The Children // ASSASSINS CREED ODYSSEY // DEIMOS

C17: The Faithful

"And how are you so sure of that" he felt the horse shudder beneath him and he sat up straight, "Did the Gods show you that too",

"No. But, if you wanted me dead; you would have done it already. If you wanted Eos dead, she would never have escaped",

"You know nothing" Deimos spat, he reared his horse and circled around her, Melaina stayed put.

"I know that she is on Akins trail. We both know that his pride will kill him. It might also kill her too",

"Then why tell her where he was" Deimos asked, a small ounce of care in his voice before he went stern again. Melaina turned to meet his gaze, confused. "You do not think I know" Deimos said, "You can find anyone. You've known where he was all along", Melaina glanced away, silent, "I bet you knew where Affy was too" Deimos said quietly, smirking as he leaned back a little, "I bet you knew what they did to her",

"No" Melaina shook her head, her hands starting to shake – he was trying to get a rise out of her, trying to play with her – "I-",

"So all that time I thought you were looking, you were not. You left her to the mercy of the people you run from now" Deimos said,

"Stop" she sputtered, swallowing back the lump in her throat,

"Or" Deimos made his horse step passed her, again facing the road his men had ridden down, "Did you have a hand in it" Deimos asked, "We all know how jealous you were of her to…",

"I would never…" Melaina trailed off, squeezing her eyes shut to stop the tears that would fall,

"And Eos" Deimos asked, his voice that little softer for a moment before he glanced back, "Did you know that she still walked on the plains of the living. Were all those words, all those… Was it just an act to you",

"No" Melaina choked, "No", she caught his eye – he believed her – if only then, he believed her.

"Why tell me where she is if you do not want her dead" Deimos asked, "Why tell me that Akins pride might be what kills her",

"Because" Melaina swallowed back another sob and took a deep breath, composing herself. She'd had to see if there was any hope in what Eos wanted for Deimos and, maybe, just maybe there was, she took another quick breath, "because you must decide what you will do with it. Pursue her. Leave her. Kill her. Just know that your decisions are meaningful" Deimos grinned, shaking his head but, Melaina was not finished, "Your choices will impact your fait". Deimos turned to her,

"My fait has been sealed, my destiny-",

"If that is what you believe, perhaps we are all the lost children of Kosmo" Deimos stopped, turning to the road again.

After a moment, he turned his horse to face her again,

"You… " Deimos' words trailed away.

Melaina was gone.

As if she was truly a rat that would scurry beneath your feet.

Deimos chose not to go after her. It would be pointless. She did not have what he needed.

Deimos rode in to Attika, towards the Agora, only to follow the path of the crowd that had gathered, his men trying in vain to quiet them. At the sight of him, the crowd separated, turning their faces to look at the floor, their hands shaking and their voices small

Inside the house his men pushed the crowd back against, held a scene he could almost say he was used too. A body lay on the floor, mutilated, broken. Deimos knelt next to them; her tongue had been pulled from her mouth, her eyes torn out and, her torture had been cut short, a sword through the eye socket and in to the back of the skull.

Whoever Melaina was loyal too, it was no longer the eye of Kosmo.

Deimos stood up, turning around to find the almighty Kleon,

"This is not your sisters work" Kleon told him, as if Deimos could not think for himself. He stepped over, looking down at the woman, "If I was a…. suspicious man… I may say it was yours" Kleon looked over at Deimos, at the slightly twisted face he was pulling, he smiled, "But, I am not" Kleon assured him, he patted him on the back and Deimos gritted his teeth, "And, I am sure your capable of finding the one who did" Kleon said, "You may take leave from us champion" Deimos stared in to the candle light – as if he needed permission "But, I expect you not to forget our little… arrangement… We'll need you when it begins" Kleon hated to admit it but, Deimos did have his uses and, he was worth about thirty Athenian brutes. "Well, I'll make sure I inform the others. You did wonderfully with Klitos by the way. I assume no one will find the body" Kleon said before he left, leaving Deimos staring off in to the dying flames.

"Melos" Deimos said to himself, "Melos is where I'll find them".