Thebes

Prologue

"You are not welcome here. Your blood is impure, and you're nothing more than a weight on the shoulders of this village. If you leave now, nothing will happen to you."

The man's voice sounded terribly painful to my ears.

"Father, say something!" I cried, desperately seeking help in his lifeless black eyes. "You cannot let them do this!"

I turned to face the man, cautiously avoiding the spears villagers pointed towards me. Even though their weapons were not touching me, I could feel their hatred piercing my body from side to side.

"Why should I have to leave my hometown? I have as much right as you to live on the land where I was ―"

"SILENCE, HALF-BREED!" He growled. "You're neither human nor god; you do not belong with us. You attract monsters and made us loose most of our cattle. How are we going to survive if our beasts keep disappearing by your fault?"

A cry of rage emanated from the villagers. Many of them brandished their fists in the air, while others were busy throwing rocks at me.

"You're nothing more than the filthy result of Aite's adventures with this bastard." He said, pointing at my father.

I couldn't believe it.

"How can you blame me for my father's mistakes?" I yelled. "It is not my fault if my mother is a goddess! I am not responsible for the blood flowing in my veins!"

"And that is why we won't kill you." He replied. "We are banishing you. And if your father also wants to leave, we will not hold him back. Nikolas?" He asked.

My father looked down.

"Zenia..." He whispered in his beard.

"...Zenia is old enough to take care of herself."

I was speechless.

"You..."

Trying to hold back my tears, I did not realize the cold, strong warlord's hand on my naked shoulder. I shivered. 

"Well, then." He said. But I  wasn't listening..

My eyes filled with tears. I could not believe what was happening. My father. My own father.  

I fell on my knees, the men still circling me with their weapons. I could already feel the soft warmth of my tears rolling on my cheeks. My father. The only family I had left.

I did not care anymore. They could've killed me, I wouldn't have pleaded for my cause. The only reason I was still alive just clearly told me he did not care about my plight.

"Savas." A woman said in the crowd. The villagers suddenly fell silent as the warlord's wife made her way through the armed men.

Savas seemed surprised to see her.

"M-my dear? Shouldn't you be in bed? You're still very―"

"Hush."

The woman gracefully crouched near me . She looked at me straight in the eyes, and I could feel that she was definitely not feeling well: her skin was pale, and dark circles under her eyes showed an evident lack of sleep.

"If you want to banish this young woman, then so be it. It is not in my power to restrain you." She gently stroked my cheek, wiping my tears, as if I was her daughter. "But don't you think it would be cruel to let her leave without anything? Not even her clothes?"

Savas raised an eyebrow.

"What do you propose?"

The woman softly chuckled.

"Give her bags of food and clothes. I do not want her starving in the middle of the forest." She stood up, inciting me to do the same. "Also, you shall give her Galen."

A gasp was heard from the villagers. Savas seemed uneasy.

"...Will that be all?" He said in a constrained voice.

"No." She claimed with assurance. "I want you to give her the dagger."

"No way!" A villager shouted. "Galen is the healthiest stallion that has ever been! Kings and princes are bidding thousands of pieces of gold to make this horse theirs! Giving it to this brat would be a loss!"

"Yes." An old woman replied. "Besides, Athena's dagger is a gift from the goddess herself! It is the only thing left that still protects us from monsters! We will never―"

"Silence, folks." The woman roared. "You are banishing this young woman because she is a half-god, and yet you're still looking for the gods' protection? You're miserable." She took my hand. "Now, give her what I asked, and she will leave without delay."

Even sick, the woman had the aura of a leader. Straight back, head up and talking in a firm voice, she knew how to get people's attention. She knew how to put them in a favorable position.

I wiped what was left of my tears and stood up next to her.

"If that is your desire... " Savas sighed.

___________________________________________

In less than an hour, everything was ready. The stableman taught me how to correctly equip Galen, a strong and elegant black stallion. The warlord brought me Athena's dagger and two bags full of food and clothes.

"Zenia." I turned and saw my father holding a leather pouch. "I am sorry for not coming with you. If I was still healthy, I would have accompanied you. But...but..." His voice broke.

"Father." I said, putting a hand on his shoulder. "It's fine."

His gaze met mine. Even if I was still bitter about what he said earlier, I could still perceive a glimpse of tenderness in his eyes.

He was not lying.

"Take this." He said. "I've, I've been saving it for your marriage, but I guess it is useless now."

He handed me the pouch. I did not open it, already knowing what it was.

"Your aunt Adelpha lives in Thebes. She will host you with pleasure." He said, then walked away.

I was ready to leave. I've never left my village before, but I knew I could find my way through the outside world.

"Watch out after leaving the woods." A soft voice said from behind me. "The hills are steep and the rocks can easily injure a horse."

I turned to see Savas' wife holding Galen's bridle.

"Thank you." I said coldly, jumping on the stallion's back.

The horse headed into the woods, and before I couldn't hear her anymore, the woman whispered.

"May the gods be with you."