AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“‘May the courage of Atalanta speed our steps,’” Kia read for her, “‘as she now patrols the gates of Sanctuary.’”
“She was renowned for running the border.” Menodora’s voice was hushed. “She made quick sorties over to rescue humans out of heart hunter territory.”
Kia contemplated Atalanta. “It took the bloodless cowards generations of effort and twisted magic to breed new liegehounds fast enough to keep up with her. Her last group of Sanctuary seekers made it to Orthros, even though she didn’t.”
“Her legend will certainly live on.” Cassia found little consolation in her own words.
They spent a moment of silence at Atalanta’s shrine before continuing onward. They passed four more statues, pausing for Kia and Nodora to explain each subject’s fate. Whether at the hands of Aithourians, Gift Collectors, or renegade apostates, every Hesperine memorialized here had died a hero’s death.
At the sixth monument, a round pedestal rose above their heads. A robed Hesperine reclined there with her eyes lifted to the heavens.
“Let’s skip this one,” Nodora suggested.
“No. Cassia needs to see them all.” Kia translated, “‘May Hesperines ever follow Hylonome’s gaze to the stars, whence she now shines her light to guide our way.’”
“What befell her?” Cassia asked.
“She lost her Grace.” Nodora had not sounded so grim even when they had discussed the heart hunters’ methods of collecting trophies.
“Liegehounds again, I’m afraid,” Kia answered. “I’m sorry, Knight.”
He looked at her in blissful ignorance, his tail wagging a little. Cassia hugged him to her. “They certainly feature in your history a great deal.”
“They are the only real weapon Tenebrans without magic have against us,” Kia said. “In this case, Hylonome’s Grace saved a rural community from a band of apostates a dozen strong, but the villagers’ fear of Hesperines was stronger than their gratitude for being spared from the mage bandits. The villagers unleashed their dogs on him. Hylonome came home to Orthros and starved herself to death on top of the Observatory tower.”
“That’s horrible,” said Cassia.
“We could have left this one out,” Nodora insisted.
“No,” Kia said firmly. “It’s the most important one.”
“That’s enough, Kia.” Nodora walked onward. “We are done here.”
“But we have one more stop on Bloodborn’s Path.”
Cassia halted in her tracks. “That’s what this is?”
“Indeed,” the scholar answered. “This is Orthros’s monument to everyone in our history who was born Hesperine.”
Horror crept over Cassia. “Every single bloodborn? Do none of Lio’s predecessors yet live?”
“Perhaps,” answered Kia. “Come.”
Cassia recognized when the grove gave way to the wild woods of House Komnena, although she could not place where on the vast grounds they were. It surprised her when they emerged from the tangled forest onto a cliff that overlooked the sea. A broad area had been cleared and laid with decorative stones. In the center was the most magnificent statue Cassia had yet beheld.
He was wrought of red-veined black marble. He was a handsome figure with a noble brow and a kind face. His body rippled with strength, and only a simple, classic garment girded his loins. He must have been ancient, for his countless rows of braids fell to his ankles. He was a moment caught in stone, a hero in motion. If Cassia watched long enough, he would complete the move his limbs seemed poised to make. A fighting move, surely. His hands were curled, as if around the hilts of swords. Yet he wielded no weapons.
Two children clutched his hands. Sculpted of the same stone, the little girls held fast to him as if for guidance. A third, smiling girl rode on his shoulders, while two boys stood at his sides, looking up at him with admiration on their faces. It was not an enemy that held the hero’s gaze, but the third boy in front of him. A tall, gangly lad of solemn countenance. They gazed at each other as if holding a conversation of great import only they could hear.
Cassia studied the children. One of the girls had Nodora’s eyes, another Kia’s curls. The child on his shoulders had a coronet braid. Of the two boys, one was big for his age, but the other looked just as strong.
Cassia knelt before the tallest boy and met his gaze. She would know Lio’s face anywhere, in any time.
“Prometheus.” For the first time, Kia sounded reverent.
Nodora came to sit with Cassia and looked at her own childhood likeness. “He saved all of our lives, without even knowing it.”
Knight stretched out between Cassia and Nodora, a tame beast at the great hero’s feet.
