlone: The Keftian man who gives Hylas the dagger is afraid of this and begs Hylas to stay with him. The boy knows he can't stay in the tomb before the villagers arrive to seal it, so he gathers his gear while trying to respect the dying man's wishes as much as he can. Fortunately for the man, he dies before Hylas can make his exit.

* AwfulTruth: This is lampshaded by the Goddess as a warning to Hylas who ends up discovering at the end of said book that [[spoiler:his best friend Telamon has all along been a member of the House of Koronos]].

[[folder:''The Eye of the Falcon'']]

* TakenForGranite: Pirra discovers in ''The Outsiders'' that [[spoiler:the Vanished Ones were trapped underground on the Island of the Fin People, and their bodies have turned to stone to depict them in their last agonizing moments in a similar way to the people of Pompeii]].

* TheyDiedBecauseOfYou: [[spoiler:Userref's older brother Nebetku blames Pirra for Userref's death because he was caught by the Crows and committed suicide while he was trying to uphold the vow he gave her about keeping the dagger safe from the Crows. She [[ItsAllMyFault agrees with Nebetku]].]]
* ThreateningShark: As Hylas drifts to the Island of the Fin People, a shark attempts to eat him until Spirit and his pod drive it away.

* ThwartedCoupDeGrace: Just when [[spoiler:Pharax]] is about to deliver the deathblow to the injured [[spoiler:Akastos]] in ''Warrior Bronze'', [[spoiler:Akastos uses his sword to pierce Pharax [[GroinAttack through the groin]]]].
* TogetherInDeath: [[spoiler:A sibling variant; after Hylas secures Userref's place in Egyptian afterlife by giving his mummy the Spells for Coming Forth by Day, Userref's older brother Nebetku dies to be with him forever. Pirra even has a dream of them being happily together in the Place of Reeds.]]
* UndersideRide: Userref mentions in the second book that after the events of the first book, Pirra once tried to escape from the House of the Goddess by clinging to the webbing under a chariot.

* VerberCreature: ''The Burning Shadow'' has the snatchers, spirits that live underground in Thalakrea and don't like it when the mining slaves trespass in their domain.
* VictoriousRoar: After spending ''The Crocodile Tomb'' trying to let out a proper roar without success, Havoc finally manages it in the climax after [[spoiler:killing the crocodile that was about to attack Hylas and Pirra]], making her realization she's a full-grown lioness final.
* VillainOpeningScene: ''The Crocodile Tomb'' begins with a prologue in which [[spoiler:Userref is brought before Telamon and Alekto who offer to let him be buried in the proper Egyptian way in exchange for telling them where the dagger is, but after he refuses to cooperate, they prepare to torture the information out of him]]. The following first chapter brings us to the main heroes who've just made their way to the coast of Egypt.
* AWayOutOfACaveIn: Pirra ends up in this situation when an cave-in traps her underground in ''The Outsiders''. After crawling her way to a ray of light through [[spoiler:the Vanished Ones' stony corpses]] and finding a rockfall, she removes rocks to make a hole for herself and successfully gets out when Hylas assists her from the other side.

* WhamShot: The end of one of the chapters of ''Warrior Bronze'' provides one when Hylas meets the leader of the rebels, [[spoiler:the rightful High Chieftain of Mycenae]].
-->"Rising to his feet, he turned and limped forwards [[EmergingFromTheShadows into the light]], and stood looking down at Hylas.\\
Hylas' heart skipped a beat.\\
[[spoiler:'Hello, Flea,' said Akastos.]]"
* WhatWouldXDo:
** After Pirra ends up in Thalakrea, she wonders what Hylas would do.
** While trying to think of how to make progress in finding the dagger in ''The Crocodile Tomb'', Telamon asks himself what would Pharax or Koronos do. It occurs to him that he doesn't wonder what would his father do because he has decided the kindly Thestor to be weaker than the dreaded Pharax and Koronos.

* YouSaidYouWouldLetThemGo: In the climax of ''The Crocodile Tomb'', [[spoiler:Telamon tells Hylas he'll release Pirra only if Hylas gives up the dagger. Hylas complies, but Telamon goes back on his word and threatens to kill Pirra right there if Hylas doesn't reveal himself and bring himself to the range of Telamon's arrows. Rather than being stunned, Pirra [[SpitefulSpit spits Telamon in the face]] and sneers "So much for the honour of the House of Koronos."]]

** In the prologue of ''The Crocodile Tomb'', [[spoiler:Telamon tells the captive Userref that if he immediately reveals where he hid the dagger, he'll be killed painlessly and buried with the proper Egyptian rites, but if he refuses, Alekto will torture the information out of him and he won't get a proper burial, dooming his spirit for eternity. Userref [[DefiantToTheEnd refuses and endures all the torture before he manages to commit suicide and deny the Crows the answers they seek]]]].

* SherlockScan: In his first appearance, Akastos makes spot on deductions about Hylas before he has even seen the hiding boy by just observing his tracks and hearing his voice.
* ShipTease: There's hinted to be something developing between [[spoiler:Akastos]] and [[spoiler:Hekabi]] in their last appearance.
* ShoutOut: In ''The Outsiders'', one of the things Hylas salvages from a shipwreck is a [[Literature/TheOdyssey wind pouch]].
* SlaveBrand: Hylas and the other slaves of the Crows have a crow tattooed on their forearms.
* SpitefulSpit: In ''The Crocodile Tomb'', Pirra spits in Telamon's face after the latter refuses to release her even though [[spoiler:Hylas just relinquished the dagger to him]].
* StolenMacGuffinReveal: In the climax of ''The Burning Shadow'', [[spoiler:the Crows take the dagger back from Hylas, only for the last chapter to reveal that they lost it while fleeing from Thalakrea's volcanic eruption. Then it's revealed at the end of Pirra's last section that she managed to steal the dagger when Pharax and Telamon were covered by a landslide and keep it hidden with her as Hylas forced her to board the Keftian ship]].
* SuckOutThePoison: Pirra does this to Hylas after he's stung by a scorpion in ''The Crocodile Tomb''.

* {{Irony}}: Pirra notes in ''Warrior Bronze'' how ludicrous it is for [[spoiler:the fire of Lapithos' ancestral hearth, which has incessantly burned for generations, to have died right as the stronghold is about to be destroyed by flames]].
* IslandOfMystery: The Island of the Fin People (or as the Keftians call it, the Island of the Goddess) where Hylas and Pirra are stranded for most of ''The Outsiders''. Tales say it used to be inhabited by a community that disappeared after angering the gods and became known as the Vanished Ones. Though haunted by the ghosts of the Vanished Ones [[spoiler:(whose petrified remains Pirra discovers in the cave they were trapped in)]], the deserted island is a sacred place only priestesses visit occasionally to make sacrifices and perform secret rites. [[spoiler:The Crows have also recently visited the island and burned an entire valley as a sacrifice to the gods so that they'd get the dagger back.]]
* IsThatTheBestYouCanDo: Kreon throws this taunt at the outmatched Hylas in ''Eye of the Falcon''.

* LaserGuidedKarma: After Neleos denies Hylas sanctuary from the Crows, the boy steals from his harsh taskmaster some food and supplies as well as takes some of his wine and ruins the rest with ash as retribution for all the thrashings Neleos gave him and Issi over the years.
* LastGraspAtLife: [[spoiler:The last thing seen of Alekto is her arm reaching for the sky before crocodiles drag her under the Nile's surface.]]

* LetThePastBurn: [[spoiler:While the final battle takes place, Pirra and Hekabi set fire to Lapithos, the ancestral stronghold of the House of Koronos that's conveniently deserted from the shock of Koronos' death. It's shortly after this that Telamon, the last living member of the clan, meets his end along with the dagger, putting an end to their legacy once and for all. A rain prevents the fire from destroying the grain stores, though, and the food can be distributed to the people.]]
* LiteralCliffhanger: While escaping from the Crows in the first chapter of ''The Outsiders'', Hylas scrambles over the edge of the mountain trail and hides under an overhang while holding from a sapling. When the Crows eventually leave, the sapling gives under the boy's weight, and he falls into the gorge, but he luckily doesn't hurt himself.
* LivingStatue: When Hylas tries to pose questions to the statue of the Goddess on the Island of the Fin People, one of the stone snakes at the statue's feet comes to life and attacks him.

* LostAtSea: This happens to Hylas in ''The Outsiders'' after he escapes the Crows by stealing a boat. He eventually manages to catch a sea turtle and eat it before a shark appears to threaten him and a storm crushes the boat. Fortunately for him, Spirit's pod drives the shark away and helps him reach the Island of the Fin People.

* MamasBabyPapasMaybe: Yassassara invoked this by mating with three different priests when she conceived Pirra.
* MasterOfThreads: The [[Myth/ClassicalMythology Moirai]] are at one point referred to as the Grey Sisters who "crouch in their cave like ancient spiders, spinning their vast web which contains one thread for every living creature".

* MotivationalLie: Pirra was allowed to believe her mother would release her from the House of the Goddess on her twelfth birthday, but she was all along intended to be sent to Lykonia for marriage. She's also angry at Userref for not telling her the truth even though he knew, so he lampshades this trope while referring both to her situation and his own desire to return to Egypt.
-->'''Pirra''': You let me go on believing I'd be free.\\
'''Userref''': You needed something to hope for. Everyone does. It's what keeps them going.\\
'''Pirra''': Even if it's a lie?\\
'''Userref''': Yes. Even then.
* MurderByInaction: [[spoiler:When crocodiles bear down on Alekto, Telamon refuses to even try to help her and orders his men to leave her to her fate. The same thing happens when Koronos has a seizure and drowns in a bowl of wine.]]

* NeverSmileAtACrocodile: ''The Crocodile Tomb'' has the dangerous crocodiles of the Nile that have bitten off Itineb's hand, threaten Hylas in the Great Green, and [[spoiler:eat Alekto during the climax]].
* NiceJobFixingItVillain: When Hylas and Pirra find out in ''The Crocodile Tomb'' that [[spoiler:the dagger was buried with Userref, Nebetku refuses to let them take it from his family's secret tomb. However, Meritamen tells Nebetku that her spy stole the Spell for Coming Forth by Day from Userref's coffin before it was sealed in the tomb and demands him to give her the dagger if he wishes to save his brother from the second death. With the Houses of Eternity under the watch of the Hati-aa's guards, Nebetku agrees to smuggle Hylas inside the Crocodile Tomb so that he can give Userref's mummy the Spell and leave with the dagger]].
* NightAndDayDuo: This dynamic is in-universe built between Hylas and Pirra in ''The Crocodile Tomb''. Hylas' yellow hair is described to be like the Sun, and he's mostly paired with Havoc the lioness, the sacred creature of Sekhmet, the lion-headed solar deity. Pirra in turn has a crescent scar on her face, and she has a special bond with Echo the falcon, the sacred creature of Heru, the falcon-headed god whose domain includes the Moon.

* ThePlague: In ''Eye of the Falcon'', some sort of a bubonic plague rampages on Keftiu and has killed a great portion of the populace, including [[spoiler:Yassassara]]. The gods drive it away at the end of the book when [[spoiler:Kreon's death appeases the ghosts of the plague's victims]].
* PleaseWakeUp: Havoc's reaction when she discovers her mother dead.
* PocketProtector: [[spoiler:Hylas is saved from being killed by Telamon's arrow by Userref's ''wedjat'' amulet in the climax of ''The Crocodile Tomb''.]]

* ProphecyTwist: [[spoiler:After all the assumptions that Hylas is the Outsider mentioned by the oracle, it actually comes to pass when Telamon, the last living member of the House of Koronos, attempts to throw the dagger down the crack in the Ancestor Peak during a thunderstorm. Issi manages to grab the dagger for a brief moment when Telamon drops it, but Hylas, having realized that the bronze is attracting electricity, tells her to let Telamon have it. As Telamon boasts himself to be the House of Koronos, he's struck by a lightning that scorches him and shatters the dagger.]]

* RakeTake: It's revealed in ''Warrior Bronze'' that Periphas broke his nose by stepping on a hoe when he was a teenager.
* ReplacedWithReplica: [[spoiler:Just when it looks like the heroes have failed to steal the dagger from Kreon's stronghold, Akastos reveals that when nobody was looking, he swapped the real dagger with a copy and smuggled it outside.]]

* RightfulKingReturns: [[spoiler:Akastos is revealed to be in the final book the High Chieftain of Mycenae whom Koronos usurped, and he has returned to lead the Akean rebels to end the Crows' tyranny once and for all. After the House of Koronos and their dagger are exterminated and Akastos is freed of the Angry Ones, he proceeds to do his best to rebuild, restore order to Akea and heal the wounds of the past.]]

* RopeBridge: As they flee from Taka Zimi, Hylas and Pirra have to cross one that's just one rope to stand on and two other ropes to hold on to. Though Hylas has never trusted such bridges, they've nearly made it across when the Crows catch up to bombard them with arrows. The two heroes then cut the ropes, and though Telamon attempts to cross the bridge himself, he gives up when he understands he can't make it fast enough.
* RousingSpeech: Right before the rebels face the Crows in the final battle, [[spoiler:Akastos]] delivers one to boost the rebels' morale in response to Pharax threatening them with the dagger of Koronos.
* SeekingSanctuary: Subverted in ''The Outsiders''. After being first attacked by the Crows, Hylas asks for a sanctuary from Neleos' village which has "spirit gates" to protect the villagers from threats and Outsiders. The villagers refuse to protect him and are happy to let the Crows kill him as long as they're left in peace. Hylas then tries to invoke the law of sanctuary, but Neleos replies that it doesn't apply to Outsiders and tells him to sod off.

* SherlockScan: In his first appearance, Akastos makes spot on deductions about Hylas before he has even seen the hiding boy by just observing his tracks and hearing his voice.
* ShipTease: There's hinted to be something developing between [[spoiler:Akastos]] and [[spoiler:Hekabi]] in their last appearance.
* ShoutOut: In ''The Outsiders'', one of the things Hylas salvages from a shipwreck is a [[Literature/TheOdyssey wind pouch]].
* SlaveBrand: Hylas and the other slaves of the Crows have a crow tattooed on their forearms.
* SpitefulSpit: In ''The Crocodile Tomb'', Pirra spits in Telamon's face after the latter refuses to release her even though [[spoiler:Hylas just relinquished the dagger to him]].
* StolenMacGuffinReveal: In the climax of ''The Burning Shadow'', [[spoiler:the Crows take the dagger back from Hylas, only for the last chapter to reveal that they lost it while fleeing from Thalakrea's volcanic eruption. Then it's revealed at the end of Pirra's last section that she managed to steal the dagger when Pharax and Telamon were covered by a landslide and keep it hidden with her as Hylas forced her to board the Keftian ship]].
* SuckOutThePoison: Pirra does this to Hylas after he's stung by a scorpion in ''The Crocodile Tomb''.

* ClimacticVolcanoBackdrop: In ''The Burning Shadow'', [[spoiler:Hylas and Pirra make their way to the top of Thalakrea's volcano in order to have the Lady of Fire destroy the dagger even though the volcano is about to erupt. Telamon catches them up and fights them, permanently ending his friendship with Hylas. Pharax then arrives to take the dagger and drop Hylas into the crater where he's marked by the Lady of Fire and guided out by Havoc's spirit just in time to escape the island]].
* CorporalPunishment: After discovering in ''The Outsiders'' that Telamon helped Hylas escape with a chariot and two horses "borrowed" from his father and has secretly been the Outsider's friend, Thestor punishes Telamon by whipping him.
* CoveredInMud: Pirra covers herself in mud to throw hunting dogs off the scent in ''The Burning Shadow''. She's still so muddy Hylas briefly mistakes her for a snatcher when she rescues him from one of the dogs.
* CrossingTheDesert: Hylas, Pirra, Havoc and Echo face this problem when they reach Egypt. They're only able to reach the Great Green with Kem's help.
* CueTheSun: [[spoiler:After seven months of being blotted out by the great ash cloud, the Sun starts shining again at the ending of ''Eye of the Falcon'', allowing the spring to finally blossom and Keftiu to be brought back to life.]]
* CuffsOffRubWrists:
** Hylas does this after Meritamen's slave cuts off his bindings.
** Pirra does this when [[spoiler:Issi cuts her free in the burning Lapithos]].
* DefectorFromDecadence: It's mentioned in the last book by Periphas that one of the Crow warriors who was in the previous book with Telamon in Egypt defected to the rebels' side because witnessing [[spoiler:Telamon leaving his aunt to die]] and Hylas being protected by Echo and Havoc convinced him that he'd be a fool to remain with the Crows.
* DemonicPossession: The snatchers, the spirits living under Thalakrea's ground, seem to be capable of possessing people. Hylas starts suspecting this has happened to his fellow slave Spit due to the latter's suspicious behavior and withered appearance. [[spoiler:It's actually the other slave boy Beetle who's possessed.]]
* DiesWideOpen: This happens to the unnamed Keftian man who gives Hylas the dagger in ''The Outsiders''.

* DownerBeginning: The series begins with Hylas fleeing the Crow warriors after having been wounded by an arrow and still reeling from Scram's death and worrying for Issi.
* DramaticChaseOpening: ''The Outsiders'' has one taking place after Hylas tried to lure the Crows away from his sister.

* DugTooDeep: In ''The Burning Shadow'', Kreon has copper ore excavated so deep from Thalakrea that the underground spirits called the snatchers are angered by the slaves trespassing in their domain. He also offends the Lady of Fire for not following the natives' example of avoiding too deep digging and giving the Lady time to heal. [[spoiler:With the Crows' act of siccing the Angry Ones on her being the last straw, the Lady releases her fury in the form of a volcanic eruption that destroys Thalakrea and darkens the Sun for seven months.]]
* DyeOrDie: While helping Hylas escape from the Crows in the first book, Telamon gives him walnut juice to conceal his yellow hair.
* DyingAlone: The Keftian man who originally gives Hylas the dagger is afraid of this and begs Hylas to stay with him. The boy knows he can't stay in the tomb before the villagers arrive to seal it, so he gathers his gear while trying to respect the dying man's wishes as much as he can. Fortunately for the man, he dies before Hylas can make his exit.
* DyingCandle: [[spoiler:Lapithos has a huge central hearth where the House of Koronos has had a fire burning for generations without letting it die. After Koronos dies and almost everyone abandons the stronghold in terror, the fire has already burned out by the time Pirra enters the great hall while setting Lapithos on fire. It's shortly after this that the House of Koronos becomes completely extinguished when their last living members, Pharax and Telamon, are killed as well.]]

* EmergingFromTheShadows: When Hylas is brought to meet the leader of the Akean rebels, [[spoiler:the true High Chieftain of Mycenae]], the latter is obscured by the darkness of a cave until he steps into the light and reveals himself to be [[spoiler:Akastos]].

* ExactWords: Pirra had thought her mother would set her free on her twelfth birthday and called Yassassara out upon learning she'd be taken to be married in Lykonia instead. Yassassara defended herself by saying that she had only promised Pirra would be let out of the House of the Goddess instead of being freed.

* GivenNameReveal: When Hylas questions the meaning of the word Pirákara he hears his Keftian companions using, Pirra reveals it's her full name and that she just prefers her shorter nickname.

* HeavenlyBlue: In ''The Outsiders'', the "blue fire", the phosphorescence in which the Sea glows, is the shadow of the Goddess.
-->'''Pirra''': Sometimes the Goddess summons dolphins to do Her bidding. They swim so close that they're splashed with Her burning blue shadow. ''Her shadow'', Hylas. That's the blue fire.
* HelpImStuck: While searching for Hylas and Pirra in the underground caves of the Island of the Fin People, Spirit ends up being stuck in a channel. [[spoiler:The Goddess frees and sends him to deliver the marble triton shell for Pirra to find in the climax.]]

* HeroicSacrifice: In ''Eye of the Falcon'', [[spoiler:a secret rite known as the Mystery is about the High Priestess sacrificing herself in order to invoke the Goddess to get rid of the plague and bring the Sun back. Yassassara was planning to perform this as atonement before the plague caught her. With her being the next best choice, Pirra attempts to go through this in the climax, only for Echo to prevent her from killing herself at the last minute]].
* IAmTheNoun: [[spoiler:During the final confrontation, Telamon boasts that he's the House of Koronos before a lightning strike kills him and destroys the dagger, thus fulfilling the oracle.]]

* ImDyingPleaseTakeMyMacGuffin: Hylas first gets the dagger of Koronos in his hands when he hides in a tomb where the dying Keftian man who stole the dagger gives it to him without telling anything other than it's precious.

* IncurableCoughOfDeath: When Nebetku is introduced, he's coughing and reveals he's dying, even showing his bloodstained hands after coughing in them. [[spoiler:He does die after Userref's spirit is saved from being wiped out of existence.]]
* INeverSaidItWasPoison: When Hylas and Telamon re-encounter on the Island of the Fin People, Hylas blurts out about the dagger. Having not said that his clan's stolen heirloom is a dagger, Telamon realizes to his shock that Hylas does possess the dagger even though Telamon told his father that Hylas couldn't be the Outsider mentioned by the oracle or even know about the dagger's existence.

* AncientEgypt: The setting place of ''The Crocodile Tomb'', more precisely the beginning of the 18th Dynasty of the New Kingdom. The Second Intermediate Period and the Hyksos are vaguely referred to when it's mentioned the Perao (Pharaoh) drove away eastern foreigners with the help of the bronze provided by Koronos. The Egyptian gods are called by their Ancient Egyptian names instead of their modern versions which are derived from Greek versions.

* AntAssault: When Echo falls from her nest as a fledgling, she's attacked by ants when she tries to eat one. Userref rescues her, but the experience leaves her terrified of ants.

* {{Atlantis}}: Tales say that the Island of the Fin People was long ago richer and more beautiful than anything that's ever been, but it was blown up when the gods were angered by the locals' pride. The people disappeared and as such, are called the Vanished Ones. [[spoiler:While trapped in the island's underground caves, Pirra ends up discovering the petrified remains of the Vanished Ones who were trapped by a cave in.]]
* AwfulTruth: This is lampshaded in the first book by the Goddess as a warning to Hylas who ends up discovering at the end of said book that his best friend Telamon has all along been a member of the House of Koronos.
-->''"You seek the truth… But beware… the truth bites…"''
* BadMoonRising: At the end of the fourth book, the Moon turns red, and an Egyptian wisewoman states it to foretell the Crows' bloody conquest of all of Akea with the invincibility the dagger of Koronos grants them. When we get back to Akea three months later in the final book, that's exactly what the Crows have been doing.
* BadWithTheBone: Hylas briefly uses a bone to fight back the stone snake that attacks him in ''The Outsiders''.
* BeastInTheMaze: In ''Eye of the Falcon'', a giant bull has been left to guard the labyrinthine House of the Goddess after it was evacuated in response to the plague.
* BeeBeeGun: One of the traps Hylas lays for the Crows in the House of the Goddess is a wasp nest.
* BetterToDieThanBeKilled: [[spoiler:When Userref is at the mercy of Telamon and Alekto, he manages to break free while still having his arms tied behind his back. Knowing the Crows will recapture him and continue torturing him for the whereabouts of the dagger, he jumps into the Nile and drowns.]]
* BewareOfViciousDog: Kreon's hunting dogs give the heroes trouble in ''The Burning Shadow''.

* BluntYes: When Pirra confronts Hylas about his intention of leaving her stranded on the Island of the Fin People while he sails off in the raft they just built together, he confirms it with a simple yes, much to her outrage.
-->'''Pirra''': It's true, isn't it?\\
'''Hylas''': Yes.\\
'''Pirra''': ''Yes?'' Is that all you can say?\\
'''Hylas''': Yes.
* BodybagTrick: In ''The Crocodile Tomb'', [[spoiler:Hylas is hidden in the coffin of a sacred crocodile that's taken to the Crocodile Tomb during a festival. Once alone in the sealed tomb, he comes out and finds the hidden entrance to Userref's family tomb where he gives Userref's mummy the Spells for Coming Forth by Day and takes the dagger of Koronos from the coffin]].
* BoltOfDivineRetribution: [[spoiler:What finally finishes off both Telamon and the dagger of Koronos.]]
* BravingTheBlizzard: In ''Eye of the Falcon'', Hylas ends up getting caught in a snowstorm while desperately trying to find Havoc who ends up guiding him to the hut occupied by [[spoiler:Akastos]]. Both [[spoiler:Akastos]] and Hylas himself lampshade how stupid he was not to wait out the storm even though he has experienced many snowstorms in the Lykonian mountains.

* CallingCard: [[spoiler:While performing her undercover warfare against the Crows, Issi leaves behind small clay frogs. This is what first clues Hylas in to the true identity of the "shadow thief".]]
* CampfireCharacterExploration: After they've saved Spirit in ''The Outsiders'', Hylas and Pirra start opening up a little to each other over a campfire.
* TheCavalry: In ''The Crocodile Tomb'', [[spoiler:the sudden arrival of Kem and his tribesmen prompts Telamon and the Crows to flee with the dagger and stop trying to kill Hylas and Pirra]].

* ChekhovsVolcano: Thalakrea's volcano that erupts at the ending of ''The Burning Shadow'' with severe consequences that are still felt in the next book.

* YellowPurpleContrast: Between Hylas and Pirra in ''The Outsiders''. Hylas is a yellow-haired commoner who has a much better grip on how to manage in wilderness than Pirra. Pirra, the daughter of Keftiu's High Priestess, wears a purple tunic and knows more about different cultures and religious matters than Hylas.
* YourAnswerToEverything: When the House of Koronos is offered [[spoiler:Havoc]] as a gift in ''The Burning Shadow'', Pharax wants to [[spoiler:sacrifice her]]. Alekto snarks that sticking with a knife is her brother's answer to everything.

* RuleOfSymbolism: [[spoiler:Lapithos has a huge central hearth where the House of Koronos has had a fire burning for generations without letting it die. After Koronos dies and almost everyone abandons the stronghold in terror, the fire has already burned out by the time Pirra enters the great hall while setting Lapithos on fire. It's shortly after this that the House of Koronos becomes completely extinguished when their last living members, Pharax and Telamon, are killed as well.]]

* JawDrop: This reaction pops up several times, such as with Telamon when [[spoiler:Hylas tries to cast the dagger into Thalakrea's volcano, only for it to stop right at the crater's edge]], and Hylas when he's told [[spoiler:the dagger has been placed in Userref's tomb]].

* CampfireCharacterExploration: Hylas and Pirra have one after they've saved Spirit in ''The Outsiders''.