Legacy

two

She rose with the sun, too wound up to find pleasure in sleep. Even if she wasn't worried about the day ahead, her dreams continued to torture her with flashing moments of Alyosha in pain and suffering. The dreams felt so vivid, as if he was sending her a message from somewhere. Which was insane of course, but the thought jarred her enough to get her moving. She brought nothing but the clothes on her back and the charm around her neck, slipping out her bedroom window and onto the streets.
Many contestants chose to visit the Training Centre a few miles outside of town in the time leading up to The Trials. As much as Alessa did not care to admit it, she did need some help, to hone her training before The Trials began. It wasn't a particularly long journey, but one she would have to be cautious on. The city was oddly peaceful as she strolled through it, the only noise coming from those just stirring. She took a moment to make note of the various landmarks around her, committing them to memory as she knew this would be her last time home for quite a while.

She noted the schoolyard where she and Alyosha would play as children, the rotted stump in the centre of town where they would make loud speeches to other children, high above them on their 'pedestal'. She let a small smile creep across her face at the sight of the large oak tree where they had sat and he nursed her cuts and bruises after an unfortunate run in with another child who had been bullying an even smaller child. Alyosha had admonished her brashness, but quietly admitted he was proud of her for sticking up for the weaker child.
She allowed for rage to finally wash over her, to fuel her. While she hoped to find Alyosha, she wanted nothing more than to meet Zeus face to face - and destroy him. It was a decision that came to her randomly in bed, like a daydream almost. A silly passing thought for her to chuckle at. Instead, the feeling settling in her gut spurred her, as if it made perfect sense. Anyone would laugh at such a thing, but she knew better than to allow such things to deter her. The person to complete the Trials would gain unimaginable power, being Zeus' heir. Perhaps a level of power close to his own - and that would be enough to smite him where he stood, to toss his soul into Tartarus and free the land from his reign of terror.
It was perhaps a foolish hope, for Zeus was the god of everything they held dear. But Alessa was not brainwashed like everyone else, she knew a monster when she saw one. And monsters had to be destroyed.
She did not stop walking for even a second, not until her feet had breached the town lines and she was officially away from home. It was only then did she allow the tears to fall. She leaned her weight against a nearby tree and sobbed loudly, the sound echoing in the foliage. Her eyes burned and she scrubbed them furiously with the back of her hand, willing them to stop. She refused to be weak. Weakness would get her nowhere, but she couldn't bring herself to be strong. Not when her journey had only just begun and she was already feeling hopeless.

"Well, this is the last thing I expected to find you doing."

She whirled around, fists held up defensively against the invading voice. She scowled deeply when she realised who was standing there, eyeing her up with a wide smirk and his arms folded.

"Come on, I expected a better reaction than this."

"What do you want, Marcus?" She growled, eyes narrowed, "Here to drag me back kicking and screaming?"

Marcus' smirk quickly shifted into a wide grin as he leaned against the neighbouring tree. He pulled off a branch and began picking at the leaves absentmindedly, his head tilted upward towards the blazing sun. She watched him carefully, eyes narrowed threateningly. He had filled out considerably since the last time she had bothered to look at him, his jawline chiselled in a way that was only slightly concealed by the light tufts of beard growing on his chin. His skin, tanned from years of working out in the sun, contrasted with the shimmering green of his eyes.
He didn't respond for a moment, continuing to tear leaves apart nonchalantly, gaze fixed on his work. Alessa clenched her jaw and went to move off the tree and keep moving, sick of his immaturity, until he finally decided to speak again.