The Children // ASSASSINS CREED ODYSSEY // DEIMOS

C31: The Cost

It had not taken long for the Demi-God to ride out after the men who had left for Athens in front of them a couple of hours before – a caged lycaon in tow.

From what he'd been able to pull from the tongue of the general in command of that little group of undercover cultists guards - that he would have ripped the throat out of and fed to the unconscious lycaon the men were dragging in to a cage had he not told him what they were doing – the beast had a bounty on his head and, Kleon wanted him back alive.

Although, if it was to escape, Kleon wanted it killed and gutted.

He was not taking any chances.

Kleon had also suggested that they do it quietly, so that Deimos didn't take much notice but – in the event that he did – he was to go to Kleon first and not rip through what was left of their pathetic war-torn people in a rage.

Except, the party had left before him – when he'd told them not to - and, after looking at the hunched, unconscious figure that was shackled and muttering in her sleep, he left Kassandra to whatever the Athenian men had planned for her. In the end, she'd be headed to Athens as well, he was sure Kleon had plans for her, sure it would not be the last time they met – although, he would have much rather just dealt with her here and now than waste the time for Kleon to have the last word.

The horse he took was wary, which only told him – more than the blood they trailed – that they were going in the right direction.

At first, there were only small spills here and there but, as whoever it was started to bleed out, started to slow, the puddles of blood got larger, more frequent and, eventually, Deimos came across the lycaons first victim – one of the undercover cultist guards.

His arm had been shredded, the veins were still pulsating and, his breaths were so shallow, Deimos had waited a moment to see if the man was alive.

He knelt down and the man opened his eyes.

The man looked at him and snorted, "It hurts" he smiled and lay his head back.

"What happened" Deimos asked – perhaps the lycaon had already escaped – or perhaps he was just picking off the unsuspecting guards one-by-one,

"I thought it was asleep" the man said, "it wasn't",

"Are you still heading for Athens" Deimos asked. The man nodded,

"He has a lot explaining to do, doesn't he" the man said quietly, "I'm sure that thing was supposed to be dead", Deimos nodded, "seems things like coming back to life",

"But you won't" Deimos said, the man snorted,

"The cost is always too much. Who would want to" he asked before he closed his eyes, his last few breaths being small before he finally gave up.

"Who would" Deimos said as he stood up and looked towards the way the carriage had travelled in.

The Demi-God should have just left them to it. They'd get the beast to Kleon or, they'd all die in the process. It wasn't his problem. It never had been. And, if he was able to keep up the façade that he didn't know about either of them, perhaps it would give him even more room to figure out what the hell he wanted to do about her - about what it would cost him if it went wrong.

Deimos had told her only days ago that she should stay out of his way, that he meant it and, like every other time, he'd faltered.

He could have finished it all, right there and then, he could have snapped her neck and it be over.

It would show the cult - show Kleon - that the chaotic part of him was lost to the past. A past that should have stayed dead – except he'd only thrown her. He'd not seen her rise – perhaps she was dead – perhaps the only way to get near to that carriage, to that lycaon, was for him to kill the lycaon too.