6- Leonidas

"Hunting? Really? You did not have a better lie?"

"It got us out of her grasp, did it not?"

"And under the sun! I already have the most beautiful skin one can behold, I see no reason for you to make it darker."

Leonidas ignored the rich voice of his best friend as he steadied his horse, moving further away from the castle, and possibly, her.

When he was at the edge of a cliff, looking down a valley that had shade and a sort of lake around it, he said, "There. We can go there and rest till she tires and goes away."

"How long do you think it would take before she tires?" Loukas asked with a glare in his eyes. "I doubt you fathom the whole idea of that woman. She plans to bond and chain you. You shall not escape the same valley between her legs -."

"Thank you, brother." Leonidas cut in as quickly as he could as he stared down, the shades from the tree willowing and dancing as the tree moved with the breeze.

It called him.

He just knew he had to rest there.

"Leo." Loukas whined, his green eyes glaring more under the sunlight and so did his rings. "Can we go inside? I had a really rough trip and I want to be pampered by slaves that worship me."

Smiling, Leonidas turned to his best friend. "Then you may leave."

Loukas looked absolutely struck. "Leave?"

"To the palace." Leonidas replied, "And when you get there, I would like it if you send some servants to bring a picnic basket and some fruits, maybe bread and cheese as well? I shall like to stay here till one of them can reassure me that Stylani is gone."

Loukas let out a choked sound, blinking rapidly, "You can't just send me on an errand like that! You -!"

But Leonidas was already going down the hill with his horse, the wind blowing through his hair and shirt as he felt a gleeful feeling fill his heart.

Loukas' angry voice and words filled the air as he thundered and threatened Leonidas but it was only when the man shouted his name that he stopped below and turned his horse around to stare at the male.

With his hair blowing in the wind and face in a 'head held high' pose, the man said with as much as distaste as possible, "I cannot believe how low your hospitality has become. Leaving a guest behind so you can run through hills with naiads and whatnots"

Leonidas laughed. "You can call it whatever you want! As long as you shall come back, I shall be here."

Loukas snorted, loudly, before he turned his horse around, going back the same way they came.

Leonidas watched his friend retreat, his heart panting heavily as he realized that it was the first time he was so far away from home, alone and from the eyes of guards who watched his every move.

Yet, for some reason, he was not scared.

No.

Something... Someone called to him.

And for the first time in his life, he felt a sudden need to follow the voice, wherever it may be.

Leonidas moved slower now on his horse, moving to the trees that now gave a soy of whistling sound, creepy and yet, oddly satisfying.

He came down from his horse when he felt he was close enough, the lake just glistening at the other side of where the trees were all gathered, meaning that he had to walk through some branches and leaves before he could reach it.

Tying his horse to a branch, he decided he would wait for a while, until perhaps Loukas was back, then they would go in together.

Because he was sure that if anything happened to him alone, the pain would be lesser if he went with a friend.

~

"Tell me what you know, Child."

They were walking down the halls, halls made of lava that streaked down the walls of where they walked, the smoke and ashes filling the place would have burnt anyone.

The brown eyed girl was not scared. "Not so much. Except that I am special."

"Special?" Hades asked, "How special?"

Then she looked up at him, that smile again, that same brightening smile. "Why should I not be?"

Leonidas woke up with a jolt, the whistling trees moving above him, the abrupt silence of the place making him wonder how long he had closed his eyes before he looked up at the darkening sky and knew he had been outside a while.

Maybe, two or three hours?

Where was Loukas anyway?

As he stood up, he could imagine the male deciding to take a food/wine break, get tipsy, haunt than a slave, preferably male, and then get down to it.

Why did I expect him to come back anyway? Leonidas asked himself as he brushed down some grass blades on his trousers, Loukas would never risk his pleasures for anything in the world.

Disappointing? Not so much.

He walked to his horse who was now nibbling on the grass, making contented sighs as he patted his back, a tired sigh coming out of his mouth. "You must forgive me, Antinous, but I think we should be on our way now. As Loukas is not back yet, it must mean Stylani is gone as well."

The horse ignored him completely, possibly thinking that his Master had enjoyed the shade well and was his turn now, so he couldn't be refused.

Leonidas was not a mean owner, and the horse knew this, but when he heard his owner say, "Please"

He let out a harrumph and looked at him.

A triumphant smile now on Leonidas' face, he patted the head of his horse. "Thank you"

Antinous seemed to make some neighs of disapproval but stayed still enough for his Master to climb before Leonidas stopped half way, looking behind him.

Antinous turned as well, his ears pricking like two antenna's, hoping to hear whatever his Master was hearing but caught nothing and gave his Master a look of 'has a witch gotten you?'

Leonidas, on the other hand, did not notice the strange and worried look on his horse, instead, he was looking back at the lake, a voice from his dreams calling out to him.

The brown eyed girl.

It was a memory that flashed through his eyes every time he slept, and though he vaguely recalled what she looked like when he woke, it was the eyes that he could remember.

Brown, rich, pleasing...

Inviting.

Her voice echoed just on the other side of the forest, her voice demanding and sullen, yet calm and regal, he had never heard such a blend before, not even from his Mother who was claimed to be the most dignified woman in all of Renatus.

He slowly got down from the buckle of his horse, walking towards the voice, pushing through the branches and ignoring the smallest possible voice telling him not to go further.

For some reason, he knew if he found the voice, he would find answers, to why he was what he was, and why he had that tattoo on his back.

And possibly, maybe more.

The voice was becoming clearer, and he realized with alarm that it was not just one voice, but two, not in a clear argument but both not clearly on the same team.

When he was sure he was close enough and could spot some of the scene in front of him, he stopped and bent to the ground, staring.

In front of him was the pool, encircled by the bushes, a hedge in place with a man sitting on it.

His skin and hair shown as he sat, poised and graceful with a most handsome face.

And with a jolt in his heart, Leonidas knew that it must be a god.

With the sparkling skin and the power he was exuding, it could not be mere mortal, it even hurt his eyes to look too long, he shone like the sun.

Yet, the woman in front of him did not look the least bothered about it.

She had on menwear for horse riding, her hair wild and free around her face and shoulder as she stared at him, standing while he sat, a cold yet calculative look on her face while she spoke like she was looking down on him.

Like he was nothing but dirt.

Something inside Leonidas made knots, a hand flying to his chest as he tried to steady his breathing.

What is going on? He thought in panic as he stared again at her and made a quick discovery.

It was those eyes.

Those brown eyes that looked at him like she could see his soul, even though she was not looking at him but the god, like she could tell that he was dirty and he liked dirty things and that she could help with this dirty things if he begged well enough.

But- But how could she?

Their words were not quite clear, just the voices sounding like mumbles and jumbles in the air before he spotted her eyes shift go him and he let out a low gasp, falling on his behind and panting heavily.

Had she seen him? He hoped not. He knew from the stories the men sometimes shared at banquets that woman did not like being peeked at when they were naked, and even if she was not at this time, it did not change anything.

When he was able to recollect himself, he knelt upright again but when he stared long enough, she was gone.

Her, and the god, both gone, like they had never been there in the first place.

Illusion? Possibly, but if it was, what did it mean and why would anyone try to make him see a woman and a man? A god nonetheless?

Was it a sea nymph somewhere trying to make it impossible for him to return home and lead him away from the right path? 

He had heard stories similar to that, which always meant the nymphs wanted to trick him for a while, or one was possibly in love with him and wanted to keep him from leaving.

Whatever it was, Leonidas knew that he had to leave before the sun was down.

He began to head back slowly but steadily, his eyes on the crumbled leaves and marks his boots had left him as he kept going, for which seemed miles before he came out of the trees, a laugh ringing through his head.

And a voice.

"And where have you been?"

It was Loukas that spoke, but Leonidas was not really paying attention to him.

It was to the voice who laughed.

She was seated on a mat, now wearing a black gown that flow wondrously around her waist, her brown skin that was darker than Loukas, that shone like the lava from his dreams itself begging him to come closer and burn him...

And then those eyes.

They stared at him, not with surprise, but with genuine amusement and curiosity.

She was aware that he had been sneaking around her, but she did not mind, instead she seemed pleased.

Why?

It scared Leonidas.

"Brother?" Loukas was standing and moving to Leonidas who realized he must have been looking like a dead fish staring at the woman on the mat as he shook his head and faced his friend.

"What took you so long?" His throat feeling choked and sore.

Loukas sighed, "I have been here for hours, you were the one gone for quite a while."

"I went to drink some water at the lake." He found himself lying faster than he normally would but for some reason Loukas bought it.

Because he was smiling as he said,"Well, look who we have, a new friend! She says she comes from the hill not far away from here."

Leonidas did not want to look at her again, scared he would be a statue one more time but he did and she stood, walking to him in a way that he saw her curves, a gulp going through his throat as she reached him, her voice velvety and powerful.

"Hello, Leonidas."

And his world crumbled.

He was holding unto his knees, like the wind had been kicked out of him and Loukas was immediately at his side, asking questions but he was not hearing him.

His eyes were on hers.

She was looking down at him again, with those eyes.

I know your little secret which means that I own you.

She had claimed him.

Just by calling his name.

He had heard of it before, it was a rare power that most mortals had, but he had never seen it in a woman.

It was not unknown that there was adequate power to control someone with just their name, but there was supposed to be a pitch for it, a certain key.

It was a power that had faded away with time as people had lost connection with the gods, and even now, as they were together, he had never heard one so close enough to a god and had learnt the skill.

Was it possible... That she was a god herself?

"Leo-"

"I'm fine." He cut his friend off as he stood straight, letting out a sigh from his lips and stared at her.

There was a pursed smile on her face, a triumphant one and before he could ask what had happened, a voice bellowed out, "Persephone!"

What?

She turned her head around, a bright happy smile on her face as she said, "Achilles."

Persephone?

Was she- Was she the god of the Underworld's wife?

The Achilles in question was holding unto two horses, one black and one white, a frown on his face with a scar on his left eye, not so visible but there.

A scar every Ares familia bore.

"He said not to stray too far." His tone was threatening, bothering on irritation.

"You fret too much." Hers was light, bothering on fun and the tone of a lover.

His heart lurched right there.

Were they ...?

"You found him!" 

She was on the black horse in a minute, nuzzling him like he was the biggest puppy in the world, something Leonidas had never seen before until he heard Achilles say, "We must leave now. The sun sets."

He thought she would argue, she looked like she would but she surprised him when she got on the horse, another thing he had never seen a woman do and say, "Then let us leave."

She was acting like he was not there, like she did not exist and it suddenly made him desperate.

"Wait!"

She made to look at him like she had just seen him for the first time, tilting her head sideways in a comical way as he said, "I shall be throwing a birthday party tomorrow"

I am? Leonidas thought, wondering what just came out of his mouth.

Loukas too stared at him. "You are?"

Her face was that of acceptance as she said, "Congratulations in advance then."

"I would like it if you came." Leonidas said, you have answers, you have something, I need to know, I have to know.

"She does not -"

"Send me an invitation letter when you can." She cut off Achilles short, the flirtatious happy face gone, replaced with a look so blank it scared him then she faced an Achilles who looked really pissed for being interrupted and said, "We may leave now."

He was off first, and she turned to leave but he said, "How shall I send it to you?"

She did not turn, but he could hear the smile on her voice. "Ask of the daughter of Charilaus Diamandis, and you shall be able to do what you desire"

And was gone like the wind.