Gonna be an actual book I think
hen someone goes into hiding, there's typically a reason behind it. Maybe a crime was committed or someone has been a witness to one, but full civilizations in hiding that's not exactly common. After the Peloponnesian war, the Greeks took their most important men and every child that could be saved into hiding. The eastern Romans joined in 900 years later due to the fall of the empire.The truths of the two faded into nothing but myths and stories.
After almost 4 millennia underground, they finally surfaced only to find a world desolate and cold. It took 1, 000 years to restore all that was lost as they returned to Italy and Greece and the world seemed almost normal again. Within the 4, 000-years things changed, everyone was born with a mark; everyone had to follow strict rules.
One day a child was born by the name of Yaeshawn, to a woman who had no husband to care for her and her son; when the news of a child born without the mark has spread the world stopped, once the child was proven to be immortal every last person began to wonder is he was truly one of the many children of Zeus. On his tenth birthday he was named king of the joined communities; he was a gift from the gods in the eyes of the people, Yaeshawn ran from the throne and was never seen again it is thought that he lives on the island of Crete. It's been twelve years without a king, and tensions are starting to rise.
I’m Yaeshawn and this is my life. I live on the hillside of Samos where I was raised. Most never leave their city states and I never wanna leave mine again. I live fairly secluded from everyone, I have one neighbor and I’ve never spoken to her in the last 12 years I've lived beside her, that was until today; when I see her gigantic sheep dog running full speed down the road and her a good mile behind.
Going against my better judgement, I take off down the road and tackle the dog to the ground. Grabbing its collar as it continues to fight against me, kicking its legs with all its might as it attempts to bite me. I stand up and grumble as I walk back towards my house and run into my neighbor on the way. “I’m assuming this lovely pain in the ass is yours?” I look at her as she stands agawk “well??”
“yes. He's mine.” she hooks a leash to him and gasps as she notices my wrist Dripping blood from a large gash “oh my goddess I’m so sorry, please let me bandage up your wrist”
“no it's quite alright I can do it myself at home thank you though. just keep the furry beast away from me”
“His name is Sammy and you seem to be the only beast here.”
“excuse me? I’m the one that just saved your mutts life had he gotten to the butchers you’d have no dog at all. hell you here over a mile behind him you would have never caught him if it weren’t for me”
“thank you sir prick. 12 years we’ve lived next to one another and your making quite the impression for our first conversation together.” he gets up in my face and I freeze as I look at her
“what's your name?”
“what?? no comebacks no nothing?”
“what is your name” I speak again my hand holding my injured wrist
“Maeve. what's yours” she backs down slightly
“Yaeshawn”
“Like after the missing king??”
“you could say that yeah” I sigh and look out at the setting sun “i need to get home.make sure you keep your dog in check.
She rolled her eyes “fine. If you keep your attitude in check Shawn”
I grumble and head off to my home, when you walk into my house there's not too much to it. A book here and there a bookshelf with everything organized by release date and author along with genre. A few photos of my mother and that's it. I don’t like to over exaggerate my surroundings. Everything is placed perfectly and neatly tidy. I sit at my desk and open up my copy of the republic by plato and just settle in for the night. That is until I hear a loud crash and a scream. I jump up and run out only to find that damned dog Samo or whatever over by a stack of fallen boxes of what seems to be wool. I walk over to check on what's going on. Maeve is down and sobbing silently as she grips her leg and I see the sheers on the ground with blood covering it. I run up next to her and crouch down “let me, please, ”
“Shawn fuck, um..yes help” she sniffled and looked up at me as I stood up and grabbed some first aid I crouch down and move her hand and clean the blood carefully and apply pressure
“your okay..” I try to soothe her knowing it's failing but there is no one who can say I didn’t try.
As a few hours passed on I sat by her in her small oikos, and looked around. I didn’t see much other than a few photos scattered around and a map on the wall of Crete with different locations marked off in red ink “you know one day I’m going to Crete and I’m going to find the king.”
I look at her as she’s staring at the map and sigh “what if he doesn’t want found. what if he didn’t want the life he was forced into.”
“He was selfish and abandoned his people. He caused a war or did you forget that thousands were killed. I wanna find that filius canis and punch him in the face. He’s the damn reason my parents died.” She sighed “I was 7 when the Romans shoved me into their chariot and gave me to my grandmother. She was finally old enough for retirement she could finally go to the gods the way we were meant to instead she was forced to live another 14 years working and raising me.” I watched Maeve as she clenched her bracelet in her hand tighter.
“I had-i mean he most likely had no idea that ever happened, ” I carefully take her hand in mine as a way of comfort. The issue is I can't tell if I’m doing it for her or me. “Let’s go, me and you and go to Crete, find the king, and go from there..”
“Shawn, I don't know, can I really trust you? We've been neighbors for years and we haven’t spoken till today. How can I know you're not some murderer or rapist?”
“Have you ever heard screaming or helpless cries from my home?? We share walls..sadly when that one tall buff fellow used to be around the walls were way too thin” I chuckle as I watch her cheeks turn into a dark red
“Potes meos suaviari clunes good sir”
“Bet that’s what that tall fellow was doing” I laugh as she starts beating me with a pillow.
“Go die in a goddamn hole!” She continues to beat me with the pillow till feathers and flying everywhere she huffs and sets back down “we will leave tonight. Okay?”
“Yeah i'll meet you tonight by the ports in Viera” I smile and leave packing a bag and all I can think is what have I just gotten myself into.
That night the streets are it by nothing other than the moon as I make my way to the ports in my father's old cloke. I pray to the gods for good fortune and safety on this trip. I throw my bag onto one of the abandoned boats and smile as Maeve walks through the fog and waves to me and I take her bag, tossing it onto the boat. “Let me help you on..” I hold my hand out for her. She just jumps onto the boat by herself “I’m not helpless Shawn”
I chuckle and follow jumping onto the boat after untying it from the dock. “I never said you were my love”
“Call me love again and i'll shove your foot up your ass”
I laugh “noted, so what's your plan? Your the one who wanted to do this whole thing”
She learns against the edge of the boat and watches me “honestly no clue. Never thought I’d actually do it”
“You mean we’re out here with no plan?”
“Not fully plan less..”
“we are still lacking a plan!” I shout slightly “without a plan your going to get yourself killed” I take in a deep breath “Make a plan and fast”
“Why dont you mr confident you won't die”
“Because I can't die! This this I why I don't deal with people you don’t understand it”
“God, you're so arrogant, no wonder you're named after our king!”
“Is that supposed to be an insult if so it's a pretty shitty one” I cross my arms and sigh and look out at sea “shit. Maeve “
“No no don't Maeve me your a prick! You can't even admit your arrogance, ”
“Maeve shut up and look behind you!” I shout
She turns around “oh god..we're going into the eye of a storm..why didn’t you tell me!”
“I tried!” I scrub my face and take hold of the ship “this is gonna be a rough ride, get down and stay covered best you can” I take hold of the ship's wheel and watch as Maeve goes under the cover and I just hold on for dear life hoping this clears soon.
7 hours pass by of harsh rains, wind and waves and tie off the wheel to keep it steady as I walk over to Maeve and gently rest my hand on her shoulder “love, can you wake up for me?” I gently shake her awake as she just groans. Clearly not the person who wakes up early. So I fill up a cup with water and splash it on her.
“I’m up I’m up.” She whines and sits up holding herself. I brush her hair out of her face
“So, in the storm we lost our track..” I sigh and look around as we dock our boat and hop off “we seem to be around Aeaea from the looks”
“This definitely isn’t Crete” she grumbled “i thought you know how to control a boat”
“Not in a storm, sorry” I rolled my eyes as we explored a soft singing could be heard around. It was quite honestly obnoxious so I didn’t really think to worry. I turned around and realized I made a mistake. I lost Maeve and I instantly begin to panic as I think through all the myths and legends and try to think of which ones sing. I freeze as I realize “sirens” . I mumble under my breath and go running towards the closest lagoon. Though sirens were thought to be only female originally there were both male and females in myths, making them a hundred times worse to deal with. I sprint following the obnoxious voice of the monsters and freeze as I see Maeve being held down under the water. And bubbles floating to the top along with the last breaths. I dive under, unable to get her in my grasp and when I do she floats to the top with ease as I watch her spirit leave her body. Heading down below to Charon the ferryman. I quickly run out of the lagoon and make my way to the door between worlds.
I clutch onto my necklace. it was my mothers, within the rose gold locket was a single coin. The only object I possessed of hers. The coin was a Danake, the only way to achieve one was to be a god, win it from a Demigod or to be dead. My father had given the coin to my mother when they were 14 and never explained where it came from though I had my suspicions.
I arrive at the boat dock and kiss the locket and coin within and hand it to Charon. My only thought was to get to Maeve and I didn't even know what to do once I found her soul. I can't just steal her. We ride across the river of Styx and I watch for her spirit and I see nothing. Thank god. When I arrive on the other side I walk around til I find Hades castle in the center and walk in looking around and there I spot her in the lap of Hades as she struggles against him.
“Let go!” She spat at him
“Oh you’ll make the perfect song bird indeed my pet” he spoke in a toxic, smooth voice and sat her up in a bird cage “now my little pet. Will you please explain to me who this living man is in the corner?” He points to me and I freeze, not able to move in fear of what will happen.
“He’s no one” she speaks her voice catching slightly
“No one you say? So you won't mind if I throw him into the river of souls?” He grabs me up by my hair as he’s no bigger than me and holds me over the river.
“No!” She screams out
“So he is someone” he tosses me down onto the stone floor and I weakly try and stand up
“What can I trade for her?” I speak out my voice strained. “You like deals don't you?”
“What do you have to offer?” He looked down on me, his eyes a deep blue as if they were on fire.
“When I die you may do what you wish to me. Beat me, torture me make me relive my regrets. My soul will be yours”
“I'll make that deal.” He smirked and in less than a moment maeve was back in her physical body as we were both sent back to the lagoon.
Maeve Hugs onto me tightly once we make it onto the shore and I do nothing but rub gentle circles in her back and reassure her that it's alright. rocking her gently in my arms. It feels right but it could never last. “We need to get going if we're going to try and make our way to Crete. We have to make our way over the mountain. Can you handle it?” I kiss her head gently
“Yeah I can handle it” she looks up and kisses me softly leaving me shocked. She gets up and starts walking “you coming Shawn?”
I nod and smile as I jump up and start walking by her. As we begin to make our way up the mountain she looks to me “so, i'm curious, why did you save me and trade your soul for damnation.
“I just. I felt it was the right thing to do. You have a life back home you've got a mutt to take care of and if you died on my account I sure as hell won't be taking care of him” I chuckle and sigh “plus I like you you're pretty cool. You are the first person i've really connected with since I had to leave my mom behind, ”
“What about you dad?”
“I never met him, he left when my mom got pregnant and never returned. I have one thing from him and that's my cloak” I sigh and kick a rock and walk.
“I’m sorry”
“It's cool, I just never had a family. My grandparents were killed by the Romans when I was 3. I got used to having no one and now I have someone around again” I smile softly and sigh.
She looks at me with bright eyes full of curiosity and warmth “I, I had no idea”
“No one really does, ” we walk in a mutual silence till I stop dead in my tracks as I hear the rumbling of a beast. A ladon to be exact as it comes busting out of the mountain top. The equivalent of the old Chinese dragons they used to have. I duck down and bring maeve down with me.
“What the fuck is that!!” She yells at me
“It's a type of Drakon”
“The hell? I thought those were only in children's stories!”
“Nope” I duck down as its tail goes flying at us
“What the hell are we gonna do?”
“No clue..run to the bottom of the mountain, I’ll distract it. You go to the boat if I’m not there in an hour, Go on without me.”
“I’m not gonna leave you Shawn!!”
“Maeve go! I promise i'll be down there, ” she reluctantly runs down the mountain and I stand up
“Hey Mr.Scales look over here you oversized snake!” I shout, waving my arms to get its attention. it comes barrelling at me and I jump onto its back it turns around and fire is being spewed in my face. I grumble as I wrestle with it trying to get it to the ground and that's when I notice the blood streaking its side and I quickly hop off as it screams out
“You blasphemous ass. Help me” it cries “please stop I don't want to hurt you I want help” it stills and winces and I walk over carefully
“what happened..”
“An asshole like you came and he stole my children killing them and sliced me open in the process”
I ran my hand gently over the wound “I’m sorry..i thought you were trying to kill me, ”
The beast roars out in immense pain “don't touch it!”
“may I borrow a fang?” I look at them and they move their head over and I gently press the beautiful creatures fang into my wrist letting it feed off my blood. The iron in it heals the wound.
“Thank you good sir thank you, what may I do to repay you?”
“Can you swim?”
“Quite well”
“Me and my friend need a ride to Crete can you take us??”
“Of course hop on” I jump onto its back and ride as it slithers to the boat “ hey maeve I got us a quicker form of transport hop on, ” I hold my hand out and she takes it thankfully as she sits by me.
“I have so many questions but I'll ask them later” she smiled and leaned back on me and I held her close as she yawned and slowly fell asleep on my chest. Next stop Crete.
6 hours pass and we make it to the island” We are here love”
“Don’t call me love Shawn and don't lie to me”
“I’m not, I promise.” I kiss her head and point to the island and she just stares in awe as I take her hand and smile “it's a two mile walk to the closest town can you handle that?”
“I’m a shepherd of course I can” she sends me a sly smirk and we're off. We wave to Gala the draken I learned, and we start walking through the island of Crete the rocky shore line shard on my shoes but I ignore that and move forward our walk is silent for the most part and I just watch her her hair is an amber color in the sun as it reflects the light it falls to soft curls at her waist she’s a stunningly beautiful girl, I will never understand how she has no one. “Why did you decide to come on this with me Shawn?”
“I don't know the same reason you planned it I guess. I wanted to come here to see for myself what happened to our ruler, why he couldn’t see all he had caused.” I look out “though I understand why he left.” Maeve looks to me curiously
“Why do you think he left?”
“Think of Plato's teachings, he says that to be an enlightened ruler or king is to be educated and philosophical, he was 10 when he was appointed 12 when he left he wasn't what the people needed I could never- he, he could never be what the people needed from a ruler.” I look out and sigh. Maeve goes silent and looks ahead and stops dead in her tracks.
“Yaeshawn”
“What Maeve?” She takes in a shaky breath
“Look ahead” I look up and forward and freeze. I stand there agawk struggling to catch my breath. Everything is up in flames the entire capital is burning to the ground as I stand here I don't even think I just run. I run into the flames, running from house to house crying out desperately, trying to find anyone that may have survived but nothing. I hear the battle song of the Romans, and I stand, and I stand tall. As I walk out of the burning capitol building my skin intact, not a wound on my body; I look over to Maeve and I see her watching, horror and betrayal evident on her face. I keep walking forward and up to the army my secret is up so lets go out with a bang. The romans general Alexander steps forward to greet me.
“Hello Yaeshawn I knew this would drag you out 12 years youve been hiding”
“Alexander. You don't learn from history do you. This is how your people were run underground 4 millennia ago. Are you trying to do that again?”
“No, I was trying to find you. This was quite effective I see I’m here to make a trade Yaesawn”
“What kind of trade?”
“One that saves your mother and that girl over there” I tense up as I had forgotten about Maeve “seems that may peak your interest”
“What do you want”
“I want you to take the throne again. Come with us to Athens and there we will make peace”
“Deal” I stand watching the buildings around us crumble to nothing on the ground. proof rome wasn't built in a day but destroyed in one I guess.
I follow the men to Athens 10 hours pass and we’re there I walk into the old place and run my hand across the marble “i have returned and I’m not leaving, release my mother and Maeve” the command comes out in a gravely choked up voice I don’t even recognize as my own. They release my mother and Maeve, my mother runs and into my arms and I hold her and close and then she goes limp in my arms 14 years without my mother And when I see her again it was time for her retirement I kiss her head one last time as she’s taken away from me and the last thing I expect happens Maeve walks up to me and back hands me hard.
“Fuck you” she walked out and like that she was gone.
3 years passed after that day I ruled and I did better than when I was younger but for the first time I have a day off. I go to Samos and I return to where I met her where we first spoke remembering her filthy mutt that tackled me. Remembering everything I had done when I was here. Every last person knew I was the king now and some cheered for me while others protested. I walked to Maeves and knocked on her door when she answered and I smiled “hi. I’m Yaeshawn king of the joined communities and I was told to find a wife to rule by me. I want you Maeve if you’ll take me. I’m sorry” she left out a soft sight she had aged and well in the three years.
“you know your an idiot Shawn”
“I know but let me ex-“ she cuts me off
“You didn’t let me finish, you're an idiot Shawn and I’m sorry. I will be your queen. You need someone to knock you around” she smiled softly and I hugged her close, kissing her deeply, and walked into her home with her closing the door behind us. I love her, she's my world and i'll never let her go again.
I look out at the crowd of children sat about watching me closely and chuckle as I shut the book “alright little ones that's all for today's story”
“but Mr. Adamos I want wanna know what else happened it cant just end there” Odin whines
“No story just ends there little one trust me” I smile as Maeve walks into the library and kisses me soft but quick
“Hi Shawn”
“Hi love” I smirk
“How many times do I have to tell you not to call me love”
Odin's eyes go wide as he notices I dont have the mark. I shoot him a wink and like that I leave with Maeve hand and hand. King or not, I still hide my identity in public. Mainly for the kids reactions whether that's wrong or not.
