Aegis

Chapter Forty--Another Adventure

That night, Kyros spent the evening looking at the stars. Outside the inn where Raios and the other heroes from Lyca were staying, Kyros laid in the field of grass to look at all the constellations in the sky. A month ago, he had been looking at the stars with his friend, just like tonight.

"I suppose our new home is in Lyca now," Erianthe said.

Raios had agreed to look after the two of them until they grew old enough to live on their own. When Kyros had heard this, he took a look at Chris and Erik and Erianthe. They were his new home now.

"And I have this new weapon," Kyros said.

Earlier in the evening, Raios had presented Kyros with Rupture, Ares' spear. Attached to the black weapon was a small piece of paper with small, neat handwriting.

For Kyros, son of Orion. I pass this weapon on to you. I hope you can be more deserving of it than I am.

Now, the black spear laid across Kyros' bed. Ares, Kyros' former hero, had passed on his tainted legacy to the boy.

"I'm sure you'll learn how to use it," Erianthe said.

Kyros sighed. That spear carried too many memories for him to try wielding it for now.

"Yeah," Kyros replied. "You know, I keep thinking about our parents. How they disappeared."

A cool breeze blew past the two heroes. A month had passed since autumn began.

"I found out that they went to the Forbidden Isle," Erianthe said.

"Me too."

It was just like their parents to travel into the heart of danger to protect their children.

The two heroes laid quietly in the grass. Just a month ago, they had been in their hometown. Now, they were miles and miles away in some strange land whose name Kyros forgot. Some strangers who had saved their lives were in the inn. Chris would be studying or making some witty remarks. Erik was probably watching them from the window.

"So it's all over now," Erianthe said.

"Yeah," Kyros replied. The boy waited for his blush to fade before continuing. "Thank you for rescuing me."

Erianthe sat up. "You would have done the same. After all, it was your sacrifice that let me live in the first place." Erianthe brushed back some of her dark hair from her face. "Which was scary. I thought I had lost you. Two times now."

Kyros sat up too. "When?" he asked.

Erianthe's eyes flitted up to the sky. "When you first got off that horse to stop the Rogues. And when Ares' spear pierced you."

"I can't really help those though," Kyros said.

"I know," Erianthe replied. The girl huffed and fell back on the grass. "Do you think our parents would be proud of us?"

Kyros looked up at the stars, the stories of the heroes had father had told him. Ones of sacrifice, betrayal, loyalty, courage.

"Yeah," Kyros said. "I think they would."

"I miss them. I miss our home," Eriathe murmured.

To this, Kyros just nodded. Even a month later, the loss of Delos still sat fresh in his mind. Nearly every night when he closed his eyes, he could see Delos crumbling into nothingness. Kyros had no doubt that Erianthe saw the same. Their home was still gone even though they had won.

But at least Kyros had a little piece of home still with him. Right beside him. The brave strong hero who had rescued him from their enemies.

"You know," Kyros said, "I still owe you an adventure."

Erianthe laughed. Kyros chuckled with her. After everything they went through, they could hardly say that it wasn't an adventure. It was painful, scary but it was an adventure to stop the Rogues.

"Okay then. Where would we go? To follow our parents and kill the monster of the Forbidden Isle?" Erianthe asked.

The girl, Kyros' friend and partner, reached out to the brilliant constellations above them. Mirroring her, Kyros raised his arm and pretended to grab one of the bright stars above them.

"Of course. There and to the stars and beyond," Kyros said.

The two of them locked eyes.

"Together?" Erianthe asked.

"Together," Kyros echoed.

The two of them stayed outside looking at the stars until Raios called them inside the inn. That night, they slept apart from each other, but tomorrow would be a new adventure. Instead of fighting their separate battles, they would do it together. Just as it should be.