Kairos 77: Wrap-up

Andromache looked so beautiful as the wind brushed against her face.

Kairos could have watched her all day. Her hair and robes floated with the morning breeze and the sunlight reflected on her perfect skin. The nymph looked every bit like Aphrodite after rising from the sea.

But it was her bright smile that Kairos found the most charming. Andromache’s joy always had an undercurrent of bittersweetness in the past; her moments of happiness were never more than a temporary reprieve from her terrible existence.

But not today.

Now she was happy, truly happy. She beamed with joy and relief, with no fear of the future.

Andromache had found freedom, and peace.

Orgonos had given the couple access to his tower’s top, as he received Nessus for a private audience. Kairos suspected that the satyr wanted answers about his immortality or to consult the ancient cyclops on the Old Gods’ fate, but he respected his friend’s privacy enough not to ask questions. Instead, the Foresight’s captain enjoyed his quiet moment with his paramour at the apex of the world.

The tower’s magical beacon burnt behind the couple, bathing them in its warmth. They could see the Foresight from their location, waiting for their successful return. Rook in particular made circles in the skies, unable to cross the barrier surrounding the island.

‘It’s alright, Rook,’ Kairos contacted him through telepathy. ‘I can see you.’

His griffin did not answer, confirming that the barrier blocked telepathic communications. Kairos hoped that Orgonos’ anti-divination boon would prove just as effective.

“How do you feel?” Kairos asked Andromache, as he moved behind her back and put his arms around her.

She looked at him with a smile that showed her perfect teeth. “I feel great.”

Andromache, Witch of Histria

Legend: Witch of Freedom (Hero)

Pantheon: Térastheon.

Race: Nymph (Naiad)

Class: Spellcaster (Pyromancer, Witch, Storm Caller, Shapeshifter, Necromancer, Telchine)

Level: 60

“I’m a bit jealous that you have more levels than me now,” Kairos said, though only jokingly. He was proud of Andromache’s achievement.

“I struggled all my life to reach this moment,” his concubine replied with a grin. “If it couldn’t make me a [Demigod], the System owed me this much.”

“Any idea why you didn’t ascend?” Kairos knew that Andromache’s Quest only mentioned breaking the curse, but still… he had expected his paramour to ascend after breaking a [God]’s hold on her.

“The curse bound my [Legend] and kept me down,” the nymph replied. “Now it has evolved, I have gained the potential to ascend further. Maybe I will become a [Demigod] before you, my other half.”

“It would be exciting,” he replied before kissing her in the neck. “I’m so glad for you. I know how long you waited. I can’t say I understand how it felt, but… I can tell the difference. You feel at peace.”

“I do,” she agreed with a nod, while her fingers brushed against his forearms. “Now… Now my life is truly my own, and I will rebuild it. I will dig a new pond in the woods near my mentor’s home, and build a cottage.”

“You want to leave the lighthouse?”

“Not for the moment,” Andromache replied with gravitas, “but it’s not a place to raise a family.”

She moved Kairos’ hands and guided them to her belly. It felt warm to the touch, beneath the robes.

“It’s my body now,” Andromache whispered. “Circe no longer has power over it. It’s all mine, to do with as I see fit. And what I want, Kairos… is to bear you children.”

“Now?”

“Now.”

“We have a war on the horizon,” he warned her. “One where we’ll have to fight. We may even perish. You are no longer invulnerable, and I never was in the first place.”

“I know, my other half… and this is why I want to do it now. We never know what the future holds, and we shouldn’t live in fear of it.” Her fingers caressed his own, a jolt of desire going down Kairos’ spine. “Perhaps one of us will die, yes. So I want us to leave something behind in his world. Something that we made together.”

She turned her head, her lips so close to Kairos’ that he could sense her warm breath.

“I want our love to take physical shape,” she whispered. “I want to feel your warmth inside me, until I can hold it in my arms. I want us to make sweet moments in our home, away from politics, from your wars.”

“I want it too,” Kairos replied. “But I have responsibilities. I told you as much when Euryale wed us.”

“I understand,” she replied with no hint of anger. “I still haven’t made peace with sharing you with your wife, but… I want us to enjoy blissful moments, now, tomorrow, and all days to come. Even if they are brief. Even if we might die. I want to enjoy the life I took back from Circe, and to share it with you.”

Kairos slowly turned his concubine around, until they faced each other. He pulled her close to him while she put her arms around his waist, their body so close they might as well be one.

“I want children with you too, Andromache,” Kairos whispered as their foreheads touched. “I desired it even before marrying Julia. If you want them now, in spite of the conflicts ahead… then I’m willing to take the risk.”

“Take me tonight then,” she replied softly. “And each night until we reach the harbor.”

“Each night?” Kairos couldn’t help but chuckle. “You’re insatiable.”

“I want to experience everything life has to offer, my love, and I have so much time to catch up on.” She caressed his chin with her index finger, a coy look in her eyes. “As for the day… you will teach me how to fly.”

“You want me to find you a griffin of your own?”

“Not quite.” A layer of feathers grew over the back of Andromache’s hands. “I’m experimenting with partial transformations, and I would love to join you and Rook in the skies.”

“It’s an amazing experience,” Kairos confirmed as he glanced at the clouds above them. “The world looks so beautiful from above, with the wind against your face. There are no frontiers up there, no wall. Only the endless sea. You truly feel free, like the wind.”

“That’s what I wanted to hear.” Andromache nodded to herself, as her hands returned to normal. “Free like the wind. Maybe I could become the wind itself, or a cloud. This power offers me so many possibilities, it will take a lifetime to explore them all.”

“I can give you pointers for how to transform into a shark.”

“I have spent enough time beneath the waves,” Andromache replied. “Maybe when I finish building my new pond.”

Kairos approached his lips from her own. “And what will we do now, my cruel nymph?”

“Whatever we want, my love,” she said while embracing him. “Whatever we want…”

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When Orgonos summoned Kairos and Andromache again to his hall, Nessus waited for them in silence.

Kairos immediately noticed something wrong with his friend. The cheerful satyr kept his arms crossed and looked at the floor with a sullen, grim face. He seemed lost in dark thoughts, and didn’t even raise his head to greet his friends.

Whatever Orgonos and he had discussed, the satyr didn't like it.

“It is time for us to part ways… until we meet again,” Orgonos declared as he sat on his throne, his single eye flaring with a bright flash. “I will wait for the day when we can bring an end to the witch-queen’s ambitions once and for all.”

“Will you help us with the other Calamities?” Kairos asked, just in case.

As he expected, the cyclops shook his head in denial. “The Old Gods took sides in the Trojan War, and mortals on both sides paid the price. I will have no part in your conflict with the Poison King. And if I intervene against Lycaon, it means the wolf-god will have already escaped. At that point, the damage will have been done.”

Orgonos marked a short pause. “However…”

“However?” Kairos asked with a frown.

“Lycaon has chosen his champion on earth, just as you inherited Prometheus’ hopes. Though the wolf-god protects his tool from my sight, I have often glimpsed this Romulus in my visions. His soul is dark… but even in the cold night, an ember remains. I suspect your fate is tied to it.”

An ember? Of what, humanity?

“He tried to murder my unborn child and wife,” Kairos said angrily, while Andromache tensed at his side. “If he could have been sure that Julia carried a boy, both would have died.”

“And yet, though his god willed your family to die, his champion stayed his hand.” Orgonos’ face turned undecipherable. “Who saves a life, saves the world. Remember these words when the fateful moment comes, child.”

Save a life? Romulus’ life? Did Orgonos suggest sparing that monster?

Kairos couldn’t even fathom the idea. The Beast Cult had killed hundreds, maybe thousands of people, and Romulus led them. All the blood shed by Lycaon’s servants tainted his hands red. Even his moment of mercy towards Julia was only a temporary respite; once she gave birth, whether to a boy or girl, the vile [Demigod] would hunt her down again.

And yet… Orgonos had a point. Romulus had stayed his hand, almost certainly because he shared a family bond with Kairos. While Lycaon infamously served one of his own sons to Zeus as dinner. Romulus had lines he wasn’t willing to cross.

Kairos had no idea what to make of this. He needed to learn more about Romulus, to figure out who hid under his mask. What blood tie he and Kairos shared.

Later, the Travian King thought. There is a more imminent problem to deal with first.

Julia wouldn’t give birth before many months and Romulus was abroad, while the evil slumbering in the Necromanteion lurked at Kairos’ door. Now that their expedition reached its end, the [Monster Reaver] intended to make sure Circe’s prophesied second sun would never rise.

“Take this, Lord Orgonos,” Andromache said as she offered the trident’s shard to the ancient cyclops. “As a gift.”

“For the final time, are you certain of your decision?” the deity asked. “You have gone through many trials to secure this tool. Though you know it shall be safe with me, it might help you on your journey.”

“The mere fact you will not take this weapon by force proves to me that you can be trusted with it.” Andromache offered the deity a profound bow of respect. The sorceress had shown deference to Gaia due to her power, but in this case Kairos saw that his soulmate didn’t bow before the god’s might.

She bowed before the person.

“Out of all the gods I have crossed paths with, often to my displeasure, you are the only one I will pray to,” Andromache declared with sincerity. “You have woken me up from a long nightmare and I shall be forever grateful.

Though the cyclops mage had long lost his lips, Kairos could have sworn that Orgonos’ teeth rearranged themselves into a smile. “I did nothing but give you a nudge, child,” said the deity. “You are the one who conquered your pain and laid it to rest. As for prayers, I have no need for them. If you want to please me, simply continue gazing into the abyss of magic and become the great sorceress I know you can become. One better and wiser than the witches of old.”

“Thank you,” the sorceress said with deference. “I shall keep that in mind.”

Orgonos snapped his fingers, and the trident’s shard floated in the air to the palm of his hand. The cyclops proved as good as his word, and afforded Kairos his protection in exchange for the trident’s piece. The ancient cyclops spoke a single word of power, and imbued his guests with his power.

You have received the [Blinded Eye of Orgonos] Legendary Skill. You are now immune to divination spells and abilities cast by [God]-Rank creatures and below, except those cast by Orgonos himself. This protection also wards your gear. Finally, you can extend this protection to any willing creature that you touch, though they cannot share it with others themselves.

“Your secrets shall remain your own,” Orgonos declared. “Neither Protogenoi nor mortals will be able to locate or spy on you. It shall give you an edge in your coming war.”

“I would have expected an artifact,” Andromache admitted.

“Items can be lost, but skills are with you forever,” the deity replied with amusement.

“I will take practical over flashy every time,” Kairos said, before bowing before the cyclops. “Thank you for your help, Lord Orgonos.”

“My thoughts are with you, dear child.” Orgonos joined his hands together, as he offered words of wisdom to his guests one last time. “Your dream is a noble one, Kairos of Travia. Stay true to it. You may stumble on the path, but true defeat only starts in one’s mind.”

The deity’s eye let out a flash of green energy, and when the light died down, the trio found themselves back on the stairs leading up to the tower.

This visit had been a complete success, and a welcome palate cleanser after the mess in Vali. Kairos had not expected Orgonos to prove so reasonable and helpful; the old cyclops had joined the select group of deities that the Travian respected.

Speaking of old deities, Nessus’ mood hadn’t improved at all.

“What did you talk about?” Kairos asked his satyr friend. “Something that’s weighing on your mind, I’m sure.”

This time, Nessus finally looked up. His single eye gazed at Kairos with what could pass for grim acceptance. “I asked him if he knew the reason for my immortality.”

Kairos froze. “And he did?”

“He had a theory. It sounds plausible, but…” The satyr didn’t finish his sentence, shaking his head.

“You did not like it,” Andromache guessed with a hint of concern. “What did he say?”

“Something I need to check,” Nessus replied while refusing to elaborate. “Maybe he’s right, maybe he’s wrong. I need to see for myself. And for that… I’ll need your help.”

“Whatever you need, my friend,” Kairos said.

This time, Nessus couldn’t help but chuckle. “You don’t even know what I’m about to ask, oh my captain.”

“Doesn’t matter. I would sail to the Underworld if you needed to go there.”

“Bold words, and that’s exactly what I was about to ask.” Nessus crossed his arms. “Take me with you when you assault the Necromanteion. I need to confront Thanatos.”

“Are you sure?” Kairos asked with a frown. “He tried to kill you in the past, and we’ll be challenging him in his lair.”

“He tried to kill me, yes,” Nessus agreed. “But it didn’t stick.”

“He could do worse, like [Petrifying] you,” Kairos pointed out. The satyr flinched at the mention of the status ailment. “Thanatos hates you as much as an incarnation of death can hate anyone, and he’s had a long time to think how to get around your immortality.”

“Maybe you’re right… but I can’t hide from him forever either.” Nessus glanced at the morning sun. “Thanatos and I are two sides of the same coin. One way or another, we’ll settle our old rivalry in this era. For the better or worse.”

Kairos didn’t like his tone. “Nothing ominous at all.”

“You have committed many crimes, old one,” Andromache whispered. “You can’t atone if you die.”

“You haven’t lived for more than once,” Nessus replied.

“No, but I have existed for centuries beyond count.” Andromache put her arm around Kairos’. “And there is always something worth living for.”

The satyr didn’t look convinced, but offered a small nod. “I’ll think about it.”

“In any case, I’ll fulfill your wish,” Kairos declared. “I will send a message to Julia to warn her of our return, and we will spend winter preparing to conquer the dungeon.”

It was time to return to Travia, and bring a sunset down on the old gods.

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A/N: chapter made possible by you.

Yeah, something of a conclusion for the international expedition arc. Next time on Kairos, the final dungeon-delving arc of Volume 2!