Ten years ago I wrote a fanfic about Cassandra ("She who entices men"), which is now the first part of my "Trojan series". She was so lonely and miserable that I decided to give her an ally in the city, somebody she could look up to for advice. I wanted to create an original character who could gave me complete freedom.

Since Apollo and Hermes were friends in the fanfic (and also according to Greek Mythology), I decided that Cassandra's ally could be a priest of Hermes, and the character of Aesacus was born.

While writing the fanfic about Cassandra, I grew fond of Aesacus and I wished to give him a separate plot, so this fanfiction was born. A while ago I read it again for the first time after many years and I wasn't really satisfied. So I decided to rewrite it together with the one about Cassandra.

Aesacus is actually mentioned in a couple of ancient Greek sources, where he is listed as one of Priam's children but the only thing I took from those accounts is the name.

OOO

The sea in front of Gortyna is wonderful, all the shades of blue and green melting into it, the rocks and the lush vegetation providing quite a setting for someone who likes to tell stories to others. And I like very much to tell stories, even if most of the time I can't just get to end of a story because a new one pops into my mind

At least now I can say that's because of my old age. But that's a bald-faced lie: I've always been like that.

The most important event in my life has been my bond with Hermes, when I was eleven.

It was a summer night and I was lying in my bed, unusually restless. I couldn't say what was keeping me awake.

After some useless rolling over in my bed, I decided that it would have been nice to look at the stars. I had never done it so late into the night.

Trying my best not to wake my younger brother, I stood up and tiptoed to the window.

The sky was clear and the view was amazing.

Suddenly I heard a sound, like someone moving behind me. I turned to look at my brother, who was still sleeping soundly.

"Who's there?" I asked.

"Hello, Aesacus!" exclaimed a young man, emerging from nowhere.

Something was definitely off. First of all, although the only light came from the moon, he seemed to glow and I knew for sure that I had never seen someone so beautiful before. Moreover, despite the man's jolly greeting, my brother kept sleeping obliviously. Maybe I had just eaten too much at supper and this was a weird dream.

"Oh, don't worry: we won't wake up your brother" went on the man. I noticed that he was wearing a dark coat and hat, and something silvery was hanging from his belt.

It was the Caduceus, Hermes' herald staff.

I just stared at him, in awe. Hermes had always had a special place in my heart among all the gods. Sometimes I even thought about becoming his priest one day. I couldn't utter a single word. But he seemed unfazed.

"If you want to look at the stars, you'd better climb on the city walls, come on. Nobody will find out" he suggested with a wink. Smiling, he opened my room's door and we went out.

He took my hand and we walked together silently until we reached the walls. Once we had climbed up, he left my hand and sat in front of me, crossing his legs.

He was as easy-going as I had always imagined him to be. He told me many stories about the constellations we were looking at, and soon I felt like I had known him for years, even if I hadn't uttered a single word yet.

"Have you ever seen that bright star over there before?" he asked, pointing at the sky.

"Sure thing! My father uses it to trace the route to Crete, he taught me to do that" I said confidently. He kept questioning me until I noticed that I had been speaking for quite a time. I immediately went silent and looked at him, blushing.

He laughed: "Now, so you can speak! I thought that maybe some god had got your tongue!" and I laughed as well.

I couldn't understand why on earth a god had come to visit me in the middle of the night, bothering to bring me on the city walls, tell me stories, reassure me. Of course I couldn't bring myself to ask him even if he looked so friendly.

We were on the walls from quite a time when Hermes regarded me seriously and said: "Aesacus, there is something I would ask from you. Beware, I don't want you to give me an answer now and I don't want to hurt you if you say no" I looked at him expectantly.

What could he possibly want?

"I wish you to become my priest" he told me.

"Oh, yes, sir!" I answered happily "I've always wanted to!"

I had never thought, however, that Hermes in person might come and ask that of me.

He smiled to me: "I am glad to hear that. You'll have to ask for your parents' permission to enter my temple. It shouldn't be a big deal, I know that your father is very devoted to me"

"I will ask him as soon as he comes back from Nauplia" I said.

"There is another thing we should discuss, something you need to know before accepting: I have a sort of bond with my priests and I would like to do that with you too, when you'll enter my temple. You would feel my presence in your head and you might be able to feel my emotions, when particularly intense. Likewise, I would perceive your most intense emotions but don't worry: I wouldn't be able to read your mind. And of course, we'll be able to communicate through this bond. Not every Olympian likes to form a bond with priests - many don't to that at all. Would you like to have such a bond?"

With anyone else I would have hesitated greatly. But this was Hermes .

"Yes, sir. I would like to"

"Better then! You will enter my temple as soon as possible" he declared.

But something bothered me. I must say that I was quite the shy guy at the time.

"Sir…"

"Yes?"

"Are you sure that I will be good enough?" I whispered. I barely knew Hermes but I dreaded to disappoint him.

"Of course I am, my dear. I don't choose a new priest lightly" he replied softly, putting his hand on my shoulder.

With that, he escorted me back to my home and disappeared into the night.

-o- -o- -o-

As I had told Hermes, I asked for my parents' permission as soon as my father came back from Nauplia.

My father was a Cretan merchant who had settled down in Troy after marrying my mother, a Trojan. He spent the most part of his time at sea and he sometimes brought me with him, assuming that one day I would take his place. My father and I were close and I enjoyed accompanying him, especially when he went to Crete. Thanks to those travels, I learned many of the stories I later told to my pupils.

If I became a priest, then I would likely spend my life in Troy and stop travelling. It was quite a sacrifice for me.

I decided not to tell my parents about Hermes' visit because I feared I would not be believed, so I only said I wished to become a priest of his.

"Ah, we saw this coming, didn't we?" said my father, exchanging a look with my mother. "I'm happy that you want to join the Herald, Aesacus. I gladly give you my permission. And may He always be as benevolent to me as he has been until now"

"And what about your ships and your work, father?" I asked.

"Don't worry about that. As soon as your brother will be old enough, I will start bringing him with me as I have done with you"

"When did you decide to become a priest, little one?" asked my mother. She had been silent so far.

"I made my decision some days ago but I've thought about it for quite a time" I answered.

"Are you certain about your decision, my son?" she asked seriously.

"Yes, very much so, mother. Does my decision upset you?"

"Not at all, Aesacus!" she said smiling "I just want you to understand that the path you wish to follow is not an easy one and it mustn't be taken lightly. But if you're sure about it, I'm happy and I believe you will accomplish"

"Thank you, mother."

-o- -o- -o-

After three days I entered Hermes' temple in Troy. The priestess, Stamathia, was petite, white haired and very old. She welcomed me warmly.

"I thought that Hermes was never going to send me a young priest. Good that he did, because I am already as old as the city itself" she said.

The temple was next to the market-square and somehow old and run-down. During the almost seventy years I spent there, I often joked that the temple's builder had loved Hermes but not his priests. Still, I immediately liked it. I even had a room for myself, although small and cold.

As soon as my parents left Stamathia and I went to sit next to the altar. She looked at me, studying my face, and asked:

"He called you, didn't he?"

"Yes." I said simply.

She made no comment and she didn't question me further but I could tell she believed me. Probably she'd undergone the same experience when she was younger.

From that day on, I lived in the temple. I learnt how to perform the rituals, how to make sacrifices and how to appropriately pray and sing to the Lord of the temple.

Also, Hermes formed his bond with me. It is difficult -or rather impossible- to explain with words how it feels like to have such a bond. From that moment on, I always felt and still feel another presence in my mind, close to but actually detached from my own soul. After just a few days of being bonded, and even if I couldn't really read Hermes' thoughts, I felt I knew him almost as well as I knew myself. He was sweet and funny, but I could feel a certain degree of toughness and defiance underneath the easy-going attitude. He was kind but didn't let himself be pushed around.

I have never regretted forming that bond.