DIMITRI

  Dimitri hated the forest. Especially at night. The snakes that could jump at any moment, wild animals, insects that could cause infections, and of course… He couldn’t see where he was hiding the bodies.

  ‘’Come on, boy, hurry up’’The teacher lectured, and the boy turned back with a pout. While he was digging a deep hole, the man was roasting chicken with Pup eating the bones of it.

  ‘’You know that you can help, right?’’Dimitri complained and looked down at the wrapped dead body that was about to go under.

  ‘’I already told you a million times’’Teacher explained.’’I cannot participate in the burial rituals, even digging.’’

  Dimitri understood that it was a nice lie and excuse, so he could suffer from his mistakes.

  ‘’I know that I broke your rule, but this isn’t fair’’He tried to explain.

  So the teacher moved closer to him.

  ‘’I told you never to reveal your name, and what did you do?’’

  He narrowed and looked at the body of a beautiful girl, flirting with Dimitri at one of the taverns. Asking him sweet, innocent things about his profession, his hobbies, and his name.

  A few words from her, and he was all in her control. He would be long gone if his Teacher hadn’t appeared and started casting spells and stabbing her in the chest. Sometimes Dimitri wondered how he knew so many things. And other times he wished to never find out.

  ‘’How could I know that she was possessed by a succubus?’’ Dimitri tried to gain the higher ground.

  ‘’The moment that she found you charming?’’ The teacher arched his brow.

  Dimitri mimicked him. ‘’Jealous that she didn’t try to find you?’’

  The teacher crossed his arms around his waist.’’Deceiving women is not in my interest.’’

  Dimitri moved the shovel even deeper into the ground and pushed all the dirt close to his Teacher, making his clothes filled with dirt.

  The teacher let out a snarling expression.

  ‘’How could you be so naive?’’He raised his arms and walked back to the fire.

  ‘’Oh, I am sorry that I wanted to have some fun.’’Dimitri argued. ‘’To find a girl to kiss.’’

  ‘’I don’t mean that’’Teacher sighed and looked at his hands.’’It’s just how could you get tricked so easily?’’ Dimitri finally put the body with all his remaining strength into the hole that he made and started putting the dirt back so he could bury the woman.

  ‘The boy shrugged.’’I don’t know, I am human, I lower my guard when I find something that interests me’’And he turned to his Teacher’s place, who was putting the roasted chicken into a plate.

  ‘’Don’t tell me you haven’t done it’’

  And his teacher replied with a narrow look and stood up with Pup following him.

  ‘’When you done with the burial, eat’’He commanded.’’Then return to our home’’

  He did bury the woman, placing a wooden cross on the top of the dirt. Dimitri was never interested in religious beliefs, but the Teacher said that he must help the religious people pass to the afterlife. He learnt almost every prayer from every religion. He once buried a Buddhist, another a Taoist, a Hebrew…

  ‘’I am sorry that you passed that way’’Dimitri whispered after he finished his prayer and walked right to his food.

  ‘’Dimitri woke up’’Hermes’ voice commanded, and his eyes snapped as he took a look around. His heart dropped from disappointment when he realized that he was inside a forest with a fire burning bright to keep him warm. In front of him, there was the cunning god who was grinning like an idiot. He tried to move, but he soon realized that his hands were all tied up behind his back.

  No time to panic, he had to be rational.

  ‘’What am I doing here?’’Panted the boy, and the god grabbed him by the face. While he was studying him, Dimitri tried to study him too. Different clothes now.

  His hair was all tied up in a high bun with his tunic having the dark shade of green and the fabric ending up at his knees, while he had wide dark pants to cover his rabbit legs.

  ‘’What are you wearing?’’

  Hermes smiled.’’Do you like it? The Han dynasty was filled with riches and nice fabrics.’’

  Dimitri wished he could say that he looked like an overstuffed dumpling, but he didn’t want Hermes to command him to kill himself.

  ‘’Handsome.’’Winced the boy.’’Now, will you tell me why I am here?’’

  The god moved his hand away and acted surprised. Most people would be terrified of seeing a god in front of them, but Dimitri knew that gods and strange creatures had existed for years. The teacher explained to him that there are different plains where they exist from all kinds of religions. And some of those plains are slowly getting forgotten and dying.

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  ‘’Don’t worry, Dimitri, I won’t hurt you. I simply want your teacher’s help.’’

  Dimitri narrowed as he heard those words. He remembered how pathetic he felt when he read the letter. His teacher left him like it was nothing.

  ‘’And what exactly is this that you want from him?’’

  The god’s lips curved into a wide smile.’’You see, she took something very special to me. And with that, I cannot do what I have to do.’’

  Teacher steal something from him? Dimitri wondered how he could do it. The teacher looked like a con artist, a liar, but a thief? Pickpocketing a god? He couldn’t imagine it.

  ‘’Oh’’Hermes laughed.’’ Don’t be upset now, I know Lyssandra well, she will come.’’

  ‘’Lyssandra?’’

  Immediately, the god’s smile faded.’’Or maybe I was wrong’’

  He leaned once again closer to the boy and formed a wicked smile. The forest wind brushed a chill breeze on Dimitri’s nape, bringing chills down his spine.

  ‘’Tell me, boy, what will happen if you scream for her help? Pray for her to appear? Will she come?’’

  Dimitri knew the answer. His teacher wasn’t coming. He had made the mistake of trusting him.

  But there was a familiar bark now echoing in the forest. And the man pulled away.

  ‘’Oh, we will find out soon…’’The man hummed and walked away, to where Pup’s barking first started.

  Leaving him alone, it was finally the time for Dimitri to run away. There still wasn’t a trap that could keep him long, as he was now free from his restraints. He ran as fast as he could to the cold winter forest with no sign of civilization. He didn’t know how far he went or if he was even going in circles. But he had to run. Because none would come save him. Not this time. Ever since he met his Teacher, it was going worse and worse and…

  He stopped to catch his breath, but a hand grabbed his mouth from behind. His body reacted, trying to fight. Panic grew, making his eyes water as he couldn’t see who was forcing his breathing to stop.

  ‘’Hush boy’’Teacher rasped.

  Dimitri turned his head back and found a tall figure standing behind him. He relaxed slowly,y and the Teacher let his hand away from him. The moonlight shone, and it was clear now that the figure belonged to Odysseus. With a worried panic drawn on his face, the man let out a breath of relief.

  But Dimitri backed away.

  ‘’You left.’’He cried with disbelief.

  ‘’He is destroyed’’The teacher spoke as if he didn’t hear Dimitri’s cries. ‘’We need to go.’’

  ‘’Go where?’’He asked, and he saw the Teacher now holding his amulet tight.

  ‘’Anywhere you want. Cairo, Rome, China, your choice’’Such panic in his voice. Was he afraid of that man?

  ‘’ I won’t go anywhere with you’’He shouted.

  ‘’Boy, please, it’s for your own-’’

  ‘’You left me, telling me that you don’t’’ His breath quickened. How dare he appear as if nothing happened that morning? How could he act that he actually cared?

  ‘’Boy, I made a mistake and I can explain everything’’His voice shook. ‘’But we really need to-’’

  Run.

  Before the laughing man could stab his Teacher's neck from behind with a sharp sword.

  His green eye darted with his mouth panting from the shock. And Dimitri could not hold his scream much longer. The teacher now fell to the ground while Hermes had already pulled the blade away.

  He wasn’t breathing. He wasn’t reacting. And Dimitri knelt close to him.

  ‘’Please, no, Teacher please’’He wept, tears falling from his face, and a million thoughts coming from his mind. The man that he cared about was gone. He looked down to his neck, where he was hiding the necklace.

  ‘’What is in your hands, Dimitri?’’Hermes’ voice was filled with amusement.

  He took something from Hermes. Something that was given to him at the right moment.

  The god’s necklace. He died for this. Just for a stupid necklace. Why was it so special?

  With anger in his heart, he was about to remove it, but a cold hand grabbed his wrist. Looking down, he found his teacher facing him coldly.

  ‘’Agh, I am not dead yet’’He grunted and stood up, letting Dimitri scream from fear and Hermes face disappointment.

  ‘’That hurt’’He looked at the god who now smiled.

  ‘’You are alive’’Dimitri cried and sniffed his nose.

  ‘’Of course I am alive,’’ He explained and let out a harsh glare at Hermes.

  Dimitri kept staring in disbelief. Searching his Teacher’s clothes, he could see no blood or wound on his throat. As if nothing had happened to him.

  And the teacher realized what his student was watching. He shut his gaze and tried to face away.

  And Hermes chuckled.’’Oh, you didn’t tell him about you, did you?’’

  The teacher stayed silent. And Dimitri could imagine a million things, but there was no explanation for any of this. His eyes fell to his now-exposed neck, where the golden scar appeared.

  ‘’Come on now, tell him.’’ Jerked Hermes

  ‘’You need to leave now’’Mouthed the teacher to his student.

  ‘’No, no, stay here, Dimitri’’ The god commanded, and a wave of energy pushed Dimitri to not move a muscle.

  ‘’Now, Lyssandra,’’ Hermes spoke gently as if both Dimitri and Teacher were his puppets.

  ‘’Tell him the truth.’’

  For a moment, Teacher shut his mouth and blood spilled all over his lips. His tongue. He cut his tongue. But that restraint did not last.

  ‘’My name is Lyssandra.’’Rasped Odysseus. ‘’ I was born over a millennium ago and I…’’

  He didn’t need to answer because Dimitri understood. He remembered what that demon Mara once said.

  His Teacher was a slave. A slave to the god that was standing tall right behind them and with a pleasing grin.