Chasing Destiny [SYTYCW15]

Thessaloniki, 1941

Akantha and Matheus pulled into Thessaloniki as the sun was sinking below the western horizon. The eight hour drive had been peaceful and the time passed quickly. Akantha and Matheus talked about the adventures they shared during the century they had been together and the times when they weren't together. After awhile, she realized she was doing all the talking. Matheus told her a bit, but there were gaps in the years. She assumed he was either with another woman during those times, or had passed them in peaceful existence. She didn't judge or get jealous. She had a few lovers in the hundred years since she had last seen him.

A part of their route took them along the shore and Akantha looked out over the Aegean. Out across the water and on the other side lay Turkey and the place where all of her journeys started. A sudden feeling of homesickness welled up and Akantha wondered where it came from. She hadn't thought of Turkey as being home for a very long time; long before it was ever called Turkey, even before the Ottomans called it their empire.

"You okay?" Matheus asked as they entered the city.

"I'm fine," she assured him. "It's strange, but I'm experiencing a little homesickness."

"Strange indeed, but it proves you are human."

"I suppose. Old memories are coming to the surface quite often as of late."

He nodded. "I can understand. It happens quite often."

"It does," she agreed. "I've been thinking about where the spear could be."

"And?"

"If I remember correctly, there's a statute of Alexander in the middle of the city. Zenon said it looked like Alexander the most of any statue he had seen. If he hid it in the city, it's a good bet it's there."

"Do you think it could be the one? That's really out in the open."

"It would be the best place to look," she said. "Zenon was a firm believer of hiding things in plain sight and the least obvious place. He was quite the Alexander worshiper and this is his home territory." Akantha smiled. "He would tell stories of marching with Alexander all night if you let him."

"Have you heard from him?" Matheus asked. He knew the two of them went back millennia and she had seen him as the father figure she'd needed to acclimate to her immortal state.

Akantha shook her head. "No. Not since the Crimean War." Zenon had been the immortal Akantha had gone to for help to make Matheus immortal. He was one of the few, if not the only one, who knew how to make another individual immortal. Zenon still had some some plants growing somewhere. He would never say where nor had he ever divulged the secrets to making Soma.

"Shame," Matheus commented. "I've always enjoyed talking to him."

Akantha smiled. "I remember. The two of you would talk for hours upon end."

He smiled. "Those were some great conversations. I learned so much from him."

She nodded.

"If I may ask, what are we going to do with the spear once we find it?" he asked.

"Lock it away in a vault. Keep it away from anyone who wanted to use it," she replied without hesitation.

"You and your group always want to hide things away from the world. We could use it and restore order to the world. The Nazis would be defeated."

Akantha shook her head. "It's not our place to shape the fate of the world. Our place is to live in the world and keep things like the spear out of it. Humans do enough damage on their own. They don't need powerful weapons helping them." Akantha glanced over at him and he looked away.