-April. 11. 1444-
It's been over two weeks. He sat in a dark prison while his heart rumbled loud. Enough to attract other prisoners' ears to him, but they might not have the courage to speak up in the presence of; Fortis Leader! The leader came to meet this lad personally! He stood before him on the other side of this ordinary cage, muted. They were distant and yet glared as the lion and tiger gawked for their prey. It was not the hate but some old memories that bring them together again but do they hold bitterness was unknown. The tension grew but soon, one stepped away with a smirk embraced. It was the leader. The moment came to be motionless but shortly continued by Zera besides, amazed rather be afraid and asks within. "You know the leader of Fortis?!" He spun his gazes which were in the depths of agony but as well riding the pegasus of anger. "Flame," Said Hatim. "The Greatest Gladiator…" Words faded from his lips to this thin air and scattered the name of The Greatest Gladiator or to put it more precisely, the Name that changes the history of Gladiator and of a little boy. "Vestal taught me…" He said to the one sat beside him, Zera, and she just listened sincerely without a drop of doubt. However, Hatim himself was amused upon releasing those words to someone else, but what can he explain after thinking of her as a distant memory. "But there was something he could not able to teach or understand…" He yet not stopped there, but later he inhaled while a change of tone and believed not to fall beneath the once abandoned but to look at the existing problem and so, ask a very straightforward question. "Well, why are you here?"
"She's always been like this, reckless!" Cleo uttered while being at the roof and sights down. It's been over two weeks since the wandering and yet, there is no solid clue upon his tail. All that is known is he breathes here, the Northern East Edge of Melidiona, (District Rizon)! "Mister, are you sure Zera is here?" Cleo asked hesitantly. However, Athena seems to be more interested in seeing the sight exist before. "Melidiona is sealed from Leos…" Yes, those words were very true in itself, but she should have known the humans' nature better, and just because of this fact, Athena seems to be extremely convinced. "He is here!" Said Athena clear and loud but remains some doubts. Yet, nothing could be argued. However, the fact is that; even if Hatim is certainly breathing here Was the major crisis itself, and that became inevitable after, she have stepped into this ground. This was the centre of Fortis. With a massive prison of ones who opposed once, held here! The defence was nothing to laugh at, with hundreds of Fortis roaming in the naked sky. Hence, it was impossible to believe the odds of freeing someone and not getting caught just as by that instant, but soon she remembers his last word.
"GO!!!" It was loud and still echoed in her head, but she did not understand 'why' behind her action. The reason behind her path to choose differently. It just was not concluding. The atmosphere involved in lifeless moments. Her silence was muting Cleo as well, but after long and quiet conclusions, she sat, crossed her legs, and closed the eyes like some meditation, but for Cleo, it wasn't convincing. "Umm… mister?" His tone was low and gentle but Athena did not seem to be responding at all. Cleo grew worried, yet, that gifted boy stayed unspoken. Minutes pass by, feeling like hours and yet, her sight did not loosen the lids, but after moments, she slowly opens her eyes and for some reason, they appear to travel through the realm, as a green star does across the planet earth. Her simple sights were enough to fill him with immense courage, "But what was that?" He asked in confusion, but she did not reply, rather overlapped with her own words. "You have to be the essence of this one…" Her message was confusing as it is for an adult, but for a child, it might be larger than his weight. "W-what?!?" Said Cleo, not know how to continue.
She walked straight towards that large prison gate ahead. Wore a Black-cloak. Open sky, no fear, but silent steps. Some gazed but not say until she stood right before that gigantic entrance. Guard, they call, comes forth to say. "Hey, this area is off-limits. Turn back!" However, Athena yet did not speak but raised a palm above pointed at the sky and confused the guard. "Hey, didn't you listen to me?!" He said as the final warning. "I have come to retrieve a lad you imprisoned two weeks ago…" Athena then said with an unusual voice, as well pulling her hand down. However, her words did nothing but instead lift his anger. Yet, even before the fat-guard does anything, she knocks him down upon the floor with just a fist slammed in the gut. It might be his face which led to this action but…
Silence takes over and surrounding ones stood with nothing at mind. Only wind gales were doing their job to lift this dead environment to some voices of bells in places ringing. The guard lay down and others sights merely see, but soon whirled to one behind in cloak. "We are the strongest pirates in Okeanos, Neel!" Her only voice echoed till to distance. "Release our Lord's son and we will overlook this!" Her message echo continued to reach even further. However, the words she spoke were not for them to understand at this moment. They do not know the way to proceed except for one, and so, they proceed to it. It was the second rule, taught once become a member of Fortis by the leader himself. 'World is massive, there are many things revolves around it, many reasonable and many don't, just because so we can grow, and someday if you came to stuck upon something, then throw it aside up-until the meaning became clear. Therefore, do whatever you want!' It was said just to avoid some laws but, they remember it till their grave, and they believed it even right now, and just so, within a second, the whole district filled with roars. They marched to one stood unfazed, and, yet, Athena surrounded by hundreds of Fortis, ran to her like the varmints, weapons at hand, and yet, she did not even feel slight of worry. While a single glance could tell the next. HELL! But Athena just stood her head high, and it was not overconfidence, she was not foolish enough to believe that way but pure wisdom. The moment came to be slow for just a minute, but that seems to be enough for her to do what it takes to reach Him. She pointed her index finger above at that grinning sky. No one notices but he did. He did and fulfilled exactly as told. He throws that with all his might!
It was just sparkle at first. Size of that as an insect which could not even be seen, but one cannot know that single thing could hold massive destruction. It exploded! That blue sky as if disappeared when the orange flames took over everything within, that soon just let the dark ashes around. It was far, yet, the sound was as if the thousands of screams squeezed in a particular place, and led to agony filled noises slaying the eardrums, and at last, the sights spun, replenished with unbearable fear. The whole Fortis stood unknown to the tongue that can explain any single thing that happened in this instant, and in that only moment, her voice echoes. "We have implanted explosive in-all-over Melidiona! Do as I say or the results will be inevitable!"
"You have to be the essence of this one…" Said Athena and led Cleo to utter confusion. "W-what?" But soon she sat again and pulled a leather bag forth. It was a brown regular one but what lay inside was something that can not even be described in words. She grasps some Golden Orbs. It was pure gold built with many lines carved, while in the middle; a green light takes spot. Confusing enough, Athena offered it towards Cleo. "This is… a thing from far…" She said with a pause. Yet, Cleo accepted with no reply asked. Total three. Cleo inquires not until they lay in his hand. "Mister, what do they accomplish?" Cleo said gently while she put her bag behind the cloak and lingered a moment but soon says to clear. "They are explosives…" In an instant, Cleo fears, but says no word. "They are special, and can not be seen as they shrunk before exploding…" Her tone changed slightly. "They are deadly!" She simply applied and waited for an answer. Cleo, on the other hand, was suffering misery. It was mutual for a child like him to think about this before doing, but… "I am doing it!" Cleo said loudly. "If it means Zera, I will do my best!" He said knowing the Fortis.
"Give back our young master and we will leave!" Athena yet said again but boldly. However, this time every single individual listened with fear crawling in stares. Maybe, the second rule did not apply when City is at sake… Some moment passed and soon a wise man was nominated to come ahead. He looks old and very interesting because of his fancy clothes but mostly due to his left eye which was disturbingly white and blind. "Neel? I've never heard that name!" Said the old man calmly, and Athena replies with the same composure. "We are old, but do not wander to steal everything…" She implied upon Fortis nature and eventually led men to anger, but what can they do against someone when their city is in her hand. The old man tensed but then proceeds within. "What is your young master name?" Athena stood for some seconds and relieved the old man a little. It was a trap to lure her in and once she told the name, everything becomes clear as the sky. Names carry weight, but that was the thing, Athena understood long before the old man does. "Leocus!!!" But the name she spoke was enough to give every single one chills till to their soul, she then resumes with tranquillity. "Do not ask foolish questions, it does not help!" Changed tone a little. "If it was that simple, then I should not have to wear this black cloak!" The old man went mum, and others tensed but the old man's experience was considering when it came to handling a person like her and so he tossed the last resort in the lake of overconfidence which might even put the city at threat. "Well, young man, if you are vast as you say, then we might have a friendly deal…" Money, he asked and not few that can be seen in his remaining eye, but not all for himself either. However, Athena did not say but remembers. 'Humans, never change…' She then stood for a while and extends her right hand little above towards the old man as gestures two neighbouring fingers, index and middle, to say. "Then how about—"
*BOOM!!* Another explosion takes place. Far, yet, deadly as earlier. Everyone stood, yet again unknown to the path of proceeding, but fear sure came with all from their body in the shape of trembling, and that exactly when she made clear those old saying; sometimes words are not enough to make people understand the importance of situation for another, but actions are. She then says, loudly. "Looks like my lord does not like your offer…" The wise old man has met hundreds of delinquents in his more than eighty years of life, but a person with no greed or fear, he just never seen before, and by this, he only knew a few words. "What is your young master looks like…" Hence, Athena won the battle, yet, her smile still can not be seen. "Lad with long hair, along with a young girl, and also, he carries a weapon!" She said with an audible voice. Cleo stood hidden in distance but her voice reached him precisely well and so a breath of relief he exhaled, but little they knew, the true enemy was just by the corner and soon forth. "What is going in here!?" His awfully heavy voice echoed throughout the area and somehow Fortis came to be relieved this time. It was the leader, the person took Him into the cage! The one person Athena did not want to encounter most. "Chief Dara!" Said the wise old man, amused, but just upon his arrival, the situation has come to worst, and Cleo was certain of it, while Athena glared upon his face. His hair was short, nearly bare, but burgundy, same coloured as his beard which oppositely was heavy while his skin was dark as chocolate. Although his figure was massive and bulky in its own, somehow his bronze armour was keeping up, just as his heavy steps came forth. His sugar-brown eyes were small but of a champion, that assured; they just did not put their trust in anyone but him, yet the stares were of deep grief. However, right now, those stares are in the mood of destruction, that became clear when sights behold What before has happened. In that portion, his only presence came to be howling, 'This guy is a strong Warrior…' That was the only thought in her mind.