Amora's Odyssey ✅

τριάντα-πέντε {35}✅

I didn't want to address it, I didn't want to speak about it. The only thing I wanted to do was forget about it. For our next journey over the sea which took almost a week, I avoided her entirely. Everywhere she was I wasn't. I wasn't yet, and I don't think I ever would be, prepared to deal with what happened or to deal with the fact I let myself be that vulnerable in front of her again. Then thankfully after 5 long days and nights at sea, we docked in Macedonia. It could not have come any sooner as the tension on the boat was terrible. I suspected the ending to our trip was because Athena took pity on us, quickly the others noticed my evasion of Amora and began to get curious which meant I had to avoid them all. As we approached a coast-side village I stepped towards the end of the boat and picked up the anchoring rope. Without much difficulty, I picked the heavy rope up and threw it over to the docks. I next jumped off the boat and began tying a knot around a sturdy wooden post.

In front of me, an average-sized shadow appeared and then they spoke.

"Can we talk?" Amora's voice was gentle and angelic, not far from what I remember Aphrodite sounding like as a child from time to time.

I didn't want to talk, in truth I wanted to run as far as my legs could carry me, but I felt terrible because I knew that pushing her away would just make things worse between us. I knew it wouldn't stop her from trying to get through to me. I didn't know if I was ready for that...my feelings were... they were too messy and blurry. Anger boiled inside of me because of everything to do with Amora but when I looked at her I wanted to cry and needed her to hold me so I could tell her everything she had missed hoping it would help her memory be returned. Then my nose caught wind of straw and wood burning, an unusually large amount of it. I stood up ignoring Amora next to me and turned around to the village up ahead. I saw straight away that there was a thick cloud of dark grey smoke coming from a few houses and on the horizon, I could almost see flames, just like there were on the night everything changed. I quickly finished tying the anchoring rope to the post and sprinted towards the village.

"Kleio wait!" Amora called out to me, but I didn't stop for her, I went faster. There were people in trouble, and I had to save them. That was more important than my drama with Amora.

Amora

Kleio rushed off again, probably glad to have a reasonable excuse to not talk to me. As much as I knew I should, I couldn't. At every point I wanted to give up, a reason, no matter how small, was given for me to keep pushing. Then every time I pushed I get deeper and closer to unravelling the mystery of the real Kleio. I ran after her weaving through fishing boats and baskets as best I could, but she outpaced me easily. I groaned and gave up temporarily so that I could take a different approach. I ran back to the boat as I figured getting backup was better than trying to run her down on my own. Leona and Eva walked off the boat next, unloading supplies, but Iris was nowhere to be seen.

"We need to go...help Kleio...she's uh.... she's gone rouge-" I breathed out between breaths.

Leona looked at me and laughed but next to her Eva was the only one who took me seriously. "Where did she go?" Eva asked, visibly panicked and worried.

"Burning village," I pointed behind me and towards the large smoke cloud as my breath returned.

"Well, this is an interesting way to start the evening," Leona commented.

I ran back towards the village with both Leona and Eva following. There was still no sign of Iris which was worrying but part of me had a feeling she would be alright and catch on to where we were eventually. Overhead abnormally large crows began to circle in the air near where the most smoke was coming from in the village.

"Follow those birds!" I directed and they followed with no challenge.

We had run a few metres more before I saw Kleio up ahead who was doing her best to evacuate the women and children. I now felt bad for saying she had rushed her and was just doing this to avoid talking to me. As she escorted the women and children from their burning housing there was an urgency with her but it was clear it came from a place of concern, maybe even love. It made me believe that a part of Kleio did have a heart and could care about other people. I ran towards her in support, holding my hands out to the children. Leona and Eva didn't need instruction and rushed on ahead trying to find any survivors in the rubble.