130 Life with you part 5

The sun had already begun to break over the horizon when Arei finally lifted himself from the icy water of the tub and dried off. He lumbered back toward the bed, dropping his trousers on the floor. The maids would be in soon, and if he wanted to keep up the lie it would have to be believable when they came in.

A gentle rap on the door before it was opened, woke Arei. He hadn't realized he'd fallen asleep. He glanced toward the window. It was later than he'd expected. The maids must have saved their room for last. He glanced toward the young maid when he heard giggling. His eyes followed hers from his trousers on the floor to the small hand resting across his waist.

"Sorry, Sir. I'll be out of yer hair in just a tick." She said as she busied herself around the room.

Two hours later had Arei glad to be immortal and not easily exhausted. He smiled as an eager Jos practically buzzed beside him with excitement. When she wasn't studying the many trinkets, pottery, and silks of the market; she was asking countless questions about the bustling town itself. The glint of metal caught his eyes as a jeweler's stand came into view. He let her lead them through the open shop, his eyes catching on a stunning stone. "Look around, see if anything catches your eye... my treat." He said, not taking his focus off the stone. When she released his hand and began roaming the small enclosure, he lifted the stone. The shop owner approached him as he continued studying the item.

"Lovely, isn't it?" The owner asked.

Arei nodded. "Would you be able to set it?"

"Of course." the owner said. "In any fashion you would like."

Arei's eyes looked around at some of the other items in the shop. His eyes locked on a necklace with a stallion carved into it. "Did you do this?" He asked.

"Yes, I did. Do you fancy it?" He asked.

Arei looked over to Jos to make sure she was still preoccupied, before asking. "Could you set it in a necklace like that one? Two stallions on either side, one with wings, one... of the sea?" He pulled down the neck of his shirt to reveal the tattoo marking him as Areion. "Something similar to this symbol?" He asked.

The man nodded glancing back and forth between his face and tattoo before shooting a glance in Jos's direction. "For you, of course... but it will take some time."

Arei nodded and worked out the details with the man as Jos continued looking around contently. When he was satisfied the necklace would be made the way he wanted, he trailed Jos to a table of shells. She didn't turn when he came up behind her or when he ran a hand over hers. "It's nice. Would you like it?" He asked following her fingers over the edges of the large conch shell.

Her surprised eyes met his. "Can I?"

"The bag, please." She asked and watched as he pulled the large saddlebag from his shoulder and placed it inside. Once the bag was back on his shoulder and his hand was free, she eagerly grabbed it.

He chuckled, "So eager to go see old rocks, are you?"

She nodded. "I'm eager for anything you are willing to teach me." She squeezed his large hand between both her small ones.

Arei used his grip on her and pulled her closer. When they were toe to toe, he bent and placed a light kiss on her lips. "And I find myself surprisingly eager to teach you." He murmured against her lips. He laughed as her eyes widened and her cheeks colored. She had definitely understood his meaning. He ran is free hand threw her hair and stroked his thumb across her blushing cheek. "We should be going. It's a bit of a distance away and our mode of transportation is a bit slower than I'm accustomed to." he winked down at her but knew she didn't understand his meaning. He unhitched the horse and lifted her up. After placing the bags across the rear of the horse, he hoisted himself up as well. She nestled against his solid chest as he snapped the reins softly.

She let out a content sigh as the horse set a steady pace. She leaned her head back to look up at him. "Is this what it's like? To be a person?"

Arei frowned as her words pulled at his heart. There had been many times when he, himself felt like more of an animal than a man. But her words held a sadder meaning. She has never seen herself as a person... as anything but the monster people thought her to be. He pulled the horse to a stop. "Kitten, look at me." He said, turning her as much as he could atop the horse. "You are every bit a person as I am. Do you understand. You are not the creature you shift into. He traced the fine features of her face. You are this person, the same as I am." He lifted her hand and rested it over the linen covered tattooed brand on his chest. "You are beautiful inside and out. With enough practice, you'll be able to control your shifted form and realize it's just an extension of you the person not your identifying trait." He pulled her against his chest in a tight hug before kissing the top of her head lightly. "And I can't wait to see that day."

***

"And this one!" Jos asked as she pulled Arei to another tall worn statue.

He chuckled pulling her back against him and resting his chin on her head in exaggerated tiredness. "That is Athena, goddess of wisdom and strategy, favored daughter to Zeus, counter part to Ares, patron of warriors. I've met her a handful of times. She's actually very likeable, though stern and incredibly serious. She favored your father, you know."

Jos let out a low groan. "Then she wouldn't favor me."

Arei bunched his brows. "And why is that? I, for one, believe she would adore you."

Jos shrugged under Arei's heavy weight. "Because I killed my father." The words were pained and laced with regret. "Or at least the beast did... I don't recall the attack one way or the other, but mother made it a point to inform me of my wrong doings... right before she banished me to my current home."

Arei frowned, a sudden recollection of the tale resurfacing in the recesses of his memory. "You don't recall then how do you know you did it? Ships sink all the time and there's more than one creature out there that's been known to drag a vessel down."

She shrugged again. "I very rarely remember any of my time as the creature, especially when the shifts are brought on by the curse."

He stood and turned her around to face him. "What do you mean?"

She searched his expression. "The ships, they call to the beast forcing me to shift... but only if they are to near Ogygia. It still happens from time to time." She shrugged. "One of those times, it was father's vessel. One of my brothers was also aboard. Mother disowned me after." Her eyes were staring unfocused at their feet.

Arei forced her eyes to meet his and carefully wiped a tear from one eye. "Look at me, that was not your fault. Calypso only blamed you because she couldn't accept blame as her own. It was she who cursed you and her alone who should face any blame for your actions." He pulled her against his chest as more tears spilt for her eyes. Her tiny hands fisted into the fabric of his shirt as he continued to hold her. "Would you like to see a statue of my father?" He asked, offering distraction.

When she nodded against his chest, he released his hold and took her hand. Leading her through the corridors of the old temple, he stopped in front of a giant statue of a man who held a heavy resemblance to himself. "This is Poseidon, god of the sea, storms, earthquakes, and horses... not a fan of your father." Arei added. Her tiny laugh brought a smile to his face. "In a way he is part of you... part of your history. Would you like to know the full tale? I can only imagine I know more of the truth of it than you."

Jos nodded as she turned to rest her head against his chest. She let him lead her to a bench and let him pull her down between his legs as he straddled it. She leaned her head against his chest and listened to the soothing rumble of his voice and rhythmic rise and fall of his breathing.

He stroked his hand over her hair and shoulders as he retold the tell. "Your father, Odysseus, blinded one of my brothers and as punishment Poseidon stranded him on your mother's island with the hopes that either the sirens or one of the many other creatures near there would kill him. But your mother fell madly in love with him, unfortunately his heart already belonged to his wife Penelope and they already had children. He was favored by Zeus and Athena as a great warrior who gave tribute in their names during several of his battles so the gods took pity on him. After seven years of imprisonment, the gods demanded Calypso release him. When she did as she was told, he took their children with him and never looked back. Driven mad by the loss of her love, she cursed the seas surrounding the island. All ships to sail near the island would be sank, no man would ever set foot, by vessel, on her island again. The powers of nature took your soul as payment for her willful spell and cursed you in turn." He brought her eyes up to meet his. "She is the one who is to blame, not you and I plan to prove this to the courts soon enough." He curled forward and placed a light kiss to her pouting lips. "You are innocent in this."

Tears flooded her eyes again. "I'm not innocent. I've killed and led many to their deaths... It was what I was taught for as long as I could remember..."

Arei let out a troubled sigh. He turned her to face him, cupping both sides of her face in his large hands. "We have all done terrible things, love. You don't live a lifespan as ours and not have a few black spots on your soul. You are not some evil monster. You are not a Kraken or what ever else they call you. You are a demi-god, a daughter of a goddess and warrior. I can't pretend to understand your life until now, but I do know you and I are the same." He held her gaze as more tears spilt from her eyes. So many emotions battled within their aqua depths, he couldn't stop himself from pressing his lips to hers. He pressed her against his chest holding her tight. "You are beautiful a demi-goddess to be worshipped not a creature to fear." He whispered against her head.

When he finally released her, her tired eyes met his. "What do you say we head back, and I can tell you more stories of the other gods on our way?"