Born of the Gods

Chapter Nine-Water to Cool Fire

When I woke in the morning Sophia was gone.

I looked around the house before I began to get worried. 

"Sophia!" I shouted loudly. No response. I ran outside and looked around for her. I had my bow with me and with each step I took I got more and more nervous until I eventually nocked my arrow. Bow ready to shoot, I jogged awkwardly around the town until I reached the center. I noticed the building where the hydra was trapped was now reduced to nothing.

I was standing in the alley where I'd nearly died when I heard the hushed voices. One seemed to belong to Sophia, another to a man. I snuck closer to the source. It was a ruined house. The walls still stood but most of the roof had caved in and what was left of the house was blackened. I peeked through a window and saw an old man. His eyes were sea blue like Sophia's and his long beard and hair were white as snow.

He whispered, "Sophia, you cannot let that boy into their hands. You already know what happened to his mother. You're looking at what has happened to his village. Get him out of here now." 

"I will, but why? What makes him so important?" she asked.

"His lineage, you need know nothing more. Keep him safe or nothing else will matter. We will have lost before we have even fought," he said seriously. Were they talking about me? I hoped not, however obvious it was.

"Who is his father?" she asked, annoyed at not being answered clearly.

"I cannot tell you that," he stressed and placed an object into her hands, "I need to go now. Here, take this. It is from his father, you will both need it." With his final words he turned to mist and floated away. Sophia looked down, then moved to exit the building and I quickly ran back to the house we had stayed in.

When she returned, not long after me, she wasn't holding whatever the man had given her. The old person was clearly a god. I doubt anyone else would have evaporated.

"You're up?" she asked and looked at my bow which I still held in my hands.

"Clearly," I told her and she frowned.

"Well good. We need to get going anyway," she said, seeming hurt at my comment.

"Who was that that you were talking to?" I asked as she began to repack her things. She dropped the loaf of bread she was holding.

"Wh-what?" she asked, startled.

"You were talking to some old man. He handed you something then evaporated. What was that anyway?" I said, smiling at her shock.

"You followed me?" she asked, "How much did you hear?"

"No, I didn't follow you. When I woke you weren't here so I went looking for you. As for what I heard, I'm not entirely sure. Why don't you explain," I said, rising from my seat.

"Rather not," she mumbled and hurriedly began to pack, "Are you going to help me or not?"

"Not until you tell me what you know about my mother," I growled, softly took the bag from her hands and pointed to a seat.

"Shit," she cursed, "Sarin, I can't."

"I want to know," I snapped. 

"Sarin-" she began.

"Tell me!" I shouted.

She looked near tears and I was sorry for that, but my mother had always cared for me. My father as well. "She's dead Sarin," she said, eyes red.

I fell back down into my chair and covered my eyes with my hand. I held tears in my eyes, which was far better than what Sophia was doing. I looked up and immediately felt a wave of guilt. Tears streamed down her face and she tried to hide them with her sleeve.