Lost in Aestia

7. Say it Again

Girhoe has been staring at the wall of the sunroom for hours. It's probably been eighteen hours to be exact since he came home from the human world and sat there just staring at the wall. His mind confused, he's befuddled or was it perplexing? He. Doesn't. Know.

It was at this time that Larverea enters the sunroom. She pauses at the sight of the prince, but he hasn't even noticed her enter the room yet. He purses his lips, he could feel a slight irritation coming to him, but he has no idea of what.

"Prince" Larverea lightly calls him.

"Yes?" he answers, relieved of the distraction from hell forming and turning inside of him which he doesn't even know the cause of or the reason why.

"I've been sent here by your mother. She's been worried about your…constitution" Larverea uneasily stood in front of the cold god.

Girhoe notices this, but he could care less whether she likes him or not. She is the goddess of knowledge though which made Girhoe think and even curious now. "I do…have a question."

The small goddess is surprised, she came here ready to be rejected and just come back to her library. But this is genuinely unexpected since the Moon God has rarely been interested in anything. The prince rarely even sought out any attention with his parents or any of his family much less someone like Larverea. She was just another Goddess that lives in his realm

"W-What is it a prince?" Larverea clutches on to her tunic. She chastised herself by wearing such a plain tunic that she only uses when she's pouring through the books and scrolls in her library.

"There is…something wrong with my…abilities."

Larverea is curious. She's been the problem solver for most gods and goddesses on the realm since the God of Wisdom is sometimes always busy with humans that he is rarely here in the field of the gods. She also hasn't heard this kind of problem before, god's rarely questioned their abilities and how they have them.

"Something wrong? What happened?" she doesn't notice herself stepping closer, her mind just focused on the problem at hand. Her heart pitching faster at the prospect of a problem she can solve.

Girhoe nods with a deep frown set on his handsome face. "I meant to go somewhere to fade back into my room, but then it led me to—" he pauses thinking if he should mention the human girl. It took him a good long second before he decided just to leave her out of it

Larverea notices this. Something is out of the ordinary with the Prince

"to the human world" he resumes, he licks his lips at the thought of the odd phenomenon. Of all the places he could've been, he was led to that girl and that awful world. "I haven't even thought of going there, it was just a whim to escape an annoyance."

Larverea nods. "I think it was just a minor fluke. An accident since as you've said you might have just panicked to escape this… annoyance"

"Oh, I didn't think of it that way."

Larverea smiles "I'm glad I might have enlightened you even just for a bit. Forgive me though for I have to leave at this moment. I'm afraid your mother has also sent me to your sister's aid"

All of a sudden, Girhoe felt the coldness he was accustomed to. He is no longer confused or perplexed about this so-called problem he has been thinking of for hours in this room. Yet again his sister is having a tantrum about some trivial thing

He better sends Larverea on her way to the fire goddess before she turns her flames on him because for sure it's always about her spouse. "Of course, forgive me for holding you. Thank you"

Larverea bows and was about to leave when Girhoe's voice stops her "And please call me by my name"

Larverea freezes and turns to look at Girhoe. Their gaze meeting while his severe and tumultuous storming eyes is making Lavarea's heart nervously beat harder in her chest. "I'm sorry…?"

"My name. I want to hear it rather than what you call me"

She's still unsure of what he's asking, not because she doesn't understand what he's saying, but the oddness of the situation just stuns her. She slowly just says his name "Gir…rhoe"

He makes a single nod then says "Thank you"

Larverea immediately escapes once she's sure the conversation was done and leaves to face another royal she dreads even more to face.

All Girhoe thought while she left is that it didn't feel the same when that human girl said his name, the way she said it felt like a fresh air has touched his face and it felt refreshing. Perhaps… I shouldn't ask anyone else to say my name.

Einith

The whole shrine was dark and quiet. There weren't that many people near it, but I could hear a low drone-like prayer coming from its tall doors depicting the Moon God's mercy. I haven't noticed the details before, but then again I was being pushed at spear-point by the guards here. They were also trying to kill me at that time.

"Are you sure about this?" Kri whispers behind me. He tries to be this cold and uncaring guard, but I know he has a heart beneath all that muscle.

I shake my head "I'm not"

"Then we should just go back"

"And let her die?" I nervously pick at the cover of my basket. I feel the handle dig on to my skin at the heavyweight of my basket. "They'll just think I cursed her"

"They'll think that either way" Kri stands beside me, imposing his height and intimidating look on me to make me go back. "Princess Amira and I can protect you if they try anything"

There's a part of me that wanted to do that. Just run and let my friends protect me, but there was also a part of me that says I should stay and do what I can. Think about what Dad would say if you broke the oath.

I shake my head "Then what? You'll keep me locked up, and that's it?"

"but what if you fail? They'll execute you, and I can't stop them." Kri looks as if he wants to grab my arm and pull me out of here. I don't blame him. "She has far too many followers here more than the number of guards that Princess Amira have"

"Then I just have to make sure that I don't fail then" I try to smile at him, trying to make me look confident even if I don't feel like it.

Before Kri can say anything else, I moved towards the tall doors of the altar by the side of the mountain. The tall doors showing a depiction of Girhoe with longer hair holding two moons on each of his palms while his hands are outstretched.

He looks so powerful and all-knowing on the doors. People must have thought that he cares or Something, but if only they knew how much of an asshole he is.

"What are you thinking?"

I jump at the familiar voice that wasn't definitely Kri. I am shocked to see Girhoe just standing beside me as if he has always been there. He is staring at his own image on the door, studying it like what I was doing earlier.

"What the f**k are you doing here?" I whisper harshly at him, I glance behind us to look if Kri is watching and he definitely was. He's giving me a hard stare

Girhoe glances at me with a blank face then behind him to see Kri just staring at me with that funny look. "He doesn't see me, you know"

My eyes widen "You can do that?" I whisper

He furrows his brows and nods. Like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Are you okay?" Kri says behind me.

I nod frantically "Yes, of course. I'm just…going to tell you that if it does fail. I need you to take care of who's left in the clinic, okay?"

Kri now looks even more concerned. Giving me a harder glare with a set frown "You're not going to fail"

I smile "Thanks for the vote of confidence, but you are so confusing. Though you should still… stay a few steps back just to be safe."

"I'm strong enough to escape Einith" he says

"Please" I beg "Just do it for me"

He doesn't reply and just looks at me as if he just wants to throw me back at the villa.

I give up on making him say it since he's as stubborn as Amira as long as it goes his way. I open the doors while Girhoe was actually walking along beside me, his eyes following me wherever I go. For some reason, his staring doesn't feel uncomfortable as it did with Aryo.

"you still haven't answered me" he says from beside me, but I try not to look at him while we walk down the familiar path to the steps of the altar with the pool.

"I wasn't thinking anything" I whisper.

My eyes landed on the followers who were huddled and circled around Something or someone on the top of the steps near the pool. There were ceremonial candles lit on their stands, and the prayer sounds like buzzing bees in a nest.

May moon god have mercy, have mercy, have mercy.

To the soul who persists, persists, persists.

It was a strange prayer. Something that I haven't heard before as it's just repetition at the end. I wonder where do their prayers go when the god they're praying to is right beside me which I don't have any idea why he's here to be exact.

"Finally" the follower who went to the clinic says. "I thought you abandoned the priestess"

I still feel his eyes on me "I don't abandon people who are sick"

Moving to them, they make a path for me, but I see their glares and how unsure they were of me. Their tunics with the white lines of triangles on the blue edges on the hem. I keep forgetting the symbolism that it meant since I was so busy keeping up with the patients coming and going around this place that I haven't had the time to care for any other things.

"You…" Sinthiae wheezes, she lays by the pool where her feet is touching the water of the lake. She looks pale and continues to wheezes while they lay her down like that. "What—haree you"—cough—"doing here?"

One look at her and I knew what it could be. "Sit her up"

"You're going to help her…" Girhoe whispers from beside me.

I ignore him while I kneel beside her body. I try to make her sit up, but her thick violet tunics and her stout body make it hard for me. I look at one of the followers who was just in front of me "Help me set her up"

She just looks at me and doesn't move at all.

"Let me he—"

"No, Kri" I use every last strength that I have and manage to put her on my knee. "Stay where you are, I can do this"

I can't let him close to me even if I know how to solve this. It's still hard though since all of my medicines are primitive at best, the only thing I can do is take her away from the triggers and pull her to the fresh air.

Looking around, I pull Sinthiae up, and she clutches on to my tunic. Her hands trembling as she clutches so tight on to me, I feel my own tunic choking me a bit. I don't doubt she still wants to kill me again, I've heard about the things she talks about in her sermons about me.

"hold on, just breathe in slowly and surely" I instruct her while I think of what might trigger the asthma attack.

She holds tighter to me, her eyes glaring and red.

"She's trying to hurt you" Girhoe says behind me. There is an edge to his voice that made me turn to look at him.

He's just an inch away from my face now, I could feel his breath on my face while he leans towards me still. His storm grey eyes staring intensely into mine. Is he concerned?

"No, she just couldn't breathe. I need to get her out, and into the open air" I reposition her on my knee and try to strip some of her clothes off to open her chest.

"Air? Is that all you need for her?"

"Yes" I look around the place, and that's when it hit me as to what the trigger could be. I sniff, and the strong smell of the ceremonial grey candles infiltrated my whole nose. "Kri take out the candles"

Kri doesn't question it and took out the candles as much as he can before one of the followers yelled at him. He was yelling about the candles being necessary to the appeasing of the Moon God. I wanted to yell at him that the Moon God is here, who is just watching us as if we're some stupid sitcom to him.

"Air" he whispers, and all of a sudden rush of fresh air came.

The candles go out along with the strong scent. Everyone is clutching over their tunics or covering their eyes as the wind rushed in the altar from the now open doors of the place. My hair whipping my face while I clutch on to Sinthiae's shoulders.

"Too harsh!" I shout through the gusts.

Almost immediately, the air calms down, and the scent was gone. I look at the old woman, and she at least is breathing better than the last time. I rub her back while she breathes deeply even more.

"That's it, you're getting better" I tell her. "I advise you to not light those candles unless you really need to and get into some steam to help with your breathing"

She looks at me with wide eyes. I don't really know what emotion is in it because too many were present. I saw gratefulness, so that is enough for me, there is still defiance in her, so I know she'll just end up like this all over again.

"She's better. Let's go" Kri says. He pulls me away from the old woman, but thankfully she can prop herself up, and one of her followers was helping her do so.

"You've …angered—the God" her voice was still raspy, but I was glad the old woman has her spunk still.

I roll my eyes "He did it on his own not because I've angered him" I look at Girhoe who was still staring at me as if I'm a puzzle he can't solve.

"You see him" One of the followers says. He clutches on to his tunic that was wrinkled and disarrays. "He's here!"

"Silen—nce!" Sinthiae rasps "She could not see a good more than she can see in the dark"

Kri pulls me out before the conversation turns heated. He walks us quickly out of the danger of the stupid cult, but I was irritated that I didn't even get a thank you from either one of them. He doesn't let go of me until we finally made it to the villa where Amira is sitting in the living room.

"Oh, Gods. What happened?" she says, she looks like she chewed through her nails again. A habit she does when she's worried or nervous.

"Princess, she was able to save the priestess, but I have to pull her out of there" Kri immediately reports to her. I should've known the lovesick puppy would tell her everything she wanted to know.

Still, I hoped there was a little bit of bro code between us.

"I gave you air" Girhoe says. Making me flinch a bit. I forgot that he was here as well.

"Why? Was she threatening you?" Amira pulls me into a hug. Her Amazonian strength crushes my lungs in my ribcage.

"I'm fine" I gasp when she loosens her hold. "But I need to rest. I'll—tell you later"

Running to my private room before Amira can hound me with her questions, I locked the door behind me and didn't worry about her too much. She'll get the answers she wants from Kri, and if she's unsatisfied with that, then I can tell her all of it tomorrow.

"What are you doing here?" I say lowly to Girhoe, who was now looking around my room.

It's just now that I noticed how pristine his robes are, it looks like silk from a distance, but as he brushes past me, to look around the room, it felt like cotton. It was a strange material that only gods can have.

He pauses after two rounds of looking around my room. He gazes at me intently, Something I haven't seen him done before. His silver-grey hair is tied in a messy half-bun, and his hair falls past his shoulders.

"you're not from here" he concludes. It wasn't a question, but I almost felt my panicking self answer him.

I wonder what he would do if he knew I wasn't from here. Would he kill me? Would he send me back if I asked? Though I doubt the last one since I know how much he hates being asked of Something. But he gave me air even when I didn't question it. What does that mean?

"I'm from the Outlands" I answer

He looks at me, stares holes into my head. "Does that mean uncle Scask made you?"

Before I can answer, he steps towards me to the point where his face was inches apart from mine. This guy doesn't know a thing about personal space.

"You look different from the people who live here"

"What are you doing here, GIrhoe?" I try to ignore the nervous feeling in my stomach.

This makes him take a step back. "say it again"

"Say what?"

"My name" he whispers

It was at that moment that I should've known to stop my mouth from talking, but sadly, I didn't. "Girhoe, why do you want me to say your name?"

He meets my gaze. "What. Are. You?"

I swallow the lump in my throat.