"The seas filled with raiders, ready to plunder unwalled cities and countless atrocities plaguing the lands, the tidings of Kremnos arriving at the new court of Enkomi still warranted investigation by royal Keshen, to shine a light upon the gruesome events."

- unknown

The day was warm, the winds mild for the winter seasons, no rains yet to be seen, even the crickets still sang their songs in the remaining warmth of summer.

The ram tried to struggle but the man overwhelmed the animal and heaved it on the cart, ready to tie it up.

The man was old, in his forties, but still he carried an impressive frame, with roped muscles flexing beneath his bronze skinned body and long straight raven hair hanging over his shoulders.

His burning blue eyes made him stand out from the people of Alasiya, who were brown eyed, swarthy people with stocky frames and of timid temper.

The ram was strong as well, a fitting scarifies for the horned god.

A shame he had to put the ram on the cart though, the animal has legs, but he knew if he'd try to walk it there he would have to drag the stubborn beast the whole way.

But there was no regret in the mans heart, for he knew Taish was good to him, his children were feed and his wife was merry.

For he knew his god should not be tempted.

He could hear two pairs of feet behind him, coming down the graveled path.

He knew why they were here, they came to plead, he expected them and he was tired of their arguments.

"Apollas, do you have a moment?" the woman stepping forward asked.

"We should get going soon. There's a storm coming, it'll be here tonight, we want to be back before it starts raining." Apollas replied pretending to not know what the womans visit was about.

"Thats what I wanted to talk to you about."

He turned to face his wife, a beautiful woman twenty four years of age, with wavy, raven hair, ferocious brown eyes and curled locks hanging at her temples sides. His twelve year old son was right behind her, the likeness of his father expect his hair which curled like his mothers, he avoided Apollas eyes, he feared that his father knew that he was the one instigating his mother and did not dare face his father.

So his father challenged the boy.

"Am I supposed to visit the horned god all alone? What is Taish to think if I come alone? Do we want to disappoint him?"

"No father. I will come."

The boy gave in immediately, he couldn't bare to disappoint.

"Go inside Theos"

The boy ran back to the house, Apollas saw that as he closed the door he immediately ran and hide by the window to follow what was going to happen next.

"Oh Apollas it's the time for the end of summer celebration. The people of Naca will come down to the..."

"Has Taish not been good to us?" he interrupted his wife.

"Have our plates not been full all year?

Has our crop not flourished?

Isha has given us 3 young goats, 2 of which survived last winter and now strengthen our herd?

And we only give back 4 times a year.

We have much this year to be grateful for.

Don't you agree?"

"I know that you and Taish have provided for us and we are grateful."

She always paused when she uttered the horned gods name, she put the works of Apollas before the horned god.

It angered Apollas that she didn't understood the awesome power Taish wielded.

She proclaimed it to him, but Apollas suspected she didn't proclaim it in her heart as well.

But that's what he was here for, to guide her and their children.

"But there will be people there, the men are going to jump the cliffs and they will bring their children, children in Theos age."

"Eliyana every time it's the same argument. Don't you believe me when I tell you these people are a bad influence? They are fearful of the world and it makes them dangerous.

They don't pray to the horned god anymore and they don't look kindly upon us because we do."

He grabbed her arms softly, she raised her head to face him and grabbed his face.

"You can't shield him forever Apollas he needs to be with other children."

"He needs to be here where his place is."

"Then he will run and he will be unprepared when the time comes. You have seen so much of the world, but he knows nothing but this place and some day that won't be enough." she pleaded.

"Yes I have seen the world and so have you, that's why we are to stay here." he stubbornly insisted.

"Let him see people, let him have friends. Then he can someday find a wife in Naca or even Kremnos and tend to the farm. Don't you want do hear the laughter of children when we are old."

She had a way of convincing him, make him see things differently.

There was no future if he didn't loosen his grip, he often pondered this, but he still feared the corruption from outside.

"You know how to persuade a man against his better judgment."

She smiled and pulled his head down and pressed her lips upon his.

"Taish is kind."

"We will be home before your return and tonight we all join in his prayer."

She smiled at him and Apollas could see from the corner of his eye that his son inside the house was smiling as well.

"I will leave Insha with Grahna, she adores her and won't mind the trouble."

She walked back to the house an excited spring in her step, Theos was waiting at the door, nervous to hear his fathers judgement.

Thaish forgive them they don't understand their folly, he thought to himself.

Eliyana was greatful for Grahna and her husband Svatos, the old couple had lived at this part of the coast since Kition fell, they chose the isolation of the unprotected hermit life, over of the safety of the cruel mountain range.

They were the only ones ready to help, when Eliyana and Apollas arrived at the shore of Larna so long ago, without their hospitality Eliyana might have lost unborn Theos during these times.

They were a gift send by the gods and they were always eager to take care of young Theos and now young Insha.

After placing the girl in the old couples care Eliyana and Theos were ready to move to the steep cliffs were the people of Naca were celebrating once a year at the coast they so seldom saw.

Eliyana was giving Apollas a last excited kiss, while Theos impatiently paced up and down the path.

"We will go now, don't worry, we will be back before you. I promise."

She smiled at him, the happiest smile he had seen on her face for a while.

Maybe it was a good decision after all.

He look after them until they disappeared behind the curving path leading to the steep cliffs.

The cart was ready and Apollas didn't want to lose anymore time, so made he made his way to the tied up ram for he had a long way before himself.

When he arrived there sat a cloaked man on the cart petting the already distressed rams head.

"So it is true the great Apollas has become a man of the gods. And this one in particular. What a curious choice." the cloaked man said, the last words ending in a violent coughing fit.

There was blood on the mans hand as it departed from his mouth.

The feet hanging from the cart were bare, covered in sores and dirt, the left leg sticking out of the dirty cloak was scarred from being broken many times in many places, it hadn't been properly tended to in the past for there were lumps were broken bone didn't grew together properly.

Apollas noticed two crutches and questioned if the leg was even fit to carry weight.

"Don't you recognize me? Not even my voice?"

The mans voice was nothing but a wheezing whisper, but with the last words there came an all to familiar boom to it, a tone Apollas hadn't heard in a decade.

The question ended in another coughing fit which produced even more blood in the mans hands.

"Aren't you going to say something?"

The earth under Apollas feet nearly slipped away, as his mind became dizzy.

"We will talk inside the house. Now!"

Without looking back Apollas turned towards the house.

"Will you not help an old man with his burden?"

Apollas didn't listen and went inside.

Theos and Eliyana arrived at the steep cliffs, they were greeted by a bored looking man guarding group of women sitting under a tree in a makeshift encampment.

He was swarthy and short, a meek, unimposing man most likely cast out by the other men to attend to the undesirable task of guarding the women.

When the women noticed Eliyana the talking stopped abruptly.

"Your the wife of the eremite?"

The guard demanded.

"We are not eremites."

Eliyana answered truthfully.

"What do you want?"

"Just join you, see the men jump the cliffs."

"You better turn."

"You think she and her son will kill us? And then maybe raid the village?"

One of the women under the tree asked audaciously.

The guard was dumbfounded.

"What am I supposed to do?"

"Let her sit."

The guard wasn't happy but gave in, angrily he walked away mumbling something vulgar.

"Sit down. He is an idiot. That's why he has to secure us while the real man jump at the cliffs."

Eliyana gave Theos a clap on the back.

"Go."

Theos went down a small path, the laughter of children could be heard from down there and Theos had been nervously eyeing it since they arrived.

Eliyana sat down with the women the group was still quite.

"If you aren't eremites. Why do you live so secluded."

The woman demanded. She had a sharp face and clearly was the one testing Eliyana.

"It's my husband."

"Is there something wrong with him? Or does he think himself better then us?"

There was unexpected aggression in her voice.

"I assure you there is nothing wrong with my husband and he doesn't think himself better then anyone. He has his reasons and as his wife I'm to follow his command."

"I know how that feels."

One of the other women replied.

"If I don't follow him to the word, he always threatens to beat me up, he never does though."

The whole group laughed.

"Men are always the same, the other day Granosh came home, proud as can be, gave me a rabbit he captured to cook. Livid like a little girl he was when I told him it wasn't worth my while because it's just skin and bones anyway.

Again everyone laughed.

The leading woman still kept an eyes on Eliyana but her questioning was over, since the group started the chitchatting.

Theos arrived at the cliffs edge, lower then the cliffs where the men jumped but a perfect spot to watch the acrobatic jumps the men performed. A group of children his age sat under a tree watching the spectacle.

One of the girls noticed Theos and observed him.

She had big brown eyes like a deers, Theo stopped mesmerized for he had never seen a girl his age.

As the rest of the group noticed him, one of the boys came to the front to confront the intruder.

"Hey I don't know you. Who are you?"

"Must be the boy of the eremite."

A boy said from the back.

"My father said he isn't a eremite at all, said he's one of the pirates."

Another threw in.

The first boy turn to Theos.

"So are you the pirates kid? Are you a dirty Fatar? You here to steal from us?"

The boy came closer.

"My father is no pirate. We don't steal, we grow our crops. I tend to the goats. Last year I helped Isha to give birth to 3 little lambs."

Theos didn't understand that the boys were turning against him.

"I think I don't believe you."

The boy came closer still.

Theo didn't understand what was happening, but when the boy before him tried to land a punch he knew what was going on.

His reflexes kicked in, his father had always told him, someone who can not defend himself is bound to be a slave of fear.

And so he trained Theos since the age of nine.

He was a good teacher and though Theo wasn't capable to topple a grown man, an untrained child was no match for him.

The boys arms missed his target and as he saw Theo gripping it he felt his legs giving way as Theos kicked them away in one fluid motion.

He didn't know what was happening until Theos was above him, fist in the air.

The kid looked at Theo with awe.

"Can you teach me how you did that?"

Theos laughed as did the boys.