sonoftartessos

[sonoftartessos]

ooc. Sorry I’ve been focussed on my newest muse lately. I am around, but I’m so inspired by Kitt at the moment.

[sonoftartessos]

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[sonoftartessos]

"Bible" Wichapas Sumettikul as "Great" Pacharawit Sriwatsombat in 4 Minutes, 2024

[sonoftartessos]

Leon bowed his head again before guiding Aya out of the halls. He could already hear Hector’s hushed whispers to their father as if they were making a terrible mistake. It stoked his curiosity. Hector was usually the second most hospitable man in the palace, after Leon. And the first kindest out of all sixty-some sons of Priam. So why would he have any qualms with bringing Aya here?

Clearing his throat, Leon refocussed his attention on being the perfect host. He led Aya through the vast halls of the palace, pointing out what each room or closed door held. He left out the more privileged rooms, of course. 

One side of the palace held rows upon rows of bedroom quarters for each of Priam’s sons and their wives. And on the other side of the courtyard sat the daughters’ and their husbands. 

‘Hector lives in another house with his wife,’ León said. ‘And this is my youngest brother’s quarters.’ He patted the golden door, the sound of birdlike singing floating from behind it. It stood out compared to the other doors Aya had been shown. There was a depiction of a youth playing discus amongst hyacinthus flowers made of gemstones. It was an homage to Apollo’s mourning and hope, apparently.

‘And I am here,’ León then said, gesturing to his own chambers. His were up a short set of steps with a door just as grand as Troilus’. But the tale depicted on the door was hauntingly unrecognisable yet familiar, like deja vu.

The king's words, especially when he said he couldn't forget a face like hers, made her look surprised. Fortunately, no one else noticed. Only when she was asked to stand up again did the surprise give way to a look of relief on her face.

Perhaps there would be opportunities later to find out why Leon seemed so familiar to her. Maybe she also had met his father years ago and just couldn't remember his face.

“I cannot express enough how much this means to me, my king.” She bowed again, this time only briefly, but no less deeply. "I will be forever indebted to you. I will tell you everything."

She still had to figure out how she would do that, but the most important thing was that someone had finally taken her in.

Here she was safe.

Silently, she looked at Leon, waiting for him to make the next move.

[sonoftartessos]

‘Calm? I am calm!’ León was everything but calm. He didn’t like feeling this lost. Did anyone know they were out here? Surely the teachers already had search parties out. Or tracking spells! They just needed to find the broken broom and follow the path. 

León shook Aya off and returned to the door, this time trying to force it open with his shoulder. All he managed to do was bruise himself. 

‘What will they do with us?’ He cursed as he forced his entire weight against the door. ‘I do not want to be fed to dragons. Or made to fight them without a wand!’

Judging by the blush that had spread across his face, he was clearly embarrassed by his sudden grab at her. At least, that was what Aya believed as León quickly let go of her and turned his attention to more important matters.

“The window is locked. Just like the door.” She could already see from a distance that the poachers would not allow them to escape through the window, but she tried to open it anyway. Nothing happened. And the glass was too thick to break with bare hands.

She squinted her eyes, trying to catch a glimpse of something interesting in the darkness, but there was nothing.

“León… León…!” When he started kicking the door like crazy, she grabbed him by the shoulder and tried to pull him away. “It’s probably sealed with a spell, so calm down! We need to think. Calmly.”

[sonoftartessos]

‘Who are you calling a harmless lamb?’ León said with a flicker of mischief in his eyes as he stirred his soup. Arden’s words eased some of the panic from his mind. The vampire was dead dead. And none of his vampire friends cared enough about León to pursue him for vengeance. That would be the end of the issue! 

It wasn’t that he wasn’t concerned for Arden’s safety. But he had already proven capable at killing these things. Not to mention that León didn’t have the energy to think too much. 

‘So, where are we?’ he said, slurping up some soup now his appetite was back. 'Who was the old man?' The one who hovered around when he first came here while he fell in and out of conciousness.

A rather gloomy silence followed the Arden's sentences. The young man looked extremely bothered, trying to understand and comprehend what had happened. But Arden could see how he struggled and decided to give him a break.

"Look," he continued, noticing how he was losing the young man. "Let's say this is not a pretty conversation and it might be difficult for you. So all you gotta know is that he's dead. Point and simple." Decapitation was probably less effective than fire, because it always left the clothes behind. Covered in a pile of ash, yest, but still a bunch of evidence that a keen mind could easily identify. Thus he decided to be vague. "I used my combat skills to take care of him. But don't worry. I have a strict policy to never allow my suspects to do follow me home or become a threat." Which, unfortunately, didn't change the fact that he had no idea who their maker was. Maybe his actions would cause the local vampire population to go in panic. He expected.

"As for revenge, it's hard to tell." Arden sat on the other side of the island, pulling out a worn out stool from under the table and using it for support. "Some vampires are vengeful while others are so unattached. I cannot say, for sure." A huff. "What can say for sure is that I don't think they will target you: you are just a victim, a harmless lamb, in their way. I am their real menace because I know of them and I know how to hit them." That's what he wanted to believe. That the job he was doing was... menacing enough to the vampires of the city.

[sonoftartessos]

Leon’s smile broadened at the memory of home. He already missed those smooth walls. There were some ways to penetrate the city no strangers would manage. The olive tree was one. The other was the passage beneath the palace. But he wasn’t foolish enough to list them to Blade, even if they were to get betrothed. 

‘You will see our fine metalwork soon.’ After a moment, Leon realised that sounded like either a threat or an assumption they were going to marry. Huffing a laugh, he shook his head and clarified, ‘I meant when we trade gifts, of course.’ 

If they were back in Troy and Leon was lounging across a wall or walking through a market, the mere sight of Blade would have given him pause. He might have called to her with birdsong or teased her just to get her attention. But here, there were too many eyes on them and too much pressure to make him think of much. He just hoped that they would be able to speak without the audience. If he could relax, he was sure Blade would swoon for him. He was the son of a god! The thought made him chuckle to himself.  

‘I would offer to teach you about our culture. But I’ve been a terrible student. Information goes in one ear and out of the other.’ He tapped his temple, making the noise of a firing arrow.

She smiled slightly. "I'm sorry the trip was so arduous and then immediately dumped into a meeting," she stated. "I'm sure there will be a few days of respite for us after this..."

She was just grateful he was pleasant and wasn't acting like some kind of pig that thought that she was already his.

"I haven't left my country before, no," she admitted. "I know a bit about it..." though that was mostly from her mother's recent lessons on the topic. "Walls near impenetrable. I know that you are well revered as well for well crafted metal-work," she stated. That was just scratching the surface but her head wasn't fully functional at the moment, swimming with nerves that made pulling up political, agricultural and cultural information she'd crammed in the last weeks difficult to do.

"I'm sure I'll find out more..." She took a sip of her drink, though her stomach was churning and doing flips at the idea of leaving her home and everything she knew. It was her or Diana so she would suffer it for her little sister. She hoped she didn't look too pale or sickly to him.

[sonoftartessos]

Hector smiled in amusement, bowing his head a little to show understanding. This was not a foreign situation for him. His kleos alone made most adults weak at the knees. It was always triple that when it came to children. He couldn’t imagine how much more it affected outsiders.  

‘Haemon, Neoma,’ he addressed each with a gentle bow, a hand on his breast. ‘We would not dare to force our hospitality on you.’ He cast Leon a scorning glance before continuing. ‘But it is just our custom to greet guests properly.’ No, it wasn’t common for them to invite commoners into their halls. But Leon clearly wanted to befriend them and went about it in his own, flawed way. ‘And I assure you, no harm will be allowed to befall you for this custom.’ 

Leon quietly huffed, hooking his bow onto his back and folding his arms. Why were people so stubborn! ‘If they do not want to come, it is not our fault if Father punishes them.’ 

Hector clicked his tongue at Leon as if he was scolding a belligerent dog. It was a command not to mention their true Father to the other children. He refused to let pride take root in his brother’s heart. Or worse, to draw the interest of their enemies. 

The moment Hector made his presence known, the siblings recognized him immediately. If she wasn't scared before, Neoma was terrified now, her eyes growing and her grip briefly slipping on her basket-forcing her to readjust so she didn't drop it. A reaction that proved he revered the older prince was drawn from Haemon, the boy becoming silent as he stared up at him as if he were a god himself.

He hesitated when taking the fish he'd caught from Hector, being so careful as not to touch the older prince as he gathered the net with his catch in his arms. " My name is..." Haemon's eyes found Leon's, his gaze unreadable but no longer filled with irritation at the younger brother, " My name is Haemon, and this-" he tilted his head at Neoma, "-is my sister, Neoma. We don't know what..." when the boy said the word, he pronounced it as if it left a strange taste in his mouth, "...what xenia is, but do we have to go to your palace? If mother finds out we caught your attention, she will tan our hides-we were supposed to remain out of the way."

Neoma nodded fervently in agreement. " We are sorry, Prince Hector-" she added quickly, "-we are really sorry! Please let us go home! Please..."

[sonoftartessos]

Caretaker's eyes welled with tears as they took in the sight of Whumpee's body, littered with scars — some old, some barely healed. "Oh, Whumpee..."

"Don't," they said, cutting them off sharply. "I'm not here to throw a pity party. I love these scars. I'm showing them to you to say I survived. And I will survive whatever you throw at me."

[sonoftartessos]

León took in a sharp breath when someone pushed between him and his new drinking partner. ‘What the fuck?’ he muttered under his breath. And then he recognised the bastard in front of him and his frown deepened. ‘Oh.’ 

When he realised Matthew had made the same discovery as him, León sighed and snatched his jacket. He muttered something similar to a thanks but it didn’t sound very appreciative. 

Sighing, he turned to face the bar, throwing back his next shot. ‘You owe Ricard a drink,’ he said, casting a dismissive glance at the mess Matthew just made. 

Ricard cleared his throat and murmured, ‘Richard.’ 

Shrugging off Matthew’s jacket, a toothy grin flashed on his face. León fished out Matthew’s wallet. He fished out a few notes and reached around Matthew to hand Richard the money. ‘There. We’re settled.’ He thrust the jacket into Matthew’s chest. 

He picked up his last shot and downed it before turning to Richard. ‘Come dance?’

As soon as León had disappeared, Matthew smoked another cigarette, listening to the club’s muffled bass coming from outside. Eventually, they all left, although he somehow had the feeling that he hadn’t seen León for the last time today.

He told himself it was the desire for more drinks that made him get up and leave the mess they had made. Putting on his pants and shirt, Matthew looked for his jacket. Had he not been wearing it in the first place?

Fuck. Whatever. But instead, he found another one lying around. Picking it up and inspecting it, it gradually dawned on him.

“You little pussy…” he muttered to himself, identifying it as León’s. But he could hardly suppress a grin. A reunion was apparently coming sooner than León would have liked.

“Here, for the mess.” He fished a bill out of that jacket and pressed it into the hand of one of the grim-looking guys standing around before heading for the heart of the club. The bar.

León’s blond hair was hard to miss despite the flickering light, but there was also something else. Someone else.

“Hey, silly, you forgot something.” Deliberately pushing himself between him and the stranger at the bar, he handed León his jacket. The clinking of glass told him that he had apparently knocked the stranger’s drinks to the floor with his intrusive appearance.

[sonoftartessos]

León paled, head still tilted in supplication. Priam and Hecuba longer existed? That wasn’t possible. The Achaeans hadn’t even reached his homeland by the time his Father had whisked him away in the night. The sea had certainly been rough and the course here had been delayed. But it couldn’t have possibly been long enough to end the war with the full dissolution of his father’s Kingdom. They were Zeus’ favoured! Only Heracles had managed to breach their god-gifted walls.

He choked on a soft laugh of disbelief, fingers curling against his chest as he finally looked up at this King’s face. ‘The Achaeans would not defeat us that fast. And…’ He faltered, glancing at Conláed. They didn’t believe him. ‘My mother and sisters would be captured, not killed.’ His tongue clung to the roof of his mouth as all of Hermes’ gifts escaped him. ‘Hector would have to die before he let that happen.’

Balthair remained silent while Leon introduced himself effusively and took advantage of the royal family's hospitality. His choice of words was that of a prince, but the content of his speech confused the king.

Conláed also noticed that his story seemed strange, looking at their guest with surprise.

The people they had been told about were no strangers to either man, but it was impossible that he was that Leon and came from Troy. Add to that his appearance, and it was easy to believe that he was telling them a lie.

The frown on the king's face gave way to a small smile. “Priam and Hecuba, you say? I don't mean to offend you, but perhaps you suffered some damage during the attack that has confused your mind... You speak of people who no longer exist.”

[sonoftartessos]

León slipped to his knees as he watched Antonne get dragged off through blurry eyes. This wasn’t happening. He didn’t go through everything he had only to die from a misunderstanding. 

His brain was foggy and a dull throb rippled through his skull. He just wanted to go home. How could everything go so wrong so fast? 

The guards tried to wrench León to his feet, but he relaxed his body to become a dead weight. If they wanted to drag him to solitary or the Governor’s office, they’d have to do it without his help. 

But there were far more of them than there were of him. And their rage was enough to make them ruthless. A hand tangled in León’s blood-matted hair and wrenched him up to full height with ease. León choked on the cry that escaped his throat from the sharp pain. 

‘Move your fucking feet,’ one of the other guards hissed in his ear. 

Fine. He wasn’t getting his appeal. And he wasn’t ever getting pardoned. He shut his eyes and reluctantly shuffled one foot in front of the other as he prayed that maybe at least him and Antonne would just get a few more years added onto their sentences. 

Other inmates hooted and hollered as the guards dragged León through the cellblock. But it wasn’t just León’s bloody, defeated state that caught their interest. They saw the guards. Each one looked moments from passing out from the beating they endured and rumors were already spreading that Antonne and the newest inmate had really done a number on armed guards.

Antonne listened to the words that escaped León’s mouth, the fear in his voice shaking him to the core. Fuck. They were going to end up dead, and he couldn’t do anything to stop it. Antonne tried to help León and let the guards know of the error, but as he attempted to shout, a man pulled him by the neck.

“You little cunts!” One of the guards screamed, his face still dripping with blood. “You’re gonna pay for this!” The words echoed in Antonne’s mind as he was taken by the guards, his body still throbbing from the fight. He stopped, not because he was physically limited by the guards, but because he saw his friend get hit severely and be knocked out in a second. Fuck. This is why he had deemed to reject love: It was a cumbersome and problematic feeling that clouded his judgment and now had put him and his friend’s life in danger.

As he was dragged towards the prison cells, Antonne couldn’t help but think about how badly he wanted to punch the governor’s face for being such a corrupt son of a bitch.

“You two will pay for this!” One of the guards screamed as they reached the cells, opening the door and throwing Antonne inside. The black man crashed to the floor, his body aching and throbbing with pain. He let out a groan of agony and tried to stand up, only to stumble back down and hit the wall behind him.

“You are fucking done,” one of the guards spat, slamming the cell door shut.

“León!” Antonne screamed out to the guard who took the Spanish artist away. “Don’t you fucking dare touch him! I’m gonna kill you!”

[sonoftartessos]

León’s lips pursed, forced to listen to Aya’s outburst. His chest rose and fell with laboured breath. But it wasn’t clear if he even needed to breathe anymore. He didn’t know what he was! 

Digging his nails tight into his palm, León reluctantly approached the dining table. He scraped the chair across the wooden floorboards and dropped down into it with as much noise as humanly possible. 

‘I am listening.’ 

But what Aya said after that made him shift in his seat. He folded his arms over his chest to hide his discomfort. ‘No one would dare abandon me.’ 

Telemachus snorted dismissively and eyed Aya. ‘She did already.’ He approached the table, too. He refused to take a seat with them. ‘And I see why! We should abandon you. You are a selfish bastard.’ 

León bared his teeth without even looking back at Telemachus. If he saw that face, he’d want to beat it. ‘You have a plan to get killed? Good. Well done.’ He seemed almost petulant. But fear paralysed him. ‘Because you are going to die trying.’ He unfolded his arms. ‘I have no choice. I have to help you.’ He tried to get to his feet but Telemachus slammed his hands down onto his shoulders to pin him there. León was going to listen to Aya, whether he liked it or not.

León’s reaction had been worth ignoring his opinion of their idea and actually simply ambushing him and locking him away. It would be for his own good, but Aya could imagine that even if they managed to kill this monster, León would hold a grudge against them forever. Their mutual trust might be permanently damaged. Although she saw little of that trust at that very moment.

In fact, she had the feeling that León might see them as a potential threat.

“Could you both please… shut up for just a moment?” She had attributed the headache she was feeling to the lack of fluids and food, but now she believed it was caused by something else.

“We’re all three adults, not stupid little kids anymore, so please act like it!” Now she had become their mother after all.

“Honestly?” Since she couldn’t bear it any longer standing, she walked over to the dining table and sat down on a chair.

“I’m surprised you managed to live this long. But enough now. I just want to talk, and for you, León, to listen. Because everything we do here, we do for you. You can pretend you don’t give a shit, but maybe you should just take a second to think about it and realize that this means you’re important to us. Otherwise, we would have left long ago. Alright? Good.”

With a sigh, she closed her eyes for a second.

“Telemachus and I were talking about tracking down and… killing that monster. Will you help us with that, or are you going to be stubborn?”

[sonoftartessos]

ooc. If you’re wondering where I’ve been, I’ve been a little fixated on my newest muse @snowandstillwaters

[sonoftartessos]

— Do you guys not want your privacy? — What’s private from you?

[sonoftartessos]

DOG MOSAICS (From Italy and Greece ××)

[sonoftartessos]

if you don’t hold me by the jaw and make me look at you after I’ve said something especially bratty, what are we even doing here?