The Children // ASSASSINS CREED ODYSSEY // DEIMOS

C12: The Master

Getting out of the port of Nisai, whilst everyone else was so in grossed with the appearance of Deimos was easy but, Eos had felt eyes piercing the back of her head as she'd jumped the wall and, she hadn't had the nerve to look back.

Walking the path back to Attika, taking the hill cliff path she'd taken before and sticking to the forests, Eos had passed by the Kerkyan wrestling grounds before noon and, once she'd scouted around the scorched patches of land that separated the Athenians and the Spartans, she found herself stood in the city's market place, trying her utmost to remember where Melaina's little den was.

It was the last place she knew Laelaps would have been.

Standing near the steps where she had told the lycaon that they were parting ways, Eos traced the run she'd taken that stormy night and ended up at the back door. Glancing through the small window, if anybody was in, they were sitting in the dark – which, if Melaina just happened to be inside – wouldn't be so surprising.

Eos risked knocking on the door first. If someone else had taken up residence there, she didn't want to just barge in unannounced but, with her ear close to the door so she could listen out for any sign of life, she realised no one was coming to open it.

Remembering the latch that had been on the other side, Eos had glanced at the alleyways two exits before she'd kicked the door with her foot. It didn't budge the first time but, at least now she knew there was definiitely no one inside. Another well aimed kick produced the magic noise she was aiming for and she stepped through, instantly gagging as the smell of something rotten hit her.

She backed out, waving her arms in the air as if it would get rid of it quicker but, she was sure it was already ingrained on to her robes.

It smelt like something had died in there.

Giving herself a minute, to catch her breath and prepare herself that little bit; Eos had pushed the door open, holding it with her foot so the light could shine in. Her face screwed up as she tried not to breath.

There was no sign of dead dogs or red-haired rats but, the body that had been slumped over the table was still there, rotting away. Whoever the guy was, he'd obviously not had anyone come looking for him. Which Eos thought was quite sad for a moment but, after one more glance around, finding everything the way she'd left it – other than a Melaina threating in the corner – Eos had let the door swing shut, giving some privacy back to the poor mans grave.

She didn't even think she'd be able to look properly with that body there. The stench of it would knock her out

But at least now, she was sure of two things.

If Laelaps wasn't trailing Deimos, he was trailing Melaina - or with Melaina.

There was another option she could have considered but, she was sure that when it came to death, the lycaon would be even better than her at escaping it.

Although, Eos doubted that Melaina was in the city, she decided to go to the temple of Asklepios, just in case Laelaps had left her some sort of sign. He hadn't.

Using the last of her drachmae, Eos had sat down to eat whilst Attika bustled around her. She wondered how many cultists walked among them, how many rats weaved themselves in and out. Eos had no second glances, no eye turns, no nothing but, if the world hadn't already proved to her how much you could change in three years, she may have overlooked Melaina or Asphodel in a crowd of people had she not know it them.

It was then, as Eos lay her head back, resting it on the stone wall that she saw two very important looking men conversing secretly as they went passed her.