Dying Ichor

THIRTY-ONE

"Where on earth did you get that lobster?"

Elias tossed it down on the table, not bothering to reply to Chloris. Instead, he marched down the halls and went straight into Prometheus' room unannounced.

The titan was in the middle of changing his shirt when the boy walked in. He stopped, looking at Elias with questioning eyes and was about to ask what was wrong when he silently walked right up to Prometheus and wrapped his arms around the titan's naked torso.

Prometheus froze up, not understanding what was happening. He looked down at Elias and carefully nudged his shoulder, but he didn't want to move at all.

"We're leaving first thing tomorrow," Elias ordered against the titan's bare chest.

"Did something happen?"

"Yes..."

"What is it?"

Elias looked away from the titan, not really in the mood to speak. "I just want to go home. Don't you?"

While it was odd for Elias to request their return to Mykonos, Prometheus thought it was good they'll leave faster and didn't ask about it anymore. He simply rubbed a hand up and down Elias' back, soothing him even though it didn't help Elias much. He was still disturbed about what happened in the last hour.

He wasn't even in the mood to eat the lobster he got, so he left it to Chloris and Sappheire. The head priestess of Delphi was too distracted by the treat to notice while Sappheire gave him a strange look, though she didn't say anything.

After barely eating dinner, he was a little afraid to be by himself, so he stayed in Prometheus' room. The titan didn't refuse and was content enough to have him by his side.

Still, Elias hardly slept, replaying what happened down at the docks.

After learning of the man's identity, Elias simply pushed himself away from the god and tried to leave. The hippocampus was offended and bit down on the back of his collar, wanting him to stay. Elias slapped the creature on the nose and watched her back away, highly startled and she sank down into the waters with a whine.

The hippocampus then submerged herself and vanished for a moment until she hurriedly came back up and tossed over a lobster, thinking it was enough to appease Elias.

Poseidon was slightly embarrassed by her behavior, but he didn't say a word as the boy slowly picked it up and looked down at the moving lobster with dead eyes. He then looked up at the god, thinking deeply and was quiet for such a long time it honestly made Poseidon more nervous than he admitted.

And then Elias turned away so fast, muttering out a small, "Bye."

He left in such a hurry that it made the god baffled, still looking at his figure until he fully disappeared in the distance. Poseidon thought about rushing over to wanting to say sorry once again, but the hippocampus was in outrage because Elias left. She decided to take out her anger on the god, splashing him with the dirty water and even smacking his shoulder with her nose before sinking back into the deep, completely in a foul mood.

Elias didn't want to know what happened after that. He prayed desperately to Nyx that he'll never see Poseidon again. He was okay with the gods he already met, and it's not like he needed to see that god for any reason. He hoped Poseidon would fish far, far away or go back into his palace.

The next morning, while Prometheus was checking their horses, Elias slumped into a chair in front of the girls. Sullen, he quietly ate breakfast as Sappheire gave a questioning look to Callidora. The woman didn't want to be part of whatever happened and decided not to ask until Chloris did so herself.