Twins of Egypt

Chapter 6: Runaway || Part 4

[[Alexander]]

I hid behind the temple of Vestia, which resided across from the temple of Castor and Pollux. I looked around searching for Imperial guards or soldiers. When it was clear, I ran through the little parts of greenery and through many different people, to get to the temple of Castor and Pollux. When I entered the temple, it was empty; everything was inert all but the fire burning on the torch in between the twins. I walked towards the twins and took out what I held most dear. I pulled out father's gilded bronze dagger, the one he used in his suicide. I ran my fingers against the gilded treasure and pulled out the dagger. I kissed the blade respecting my father, and sheathed it once again. I placed it on the altar and began to pray.

It was very quiet as I prayed, and although it terrified me, I tried to remain calm. I prayed to the original twins that Selene and I, the mortal version of Helios and Diana, would not separate, I prayed that I would not die, for I wanted to live a long and happy life.

I opened my eyes, and finished my prayer. As I put my hands down on my lap, I listened to the disturbing silence of the temple. There was not a sound, even the fire had gone mute, the doors were shut, and I was terrifyingly alone.

"Alexander," a solemn haunted voice called out my name.

"Alexander," it continued.

I rose up like a flower in a summer day and I searched for the man calling my name. Quiet steps moved out and there he stood at the door a man wearing a black cloak. Next to him were two men, one seemingly the same age as me. The man in the cloak approached with lightning like speed and approached me, with a silent grimness that shook me to the bone. He smelt of death; he oozed chaos.

"I have been waiting for you." He spoke aloud. A third man approached the two by the door; it was the same man from last night at Augustus' villa. He pulled out his sword and cut the second boy's throat. The boy, who was my age, who seemed similar to me, shrieked very quickly, and fell to the floor. The body thumped in front of the soldier and it bled a vicious vermillion. I made to run away, at the sight of the deathly figure approaching and the murderous soldier moving forward, but the cloaked figure snatched me and grabbed me close. The soldier kept approaching a deathly grin on his face. I was afraid; I felt like a lamb; I was going to die!

"Oh Lysander," the hooded figure holding me hostage stopped the soldier, "stop. You're scaring the poor child."

Lysander sheathed his sword, and smiled friendly at me, "I am sorry to scare you, Alexander, but it is good to have something to fear about."

The hooded figure let go of me, and my mind befuddled with fear, made me look to the dead boy whose blood wasted away on the marble floor. I was frightened, but I tried to become calm. I stood next to Lysander forgetting the man and the dead boy behind us. The hooded figure unhooded himself and out hatched the deathly pale face of a bald follower of Hades.

"Alexander," he smiled a toothless smile, "I am Atticus, a gifted seer for Hades, Pluto, if you like the Latin name." He began to walk around eying me. "I know your future, past, and present. I know what you are capable of becoming and what you will never become. I translate the Gods decisions on when you will live, breath, cause trouble, and die." He looks at me hissing the word die. He has pale blue eyes with dark and shine less pupils. "Jupiter has commanded that you will die," his eyes bore savagely into mine, "but you know," he moved closer to me, and as I moved away Lysander held me still, "Pluto wants you to live." He moved away and stood still, "The Goddess of Love want you alive, The God of War wants alive, The God of Swords wants you dead and gone, The god of the Oceans wants you very dead. Two of the three brothers of Cronos want you dead, yet more than half of Pantheon want you alive. Hades chooses to fool his brother." He concluded.