I posted this chapter Sunday night and removed it after a few hours, to add the Leona/Leyna coming to the door begging for food. It was just too much dialogue and I didn't have fun writing this chapter. The only motivation were the 3-4 people who subscribed and followed this story since Sunday night. Thank you all and review.
After disappearing down the road away from the restaurant they headed for the institute.
"I know a short cut, through that path" Ahri spoke
While Pantheon looked suspicious at the darken path, almost too inviting to anyone looking to get assaulted. He nodded and was surprise by Ahri as she locked her left arm with his and interlocked fingers. She almost leaned on him as they walked through the small path, both of them walking quietly. Listening to crickets and the wind blow. The only abnormal sound was the clinking of two wine bottles Ahri had taken from the restaurant table. Both necks, held in one hand, while her other held Pantheons.
They walked for about ten minutes in silence through the dirt path which started to rise at an incline. There was a laud rustling of bushes behind them, Pantheon squeeze Ahri's hand tightly to reassure her she was safe. When she heard what seemed to be just another indistinguishable vermin she let out a soft sigh and lean on Panth's shoulder. The warmth of their bodies as they walked side by side kept the silent situation comfortable.
The path opened up into a large open space, Pantheon looked around recognizing it through the moon light. It was the institute's garden where just a few days earlier he's heart had been broken. This time upon seeing his head slump a little Ahri, squeezed his arm and hand tighter he looked over at her and he could see her beautiful eyes, big smile and ears pointed towards his direction.
"Lets go look at the starts and finish this wine" She tugged on his arm and he followed her towards the edge of the garden where the plateau started to meet the low falling grassy hill.
They sat there passing a bottle back and forth taking large gulps for a few minutes trying to regain their buzz. She looked over at him, with a smile "So…how did you get your name, Pantheon?"
"Well, I guess it's time someone besides…her knew" Hinting at Leona.
He scratched his chin and took a swig of wine as he tried to find a good starting point.
" I shouldn't ever been born…I was a fluke" He looked down at his feet on the grass than up at the sky. The warm summer night made the air comfortable, he watched the stars not focusing on anyone on particular. He felt her lean up against him as he spoke.
"My father and mother had been trying to have a child since after their trail…maybe before. My mother begged my father to re-marry to move on for 20 years but he loved her and would rather die than abandon her. So my father told me, my mother made a deal with the gods." He spoke while fighting back his emotions.
"My mother was 38, when she finally got pregnant….. During my birth, the gods had come to collect their due….she didn't survive." He was silent for a few seconds and spoke again.
"Rakkor tradition states that if a woman dies during child birth, it's because she gave all her life force..her will to live to her child. The child would be a great warrior or if it's a woman will bare many great future warriors." He looked down at Ahri, she was teary eyed feeling the emotion in his voice.
"My father, was very proud of me. He would carry me around the town on his shoulders. He never really gave me a name, I guess my name died with my mother…as mothers are given the honor of naming their child. When I was old enough to listen and talk my father sat me down and told me."
"Listen son, you will have to be better than any man be better than me you will be a Pantheon among men, something to be inspired and in awe of"
"He started training me in hand to hand combat as soon as I could walk, first play fighting eventually he would be hard on me injure me, he told me the world and life wasn't fare…he was though on me. During our training he kept calling me Pantheon…so that's my name Pantheon." Pantheon, just shrugged.
"I would hear him weep at night holding the blanket's she had woven him saying her name. He missed her so much, but he would never show it. I always thought he blamed me for her death…. But I knew he wasn't easy on me because he was trying to push me…make me better. Not because he hated me…he was proud of me."
"What were their names?" She asked softly.
"My father was Halmicar and mother was Cyrene" he spoke with a smile as if being asked for the first time.
He sat there quietly taking a sip from the wine bottle and he could hear Ahri, sniffling and crying.
"What's wrong?" He asked her softly rubbing her shoulder.
"Panth…I can't have kids…either…I'm not fully human…yet" she looked down at the grass trying to hide her tears.
"Well, what requires you to be fully human?" asking with innocent curiosity.
"I need to feed off life..essence" she kept looking down not wanting to meet he's gaze.
"Well..I mean…." Pantheon blushed the wine had given him more courage than he would of hoped. "If…we uhm…ever decided to…couldn't you just feed off me?" Without really questioning the intricacies of it his mind still on his father and his past.
She looked up at him with a big embarrassed smile and punched him softly on the chest. "First date and you're already talking about kids?!" she tried to give him an angry glare but when he just smiled she blushed.
She thought it over and met his eyes, she held one of his hands in hers. I have better control of myself now….I wont hurt him…I hope.
"You promise?" she looked up at him with earnest eyes.
"I promise" he smiled and brought up her hand in his up to his mouth and gave it a soft kiss.
They sat drinking the remainder of second bottle of wine and broke into the third bottle.
"Panth…can we talk about the elephant in the room?" She asked almost innocently.
"hu?"Raising his brow at her.
"Leona…why do you care so much about her…she looks no much older than 18….your almost what six? Seven years her senior?" Asking quickly as if the faster she asked the more he would have to answer.
He knew he had been dancing around the subject and he knew Ahri, had seen them walking around together through her own admission just how much she saw he didn't know.
He raised his chest taking in a deep breath and exhaled loudly through his lungs then began speaking.
"Leona's mother left Mount Targon as a teenage girl. My father told me Leona's mother, Leyna, ran away from her abusive father. When Leyna's father died she returned to Mount Targon. But she had a young girl in tow, Leona. Because Leona's father was unknown and conceived out of wedlock and not a Rakkor the kids growing up were horrible to her." He stopped and thought about how much he wanted to divulge.
As he spoke, his memories of when he was a young boy returned.
….
He remembered, answering the door on a cold autumn morning and seeing a middle age woman and young girl side by side. The woman, was asking if his father was home and wanted to know if there was anything they had any supplies to spare. Even in early autumn on Mount Targon at night the grass would frost over. He looked at the older woman who introduced herself as Leyna and her young daughter Leona. She spoke meekly her shoulders were tired and she had a look of shame and desperation. "If you have..anything to spare, we would be more than grateful. Please…"
Leyna, looked down teary eyed as she spoke her breath looked like fog escaping her mouth. They both wore wool blankets and had old raggedy tunics. He didn't have much and he knew his father would be very upset if he gave away any supplies, for they were essential for winter.
He, didn't know what to say or do, until he looked down and saw the young girl. Standing there doe eyed, her auburn hair behind her shoulders. Dirt smudges on her face, she looked sad and lonely holding a small rag doll in her hand. She saw her mom crying and started to follow. He could see her shivering and he felt great regret he couldn't help them. When he saw tears running from the young girls face.
"Wait! Here!" he spoke loudly hoping it would stop her tears.
He ran into his closet digging through old blankets and cloths and found one of his old jackets. Then, from the table he grabbed an old crusty loaf of bread and some cured meats.
"Sorry, this is all I can spare" he handed the food to Leyna and his old jacket to Leona.
Leyna, graciously accepted it and thanked giving him a warm smile and Leona waved at him saying "thank you" softly.
After that day, he started hunting more often some days skipping meals and he would bring whatever he could to Leyna and to her young daughter. Even against his father's wishes.
"They are too weak to survive, you are foolish for giving them hope!"
…
"After my father died, Leyna and Leona were the only people I really knew. I made sure they wouldn't go hungry. Everyone else saw them as outcasts a….whore and her daughter." He frowned knowing he didn't mean it just said it to emphasize how hard it had been for them "I promised Leyna on her death bed I'd watch after her no matter what."
"and make her happy…no matter what" he spoke silently under his breath.
""Guess…she's been really the only woman in my life…"he sighed to himself.
He looked over at Ahri, who by now was sleeping by now.
Ahri, had been listening to everything he said but at the same time she he had taken so long she finished the last bottle of wine by herself and slowly started falling asleep to Pantheon's voice.
"Ahri….wake up!...wake up!" he kept poking her shoulder softly.
He looked down at her face her soft pale skin looked beautiful in the moon light. Part of him wanted to steal a kiss as he looked at her soft full lips. He ran a finger softly across her face moving some of her hair from her face and smiled. She's so beautiful….
He looked at his watch piece it read 1:00 AM.
"Come on let's get you home" he picked her up and cradled her in his arms.
He walked in silence her breathing was the only audible sound as he walked through the institute's dimly light garden and up the steps. Hoping with all his might no one would be up and not have to explain himself.
He walked into the dimly lit lobby overjoyed to find out it was empty.
Then he realized…I don't know her room number.
Only thing, he could do was carry her to his room almost tip toeing. Leona shared the room next to his and the Institute's walls were synonymously thin.
So far this was my least favorite chapter to write. A lot of dialogue but it seemed like it had to be said between the two characters and to move the story along. The next chapter will have some dialogue but not as much. It's important to the story line, it was the first chapter that I didn't have as much fun writing. The last 2 plus this chapter have been written on my laptop while I'm working in the Arctic. I get to go home to Anchorage, A.K tomorrow for a few days. So, I'm using my free time at work to write this. Thanks for all that have been following and reviewing.