by Ford, Lizzy
The stranger was dressed in the type of clothing indicating he wasn’t a lost camper but someone who wanted to blend in with his environment. He carried several hunting knives and was built like he knew how to use them. His exposed forearms were scarred and tattooed. A tattoo wound around his neck and disappeared into the clothing covering his chest. He was too handsome to be a priest by far, but it was the gleam in his eyes – the spark of a predatory awareness Herakles had taught me to be wary of – that disturbed me. He had the look of a soldier, aside from his medium length hair.
“Where are you trying to go?” I asked and eased away from the stash of supplies.
“You with the orphanage?”
“Where are you trying to go?” I repeated.
He snorted. “My employers are located somewhere in this forest. A priest named Cristopolos.” His gaze went to our surroundings, and one of the tattoos on his neck stood out. The mark of Hermes – a winged foot – was surrounded by other ornate ink work. Herakles had taught me about the different guilds of the underground society of criminals. I filtered through what he’d forced me to learn to identify the marking.
“You’re a mercenary,” I said, surprised.
“Not a mercenary. A gladiator,” the stranger corrected. “But I do merc work on the side during the off season.”
I didn’t think someone could bear the tattoo of a mercenary and not be one. Mixed martial artists belonging to the Gladiator Guild were street fighters paid handsomely for beating the daylights out of another of their kind. The line between the legal and illegal markets of being paid to fight was blurry, and I didn’t fully understand it except that this man wore a tattoo that designated him to be something other than what he claimed he was.
“So you fight and kill people for money,” I said, recalling what the priests told us about one of the occupations they favored least. They looked upon gladiators with disdain and mercenaries with outright horror.
“Not exactly the godly values they teach you, I know.”
“I think it’s cool. I can fight, too.”
“Sure, kid.” He flashed an insincere smile. “Which way is it?”
I bit back my response, irritated he didn’t believe me. And to call me kid when I was eighteen, an adult by most standards … though today, I felt like I was being treated like a ten year old again. The mercenary was younger than Herakles’ age of thirty five, younger than the priests and the age of all my favorite Hollywood actors.
“Whatever,” I muttered. “What kind of gladiator gets lost in a tiny forest like this?”
“One hired to fight not to track,” he returned.
I was tempted to mislead him to teach him a lesson. A look at him, though, and I recalled what Herakles once said about not deliberately pissing off someone who could pound me into the ground. Priests were one thing. They adhered to strict rules about non-violence. But a gladiator or mercenary was another.
Turning away, I put my knife away and started towards the meadow. “I’ll race you there.”
“You want to race me?” He fell into step behind me, amused. He was over six feet tall and muscular in a way the teen boys at the campground neighboring the property weren’t.
“Why not?” I snapped. “You think I can’t run?”
“I think I don’t want to explain to the priests what happened to the little girl in the forest who fell and impaled herself on a tree trunk because she tried to race me,” he replied with arrogance that made me want to ditch him in the swampy part of the forest where I’d accidentally discovered quicksand one summer.
Really? This man couldn’t know I had been raised by the strongest Olympian in the world. Satisfaction sank into me. I loved the opportunity to prove someone wrong, probably because I rarely had the chance.
“See if you can keep up,” I challenged and then bolted.
For the first fifty meters, he almost did. I pushed myself harder. I had the advantage of knowing the forest and led him through a route that included a few downed trees.
Larger and heavier than me, the gladiator soon fell behind as he struggled to navigate spaces more suitable to someone my size than his. I reached the meadow triumphant and slowed to a trot as I broke free of the forest and headed back to the priest.
Reaching him, I turned to wait for the gladiator. He appeared a full two minutes later.
“I found the mercenary you hired,” I told Father Ellis. “What made you all want to hire someone like that anyway? Don’t you hate them?”
Father Ellis climbed to his feet, facing the gladiator striding across the field towards us. “We needed discretion and loyalty. Money buys both,” Father Ellis said. “Though we paid for a gladiator of some honor, not a mercenary.”
“Yeah, well, he has the tattoo of a merc.” I observed the approaching gladiator. He was grinning, as if pleased by the exercise, his sharp gaze on the priest beside me. “Herakles said you should never pay someone like that. Besides, I can take care of myself.”
“Not against what comes.” Ignoring my look, Father Ellis stepped away to greet the gladiator. “I am Father Ellis. You must be Niko.”
“I am.” The gladiator shook his hand.
“You’re late. We expected you hours ago.”
“The airport is locked down. I had to find a creative route here,” came the easy response.
I kind of liked that Niko wasn’t fazed by the priest’s chiding. Niko wasn’t really what I expected of a mercenary. I had the vision of a gold-obsessed pirate in my head for some reason, and the clean-shaven, practically attired Niko was nothing like that. The edge of wary arrogance definitely fit the image I’d created.
“You’ve met your charge, I see,” Father Ellis said.
“What? This little girl?” Niko motioned to me. He looked me over critically.
I crossed my arms, irked that even the guy they were paying to take Herakles’ place was judging me. Before I could say anything, Father Ellis rested his hand on my forearm.
“Lyssa is humanity’s most precious member.” Father Ellis had stiffened.
“Coming from a priest who doesn’t believe in violence, that doesn’t mean much.” Niko flashed a quick smile, though his cold eyes were never still. “At least she’s tough and can run. I had expected someone more … delicate.”
What was worse? Being called a kid who couldn’t run or fight or being considered unladylike? Niko wasn’t winning any points with me. I wasn’t a nymph, but I had outraced him.
“Can you really fight?” Niko asked me.
“I can,” I proclaimed. “I can climb, camp, hunt, run, fight … I can do everything.”
“She had a very motivated guardian,” Father Ellis said with some disapproval. “Neglected her studies. But, she can run.”
What was wrong with these people? Judging me for being prepared for the situation they knew was coming? “Whatever. Let’s go.” I shifted my pack.
“Go where?” Niko asked, gaze once more on Father Ellis.
“To wherever you’re taking us,” I replied.
“My contract was for stationary service in a place with three squares and a real bed.”
I pointed towards the school. “That place was blown up.”
“We have a situation,” Father Ellis said simultaneously.
Niko planted his hands on his hips.
Seeing the priest squirm under his glare made me very happy after my day. “Are you going to tell him about the ground forces coming?” I prompted innocently.
“Quiet, Lyssa.” Father Ellis turned towards the school and began walking. “Come with me. Both of you.”
I went, mainly because I had nowhere else to go and a little because I wanted to see Niko and Father Cristopolos in an argument.
“I’m not going anywhere until the contract is defined,” Niko stated.
“If you wish to be paid, you will come with me,” Father Ellis replied.
I looked over my shoulder as I walked, waiting to see what the mercenary would end up doin
g. He was watching us unhappily. Finally, he started forward, tense and bristling, eyeing the forest with wariness I didn’t share. His long strides closed the distance to Father Ellis and me, and he stepped onto the deer path we walked on.
“Can you really hunt?” he asked me.
“I can.”
“Good. At least you’ll be useful if your priests try to pull one over on me.”
I glanced at him, not liking the sound of that.
“I will take you whether they pay me or not. There’s an underground market for someone like you.”
“Niko, do not scare her,” Father Ellis said. “You will be paid above and beyond what we promised.”
“What do you mean, someone like me?” I asked in confusion. “If I am what they think I am, there’s only one of someone like me … of me … of whatever you think I am.”
“You’re an initiate, aren’t you?” Niko asked.
“Do I look like an initiate?” I retorted.
“Lyssa, hush!” Father Ellis shot me a look. “Let us deal with him.” He stepped from the forest onto the greens. “Father Cristopolos!” he cried. The head priest and Father Renoir stood with a pile of items that had been salvaged from the building.
I started to follow, but all four turned to yell, “Stay in the forest!”
“Oh, my gods!” I groaned and jerked back to make sure I remained where they told me.
Niko appeared amused then hardened as he stepped past the red rope onto the greens. He paused several steps away and turned to face me.
“Who or what do they think you are?” he asked, leveling dark eyes on me.
I fell speechless, uncertain what to do. It kind of felt like everyone was lying to everyone else. Niko claimed to be a gladiator but was really a mercenary, and the priests told him I was an initiate.
“Hmmm.” Niko studied me. He seemed to find answers where I didn’t mean to give them. “I’m guessing you’re worth much more than they offered. Better hope they’re willing to pay to keep me from kidnapping and selling you.”
I almost laughed but realized he was serious.
He winked and walked away.
I began to regret not sending him off in some random direction when we met. The fact he was doing this for the money that made me feel a little dirty. Or tainted. Or at least, capable of understanding why the priests looked down upon shady men like him.
Watching them speak, I waited for someone to yell or give some sign it wasn’t going well. The distant sound of thunder reached me. The sky was clear, aside from puffs of smoke left over from the school burning.
Weird. Thunder and no clouds. The earth trembled. I waited for it to pass like it might in an earthquake, but it didn’t. The tremor remained constant and the thunder loudened.
With the four of them busy talking, I dropped my pack and scaled a tree quickly. I reached the top and poked my head up above the canopy, expecting to see what I normally did: kilometers of woods followed by a break where the road was and more forestry on the other side of the break.
Trees were being knocked to the ground and flattened by machines I wasn’t able to see from this vantage point. It had started near the road and was moving towards us, downing whole swaths of trees for a kilometer stretch.
What could do this to a dense forest of mature trees? Was it the work of the ground forces the priests spoke of? I was embarrassed to admit I had no idea whose ground forces they were referring to or even what ground forces really were.. Did the military intend to run over the forest to grab me? Or was it the SISA, the international secret police force tasked with internal security of the human race by the gods?
Was it even legal for someone to mow down an entire forest?
I shimmied down the tree and replaced my pack. The four priests were huddled together a short distance from Niko, whose gaze was on the forest in the direction of the thunder. He alone seemed aware of something being wrong.
Catching my gaze, he lifted his chin back towards the direction we had come and mouthed two words. Run. Now.
Fear lit in my blood, followed by concern for the priests. I stood frozen for a moment, debating what Herakles would have me do.
Survive. And if I was what the priests said I was, I was probably putting them in danger by being with them.
I took one step back then another. Not at all certain I was about to do the right thing, I turned and began to make my way quickly through the forest, to the east. The crashing of trees soon became more audible, and I did as Niko said and sprinted.
I ran until I no longer heard the sounds of something crunching and grinding the trees of my forest beneath it and slowed only when the peaceful sounds of nature were present around me. Without stopping, I snacked on a protein bar and continued walking for another hour and a half, covering the distance between the school and the lake in record time.
And then I stopped at the boundary, as I had been trained.
Gazing at it, I couldn’t help the guilt that floated through me. I was afraid to leave the forest this time, because I knew what would happen if I did. A part of me remained in denial about all that had happened in so short a time, that it was connected to the simple act of me going one step too far.
I sat on my tree stump, staring at the lake. It was midafternoon, and I hadn’t forgotten the creature I saw either. No, I wasn’t going to cause more trouble.
My determination lasted until I heard the birds begin to vacate the forest around me. The sound of machines wasn’t present, but the animals were fleeing something. I had no idea where to go once I left the forest and remained where I was, on the verge of panicking yet knowing that was the worst thing to do in a crisis.
I miss Herakles. He would know what to do and where to go.
Twenty minutes later, the unmistakable sound of someone running through the forest reached me. I rose and hurried to a hiding spot close by, anxious to see who followed.
“Lyssa!” Niko’s quiet cry reached me before he did. “Or … Alice. Whatever your name is. We need to go. Now.”
I peeked at him through the brush. He reached the tree stump, his gaze sweeping expertly around the area. He was sweating – and bloody. One hand was caked in it and there was also blood on his shirt.
“C’mon, you little shit!”
With some hesitation, I stood. “Are you hurt?”
He whirled to face me. “No.”
“Is someone else hurt?” I asked.
“You could say that.” He strode over the cord towards the lake, oblivious to the importance of the red boundary marking the edge of my world.
I walked until my toes reached the rope, torn about leaving. “Shouldn’t we wait for Father Ellis?”
Niko didn’t stop. “No.”
“He can’t move as fast as us.”
“What is your name?”
“Alessandra.”
He spun to face me, backpedaling as he spoke. “They’re gone, Alessandra. They took a different route out of here.”
My jaw dropped open. “They left me?”
“These people pursuing you – pursuing us – aren’t the kind of people I’m used to dealing with. This is SISA. They have the gods’ blessings to kill fast and without mercy. Running was the smartest thing for them to do.” He wiped his bloodied hand on his pants. “You can come with me now, and we’ll make it out of here by the skin of our teeth, or you can stay right there and wait for SISA to get you.”
Gone. In all my preparations for the apocalypse, or perhaps this incident, I understood being alone to be a part of the scenario but wasn’t quite able to wrap my head around it any more than I could the fact I was allegedly important. How could I go from being constantly surrounded by forty people to … alone?
Why didn’t they take me with them? This hurt more than anything.
“Fine. Good luck.” He turned away.
“Wait!” I cried and started forward.
Realizing what I had done, I twisted to look at the red cord boundary I had spent most of
my life avoiding. I was leaving it, the safety of the forest, my past, my home … basically everything behind me.
It was scary and exhilarating all at once.
Niko wasn’t waiting.
Unable to stop and contemplate the world behind me, I charged ahead and ran to his side. My eyes went to the sky automatically, and I sought whatever creature had tracked me last night. Reminded of the rope around my wrist, I wished I’d thought to ask more questions about its power, about what I supposedly was, about what in the name of Holy Olympus was going on.
And … how could the priests just leave me with a mercenary they didn’t trust? How was I so important – yet not worthy of a farewell?
The idea they were watching over me out of obligation and had never wanted anything to do with me stung hard. I kind of considered them to be my extended family, however dysfunctional that was. I never suspected they didn’t feel the same.
“Where are we going?” I asked Niko to take my mind off the pain.
“You tell me. Where did your priests want you to go?”
I was quiet.
Niko glanced at me. “They didn’t tell you, either, huh? Great. Well, you’re not coming home with me. I don’t even think I can go home if you’re important enough for teams of SISA special forces to smash through the forest.”
“I don’t know where to go, Niko.”
“Just … pick a place. It won’t matter so long as it’s away from here.”
“Washington DC.”
“Worst place to be when the government is after you. Although …” He drifted off, gaze going to the west, as if he could see DC from here. “It might also be the best place to be. SISA won’t expect us to go there.”
I didn’t care what reasoning he found in it. I was going to find Herakles, the only man in the universe who wouldn’t abandon me at the first sign of trouble like the priests did. The cracking of tree trunks sounded behind us, followed by the faint tremble of the earth.
“Won’t matter if we don’t get out of here. I hope you can run as far as you can fast. We need to move.” Niko took off running towards another thatch of forest lining the opposite side of the lake.
