Aidoneus

The Awakening

Kore froze as she processed the sight before her. Routkin's lifeless eyes looking back at her, on top of the heads of the other Senators. She stepped back as a roar tore through her throat. Horrific grief slammed into her as she felt an arm wrap from behind her. Pulling her away. Her Father. Her roar turned into a strangled cry as she watched the scene in front of her. Nabis and Menelaus looked in horror at the contents of the wicker baskets. Finally, Nabis turned and grabbed Lycurgus' slumped over body and pulled him off his horse. He made no motion to brace himself and landed with a heavy 'thump' on the ground. "Wake up!" Nabis shouted pulling Lycurgus' arm to roll him over onto his back. "What happened!" he shouted still holding Lycurgus' arm. "I said what happened!" Nabis roared. Finally, Lycurgus' eyes drifted to the angry man. He looked from Nabis, to Kore, to her Father, and back to Nabis. "We...we arrived in Ephyra. Sisyphus invited us to his palace. He asked us to pledge loyalty to Ephyra. We declined but said we wished to be allies. We thought things were okay. Then on the fourth day he demanded we kneel before him and recognize him as a God. We refused and he guards attacked us." Kore stood frozen, listening to every word, every syllable Lycurgus spoke. Her Father's arm still holding her. Either back or from falling, she didn't know, but she was grateful he was there.

"And then what! How is it they let you to live?" Nabis jerked Lycurgus impatiently. "I don't know! I swear. They stabbed me in the stomach and I vaguely remember them putting me on my horse. I don't even remember most of the journey here." He rasped out before violently coughing. Blood splatter hitting the ground. "Nabis." Her Father spoke behind her. Nabis looked at his king and quickly released Lycurgus' arm. Then he and Menelaus lifted the half-dead man back onto his horse and proceeded to walk him to the gates. "Wait!" Kore stopped them. She stepped away from her Father and went to the wicker baskets. Using her knife she cut the leather strap and they both dropped to the ground. The horse spooked from the noise and lunged forward, "go on, get him care. I don't want anyone to see them like this." She spoke in reference to the dead men. Both nodded and continued leading the now unconscious Lycurgus back home. Kore stood, starring at the two tall baskets now pooling blood beneath them on the dusty road. Fury raged through her uncontrollably. The darkness that always lingers, that she closes herself off to, seeped into her. 

Sisyphus broke xenia. Slaughtered unarmed men. Beheaded Routkin. With his knee injury he probably barely stood a chance to protect himself. They stabbed Lycurgus, one of the founding members of their Senate, then sent him back to Sparta as a mockery. As a threat. And where was Zeus? Too busy to enforce his own proclamations! Or perhaps he was too busy philandering with women other than his wife to actually protect the mortals he claims to love and who he demanded worship from. Revenge, no...justice. She would destroy this false self-proclaimed God King. She felt her body shaking and the fury and darkness encircled her. "KORE!" She heard her Father's voice. She refocused and looked down at her hand where her Father was gripping her arm, shaking her back to reality. "KORE!" he yelled again. Her hand was black. Almost up to her elbow. This happened once before when she was a child but she thought it was a dream. "KORE! STOP, please come back to me!" Her Father shouted as he spun her toward him. 

Once she saw the panic in his eyes she gathered her strength and shoved the darkness away. "I'm, I'm sorry. I just...", she looked back at her hands which were returning to their normal color. "It's ok. It's ok." Her Father soothed. Brining her back to normal. He stood with her for several moments till she was sure she was back in control. "I'm sorry. I haven't lost control like that since I".  "Was a child." He finished for her. 

"I...I don't know what came over me" she trailed off. Her Father still looked concern but nodded. "It's not your fault. This is...well unprecedented. We knew Sisyphus was turning into a tyrant but to break xenia and do...this" he waived his hands toward the wicker baskets, "it's unheard of". Kore nodded. Unable to find the right words. "I'm sorry about Routkin. I know you two were close." He placed a hand on her shoulder. Spartans were not emotional, but today, Kore struggled to not breakdown in tears.

"Let's move these baskets off the road and towards the side of the walls. You're right the families shouldn't see them like this" he finally broke the silence. Together, they carried the two baskets towards a small hutch outside the city gates. Kore sat by a tree further up the hill while her Father spoke to the guard about watching them until they could return with a covered wagon. When he was done he joined her, lowering himself onto the ground next to her. The sun was starting to set. Any other day, Kore would have loved the beautiful colors but not today. After today, she knew things would never be the same. "You okay, Little Roar?" her Father asked softly, using his nickname for her. She sighed, "I will be, I am sorry I lost control like that. It's been so long and I didn't realize it till you were shouting my name." He smiled for a moment then looked at the sunset. "You made the ground shake. Even when you shifted to your godly form as a child, you never did anything like that." He spoke while keeping his gaze on the purple horizon. 

"I know" she replied softly. 

"I want to take Sisyphus's crimes to Zeus. Demand to know why he isn't being punished for breaking xenia" her voice grew in confidence. "Kore, you know you can't do that. It's too dangerous. We don't know if your slip has attracted their attention." He paused. "No, I am sorry Little Roar, but promise me you won't try to contact Zeus about this. We have sought justice on our own for years and we will do so now. As Spartans." He smiled and nudged her with his elbow, "agreed?". She continued looking at the horizon, she put them all in dangers with her outburst. "Agreed?" her Father asked again more firmly. "Yes, agreed" she said. Whatever happened from this day forth she would protect the Spartans. Her Family. Her Home. Damn the Gods and most of all, damn Zeus.

                                                                                         ***

Two figures stood on the shoreline. Cloaked in darkness as the perennial fog snaked over the waters before them. Both stood contemplating, watching the tremors disturbing the ground enough to cause vibrations in the water.

"What do you make of this?" Asked one as his black wings shook gently in the air. His eyes still fixed on the waters before them. "I think we are on the precipice of a great reckoning" spoke a tall, thin, almost skeletal looking figure. "You are starting to sound as ominous as the fates, old friend" the winged man spoke.

"With age has come some insight. But yes, if this is what I think, it is an ominous sign indeed." The skeletal figure paused, reaching down to touch the tips of his figures into the icy waters before adding "but not for the Underworld".