This is the price we pay to live. VOL. 1

Chapter Three

Odysseus and the crewman came back on the ship from the lotus eaters' island. He walked to the sick bay as the ship sailed again , his step followed the quiet sound of a lyre. He entered the room and saw Cleopas playing the wooden instrument.

"Got any better?" The boy stopped playing and nodded. Odysseus looked around in silence before looking back at Cleopas. "You can talk, nobody is here."

Cleopas started to playing the lyre again. "Why you saved me? It wouldn't be more reasonable to end me and expose my unalive limbs to the crew?" He muttered, not more than a whisper. His voice was still weak from the injury and the blood lost.

"How is your knee? The medic told me that you would have a scar."

"Are you avoiding my question?" Cleopas asked as he stopped playing for a moment. Odysseus sighed and looked at the boy.

"I didn't had the strength to do it. I just.. I just couldn't hurt you." The capitan answered before the boy looked at him.

"You didn't had the strength to hurt me yet you threw a baby off the walls of Troy." Cleopas mumbled coldly before putting the lyre away.

"I had to do it,I didn't had any choice." Odysseus looked at Cleopas before looking at the lyre. "I see that someone brought you something."

Cleopas glanced at the lyre in silence before speaking again. "The medic had pity on me and I know perfectly why. The men on this ship are like beasts."

"You are talking like you are not a man." Odysseus smiled slightly.

"I dont know what I'm anymore." Cleopas muttered before starting to pluck the strings of the lyre again.

"Ody! We are almost there" A crewman with round glasses walked in the sick bay before pointing at Cleopas. "Who is this?"

"His name is Moira. He is mute" Odysseus clarified. "Moira,this is Polites."

Cleopas waved slightly and managed to make appear a small smile on his face. Odysseus looked at Cleopas  again before speaking again. "You are able to at least walk?"

The boy nodded before getting up from the medical cot.

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Meanwhile on Mount Olympus...

"I bet ten drachmas that the prince would be the first to die." Poseidon blurred as he finished his kylix of wine.

"Twenty on the four-eyes." Athena remarked with a sly grin.

"Athena!" Hera gasped slightly.  " No bets on mortal,that is way too cruel-"

"Oh shut it. Let them be for now" Zeus cuts Hera off as his cup was being filled by Ganymede. "And you? What you think about it,boy?"

Ganymede looked up before keeping his gaze low again. "I have no say in these matters, my lord." His voice creaked a bit as he pronounced the words.

Zeus nodded before sipping from the cup once more.

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"Look at all this food! Look at all these sheep! I can't believe this cave has all this for us to keep!" Polites exclaimed excitedly as the crew walked in the cave.

"I've gotta hand it to you both. This is quite the treat.
There are enough sheep here to feed the entire fleet." Eurylochus responded as he shoot to a sheep. The animal fell on the ground as it's blood stained the dirt.

"It's almost too perfect. Too good to be true. Why would the lotus eaters pass up on all this food?" Odysseus questioned as Cleopas stood next to him.

"Who are you?" A deep voice echoed in the cave.