The Coming From the Shadows Series
The Intervention
The granite bit into Akadios’ knee’s as he scrambled – his breath was ragged and raw, each inhalation was a searing reminder of the Spartan spear that had founds its mark only days ago; he tasted the blood; thick and metallic at the back of his throat.
Behind him the baying bandits grew louder; closer – he risked a glance back over his shoulder, there were five of them, faces cruel and eager – the cheap steel of their weapons glinted within the fading sun, they were gaining.
He cursed under his breath; he’d been a fool to think he could outpace them, a broken-winged sparrow fleeing hawks – his pride, his Athenian pride had driven him to escape the carnage at Amphipolis – the crushing defeat that echoed within his soul.
He should have died with his brothers-in-arms, a clean death on the battlefield – instead, he was to be butchered like a lamb by these mountain scavengers.
Just as the lead bandits raised his swords; a guttural roar ripped through the air, the very ground beneath Akadios bucked and heaved; a chasm, black and bottomless tore open before him, it swallowed the path along with the bandits whole; he watched, paralyzed as the earth consumed them, their screams abruptly cut short by the earths hungry maw.
Dust and pebbles rained down and then – there was silence, an unnatural and unsettling silence.
He blinked; he was trying to make sense of what had happened – the impossibility, had the Gods taken pity on him, or was this perhaps some cruel jest; a prelude to a more agonising demise, he remained half-frozen, half-expecting the earth to open again beneath his feet.
“Are you okay?”
A voice called out; it was like a chime, soft and melodic, yet it cut through the ringing in is ears with surprising clarity – he turned, his breath hitched.
Elpis.
He remembered her; the first encounter in Athens, then the second on the road when he intervened to save her; her beauty was not of this world, her Raven-Hair cascaded down her back like a silken waterfall, it framed her face with an ethereal grace, but her eyes – this deep, luminous violet, they held him captivated.
He didn’t understand why; but the depths of those eyes seemed to hold an ancient and deep wisdom, but a hint of sorrow and pain.
She approached him without hesitation, her movements were fluid and graceful – like a dancer, the air around her seemed to shimmer, the dust motes swirling with a stranger ordered dance “You have some severe injuries” she observed, her tone laced with concern “Sit; let me see”
Akadios, still reeling from the earthquake and unexpected arrival of this otherworld being hesitated “What…, what was that?” he stammered, gesturing towards the chasm “Did…, did you…”
Elpis didn’t answer directly, she simply smiled, a gentle and reassuring curve on that turned her lips.
“Your wounds are grievous; let me tend to them” she knelt beside him, her fingers surprisingly strong and sure as she examined the gash on his side, Akadios flinched as she probed the edges of the wound, but the pain seemed to lesson beneath her touch.
Producing a small vial from a pouch “This will help” she said, dabbing the liquid gently onto his wound, it was cool and soothing – he’d expected the sensation to be sharp or painful; but instead, it eased the burning pains in a way that confused him, his eyes landed onto the fabric she was using to gently apply the liquid to his wound, the fabric itself seemed different, it wasn’t coarse or rough; it looked as though it had been procured right there and then, clean.
He watched her; he was mesmerized by how she worked; she cleaned the injury before applying a bandage with a practised ease; as she focused, he couldn’t help himself, he had to ask, he had to know “Did.., did you cause that?; that earthquake?”
Elpis waved a dismissive hand “Such things are of little consequence; focus on your healing, your body has suffered much”
She finished tending to Akadios’ wounds; tying the bandage with a neat knot – then, she sat back on her heels, regarding him with a serene expression “There; that should suffice for now, you require proper rest and a good meal, and time to properly heal”
He felt a surge of gratitude but, mixed within that feeling was also unease, he was in the presence of something…, powerful; something he did not understand “Thank you” he said, his voice was soft, but thick with emotion “But…, why?” he questioned, his head tilting slightly towards his left shoulder “Why help me?”
Elpis simply smiled; that enigmatic smile revealed nothing, yet hinted at everything “Because…, you needed it” she rose to her feet, her movements with effortless, like a bird taking flight
He couldn’t let her leave; not yet, not without answers, quickly – he reached out, his hand closing around her wrist, a little too tightly, her skin was cool to the touch, and smooth like polished marble
The effect though was immediate and terrifying.
The air crackled with energy; the sun, which had been peeking through the clouds vanished behind a sudden, oppressive darkness; a fierce wind howled through the mountains, it whipped his hair across his face, stung his eyes – the ground trembled; not with a violent shudder of an earthquake, but a low resonating hum
Elpis’ expression had changed; her eyes, no longer soft and gentle, blazed an unearthly glow present, her mouth tight, an unforgiving line; the very air around her throbbed with controlled power.
He released her wrist instantly; it was as though it burned, he shifted, stumbling as he backed up; fear clawed at his throat “What…, what are you” he whispered, his voice barely audible above the wind
“Elpis watched him for a moment; her expression was unreadable, then slowly, the storm began to abate; the winds died down, the darkness receded and the sun reappeared, casting long shadows across the ravaged landscape.
She let out a sigh; a soft sound that seemed to carry the weight of ages “You wouldn’t understand” she told him; her voice a gentle cadence
“Try me” he pleaded; his voice stronger now, he was fuelled by a desperate desire to know “Are you…., are you a Goddess?” the thought was both terrifying and exhilarating
Elpis though, laughed; a light, musical sound that dissipated the lingering tension in the air; the sun seemed to shine brighter, the shadows soften, her laughter held no malice, only amusement “A Goddess?” she asked
There was brief pause as her own question hung in the air.
“No Akadios; I am not a Goddess” she tilted her head, considering him for a moment “A…, Celestial, perhaps in a manner of speaking” she gestured subtly towards the sky, a gesture that conveyed a vastness he couldn’t comprehend
He stared at her; his mind reeling, he didn’t understand ‘Celestial’ what did that mean, he was a soldier; a man of war, not a philosopher or a mystic; he dealt with steel and blood, not the abstract concepts and divine mysteries “I…, I don’t understand” he admitted, his voice laced with frustration
“I know” she told him softly “You don’t need too; you’re too young…, your people are too young” She stepped away from him, her gaze turning to the horizon “Return to Athens Akadios” she glanced back a moment and smiled, turn once more, she began to walk away
“But…, what about you?” he asked “Will I see you again?”
Elpis stopped, she turned her head to look back towards him; her violet eyes felled with an emotion he couldn’t quite decipher “Perhaps…” she said, some hesitation present in her voice, then, she seemed to change her mind “If you need me Akadios; call for me, I shall hear you”
The implication hung in the air; unspoken, but undeniable – she had a soft spot for him, a celestial being, capable of shifting the earth and commanding the elements, she cared for him – a broken and flawed human being.
Then, she was gone; she simply vanished as effortlessly as the wind, leaving him alone in the ruins of the mountainside with nothing but the echo of her voice and the memory of her touch; the sun warmed his face, the air smelled clean and fresh and the world felt…, lighter.
He stood for a long time staring at the empty space she had been; his eyes then wandered downwards; he looked to the bandage; they were unlike anything he’d had wrapped around injuries before; so clean, soft; they were not made of harsh fabric, aside from a crimson from his blood that tried to seep through them, they were still very much white
He took a deep breath; he finally began to walk once again, his destination; Athens.
Written By: Westley H.
Leave a Reply