Thrice Great

Gone

Mount Panachaikon, Alternate Patras, Greece, 2005 AD

The mountain that towers above Patras, to the east. The city is built on its foothills. Not the biggest mountain, but it's not a hill either. It's grassy and has some ruins. Windmills are scattered on top.

Rini paces, hands behind her back. The wind tugs at her skirt and hair. Hermes and Thoth stand behind her.

"Where is he?!" Rini cries, voice rising into a whine. "Demy said he'd be here today! And the sun's going down!"

Thoth walks up to her and pats her back, making sure to stay clear of her wings.

"Hey. We still have about an hour before the sun goes down for the night.
We'll stay for that long, and then we're leaving. The night isn't a safe place for little girls like you, especially in this city."

"But we can't leave without Demy!" Rini whines. Hermes shakes his head.
"We may have to. But if he shows up, we'll take him with us."

Rini groans and walks away, calling her brother's name. Hermes and Thoth watch her.

"He's not showing up, isn't he?" Thoth asks.

Hermes shakes his head again. "No."

"What do you think happened to him?"

Hermes makes a slicing motion across his neck.

Thoth sighs. "Poor thing."

Full-blood demons are immortal and impossible to kill except in certain circumstances. Half-bloods, on the other hand, could be killed like any other human. However, the area where a half-blood demon is killed can be haunted or sacred for a long time after the death, depending on the personality of the half-blood.

If Demy died, they'd know soon enough. The ground becomes sacred or haunted right after death.

Rini runs back to Thoth and Hermes. "Maybe he's on the other side of the mountain! Let's check it again!" She turns and runs away again. The two men follow, exchanging glances.

The hour passes. Demy never shows up.

"Demy?! DEMY!" Rini shrieks for the billionth time. Tears threaten to spill out of her eyes, shining in the moonlight.

"You wanna break it to her?" Hermes asks, voice low. "She seems to trust you more."

Thoth takes a breath.

"Rini, I don't think he'll be coming tonight."

"What?!" Rini turns and looks at him.

"I don't think he'll be coming at all. He's gone, wherever he is."

"But..." Rini trails off. A sob escapes her mouth. "But I PROMISED!"

"You promised what?" Hermes asks.

"I promised I'd see him again!" Rini wipes her eyes on her sleeve. The wind whistles on.

"...he's dead, isn't he?"

"It's a possibility," Hermes says. "While healing you, I looked at your memories of what happened. It looked like the three men were beating him pretty hard. With the force they were using, they could have easily killed him. Either that, or they took him back to your parents."

"But...but..." Rini trails off. A tear slips down her cheek. "We were going to be free and happy together. And alive."

"I'm sorry, Rini," Thoth says. "If there's anything we can do to help, we will. Mourning's tough."