Akhill

Chapter Four: RunWay

°°°Go with a drink,

Come with a song,

Run with the isle,

Come on crawl with the now.

For I hear rain bleed,

Bleeding like wine, intoxicating,

Oh now you know, Just go with a drink.°°°°

"Thetis, I am afraid." A young voice said, has it held tight to Thetis' hand as though letting go means death.

"I,I am al—" Thetis felt the boy's hand shivering and chose to discard her fears to keep him assured. "Amma stay till ya safe."

"Safe, really Thetis, you must either be mad or have lost your grip of reality." A voice cut through the air while a boy who has seen more bones out of skin than most his age, with a manner more akin to death than living and eye emptied of every song that the minstrels of remorse can curate.

"Everything here is nothing but blood, rottenness and death." He dragged a body with him which he dropped at the feet of Thetis.

"Your Highness, Zeus' order is complete by one thing. The boy has to close this chapter."

"Ya vile creature, Zeus only said his head not destroy all his substance with him." The boy with the eye more given to death than live, look at Thetis awhile then sat to his right on one of the piles of slayed that Tartarus had received by night.

"In the end, your Highness everybody dies." He pulled out his sword and dashed towards Thetis with the aim that she defends herself and leave the boy that cling to her exposed.

"What are ya doing, pray tell Ag—"

***

"Thetis, are awake?" Lucille's voice was carried by the wind as it landed within the corridors of Thetis ear as she opened her eyes gently and a hand placed on her head.

"Why am I sleeping?" She said as one with a head beating the drums in a parade.

"Because it is what humans do."

"Wow that is new, Luz, I really thought they don't." Thetis with an eye closed and hand on head.

"Ha, very hilarious." Lucile walked around the room, with her hands dripping water from dishwashing.

"What say you, can we leave now."

"Yea we a can— wait when did we leave Hephaestus place." She looked around the room through her blurry vision. "I didn't tell him—"

"No, No muscle head, I am still here and you are still under my roof." Mr Kenneth walked in with straw in his mouth.

"You look like little sickly Marky. Are you fine?" Thetis opened both eyes then dropped her hands off her head. "That old friend is better than you look."

"Good to know you are both studier than ever." Lucille threw her voice in, to calm the raising tension-choking life out of the room.

"So Mr Ken, what's for breakfast."

"What would you prefer my dear?"

"One of them Cheesecake!"

"Cheese what?"

"Them pie made of milk, cheese and egg, that one mama ken loves." Thetis described making fun of Mr Ken.

"Why you, I know what they are." He snapped at Thetis. "Why would you have dessert for the main course."

"Uh, 'cos nat all of us have acres of land unattended." Thetis stood as gracefully and gently as her rounded belly could permit."I will help ma self to the kitchen, to make them Pie, you know; cheesecake." She walked slowly past Mr Ken as he looked at her, not sure whether to knock some manners into her or hold her hands to lead her gently for the child oblivious to this world's sake.

Kindly through the room, Thetis walked in the crib, "easy, easy my child, Mother will protect you. Cant the day move faster than this story reveal its meaning, again and again, I desire to see your, see your innocent fac—

"My lady, are you all right." The oldest servant of Mr Kenneth asked, seeing Thetis standing still with kneading in her hand, cover in flour.

"Uh." Thetis looked oblivious to what the man that dressed more elegantly than the average servant asked her.

"My lady, are yo—" The word stayed as he ran to the aid of Thetis who had surrendered to gravity, falling slantly down as her vision tumbled into silence."Gilbert! Get the Physician!" The Oldest servant shouted, with Thetis on his arm.

"But I just got in from my—" He walked in grumbling but jolted into a charge of attitude when he saw Thetis. "I am on my way." He ran with as much speed his energy afforded him, from the kitchen through the room, passed Mr Kenneth and Lucille without noticing them.

"Gilbert! Gil—" Mr Kenneth could not get his voice to arrive within the corridors of the speedster Gilbert. "That boy is obsessed with running, you know—"

"Oh No, Thetis!" Lucille ran after the servant that bore Thetis, leaving Mr Kenneth who stood confused.

"You too." Mr Kenneth was oblivious to what made her run. "Have you also gotten Gilbert fleece?" He muttered as he walked to the kitchen to get a bottle of milk before walking out to his shade. "Why are they trying to hide the obvious from me. I know Thetis is just too lazy to tell me to help make the cheesecake." He mutter as he turned to take his journey to his tent, looked at the knead. "Funny child." He picked up the knead to continue the making of the desert, Thetis called breakfast.

***

"I am not going to let you— No!"

"Why?" A tear fell like morning rain. "Why?" She knelt looking at the figure that stood before her, sword drooling. "Why would ya do that, that child is not even a year, why?"

"It would be better for death to have found me than let my life be indebted to the like of Zeus and his family."

"The child could have—"

"Silence fool. There is no sure thing called safe in this damned bad-land." He lifted his head to the sky, as his eyeshot red and sniffed. "All of them, Tax, Jane, Rex, Milan, even our beloved queen Hera lay six feet under and she was the greatest of us." He looked at Thetis who was still on her knees. "Tell me, your grace, how would this maggot make it, if Hera the great didn't. Tell me, Thetis!"

***

"Are you sure she is fine?" Lucille asked the man that placed his hand on Thetis head, studying it.

"Most assured, young lady. She will live." He opened her left eye than the right. "It's just fever, she will live."

"And the child, what of the child?"

"That I can't assure." The physician placed his hand on Thetis' stomach. "Hmm, Hmm, Oh! Oh!" The physician giggled.

"What, what is wrong?"

"I am sorry to tell you, young lady." Lucille clutched her hand and press it on her chest, as she felt her heart choke. "No, please No." She staggered backwards, losing her balance as she thought "What would I tell Luke?, How would I tell him?"

"No Please, No, No." She tried to shake off the idea that stood inevitable.

"Lucille my dear." The physician said, moving close to Lucille. "You have to go prepare."

"Oh no, I failed her." The physician hugged her as she wept.

"Don't cry my dear, all you need is just to prepare for a child—"

"A child what?" She whispered, steeling herself and burying her head in his arm.

"—Prepare for a Child" s birth in three months."

"No! She can't lose the—" Lucille paused and reprocessed the words she heard. The man held her tight, "I know you are happy to hear the news." The realisation that the Physician was taking advantage of her made her punch the man by his side to get herself free from his hold.

"The child is fine. What's with the drama, eh. Yo perverted, two-timing old lying pervert."

"Ease down young lady, I was comforting you. How does that make me a pervert? Is it wrong to comfort the bereaved?"

"Bereaved, you're crazy! I thought you said she would live."

"Yes she would and why are you shouting."

"Because you took advantage of me!" She ran towards him and slapped him while keeping her distance.

"Why you. I didn't even do anything wrong."

"What I thought physicians a can't be perverts."

"Oh, my dear. Anybody can be a pervert. It is just Tactics."

"Tac— by the god you are not even remorseful for taking advantage of me."

"Young lady." He stood upright, not fully recovered from the punch as Lucille widened the distance. "It is a matter that concerns a way of life. Remorse is for the ignoran—"

"You!" Lucille stormed towards him again to hit him.

"Why do you keep hitting an old man like me."

"First Mister Xavier, you always find a way to make everything you say about the patient sound like they will be dead soon and second you are a pervert that needs to see the physician find out if you are fine. Finally, you need to leave, thank you Mr Ken sends his regards."

***

"My, my Thetis, why do you always return to Olympus in tears?" Zeus inquired from has he looked down at the group of children that stood lined beside her to give a report.

"I —"

"She can't stomach what we do, my Zeus." The voice of the boy she works with jumped in. "Give me her office of the queen on your board and I vow to—" Zeus lifted his fingers. "Forgive me for speaking out of line."

"You are Apollo's boy, right?"

"Yes my Lord, I am."

"You second Thetis in the emergence, right?" The boy clenched his teeth at the memories of the emergence match.

"Sadly yes, my Lord." Mr Zeus' gaze, weighed the boy ever so slightly. "Hmm." He returned his gaze to Thetis. "Come up here, Thetis," Thetis respond to the call. "There is but one king and one queen on my board." He held her face to access it. "I am the king of the gods and my queen must prove she can keep me safe." He paused. "The role is not set in stone, ask Hera before you and Gaia before her." He let go of Thetis face. "Proof yourself, that you are worthy of the throne." He stretches out his hand." Let the right to the throne be earned by you." Thetis faced down and thought. "The throne has eaten every queen that sat on it. The throne she is destroyed."

"I dare anyone with guts to destroy my Queen's throne." Mr Zeus said as though giving a response to Thetis thought, making a flinch. "Can it be born anymore by the swords as beautifully as it is washed by the blood of the enemies, for the last song they all sang was the song of 'I thy know.'" Zeus ended.

A natural-born poet said to be one of the greatest in his time thigh he was known by the majority as Rook the priest, the poet of the North. He stood tall about six feet, well-framed body and an eye more given to sorrow than the joy born by day. A man born to a wealthy family and lavished with love but never was he found to smile except to the fragrance of red, loved by all but said to have been cursed by the gods. He had a sweet voice that calls attention but a blackened heart that destroys all it touches. The garden of his father's kingdom span many stone throws yet it never filled Mr Zeus named by birth Carison Rook, the son to the shred merchant and artisan mother who taught him that Love was deadly and incomprehensible to the wise and only the foolish surrender to it directives while money can buy the world, love sounds the heavens.

"Sometimes I wonder if my poetry will one day touch the sky and my paintings pull in the Celestials. I really wonder." Mr Zeus said as he slept on his hand upon his throne with Thetis standing before him.

"I don't understand Milord," Thetis replied. After a while of studying him, she walked leftwards to get the folded duvet which Mr Zeus preferred to be covered with then came close to him. "Are ya evil?" She closed in with her dagger pulled and hidden behind the duvet in an attempt to end this chapter prematurely for Mr Zeus. "Or are ya good?" She refrained her dagger and covered Mr Zeus. "I am confused."

***

"Why would this bird return to the place of his capture." Mr Kenneth said, hand covering his face. "I still don't understand what Thetis sees in this Lad." Mr Kenneth continued as the boy with the inscription on his left hand sneaked back to Jacky's barn.

***

"Hey there Mac—" Caught in the wind of terror by the sight he beheld upon landing into the barn through the window, screamed for help so loud the channels of his voice failed to let out a sound not even a note of rescue worthy of record. "Hel—, Hel— somebo— hel—" The boy said as Jacky stood ready to attack again after bashing the barn's door open. Jacky breathed out and the boy swore he saw escape Jacky's nostrils, a bull indeed, ready for the—

"Jacky, don't you dear." Mr Kenneth entered. "Cime down girl, he is Thetis boy, calm down." The fierce cow looked as though it could understand the words of men as its aura shifted from murderous to petty, limping towards the boy to give him a cow kiss— more like an animal lick. "Thetis by, I like Thetis." —google translate cow sound.

"Even the cow likes him already." Mr Kenneth thought.

"Boy, do you have a name?" Mr Kenneth pushed Jacky out of the way.

"Yes, Mister." He replied, still terrified and trembling.

"And that would be." He gently spun his head and hand to emphasise, 'go on, tell me."

"Boy Mister, My name is Boy."

"Boy, why is your name Boy." Mr Kenneth felt he sound foolish.

"Because everybody calls me Boy." He said more calmly. "And you know my name already Mister."

"Boy, I don't know yo— forget it, cone with me." Mr Kenneth walked out readjusting his hat.

"To, to where Mister."

"Stop asking and Just come with."

"Please sire, tell me." He pranced behind the fast-paced Mr Kenneth.

"Boy, you draining me eh, just come—" Mr Kenneth noticed the prancing reduced and heard the boy said under his voice. "I don't want to go back there."

"We are going to eat Cheesecake."

"Really." He returned to his prancing. "What is Cheesecake?".

"You them this and that, cheese and cake, no."

"Oh that, wait is it cow feed."

"Oh by the gods. Just follow me."

***

"Thetis, you know we are all disposable in the sight of Zeus Right."

"Yea, Eris, you are a girl too, explain to her."

"Quiet down Ajax, I still want to live," Eris said to him.

"Thetis, why have you not ended him?"

"I swear to ya Eris, I have tried bet I don't know."

"Well that is the first, you don't know how to kill. You the queen elect of Olympus." Eris led flat-faced up on the bed. "You know you are rumoured to surpass Hera soon."

"Yea, Eris, even the Chief Hermes get flustered around you by the day." Ajax added. "Hold on, where is Ag—"

***

"You ungrateful lots." The physician stormed out colliding with Mr Kenneth at the entrance.

"I see Marius, made your stay unprofitable again." Mr Kenneth said observing the angry man.

"Unprofit— what I pray tell, might you man Hephaestus."

"Really Xavier, you didn't attempt to jump any woman today."

"And why would I, I am married and blessed with children."

"You liar, you were Xavier, were and kids. What kids?"

"Don't you know, uhm—"

"You don't even love kids."

"Hephaestus I love— oh my, what is that that?"

"Xavier, you just called a person a thing and you said, love—"

"Farewell Hephaestus, I don't have time for your mind game." He continued as the boy ran towards him to hug him.

"Get this thing away from me, I still want to live my life." The scene was nothing short of hilarious as the boy chased after the old physician round the water tank set at the entrance of the house, built from scratch by Mr Kenneth.

"Oi boy, leave him be." Mr Kenneth called and continued his journey into the house. "Wait Xavier, why are you here?"

"You, you torment me with thus thing then as me a fool's question, Hephaestus you—" the boy spread his arm and flickered his brow making the physician place his toolbox close to himself in defence.

"Make sure to tie that thing next time I came here." He walked fast out of the lawn, intermediately checking if the boy was after him. "What a waste of space, those two-legged pets."

***

"You are fine, Thetis, you are fine." Lucille confirmed to herself as she paced around the room like a husband waiting for his wife to his heir."Did he not get the message." The door opened as The oldest servant; Marius came in with a tray to serve Lucille. "Where are you at a time like this." She muttered.

"Calm your nerves young Lady. The pervert was the greatest physician before the county lost its grip on reality. The grip born from the will to fight." Lucille paused to give the old audience but her mind paced around in thought. "That pervert, No way." Marius smiled at the expression of Lucille which was an opened book to her thoughts. "I see you don't believe." He set the tray by the bed and pour a drink for worried Lucille. "What would you say, if I told you Mr Kenneth invented the three-curved blades revered by everyone in the south county?" He gave her the cup.

"That you lie." Marius smiled, giving Lucille room to drink with ease.

"And if I added he built the swords when he was but ten years in after being born."

"Then I did say, you jest or your memories a bit hazy, maybe you might be morning drunk. I think I will say most assuredly you also are mad. I think I will—"

"I see you are undecisive on the right frame of words." Thetis moved a bit where she laid but was not yet awake. "I will tell this. The story you see, far-stretched long backwards." Marius approached Thetis' bed, observing her palms. "Well, she will be awake in minutes. I will go prepare her meal." Marius walked out of the room then closed the huge entrance door.

***

"Open the gate, the Lord is become a man." A shout was raised as Mr Zeus dressed less like he does when he is within the walls of his palace, with armour-like purple, white and black tunic, graced with golden-threads and buttons instead today his apparel looked like the average get-ups of the men of the north county.

"When should we await your return, my Lord."

"By dusk. Make preparation, Poseidon is visiting today." Mr Zeus said as he walked through the rocky gate that opens and closes by a giant mechanism controlled by ten huge men.

"Thetis. Are you set?"

"Yes my Lord."

"Outside this wall, refer to me as Rook for I defer not from a mere man."

"Yes milord, but—"

"Also, drop the Lord."

"Yea mi— I mean Mr Rook."

***

The rain, the joy, the sun, the care. I heard my name and said I hail. For now, I know a song to sing the silence came and the season halted, really what am I saying.

"Boy, stop spewing nonsense." Mr Kenneth shushed the boy that spoke with his mouth stuffed to the brim.

"Yes." The boy swallowed almost ripping his own throat out. "Yes, Mister." He stretches to take another pie.

"Boy ease down, you may cho—" The boy hit his chest and yes Mr Kenneth was never a seer but his gray-head is a proof of patterns.

"Would you look at that, you choked." Mr Kenneth without haste moved towards the boy who seem to have a problem breathing as he constantly hit his chest to pour him a cup of water then hitting his bear back leaving marks on impact on the tanned skin of the boy.

"Mister." The boy able to breathe more aptly. "Thank you." He bowed then continued stuffing his face with the pies as though he would never eat another. Maybe he would never, living on the street of the county and life as taught him something more crucial than breathing is eating. The slum brought with it many advantages which surrounds freedom and lack of ownership but with that came the non-assurance of daily bread which was an expensive commodity for the day and an expense of high value for the average because the rulers of the county made a monopoly of the currency.

"Be careful boy, or you will—" He chilled again the gain back himself. "Slow down and you can eat as much as you want anytime you want here." The boy paused his hand briefly looking towards Mr Kenneth.

"Wewy." He swallowed, hitting his chest again. "Really Mister, no take-backs Mister." He continued eating. "Yo Con't"

"Yea little man I won't."

"And what won't you do, Mr Kenneth." Marius came in, so quickly the boy almost jumped out of his skin.

"I won't ghost around the house." Mr Kenneth said eye fixed on Marius' many giftings, then directed Marius' eye to the boy whose skin is almost as pale as died.

"Oh sorry, young man, what might your name be?"

"Boy."

"Yes, you are a boy. I am aware of that. I am not oblivious to your gender, I ask your name."

"Yes, Mister, my name, Boy." Marius looked toward Mr Kenneth who looked away, having no interest in being drawn into the discussion.

"Your name is Boy. Your actual name is Boy."

"No Mister not the actual name, just name, my name is Boy."

"Right, Mr Boy, you—"

"No Mister, my name is Boy, not Mister Boy."

"As you wish 'Boy', you need to bath."

"Why Mister, I bathed this morning already."

"I do believe you. Still, come with me to the bath." The boy looked a bit confused as he made eye contact with Mr Kenneth who signalled him to follow Marius.

"Biy, make haste I need to prepare you for a meeting."

"Meeting, what meeting?"