Family Reunions

I stared out the window, looking across houses, market stalls and streets, my view ending at the port, where miles of water stretched across the horizon, reflecting the night’s sky, where Selene guided the moon from one side of the earth to the other. 

Stars speckled across the quilt of the sky, like little holes pierced in Nyx’s cape, governing over the cities, who’s sparkling lights create their own, man-made stars, as if trying to drown out the ones created and blessed by the gods.         

I sighed and turned to my room, a pearly white hall, covered in lavish furnishings suited to the highest gods, but not to me. 

Life on Mount Olympus has always been pressured. I was supposed to be the exact image of my father, my aunts and uncles, and my mother, but I was never like them.

Persephone always thought I came from earth. That Demeter wasn’t my real mother, and I wish it were true. Unfortunately that circumstance had put me in danger, and threatened to cast me down as a human, or perhaps kill me. 

I spent all the time I could on earth, but I had to come back to Mount Olympus, it was the only place where I was safe from Persephone at night, where I could rest for hours at a time without the chance of her breathing down my neck and capturing me.

I never liked it here, the buildings were made of marble, echoing each small step I took, and each small word I whispered, making it even harder to sneak in for guaranteed safety. But of course, I wasn’t really safe anywhere. I was always under the threat of either Zeus or Persephone, but given the choice, I’d prefer to be caught by Zeus.

I walked around the room, brushing my fingers over sofas and tables, coming from my bed across the room towards the white pillar that stood in the center of the room, holding everything up, much like all the other pillars all around Mount Olympus. I leaned against it and sank down onto the ground, holding my knees to my chest. 

Noon. I could wait until noon.

I sat in that position for what could have been moments, or what could have been hours, before my eyelids fell over my eyes, forcing me into sleep.

I woke up just as the sun was starting to drag across the sky, leaking golden light through my windows, right on the spot where I was sleeping. 

I quickly got up, and looked around the room, my instinct immediately searching for Persephone. But, I was still in my room on Mount Olympus, huge and luxurious as usual. I looked out the window, and I assumed it was about mid-morning. I didn’t have any time to waste. I rushed over towards the door in the center of the room, stubbing my toe on the way. I yelped, unable to hold it in, and before I knew it someone was on their way towards my room.

Quickly, I changed course, heading towards my window and jumping out right before Demeter barged into my room, looking around each corner. She then went to look out the window where I was, and I quickly turned around the corner of the building. She went back in the room and sighed, burying her head in her hands, before she walked out. I felt bad having to leave her behind, just like Persephone did, but I had no other choice. I touched the amulet around my neck, sighing as I tucked it back into my shirt. Even if I did give it back to her, I doubt she would pass it on to someone else, signs of third chances seemed desperate. 

I leaned against a wall, looking out towards the port as the morning sun smiled over it, bleeding the warmth of the day onto the people. I sat there, taking in the view before I left, when I heard a gasp and the switch of a blade. I turned around just as Janara lunged at me with her knife, narrowly missing my face. 

Janara was the goddess of Winter, and my sister.

She shot two streams of water at me, bringing attention to us, and the fact I was back on Mount Olympus.

Her short black hair fell down her face in strands. 

“You think you can just come back here?” She demanded. “After following directly in the footsteps of Persephone?” 

She shot another stream of water at me, turning it into an icicle midway.

I dodged it quickly, and it fell off the mountain, crashing into the crags below.

“Yes, why else would I be here?” I said back to her. I dodged more streams of water, and threw blasts of fire where I could. Janara slammed her fist into the ground, sending a sheet of ice my way. I jumped up as it covered the edge where I stood, and I flipped backwards, falling off the mountain.

I gained momentum quickly as I sped towards the ground. When I reached the right angle, I took out my blade and chipped it into the rock, slowing my fall, until I stopped about 10 feet from the ground. With that I tore my blade from the rock, and I landed on the ground, sticking the landing. 

I looked up towards the mountain, Janara’s face glared down at me. “Always so dramatic,” I heard her mutter. “Just make sure they stay down there.” She walked away.

I sighed, content, and brushed off my pants, turning around with a flourish, and headed over towards the town. 

I wove around people and carts, heading towards the alley where I first met Aindrea.

And, after lots of weaving around crowds and avoiding pesky merchants, I got there. The alley basked in its urban glory. It was dingy, but nonetheless charming.

Aindrea stood in the middle of the alley, looking around nervously. His shirt wasn’t as tattered as the one he wore the day before, and it was tucked nicely into his jeans. He held his arm, rubbing it as he looked around the alley.

“Sorry I’m late, Darling. I got held up back at home.” I remarked, looking over my shoulder.

“Well, that doesn’t matter, And You’re here now, so…”

Aindrea looked up at me, his dark skin slightly flushed, his green eyes looking innocent, like he didn’t just try to mug me the day before.

I offered my arm to him. “Care to show me around?” I said, looking at his surprisingly tall and muscular figure, my cheeks noticeably getting warmer.

He took my arm and led me around town, showing me all the places he likes. Cafes, docks, other alleys, until we found ourselves in front of a house.  

“And this is my house.” He said, concluding the tour. 

The house stood out from the others, it’s white exterior more dirty, and it’s walls covered in ivy. 

“Do you want to come in?” He asked. 

I looked the house up and down. I thought it would be a good idea to get out of the open, so Persephone wouldn’t find me as easily. I nodded. 

He opened the front gate and led me on a short path before reaching the front door.

He took out a key and unlocked it, leading me into a small living room with two couches and a table, and a small bookcase off to the side. It was minimalistic, probably because his family didn’t have a lot of money. 

There were noises coming from the kitchen on the other side of the room. 

“Aindrea are you home?” A voice came from the kitchen, followed by a woman of about 45 years old, her curly red hair tied back in a ponytail. She stared in my direction, looking me up and down, her eyes getting wider when she saw my knife. 

“Who’s this?” She asked. 

“Oh, this is just my friend, Cyrus. Cyrus, this is my mom.” 

Aindrea looked a lot like his mom. He inherited the same dark, soft skin, and the same fierce look in his eyes.

“Hello, Cyrus. It’s nice to finally meet one of Aindrea’s friends. I’m Azale.” She held her hand out to me. I shook it, as was the custom. “Would you like to stay for tea?” She asked. “I’m making some right now. And I have some biscuits in the kitchen that I can bring out.” 

I looked towards Aindrea and he shrugged.

“Sure.”

“Splendid! I’ll go grab some right now. You two have a seat.” 

Aindrea and I both went and sat down on a couch in front of the front window, showing off the street and all the people who pass by.

Not that much later Azale came back with a pot of tea and a plate of fresh biscuits. She set them down on the table and sat on the couch across from us. She didn’t seem at all hesitant to strike up a conversation.

“So, how did you two meet?” She asked, helping herself to one of the biscuits.

Aindrea and I exchanged a glance, and he looked down. I guess it was up to me to tell her. But, as an actor, improv came naturally to me.

“We just bumped into each other in the street.” I said. A very simple and classic meeting, but I didn’t really have any other ideas. “Aindrea dropped one of his books and I saw the title of it, I thought it seemed pretty interesting, and we just struck up a conversation from there.”

Aindrea looked towards me. I assume he wasn’t too great at acting.

“Oh, yes. Aindrea does enjoy reading.” Azale looked at Aindrea and he nodded, taking a long drink of his tea. “That’s why he goes to Chandlers Academy. He loves literature.” She looked towards Aindrea again. He took another sip of his tea. She looked back at me. “I’m sorry, he’s pretty shy, he doesn’t talk a lot.” 

I laughed. “Oh, I’ve figured that out already.”

Aindrea finished his tea, and wasted no time in pouring himself another cup.

“So, Cyrus, where do you live? I think it would be nice to meet your family.” Azale continued asking questions.

I hesitated. “Oh, um…”

Just then there was a crash, and a whip came through the glass of the window behind us, cracking the wood on the bookshelf across the room. 

I turned around and saw Persephone out on the street, laughing, before she extended the whip into the room again.

Aindrea stared out at the street, wide-eyed. He dropped his teacup on the floor.

“Alright, doll, this has been nice, I think it’s time I leave.” I said hurriedly, rushing towards the broken window, taking my knife out of the sheathe and running at Persephone, leaving the house behind.

“So that’s what you’re doing with your free time? Having little tea parties?” Persephone was imitating. She looked at the little house before running into an alley. I ran after her and lunged at her with my blade, narrowly missing her.

“And I see you got a new toy, how nice.” I remarked back. 

She looked down at her whip and growled, before extending it at me again. 

This time, I didn’t dodge it. It hit my knife and wrapped around the blade. 

She pulled at it, but as she pulled, my knife cut through the whip, and it came back at her, almost hitting her in the face. The rest of it dropped to the ground. 

She growled and aimed what was left of the whip at my face, scratching my cheek where she cut me the day before. 

“I’ve heard you’ve been staying at Mount Olympus these days. bold choice.” She grinned.

“How- how did you know?” I stammered, almost falling over as she advanced towards me.

“Gods talk you know. Too bad they’re less than welcoming. I know from experience,” She said. She backed up a step and started muttering some strange words I took for runes. The limp rope from the whip started to quiver, and rose a couple inches into the air, a purple glow around it. It then sped towards me, tying my ankles together. I fell to the ground.

She grabbed my shirt and lifted me in the air, hitting me against the wall. Aindrea turned around the corner. “Cyrus!” He exclaimed. 

“Aindrea, get out! It’s too dangerous!” I shouted back.

“Aww, you’re protecting your little friend? How cute.” Persephone laughed. She enchanted the rope again, and it sped towards Aindrea, grabbing him and knocking him down. She turned her attention back towards me, and hit me against the wall again. She sighed, looking towards Aindrea. “What a waste of a human being. He’s dashing, Isn’t he? but his soft personality gets in the way. Ah, well. It’s a good thing I know the fates, I can have a talk with them about this… failed human being. The machine of the world would work so much better if we disposed of the useless parts, right? You know.” She moved her hand up towards my throat. “You understand, Solaris. Thank me later.” She muttered more runes, and my sight was clouded over by dark magic. Pools of purple and black swam around me, and I choked on smoke and the weight of Persephone’s hand on my throat. As soon as it started, it ended. I felt helpless. 

“Well, this has been fun.” She said, throwing me to the ground. “I’ll be back for you, little brother. And when I come, nothing will stand in my way.” She smirked, looking towards Aindrea, and disappeared around the corner of a wall. The enchanted ropes fell limp. 

Aindrea rushed towards me.  

“Cyrus! Cyrus…”

I woke up in a small white room lined with bookshelves, and a little window looking out to the street. I assumed I was in a second-story bedroom, probably Aindrea’s. 

I sat up, gasping for air. I felt my cheek. It was still scratched, and I could feel four deep grooves coming from my jawline up to my cheekbone. I pulled my hand back and saw it was covered in blood. 

“Cyrus!” Aindrea’s voice came from the doorway. He rushed towards me with a damp cloth. “Cyrus, thank god. We were getting really worried about you.” He pushed me back down into the pillows and put the damp cloth on my forehead. 

“How long was I out?” I asked, trying to sit up.

“Two days. I don’t know what kind of magic that lady was using, or how to get rid of it. It’s a good thing you’re up. You’ll just need rest now.”

“Is Cyrus up?” Another voice came from the doorway, followed by Azale. She saw me and rushed over. “Who was that woman? Why did she want to hurt you?” She forced questions towards me, fiddling with the frayed edges on my blanket.

“Oh, that was my sister.” I replied, forcing the blanket off and bringing my knees to my chest. “And let’s just say me and her have… a complicated past.” 

Aindrea brushed my hair out of my eyes. “It’s okay.” He said, draping the blanket over my shoulders. “She’s gone now. You can stay here at my house until you recover.” 

She’s gone, only temporarily. 

I felt bad having to drag Aindrea into this, but now I need him more than I’ve needed any other person before, human or god.

I just hope it isn’t too late.