This chapter was again a tricky one, because of key characters making their appearances. It's hard to bring in important elements to a story's plot without revealing everything and I hope I managed to do so!

I really felt the urge to write the next scene which is really clear in my mind but chose to keep it for the next chapter It will be up soon, I promise! :)

To all readers, please don't hesitate to review :) Have a nice read ;)

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CHAPTER X

ARIANNE

Polyaigos Island, one week later, February 1987

Cora gazed out the window, her long raven hair coming down over her eyes, a living embodiment of death itself. The evening air was rather cool compared to the daily heat, allowing her to draw pictures on the window. Hermon's servant was washing the dishes in the kitchen nearby, dressed in a plain white dress of ancient Greek style. A golden clip was holding her hair away from her eyes, the rest of its aquamarine flow cascading down her shoulders to her waist. Glancing at the young woman, she noticed how prostrate she looked and bit her lip in concern. Not once had the girl tried talking to her, caught up in her own silence. At first, she had chosen to ignore it, but as the days went by, becoming a week, the woman had begun to feel concerned and annoyed. If the girl would not make a move by herself, then she would have to somehow find a way to get her out of the house, even if it were only for a short instant.

Seeing as she had finished washing the dishes, she threw her apron away in a corner of the small kitchen and made her way towards her companion. The door had been left open, so to let the evening breeze flow across the room. For a moment, she remained motionless in front of the doorway, gazing away at the sinking sun, taking in the evening's fresh air.

"The stars are beginning to appear," she said, brusquely. "The sky will be beautiful tonight. What say we walk a bit on the sea shore?"

At first, Cora did not answer, contemplating her art on the window. The other woman sighed inwardly and was about to leave alone when she finally spoke up.

"I would take a stroll with pleasure", she declared. "I would gladly have your company."

The aquamarine haired woman almost laughed, if such a thing was even possible. She would gladly have her company? Indeed. She had addressed her as but a servant, approving of her presence as if giving an order. But after all, she thought, wasn't it exactly what she was, a servant to them all who lived in the heights of Mount Olympus? Whoever she had been and whatever she might have done in the past, she still remained and always would be a mere mortal, while this girl, so much younger than her, would live up to become closer to the Gods than she had ever been.

She brushed a few strands of hair away from her face and chose to arbor a smile upon her fair face.

"I am glad to hear this, my lady." She answered, slightly bowing her head. "Let us go, shall we?"

Cora gave her a small nod and followed her lead.

The servant had been right, she admitted. The night promised to be truly beautiful. She took in a deep breath and begun to feel whole again, though not completely. The essences that filled her nose, the presences she felt around her, none of them could make her forget that sensation that something was amiss. She felt as though the world, since her departure from Siberia, was like an unfinished canvas to which some colors were missing. It felt awkward to have such an image in her mind but it was rather relevant non the less, to think of the world as a canvas, a lost and incomplete canvas.

They had by now reached the shore and her companion had already begun to unfasten her sandals, walking barefoot on the warm golden sand of the empty beach. The wind played in her aquamarine hair, giving her a surrealistic aura and for the first time since her arrival on the deserted island, Cora felt the urge to know more about this stranger who had been looking after her these last few days.

After a while, the woman finally stopped and sat herself on the sand, raising her eyes to the sky, contemplating the constellations appearing upon the dark sky. None of the women spoke, content to take in the beauty of the sky towering over them. The sun was now gone since quite some time and the constellation of Orion was clearly visible, the Gemini twins running across the sky above him as Taurus seemed to be running away from Orion's hands. Suddenly, a shooting star made its way across the Gemini constellation, stealing a small cry of surprise from both young women. Cora hurried to formulate a wish, closing her eyes for a second, only reopening them to take a glance at her companion whose eyes were still slightly closed. The other girl soon reopened them and gave her a small smile as she noticed being observed.

"Have you made a wish?" she asked, her eyes strangely twinkling with sadness.

"I have," Cora answered, wanly. "And you? What have you wished for?"

The woman's smile became bitter.

" For something I know will not be fulfilled."

"Then why wish for it?" she asked, surprised.

"It is always best to keep hope, even when there is none."

Cora did not reply immediately, pondering over these words. She was beginning to feel this woman was hiding a terrible secret from her, something she both wished to know and would rather not discover at the same time.

"You never told me your name", she declared lightly, trying to forget their previous conversation.

The woman gave a small laugh.

"I believe I do not need to tell you," she answered smoothly. "You have the power to decipher the name of those before you, do you not?"

Cora seemed to think for a while, remembering how she had both found out Milo and later on Hermon's original names. She did not know where this power came from, neither did she know how to use it properly but as this woman was inviting her to don her skills, she could as well give it a try.

At first, she concentrated on her face, but nothing happened. The servant slightly smirked, making her huff in frustration.

"It doesn't seem to work" she declared in annoyance.

"Perhaps you should concentrate on some particular part of my face, not focusing on it as a whole," she suggested.

Cora nodded in agreement. She was right, of course. But what ought she to focus upon?

After a bit of hesitation, she finally chose to concentrate on the woman's eyes. At first, nothing happened and she thought she had chosen the wrong target. But slowly, she found herself as though being slowly sucked up inside these strange aquamarine eyes without being able to pull away. She had heard before that a person's eyes were the windows to his soul but never had she thought it to be so real. She felt her cosmo flare slightly as the other woman breathed in in surprise. Suddenly, images begun to appear before what she thought were her eyes. She saw an old Greek temple and a young man of about fifteen, with dark brown locks slightly coming over his eyes. The boy seemed sad and troubled though she could not decipher why. Then, the image vanished, giving way to another one, more distant this time. A young man with two dots upon his forehead was forging something. An armor perhaps? She was not sure. His features were pale and sad and Cora thought she saw him cry.

"He will never wear it," he mumbled. "Never, never, never!"

Suddenly, a tall blond man took over this image, all clad in a golden armor. He was standing before a young man with dark blue hair, clad in what seemed to her like royal clothes.

"I must to my brother," the royally dressed one said, sadness audible in his voice. "I must save him while there is still hope."

"Hope?" A woman's voice cried, marked with pain. "There is no hope left. If you leave, his curse will also fall upon you."

The sensation was strange, as if the words just spoken had come from her own mouth.

"I am ready to take the risk," the man answered, risking an eye in her direction. "And I swear that in this life or the next, we will meet again."

Then the image vanished and a last one came to her mind, both strangely distant and very clear. A very young boy with long aquamarine hair was standing before what looked like the corpse of a young man with the same aquamarine long hair. A man was standing before him, a torch in his hands as he lit the funeral pyre.

"I am sorry Aïdan, in the end I could not save him."

The boy seemed to swallow his tears before raising his eyes, as though looking at her. He reached out his small hand and whispered in a half broken voice:

"Arianne."

Suddenly, the bound was broken and Cora thought she heard the other woman gasp in surprise.

"Arianne!" She managed to croak, trying to forget all the images she had seen. "Your name is Arianne."

She could still see the little boy groping for her over the dead body slowly burning and she thought she would be sick. The boy on the pyre had reminded her of Camus and she started to feel dizzy. Arianne came to help her lay down on the sand without a word, waiting for her to catch her breath and recover fully her senses.

"It is dangerous to wonder in someone's mind," she said coolly. "One never knows what he may find there."

"You… Your life," Cora managed to say, "It was marked by tragedy. I have felt it."

Arianne looked away, her face emotionless as it usually was.

"I have had my share of losses and pain," she finally said, coldly. "There is nothing else to add."

Cora said nothing in return. She knew she had intruded in the woman's private sphere without her permission, it was only logical for her to refuse giving her more details.

"I am truly sorry," she confessed, ashamed.

"There is nothing to apologize for," Arianne answered harshly. "One day, perhaps, you will find the meaning to what you have seen. Perhaps…"

She had added these last words in a warmer tone, soothing Cora's mind a little.

That was when they heard it: the voices of two men fighting together. Arianne was already on her feet, all senses on alert, motioning for her to remain quiet. Without a sound, they hurried to the place where they could still hear the voices, growing louder and louder as they approached them. Cora soon identified a small boat drying upon the shore and the shadow of two men clearly arguing together. She could not tell their features quite clearly in the starlight, though she noticed both men had rather long hair. She felt her heart skip a beat as she hurriedly ran past the servant.

"Wait! My lady, you shouldn't…"

Arianne did not have the time to catch her wrist that the girl was already standing next to the two men, though neither seemed to have noticed her presence quite yet.

"I was not drowning!" the taller man was yelling, "I never asked for you to bring me on this shore!"

"What, not drowning? You were floating on your back in the middle of nowhere! And you do not seem to be the type of person to commit suicide, in my opinion!"

That voice… She had heard it before! Could it be? She dared not hope.

"Listen, perhaps you did this to ease your conscience, but now I'd like you to take me back where you found me!"

The other man huffed.

"In the middle of the night, I'm taking you nowhere. You will have to wait!"

The man slightly looked away, showing her his profile.

"Milo!"

The man turned his gaze in her direction, clearly startled as he had not heard her approach when his face suddenly brightened up.

"Co… Cora! Goddess, what are you doing here on this secluded island?"

He ran towards her and took her in a warm embrace.

"I could ask you the same thing, don't you think?"

The young man only laughed, making her swirl slightly in the air.

"I was sailing around my… native island when I saw this man drowning nearby. The day was coming to an end and I found myself forced to set shore upon this little piece of rock for the night."

"What is your name, by the way?" he added, turning around to face the other man.

To his surprise, the man was no longer trying to argue with him, staring away in the distance instead. Taken aback by this reaction, he quickly spun around, finally taking in the other woman's presence, standing slightly above them on the sand dunes. He noticed her tall and muscular stature, like that of the amazons he had met in Sanctuary and begun to tense slightly. Of all things, he had not expected to find himself face to face with another warrior. The woman, though, did not seem to be concerned with him, rather staring back at his companion with a cold stare he felt he had seen before in someone he knew rather well.

The world seemed to have frozen under her stare and none of them tried to make a move nor to speak.

"Indeed," she mused coldly, finally breaking the uncomfortable silence. "What is your name?"

The man, who had not stopped staring at her since her arrival seemed to finally snap out of his trance.

"Nokan," he shot back, quite sure of himself, though Cora felt as though something passed across his eyes. Was it fear? She could not have said for sure. This time, though, she did not try wondering into his mind. One journey was enough for a day, until she had found a way to control that power as she wished.

"Well, Nokan," Arianne replied, "You and your friend have set foot upon my land and I shall have you stay in my home until the morning has come."

"That is very nice of you, my lady," Milo started to say, "but we do not want to abuse of your hospitality."

"Who said this was an invitation?" she cut him short. "I am only asking you to come so I may keep an eye on the two of you. Once the day is come, you may be free to leave. Until then, you will obey my words, is that clear?"

Milo's features became beat red and Cora felt her cousin's muscles tense into a fighting posture.

"Please!" she urged him, "Arianne is the one who has been offering me a home these last few days. There is no need to fight. I know she will keep her word."

Milo's features finally softened, though Cora could still feel his frustration for having been so looked down upon. He finally nodded, and as she motioned for them to follow, both he and his cousin came into motion, glancing at each other from time to time, content to be in each other's presence. The other man called Nokan followed as well, though rather reluctantly. Still, Cora had the impression that Arianne had fascinated him in such a way that he wished to follow her, as though bewitched. Or was it her he was following? She was not certain. She shivered slightly, making Milo look at her in concern.

"You must be cold!" he declared, alarmed. "I'm sorry I didn't ask how you were feeling before. Here, take my coat."

She smiled at him thankfully, not wishing to undo his enthusiasm, though she knew she would not be needing the warm fabric on her shoulders. The young man wrapped a protective arm around her shoulders, speeding up the pace slightly so to keep up with their guide.

Once Arianne had reached the small house, she quickly lit a few candles. Only then did Cora finally see Nokan's features in detail. He seemed slightly older then her, with long dark blue hair and a rather muscular body. He was wearing an old Greek tunic and a pair of white trousers, complete with a pair of dark boots. For an instant, the young woman wondered how the man had ever managed to even float with such an apparel but seeing the look of aggressiveness in his eyes, she chose not to question him over the subject. Something about him reminded her of someone, someone supposed to mean something to her, but as much as she tried searching her mind, she could not find any connection whatsoever between this man and herself. Arianne, meanwhile, showed them around, preparing two rooms for her visitors, though she kept glancing from time to time at the eldest of the two young men. Finally, the two of them bid the two ladies goodnight and left for their rooms. Cora felt slightly disappointed for not having had the chance to discuss further on with her beloved cousin, but she needed to confide in him elements which she did not wish to unravel in front of the young servant.

Four hours had passed when Milo was roused from his sleep by surprise. He felt a hand gently cover his mouth, forcing him to remain quiet, as he tried to keep his calm as best he could.

"Shhhh," a voice hissed near his hear. "It is only I."

Slowly, he relaxed, recognizing Cora's lilting voice.

"I need to speak with you out of ear's shot. Come!"

She gently obliged him to his feet.

"We will go by the beach where you have left your boat."

Milo hurriedly did as he was told. Something in the young woman's voice had caught his attention and he felt he desired to know above all else what she wished to entrust in him.

They made their way out in perfect silence, Milo marveling at his cousin's abilities to conceal her footsteps. While he had learned how to master such things through years of harsh and difficult training, she, on the other hand, seemed to have the natural ability to mingle with her surroundings.

"Milo," she finally asked as the two of them had reached the little shore, "I must know… Have you seen Camus since last we met?"

Of all questions he had been prepared to hear, Milo had not expected her to mention the name of the Aquarius Saint. Though he tried to hide it, his face became more tense, betraying his discomfort and slightly repressed anger. This was enough for Cora to understand that the two had met and certainly argued together, the signs of it still visible on her cousin's fine features.

"I have," he declared, coolly. "And we have not left in the best of terms."

He let himself fall upon the sand, turning his face into the direction of the Gemini constellation.

"Why do you ask?"

Cora bit her lip, wondering whether she ought to speak to him about her stay in Siberia or not. After a short moment of reflection, she chose not to and simply shook her head, as to chase away the question she had just formulated.

"Curiosity is all," she added, catching his questioning stare.

Milo only sighed and rose to a sitting position, bringing himself up to his cousin's level.

"Listen, you do to have to lie to me. I know he and you were once rather close."

"How do you know this?" she asked, her features tense.

For only answer, he handed her the letter which Camus had written to her in Tolo, months ago. Upon seeing her accusing look, he only averted his eyes, running a hand across his hair.

"Do not blame me," he defended himself. "It was your uncle who fell upon it in your room. He merely gave it to me after your departure."

"So you spoke to him." She stated, flatly. "And you argued."

Milo nodded, blankly, not knowing what to answer.

"Whatever for?" she demanded, clearly in need of an explanation.

"Oh please, Cora! You have to be joking!" he blurted out, turning his face once more in her direction, his eyes buried deep in her own. "He lied to you! He brought harm to you as well! I could not allow that!"

Cora let her head fall into her hands, not believing what she was hearing.

"Milo, Milo, Milo," she lamented, shaking her head in distress. "Why did you have to interfere?"

"What for?" the young man asked, bewildered. "But Cora, it was … He… You… I mean, my friend or not, he deliberately hurt your feelings! You are almost my only family; I was not going to let him treat you as he did!"

Cora simply gave him a look of disgust, and looked away.

"How can you say such a thing? You barely know me. I barely know you! Would you be willing to destroy your friendship just for the sake of someone you hardly know, family or not?"

"But Cora, he's just a jerk!" he declared, dumbfound. "All he cares about are his icicles. He hardly has no feelings!"

Milo suddenly felt a harsh sting upon his left cheek, realizing Cora had just slapped him with all her might.

"How dare you say this!" she hissed. "You do not know how he feels!"

"And do you?" he shot back, his voice full of melancholy, his hand slowly trying to rub away the pain on his left cheek.

"I…"

He gave her a sad smile before looking away in the distance, his eyes full of sorrow.

"I thought so," he murmured. "You know, Camus has been my friend since as far as I can remember. We would spend most of our free time together, enjoying life and its pleasures around us, but I never had the chance to know anything of his feelings, never knowing if he truly enjoyed my company or anyone else's for that matter. He never smiled, never laughed, never cried. At first, I took no importance in this, but things became worse after the death of one of our comrades. One who had betrayed us. He became colder, perhaps more bitter if it was even possible. You see, we are friends, but I do not know him."

Cora remained silent for a long time, gazing from time to time at her cousin's heartbroken face, understanding that having argued with Camus had cost him more than he was ready to admit. Gently, she sat her hand on his bruised cheek, her soft touch soothing him slightly.

"Does it still hurt?" she asked, remorsefully.

"It could be worse," he said, shrugging it off. "And I deserve it. For what I have done recently, I deserve it, believe me."

Images of Andromeda island flashed before his eyes. The cries of the citizens as he launched his attacks, destroying their houses, families and hopes in one simple motion of his arms. He shuttered at the memory. But he had had no choice! He was only fulfilling his duty, doing what he was asked to do for a greater good.

He winced as he felt the sting on is cheek as she passed a bit of sea water on his bruise. There was no need in speaking of this to her, he thought, she did not need to know he was an assassin. He risked an eye in her direction, falling upon her concerned face.

"Milo, you must take me to Athena's Sanctuary."

The young man suddenly paled. How did she know of this?

"I must see Camus," she insisted. "I know you are Saints of Athena, though I will not tell you yet how I have gotten this knowledge," she quickly added upon seeing his mouth open at her statement.

Milo stared at her in bewilderment. How could she ask this of him? Even if he managed to have her pass Sanctuary's gates, he would never dare present himself in Aquarius Temple along with her. No, even alone he would not dare meet him again; not after what had happened in Siberia months ago. Not after what he had said.

He closed his eyes in a mere attempt to hold back his tears. How was it he was giving in so easily? Why did he have to let go of his emotions in his cousin's presence? She would take him for an idiot if he continued. He brushed his tears away, facing her again and ready to convince her such a trip would not be possible, but her face, the look in her eyes, made him say otherwise.

" The sun will rise in an hour," he declared, sure of himself. "We will leave straight away."

Cora sighed in relief and followed him to his little embarkation.

Meanwhile, Nokan had found himself ripped away from his sleep in a far less agreeable manner. Though the lights were dim, he made out the features of the woman who had invited them to her house. He was about to rise from his bed, a sarcastic grin upon his face, when he felt the cold sting of tempered steel against his throat.

"If I were you, I would not move," the woman said, her tone cold and full of assurance.

Still, the man continued to grin, mocking her.

"And what do you think, a blade will do against me?" he crowed. "I have abilities that you could never imagine, even in your wildest dreams."

He made way to move her arm away but stopped dead in his movement as he felt the blade bite into his flesh, letting a small drop of blood trickle down his slightly tanned skin.

"I know your kind," she continued, confidently. "And I would know how to deal with you, believe me."

She brought her face to his own, her eyes glowing menacingly.

"Now, pray tell, what does a pawn of Poseidon do wandering about the Cyclades Islands?"

The man simply stared back blankly at her, as though not understanding her question.

"I'm afraid I do not understand what you are speaking about," he said, eying her suspiciously.

She sighed and placed her other hand upon his forehead.

"You should have chosen to answer," she said, disapprovingly.

The man was about to reply when he suddenly felt a great surge of pain in his head, emanating from the woman's hand. She seemed to scan his mind for a few seconds before she finally released him, leaving him panting for breath. Slowly he felt the pressure of the dagger's edge retrieving away from his throat, allowing him to take a seating position. He rubbed the skin of his neck where the blade had been, still eying the woman from the corner of his eye.

Arianne averted her eyes from the man's face, focusing on the scenery outside the window instead.

"You are free to go, "she said, as though relieved. " I will not be hindering you."

Rising from his bed, the man finally made his way towards her, his look of confidence back upon his face once more.

"May I know the reason for this change of behavior?" he asked, casually.

"I have no need to give you one," she answered, coolly. "You had better not test my patience too much, in case I would change my decision."

Not waiting for his answer, she roughly took him by the arm and led him to the backdoor entrance which led to the sand dunes towering the sea shore.

"I trust you will find your way from here. Just know I may not be as merciful should our paths meet again." She had said these words still avoiding his eyes, making him feel slightly uncomfortable.

Still, this did not stop him from reaching for a strand of her aquamarine hair, rubbing it between his fingers, thus forcing her to look at him in the eyes. He grinned smugly.

"Like all women, you cannot resist me," he whispered, bringing his face to hers, their lips almost touching. "You dare not bring harm upon me, nor go against my will. Your mind and soul belong to me, little servant."

She felt her hand tighten its grip around the dagger's handle, her body refusing to move, mesmerized as she was by the man in front of her.

"I shall keep this as a souvenir," he declared, lightly, taking the dagger away from her hand and cutting away the small strand of hair he held between his fingers. Bringing his mouth up to her ear, he whispered: "until our next meeting."

Then he was gone, leaving her as cold as ice, beholding his retreating shadow beneath the early morning starlight.

Curse him, she thought. Curse him and what he has become. I should have killed him when I had the chance.

But as much as she wanted to persuade herself, she knew she would have indeed never been able to kill him, and she cursed her weakness even more.

"You should have killed him."

A man's voice.

She whirled around, her usual countenance still intact.

"Deneb", she said briskly, acknowledging the other's presence. "What brings you here?"

The newcomer chose not to answer and simply crossed the way beyond the threshold of the door, contemplating the dunes, his long golden hair moving slightly along with the wind.

"Where is the girl?"

"In her room. Why this question?"

Arianne took her spot next to the man, clearly annoyed by the man's previous silence to her question.

"I came in through an open door, with no living person inside apart from you and this …"

At the words, Arianne tensed. What did he mean no living person? Then Cora and Milo…

Suddenly taken over by fear, she ran inside the young woman's room. The place had clearly been abandoned since a few hours already, and the aquamarine haired young woman begun to curse herself for her lack of vigilance.

"Arianne?"

She bit her lip in frustration, quickly moving to where her companion had called out for her.

"The two rooms are empty and it seems the two of them have left since quite some time. I can't believe I was stupid enough to leave them alone without surveillance!"

Deneb, standing by the window which had been Cora's only companion for the past few days simply nodded in agreement and made sign for her to come closer.

"His presence clearly took your vigilance away from you," he stated, coldly. "But this, is still what troubles me the most out of all I have seen until now."

He pointed his finger to where Cora had been previously drawing on the glass, and a thin sheet of ice came to cover it, revealing the signs the girl had engraved there with her fingers. And clearly enough, there written upon the window were five roman letters forming the name: "Camus."

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