It was late afternoon when Kassandra joined Kyra in the garden. She had gone on a walk to clear her head soon after the fight but she was still torn about the situation they were in.
The mercenary sat wordlessly on the bench next to her lover. They stayed silent for a while, just staring at the sea. "Are they still here?" She finally asked.
"Yes, I brought them some food earlier. Sam was sound asleep…" Kyra answered.
"I don't know what to do," Kassandra confessed after another moment of silence. "I thought I knew what was expected of me but now, after meeting my father in Thera, I'm not so sure anymore…"
Kyra turned her body to face her lover. "Maybe you should think about what you want more than what people want from you."
"It's not that easy."
"Isn't it?"
"No! Not after, I thought…" The misthios sighed in frustration. "My father had me for the wrong reasons, a legacy, but…"
"But what?"
"I still have a mission. The staff that Lara is after, I'm supposed to be the guardian of it, when I'm ready. I might not have asked for it, but it is my duty and it would be selfish of me to ignore it just to settle down. In the wrong hands, the Caduceus could be dangerous." She paused as she hesitated to speak her mind. "Kyra, I… I know that we agreed that, once the cult was destroyed, we would try to be together but…"
"No, stop right there." Kyra stood up, her anger rising with her. "We agreed, you said you would slow down, you said you wanted us to build something together, Kassandra. You can't just keep changing your mind all the time. You're not alone in this anymore."
Kassandra stood up, reaching out for her lover's hands before thinking otherwise. "Things have changed…"
"They always do with you." The leader chuckled somberly. "You can't just stop living because of it!"
"You don't understand, I have a duty!"
"To whom?!" Kyra snapped. "How long are you going to sacrifice yourself for a legacy you didn't choose? You don't owe anything to anyone, you have always lived your life as you saw fit. I'm not telling you to stop fighting for what is right, I'm just telling you to stop punishing yourself for things you didn't ask for."
"Exactly, I didn't ask for it," The Spartan woman argued, her voice rising. "I'm just doing what I must."
"Who asked you to? The Gods? Sparta? A father who was never there for you, too blinded by his own power?"
Kassandra shook her head. "No, it's… it's the people who came before, the Isu, it's complicated…"
Kyra laughed humorlessly "Everybody look at the chosen one, ready to let all her loved ones die for the greater good and a chance to live among the ancient Gods."
"Kyra…"
"I don't recognize you anymore." The leader stared at her with hurt and betrayal written across her features. "You would go to the underworld if you had to, fight Hades himself to save someone you care about and yet, you are willing to abandon your mater, Phoibe, me, and even let Sam and Lara die and for what?"
"I…"
"Kassandra, I love you but I can't do this anymore. You have all my heart, but… It's not enough… I don't want to stay here and watch you walk in Icarus's footsteps." Kyra looked at Kassandra, waiting for a sign that the woman would try to convince her to stay but when her lover simply stared at the ground, she sighed. "I'll set sail to Mykonos tomorrow…"
"I'm sorry…"
"You told me once that I deserve peace, I hope you can find it too…"
Later that day, after Lara made sure Sam was peacefully asleep, she went on the roof to think. To her surprise, she found Phoibe there, sitting with a sad look on her face.
The archaeologist sighed before settling next to her. "What are you doing here on your own?"
The girl shrugged, playing with a loose strand of the carpet that she was sitting on. "Everybody is yelling and fighting."
"Grown-ups have disagreements sometimes…"
"I am not a baby," Phoibe stated, making eye contact with Lara. "I know that, but…"
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be condescending." The Englishwoman squeezed the girl's hand. "It's just, things are complicated right now."
"And you are leaving." The girl added, her voice full of emotion.
"I… Yes," Lara answered gently. "But you know we are not from here, right?"
Phoibe snorted. "Yes, it's pretty obvious!"
"Yes, I suppose it is." The archaeologist chuckled. "We are from far away and our lives aren't here. We can't stay or it would kill us. If there were a way for us to come and visit you, we would happily do it but…" She trailed off.
"I understand, I just wish you could stay with us a bit longer. Kassandra is a good person, she's your friend."
"She is our friends too but friends don't always see eye to eye."
As the girl nodded with a glum smile, Lara pulled her closer, trying to give her some comfort. Phoibe cuddled against her, silently enjoying the moment.
"Sam is resting, why don't we go swimming?" The Englishwoman offered, remembering the conversation they had before the attack.
"Really?" Phoibe stood up hastily, a grin on her face. "Yes!" She grabbed Lara's hand and quickly led her downstairs. Once they were in the garden, she let go of her friend's hand and shouted. "Race you to the beach!" She started running.
Lara laughed before running after her. "You're cheating!"
The girl giggled. "I am not, you're just slow, γιαγιά!"
"I'm going to show you if I'm old!" As soon as they were close enough to the shore, Lara ran faster and caught Phoibe, hoisting her up on her shoulder before jumping into the water.
Phoibe shrieked as the cold water engulfed her. She quickly emerged from the water and started giggling again. "You cheated!"
The Englishwoman laughed with her. "You started it." She let the girl hold on to her neck as they floated together peacefully.
"I'm going to miss you, and Sam," The girl said after a while.
"We're going to miss you too, darling." Lara squeezed the girl's arm. "We should go back inside, it's getting chilly." She watched Phoibe swim back to the shore with a sad smile, no matter what would happen in the future, she knew she was going to miss all the people she had met here.
At dinner time, Lara decided to bring a plate to Sam in their room. It was also an excuse to avoid awkward conversations at the dining table with Kassandra's family.
"How are you feeling, love?" Lara asked softly as she sat next to her wife on the bed and handed her her food.
"I would kill for some Ibuprofen right now but I don't feel like my head is going to explode anymore so it's something." Sam grabbed the bowl and sniffed it. "What is it?"
"Avgolemono soup, it's made of chicken, eggs, and lemon."
The producer hummed as she tasted the food. "Have you spoken to Kassandra?"
"No, not since the fight…"
"What about the others?"
"I've spent some time with Phoibe but that's it…" Lara shrugged.
"Lara, you can't keep hiding here with me." The filmmaker shook her head disapprovingly. "We are guests in this house, you need to mingle because I can't really do it at the moment."
The Englishwoman frowned. "I'm not going to pretend everything is alright just because…"
"And here I thought you were the one with all the manners, miss posh." Sam interrupted her.
"Except for Phoibe, no one has been around all day," The archaeologist defended herself. "So you can't blame it all on me."
"Fine, but we still need answers so you should go and try to talk to Kassandra again."
Lara sighed wearily. "She's being stubborn."
Sam snorted. "Remind me of someone."
"Sam…"
"Listen, Lara," The producer turned serious. "I am in no state to argue with you right now but I'm still annoyed that you lied to me about what happened with Dr. Zuller."
"I didn't lie to you, I just omitted some parts to protect you!"
"Seriously? Because it looks like I'm lying in bed with a massive headache that came out of nowhere so I don't really think it worked." Sam hissed in pain as she touched her temple. She sighed and gulped the rest of her soup before giving the bowl back to Lara. "I need to rest, I can't deal with this right now but this conversation isn't over."
"I'm sorry… I'll let you rest." Lara left the room and closed the door behind her, leaning against it with a heavy sigh. The animus was starting to take a toll on them and she needed to find a solution soon. She made her way back to the kitchen to clean the dishes and stumbled into Myrrine.
"You weren't with us for dinner." Kassandra's mother stated as she finished her drink.
"I… hum, I wasn't hungry." Lara lied.
"I might have been away from my children for a long time, but I can still tell when they are lying to me." Myrrine moved to grab a piece of bread and some dried meat.
"No offense, I appreciate your hospitality but I am not your daughter." Lara bristled at the comment despite herself.
"You still need to eat, child." The matriarch motioned for Lara to sit down and put the food in front of her. "Come on, sit."
The archaeologist sat down with a defeated sigh. "Thank you." She silently nibbled on the piece of meat she had been offered.
"You're welcome." Myrrine patted Lara's head before walking toward the door. She stopped and turned around. "Perhaps, once you are done, you could talk to Kassandra, she is sitting at the terrace, sulking…"
"I don't think she wants to see me right now and I don't think we are in the right place to have a constructive conversation."
"I am aware of the situation but, as Kassandra's pater used to say, concern should drive us into action and not into a depression."
"Wait, I've heard that saying before…" The Englishwoman tried to remember the author but frowned when she couldn't find the answer. It was happening more and more over the past few days, she felt like she was forgetting things and she was scared that the animus was the reason behind it. "It's not from Nikolaos."
"No, her other father. In another moment of wiseness, he also said that friends are as companions on a journey and who ought to aid each other to persevere in the road to a happier life. So please, go talk to her, sweet child." Myrrine nodded in goodbye before leaving the room.
"Friends are companions, friends are…." Lara groaned in frustration, bloody brain. She finished her food before going to the terrace. It was dark now but she could see her friend slouched against the table, surrounded by what looked like empty wine amphoras. She sighed, it was definitely not the best time to have a serious conversation but she couldn't leave now. She walked toward the table and unsheathed her sword so she could sit more comfortably, she had a feeling she would be there for a while.
"Oh… You are here to fight me then." Kassandra sighed, gulping the rest of her glass.
"I hope it won't come to that." Lara threw her weapon on the table and sat in front of her friend.
"Really?"
"I just want to talk."
The mercenary snorted. "And here I thought we were friends." She poured herself another drink and handed one to Lara.
"We are." The archaeologist accepted the drink. "That's why I am begging you to tell me where the staff is."
"Lara," Kassandra said warningly. "I cannot give you the answer you seek."
"She is my world."
The misthios drank her glass in one go. "So, you are ready to sacrifice everything for love?"
"I…"
"Even if it leads to chaos?"
"A simple staff can't do that!"
Kassandra shrugged. "Maybe, maybe not, but would they have sent you here for a simple weapon?"
"I've never asked to be a part of this!" Lara exclaimed, frustrated.
"But you are, willing participant or not. If you could put away your anger for me, you would see not everything is black and white." The mercenary grabbed an amphora and took another sip, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand before standing up. "I have an offer for you." She slurred her words. "Let's fight, for every punch you manage to get, I will reveal something."
The Englishwoman frowned. "No, you are drunk and not thinking clearly."
"Exactly, it gives you a fighting chance." The mercenary puffed her chest out.
"I won't do that, you are in no state." Lara took a step backward, trying to de-escalate the situation.
"I thought it was what you wanted."
"I want answers!" Lara cried.
"Then come and get them!" Kassandra pushed her.
"Stop it!" The archaeologist tried to move away but the mercenary pushed her again.
"Do I have to seduce Sam to make you angry?" The misthios grabbed Lara's arm a bit forcefully.
"You're an arse, and I said stop, you are hurting me!" Lara pulled her arm away. She didn't want to fight her friend, it was clear that the woman was hurting and was on a destructive path that she used to know so well.
"Then fight back!" Kassandra roared.
Lara raised her hand and back slapped her. "Enough!"
Kassandra stumbled backward and chuckled darkly. "Why? I seem to be the villain of everybody's story lately, might as well embrace it…" She moved away from Lara and stepped closer to the table.
"What are you talking about?" The Englishwoman wasn't expecting the woman's answer. The mercenary shrugged and tried to reach for her drink but Lara knocked it out of her hand. "You… You don't need a fight, you clearly need someone to talk to."
"I am losing everyone." Kassandra let out a painful sigh. "My mater is disappointed in me because I haven't tried to help Alexios enough, Phoibe feels abandoned and I can't make her feel better, Kyra wants something I am not sure I can give her anymore and then Sam and you…" She laughed dejectedly. "A few days ago, I foolishly thought I could find the light, something better than the pain and misery I have felt all my life but the Gods seem to think otherwise." She shook her head. "Look at me, the mighty misthios complaining about everything." She snorted. "They should call me the pathetic misthios, the one who fell from grace…"
Lara's heart broke for her friend. Everyone was expecting something from her and she couldn't find the time to slow down, trying so hard to stay strong. "Don't be so hard on yourself."
The misthios tried once again to reach for a drink but Lara grabbed her hand to prevent her. Kassandra slapped it away as they started battling for the amphora. When Kassandra shoved her to the side, Lara realized that they were close to the edge of the terrace. Aware that it was a losing battle, she made a quick decision and kicked behind the mercenary's knee to get her to the ground. She rapidly recognized her mistake when Kassandra lost her balance faster than expected and crashed into her. She felt herself fall backward and hit the wooden pergola on the floor below.
As soon as Kassandra heard the cracking noise of the wood, she pulled Lara closer, moving around so she could cushion her friend's fall as the pergola collapsed.
"Shit!" Lara groaned when they hit the ground.
"Why did you do that?" The mercenary looked at her incredulously.
The archaeologist grabbed her friend by the cape and pulled her closer. "Asshole!" She let go of her grip, slapping the woman's arm before standing up painfully. "I was trying to stop you, I didn't expect you to crash into me."
Kassandra stared at her before bursting out laughing. "It was impressive, I didn't see it coming."
"You're drunk!" Despite the situation, Lara offered her hand to help her friend stand.
"Still." The misthios chuckled as she accepted Lara's hand.
At the commotion, everyone inside the house rushed outside, weapons in hands and ready to fight until they saw the two women. "By Zeus, what is going on here?" Myrrine demanded.
"Nothing, mater."
Kyra moved closer to the table and saw all the mess. "Liar," She shook her head as she held an empty amphora and threw it next to Kassandra's foot.
A sleepy Sam joined them, a confused look on her face. "Lara? Are you okay? What happened?"
"I, we…" The Englishwoman was trying to find an excuse but she couldn't come up with anything.
"Were you two fighting?" Myrrine asked, looking at them disapprovingly.
"No," Kassandra answered, glancing everywhere but at her mother.
"You were," Phoibe suddenly stated. When everyone turned their attention toward her, she developed. "I couldn't sleep so I went looking for Kassandra but she wasn't in her room. I looked outside and I could hear them shouting." She stared at her friends. "I am tired of people fighting." Her voice broke.
"Phoibe…" The mercenary felt properly chastised.
"No, you said we are a family. Sam and Lara are family too now, we should help them." The girl looked at Lara. "I know where her father is, he's in the island of Thera."
"Phoibe, no!" Kassandra gave her a stern look. "How do you even know?"
"I'm sorry Kassandra. I heard you fight with Kyra, I didn't mean to but I was on the roof and…"
"Friends are companions!" Lara declared out of the blue. It finally clicked.
"What?" The misthios frowned in confusion.
"Pythagoras! Your, your biological father is Pythagoras!?" The archaeologist half stated half asked. "But how? He's dead!"
Sam looked wide-eyed at her friend then at Myrrine, "Is it true?"
"It is but, things are more complicated than that…" Myrrine sighed. "Please come inside, we shouldn't discuss this out here." She glared at her daughter and her friend once again. "You two better fix this in the morning!"
"Yes, mater." Kassandra watched as everyone went back inside before focusing on Lara. "Well, now you know…" They stared at each other for a moment until the mercenary sighed. "I apologize for my behavior, I shouldn't have let my emotions…"
Lara quickly cut her off. "I told you once, you are only human. You are allowed to be sad and angry. I shouldn't have questioned you in your state and just ask how you felt instead."
"I am… tired." The misthios turned around and started gathering the pieces of wood on the ground. "You can go back inside, I will join you in a moment."
The archaeologist studied her for a moment, pondering what to do. When she heard a sniffle, she moved closer and gently put her hand on her friend's arm. "You are not a disappointment Kassandra, you are an amazing woman who has a lot on her plate and little room to breathe."
Kassandra shook her head. "I don't deserve your kindness, not after what I did."
Lara stepped in front of her and wordlessly hugged her. "Friends are companions."
"You keep saying that." Kassandra sniffled. "What is the meaning of it?"
"'Friends are as companions on a journey and who ought to aid each other to persevere in the road to a happier life'. Sam and I, we are your friends, and we are going to help you, as much as we can, as long as can. I will find the staff in the future and I will bring it back to whoever it belongs, no matter how long it takes. I won't let them win, I promise… You are not alone."
"Thank you." Kassandra broke the embrace and looked at the mess on the ground. "Do you know anything about woodworking?"
Lara chuckled. "I'm afraid not…"
Once they were all gathered inside, Kassandra gave them more details about her father, the island and more specifically the staff.
"So, what do we do now?" Sam inquired. "Should we try to trigger the safety switch to go back to the present? Because it doesn't look like they are aware of our discovery."
Lara shook her head. "Not yet, I would like to see the staff first, if that's alright with you?" She looked at her friend.
Kassandra glanced at her mother for advice. "Mater?"
"It is your decision, lamb."
"I don't think Pythagoras will be happy about it, but I can lead you to his cave." The mercenary stated. "We'll leave tomorrow."