The Calm of Greece

*7*

So many questions and thoughts filled her head, yet very little seemed answered to her. She tried to understand the term of a capital and that there were personifications of nations and capitals. But it all seemed too farfetched to believe. Feriah ran the path, doing her best to process and understand as she mentally thought of the plans for the new ring that popped up. She was just lucky for that little slip up on their behalf, she was more lucky that Hercules was willing to be a fake buyer and pull what he could as well. Well, all that and finally letting out the truth of her. She was afraid that Hercules would want nothing of her, that her past destroyed her too much yet he proved that wrong. Every time she spoke with Marie or Marissa or even Neema, he was there, hands on her shoulders as he whispered what he liked about her and how strong she was. Those little things, how minute they seemed yet, in reality, they were holding her together more than she thought.

There was never a moment he wasn't beside her now. Ever since she learned of him and what was real, she really couldn't get him out of her mind even. He was like a movie on constant replay as he gave her that cheeky smile or those hypnotic eyes glance her way. There was never a dull moment with him either, always proving her wrong in some way. He made sure she understood the threat of Genesis and what it had with her, how to use more than her usual Canik TP9 for defense, and how to swim as well, giving her confidence within herself and teaching her of the nation and its rich history.

That as well also shocked her, how old they all were. None of them looked past the age of twenty-five, let alone hitting thirty. Yet he, Sadiq, Dryas, and Gupta were all hundreds of years old. She shook her head at it, hearing Neema and Habibah scold her for thinking down upon it all.

Now those two, they were more saving graces than thought. Once she got the truth, she spent nearly every waking moment she could with them, asking question after question which they gladly gave to her and with it she had bonded quite deeply to them. Making the turn around the bend, she saw the city slowly coming to life as she let the months fly through her head again.

A high pitched yowl caught her ears as a set of laughter caught her. Looking around, she found the source as a group of teens seemed to be messing with something, only when she looked harder did she see what they were doing.

"Hey!" she hollered at them, running down towards them, "Stamáta to!"

They all ran away as she was near them, shouting at one another as they fled. She stopped at the alleyway watching as they all scattered like roaches in the sun. The pained yowl came back to her, looking down she saw the little kitten that they were kicking around. Carefully, she leaned down and picked it up, cradling it against her chest as she tried to quiet its upset.

"There now, you're ok. They're gone, no more hurt for you." she whispered to it as she stroked its little head. "I know just what to do."

As fast as she could, she made her way to Hercules's apartment within the large place, the one he finally got her to move into after Genesis actions of late. That and the knowledge of Bejing didn't help either. Moving around people and dodging vehicles, she finally found herself upon the doorstep of the small place; she just prayed he was awake. She could hear the skittering of paws run across the floor as she knocked and called out his name.

"You would decide to sleep at this time, wouldn't you?" she huffed to herself as a few more cats strayed from the side.

That was another thing she had slowly gotten used to with him, the number of cats that would grace his side at any given point was maddening but awing as well. She saw the yellow tabby run up to her, weaving himself between her legs as he begged for attention.

"Only you, Ares." she smiled down at him just to hear the tumble lock of the door.

Finally, those green eyes found her as he looked at her with sleepy surprise, "Feriah?"