Pymos blinked at the soft white sunlight that trickled from the cave entrance far above.
Their body was stiff and their throat dry and their own breaths echoed in their ears.
Pymos opened their mouth, but even if they had been able to speak they didn't know what they were trying to say. They were missing someone. Someone important to them. Why couldn't they remember the name?
Their someone was male, they knew that.
Were they themselves male? Pymos wasn't sure. They weren't sure there was even an answer to that question.
Slowly, with far more effort than should have been necessary, Pymos pushed themselves to their elbows.
They licked their dry, cracked lips and surveyed their body for damage - besides being incredibly filthy, there was none.
They were wearing a tunic and leggings, but the fabric was worn and thin, ripped at places. The tunic itself had the entire right arm ripped off, and the place where the fabric was torn had flakes of dried blood on it.
Pymos shifted, albeit very slowly, to their knees, then to their feet, which they noticed were bare.
They reached up a slightly shaky hand to their hair; it was shoulder length, an dark brown matted with dirt and grease and what Pymos could only guess was blood. The locks were corse between their fingers, and Pymos wondered if there was any saving it or if they'd just have to cut it off.
With a sigh they turned their attention to the most pressing matter at hand - they appeared to be trapped in a cavern, with no memory of getting here. Or anything prior to waking up, actually.
The more Pymos thought, they realized they knew nothing more than their own name. And that they were missing someone, a male someone… they thought?
The cavern was silent. So perfectly, eerily silent. But… too silent. They didn't like it here. They didn't like silence.
Shaking themselves, Pymos turned to face the cavern wall and began to climb.
It was only nine minutes later that they dragged themselves up out of a jagged split in the earth and onto soft green grass in a forest clearing.
Looking around, there was such undergrowth all around that it was a wonder the split hadn't been grown over already. Was the split new?
It didn't look that new - some weeds had already made their home on some of pockets in the cavern walls.
Pymos breathed in the sweet, vaguely familiar air, and felt their lungs expand, as if they had been starving.
Speaking of starving, Pymos felt weak.
Ambrosia. A voice in the back of their mind whispered. You need ambrosia.
Pymos had no idea where they were, but there was an itch in their feet, so they listened, letting their legs take control and march away from the split in the earth and into the trees.
They walked for just over half an hour when the trees fell away around, and they were standing in a garden.
Over the fancy trimmed shrubs and perfectly tamed flowers there was a palace. A great, beautiful, marble palace, the wide entrance staircase leading up the the doors from a beautiful courtyard that the gardens gathered around.
As Pymos stood those great doors opened, and three people came out; a girl and two boys.
Well, it wasn't fair to call them that. A woman and two men - there, better.
The woman was truly stunning. Tall and slender, long silky black hair flowing in the breeze, violet tunic clinging to her perfectly tanned skin.
The one young man was tall and strong, short hair brushed back and his black tunic fitted with a silver sword belt.
The other was certainly shorter, built more like a jack russell terrier than the saint bernard of a man standing beside him.
It was an odd metaphor. Pymos wondered why that was the first thing their mind thought of. But they were unable to wonder long; they were hit with another pang of weakness, and it forced them to cross the garden and approach the trio.
The young adults were immersed in conversation, and didn't notice Pymos until they were halfway across the courtyard.
"Hello?" The young woman frowned at the newcomer. "Are you alright?"
"N-not really." Pymos forced words through their stiff mouth. "Do you know where any… ambrosia is?"
"There's some just inside." The woman said. "Are you injured? I can help you."
"I do not think so." Pymos said. "I just need ambrosia."
Pymos started for the doors.
The taller man rushed forward. At first Pymos thought he was going to block their way, and paused, but the man instead opened the door and held it for them.
"T...thank you." Pymos managed.
The trio followed Pymos inside.
It felt wrong. So wrong. Their feet had carried them here but Pymos didn't think they were supposed to be here.
But a scent hit them, and all doubts crashed away.
Ambrosia.
Pymos took the food gratefully, casting the trio of people worried glances, but they only nodded encouragingly.
Cautiously Pymos took a bite of the hauntingly familiar food, and felt strength flood into their veins before they had even finished swallowing.
It only took three more bites before an internal meter seemed to chime within them, telling Pymos their energy was restored.
With a small nod, as if to acknowledge their own body's message, Pymos set down the slice of ambrosia and blinked several times.
"Full?" The jack russell of a man asked, offering a small smile.
"I suppose." Pymos returned the smile sheepishly. "Thank you."
"No problem." The other man said. "But I've never seen you around before. And you look kind of… battered."
"Yeah," The woman said, her voice soft and silky as her hair looked. "Who are you?"
"Pymos." Pymos said. "And forgive me, but that is all I know."
"What do you mean?" The taller man asked. "Where are you from?"
"I… do not know." Pymos said. "Like I said; my name is Pymos, and that is all I know."
"You don't know anything but your name?" The shorter man frowned. "How?"
Pymos shrugged. "I do not know. I woke in a cavern about an hour ago. Everything before that is gone."
The trio exchanged looks.
"Should we get Jupiter?" The taller boys asked.
The question was directed at the woman, whose head tilted in thought.
"No." She decided. "We should go to Vesta. She'll know anything before Jupiter does."
"Jupiter? Vesta?" Pymos' eyes bounced around the trio. "I know those names. Who are they?"
"Vesta is the goddess of the hearth." The woman said. "Come on, she can help you."
"I… I don't know." Pymos bit their lip. "I don't know you. I don't even know myself!"
The woman's face turned sympathetic. "Well, I may not be able to help you with the last part, but I'm Emily. This is my boyfriend Joel-" She pointed at the taller man "-and my best friend Paelen-" she pointed to the shorter man "I… I know you're scared, but we're here to help. Vesta is my teacher. She won't hurt you, I promise."
Pymos looked around, meeting each of the trio's eyes, if only for a moment.
"Okay." They said. "Let's go see Vesta."