Abaddon (BoyxBoy)

οκτώ: All We Leave Behind

"The sea is a cruel mistress lads."

Vangelis looked over the expense of the Mediterranean Sea with his eyes cloudy. The deeply blue waters moved, almost in sync, with one another, as though performing a complex dance. He knew his father talked of the raging storms, but he had seen more cruelty from humans than from the sea. This was another one of his father's long winded lessons all aimed towards Simonides, Ikaros, and himself.

Only one other person of his father's original crew were present. Solon had kept many of them home in order to, as he put it "Test my sons and Ikaros. See how they do when we aren't doing most of the heavy lifting." Theodoulos was one of his most trusted men, and a strong addiction for the bottle, his one fault. His hair was as dark as Solon's and was erratically chopped at the ends. He was long in the face and of a mopey appearance with cheeks of a hollow quality. The man looked partially starved. Despite this, as shown by his bulging muscles, he was anything but.

"Poseidon and Tethys have blessed us for many years," Solon continued on. He sat with the rest of them, at the helm of two oars and rowing effortlessly. It had taken Vangelis quite some time to build endurance and gain a more muscular physic and losing his more lithe form, "and Tethys has survived all that has been put in her way. The trade at Voies should be an easy one."

Tethys, named after the Mistress of the Sea, was a crescent shaped vessel with one white sail between two wooden benches in the middle of the ship. It was a caramel colored boat and was once owned by Solon's father Leonidas. He had passed it on to his first son, and Solon was going to pass it on to Simonides. It should be me, Vangelis thought whilst gritting his teeth. He hated being so bitter for it was what his brother expected of him.

Simonides sat in front of him, purposely he was sure, and was appearing more and more like a clone of his father everyday, with half the sense and charisma. He was always barking orders, even when they were nonsensical and the men more knowledgeable than he. Why Solon allowed such a thing, he did not know. Vangelis knew it should be him to acquire the birthright. He loosened the grip on the oars once he realized how tightly he had grasped the handles in anger.

What was he doing? He knew it was futile to even dream. He was second son. The best lot he could have in life was to stay a member of the crew. With Simonides involved, he could only hope to lick his boots. He cursed under his breath.

Many a times, Hades would lament about his fate as the God of the Underworld. Vangelis now knew his plight, although, he couldn't imagine him in any other role. Hades, God of the Seas, he thought humorously.

"What's so funny?" Ikaros whispered into his ear.

Vangelis shook his head and tilted back some.

"Tis nothing old friend. I'm merely getting lost in my thoughts the more we row," he commented.

"Do not worry. We shall reach the town by nightfall as the least," he began, "then we would have missed the storms."

"I know. I just-"

"After all that training, your arms still tire," Ikaros chuckled to himself. "Or maybe you are merely missing your secret lover at home."

Vangelis, who had not told Ikaros of his relationship with Hades, flushed a pretty lightly tinted pink. Though much more masculine than he used to be as a young boy, he still had a face of fine femininity.

"Or maybe he is just second rate," Simonides whispered harshly. Vangelis had almost forgotten he was there. "He is a bastard after all."

"I am not a bastard! I am just as much Solon's son as you are," he whispered back just as harsh.