Chapter 68: Chapter 68: Goodbye, Demetrios

The next morning, Praxis and Lysandra had a hard conversation about their future in the village, one where they had to be realistic about the situation in front of them. Both of them had time to express their thoughts, but it was Lysandra who summed it up nicely near the end of the conversation.

“So we’re going to have to leave the village, at least for our own long-term safety,” she said while sitting on the edge of the bed. “While Demetrios has been wonderful, we don’t know what Medios could do to get even with us. There’s also the fact that we still put them in jeopardy if the Spartan army ever comes back this way. So for their safety and ours, we need to leave.”

“And there’s really only one destination,” added Praxis. “Messenia. Where we can find my father. And perhaps talk them into resisting the Spartans.”

Lysandra let out a deep sigh. “Both of those tasks sound impossible. I’d almost rather face the trials again.”

Praxis smiled. “Nothing’s impossible as long as we stick together. We got through three trials, right? All we’re doing now is starting another.”

Lysandra shot him a dirty look. “And then can we go forget about the world and lay on the beach somewhere?”

Praxis started to laugh. “Sure, as long as we survive.”

“Always so chipper, aren’t you?”

Praxis tickled her sides which quickly made her give up. “I surrender! Is this how you treat the woman you love?”

“It’s exactly how I treat the woman I love. Don’t pretend you don’t enjoy it.”

She crossed her arms in front of her chest. “You’re impossible.”

Despite the playfulness of the encounter, their hearts were still heavy when the time came to break the news to Demetrios and Rastus. They spent a few moments gathering their things before appearing in the other room. To his credit, Demetrios figured it out immediately.

“You’re not staying,” he said with a sad look.

“It’s the best option we have,” replied Lysandra. “For our safety and for yours, we need to go.”

“Where will you go?” asked Demetrios. “Messenia?”

“Messenia seems like the best place,” answered Praxis. “If my father is still alive, we’ll find him there. And if Messenia is the only state strong enough to still challenge Spartan power, maybe it’s the best springboard for freeing the Peloponnese.”

“And it sure would be nice to see Argos again someday,” added Lysandra wistfully.

“I don’t blame you for your choices,” said Demetrios. “But I will miss you. We both will, won’t we, Rastus?”

Rastus said nothing to that. Instead, he bounded out of his chair and gave both of them a long hug.

“I think Rastus said it the best,” added Demetrios, chuckling.

It took nearly fifteen minutes before all the goodbyes had been said. While Praxis and Lysandra weren’t leaving with much, there was one item that Demetrios insisted they take.

“My spear,” said Demetrios, pushing it into Praxis’ hands. “You did well with it in your encounter with the wolf. Like I promised you, I want you to have it.”

Praxis took it willingly, letting his fingers curl around the staff. “I learned a new way of fighting thanks to this spear. I’d be honored to carry it with me. Just a little reminder of our time spent with you.”

Demetrios patted his shoulders like a doting grandparent. After many embraces and a few tears, it was time to get moving. They opened the door to the house and stepped outside, feeling the cool morning air.

“You’ll want to find the closest road going west as soon as you can,” advised Demetrios. “Go west until you come to the next mountain chain and then go south until you hit the road. Follow it directly to Messene but stay on it. Western Arcadia is full of bandits. Not that you can’t handle it but I don’t want to see any harm come to you if we can avoid it.”

Praxis repeated the instructions and then nodded his head. “It was a pleasure, Demetrios. We’ll see you again someday.”

“Good luck to both of you,” replied the old man. “And give my best to your father when you find him. Because I know you will.”

With one last wave, Praxis and Lysandra set off. They moved to the south around the village, not wanting to chance another encounter with Medios. Once they reached the opposite side of the village, Praxis turned around and looked down on it.

“It’s getting old constantly leaving the places we know,” he said aloud. “One day, I hope to find a home that we never have to leave again.”

Lysandra smiled sadly. “One day, we’ll get there. But for now, we’ll keep moving.”

“To Messene?” asked Praxis.

“To Messene. Let’s go before I change my mind.”

Praxis chuckled and they set off with a course to the horizon.

*****

Cora couldn’t stop laughing. “Agemon, you’re a total brute! I can’t believe you did that to the poor man!”

Just beside her, Agemon was howling with laughter as he recounted the tale. “I certainly did. He’d been stealing from me for months so he got what he deserved. Frankly, he’s lucky it was only a bucket of goat shit and nothing more but I know he’ll never forget what it smelled like!”

Cora doubled over and clutched her chest. “Goodness, that’s too funny! I want to hear more of your stories!”

Agemon beamed with a grin. In the past week, the tension between him and Cora had thawed to a noticeable degree. Whereas Agemon used to stutter when talking to her, he now found that he really enjoyed his time with Cora, and he realized that she was the perfect confidante.

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Cora didn’t judge him for his thoughts or his previous actions. She was an incredible listener, even staying up most nights as he droned on about everything and anything. And she also shared the details about her own life as well.

It only made his crush on her grow. Instead of just a physical crush, driven by Cora’s appearance, there was a deeper part to it now as well. She was just an incredible person, and he wanted her now more than ever.

The great thing about it was that Cora seemed to reflect his feelings as well. At least, as far as he could tell. There had been no repeats of that first night and the kiss but there had been many looks of longing, on her side as well as his. Agemon thought it was only a matter of time before they took the next step together.

“Oh, Agemon, you’re a riot,” said Cora finally, giving him a glance of her perfect smile. “You know, there’s one thing I can’t quite figure out about you.”

“What’s that, Cora?”

Her eyes rolled upward in thought. “How is it that a guy like you—big, strong, funny, and attentive—doesn’t have a woman to call his own? I can’t figure it out and it drives me nuts.”

Agemon swallowed heavily. He didn’t expect such a direct question from her and it brought back some of his nerves.

“It just never happened, I guess. I mean, there were women in the past but nothing that was too serious. Most of them didn’t have the same opinion as you.”

Cora’s mouth fell open. “You mean they couldn’t see what a gem you are?”

Agemon snorted. “I don’t know that I would use the word gem. Most of them would use that word you said earlier. Brute.”

It was like Cora took that offensively. She stiffened as her eyebrows drew in tight. “That’s not right at all. You’re a good man, Agemon. And I see a side of you that I don’t think many others do.”

“They had a point. I can be quick to anger and I didn’t always show off my best side. Most of my prominent relationships and even friendships started off on the wrong foot. It’s just what you get with me, I suppose.”

Cora leaned against him. “Well for the record, I think those women had gotten it all wrong. I think you’re a catch, even if you don’t know it.”

Agemon didn’t know what to say to that, especially with the contact against his shoulder. More than anything, he wanted to put his arm around her and kiss her but what if she reacted badly to that? What if he was overstepping himself? Damnit, women were too complex! How come it wasn’t easy like learning to swing a sword?

Thankfully for him, Cora kept talking. “I had a man once. Just once though. He wasn’t anything like you though. In hindsight, I should have never given him the time of day but in the beginning, he was an attractive man to look at and I was happy just to have the attention. He was the kind of man that always knew the right thing to say. I realized only later on that there was nothing of substance to him.”

“How did it end?” asked Agemon.

“Once he got what he wanted,” she admitted. “I . . . slept with him. Big mistake. As soon as the deed was done, he wouldn’t even look at me. It was like I was yesterday’s news. The next time I saw him, he acted like he barely knew me. He was already onto the next girl and I learned a valuable lesson that day. Watch out for the ones that are too smooth. I’ve avoided them ever since.”

Cora scooted closer to him. “Truthfully, that’s why I like you so much, Agemon. If there’s one thing you’re not, it’s smooth.”

Agemon felt his face reddening at that remark. He became anxious again but he soon felt Cora’s hand against his cheek.

“Don’t be embarrassed by that. I don’t mean that in a bad way,” she whispered. “I like that you always seem nervous around me. Truthfully, I feel nervous around you. If you always had the right thing to say, I think I’d be more worried but I like that you feel nervous around me. It tells me that you’re . . . genuine.”

Agemon looked confused. “You didn’t think I was being genuine with you?”

Cora shrugged. “I didn’t know at first. I wanted to give you the benefit of the doubt but you’re Agemon. There’s no one in Corinth that doesn’t know your name! I didn’t know what kind of man you might be but now I’m beginning to see the kind of man you are.”

Cora slid closer to him until she was practically in his lap. Agemon was nearly panting by the time she put her arms around his shoulders.

“And I’m really liking the man I see,” she whispered before leaning in to kiss him.

This was no peck on the cheek like their earlier encounter. This kiss was full of heat—the kind of heat that took Agemon by surprise. That still didn’t stop him from wrapping his arms around her, fulfilling a notion that he’d thought about many lonely nights.

Cora moaned in his mouth once she felt the warmth of his embrace.

“Oh, Agemon, I like you more each day,” she whispered against his lips.

“I like you too, Cora. Sometimes too much, I think.”

She smiled at him. “I want to do something with you that I haven’t done in a long time. A very long time.”

Cora wiggled her eyebrows at him, leaving no doubt about what she wanted to do. Agemon’s body responded immediately as all his blood headed south.

“Are you sure?” he whispered. “I can understand if you might need more time.”

She shook her head at him while maintaining that wonderful, coy smile. “I’m sure. I’m very sure.”

That seemed to settle the matter and Cora wasted no time in pushing their beds together. Once that was accomplished, she stood in front of him and peeled off both straps of her dress one at a time before letting it fall to the floor.

Agemon had never seen a more beautiful sight than Cora’s fully naked body. Her nipples were stiff in the night air, and she wasted no time in joining her body to his for warmth.

“Make love to me, Agemon,” she whispered as her hand wrapped around his cock.

For the next twenty minutes, they made tender, passionate love for the very first time.

Despite Agemon being a refugee from his own land and not knowing when he might see his family or friends again, it was still the best night of his life.

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