Clarestes. Chapters 43 and 44.

Chapter 43 - "There is a big difference between what two can stand against, versus but one.”

One day as Clarestes and Mera were finishing their morning meal, Mera raised her eyes to him and she said, “I hear men approach, but not in sleath. It seems you made the cut and the stupid pack has decided to come for you. Now I get to say the sweet words I relish telling you most - I told you so. When you return, it is dish duty for you for a month. Although I would have much rather lost our bet.”

Clarestes smiled and stood as Mera remained seated on her log while finishing her morning’s meal. He went to the door and opened it.

He saw a dozen men walking across one of their pastures to their home. They were armed and armored, but approached without threat. Two men stood at their forefront. When they neared, the taller, larger man said deeply and loudly, “Hail, I am Heracles.” The second man said with a small smile upon his face, “Hail, I am Theseus.”

Clarestes said, “Hail to you in return. I am Clarestes, son of Arestes.”

Heracles asked tersely, “Do you know why we are here?”

Clarestes answered evenly, “I do.”

Theseus asked curiously, “Well, are you in?”

Clarestes said, “If you want me to join you, you have my sword.”

They all stood silent for a time, for that was done very quickly. And what those Greek warriors and heroes were all anticipating would occur, had not occurred. Not as yet anyway.

Clarestes said that he would go inside to don his armor and retrieve his weapons, then he could be off forthwith. But as he turned to go inside, Mera came out the door.

She didn’t acknowledge the group of men at all. She simply walked past them making her way to the sheep’s pen.

Theseus chuckled as he looked at her with interest. He cleared his throat to Clarestes. Clarestes said to them all, “That is my wife, Mera.”

She kept on walking to the sheep’s pen. Theseus smiled, while Heracles and some of the group looked angry at her complete, rude, and dismissive ignoring of them.

He called, “Mera, I have heard much of your brave feats. I am honored to meet you! I am Theseus.”

She sighed and she stopped. She turned to face him and she said, “The name sounds vaguely familiar. Anyway, the pleasure is all mine.”

Heracles bristled and he said, “I am Heracles! And you, woman, should learn how to greet others properly.”

She said, “Your name isn’t ringing any bells with me. Definitely never heard of you. Nevertheless, pleased to meet you as well. And I appreciate the helpful feedback on my etiquette. I will work on that.”

Heracles blustered, “And you should also work upon your simple, common knowledge as well, for if you haven’t heard of me, you are the first person in Greece who has not!”

She said, “Well, there is always a first for all things. For me, this is the first time I have been first, in anything.”

Theseus laughed, but Heracles grew red in the face and he cried, “And if you think you are coming with us, let me tell you right now, you will not!”

She said, “Good, because I don’t want to. I’m glad we are all on the same page here, being that very soon we will not be on the same page anymore.”

Theseus laughed, and his laughter was the only sound in the air.

“We take Clarestes and we do not want you,” said Heracles as his anger and confusion grew.

She said, “Again, I got it, and again, I do not want to go.”

She walked back and closed on Clarestes. She kissed him lovingly on the mouth. She said, “I will miss you to heart’s break, but you know this. You keep your ass safe.” Then she turned and made her way to the sheeps’ pen.

As Heracles, Theseus and the rest of that heralded group looked at her with curiosity and wonder, for this was not the scenario they had been anticipating, she snapped her fingers, turned around, and walked back toward them. She said, “Oh yes, I almost forgot. I want to tell you all before you all go off on this grand adventure, be warned. My boy is more man than any of you here. He has the wits, talents and gifts you have combined, as so he is the best among you. Now while he is very, very capable of taking care of himself, I worry for him as he is somewhat of an outsider to your tight knit group. So if he gets damaged because of this, if you place him in greater danger than yourselves by letting his ass hang out in the breeze, and because of that his ass is kicked, that will incur my revenge. He will have your backs, and for his contribution to you, you owe but the lesser return of not stabbing him in his. For if you do,” she continued as she approached Heracles close and so she looked him directly in the eyes for they were equal in height, she finished, “I will hunt you all down and rip your balls off, and then shove them in your world famous mouths.”

Heralcles looked incensed as Mera said this and he went to raise his club, but Clarestes stepped quickly between. Theseus (to Clarestes’s surprise) did likewise and equally fast as well.

As Theseus pushed Mera and Heracles apart, he winked to Clarestes and he said, “To this, Mera, I promise and more. I will have your boy’s back, and I will not let his ass hang out in the breeze. He will face only the equal danger we face and no more. I will do all I can to make sure he gets back safely to you. To this I vow to you, and to the gods, Hera, and Aphrodite on high as well.”

Mera removed her cold stare from Heracles and she took note of Theseus. She nodded her head in thanks to him, then she turned and walked off to the sheeps’ pen.

Heracles still seethed, and as he looked down upon Clarestes. He blustered, “I did not want you or her to join us! I met your father once. Arestes was a coward and a liar.”

Clarestes said, “I know, he told me. Indeed, my father lied at times, as he did to you that day. I too am guilty of the crime of dishonesty on occasion, I have to admit. But I must disagree with you on the other charge. My father was not a coward. He was the bravest man I’ve ever known. Sometimes his sense of duty to my mother could be mistaken for cowardice.”

Red in the face, Heracles said, “Arestes was pussy whipped! As you appear to be as well.”

Clarestes nodded and said, “To that I fully agree. Obviously that runs in our family. And so I ask you all, do you still want this sometimes lying, often fearful, and totally pussy whipped man to stand with you?”

As Clarestes said this, all the troop laughed, except Heracles. Then he said, “And if you do still want me, I promise when the time is ripe, I will push down my cowardice and fight with you, and this is no lie.”

Theseus and the other men ceased laughing and said yes. After a pause even Heracles begrudgingly agreed he wanted him along as well now, as Clarestes was already softening him up by telling the truth.

Clarestes went inside. He donned his armor and gathered his weapons. He retrieved the two packs that Mera had lovingly (but sadly) prepared for him days before.

As he went outside and walked off with the group, he waved goodbye to Mera, and somehow he imparted both sadness and love in his raised hand to her.

She waved back to him and she was afraid. As she led the sheep out to their pasture, she prayed to the gods and goddesses that Theseus was a man of his word.


Weeks later, as Mera was out picking olives from their trees, she cried out in aghast relief as Clarestes neared her.

She leapt from her tree and ran to him as she wept, but she slowed as she neared him.

Clarestes smiled wearily to her, but that smile did not last. She saw he looked haggard and unkempt. He was unshaven and his clothes were torn and disheveled. She realized he smelled bad as she hugged him hard. He looked defeated. All very, very unlike him.

Nevertheless she did not release her embrace..

And then her alarm grew even greater when he started to weep.

She cried out, “Are you wounded?!”

He hesitated for a time. Then he said to her quietly, “My body,...suffered not a scratch…”

She asked, “Were you victorious?”

Clarestes said, “Theseus, Heracles, and the other Greek men would say yes, and those that we fought, they would bitterly agree with that as well…”

Mera held him tighter and she whispered in his ear, “And what do you say?”

Clarestes was quiet as he held Mera to him as well. And then, just when she thought he wasn’t going to answer her, he said, “I say there was no victory to be won in that battle, as those foreigners seemed no different from us.. And I hope the gods and goddesses think that as well.”


A short time later Mera knelt by their creek’s bank. With a bar of Aggripian soap, she washed the blood stains from Clarestes’ clothes. She thanked the gods that none of it was his. Then she silently asked the goddesses for forgiveness, for thinking such a thought.

She raised her eyes to view Clarestes as he sat in a quiet pool in their creek. Moments before he had been washing himself with it. But now Mera saw, he frozen, the soap arrested his hand. His eyes stared at nothing.

And while she was still relieved and grateful that he remained uninjured, she sadly wondered how deep the wounds to his being had cut.


It was only after dinner and some strong drink that Clarestes began to speak of what happened, as they lay in bed together, well after dark.

He murmured as he slurred from the wine, “So Mera, there we finally were, us Greeks and those of the far north, formed, lined and ready for each other upon an open field. But before we fought, a small group of them broke off and approached our line. It was obvious they wanted to parley first. Heracles, Theseus, myself and a few others were chosen to speak with them, and so we also broke off from the troops, and met them in the open field.”

Mera lay stone still and quiet next to Clarestes as he spoke. She was so engrossed in what he said, she could barely breathe.

Clarestes continued, “It’s funny, they actually speak a tongue that is somewhat close to ours. If they speak slowly, you can understand most of what they say.”

He was quiet for a time, and then he said, “One of them spoke the most, and he didn’t seem to be their leader. But he seemed to, I don’t know, hold sway among them. Perhaps he was their champion, or a man among them who was respected. I don’t know how to explain him, he seemed…good. He reminded me of Nycius. Does that make sense?”

Mera said quietly, “Yes.”

Clarestes said, “All of what exactly he said, I do not know fully. But I know he offered a boundary line, as that was a big part of many contested things. Many of his group behind him seethed as he offered the drawn line. I could tell they didn’t approve of it, and had only agreed to that boundary because of him. A few others behind him, of the same mind as his, looked expectantly and hopefully to us for answer.”

Clarestes paused for a time. Then he continued, “Most of our side's response was the same, and they cried out at the audacity of this boundary. A few others of us were quiet, as the boundary suggested seemed, perhaps, fair. I was among those, and I was hopeful we could avoid bloodshed. There and then,…and in the future as well.”

Mera lay rigid and her heart clenched. She couldn’t say a word.

“But there were too many of us Greeks chaffing at this proposal. Those on their side that hated this broker, they shouted back in anger as well. Then the man raised his voice above all to say, “Everybody here wants to fight so badly. Too badly! Do you not see?! We think this is a bad deal, you think this is a bad deal. That must mean it's a good deal! Nobody is happy! That means its a fair deal!”

“We were quiet for time at this. But as I looked around there were too many scowling faces, hard mouths, and shaking heads among us Greeks. Theseus looked around, and saw this as well. And with what I thought was a touch of sadness in his voice he said, “No.”

“Some on their side got mad at this, the rejection of what they thought was a plum deal offer to us, and they went for their weapons. But the man shouted again and raised his hand behind him to them, and they stayed their hands. He said, “Not here, but soon enough.” And then we all returned to our lines.

Then, as Clarestes started to weep, he continued, "And so the battle began. It is was the same as all I have been in. A swirl of angry and terrified faces. The ugly sounds of weapons clashing, or worse striking into flesh. The curses, the cries of anguish, the smell of shit and piss from those who are truly frightened, and wondering if you have done so to yourself, as you are so, so terrified yourself..."

Mera sat in frozen pain and awe as Clarestes paused for a moment to drink more strong wine.

Clarestes blearily raised his eyes from his cup to meet hers and he said thickly, "And then I was face to face with this good man. This good man like Nycius. This man who tried to avert all this bloodshed..."

Mera could not breathe now. And she prayed to the gods that Clarestes would not say what she thought he would say next.

But her prayer was not answered when he said, "And then I slayed that good man."


For the next few weeks Clarestes was very much not himself, but in time he recovered for the most part, but Mera who watched him closely during this time, and after as well, thought that he never quite fully recovered from this in whole.

She gathered more of the battle as well. After Clarestes had slain this man, those Northmen swarmed upon him in rage, as that man was beloved. But Theseus kept his promise, and as they did he had Clarestes side and back.

She thought long and hard about this, and one night as they lay in bed together she announced to him, "If you go into danger again, I now know I need to come along as well. The very moment you left, I began to kick myself for not going just because I did not want to stomach the company of those men. My very selfish desire to stay here put you in danger, and this tortured me. And I regretted not wanting to go for the stupid reason imposing upon Nycius and Dalia the taking care of our animals again. We both cringe when asking them to do that, but they are your lifelong friends and they love you, so they don’t mind at all…”

She was quiet for a time, then she continued, “I was too scared and unbalanced with you gone, for fear of you being wounded or slain because I was not there. I grew mad of mind with regret in thinking my presence would prevent that. A few times I actually began to pack my things and contemplated going after you all, and when I found you, insisting I join. Listen, do not take offense to this. You know you completely wet my panties with how totally badass you are when the shit goes down. But Gaia is big and powerful, and sometimes she is very cruel. There is a big difference between what two can stand against, versus but one.”

Then she said softly, “And speaking of that, I can not live as one. It is sad and pathetic, but now I know, I can not live without you.”

Clarestes thought about this, then he said quietly, “Alright, it is decided. In the future if I go into danger, you will come too.” He had deep misgivings about this, as this would put her in danger too, but he was finally seeing what she had always been saying. She would not be able to move on with her life if he was slain. Mera was different. She was fiercely devoted to him and she loved him. He began to take her words at their value. He accepted what she had said, that she would never love another if he perished, and so his death would leave her forever alone and in grief.

Still, his qualms aside, soon he smiled as he thought of having her mind’s perspective with him in future tasks afar. He had missed it sorely as he traveled with Heracles, Theseus, and the rest. He had missed both her sharp mind and her sharp sword. He was starting to see this as well. She was better in battle than he, and she was smarter as well.

Mera’s heart was easing at his acquiescence, and so she began to joke, “Do not get me wrong, if you wish to travel to Nycius’s and Dalias’s house, or go to Aggripos, or to Marsia, or places like that, I need not go. Indeed, I encourage you to do so often, and soon if you wish. You are extremely annoying most times, and I always, always like it better when you are gone, that is if you go to someplace that is relatively safe. And it’s funny, more work seems to get done around here when you are gone. How is that possible? I think it is because you do so little work here when you are present, and with you here, I end up less focused and so I goof around more.”

Clarestes laughed and he said, “All right, I’ll tell you what. In a few days I will go to Nycius’ and Dalia’s home and spend a day with him. Afterwards, I will ask him if I can stay the night as well. That will give you some peaceful time to yourself.”

She rolled over and hugged him tight. “No!” she cried. “Give me two weeks with you before you do that. No, make that three!”

He laughed and he said, “I believe I just called your bluff.”

She said, “Whatever, boy. Listen, I need to goof around with you for a time. I’m in need of you. You are not permitted to go anywhere until this sickness of mine for you ceases. Right now, I am feeling very clingy.”

“Apparently,” he said as he groaned, as her entwined arms were now like a vice about his chest. But then he smiled widely, for in truth her very strong clasp was not hurting him as he pretended it was. Indeed, her embrace was not hurting him in the least.


Chapter 44 - “Be prepared for the grimmest of sights.”

One day Mera and Clarestes were finishing their morning meal when Mera raised her eyes to him. She whispered in hurried terror, ”Ares and others approach in sleath. We must be quick!”

She leapt to her feet and retrieved a sword and shield, as Clarestes did, with equal swiftness as well.

They raced to their door and Clarestes flung it open.

They saw five sneaking across one of their pastures. They were armored and armed, and approached in great threat.

As Clarestes and Mera strode out into their yard, those five saw their surprise was spoiled, and so they cursed. None did so more than Ares, who stood tall and imposing at their forefront. Mera’s legs felt weak and she could not calm her shaking hands.

Yet Clarestes seemed not to be intimidated at all. He stepped in front of her with his shield raised. He pointed his sword at Ares and his band. “Halt!” he cried with such wrath that Ares and his troop actually did so.

His eyes blazed as he said, “Good, you heed. Now heed again and leave. Remove your deplorable selves from our peaceful ground.”

Ares was a coward, but he looked to his troop, and he took black heart that it was but the two of them and no more. They had the numbers. His eyebrows raised. He smiled and said with salivating pleasure, “You have not had time to armor yourselves.”

Clarestes answered, “No matter, for I know Mera moves much faster thus unencumbered. This is not a disadvantage to us at all, swords and shields will be all we need, and if you do not go now, soon you will see.”

Mera knew that Clarestes and Ares played a game of intimidation to all present. She was so afraid, she knew she was losing this test. To Ares’ right stood her very own mother, perhaps. Or maybe she was Strife, who often served as part of Ares’ war parties. When Strife joined with him, she preferred to take the shape of some loathsome form, to strike fear into the enemies they faced. Nevertheless, she still wondered if it was truly her very mother, as she looked almost exactly as her mother had in the past, being both beautiful and cruel.

There was one difference. Now her mother had a long, ugly scar running down her arm, the same place Mera had wounded her when fleeing her city so long ago.

“We are finally reunited, my dumb, disobedient daughter,” she called to Mera in Thracian, while smiling wickedly. “I can not wait to give you one last, overdue, whipping.”

She certainly sounded like her mother, Mera thought, and so she was sickened and terrified further.

To Ares’ left stood a Pirate Lord from the desolate isle, one who had deceitfully abandoned his “brothers” to escape the Marsians. Or maybe he was Greed who chose to embody a pirate, for Greed too loved to join with Ares whenever possible, as greed goes hand in hand with unjust bloodletting and killing so easily and often.

A massive harpy flew in low circles just above Ares and his troop, and she broke out laughing at the fight to come. Mera was shocked by how eerily beautiful her face was atop her grotesque bird body. This harpy was twice the size of any that they had seen and fought near Ithea, so Mera wondered if she was Malice, who also readily served Ares whenever possible.

Completing the group was a soldier of Lapinos and a warrior of King Herdos. But these two men were so large they seemed almost like giants, and they looked very dangerous. They could very well be Brutality and Ignorance incarnated into men, Mera thought.

Ares smiled as he motioned to his left and then to his right. He said, “Look here. I have gathered some friends of old to repay you visit. I take it you admire my potent war party?”

“No,” said Clarestes. “And this is good for we will have no qualms in killing them.”

Again Mera was surprised by Clarestes’ fierceness, as she had never seen him so mad or eager to fight. He pointed his sword at her mother and he said, “Mera deigns to answer you not, but I will. I choose to slay you.” Then he pointed his sword to Ares as he said, “And you as well if that’s possible. She gets the rest of you to slay, if she wants…”

Ares and the whole troop laughed at the absurdity of this. Yet all essentially were monsters who loved to fight and kill, and so they also laughed because this was the vile, grim world’s view that they understood best.

As so, Ares’ eyebrows raised. He said with begrudging respect, “That will not happen, but I have to admit, those are musical, war words. Now I see some of your worth, and why you are admired here in Greece. You are full of hate and rage in the face of your death. Now I see that I am in you, and part of you, through your father.”

Clarestes winced and spat, “I have never been better insulted. But you are right on one account, I do hate you. And since you are not leaving our ground as I bade and warned, it begins…”

Then to everybody’s shock (including Mera’s) Clarestes launched himself at the troop, yelling his deviance.

Ares stepped back swiftly and motioned for his troop to fight, coward that he was.

Mera leapt forward to join Clarestes, but so abrupt was his unexpected charge that she was a few steps behind him. Indeed, she had never seen him move so swiftly.

As Clarestes quickly closed the distance between them, the Pirate Lord and Herdos’ soldier threw javelins at him. He dodged one, but the other sunk into his shield. This was bad luck and he knew it would make his shield unwieldy with its hampering weight. Nevertheless, he made straight for Mera’s mother.

Mera’s mother cried out and attacked him with her sword. Clarestes now saw she was almost as quick as Mera. He would be very hard pressed to take her if she was so fast.

He made a brilliant move. As Mera’s mother slashed at him with her sword, he stepped back and angled his shield so that her slash lopped off the javelin stuck into it, making his shield free and maneuverable again. Mera’s mother cursed as he smiled.

But fast as she was she could not best him. Clarestes ran her through with his sword, ripped it back out, and then proceeded so quickly onto the Pirate Lord that he had already struck his first blow at him, even before Mera’s mother slumped to Gaia dead.

King Herdos’s soldier threw another javelin at Clarestes, but now Mera was close to him. She stepped to him and deflected it away, angling her shield so that it did not impale into her shield as well. The javelin glanced off, where it speared into Gaia not far from her.

Clarestes smiled, for Mera now had his back as he battled the Pirate Lord. While he did so, the giant harpy swooped in to take him from behind. Clarestes knew there was no stopping her as fought frantically with the Pirate Lord for Mera, strangely, had now left his side.

Just as the harpy’s claws were about to close upon his back, Mera retrieved and flung the javelin that had been grounded from her shield. It struck the harpy, and so frantically forceful was Mera’s throw that it went completely through the harpy, then it sailed on toward the distant Ares as well, and he had to throw himself to the ground to narrowly avoid it.

Meanwhile, Clarestes nimbly stepped aside to allow dead harpy to sail past him and achieve what his sword thrusts had not. Her dead body slammed into the Pirate Lord tangling up his sword and shield. He opportunistically slew the Pirate Lord then and there.

As Clarestes dealt the pirate his death blow, Mera sprinted to him. She blocked the sword strike of the soldier of Herdos with her shield before it found Clarestes’ side. The soldier easily blocked her return sword stroke with his shield, but she broke his leg with a low kick that he did not even see coming. Then she cut him down, slaying him.

Then Clarestes was run through by Ares. Ares had watched this all, choosing the safest and best time to enter the fray. With inhuman speed he approached and backstabbed Clarestes with his spear. Ares’ strike was so maliciously placed that Mera knew it was mortal. Clarestes collapsed to Gaia as his sword fell from his hand. She feared he was already dead.

“No!” she screamed as she closed upon Ares. Yet he whirled to meet her and easily blocked her first sword strike. He laughed as he deftly evaded her next kick at him as well.

“Mera, you are so done,” he said as he continued to block or dodge everything she threw at him. “Now that it is just you and I, I will play with you for a while, as a cat does with a puny mouse for pleasure, before he ends her.”

They fought for a time. She desperately attempted everything she knew to break his defense, but to no avail. Ares was so strong and swift, he easily evaded all her attacking blows. He laughed as he did so, insulting and teasing her as well. Then he grew bored by this and his nasty face became even meaner. It was time for his revenge. He started to attack back.

His blows against her became faster and faster until his sword strikes were hard for her to follow. As she desperately blocked these with her sword or shield, she knew she could not last, as each of his strikes was reaching closer to her heart. Ares smiled as he knew this sweet kill was soon to come. It was coming, he was so near.

Then Mera heard Ares scream, and she saw with shock a spear’s point protruding through his chest. As Ares fell to the ground roaring in pain, she now saw Clarestes standing behind him with the most horrible look upon his face. He was smiling broadly, almost viciously, as blood ran likewise down his chest, and from his red stained mouth as well.

He had run Ares through exactly as Ares had run him through. He had done this with Ares’ very own spear no less, as he had ripped the spear from himself to do so.

Still smiling, Clarestes slumped to the ground. Mera was going to rush to him, but he raised his hand, and he yelled so forcefully it startled her. “Finish him!” he cried as he pointed to the prone Ares.

She stepped to Ares as she raised her sword. However, he already was becoming a whirlwind of red mist, and that red maelstrom he became was still uttering his bellows of pain and hate, even as it lifted from Gaia to carry him away.

Clarestes groaned upon Gaia, and Mera dropped to him so quickly that she opened her knees upon the ground’s rocks, not even realizing she had done so.

With Ares gone and she so close to him, Clarestes’s previous horrific smile warmed and softened. His eyebrows knit and he said, “You look now as when I first awoke upon my cot in Ithea…you look so very scared...”

She cried desperately, “I will take you to Nycius” Then she made to scoop him up.

“Mera, cease,” he said. “I am dying. You know I will last only a little longer.”

She looked at him and he was bleeding so badly. She knew he was right. She wondered how he was not dead already.

She was having trouble breathing...and seeing, as her tears blurred her vision. She shook and cried violently. They were not going to grow old together, as she had hoped and prayed they would. He was going to die now before her, and it was all her fault.

He said, “Mera, reign in your crying to mark me. It is fine. I am fine. I feel pain no longer. Now I feel only my love for you...but you must listen. You must go swiftly to Nycius and seek his help. Then you have to leave here, forever. Go to Marsia and seek out Prince Pleodes. He will protect you, and you can live out your life in his city. Here, you are safe here no longer. All this must be done with no delay. Promise me you will do this...”

She did not want to go to Marsia. She could not picture herself living anywhere else but upon his farm, and she could only imagine herself here with Clarestes. If she could not do this, she did not wish to live at all. Nevertheless, she promised him she would go to Marsia.

He sighed with relief and seemed to slump a little more into himself. He looked at her face some more. Then he said with childlike puzzlement, “You look so very beautiful now, so close to me. By Zeus, I believe you are getting more lovely by the day…How is that possible?...I wish I could raise my hand to touch your face, but now I can not move it...Help me do so, so that I may feel your face one last time...I always liked that when you permitted me to do so...and it always moved me as a man...”

She tried so hard not to weep, but she could not stop. She lifted his bloody hand and pressed it hard to her wet cheek. She said to him, “As with me, your touch is my favorite thing. I love you. I love you so much!”

But Clarestes, even though he loved Mera equally, did not answer her in kind as he always did.

He did not answer her, for now he was dead.


Later Mera arrived at Nycius’ and Dalia’s home. She was hysterical, and it was hard for all of them to understand her at first.

But Nycius instantly knew the crux of what had happened. There could be only one foul thing that could cause her to be so distraught.

She wept and shook as she tried to explain exactly what had happened. Eventually, he bade her to halt for a moment, and he brought her into his arms.

He said softly, “Therias and I will presently go to your home. Do you want to return there with us, right now?”

She looked confused and unsure, and she did not know what to say.

Nycius said to her, “We will bury him next to his parents this day. And we will bury the others, far away, in an unmarked grave, for that is what they deserve. Now and tonight you will stay here. Tomorrow we will all return to your farm, to gather and honor Clarestes at his grave. Is all that well with you?”

Nycius could not see Mera’s face as he held her close, but he felt her nod her head to this.

“All right. Now go inside to be with Dalia, and as she has come to love you so. Let her assuage your grief this day. Therias and I will go there now, and then return here tonight,” said Nycius.

Mera nodded her head again, and then she went to Dalia. They embraced and they wept together. After, they went into Dalia’s and Nycius’s home.

Nycius called to Therias, “Fetch a coin from inside, and then come with me now.”

One of his other sons asked to come along as well. Nycius told him no. He told him to stay there, as he was too young.

As Nycius and Therias began to travel the path south to Clarestes’s house, Nycius said to his son, “Be prepared for the grimmest of sights.”

Therias nodded his head to this.

Nevertheless, sometime later, Therias was still not ready for what he saw.


That day, Nycius did all as he said he would. When his family and Mera arrived at Mera’s house the next day, there was no sign of the deceased from the horrid war party, and the farm was peaceful and beautiful again.

They went to Clarestes’s grave that lay next to his parents’ graves. They uttered prayers to the gods and goddesses for him, and they mourned for him. Then they gathered wildflowers to place upon his grave.

All of them did this, but Mera.

She, instead, gathered wild herbs. She collected all of the herbs that Clarestes had gifted her knowledge of. She gathered the herbs he had shown her; how to identify, where they could be found best, and what they were useful for. There were many, and so this took her some time.

Some of those herbs were the ones used in the making of his delicious dishes, dishes that he had eventually taught her to make as well. The others she collected were the herbs used for the making of his medicinal wine and healing salve, which he had also patiently taught her to make as well. It hurt her heart particularly hard as she gathered those herbs, as those plants of healing seemed so bitterly useless to her now. Nevertheless, she gathered them all to lay upon his grave as well.

When they were finished with this, and done with their prayers, but had only begun what would be much time in mourning, Dalia said to Mera, “You will come and live with us now, and I will have the honor and pleasure, of having you as my daughter.”

Mera wept hard at this, but she said, “Clarestes bade me to go to Marsia before he died. He made me promise I would do so. And so I must…”


The next day that is exactly what Mera did. Before she left Nycius’ and Dalia’s home, it was decided that for a time, Therias would tend to Mera’s farm. Mera wanted to just give the farm to him, but Therias quickly refused this. He would only agree to tend to it for a time, until they could ultimately decide the farm’s fate at a later time.

Mera said it was too much work for him to do by himself. And he would be lonely there, by himself.

Therias said, “I will ask Lasases to come and stay with me, as now she is my betrothed. I know she will say yes to this. Both of us want out of our parents’ homes, but we are not set up to do so yet. So this will be perfect, and I will not be lonely with her there. She is like you, she never ceases working, so together we will stay atop the work. And this will only be for time...”

Although Mera grieved wretchedly, somewhere inside her this made her pleased.

So she bade her goodbyes to Nycius, Dalia and their sons and daughters. She traveled the path to her farmhouse. She put the animals out to pasture. She visited with them, and then she said her goodbyes to them as well. And, as you know Mera well by now, you know this hurt her to heartbreaks.

When done, she made for Marsia, but she was not going to stay there for long. She was going elsewhere after, for she knew there was only one place where she truly belonged.