Chapter 125 - 125)Boon And Bane.

The idyllic forest adjacent to the village of Asterzen, famous for its rare and purple asters, was in full bloom with the royal Hoopoes, with their black, white, and pink crest on their head, chattering away nervously, perched on the highest branch of the Almond trees. This picturesque scene was disturbed by the sudden splash of water as young Neo catapulted into the frosty waters of a river.

After suffering through seven brutal summers, training as a Hoplite under the strict aegis of his grandfather, the much revered and respected, Master Andel, who was chieftain supreme of the Kingdom of Aster. The chieftain supreme was considered the highest or the most valuable asset to the Kingdom for strategy and sheer strength.

The eleven-year-old Neo anticipated a soul-cleansing soak in the waters, a much-deserved break of four days, which he stole away from his rigorous training, under the pretext of "training for surviving in the harsh forests", -a preparation for the inevitable war looming at the horizon.

Neo felt a shiver run down his spine as the usually noisy forest that surrounded the river turned uncharacteristically silent. He cupped his bronzed hands and drew water to splash water onto his tired but glowing face. Neo was, awfully well-built for an eleven-year-old, often his mother joked about him being born with eight-pack abs. His copper-colored hair was curly and short, which was a prerequisite for a Hoplite, clashed brilliantly against his aqua blue eyes, making him stand out even amongst thousands.

His lopsided grin grew wider as he felt the droplets of water stun his face with icy coldness, which he was expecting but not prepared for. Just as he was about to draw another handful, he felt the river around him freeze. 

"Hey what's happening?!!!!....my toes!! I can't feel them!!" he helplessly looked as miles of river froze as far as his eyes could see. Neo tried to wriggle his feet and pull his legs out of the frozen river, but he failed. Chilly winds blew all around him,  as the birds and beasts of the forest retreated from the riverside as if they could sense some eerie presence of something supernatural. Not a single leaf moved in spite of the blasts of cold winds that seemed to be gathering momentum somewhere in the middle of the frozen river. 

Neo stopped struggling as his eyes were focused on the strange purplish-blue winds forming twenty feet away from where he stood. The twister grew larger by the minute and sent out specs of frozen flakes that shone like diamonds against the unnaturally bright blue sky. After what seemed like hours, the half-frozen Neo could finally see the dim outline of a well built towering man, who seemed over seven feet tall,  in official Greek armor, resplendent with a fiery orange cape, carrying a spear on his back and a gladius in hand, he held a magnificent golden shield in the other.

The figure slowly approached the bewitched Neo until he was only 6 feet away from the child. With a swift move, he unclasped the spear that he carried and tapped it onto the frozen river. The entire water-body that was now in a solid crystal-like state instantly broke down and regressed to its previous state of matter.

"Youngin with the uncontrollable urge to grow, calm down, I do not wish any harm upon you," the man spoke, he had a deep voice that suited his current attire, "by the grace of the eternal being of wisdom, I have gained this opportunity to converse, though I regret that it cannot last for too long, nevertheless! as my true-descendant, you must be honored to meet me!" 

"....Kind sir, I apologize, it is unfortunate but it seems you've met the wrong person, I am but an eleven-year-old child, it doesn't seem possible that I am a descendant of.....a ghost?" Neo said after taking a deep breath to calm his nerves. If his grandfather were present, he would surely be proud of Neo's attempt to stay calm.

"What? In my life, I was many things, a criminal who slaughtered thousands, a man loved by the woman, one of the greatest warriors to ever exist, but the one thing I can never be is wrong. Consider it a blessing of the truly wise one," the man said as he scratched his hair with the tip of his spear. "I understand why you think I am a ghost, in all honesty, I am. What you are seeing is merely a part of my spirit that has not "crossed over" yet. I am surprised though, do you actually not recognize me? even though I am in my armour and have my weapons with me..."

"Senior...who is this wise one you speak of? I apologize but I do not recognize you, perhaps it is due to my constant training that I have not found the time to read."

"The wise one is naturally the Goddess of Wisdom, Athena."

"Goddess of Wisdom.....Athena...." Neo muttered.

"Yes. Now listen here, I have not the time to waste, so it is required that I have your trust, you will know who I am once I am done but for now, just close those eyes that remind me of my mother. Stay calm and bear the pain. No matter what, do not let it overtake you,"

'Who is this man? Do I do what he says? He doesn't seem all that bad but the part where he said he was a criminal, sounds awful....but perhaps he was referring to his time as a warrior? I wonder....wait how is he floating? oh, he's a ghost....'

'Ahhhhh whatever who cares'

"Alright...." Neo said before closing his eyes.

"Brave child! As expected of my descendant!" the man roared with excitement. He twisted his spear around, the water droplets followed the tip of his weapon as if they belonged they were a part of it. The river that not too long ago froze and unfroze was now thrashing around violently, yet neither Neo nor the man moved a single inch.

*????????????????????????*

The sound could be heard even from miles away, the second the man was done with his ferocious spear dance, he thrust his weapon forward, the tip of his spear very lightly pricked Neo's forehead.

'Just that? a slight prick? why was I warned for just this much? grandfathers training is much worse hah! is he a fraud after all?'

Pain. Unbearable pain gushed through Neo's entire body. It wasn't just his forehead, his legs, arms, abdomen, every single fibre of his body was ringing with pain. Weirdly enough there was one region that was at solace during the entire process. Neo was at his limit. Memories of his intense training with his grandfather went through his mind, children of his age usually focused on enjoying themselves and would much rather run around than train. There were probably a handful that trained like Neo and even out of that group, nobody could outwork him. The pain he felt while training was nothing compared to what he was experiencing right now. 

'Why? What did I do wrong? Was I at fault to trust this man? Am I dead?'

Neo constantly questioned himself, was he truly foolish? perhaps he was the most foolish child to ever exist, to believe a strangers words, if the man could even be considered that, he was more of a wandering spirit.

'No! The man....he told me to bear with it, to not let it overcome me.....'

Why did he hold onto what the man said? Was one betrayal not enough? nobody could truly answer these questions other than Neo. Finally, after what felt like an entire lifetime of pain, Neo could feel something, it wasn't peace nor was it pain, it was numbness.

'So I did die.....' 

"Wake up child of my blood"

The second he heard the man's voice, his eyes shot open.

"I'm....alive?" Neo questioned while touching his body.

"Ahaha that is understandable, do not worry about being alive, from now on, death is but something you will rarely be worried about. Once I pass, you will understand better but before I go...I shall leave you with one final message..."

"Follow your heart youngin, but at the same time make sure to use your head, for if you were to end up with a corrupted heart you shall face a fate much worse than death. Purple eyes, according to the eternal one of wisdom, your bane is a being with those features. I have yet to truly meet someone with such eyes, perhaps you are truly fortunate as there exists no being with such eyes but remember this...the words of the Goddess of Wisdom are never to be forgotten."

"I bless thee with what was once mine. You shall feel no pain, death is but a joke to you, laugh in the face of Thanatos,"

"I give you, my descendant, Neo Thalius. My boon and my bane,

....The Curse of Achilles"