Living among deities (ManxMan)

3. Strange happenings

<<< ARES pov >>>

Was it the cold ? the meals I'm not used to ? I have never felt this before, and the chest is pretty much where the heart is right? I heard it is a very delicate organ, that any kind of affection of the heart kills the human who catches it. I just came here. I don't wanna have to go back. This body is weaker- I'm not saying I could die: that's impossible- But I don't want to spend my quality time on earth fighting off an illness.

It doesn't hurt so to speak. It's just some sort of pressure in the chest area...

Well, I'm already no longer feeling it. I'll think about it if it happens again.
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The more time passes, the more anxious I get. It's happening every now and then lately. Sometimes it's just the stirring, other times I feel something blocking my throat. Should I ask Urian about this? See if he knows anything about it...But What if these are common to the humans. And then if I ask about those, wouldn't it be too strange? It would give away my true identity, and I'd be back to stage one. AAArgh ! I need to stop thinking about it. These are most likely none other than passing symptoms, nothing serious, nothing at all ... Maybe it's just because I'm not used to this life on earth yet. I need to busy myself with something...anything.

From that day on, I start helping Urian out at the fields. Each morning, We wake up together at sunrise. Then eat breakfast together before heading out for the fields together, work together, talk and laugh together all day long. I didn't and still won't work for anybody- you could say my pride wouldn't let me- but working with Urian is something else; he doesn't command me, Doesn't take my help for granted, always asks for it. And when given a hand, he makes sure to say thanks. It's cute how diligent he is with saying and hearing a thank you. He'd pout for a while till I remember to say it, and his scowl would then morph into a genuine smile. I find his pout just as endearing as his smile, seing as I'm no longer given indifferent or angry looks, and even when he wears a scowl his eyes would be smiling. That's not reason enough for me not to say thanks though. ( cough) . Of course not... Right ?

I Thought working would keep my mind off the strange feeling... It doesn't though. And I swear it's now happening more often... And takes longer to subside...

I know he has already noticed something was wrong with me. Several times, have I drifted off in the midst of many of our conversations only to snap out of it to him calling my name, and looking at me in confusion. My throat would then clench up. Only making me more aware of the sinking feeling in my chest. I know he wants to help. And each day I come even closer to telling him about it.

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I've decided to ask Urian about it. I'm strangely scared of him suspecting who I really am though, and I really don't want to risk losing whatever closeness we have now... It's surprising how I came to worry more about "him" finding out, than about my real identity getting discovered.

We come back from the fields all sweaty. Yes, this is something else I've come to know on earth. Even in the cold, when a human's body is strongly solicited, there's this salty liquid that breaks through the skin. If not washed or wiped off, especially in this cold, they get sick. There's a room in the house that's built solely for such purposes...

I tell Urian to go first, even with me being human. I' m more resistant to illnesses than he is. Again, for strange reasons, I don't want him sick, or hurt... Or angry... Or... Sad. Aaargh ! I just want to see Urian smiling. Thinking of him smiling continiously makes me even more aware -again- of the usual pressure in my chest. Right, I was going to ask him about that...

I look up when I feel Urian's presence behind me. His blank eyes focus on mine, as he seems to snap from something, a gentle rosey colour washes over his cheeks and nose. That's something else I've come to like about Urian lately, not as much as his smile, but I like it nonetheless.
He takes a few steps my way, and kneels down beside me. My chest clenches even more, and I think that this sweat probably is, or has already made me sicker...

-"What's wrong? You've been frowning randomly ? for days ?"

I stay silent. I don't want to tell him! But i'm so worried about this right now! He doesn't push for an answer, Urian never does. He always gives me absolute control over what I say and what I don't. If I don't answer he'll change the topic, and if I do, he'll smile and answer back. He'll smile...

-"I think I'm sick."

I blurt out without really thinking... It's done now. Que sera sera.

-" ... I think I caught an illness."

-"what ? when ?" He seems really worried now.

-"Probably a few days after I started living with you. I generally feel fine, but sometimes I would feel a kinda pressure in my chest. It doesn't hurt !"I add when I see him frown "so I ignored it. it happenned only once or twice anyway. But it has been happening more frequently lately. I don't know what this may be."

He nods at what I say, I see his eyes looking at me in distress, then settling on my chest. And he says in a paradoxally calm voice:

-"Hold on, can you take off your shirt? You said pressure. let's first see if you have any external wound... And then, I'm no expert but I've seen and assisted the town's doctor enough times to recognize some of the symptoms... "

I do as he aks and take off my shirt. Did I forget to mention he bought me clothes? Well yes he did. He seems to space out for a bit then re-focus again. He then reaches out for my chest, and starts palpating some parts of it. Ah! This is perfect I'm feeling it now. The pressure's there now! He might be able to feel it too.

He doesn't seem to notice anything, and starts knocking on my chest and leans in as if to listen to something... I have no idea what he's doing so I just hold my horses while he does what he has to do. He moves and knocks on my back, he seems to be following a sort pattern that I don't know about. Then he goes back to palpating my chest until his palm settles on the left side of my it, as he motions for me to keep quiet. I instantly feel a new, stronger, pang in my chest.

-"Did you catch that?"

-"No, your heartbeat is faster than mine though."

-"Uhm."

-"Don't worry, if it's anything serious Master will be able to diagnose and cure it. We'll go see him tomorrow."

-"Thank you."

-"Don't mention it."

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End of chapter 3.

Hope you guys liked it. Aaand sorry for the wait.