Chapter 1

Athens, May 2019

Aiolos exhaled and let himself relax inwardly. The only tense muscles were the ones he needed to draw back the bowstring. His eyes were following the line of the Sight attached to the back of it, focused on the target 60 meters away.

Then he exhaled and opened his fingers.

The arrow gave a satisfying sound as it rushed through the air. Seconds later, it struck the target. Aiolos didn't wait; already he pulled out the next arrow out of his quiver and in reverse grip, nocked it to the bow. Let it loose. By the time he second arrow hit the target, he had already nocked a third arrow and let it fly.

"Impressive speed as always."

Aiolos smiled and turned to his coach, who approached him from behind.

"Thank you, Sisyphus."

"Now then, let's examine your points."

The practice hall of the Toxotes Archery Club was empty except for them, so they were able to head straight for the target. Once the two men reached it, they pondered the three arrows.

"One at yellow eight points, two at red six points", Sisyphus summarized. "For the speed you shot those arrows, this is quite remarkable." He eyed the younger archer. "And so far, it has served you quite well. However, if you want to progress, you must get even more precise. Take the time you do have and aim well. "

"I understand", his protegee replied.

"Good. I suggest you start by focusing more on your aim now. Take the time you need, even if it would take longer than allowed during a competition. After that, you can still work on your speed. Alright, let's see what you got. And remember what I taught you about focus."

Aiolos gave an affirmative grin. "Got'cha, coach."

As he pulled another arrow out of his quiver, Sisyphus retreated back to a safe distance. Aiolos nocked the arrow. In one smooth motion, he lifted his arms and drew back the bowstring. This time, he took a few deep breaths and concentrated on the target in front of him. Banished any thought of time limit from his mind, even though he involuntarily tensed inside.

'You have time', he reminded himself. 'Relax. This isn't a competition. Focus on your aim.'

The tension lessened a little, though it didn't go away completely. Aiolos ignored it and instead stared intensely at the target through his bow's Sight. Adjusted his arms ever so slightly. Took his time for that, just like Sisyphus had told him. Only when he was content, he opened his fingers and sent the arrow flying.

He repeated this process with the next two arrows. When he was done, he and Sisyphus again went to examine his handiwork.

"There you go", Sisyphus said contentedly.

And indeed. Aiolos's score had improved to one yellow eight, one red seven and one arrow on the line between red six and seven; since the higher score was counted, it was another seven. Four points more than before. The young archer was quite content.

"Adelphos!"

At the familiar voice, both men turned. Two people stood at the entrance, the smaller of them winking. At their sight, Aiolos couldn't help but smile.

"Aiolia. Saga."

His younger brother flung into his arms. The boy always greeted him enthusiastically. No wonder; Aiolos was the only family he had. He was in fact even too young to even remember their parents. Aiolos himself had memories of them, but they were preciously few compared to the time all of them should have been able to spend together as a family.

"So you're already back?", he asked. "Was it fun?"

"It was epic!", Aiolia answered excitedly. "Saga is such a great teacher, too!"

Aiolos and Saga exchanged a smile. The blue-haired young man was a few months older than Aiolos and his closest friends. The had known each other since childhood, had braved a harsh time in an orphanage together. All that had formed a strong bond between them. When Aiolos had been left alone to care for Aiolia after their parent's death, Saga had helped him with that task. A help that had been invaluable.

So it goes to figure that Saga was the only person the archer trusted enough to teach his little brother how to ride a boat.

The two of them had actually just returned from the sea. Aiolia was only sixteen. However, there are boats beneath a certain speed limit that one can ride without a license, and thus as a minor like him. Of course, as with any vehicle, boats weren't without their risks. However, Saga was a patient teacher; and Aiolia, despite being at that certain age, respected the older Greek enough to do as he said.

"The conditions were perfect", Saga added to Aiolia's recount. "And your brother seems to have a knack for driving a boat."

"Glad to hear it", Aiolos said and ruffled Aiolia's hair.

"Adelphos!", the youth promptly protested. At his indignance, Aiolos and Saga exchanged a look and chuckled. Despite his protest, Aiolia loved being doted on by his older brother, whom he regarded as a hero.

During this exchange, Sisyphus had kept to the side. Now he approached them and lifted a hand in greeting.

"Hello, you two. Looks like you had a great time."

Aiolos and the other two turned to him. Saga gave him a respectful nod. Aiolia, on the other hand, gave him a short, enthusiastic hug.

"Uncle Sisyphus! Yeah, it's been tons of fun!"

The "uncle" was a nickname of affection, since they weren't related by blood. However, Sisyphus had become somewhat of a father figure to the brothers; hence why he and Aiolos did not share the usual bond of coach and pupil. Theirs was a bond much deeper.

"Say, Aiolos." Saga turned to his friend. "You got much left of your training for today?"

That question surprised the young archer. He hadn't had a concrete plan for training in the first place. The intention was to train as long as time and stamina allowed. His eyes wandered to his wristwatch, then to Sisyphus. It was half past three, and he was still good to go.

Sisyphus, after checking the watch as well, looked at him, then at Saga and Aiolia. "I suggest we train for one more hour. The two of you can watch if you want." With a pointed look at Aiolia, he added: "And if you keep quiet."

Saga nodded gravely. "I will do my best to keep him silent."

"Hey!", the boy in question shouted indignantly.

Aiolia was a very active youth, which had its good sides. Staying silent and moving little was not for him. Though, when visiting his brothers' training, he usually managed to keep it down. However, not always successfully.

Sisyphus smiled. "What do you guys say – shall we head to our usual place afterwards?", said in a placating tone. "We haven't been there for a while now."

Aiolia's face immediately lit up. And with everyone else agreeing, the matter was decided.

The rest of this training luckily passed without any more interruptions. Aiolos shot more arrows, gradually increasing his total score by a small margin. Sisyphus corrected and gave advice where necessary, to which his protegee adhered to the best of his abilities.

And such, time flew by incredibly fast.

Shortly after half past four, Sisyphus called it a day.

"We've done enough for today", he declared. "We'll continue on Monday. And remember what I've told you: Make sure to rest well tomorrow. Training afterwards will get harsh."

"I know."

Aiolos stowed away his gear, while his coach joined the other two. Once he was done, they left the club. Since they were the last ones left, Sisyphus locked the doors behind him.

Then again, Sisyphus was almost always the last one to go, the one to close up. Because he was not only Aiolos's coach. He was also the owner and part-time manager of the Toxotes Archery Club. The latter job he had partly given over to one of the other senior trainers at the club, to have the time to personally coach Aiolos. Which he was doing for about two months now.

The group headed out into the streets of Athens.

It was a sunny Saturday. The city was as busy as would be expected. However, not as busy as it could be – at days like this, many people flocked to the sea and its beaches. Enjoyed sailing or other watery activities. They were understandably escaping the early summer heat that held the city in its firm grip. Unfortunately, a thin veil of smog hung over it as well today.

They walked about a minute to a parking lot. There, Sisyphus and Saga had parked their cars. The two brothers decided to join their blue-haired friend this time. Saga's car was a dark blue Opel Mokka, while Sisyphus drove a sleek, silver Jaguar F-Type. One of the few true luxuries he allowed himself, despite his and his family's wealth.

On the way, Aiolia told more details of his broad riding lesson. He was really, really excited about learning that skill. Aiolos smiled silently as he listened. It warmed his heart to see his little brother this happy. By god, they had gone through many times their share of hardships.

He only wished it could have been him teaching Aiolia how to ride a boat. Alas, his tightly packed training schedule didn't allow that. It made him all the more glad that Saga was here to help.

After a twenty minute drive, they reached a certain bar/restaurant. Didimoi stood in white on a bright blue background, above the entrance. It was the Greek name for the Zodiac Sign Gemini. Luckily, they found free parking lots only two or three minutes from it.

The four of them went inside. They came into a smaller section, where the bar area was, with a long counter. The restaurant part was in an adjacent room.

A young man was standing behind the counter, in the process of pouring a beer for a customer. Aside from being dressed differently, he was the spitting image of Saga.

"Yo, Kanon!", the aforementioned, blue-haired Greek said, lifting a hand in greeting. "You got a table free for us?"

The man pouring the beer turned his head. When he saw them, he grinned.

"Look who it is! Brother dearest and his entourage! Sure, there are still free tables over there. Pick one, I'll be right with you."

Kanon was in fact Saga's twin brother. Only people as close to them as Aiolos and Aiolia were able to keep them apart – though not even them managed to do that every single time. The restaurant's name was a homage to the fact that not only were Saga and Kanon twins, but they were also born under Gemini, the sign of the twins.

They chose a table that was a little away from those which were occupied. While not overrun, the Didimoi was still well visited.

For a while, as Saga, Sisyphus and Aiolia did some small talk, Aiolos watched the other guests and mused how it was a symbol of what can achieve through hard work. Being orphans, Saga and Kanon had had almost nothing. But just like him, they hadn't given up. And so, today, one of them was the owner of a restaurant, the other a successful freelancing journalist.

"Well now", Kanon's voice interrupted his train of thought. "It's good to see you guys again. It was about time you showed your faces here."

The younger twin put down a tray with beverages. Despite some time having passed since the last time they all had been here together, he still knew their favorites. Which he now placed in front of each of them before taking a seat and leaving service to his competent employees.

"Oh, and to celebrate this occasion, this round is on the house."

"That's generous, Kanon", Sisyphus said with a smile. "Thank you very much. We would have liked coming here sooner, but training does take priority now."

Kanon raised an eyebrow and looked at Aiolos, who was just taking a sip of beer. "So you've made your decision, Los?"

Interest peaked immediately, and everyone looked at Aiolos, their eyes sparking with curiosity. Only Sisyphus knew the answer already. I wasn't that Aiolos had wanted to keep anything from them. He just had needed the time to adjust himself to the new situation. And being on the humbler side, he wasn't the type of screaming such big news into the world.

Now, however, it looked like he couldn't avoid telling them any longer. He exhaled deeply, then looked at the others with a smile.

"Alright, I'll tell you. Just promise me to keep it down." The nodded, and he exhaled deeply once more. "Yes, I will go. I will be at the Olympic Games in Tokyo next year."

There was a moment of silence as the words sunk in.

Then, Aiolia's spread into a broad grin. "I knew it! You're just the best, adelphos!"

Saga clapped Aiolos on the shoulder. "Congratulations, man!" He extended his hand to his twin. "Time to pay up, brother dearest."

Kanon grumbled angrily as he fished out his purse and pressed a few Euro notes into Saga's hand.

Aiolos watched the exchange incredulously. "You… you bet on my decision?"

Kanon grinned sheepishly. "Y-yeah… we kinda did. Oh well… it took you long enough. But I suppose you thought about it very carefully, then."

"I did", the brown-haired Greek replied.

"Can't have been easy", Saga commented with his usual insightfulness and took a sip of his beer.

"It certainly wasn't", the brown-haired Greek agreed. "But after long conversations with coach", he exchanged a smile with Sisyphus, "I decided to give it a try."

Saga grinned. "You know that I'm going to follow you on your heels, right?"

At that, Aiolos laughed. "I haven't really expected anything else. I trust you proved an impeccable coverage as always."

"You can count on me."

They bumped fists.

Aiolos had been a successful archer for years now, despite his young age. Training hard, he had climbed his way from success to success, until he reached the point where he was now. He was considered one of the best archers of Greece; of entire Europe even. Despite that, he had been able to keep a low profile. Mostly thanks to Saga being a journalist – and the only one Aiolos allowed to cover him. He knew that otherwise he would have been under siege by the Athens press. Sure, there was the rare occasion he did give interviews to sports magazines on the topic of archery or other newspapers in regards to his career. Other than that, Saga was somewhat his personal journalist, publishing only what Aiolos allowed him to write. An agreement with which they were both more than content and which so far had worked perfectly. And it enabled the archer to retain a certain privacy.

His success had also gained Aiolos the right to participate in the Olympic Games taking place the coming year.

To the young Greek, this had not been an easy choice. Sure, he had some experience in dealing with publicity. But the Olympics… they were on a whole different level. They would propel Aiolos onto the international scene on new scale. Also, it meant that he was going to train harder than ever before.

He had thought about it very carefully before making his choice. Had talked with Sisyphus about it. In the end, he had decided to gather both his courage and his faith in his skills and participate.

"That is fantastic news!", Kanon said in a jolly tone. "You guys know what? If you're hungry, you're invited for dinner. This is what I call a reason to celebrate."

The others happily accepted. And so, their evening at the Didimoi got prolonged. Talk remained at the topic of the Olympics for a while. Aiolos patiently answered the inevitable questions. Eventually, they ventured on to other topics, and Kanon took the opportunity to vanish into the kitchen for a little while to help cook what they had ordered.

In the end, the group sat in front of a delicious meal. Molokithokeftedes, zucchini fritters with feta cheese in them, and Greek salad for starters, Moussaka, a dish that almost resembles lasagna, only without the pasta and with eggplants, as the main dish and delicious Baklava, a traditional pastry, for dessert. Before starting eating, everyone except for Aiolia – the only minor at the table – enjoyed a small glass of obligatory Ouzo. Much to the youth's frustration.

Sometime during the meal, Kanon addressed the young boy.

"So, Aiolia, have you enjoyed today's boat ride?"

Once more did the younger brother tell his story. But Kanon's interest was justified, beyond him being a good friend of Aiolia. Despite his and Saga's success, buying and maintaining a boat was a costly matter, which was why they had bought the boat together and were also sharing all subsequent costs.

When they finally finished the extensive dinner, the sun outside had already settled, and the hour was late. Since the next day was Sunday, it didn't matter that it had gotten this late already.

Aiolos, Aiolia, Sisyphus and Saga bid Kanon goodbye, not before showering him with thanks for the meal. The younger twin was going to stay at the Didimoi until it closed. It was reassuring to Aiolos that he was discreet enough to tell neither his staff nor his customers of his decision – just like he had mainly kept a lid on the fact that they knew each other and the archer occasionally frequented the restaurant.

They headed for the cars. Once again they joined Saga in his Opel, and he brought them to their flat in the Kypseli district in the North of Athens. Before Saga drove off, Aiolos turned one last time and smiled at him through the open car window.

"Thank you for taking care of Aiolia today."

The older twin returned the smile. "Anytime, Los. Anytime."

And with that, he drove off down the road, turning left at the next intersection and disappeared around the corner.

As the two brothers headed up the stairs, Aiolia grinned broadly. "I still can't believe you actually did it, Los. The freaking Olympics."

"I know, right? It kinda still seems like a dream to me, too."

"You already nervous?"

Aiolos thought on that for a moment. "No… not really. Not yet, at least. But I'm sure that's going to change."

"Don't worry, I'll keep cheering you on."

"Thanks, Lia. I feel already much better knowing you have my back."

"I believe in you. I know you will do greatly."

Those words were said with the same confidence in his older brother Aiolia had always displayed.

And Aiolos was not going to start disappointing him.

Adelphos: "brother" in Greek

Toxotes: "Sagittarius" in Greek

Didimoi: "Gemini" in Greek

Ouzo: famous Greek anis aperitif