Endymion's Wake

XV. Rebuffed

Rebuffed | Chrysanthos

The wet grass under his sandals squeaked, letting Chrysanthos know he was close. The smell of the seemed to stop at the city gates. He'd never visited the pits before, but he remembered where Akakios pointed on top of the Kronos Hill and didn't look too far from the city. He'd be back before Cassandra and Emilios returned.

When he woke to an empty bed, he panicked. What if the guards entered in the night and hauled Akakios away? What if Vasilis found out he wasn't a cup bearer, but the friend of his disgraced grandson? Chrysanthos leapt out of bed and was halfway dressed when Emilios stepped down the ladder holding a pair of new sandals.

"He's gone, Chrysanthos. He left this morning," he said throwing the sandals on the floor. "He asked Phoebe to guide him out."

"Why didn't she wake me?" snapped Chrysanthos.

"Don't blame Phoebe!" shouted Emilios as he sat on the floor to lace up his sandals. "If he wanted to say goodbye, he would have. Besides, you wanted him to leave last night, remember? Did you change your mind in your sleep and plan to hold him hostage?"

"Did you say something to him?" asked Chrysanthos. He finished getting dressed and stood next to Emilios, eyeing him suspiciously.

"Are you seriously accusing me of running him off? Chrysanthos, he knew he didn't belong here and left. That's it, that's the story. There's no conspiracy."

Questions swirled around Chrysanthos' mind as he paced the room. He didn't believe Emilios for a second. He was rude the moment Akakios approached them outside the temple. Leave it to his family to push away any happiness he finds. Deciding the only way to clear his mind was to go for a run, he gathered his things. The palace was too small to think, he needed out. He made for the door when Emilios called after him.

"Wait, we'll walk to the ceremony together," said Emilios as he finished putting on his new sandals.

"What? I'm not going to the ceremony," replied Chrysanthos before reaching for the door again. Emilios lunged forward and slammed his hand on the door, holding it shut.

"Are you out of your mind? He left! Get over it!" yelled Emilios. "Cassandra worked for weeks on the peplos and you plan on ditching her for a friend you made two days ago?" asked Emilios with a rage Chrysanthos was used to seeing directed at Glaucus.

"Emilios, move!" yelled Chrysanthos as he tried to peel Emilios' hand from the door. "Vasilis doesn't want me there. I can see her weaving later," Chrysanthos said as he tried to peel Emilios' hand from the door.

"She's leaving soon. And since when have you cared what grandfather thinks?"

"You only care what he thinks! Step away or I'll climb out the window," hissed Chrysanthos.

Emilios moved his hand and gave him a look of disgust, but he didn't care. Emilios didn't understand. He left Emilios in his chambers and strode out of the palace unbothered by the guards swarming around the compound. Emilios clearly enjoyed messing with him. Sure there were loads of guards, but the didn't care where he went. They swept around the palace in a frenzy looking everywhere, but at him.

As he ran down the Sacred Road, he felt in his gut he should have gone to the ceremony. Still, he ran in the other direction. All he could think about was Akakios. Everything else seemed irrelevant until he knew why he left without saying goodbye.

He planned to run to the first way station, then turn around and come home. However, he found himself headed into the forested valley. Akakios said there weren't any other families in the pits so finding him should be easy. But his sense of direction vanished once he began his descent into the wooded valley. Everything looked the same and his only sense of direction was up or down the sloping hill. Listening for voices, all he heard were the slipping and sliding sounds from his sandals on the morning dew. Moments later, he thought he could hear the slow hum of the river, but the wind brushing through the trees made the same sound.